Jose Lorenzo

9.2

Actually an elegant white not red from Corsica. This application is really trying hard to kill this community. Shame. — 17 days ago

Jay Kline

9.6

What a special treat to have an entire flight dedicated to the one and only Noël Verset. All three wines were opened prior to dinner and serially enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Stylistically, all three wines were similar and most importantly, sound! The 1999 pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with slightly desiccated, wild, mixed, mostly red brambles, some horse blanket, dried purple flowers, cracked black pepper, Kalamata olive tapenade, old leather bound books, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Tonight, the 1999 seemed like a younger, bassier version of the 1992. It was a profoundly deep and guttural wine with the most substantial structure of the three. Drink now through 2039. — 3 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

On paper they say 08 wasn’t a good vintage but hey I love it. Old vine Reynard is excellent in 2008 showing all the Allemand sigs with dark fruit, olive tapenade and a liquid rock minerality. 08 is particularly Bordeaux like and not at all thin—that magical Reynard vineyard really ups the concentration of any vintage. Always a thrill to drink Allemand, my favorite Syrah. — 4 months ago

Shay A

9.5

Opened for a buddy’s birthday, alongside a 2005 Tatty Comtes, 2015 Cristal, 2018 Realm Falstaff and 2023 Kobayashi M/R.

I still remember my first Allemand seven years ago and how it immediately reeled me in and every bottle since has been the exact same. The rusticity and feral nature of Cornas is why for me, as a Syrah fanboy, it’s the best and most pure region for this wonderful grape.

Removed cork about an hour before pouring. Initial notes of olive, black pepper spice and herbs, some smoked meat and a brief blood-orange citrus aromatic. Deep red/black in the glass. There’s a layer of brett (low level, adds to the intrigue, doesn’t detract) and lavender bouquet before peppered strip, herbs, raspberries and blackberries, and a sanguine tang hit the palate. Not sure of whole cluster use here but seems there’s a little bit (which I love). Wild but civilized. Medium-plus bodied with beautiful acidity and plenty of tannin for this to cruise years. On the early side, but these are so hard to resist in every phase.

I wish I could drink this every day. I need to find a wine of similar style at a better price point. — 7 months ago

Zach D

9.1

Pours a deep purple with ruby rim. Aromas of dark fruit (blackberry, blueberry), brambles, hint of vanilla as well as cola, Italian herbs as well. On the palate black fruit, chocolate, good acidity, supple tannins; good intensity, long finish; alcohol is definitely on the high end. It’s a big wine for what I usually drink. I think it’s a very good example of barbera. A gift from a friend. — 9 months ago

Severn G

9.3

2019 | Red Blend
(60% Grenache, 25% Syrah & 15% Cinsault)
Lavendette; Rosé
Provence; Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
(91-93; Drink 2023-26)

Wow, this continues to be one of my favorite Provence rosés, ripe strawberry, cold peach, watermelon rind, damp limestone, white pepper; with +3Y of age we're at peak enjoyment.

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading Julia ADOLPHE (Makeshift Castle), STRAUSS songs with orchestra (Muttertändelei, Opus 43, No. 2 / Wiegenlied, Opus 41, No. 1 / Waldseligkeit, Opus 49. No. 1 / Ruhe, meine Seele, Opus 27, No. 1 / Zueignung, Opus 10, No. 1 / Morgen, Opus 27, No. 4) all voiced by our favorite soprano Renée Fleming, and closing with STRAVINSKY (Petrushka, 1947 version).

*Unfortunately, cellist Yo-Yo Ma has had to withdraw from today's planned performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 due to testing positive for COVID-19. — 3 years ago

Cary Jones

9.2

I’ve gotten away from Rosés over the last few years, but this one has brought me back. Refreshing, dry, minerals, clean finish. — 13 days ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Presented to me double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet/purple with an opaque core and some moderate rim variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of ripe and slightly dried black and blue fruits: dark brambles, plum, fig, purple flowers, leather ball glove, something spicy and green that has me debating between rotundone or pyrazines (but which?), rocky earth and fine baking warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. What a beautifully made wine.

Initial conclusions: this could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend with associated Bordeaux varieties), Cabernet Franc, Merlot (blended with associated Bordeaux varieties) or Syrah from France, the US or Australia. This is older; probably 20+ years of age based on the secondary characteristics or dried fruit and old leather. While the fruit plays a starring role here, the alcohol seems almost modest so I can’t place this in Australia or the US. The problem I’m having, are there pyrazines or rotundone? I don’t get a lot of black pepper or animale, or olive for that matter…so I’m leaning towards this being Bordeaux. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine with a blend of Bordeaux varieties, from France, Bordeaux, Pulliac, from a classified growth, 2004. Whoa!!! 2005 Clape?! What a treat! I feel like I should have nailed this wine. Alas…I still have to get better at differentiating between pyrazines and rotundone with age. Drink now with a decant, through 2045+ — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.5

It’s been a couple of years since I last encountered the 2001 vintage of Chave’s Hermitage. That bottle was a library release from the domaine and so is this example. Splash decanted directly before service. The 2001 pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous and a total umami bomb: Koji beef broth, dried and baked brambles, dried purple flowers, black pepper, Kalamata olive, organic and inorganic earth along with fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Looking back on my notes from 2024, there’s a common theme: the 2001 is all about dat bass. Drink now with some patience and through 2041. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2023 pours a ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with an explosion of smoked blackberry pie, purple flowers, bacon fat, olive, black pepper, and subtle warm spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose however, the wine finishes much more elegant than the nose would suggest. The bouquet might lead one to think this is possibly over the top. However, on the palate, it was far more elegant. Another vintage, another stunning Gonon. Drink now through 2043. — 7 months ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

For the price, I expected a lot more. So did the rest on the table. Probably too young as it did improve with air, but I’ve had youthful (and cheaper) Champagne’s that performed far better than this. Started off with heaps of pears, bruised apples, and almonds on the nose. The palate was concentrated, juicy and almost too fruity for me (apples and apricot for days!). Air brought about more cut and chalkiness, as well as some floral notes. In short, I expected more depth. I suspect I’m just not a fan of the vintage. Time will tell. — 2 years ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Wonderful chinon. Have cab franc too infrequently, I think. Had an 89 of this bottle at Manhatta several years ago and enjoyed that too. Beautiful color in the glass. Quite restrained in a wonderful way. Definitely smells like cab franc. A hint of fruit. Some olive. Great refinement. Actually not a ton of acid but the finish is long and very nice. — 3 years ago

Stuart Pollack

9.3

Lovely rich white wine. Tropical fruit mix brings out that Summer feeling. Very refreshing. Apricot and peach to start, citrus in the middle, passion fruit and acid to finish. — a month ago

DelectableWino

9.1

Great wine. Elegant dark fruits. Rich. — 3 months ago

Tooty Frooty

9.2

Fortsätter neråt i Coutelouhålet.
”The darker the berry, the sweeter the juice” #caves — 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Nose of plums, cherries, spices, light oak, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs and peppercorn.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain is drinking very nicely now. Complex, elegant and smooth. Tangy and interesting.

Fruit forward, rich and feels like a Right Bank Bordeaux.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

A nice sipping wine, good by itself or with food.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged for 28 months in (45% new) mostly French oak barrels with some American oak. Organic and fermented with wild yeast. Unfiltered and unfined. Vegan.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$75. — 5 months ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.8

Basically a perfect wine. — 7 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.2

This was really funky on opening and then blew some of that off to have a brawny wine with good fruit and tannin. Some earth and herbs. Dark fruits. Really liked it. — 9 months ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.1

Medium ruby hue. Aromatic bouquet of red fruits with a matching palate. Plush and elegant. Well worth cellaring. A solid example of Grenache-dominant Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah. — 9 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Barush ludo nichk alegza mau @gradcru — 3 years ago