Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed from red Solo cups over the course of a few hours. This bottle of the 1966 came to party! The wine pours a garnet color with a near translucent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and loads sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of black and red currants, Montmorency cherry, tobacco, Poblano pepper, pencil shavings, old leather bound books, espresso, loads of organic and inorganic earth, and a pleasant mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. What a fantastic performance by the ‘66. Drink now though similarly stored examples won’t be falling off a cliff anytime soon. — 8 months ago

Daniel M

8.9

I hadn't had this wine in a couple of vintages and I always have had a sweet spot for it. It's a bit more austere and serious than previous vintages I tasted, and a bit more complex too.
Licorice, blackberry, leather, a touch of mint, some Cola notes and some heat... Wow it's a serious nose, a lot let's playful and fruitful than in my memories. The palate shows a great acid drive, some serious grip, some width, some matter on the edges, a nice blackberry note through and through, along with, again, these Cola notes that I usually associate with natural gamays from the Beaujolais region, some grippy tannins kick off in the rear, powering a long, fruity, grippy finish that lasts for a very long time. These tannins tend to make the wine a bit more austere and complex but the Cola notes remind you it's an organic, natural wine style too. I like it very much. And this is the entry level cuvée of this Domaine! — 3 years ago

Vanessa

9.0

Here’s a Nero d’Avola wine hailing from the Eloro appellation on the southern end of the Island of Sicily, just off the “toe” of mainland Italy.

It was produced by Cantina Riofavara, a family-run estate (by the Padovas), employing natural and organic practices in the vineyard, with a keen focus on cultivating native Sicilian varieties, such as Nero d’Avola.

Nero d’Avola (aka Calabrese) is a prized black variety, and among the most planted, on the island; as a late-ripening grape, it thrives in hot, sunny environments, such as Eloro, allowing it to reach complete, juicy maturity by harvest time.

Following the primary fermentation of this wine, Riofavara matured it for an additional 14 months in oak barriques (smaller barrels), followed by 4 months in bottle (left unfiltered) before release, helping to soften the tannins and integrate the constituent parts of this wine.

The result? A gloriously deep ruby wine with plush notes of black cherry, black raspberry, plum, pomegranate, violet, desiccated rose, black licorice, star anise, nutmeg, vanilla, clove, sweet tobacco, pencil shavings, and wet earth, on the nose and palate. It has lively acidity, medium alcohol (13.5% ABV), and chewy tannins.

This wine is nuanced, multi-faceted, and brings a fine balance of plentiful fruity, earthy, and spicy qualities, which complement the medium (+) and textured tannins. The finish lingers.

It transports us to the southern tip of Sicily, where we can feel the radiant sunshine on our faces; that which gives life to the surroundings… Cheers to delicious wines that offer a sense of place! — 3 years ago

with Deked1

R Bl

8.9

Offputting funky nose on opening, initial palate of organic acid fumes overlaying stewed prunes and leather. After 2-3 hours the funk blew off, leaving lovely mellow brown plummy/ stone fruit smoky prolonged finish. Complex, maybe a bit over the hill; but this is a must-breathe wine that has to have hours open before evaluating. — 6 years ago

Boxer Briefs

10

Florido has managed to stay All estate by selling off vineyards to individual family memebers. Own rooted, Palomino, hand harvested,fortified at 19.5%, Aged for12 years. Smokin good. Paired with raw, organic, smoked 🐑 cheese, walnut butter, apricot/onion jam. — 7 years ago

edward Simpson

9.1

Getting ahead with some research off to Saumur/Loire Vallée, this little Saumur Champigny punches above it's weight, up there with mid level burgundy, climate change has done well for Cab Francs, Pinot Noir from Loire Vallée. Well structured, light but with a bit of depth, berries galore, bio organic too! — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

We went off grid with this wine to accompany a delicious cheese selection. Had all the CdP descriptors without being heavy - medium to full bodied. Earthy with red berries - a tarry note. Good without being very good even with the age. — 2 years ago

with Byron

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured. The 2011 Barbera d’Alba pours a deep, garnet (with some purple) color with a near opaque core. Slightly hazy. No signs of particles or gas. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Boysenberries , mulberries, dark cherry, braised beef (no cap), oiled leather, dried leaf tobacco, organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry; medium tannins and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. This is really tasty right now. While I don’t think this is going to fall off a cliff soon, I also don’t think there is any reason to hold any longer. Drink now and enjoy while the fruits are still nicely balanced with the secondary characteristics. — 3 years ago

zachholesun

9.9

Da Cesare - Rome - 2022 — 4 years ago

Eric Grasser

9.2

Stunning Mosel wine for the price ($25) from some (if not all) organic grapes. Slightly off-dry with plenty of slate flavor and acidity with loads of citrus including apple, blood orange, white peach. Just enough sugar to make this wine quite quenching. — 5 years ago

Devin Bray

9.4

The approach here is one of minimal intervention: indigenous yeasts, no fining or filtering. No insecticides are used and only organic fertilizers are used, and only minimally. Natural cover crops (grass cover) are left in the rows between the vines and are mowed 2 or 3 times a year. In autumn the soil of every other row between the vines is tilled. Each of their four cru Barbarescos are given the same treatment to allow the uniqueness of each cru to express itself. Fermentation is done in oak, of which about 30% is new, followed by 18-20 months in neutral barriques. Peppery and herbal with an excellent blend of cranberry and dark fruit. Rather inviting for a young Nebbiolo, with a tannic kick but not so much it rips your face off. Well worth the money. — 6 years ago

Rob Kiley

9.2

Maybe the best expression of Riesling I’ve had from Ovum, certainly Oregon. Off-dry, orchard fruit, tropical fruit, minerality and slight petrol — 6 years ago

Lyn Farmer

8.9

Barely off-dry, this wine has vibrant acidity, appealing minerality and a refreshingly long finish. Blend of Riesling, Pinot grid and Pinot Blanc. Delightful of you don't mind the hint of RS. Very easy drinking — 8 years ago

with Harley

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.0

Syrah made in a Sicilian style, nearly nero d'Avola like i would suggest.
Fresh, crunchy, vibrant.
Spadafora has become very much hands off in the last few years. Certified organic, wild fermentation and no sulphites added to this wine. I love the label that says 1.8kg per plant.
Great effort. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Recaredo, the legendary producer of Cava, has a still-wine label called Celler Credo where the primary focus is highlighting the Xarel-lo variety in the Alt Penedes. All of the wines are biodynamic and certified organic. This particular example comes from the family’s Serral del Bosc vineyard and has extended contact with the skins (in excess of a week). The results were more than intriguing.

Popped and poured just slightly chilled. The 2012 Estrany pours a bright gold color with medium+ viscosity and there’s even a little sign of some sediment in the last couple of pours. On the nose, the wine is developing and extremely floral with a fascinating mix of white and yellow flowers, apples and pears, some orange essential oil, and some stone fruits is the mix as well. On the palate, I think the wine is dry but almost comes across off-dry. Low tannins and I think the acid is sneaky, in the medium+ range. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and complex with palpable texture. This was a really fun pairing with causa limeña. I would say drink now but I’m sure it has plenty of what’s necessary to cellar if a bottle got forgotten. By the way, this wine is quite rare with only about 100 cases made in 2012. Bottle No. 388 — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Brought to dinner at Au Courant. This bottle of the 2006 Corte Pavone Brunello di Montalcino has been stored in my cellar since release. The wine pours a deep, turbid garnet color with a near opaque core. On the nose, the wine exhibits powerful aromas of desiccated cherries and blackberries, leather, cocoa, and dry organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium acid. I would place the alcohol at high. The finish is long and savory. I’ve got to say, compared to my last bottle from 2016, this has evolved a lot more than I expected. The 15% ABV is less hidden and this is now a vinous wine. While I have no fear of these dropping off a cliff, I’m not expecting any positive evolution at this point. It should be noted that this bottle threw an enormous amount of sediment so I highly recommend decanting that off prior to service. Drink now and over the few years. — 3 years ago

Martinez

9.1

Highlight from #lapaulée off grid — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2018 vintage. This estate was bought by Jacky Lorenzetti in 2007 and the investments are paying off (see also the spectacular quality improvement at their Pauillac estate Pédesclaux). While previous vintages featured a majority of Merlot, this 2018 is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37%. Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. This might very well be the best vintage to date for Lilian Ladouys in a year where Jacky's daughter Manon joined the business. She is highly devoted to organic farming and the Lorenzetti estates are now officially in conversion to organic. Moreover, Lilian Ladouys was promoted to "Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel" status in 2020. An estate to watch and the wines are very affordable too at around 20 euros. Classic nose with ripe cassis and cedar wood, intertwined with a fresh minty aroma. In the mouth the fruit is concentrated and layered with amazing freshness and a solid ripe tannin structure that make the alcohol (abv. 14,5%) go unnoticed. Long mineral finish. Highly recommended. Still very young, give it time to open up or decant. Should age beautifully for at least 15 years. — 5 years ago

John Davidson

8.9

Damn nice Pomerol. Heavy black cherry nose and honestly there’s a lot of that same flavor on the front. Tannins were a bit high on day one but better day two, I get plum and pomegranate coming through, and thankfully there’s still some acidic soil to stave off the sugar rush. Alcohol burn seems balanced and I’m not gonna lie, I paired Night Two with some Sea Salt Organic Beet Chips by Rhythm. Worked well for me. — 6 years ago

Jay Svoboda

8.9

At some point I’m going to have to spring for a higher end Guigal, because I think the entry level stuff is so solid. For the first time in my wine drinking I can honestly say I got lanolin (wet wool) on the nose - interesting, but not unpleasant. While a solid Rhône red might age well, this ‘12 was drinking spot on - spread the bottle out over three days and it never fell off. Definite cran-raspberry dominated flavors, with organic earth and herbs rounding out the palette. — 8 years ago