Ron Siegel

9.3

Needed some air showing red & black fruits, floral, meat, graphite, olive & violet — 2 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.8

Beautiful wine. Tasting outstanding. Dark purple fruits and berries, olive brine, dried flowers, cured meat. Its dry lingering finish of fruit and olive just lingers. This is great with 3 hours of air. So glad to have gotten this bottle. Rhone ranger!!! Probably has another 5+ years of evolution in it, maybe more. — 5 months ago

Shay A

9.5

Opened for a buddy’s birthday, alongside a 2005 Tatty Comtes, 2015 Cristal, 2018 Realm Falstaff and 2023 Kobayashi M/R.

I still remember my first Allemand seven years ago and how it immediately reeled me in and every bottle since has been the exact same. The rusticity and feral nature of Cornas is why for me, as a Syrah fanboy, it’s the best and most pure region for this wonderful grape.

Removed cork about an hour before pouring. Initial notes of olive, black pepper spice and herbs, some smoked meat and a brief blood-orange citrus aromatic. Deep red/black in the glass. There’s a layer of brett (low level, adds to the intrigue, doesn’t detract) and lavender bouquet before peppered strip, herbs, raspberries and blackberries, and a sanguine tang hit the palate. Not sure of whole cluster use here but seems there’s a little bit (which I love). Wild but civilized. Medium-plus bodied with beautiful acidity and plenty of tannin for this to cruise years. On the early side, but these are so hard to resist in every phase.

I wish I could drink this every day. I need to find a wine of similar style at a better price point. — 6 months ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Wonderful chinon. Have cab franc too infrequently, I think. Had an 89 of this bottle at Manhatta several years ago and enjoyed that too. Beautiful color in the glass. Quite restrained in a wonderful way. Definitely smells like cab franc. A hint of fruit. Some olive. Great refinement. Actually not a ton of acid but the finish is long and very nice. — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Great SJ that was elegant & floral that reminded me a lot of Gonon less the $$$ This had lots dark fruits, meat, iron, savory spice, black olive, pepper, licorice & violet. — 4 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

A floral & more feminine style of Cote Rotie with nice aromatics showing notes of soft cherry, berry fruits, olive, spices, pepper, meat, rose petal & violet — 5 years ago

Andrew Lohse

8.9

Olive, earth, red fruit, brine — 6 years ago

DelectableWino

9.1

Great wine. Elegant dark fruits. Rich. — 3 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

On paper they say 08 wasn’t a good vintage but hey I love it. Old vine Reynard is excellent in 2008 showing all the Allemand sigs with dark fruit, olive tapenade and a liquid rock minerality. 08 is particularly Bordeaux like and not at all thin—that magical Reynard vineyard really ups the concentration of any vintage. Always a thrill to drink Allemand, my favorite Syrah. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2023 pours a ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with an explosion of smoked blackberry pie, purple flowers, bacon fat, olive, black pepper, and subtle warm spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose however, the wine finishes much more elegant than the nose would suggest. The bouquet might lead one to think this is possibly over the top. However, on the palate, it was far more elegant. Another vintage, another stunning Gonon. Drink now through 2043. — 7 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

I love this producer for their SJ with its beautiful aromatics showing black cherry, berry fruit nose of sweet & savory spices, mineral, pepper, olive & violet. — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Black & red fruits, balanced with polished tannins showing, savory spice, graphite, smoke, olive, pepper & underbrush. Still a baby with many years ahead — 4 years ago

Pooneet K

9.0

Very nice Syrah, but slightly underwhelming for the price point. Decanted 4 hours and it needs it at this point. Dark dark fruit, olive, some cured meat. — 5 years ago

Rebecca Orischak

9.2

Olive Garden — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.6

What a special treat to have an entire flight dedicated to the one and only Noël Verset. All three wines were opened prior to dinner and serially enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Stylistically, all three wines were similar and most importantly, sound! The 1999 pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with slightly desiccated, wild, mixed, mostly red brambles, some horse blanket, dried purple flowers, cracked black pepper, Kalamata olive tapenade, old leather bound books, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Tonight, the 1999 seemed like a younger, bassier version of the 1992. It was a profoundly deep and guttural wine with the most substantial structure of the three. Drink now through 2039. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

It’s been a couple of years since I last encountered the 2001 vintage of Chave’s Hermitage. That bottle was a library release from the domaine and so is this example. Splash decanted directly before service. The 2001 pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous and a total umami bomb: Koji beef broth, dried and baked brambles, dried purple flowers, black pepper, Kalamata olive, organic and inorganic earth along with fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Looking back on my notes from 2024, there’s a common theme: the 2001 is all about dat bass. Drink now with some patience and through 2041. — 5 months ago

Zach D

9.1

Pours a deep purple with ruby rim. Aromas of dark fruit (blackberry, blueberry), brambles, hint of vanilla as well as cola, Italian herbs as well. On the palate black fruit, chocolate, good acidity, supple tannins; good intensity, long finish; alcohol is definitely on the high end. It’s a big wine for what I usually drink. I think it’s a very good example of barbera. A gift from a friend. — 9 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

Just an incredible 14 year old #syrah from Wind Gap that’s just screaming Crozes-Hermitage or Cornas in the glass. Cured meat, bacon fat, black olive followed by a deep well of brooding black fruit aromas. Palate is fresh with salivating acidity, aged fruit, coffee, dark chocolate and ethereal tannins on a long finish. Beautiful wine, especially for $53 for 6 bottles at WineBid (before shipping.)
— 4 years ago

Ben Christen

9.0

Black olive and light va. Nice! — 5 years ago

with Ellen

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

The name of the estate comes from "Ca' Pazzo", shown on ancient maps. Estate covers an area of 190 hectares, 54 which are vineyards, 4 are olive groves, 87 which are wooded and 45 are planted with new vines. Deep Ruby with a berry fruit aromas blossom and smoke, aged for 2 years on oak. On the palate cherry & strawberry flavors, with leather, cacao and tobacco notes. Lively acidity, fine approachable tannins, long ending with spicy oak finish. — 6 years ago