Joel Lara

9.2

Yummy Armenian sparkler. Lemon, orange and floral notes with subtle almond/brioche hints. Strong mineral backbone with great acidity and long finish. — 2 months ago

Michael Walker

10

Stellar Barolo. Definitely of the new school, lighter color, lightly structured, but radiant fruit in a refined style. Decanted 2hrs. Perfect pairing for veal/osso buco, maybe less so for a roast. Some debate whether more age would refine the fruit further or cause it to dissipate. No idea but have two more so can experiment! Made me want to get on an overnight to Piedmont tonight. — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

The origins of the Damilano family dates back to over a century ago, when Guiseppe Borgogno, the great-grandfather of the current owners, started to grow and make wine from his own grapes. Medium Ruby with aromas of fresh berry fruits and generous spice. On the palate this medium body wine shows flavors of juicy cherry and blackberry with notes of citrus and vanilla spice. Light tannin structure, lively acidity, medium ending with fruit finish. Nice value. Drink now, consistent, no aging benefit. — 3 years ago

John Tan

8.9

Wildcard. Prob my fav cuvée from Julien. Tasted aged even tho it’s a 21. Flowery quality to it, like roses, potpourri.

[2019 Vintage:] “A captivating, translucent ruby red hue. Even on the nose alone, there is already a suggestion of ripeness, yet it is utterly enveloped by fragrance: white flowers, grapefruit, cherry, even stony minerals. Really classy and effusive, replete with sapid pinot-esque flavours of enviable concentration. The vintage is quite magical here: all pure, palate-staining but also inexplicably airy in the mouth. The mouthfeel is silky, culminating in a persistent, gentle and thoroughly sweet-fruited long finish held together by an invisible frame. Like the ethereal cuvée Auguste, trails of crushed flower petals replicate and repeat on the lingering finish.” AC
“Guillot brings a unique perspective to gamay—not quite Burgundy, not yet Beaujolais—not only in his Mâcon Rouge and Mâcon-Cruzille, but the mysterious, radiant, field-blended Cuvée 910.” Jon Bonné — 3 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.0

2020 spring. Delicious and drinkable, with a wiry, mineral element and plenty of acidity perhaps suggesting its alpine origins. Not hugely complex, but that’s just fine — 6 years ago

J. Kim

9.1

Authentic set of aromas, expansive and radiant, integrated and transparent. No forced flavors and not over-polished. Harmonious and fine. 2014 vintage is about clarity and definition. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Jean-Claude Pichot’s family is one of the oldest in Vouvray, with origins dating back to 1739. 100% Chenin Blanc, with aromas of fresh tropical fruits, blossom and honey nuts. On the palate peach, pineapple and melon with lime citrus, vivid acidity, good balance with a touch of sweetness on the medium finish. Nice! Consistent quality. — 9 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Lemon yellow in colour. Stone fruit (peach) and melon notes; medium to full bodied palate - low acid. A delicious Hunter Valley Chardonnay showing its warmer climate origins from the excellent 2014 vintage. A creamy leesy peachy luscious Chardonnay still producing the requisite acid cut. A pity there is not more of this made with a wider distribution. — 2 years ago

Daniel M

9.0

Sicilian Grillo with a bit of age on it. Golden almost caramely hue in the glass. This is pretty dark for a white wine, it could almost look like a skin contact wine. The nose starts showing some light oxydative notes, with nutty touches, butterscotch, salted caramel, roasted pears, French pastry... This is very inviting.
The palate shows a great acid drive, some peary notes, some nutty notes too, a good width, some grip in the rear that could be almost or tannic origins, before a long, rather fresh peary finish that goes on for a while. It's about time to pop this one but it's really good now. A gastronomy wine. — 2 years ago

Myles Keyt

9.0

This Chardonnay, with its radiant straw hue, offers a sumptuous palate experience. Its well-balanced acidity complements the citrus and stone fruit medley on the palate.

The nose reveals a pronounced wet rock and flint aroma, intertwined with subtle hints of white peach and apricot.

Perfect as an apéritif or for sharing with loved ones, this aged Pemberton Chardonnay earns a commendable score of 95. A true gem deserving of celebration. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

See several previous tasting notes for this wine. This was made back in the day when Hunter Valley reds had strayed from their medium bodied, savoury, sweaty saddle origins to being riper and more full bodied like a South Australian Red. This was declared in a speech by Chief Winemaker at the time, Jim Chatto, at a dinner I attended at the winery. Also plenty of oak still evident at 15 years of age. I prefer the original Hunter Valley style which Mount Pleasant has wisely reverted to utilising the wonderful old vine fruit at its disposal. Tasted again 35 weeks later on 26th March 2022. Nothing to add to the note here. A Hunter Valley wine trying to look like a South Australian wine back in 2006 with ripe fruit and oak. Thankfully HV reds have returned to the medium weight savoury long living style that Maurice O’Shea made in the 1950’s. — 5 years ago

Brian S

9.2

This beer has the most beautiful color, looks like a sunset in the Caribbean. Lovely flavor of plums. — 7 years ago

with Ellie

J. Kim

9.0

Expansive, radiant, integrated, enveloping, fluid, transparent. Unusually good. — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Winderlea Vineyard & Winery – Chardonnay 2018
Willamette Valley, Oregon – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
This isn’t just any Willamette Chardonnay — it’s a benchmark. Crafted from a mosaic of top vineyards: Carabella (35%) in Chehalem Mountains, Hyland (33%) & Meredith Mitchell (23%) in McMinnville, and Winderlea Estate (9%) in Dundee Hills. Together, they deliver harmony and terroir depth that rivals fine Burgundy, while staying true to Oregon character.

Aromas & Flavors
Rich layers of peach, apricot, and crisp apple glide seamlessly into notes of citrus zest and a subtle kiss of toasted oak. The aromatic lift is both elegant and generous, hinting at orchard blossoms with a faint mineral streak.

Mouthfeel
Succulent and textured, yet framed with precision. Bright acidity keeps it vibrant, while a creamy mid-palate offers weight and length. Still radiant in 2018, showing both freshness and polish.

Winemaking Notes
Fermented and aged in French oak barrels with a Burgundian sensibility, highlighting texture over heaviness. A balance of fruit purity and oak finesse.

Food Pairing
Perfect with butter-poached lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken with herbs, or creamy risotto with chanterelles. Its lively acidity also makes it a stellar partner for soft cheeses.

Verdict
A standout Chardonnay from Oregon, balancing Burgundian elegance with Willamette soul. Priced above regional peers, but every sip justifies it. Truly one of the finest examples of Oregon Chardonnay in recent years. Cheers! — a year ago

Joe L.

9.3

Bright red cherry, high tannins, beautiful structure, very high acid — 2 years ago

Daniel M

9.0

Blackberry, garigue, some bacon fat, some tapenade, some crushed rocks too. Wow what a nose. The fruit is radiant. The palate is delicious with a radiating blackberry fruit, some great acid drive, a great width and some matter on the sides, the mouthfeel is softand almost sweet until a tannins-powered mid palate that creates some distortion in the force and gives way to some drying, tinkeling layer over a long blackberry forward finish that goes on for a very long while. A tiny savory touch pops out in the end too. This is simple but this is great! — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

A serious Pinot after the frivolous fresh young uncomplicated Pinot from Bloody Hill (Mayer) in the Yarra Valley. Quite bold with strong red and black fruits of cherry strawberry and raspberry together with earthy mushroom like notes. Finishes with fine powdery tannins. An interesting back story to the origins of the Malcolm vineyard where cuttings from one of “Burgundy’s finest estates “ believed to be in Vosne Romanee were illegally brought from France. Now known as the Abel clone. See full story on the Ata Rangi website. Had my last bottle 111 weeks later on 30 August 2025. Full bodied, textural, dark fruited and certainly delicious. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Jean-Claude Pichot’s family is one of the oldest in Vouvray, with origins dating back to 1739. 100% Chenin Blanc, with aromas of fresh tropical fruits, blossom and honey nuts. On the palate peach, pineapple and melon with lime citrus, vivid acidity, good balance with a touch of sweetness on the medium finish. Nice! — 6 years ago

Jodi Irwin

9.0

Nice smooth red. Not bitter. No sweetness tho. Would drink again — 7 years ago

Daniel M

9.2

Green pepper, black pepper, cherry, currant. Wow what a nose. The palate is full and wide with a ripe currant and a radiant cherry, a strong acid backbone and a dense matter. The touch is soft on the sides and some tannins kick in in the rear. Super long and fruitful finish that goes for ever. Wow this is my kind of stuff! — 7 years ago