Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of deep purple with lighter shades on the rim. Nice tears. Nose of ample fragrance of currants. minty, vanilla, oaky, sweet note, and some more dark fruits. Taste is mouthful and chewy, quite sweet mixed with some spice, acidity, tart, strawberry, and some more vanilla. Aftertaste shows more strawberry, tangy, and a bit marginal tannin. On par. Like all the Freakshow wine, a bit too sweet for me. — 2 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

Tonight, we’re taking a sensory trip to one of Germany’s most northerly wine-producing regions; care to join us?  🇩🇪

We’re headed to the Mosel and, more specifically, the Grosse Lage (like a “grand cru”) vineyard of Bockstein, Ockfen situated in the Saar Valley (southwest) of Mosel, near the border of Luxembourg.  Mosel is one of Germany’s coolest and most marginal climates where the quality of the vineyard site is imperative to achieving full ripeness of the fruit.  🍇 🌞

Here we have a 2010 Kabinett Riesling produced by Weingut von Othegraven, a member of the prestigious Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) association. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 You know it’s a member of the VDP because of the logo on the capsule, which shows an eagle bearing a bunch of grapes. 🦅

As a “Kabinett” wine, the grapes must have satisfied certain minimum criteria (e.g., a minimum must weight), indicating an assured ripeness and concentration of the fruit at harvest. With a low alcohol of 8.5% ABV, one would rightly expect this wine to have residual sugar (sweetness).

We chose to pair this gorgeous deep gold wine with a medium-spice, tuna poké served over avocado and jasmine rice; this dish was screaming for a complementary dimension of vibrant fruit (e.g., yellow apple, pear, quince, lime zest), a little sweetness (honeyed, dried apricot notes), complexity (smokiness, wet stone, petrol), and mouth-watering acidity, adding lift (not heaviness), which is working out deliciously 🥂🥂 — a year ago

with Deked1

Frank Kuo

9.4

Color of tea. Nose of smoke, peat, sweet dates, spicy and strong alcohol, and more coal like peat. The nose is powerful. Taste is another hit of smoky peat. First sip is dry, however the sweetness surfaces later. Hidden note of marginal sweet apple. Aftertaste shows some baked apple and more smoky peat note. Clean, powerful, straightforward, and tasty. — 2 years ago

Norman Gennaro

9.0

Someone said mint on the nose. I get it lightly on the finish. I was marginal on the PNP but it’s growing on me after an hour. It’s interesting but not one I would look for. — 5 months ago

Frank Kuo

9.0

Color of dark purple, with a bit gray and brown hue on the rim. Nose of dark fruits plus strength of alcohol, a bit minty and vanilla, a bit ripe grape. The nose is average. Taste is following the nose with soft to marginal tannins, bitter grape skin note, just a bit sweet with hint of grape juice. The taste is on the light side. Aftertaste does show more sulfate bitter note. Average. — a year ago

Scott Kahn

9.3

The initial nose was marginal but improved tremendously in the glass as the Cabernet franc came to the fore. For a lessor known vintage I was surprised by the youthful vigor and freshness of the wine. — 2 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of dark purple, a bit bubbly. Nose of cocoa, dark fruits, bold alcohol, crayon, aldehyde, orange plum, fermented cabbage, and black cherry. Nose is decent. Taste follows the nose with great amount of acidity, lavender, graphite and mineral, marginal tannins, and dark fruits come at 2nd sip. Aftertaste shows more tannin but a bit over powering bitterness, and some more peppery note. Interesting. — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.7

A special BIRTHDAY treat for this Champagne lover and my #1 guy!!  

Krug is a Champagne House specializing in producing “prestige cuvees,” which are the product of strict and meticulous practices in the vineyard and winery, designed to promote utmost quality even at the possible detriment of a lower yield and lengthier (more costly) production process.

In Champagne, a “prestige cuvée,” or “tête de cuvée,” signifies the producer’s top, most exclusive wine, which could be vintage-dated (fruit from a single year) or non-vintage (blend of fruit from multiple years).  

This particular cuvée is called “Ode to Nature,” like liquid poetry paying tribute to the 2002 vintage, which was notably generous with its warm, relatively dry conditions (in an otherwise marginal climate), supporting a healthy grape ripening process.  

It’s a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay, and 21% Meunier – all harvested in 2002 - and was aged in the cellar for 13 years before release.

Julie Cavil has served in the important role of Cellar Master (Chef de Cave) at Krug since 2020, after an early career in public relations and business, followed by years of education in oenology, positions with other producers in Champagne, and 14 years in the cellar of Krug leading up to her current role. Her story is inspiring to say the least!

Now on to our (abbreviated) tasting note… This wine has a gorgeous golden hue with a fine, persistent mousse. Aromas and flavors show depth and complexity with notes of lemon curd, baked yellow apple, desiccated white rose petals, cream, toast, brioche, marzipan, pie crust, and almond. It has a creamy texture on the palate and long, elegant finish. It’s drinking so well right now.

Cheers to sharing wines you love with the people you love!
— 10 months ago

Frank Kuo

9.0

Color of bubbly deep saturated gold. Nose of concentrated ripe tropical fruits, mango, pineapple, bananas, cantaloupe, and a tiny bit of perfume and mineral. Taste follows the nose, with addition of tinkling mouth feel, some sweetness with marginal acidity, some oak, almost no alcohol. Nose is nice yet she is well beyond peak time. — 2 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of different shades of purple, with a bit copper and grey tones on the rim. Nose of fruity dark fruits, aldehyde, spicy and fermented cabbage, and just a touch of oak. Taste is smooth, marginal tannins and easy, a bit sweet mixed with zesty bitterness and right amount of acidity, fresh raspberry, some oak, and warmth of alcohol. Aftertaste is medium long , with more berries note and a bit touch of mineral. Not bad. — 3 years ago