Randy Fuller

9.4

This medium-dark wine offers a nose of black plums, blueberries and blackberries along with aromas of earth, tobacco, cedar, clove and nutmeg. I understand that the three segments - Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre- were vinified in both barrels and tanks, with no more than six months of aging. Given that, it is understandable that oak does not take a more prominent position.

The palate is loaded with dark fruit and savory notes, and it has a firm tannic grip with lively acidity. I had it with some sautéed meatballs and Petit Basque cheese. It paired excellently. — 7 months ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.9

Whatever day was today, that’s the day to open this wine. That’s my main take away. You could squirrel this away like some sort of miserly bastard waiting for the winter king to slay your enemies but who the F has time for that shit. Get on with your life, share this divine juice with as many people as possible so long as it’s no more than 3 and change the whole trajectory of your month. — 3 years ago

Jody's Mostly Natty

8.9

I straight up got a vegetal/broccoli nose. Seemed like a strange start so I did some research and this wine is whole cluster fermented so I feel like that is a plus in character for this natty wine not a minus. No vegetal notes on the tongue. This deep, deep, deep purple wine has a fruity and licorice flavor...sweet and bitter give and take. — 4 years ago

Ericsson

9.5

Modern take on Ribera del Duero from select vineyards. The color is deep purple, indicative of the 60+ year old vine grape selection. An expressive nose with scents of black fruits, tobacco and leather. The mouthfeel is equally expressive with cherry, blackberry, oak, vanilla, and licorice. The tannings are soft for such a young Tempranillo, and it is not slander but quite the contrary, it allows for the elegant finish with finesse and length. Very exiting wine!
…
PS The mastermind/winemaker behind Aalto made his mark at Vega Sicilia for over 30 years. It is no surprise the wine is excellent; it will be exciting to see how the wine evolves over the next decade and how it will challenge some of the greatest wines produced in the region.
— 4 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.3

Sometimes you take a blind chance and get rewarded.
N: Cedar, Rose, Woodsmoke(appropriately),Liquorice, tar. Chocolate.
P:Med bodied and not overly wooded(yay!) Slavonian botti for 36 mo.excellent acid tannin balance, lots of sous-bois, tomato, mint,
Chocolate. meat. As it airs, the palate is richer. Nice work here.
I looked them up and see the Riserva spends half it’s time in smaller barriques. No thank you. Without gloss, this really shines.

Deeelicious on a smoky night.
Thanks@ Garagiste. — 2 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.3

I screwed up and forgot to take a picture of the bottle. The image is from their site. Very dark, blackish rubi robe, nose of blackcurrant, anise and tobacco, with crushed flowers. Dense, medium to full bodied, fine tannins and absolutely singing now, albeit no rush. Great red done in the old old world classical way. Great stuff !! — 2 years ago

with Adriana and Jose

Willie Carter

8.9

First off, just look at that color. Mesmerizing! A beautiful shade of clear deep red with almost no bubbles. At this point it’s reminiscent of a nice liqueur. A subdued nose featuring strawberries and sweet cherries. Plenty of smokiness and a little nearly stale bread.

Deep, rich, and almost nectar like. It’s such a delightful pour. 70/30 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, with 10% of the Pinot vinified as still red wine from Verzenay. Disgorged in 2010 and still showing well. The acidity has certainly mellowed out making it exceedingly smooth.

The smoke travels to the palate but never overwhelms. Herbs really take charge here along with more autolytic notes. Yeast and whole almonds. The fruit grows more ripe as it evolves in the glass. A nice bit of ginger on the long and persistent finish. A rare, aged treat for me and one that definitely did not disappoint. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind. The wine pours a deep, ruby color with a near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with significant signs of sediment. Moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, dark fruits are predominant with some purple flowers, tobacco, subtle pyrazines and a touch of earth and baking spice. On the palate, the fruit set is confirmed. The wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. The finish is very long and savory. I believe a significant amount of new French oak is being used. Based on the aforementioned, possible varieties are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or some combination of Bordeaux varieties from either France or California. While the fruit is no-doubt abundant, there is hefty structure and a complexity that makes me lean towards the Old World. And now that my head is there, it’s very hard for me to get outside of Pomerol and I think the fruit is more of a result of the vintage. So I went with it, calling it 2009 Pomerol from a great producer. Welp…I was close and probably a huge compliment to Amuse Bouche since I think this wine is supposed to be their take on Pomerol. A very sexy wine that is drinking very well right now without a decant. — 2 years ago

Phil Kessling

9.0

New arrival in the shop but had to take a bottle home. Coravin the first night, it was closed and a little bitter on the finish. Pulled the cork the next night and it was a different wine. Tart fruit and great minerality, 14 ABV but didn’t drink hot. No RS. Gong to let the other bottles sit for a while. — 3 years ago

Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

9.1

A couple-few years beyond where I’d *normally* enjoy most dry Rieslings but no problems here. Has fullness, power, concentration, length, class, and a few more years aging potential. I don’t much care for botrytis in dry wines, and there’s a bit here to take it down a notch for me, but still in balance, and a pretty outstanding wine. The back label designates Spätlese trocken. — 4 years ago