Vin d’Ottawa

9.0

This Sonoma Pinot Noir starts light before building into a bigger flavour. Ends with a flourish of strawberry & juicy purple plum. — 7 days ago

with Gillian

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed from red Solo cups over the course of an hour. No formal notes. At this stage, the 2015 is more than giving, full of delicious ripe orchard fruits, tiny bubbles, racy acidity and minerals. I imagine this vintage will be really easy to love over the next 20 years or so. — 10 months ago

Ge Reid

9.0

Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir
Liaison 2021
Baden, Germany
12.5% ABV

German Pinot is supposed to be the next big thing, the best Pinot Noirs outside the Cote D'Or. And Enderle and Moll is reputedly its top producer , with a cult-like following in the German-speaking world. They make 3 versions, somewhat comparable to regional level , village level and grand cru, their top wine being the Buntsandstein. The Liaison is their mid-level offering from old vines up to 50 years old grown on limestone and sandstone soils. Needless to say , I've been dying to try one and see if it lives up to the hype.

On Day One , pop and pour. Very light, translucent ruby. Pretty red fruit and fresh mushroom aromas lead to a light yet intense entry on the palate with bracing , mouthwatering acidity dominating the wine at this stage. Showing more '21 Germany than Pinot character at this stage, so corked and revisited the next day.

On Day Two, this has completely transformed . The first thing noticed is that the color has become darker and deeper, and now looks like classic young burgundy. Aromas are also much more developed , with scents of Indian spices underneath the cherries , raspberries and forest floor. The tiniest hint of wood adds breadth and depth to a bouquet of classic pinosity, but with a character all its own.

On entry, this shows typical flavors of red fruit (currants , marasca cherries , cranberries ), brown spices , and sous bois in a light -bodied but incredibly intense package , with bracing acidity unlike any Pinot Noir I've ever tasted. Despite all the mid-palate energy , this has only moderate length and intensity on the finish. There's a bit of barely noticeable tannin. Built for medium term aging , it will be interesting to see if it remains balanced as it develops. Regardless , the acidity helped make it exceptionally good at the table , here paired with an herb and teriyaki roasted Salmon.

The Liaison can be found for around $30 here in the States , making it an excellent value, though California Pinot lovers might find the level of acidity shocking . While it's not going to make me think about pouring my Wilamette Valley Pinots down the drain , this is really good for the level, and really food friendly. A Pinot for Italian Wine lovers . — 3 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Of course this is young and primary but 2015 is just so juicy and giving and offered plenty to justify an early pop, especially from a list at a good price. Previous Roumier experiences with surrounding vintages like 12, 13, 14 and 16 across the line always seem to be shut down and just simply not ready to drink. But 2015 Les Cras wafts from the glass with gorgeous floral and juicy dark fruit aromatics. The palate is pure silk with an incredible purity and focus to its ripe fruit expression and underlying mineral backbone. It saturates and wraps around the palate with stunning length, fine grained tannins and vibrant lift. Lovely at this stage, but in 10 years it’ll be a true stunner. — 5 years ago

Aravind A

9.1

A very nice wine, but at this stage my least favorite of the 18 Wittmann GGs. On the nose: more yeast than the other GGs, then loads of lemon and lime and wet stone minerality. On the palate, lovely acidity, but a bit yeastier than I like, followed by lemon and lime and wet stone. Fantastic palate density, and a very long finish. — 6 years ago

Ken Z

9.7

Drank 1/18/19 at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux event in Miami.  All wines from the 2016 Vintage.

Tasting pour, no formal notes taken.  Most of these wines are very tight, and will require 5-15 years to really come together.  Many will likely improve a few points with time.

My runner up for left bank WOTN. All of the Pauillac wines tasted were fantastic, but this was a bit above most. Waves of dark fruit, lots of complexity, and fantastic length. Firm structure, but still beautiful at this stage. — 8 years ago

with JT

Brandon Boesch

9.4

Great Napa cab. Well balanced. Always great to drink. — a month ago

with Randy

Mark Rosse

9.3

In its next stage. Light golden in color. More like drinking an old burgundy with a bit of frizz. — 8 months ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.5

This is always a beautiful. At this stage it’s quite complex to understand. But it’s clear that with the time it’ll turn onto a special wine. — a year ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

8.9

Still holds but needs to be drunk. No more fruit left, leather and being really light. Stage before vinegar. — 4 years ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.0

The fabled 2005 showed well, not sure it will for decades though. Fruit crunch persisting and dusted tannins at this stage. — 4 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.6

Medium Ruby with a pronounced bouquet of crushed strawberry and raspberry, black cherry, garrigue, leather, violet, thyme and lavender. Well balanced acidity and tannin even at this early stage and an exceptional finish. A wonderful wine with years ahead but already great. 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre and 5% “sundry others.” 14.5% abv — 4 years ago

Chris Grimm

9.2

Great wine. Higher acid, sweet fruit, seemed a bit light on tannins for a Napa Cab at this stage in the game, which I didn’t mind at all. Lots of baking spice after being open for a bit. Would be curious to see how it ages. — 6 years ago

Pete Tulyathan

9.6

Deep dense Ruby in color with a tinge of garnet at the rim. The 14% Merlot is hardly recognizable when I took a whiff, with the 85% Cabernet clearly dominating the nose, but in a sort of mellow, tantalizing kind of way. The outstanding scent was the strong scent of pencil shavings, indicating high minerality. After a couple hours, I picked up a scent of cured leather, damp earth and old leaves that are quite persistent. I think all that new oak is quite well integrated now. A sip of the Mouton '05 left a sense of a lush and silky black fruit texture. There was a hint of chocolate in the second layer. The tannin level was just right. The acidity has already started to mellow down. The aftertaste lasted three full minutes. This wine is now in the early stage of it's drinking window. Mouton '05 is powerful and fund to drink, yet a very complex and elegant wine. Worthy of above 95 scores. — 7 years ago

Michael Chelus

9.3

Cherry, raspberry, eucalyptus, vanilla, cassis, mossy earth and oak. Full-bodied and soft tannins. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Brane-Cantenac 2023 – Margaux, Grand Cru Classé, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A highly aromatic and deeply concentrated Margaux showing impressive layering, polished texture, and outstanding fruit density, with oak integration still prominent in its youth. Built for complexity and long-term evolution.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry compote, wild blueberry, cassis, black cherry liqueur, violet petal, sweet cedar, cocoa powder, graphite, subtle vanilla and toasted spice from new oak.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus to full-bodied with silky, refined tannins, dense mid-palate concentration, seamless flow across the palate, and a long, plush finish. Oak remains slightly forward at this stage but clearly destined to integrate.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, rosemary lamb, duck confit, porcini risotto, aged Gruyère or Comté.

Verdict
A seductive, high-concentration Margaux with real depth and aromatic brilliance. Oak currently rides slightly high, but the underlying fruit density and texture suggest excellent aging potential and future harmony.

🍷 Personal Pick
The perfume is intoxicating and the fruit core is massive, this just needs time for the oak to melt into the frame. Big upside once the pieces lock together. — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it! — 3 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

Albeit young, 2008 Cristal is drinking very well at this point in time, even if unsurprisingly not yet showing all that it can be. Drank solo over the course of 3 hours in a Burgundy glass, it had plenty of time to evolve and express. 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 08 Cristal flaunts a gorgeous bouquet of fresh white flowers, yellow orchard fruit, baking spice, vanilla bean and crushed seashells. The palate is searingly intense with ripping citrusy acids, incredible elegance and pin point precision in its delivery before giving way to a saline and mineral infused finish that just keeps going. Again, very young, no doubt, and while already terrific, it’s easy to see what the fuss is about and how special the vintage will be down the road. But in my opinion there’s no harm in drinking now if you accept and enjoy the stage it will be in. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Continuing on with the Shaw and Smith tasting from the Cellar Door. Raspberries and a confectionery note with silky tannins. Similar in style to the nearby Ashton Hills which I have often bought. The 2019 S and S Pinot was a sellout. — 5 years ago

Nick Damiano

9.3

2010 vintage. Nice and smooth, jammy blackberry and strawberry notes with good level of tannins to balance, right in the “sweet” spot between sweet and dry, long and deep finish. — 6 years ago