Faces
Riofavara
Sciavè Eloro Nero d'Avola 2017
Here’s a Nero d’Avola wine hailing from the Eloro appellation on the southern end of the Island of Sicily, just off the “toe” of mainland Italy.
It was produced by Cantina Riofavara, a family-run estate (by the Padovas), employing natural and organic practices in the vineyard, with a keen focus on cultivating native Sicilian varieties, such as Nero d’Avola.
Nero d’Avola (aka Calabrese) is a prized black variety, and among the most planted, on the island; as a late-ripening grape, it thrives in hot, sunny environments, such as Eloro, allowing it to reach complete, juicy maturity by harvest time.
Following the primary fermentation of this wine, Riofavara matured it for an additional 14 months in oak barriques (smaller barrels), followed by 4 months in bottle (left unfiltered) before release, helping to soften the tannins and integrate the constituent parts of this wine.
The result? A gloriously deep ruby wine with plush notes of black cherry, black raspberry, plum, pomegranate, violet, desiccated rose, black licorice, star anise, nutmeg, vanilla, clove, sweet tobacco, pencil shavings, and wet earth, on the nose and palate. It has lively acidity, medium alcohol (13.5% ABV), and chewy tannins.
This wine is nuanced, multi-faceted, and brings a fine balance of plentiful fruity, earthy, and spicy qualities, which complement the medium (+) and textured tannins. The finish lingers.
It transports us to the southern tip of Sicily, where we can feel the radiant sunshine on our faces; that which gives life to the surroundings… Cheers to delicious wines that offer a sense of place! — 3 years ago
Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7
I wish I could hold a bottle with my toes like you,
Greer
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Admirably well-balanced for a wine of this size while also staying true to the structured 2016-vintage.
Kudos to a gifted winemaker (@Aaron Pott) and a spectacular Napa wine that should bring big smiles to the fortunate few faces over the next 30+ years. — 7 years ago
Schramsberg Vineyards
J. Schram Brut Rosé
Sunday, whole bottle to my head out of spite. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, attitude is everything.
~$150 Riddler’s Circle shipment recently
Honestly, it’s fucking awesome, but I recommend poolside in 80° heat and not a springtime Sunday in PJs feeling spiteful
Really wish the ratings didn’t come with happy faces. It can taste excellent and I can still feel angry.
Dominant flavor is fucking strawberry of all god forsaken things!! This ish is that bomb! — 8 years ago
Domäne Wachau
Achleiten Smaragd Riesling 2001
Vintage 2001 | my oh my. 24 years old. We tend to drink grüner veltliner young but there is no need to do so. @Rob van Kalmthout said the advice is to drink between 3-5 years or after 15 years and longer. I saw many happy faces with this wine. Flint and spicyness. I smelled chestnut champignons. Dill. And also creamy butter. Vitality, rich, beautiful rondeur. Fantastic. — a year ago
Pulido-Walker
Melanson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard emerges mostly from upper blocks on this site, a striking hillside that faces Colgin, where the steep exposure can yield wines of tremendous pedigree. That is exactly what comes through here. Inky red/purplish fruit, spice, rose petal, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco meld together effortlessly, with silky tannins that wrap it all up. Bold and luscious, but with tremendous nuance, the Melanson Cabernet is a total stunner in 2018. As I have written in the past, farming here has improved tremendously in recent years. This is another superb example of the quality that this site is capable of. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown gave the 2018 a relatively short 10 days on the skins. I imagine he thought the site would take care of the rest. It's hard to argue with that. The 2018 is off the charts great. Don't miss it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2021)
— 6 years ago
G.D. Vajra
Barbera d'Alba 2017
The 2017 Barbera d'Alba is a joyous wine that is sure to put a smile on readers' faces. Pliant, supple and full of character, the 2017 offers superb density and tons of pure deliciousness. Sweet dark cherry, plum, mocha and sweet spice are pushed forward in this engaging, arrestingly beautiful Barbera. Best of all, the 2017 is a superb value. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 6 years ago
Tedeschi Vineyard
Maui Blanc Pineapple Wine
Pineapple juice through and through. Malolactic converted sunshine and vanilla glitz in a bottle. Tropical hearts and smiley faces. Like licking an adult pina creamsicle while on pool floaties. Slurp! — 8 years ago
Terrien Wines
Chardonnay 2012
There’s some significant OW character here, the damp earth, mushroom, and hazelnut character take you right to Burgundy, but the ripe fruit and generosity are classically CA. I love how whole it is given its blocked malo upbringing. Low oak, texturally complex, a fun and well made adventure into the one of many faces that make up CA CH — 8 years ago
Château Musar
Bekaa Valley Obaideh Merwah 2007
Vintage 2007 | in a recent blind tasting I did not recognize the white Musar. The organizer said: drink this one time and you will never forget. I do not agree. It’s special. It is an experience. But just like the red this Musar can have many faces. I liked the 2007. Well balanced, mild power, good acidity. Fine bitters in aftertaste. Lots of character. Easily a wine when tasted blind you can fool your friends. My wine friends said viura in majority. | paired with sushi — 2 years ago
Two Hands
Brave Faces Barossa Valley Grenache Blend 2021
Domaine Potinet-Ampeau
Charmes Meursault 1er Cru Chardonnay
Ripe lemon, tangerine and lime pith encircle a warm tropical melange. There are endive sentiments and echoes of ocean brine.
lemon is a big player on the palate, showing three faces; zest essence and racy fruit. A touch of lime keeps it clean and the salinity brings it all home. What it lacks in complexity it doubles down on in subtlety. Def for lighter seafood dishes that need to brighten.
#domainpotinetampeau #potinetampeau #mersault #mersaultcharmes #premiercrumersault #premiercru #grandvindebourgogne #whiteburgundy #bourgogneblanc #frenchwhitewine #whiteburg #appellationmersaultpremiercrucontrolée — 4 years ago
Château Palmer
Alter Ego Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2012
It's like an orthodox Bordeaux.
While the aroma is based on blackberries, the beastly nuance of Merlot and the leather nuance from fermentation show their faces.
Good wine. — 6 years ago
Bremer Family
Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
WNH Napa theme along with some new faces.
My second bottle in the past 6 months and this one seemed to be more youthful, with the oak tannin really gripping at the finish. 15yrs young in the glass with dark purple and ruby with only a small touch of bricking at the rim. Aromatically it smells of mixed berry fig, slightly overripe dark fruits (blue and black), dark cocoa, mocha, and some red clay. On the palate, the acidity has mellowed out but the tannin is crazy powerful. The palate shows slightly more to the red fruit spectrum with more old fig and mocha, roasted dark plum, and black currant. This can undoubtedly hold another 5+yrs, but the finish has me thinking it will just be different as opposed to better. — 6 years ago
Terredora di Paolo
Campania Falanghina
A white! A white! A white I finally like! So easy to drink, smooth and rounded, hazelnuts and apple. I can’t believe we have a white that doesn’t make me pull faces, sweet but not too sweet! — 8 years ago
Peter van den Besselaar
vintage 2016 | Odd experience. With 10 y I thought this to be a perfect wine for my Sunday dinner. When my wife and I tasted it we were making funny faces to each other. Verdict: undrinkable. We put it back in the bottle and I took it to a blind tasting with friends. They appreciated the wine. With 72+ hours air the wine came to life. Nice cab franc characteristics. — 3 months ago