Nice label if a bit derivative of the euro chateau thing. Color is nice. Smells a bit funky with fruit in the mix. Flavors are smoky, complex and well balanced. Bit of tannin and some body (fat feeling) on the tongue. Finish is berry and chocolate. Nice red from the base of Mt. Diablo. — 3 years ago
Burgel study courtesy of FK and MJ. I thought this was the better of the two wines, mainly because it was more complete at this stage. Time has brought about that inner sweetness, mineral backbone, black tea notes, and just that touch of sous bois which I really enjoy. I'd prefer a little more red fruit and more oak to shed away, but overall it was drinking well. — 4 years ago
“It’s just a refreshing blush”- Dave
As Hannah Montana would say: the best of both worlds. — 6 years ago
Cotes du Rhône from FK 2017 Fall tasting.
Nice. — 8 years ago
Smooth and silky. Great flavor. Really enjoyed this wine. With Matt and Hannah!! — 9 years ago
Dark color. Not quite India ink, but deep maroon. Smells like blueberry pudding and heavy cream. Hint of fresh chopped redwood bark. Flavors are dense with a classic petite Sirah inky-ness with blueberry syrup and purple plum compote. This is a big delicious red. Drink with red meats, grilled. Or hard, salty cheeses. — 3 years ago
Opened on day of Christmas dinner (12/26/2022) at Anza Way with Hannah and Bobby. — 4 years ago
Blinded, FK was quick to identify this as a white Burgundy from a ripe vintage (2005?), which I felt was a good guess given the propensity of this vineyard to be a touch warm. Definitely looked a lot younger than it was, which is a testament to MJ’s cellar. An absolutely pristine bottle of Leflaive! Lot of apple skins, lemon peels, white flowers, and a touch of nuttiness. Full-bodied with a rich creamy texture, balanced by strong minerality and crisp acidity. This was Leflaive in all it’s glory! — 4 years ago
Hal and Hannah Emily and Emiliano’s celebration — 5 years ago
Opened with grass fed steak grilling when Hannah and Bobby were visiting. Wine shift from Hannah from her stay on North Fork of Long Island. Went very well with steak. — 6 years ago
Glen Ellen Star with Kate & Hannah — 7 years ago
Birthday gift from Hannah opened when Hannah and Bobby visiting at Thanksgiving 11/20/2023. — 3 years ago
Ok. Harsh and not worth it for the price to get again but interesting to try. Deep fruit and earthy. — 3 years ago
Poured out with a pink-copper hue and with bubbles that dissipated quickly. Very vinous. Expansive nose of tart red fruits, spices, roses, sea breeze, almond meal, and a touch of smoky incense. Weighty and grippy on the palate, with lots of chalky notes and a dash of savouriness. Finished long and phenolic. Clearly quite special.
An easy blind for all on the table - a Pinot-based rosé champagne with some age. I didn’t think it was an 06’, but the vintage was thrown in the guesses by a few on the table. I just thought it looked too elegant. I concluded that it was Prevost’s Facsimile, but clearly I was wrong though I didn’t think it was a bad guess. Haha.
I really enjoyed this, but KP, FK, and BR all thought it was more intellectual than pleasurable. They thought it was too phenolic and soft to coax one into having the next glass. I understood where they came from, but I just thought the positives far out-weighted the negatives. Layered and powerful, yet beautifully mineral! — 4 years ago
Veldig god drikkevin på toliterskartong. Sammen med Jonas, Robin, Hannah og Christin til antipasta — 6 years ago
Etna house in Sicily with Sarah, Cary, Max, and Hannah — 7 years ago
I heard something today on IDTT that exemplifies tasting this wine - never explicitly was the term "great" terrior used, but I think it's safe to say that the discussion was about great terrior. A "great" vineyard isn't necessarily better than others in terms of quality... Or even necessarily need to represent the covering GI... but it is "great" because of clarity. It produces a unique expression CONSTANTLY, irrespective of vintage or producer. In short, it speaks precisely of a place... Cliché but truly. And that's Pettenthal! Time and time again I've seen this. With KP, Kai, Gunderloch, Kuhling-Gillot. Pettenthal is great and this wine sealed it for me.
Brought this to blind KP. It was an obvious choice since KP's tiny super plot was once part of FK Schmitt's holdings. Despite the differences with KP's insane 17' auction wine (vintage, style, vineyard size, philosophy), this wine was clearly Pettenthal. That cool and smoky elements that I've learned to associate with the vineyard, fine minerally backbone. Damn! This has to be one of the most tightly focused aged Auslese's I've had in a while. What a pristine bottle - all thanks to Roland's exquisite sourcing skills. Stone fruits, petrol, honey, spice, umami elements. Finish was admittedly one-dimensional. Could be longer. Still, what a lovely #rieslingstudy — 8 years ago
Liz Nichols
Had this with Andrew & Hannah at IE — 2 years ago