Independent Liquor
Farina
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2017
The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico opens up with an inviting yet somewhat understated mix of peppery florals, cherry liquor, plums and sage. Here I’m finding silky textures offset by tart wild berry fruits, salty minerals and brisk acids in an expression that is much more savory than sweet. A coating of fine tannins lingers, along with a note of baker’s chocolate. I have to give Farina credit for creating such a versatile and balanced expression of Amarone. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
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Masi
Campolongo di Torbe Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2011
The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe holds your attention firm, with a deeply alluring bouquet of rum-soaked raisins, cinnamon, cherry liquor, minty herbs and a dusting of cocoa. It’s silky in texture and more feminine and lifted than expected, with a tart display of red and black fruits further complicated by notes of bitter coffee and dark, dark chocolate. The balance here is on point, as the 2011 comes across as more savory and sweet, and tapers off to notes of blackberry, sour citrus and inner rose tones. While you can enjoy this today, the Campolongo di Torbe will benefit from another five to ten years of cellaring.(Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
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Two Vines
California Cabernet Sauvignon
Nice find at the liquor store — 21 days ago
Domaine Roulot
L'Abricot Liqueur
This stuff is crazy good. Jean Marc Roulot makes this apricot liquor using apricots from the trees of Jean Louis Chave 🤯 — 17 days ago
Domaine Jamet
Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2017
Hot iron, iodine, olive tapenade, beef, creosote, curing salt, pink peppercorn, talcum, garrigue, scorched earth, granite, black raspberry liquor, grapefruit, crushed cherry, creme de cassis, rose petals. Ripe, full of flesh with sinew to back it up, found the balance quite remarkable here. The sun and warmth is felt in the generosity, but the tannins and acidity are well within reason. Granite and iron still at its core. — a month ago
Penfolds
Grange South Australia Shiraz 2001
An absolute monster of a wine. Hits you with waves and waves of layered flavors and with an incredibly regal texture and mouthfeel. It’s hard to believe this wine is 20 years old. An original 3 hour decant did not suffice, but an additional 2 did the trick, subsiding an initial whiff of VA to reveal blackberry pie, Christmas spice, kirsch cherry liquor and hints of mocha. There is superb depth and concentration that leads to a long and palate caressing finish. A well stored bottle of this wine is no where near full maturity. Majestic is the word for this. — 2 days ago
Domaine Catherine Cuchet-Béliando
Cornas Syrah 2015
Magic. Absolutely magic. This bitchslaps Clape 2015. This is as perfect as Syrah can get. The nose has blackberry, black cherry but most importantly a searing and intense minerality that is unmatched in Cornas. Penetrating, layered, graphite. Barely any fruit besides a blackberry that is so pure, so vibrant and it just floats and complements the minerality. Boy does this waft. Crystallized blackberry after air. This palate is a masterpiece. So juicy, so powerful, so complex and the level of granite here is just unreal. The old vines Chaillot complexity is off the charts. There is a blackberry liquor that is crazy pure here but the granite, structure and length rule the day. Once this fruit becomes a more central component of the palate thus might be perfect. It’s very young. Next bottle will be 5 years at least. The length is astonishing. 2-3 minutes finish. Age will perfect this.
Okay, nose is heavenly blackberries. Just heaven. Crystallized blackberries and insane florals. Wow. Perfect balance. Insane fruit soak. This is the best damn Syrah. — 19 days ago
Severn Goodwin
We should all drink more Southern California, New Orleans coffee liquors for 2021?! — 5 days ago