Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Time to open one of these 2017’s.

This very pleasant. Nicely Rounded out with 7 yrs or so in bottle.

The mouthfeel shows nice viscosity. It is round & a little waxy. Shows beautiful honeysuckle notes, golden apple, Meyer lemon, light lime juice, not quite pineapple syrup, green apple is late to the party, pink grapefruit w/ a light sprinkle of sugar, mango, some green melon, marmalade fruits quality-orange peel, yellow peaches, dryish apricots, warm caramel, dry chalk-limestone powder, fine grain, grey volcanic minerals, saline, soft flintiness, hints of white pepper, sea fossils, light saline, warm, well done toast, white flowered, yellow lilies, excellent acidity with a round, lush, well balanced, elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and lands on beautiful minerals.

Really excellent with the Jasper Hill Farms Champagne Washed Harbison. Limited release. Might be the best pair w/ this cheese to date. — 6 months ago

Beth Hamilton

9.5

Raspberries, cherries, strawberries, and a sprinkle of white pepper on the nose. Smooth texture, blueberry, blackberry, vanilla, white pepper on the palate. Goes down super easy. You gulp this right down. Went with Christmas Day pernil. — 5 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Medium gold, shiny and bright. Beautiful actually. Opened with a burst of pineapple, with time, on the palate, turns to just ripened grapefruit, peach, and honeysuckle. A sprinkle of white pepper on top. To backtrack, it's perfectly balanced for my taste: dry, medium plus bodied, medium minus acid, and medium long finish of toasted caramel. Spectacular wine.

93 points — 6 years ago

David L

9.3

15’ Aubert Ritchie. Best Ritchie I’ve enjoyed from Mark to date? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Medium + bodied. Beautifully balanced Chardonnay. White peach, splash of pineapple core, apricot, white toast, sprinkle in a bit of floral spices. 3 favorites from this vineyard are Château Boswell- Arista- Aubert. Cheers. -at BLT Honolulu, Hawaii — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

A reliable Margaux in a great vintage @ £58-£78 that’s drinking good but still will improve given time 😉

📍 Chateau Giscours 2009 Margaux

🏵 94 points

🍇 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc & 2.5% Petit Verdot

🍷 Opaque deep ruby

👃 Grab a whisk & mix up some chocolate, rock minerals, damson plums, blackcurrant & blackberries then sprinkle in some oak, soggy earth, ground herbs, dried meats & liquorice chunks then you smell this chewy nose filler

👄 Med silky smooth body of liquorice, mocha & mineral infused dark plum & berries w/ a touch of mineral dryness & dark olive

🎯 Med+ dark fruit mocha liquorice mineral elegant silky kiss
— 8 years ago

David McNally

9.5

Rich, creamy - so balanced and clean subtle cinnamon sprinkle fresh-picked bright green apples and walnuts — 8 years ago

Bromento Mori

9.1

Mighty good, right fresh. Got a menace of steel, a shimmer of the dope sprinkle-spices, a whisper of the dark places. Right lovely drinkin for my American-ass dollars. — 9 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2013 vintage. Both excellent fill and cork. Decanted with infinitesimal sed. Slightly silvery color. Tasted after 1.5 and 2.5 hours open. Medium body. Nose slightly reticent during both tastes. Black tea and eucalyptus prominent first go round with both those still present but minimized second pass. Sprinkle in some cracked black pepper and white sage for round two and we have a winner. Finish lasted over a minute and the concentration was as expected given the decent street cred. No rush to crush but open waay early/decant this if enjoying in the next handful of years. 10.24.24. — 2 years ago

Wil Chow

9.0

So. Damn. (Elegantly). Crushable. Rangpur lime, a petrol-y olive oil, memories of a summer fruit pie, a sprinkle of tarragon, crisp mineral-y tang that fades into a beautiful calcium carbonate lime zest finish and a hit of aromatic joint…oh, wait… — 4 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.3

I'd still prefer wine after a dry run, but this whiskey sure did hit a spot. The balance and complexity of the Machir Bay is just undeniable, evident from the score achieved here. Fresh, zesty fruits are starkly juxtoposed with pastry-like nutty, creamy vanillin notes. The peat straddles the line between salinity and camp fire smoke. A rockstar finish that just lingers with sweet, malty flavour and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Needs a little air to sort out some initial aggression, but once that settles, I felt nothing was out of place. Best entry-level Islay for me! 2019 bottling here. — 5 years ago

Jody's Mostly Natty

9.2

Like a crash course on what a natural wine should be...beautiful deep orange color, funky, earthy nose with an orange blossom surprise. Then lots minerality, bits of apricot, some tartness and a sprinkle of salt to keep it interesting. — 6 years ago

Alexander Vadas

9.4

Vivacity + stems + sprinkle of natty + channeling Prieure Roch and we get awesome wine! This is burgundy worth buying! — 8 years ago

Bill Bender

9.3

Leave it to Las Cases to transcend this wobbly vintage. The nose was muted and didn’t ever really unfurl but in the mouth this wine revealed heaps of mature, balanced dark fruits with a sprinkle of graphite. Medium finish and depth. Drink now. — 8 years ago

Dennis P.

9.0

13 straight days of sub zero overnight temps in Wisconsin. Its time to switch from wine to Irish coffee. That means a healthy dose of Jameson, hot coffee, whip cream, and a sprinkle of powdered chocolate. Imported from Ireland, 40% abv. 80 proof. — 8 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Opaque dark with barely any ageing in the rim. Still very tight in the nose, youthful, with shy black currant & black cherry, pencil shavings, a tiny bit of cigar leaf. Nice austere purity here. Powerful yet v. restrained.
On the palate this is more open & evolved. Amazing quality of tannins, so finely polished, so velvety, coating & juicy. Black currant jam with a hint of plum, a sprinkle of savoury herbs. Finishes off on the dry, herby side, not too long.
I was expecting a bit more depth on the mid palate & a bit more length.
Will it improve over time…?
9.0 (mainly for the amazing tannins)
— 3 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.4

Color of purple, quite dark and thick. Nose of dark fruits plus vanilla and milky chocolate, a bit hickory and minty, and raisin. Nose is pretty decent. Taste follows the nose with sweet note plus tart, good mellow tannins, more vanilla chocolate and dark fruity notes, and sprinkle of zest. Aftertaste shows some more warmth and oaky note. Clean and tasty overall. — 4 years ago

Severn G

9.3

Prior notes still mostly apply, decanted +3H. Lighter acidity (👍) and a touch more neutral-ish oak notes, showing beautiful tonight!

Nose has green apple slice, under-ripe pear, garden fresh string beans, cold butter and fresh green apple peel.
Palate has baked green apple with sprinkle of sugar, lemon pith, river stones, lemon zest with medium acidity and a long finish.

+

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, without orchestra or conductor 😉. Three humble souls playing an all BEETHOVEN program (Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor (Opus 1, No. 3) and Symphony No. 2 in D (Opus 36, arr. for piano trio by Beethoven)) with a few of the best players of instruments containing strings, Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Leonidas Kavakos (violin) and Emanuel Ax (piano). A true delight for lovers of Classical music this evening! — 5 years ago

Elliott Morgan

9.1

2/25/19
Renz sprinkle party for Sloan — 7 years ago

David L

9.1

In your face Chardonnay. Lemon core, orange peel, sprinkle in a bit of vanilla bean. Striking fresh acidity.
It’s got a decade plus in it. Under $35 , this Chardonnay will only get better with a little more time in the bottle. Looking forward to opening my 2015’s 😉 — 8 years ago

Anna Kurdziel

9.0

The best that there is! Mix with Apple juice and some nice - for a fancy version can sprinkle with some ground cinnamon ;) — 8 years ago