Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru certainly has one of the more attractive bouquets with redcurrant and cranberry, a touch of tobacco and marine aromas (cockle sheds I used to play on in the Thames Estuary). The palate is well balanced, with a touch of curry leaf on the entry and more black than red fruit. The 2014 has a firm grip with a noticeable backbone, yet the finish has plenty of freshness. Drinking well now, but there are a few years left to enjoy. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 7 months ago

Willie Carter

8.9

A vivid ruby red with light cherry flecks in the glass. This is certainly a wine for those who like a little bit of funk in their lives. Tons of moist dirt and forest scents initially on the nose. Wonderfully pure fruit is a highlight. Fresh red cherries, cranberry sauce, and wild strawberries. This is indeed a fun, quaffable blend but it is a serious, well made wine. Easy drinking but also with a genuine spine.

Alicante Nero (Grenache), Mourvèdre, and Carignane are the primary components but it’s not fair to lump it in with so many other kitchen sink blends. Medium acidity and terrific balance. Those red fruits shine on the palate with more cranberries and cherries. Smoke, pepper, and oak play a part. Herbs and menthol radiate on the medium long finish that keeps pulling you back in. Perfect for summer but really it’s perfect for anytime. — 4 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.4

Elegant, classy champagne hue like I’m at a gala, but, let’s be real, it’s probably a B-list affair.

Asian pear, chalky, lemon pepper essence, no joke.

Excellent carbonation. Reserved, fine bubbles.

Definitely getting the asian pear, but also a slight undertone of licorice, and then finally some nice sweetness and acidity reminiscent of yuzu.

Wonderfully complex and fun to drink like a stimulating chess game is fun to play. I can’t stop, this one might become a go-to. — 5 years ago

Ron R

9.5

A much maligned vintage, which we don’t see in the wines that we’ve tasted.
@Martin G Rivard brought this to our attention. We really enjoy wines from the Round Pond vineyard, but never knew this existed.
The nose displays charcoal and dense black fruits. Palate is powerful with big tannins and complementary acidity. Lovely sweetness and texture on the mid -palate. This is a power play expression of a Napa cab - not for the feint of heart...
Leave this to unfurl for a few more years, if you can resist it!
Happy valentines 😍 — 5 years ago

with Anne-marie

Randy Fuller

9.4

This is a very dark wine, almost no light gets through a glassful of it. On the nose there is a complex set of aromas. Dark fruit - blackberry, cassis, blueberry - are met with savory support from the oak. Clove, baseball glove, tobacco, earth and black pepper all play a role in the sniff. The palate is a real discovery - as dark as you like it, with firm tannins and a long finish. In California terms, the shadings are a little more like Paso than Napa - a bit rambunctious and chalky as opposed to silky and demure. In fact, the wine could have convinced me that it was a Syrah, not a Cab, had I been blind tasting it. It’s a wonderful wine that screams for a big, beautiful steak to go with it. — a year ago

Brett Emerson

9.4

Pair this classically perfect 14-year-old Rioja with cheese and crackers that you share with your beautiful wife, ideally in a hotel room after you’ve been evacuated from your home for a week due to fires caused by lightning storms. Your appreciation will be elevated if you precede your wine with a few days of cooking paella for hundreds of evacuees and firefighters. If this is not a possibility, I suggest pairing your Tondonia with grilled lamb, which will play well with the wine’s tobacco, leather and cranberry notes. — 4 years ago

Willie Carter

9.2

Pretty pale straw with a thin rim. What more is there really to say about Dan Petroski’s Massican wines? Beautifully expressive nose featuring a nice mixture of citrus fruit and floral flourishes. Crisp green apples, apricots, white flowers, and lemon rinds. The nose starts off as fresh and vibrant but becomes more nuanced over time with the emergence of honey.

Mostly Tocai Friulano and Ribolla Gialla with a splash of Chardonnay thrown in, he’s bringing Italy to California. There’s just a hint of oak through the mid palate with remarkable structure. Rich and full, there’s vibrant acidity. Clean and hyper focused without ever coming close to feeling like a run of the mill supermarket bottle. You know as soon as you open this that it’s elevated stuff, expertly crafted.

On the palate, more citrus fruit abounds. Apricot jam, honeysuckle, and melon. Stone minerality and green pepper play the background. Tons of delicious herbs that last forever. Very round and pretty on the finish. Every single one of these Massican wines are gorgeous in their own way but this one may be the best.
— 4 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.1

OK folks that’s like a cheesy label. Dark red. Almost impossible to see through it. Smells like incense, stewed plums and potpourri. Flavors are inky and big. Rich berry bottom. Hint o’ mint. Very dry. This is classic style for CA Petite Sirah. And very nice. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

One of the few producers that I purchase each and every vintage. I find that Laurence Feraud’s wines are consistently some of the more interesting and enjoyable wines made in all of Chateauneuf du Pape; particularly when value comes into play. This bottle is my first experience with her 2018 vintage and the first bottle of a small tranche that I swooped up upon release. Popped and poured; consumed over 5 hours. The color is deep ruby with a near opaque core; glossy and gorgeous to behold. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this is classic Pegaü with loads of dark cherry and bramble fruit, a veritable hillside full of garrigue, lavender, black pepper, and something that reminds me of old books. On that palate, the fruit is equally generous, brambles and cherries, exotic spices, Herbs de Provence and a somewhat sanguine-like character to it. Substantial structure, though it seems to be a notch lower than the previous three vintages at this point in its young life. The tannins are very sneaky. Almost imperceptible for the first hour and yet, by hour four, they were very much making themselves known (in the Medium+ range). Acid is also Medium+ indicating these have an exciting life ahead. The finish lasts for well over a minute. All in all, another lovely Pegaü that will likely live in the shadow of some of the more heralded vintages in the last ten years however, that doesn’t mean this isn’t a stunner. Absolutely lovely stuff and I very much look forward to enjoying these well into the 2030’s. — 4 years ago

Ben Lehman

9.1

Tastes like Spring! YumPeach skin, limes and meyer lemon — 5 years ago