Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Etude – Heirloom Pinot Noir 2012
Grace Benoist Ranch, Carneros AVA – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Estate-grown from the celebrated Grace Benoist Ranch, this Heirloom Pinot underscores Etude’s mastery of Carneros terroir. Over a decade since harvest, it has aged with remarkable poise, offering proof that Carneros Pinot can rival the greats for longevity. This one delivers the wow-factor in spades.

Aromas & Flavors
Dried cherry, black raspberry, and plum layered with rose petal, tea leaf, and subtle leather. Mature accents of forest floor and truffle bring savory depth to the fruit core.

Mouthfeel
Silky and seamless, with tannins fully resolved into finesse. Bright acidity carries the wine gracefully, while the finish lingers in layers of spice, earth, and fruit. Quite literally, the wine dances in the mouth.

Food Pairing
A natural match with duck confit, wild mushroom risotto, or aged Comté cheese. The wine’s silky texture and earthy notes intertwine beautifully with savory, umami-rich dishes.

The Verdict
A captivating Pinot Noir that reaffirms Etude’s finesse and Grace Benoist Ranch’s pedigree. This 2012 shows the sweet spot for Etude Heirloom around the 10–12 year mark, where fruit, earth, and structure harmonize in peak expression. Among Carneros’ top benchmarks for age-worthy Pinot. Cheers! — a month ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.7

Premier Cru, but really Grand Cru, Malco, one of my favorite wines on the planet is just rocking tonight, pnp perfection wafting an unmistakable Dujac nose with layers of violets, cocoa beans, fresh red berry fruit and whole brunch stemmy spice. The palate is pure silk with a mastery in balance of richness, purity and delivery of fruit, texture and acids with a finish that just keeps on going. Amazing wine. — 2 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.6

Wow. SO good. So clean, expressive, structured. Has the character, wild elegance and terroir of burgundy. This vineyard is amazing. Consistently so rocky and granitic, full of austere and noble blackberry fruit, amazing sappy concentration. Handles the heat of the vintage with Jedi mastery, yielding a wine with good acid, fantastic fruit and incredible mineral structure. — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

St. Supéry – Élu Red Blend 2019
Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Élu (“the chosen one” in French) is St. Supéry’s flagship red blend, crafted from their estate vineyards in Rutherford and Dollarhide Ranch. The 2019 vintage is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (≈68%), with Merlot (≈15%), Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc completing the Bordeaux-inspired blend. It’s a wine that epitomizes both power and refinement, showing off the estate’s mastery of blending.

Aromas & Flavors
The bouquet opens with black cherry, cassis, ripe plum, and blueberry, interwoven with espresso, graphite, and a touch of violet. On the palate, dark fruits remain at the core, layered with cocoa, cedar, anise, and subtle tobacco. The blend strikes a beautiful harmony between ripe fruit richness and savory nuance.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and layered with polished, fine-grained tannins. There’s depth and density here, yet the wine remains elegant and balanced. The finish is long and persistent, lingering with flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate, and a whisper of bay leaf.

Winemaking Notes
The estate fruit is hand-harvested and sorted, with each varietal vinified separately before blending. Aged in French oak barrels (about 60% new) for 20 months, the oak influence adds texture and spice while preserving vibrancy.

Food Pairing
This wine sings with grilled ribeye, lamb chops, venison, or braised short ribs. For a vegetarian option, try mushroom wellington or truffle risotto. It’s also an excellent match with aged cheeses like Comté or Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Verdict
A commanding yet elegant Bordeaux-style blend from Napa, the 2019 Élu is polished, powerful, and beautifully expressive of Rutherford and Dollarhide terroir. Drink now with decanting, or cellar for 10–15 years to watch it evolve. Cheers! — a month ago

Myles Keyt

9.3

col d'orcia 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is an alluring creation with 14.5% alcohol content, boasting a medium body that dances gracefully on the palate. Its mesmerizing hue of medium purple enchants the eyes, while its vibrant high acidity adds a delightful zing to the overall experience, accentuating the flavors.

As the wine meets the nose, a captivating bouquet unfolds, reminiscent of a Tuscan spring garden. Notes of balsamic, basil, and sundried tomatoes intermingle with the freshness of thyme, creating a harmonious symphony of aromas. The scent of ripe red cherry adds a touch of fruity allure to the ensemble.

Upon the first sip, one is immediately greeted by the invigorating burst of sour cherry, a defining characteristic that lingers tantalizingly. The wine's exceptional quality shines through, making it an excellent choice to accompany a fine meal. It effortlessly complements a variety of dishes, elevating the dining experience to new heights.

With a rating of 96, col d'orcia 2018 Brunello di Montalcino stands as a testament to the mastery of winemaking. This wine is not merely a beverage but an invitation to indulge in the artistry and craftsmanship of Italian viticulture. It is the perfect companion for cherished moments shared with great friends at an authentic Italian restaurant, where the ambiance matches the wine's essence. Cheers to unforgettable memories and the pleasure of savoring this remarkable wine! — 2 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

When winemakers devote themselves to the mastery of one grape, every bottling from top to bottom tends to be exceptional.

Such is the case with Raul Perez and his consistent ability to make Mencia bloom.

Vico is aromatically rich and complex. Cedar, new leather, blackberry, black currant, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee.



— 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

A very well-balanced merlot from Hebei region, a compote of red fruits, aromatic with rounded tannins, fruity and slightly juicy. A hint of chocolate and some dried leaves and black forrest by the back-end of the palate. Moderate texture and finish. — 10 months ago

Aaron Tan

9.8

An unforgettable bottle to crown our Taiwan trip. Gerard Potel’s 96’ Jarollières was just emotional and a testament to his mastery - he simply doesn’t miss. My first encounter with this Pommard vineyard revealed a wine less filigreed than Potel’s Volnay bottlings, leaning into darker, earthier tones, yet still imbued with his genius: crystalline purity and weightless intensity.

The nose unfolded sweet dark and red fruits, black tea, dried roses, violets, and a whisper of nutmeg and other spices. On the palate, it had plush, silky textures and extraordinary minerality - perhaps the most mineral-driven Potel I’ve encountered. With air, it deepened and felt livelier, revealing sweet red cherries, smoky tar, and irony minerality intertwined with earthy, tea-like nuances. Zen-like really, as it danced between sweetness and mineral precision, delivering a finish as haunting as it was beautiful. Pure Potel magic. — a year ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.4

Incredible food wine — a bright, beautiful orange wine with just the right amount of grip. Apricot, orange marmalade, seashell, and an elusive floral perfume.

With all the hype around skin contact wines (and the Friulan mastery of the style) I’m amazed that these Skerk wines aren’t more of a thing.

Also amazed that Vitovska, native to the Carso of Friuli / Kras in Slovenia, isn’t more of a thing. This variety fucks…. — 3 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

8.9

Nice entry level cuvée for this Moulin-à-vét of which Château is one of the sure values ​​of the appellation. Crunchy and fruity, yet with discreet aging notes that suggest mastery and savoir-faire. Simple but classy.

Belle entrée de gamme pour ce moulin a vent dont le Château fait parti des valeurs sûres de l’appellation. Croquant et fruité avec néanmoins les notes d’élevage discrètes qui suggèrent maîtrise et savoir faire. Simple et classieux. — 5 years ago