Alex Michael

9.0

Red fruit, cola, spice. Long finish. Medium tannins. Balanced Pinot noir — a month ago

Vanessa

9.2

Tonight, we’re sipping a delicious Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (2012).

The vineyards of Poggio Antico are situated on some of Montalcino’s highest hills (>1,500 ft elevation), overlooking the beautiful, sun-soaked landscape of Tuscany.

In a warm climate, high altitude sites like this benefit from a comparatively lower air temperature, greater diurnal range (warm days, cool nights), and enhanced solar intensity, particularly when vines are planted on hillsides, angled towards the sun.

These conditions (among others) are important for quality winemaking, for example, the intense sunshine promotes grape ripening (sugar accumulation; development of flavors, tannins, color), while the cooling influences help retain acidity and more delicate aromas in the grapes; they also enable a longer ripening period overall, setting the stage for a well-balanced, concentrated wine.

It was interesting to learn that Poggio Antico vinifies and matures its Sangiovese according to detailed soil units, leveraging what it calls a “geological symphony,” as a significant part of the terroir expression. It later blends (or “harmonizes”) these units with the aim of creating balance and complexity.

As a Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, this wine must be 100% Sangiovese and could not be released from Poggio for at least 5 years from the harvest, during which time it aged for at least 2 years in oak. Poggio exceeded these legal minimums by aging this wine for 4 years, including 3 years in traditional Slavonian oak barrels and one year in bottle.

We paired this wine with a homemade Bolognese. The spices of the sauce lent symmetry to the spice (nutmeg, clove) notes in the wine, which didn’t compete, but, rather, complemented each other. Also, the fat in the ground sirloin (along with the salty parmesan and decade+ of maturing) helped smooth the high tannins of the Sangiovese, enhancing our palates’ experience of other delicious dimensions.

It was molto bene! Cheers! — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Jay Wyper

9.2

A nice middle ground between oak and steel finish. Not overly fruity but the Chardonnay fruit is there. Smooth finish with a little butter. Great with food. — 6 years ago

GHol

8.9

In first on QF1. Lots of citrus flavour which works well in the cabin of an aircraft. Would like to try again at ground level to check the real taste. Very enjoyable. Would certainly consider buying but might wait for a better vintage. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.7

A review of 9️⃣’s for fun 😁

The 2009 was made 9 years ago @ £39 & 19 years after the 1990 @ €90 😁 so I thought it would be fun to compare how my favourite Pomerol has evolved 😁

💵 Oh & Petrus next door to this Chateau is 90 times more expensive 🤣

🥊 So 90 vs 09

🏵 90 - 97-98 points
🏵 09 - 94-95 points

🍷 90 - Garnet opaque ruby w/ bricking
🍷 09 - Opaque ruby

⏩ scroll for colour pics on Instagram ⏩

👃 90 - Bordeaux nasal sex of soggy earth, sooty underground 🚇, char-smoked oak, old leather, damp musty cellar, mushroom, mirabelle plums, damson compote, obliterated blackcurrant, herbs, toasted fig, bitter mocha & liquorice
👃 09 - Dark jammy plum & blackcurrant through smokey oak, choc mocha, flint, pencil lead, soggy earthy leaves & wet rock minerals

👄 90 - Med body of creamy earthy smooth silk dark plum & berry bathed in ground mocha & liquorice
👄 09 - Med+ creamy smooth ripe dark plum & blackcurrant body w/ a mocha infusion & mineral tone

🎯 90 - Long mocha liquorice dark fruits mouth filling linger w/ a big happy smile 😃
🎯 09 - Long smooth ripe dark fruit, minerals & rich mocha linger - oh & still big happy smile 😀

⏰ 09 I can’t wait to revisit you in 19 years 😘

👏 @josephjanoueix @jeanphilippejanoueix 😍
— 8 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Cult chard tasted alongside a 2010 Aubert Lauren Chard....this one lost by a unanimous vote (and it wasn't even a blind vote either). I think everyone WANTED the Judge to win, but there was nothing to Judge here. At least for THIS COMPARISON, in 2018, the Aubert was the winner. BUT, this Judge chard did have more acidity up front than the Aubert, and IMO this wine has more aging potential than the 2010 Lauren Chard, which was pretty much right on the top of the hill tonght. Hard to beat a wine in its prime window, but goes to show you that Aubert makes chards that will compete with this kind of opponent. Lots of acid up front. Stone ground fruit entry, mineral-rich middle. I think that I was getting more pear than anything else here, but there was a hint of youthful butter and some dates. Finishes with actually a really nice fruit/nutty/almost gritty/tannin character for about 60 seconds, which is the one thing I will say that I give advantage to the Judge. Bravo! — 8 years ago

with Dan, Shay and 1 other

Dana Fritz

9.0

Jammy & concentrated. Good bulk find — 3 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

It's Open That Bottle Night(last Sat in Feb), and thought this would be a nice pull to celebrate the occasion.

1 hour decant(decent sediment). A striking still dark garnet with some bricking. On the nose: perfumed stewed cherry/plum, smoked meat, worn leather, cigar ash,milk chocolate, rich soil, some band-aid(brett) Taste: smooth, polished, vibrant wine with plum, tobacco, bitter chocolate, worn leather, earth, and a long graphite coffee ground finish. YUM!!!! — a year ago

with Brenda

Lars Miller

8.9

Compost on the nose, although we just opened this 6 year old bottle. So, ok. Truth time. We've had carmenere wines before and thought they were oddly flavored, off balanced, and overall not so great. Whew! Got that off my chest. This wine shows some real promise. Fully flavored with lovely red fruits, smooth tannins and silky finish. We enjoyed this and am sure it will open up. — 4 years ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.0

v18. Very nice. Soft white pepper and smashed black cherry nose. Rich black cherry and blackberry fruit. Smooth, tight, cola, mocha , soft leather and ground pepper finish. Lot of words , but well balanced! — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Lovely perfume - like a berry/lavender/ground coffee beans combination. Ripe plums coming through on the full bodied palate. Obviously the product of very Old vines in the the Barossa. A delicious wine. As mentioned ripe plums but no prune. Good picking decisions from the Ashmead brothers. Elderton Command starting to become one of my favourite Barossa Prestige Cuvées. Hard to fault. — 7 years ago

Modupe Liston

9.0

I like this. Smooth. — 8 years ago

Darren Clayson

9.2

Surprisingly good bursting with fruit and cassis notes hints of smoked cedary meat — 8 years ago

Muralee Murugesu

9.3

Very very nice sake at the offered price range. Lots of lovely character with smooth texture (almost like a condrieu). — 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Truth & Valor – Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Paso Robles – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Paso Robles’ warm climate and calcareous soils make it a hotspot for bold, plush Cabernets. Truth reflects the authenticity of the vineyard, while Valor honors the winemaker’s courage to let terroir shine with minimal intervention.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe blackcurrant, blackberry jam, and plum dominate, accented by mocha, vanilla, and baking spice from oak. Subtle notes of dried sage and graphite bring a savory undertone beneath the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and plush, with generous tannins wrapped in a velvety texture. Balanced by moderate acidity, the finish is long, ripe, and polished.

Food Pairings
Best with grilled ribeye, smoky BBQ brisket, or lamb chops. Also pairs beautifully with hearty pasta dishes or a wedge of aged Gouda.

Verdict
A bold yet polished Paso Robles Cabernet. Fruit-forward, structured, and satisfying — a wine that wears its California sunshine with pride. 🍷cheers! — 9 months ago

Michelle M

9.1

Nice spiced berry nose of blackberry bramble, blueberry with notes of char, clove, and hints of brown sugar in the bouquet. Soft and smooth blackberry galette with weak black tea and a subtle spice on a medium long finish. Better on the second day, still holding up on the third. Great value, would buy again.
— 4 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2016 vintage. Last tasted 7.7.21. Dark cherry, ground black pepper and spicy oak nose. Medium body with enough plushness for those looking for a palate pillow and enough acidity/tannins for those looking to retain red street cred. Plummy finish. Maan…this is getting mo better. Need to pick up another 3-6 bottles and bury them. The nice price. — 4 years ago

Lindsay Corrigan

8.9

Bright Red Cherry front to clove and finishes with light smokers oak. Soft tannins & youthful acidity that worked well with fatty meat. We enjoyed it with Chuck Burger topped with Provolone, Avocado, Tomato, Mayo on Egg Bun and side of Root Veggie fries🍷 — 6 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.8

Wow! Super youthful! Better decanted. Literally gets more youthful with air. Tobacco, plum, ground coffee, luxardo cherry, porcini mushroom, clay, wet leaves. — 7 years ago

with ADAM, Frank and 1 other

Isaac Pirolo

10

The truth is… over the years, I've had the occasional fanciful thoughts where I imagined picking up and moving to wine country. Those dreams always seemed so impractical and, of course, it’s never the right time. So, when my favorite winery – Theorem Vineyards – whose wines are made by my favorite winemaker – Thomas Rivers Brown – approached ME about moving to Napa Valley to work for THEM, I fell off my chair. Fortunately, I was more prepared when they asked me to join their team as Vice President of Sales and Marketing; my only condition was a bottle of their 2012 Voir Dire Cabernet Sauvignon – their first born. I will be relocating to Napa Valley at the end of May.

As for that 2012, I believe 60 cases were produced. I previously tasted the 2013 and 2014, so the 2012 was the only released vintage I had not tasted. It’s immediately recognizable as Voir Dire with its ethereally dense and exotically potent perfume. Drenched in wild and savory blackberry, luscious crème de cassis, and the most flawless graphite that will make you understand why diamonds exist. The primary components of its flavor profile are so pure and exalted, and so much so, that I’m reminded how right the decision is. What makes this world class, though, is the mosaic backdrop of secondary flavors that comes across like some sort of haute couture tapestry – polished and refined, yet pure and exotic – a mélange of herbs, black licorice, iron, cedar, truffle, game, and leather. It’s very Thomas Rivers Brown, but the terroir is undeniable. — 8 years ago