J Matt Nickels

9.5

So good you wouldn’t know its Italian. — 5 days ago

Joseph Picca

8.9

Delightful, crisp and well paired with shrimp and pesto — 2 months ago

Eliot Hamerman

9.9

One of the best Brunello di Montalcino’s I have ever consumed. Drinking literally perfectly in every way! — 8 months ago

George Hesse

9.2

Another delightful evening with Ken Wegner and friends! — 10 days ago

Jack Krawczyk

9.9

freshly ripe plum with a cherry-bourbon light finish — 2 months ago

Yoly Sardinas

9.2

Love this Amarone ! — 10 months ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

My last note on this wine is relevant here. Like then, this was fresh, pure, and elegant. There was perhaps a touch more volatile acidity in the backend than expected which knocked back my score. — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.4

My contribution for a guys night of rosé sparklers and Brunello. Alongside a few bottles of Biondi Santi, Il Poggione, Mastro Janni, and others.

Zero experience with this producer, and while I struggle to find my preferred “style” in Italy (Italian merlot?, old Barolo?, Brunello of all ages?), this brunello was lights out good and right up my alley. I slow-oxed this for almost an hour. Layers! Deep red. So floral and sweet-spice forward aromatically with faint oak. Dense and powerful core of roasted black cherry, tar, sweet tobacco, light balsamic and herbal pop with a juicy and massive finish…big structure (but the acidity keeps this hard to resist another sip). Obviously in a slightly bigger style thanks to the vintage, this is incredibly well put together and complex. I think I have one more, thankfully.

Day two showed an even more integrated wine that was firing on all cylinders. Decant 2-3hrs or hold a few more years for this window. 94-95+

Served with lobster ravioli, prime beef tenderloin carpaccio, lamb rack…about as good as it gets with rosé sparkling wines and Brunello! — a day ago

Matthew Cohen

8.9

Nose: sea breeze. White flowers.

Palate: elegant yellow fruit. Long. Balanced. — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

10

Served double-blind as a sort of epilogue to an already epic night. This was served alongside another red wine that was also presented double-blind. Immediately, I called this Southern Rhone and the other wine, Sangiovese from Toscano (it ended up being a 2012 Biondi Santi Riserva). This presented a bright ruby color in the glass with a transparent core. This wine…had an OMG nose. The kind of aromatics that could end all wars and bring a century of peace to all mankind. It’s both powerful and elegant. Both ripe and fresh. An androgynous wine that represents both masculine and feminine with a grace that would make Prince or David Bowie envious. Gorgeously layered red and dark fruits, exotic spices, licorice and garrigue wrapped in the most beautifully textured package imaginable. It reminded me of something similar a previous experience; like Fonsalette…but this was different, there was more here. When you taste this, everything becomes clear. You look at everyone at the table differently; for what you have more in common instead of what makes us different. An experience akin to an Odesza show on MDMA. It’s that profound and then you are forever changed. You wake up the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that and weeks go by and your worldview is different. You see love in everything. And then it was revealed to be a 2010 Chateau Rayas. *Insert expletive*. A magnificent wine. An epiphany and, as far as I’m concerned, perfect. This is not merely a great Chateauneuf du Pape. This transcends the appellation. It should be its own AOC. Drink now or whenever you’re reading this note. — 2 years ago