The Bitter Truth

Domaine Tempier

Bandol Rosé Blend 2021

I've squeezed all the mystery out of Tempier Rose' over the years. Consistently good. Consistently consistent.

Familiar salmon rose gold. Orange zippy bitter pith and grapefruit sours. Herbs de provence and mild tannin in a syrupy Bandolian texture.

Always hits...in exactly the same way.
— 2 months ago

Michael, Tom and 6 others liked this

Truth and Valor

Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Truth & Valor – Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Paso Robles – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Paso Robles’ warm climate and calcareous soils make it a hotspot for bold, plush Cabernets. Truth reflects the authenticity of the vineyard, while Valor honors the winemaker’s courage to let terroir shine with minimal intervention.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe blackcurrant, blackberry jam, and plum dominate, accented by mocha, vanilla, and baking spice from oak. Subtle notes of dried sage and graphite bring a savory undertone beneath the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and plush, with generous tannins wrapped in a velvety texture. Balanced by moderate acidity, the finish is long, ripe, and polished.

Food Pairings
Best with grilled ribeye, smoky BBQ brisket, or lamb chops. Also pairs beautifully with hearty pasta dishes or a wedge of aged Gouda.

Verdict
A bold yet polished Paso Robles Cabernet. Fruit-forward, structured, and satisfying — a wine that wears its California sunshine with pride. 🍷cheers!
— 9 months ago

Ted and Andrew liked this
Mike

Mike

Wrong wine. This is under Zinfandel. You had the Cabernet (based on the photo).
Freddy R. Troya

Freddy R. Troya

Thank you so very much for noticing this typo. That’s the reason I tend to name the wine regardless what delectable has in its database, as sometimes you don’t see the actual name and request them to update it and nothing happens!

Cappelletti

Elisir Novasalus Amaro

Dark and bitter! Delicious. — 5 years ago

Fratelli Branca Distillerie

Antica Formula Vermouth di Giuseppe B. Carpano 1786

Enjoy the best, the “King” of Vermouth. Aromas of raisins, figs, dates and almonds. The flavors are beautiful blend of cocoa, bitter orange marmalade and hints of exotic spices and vanilla. Rivals the best Madeira. — 5 years ago

Domaine Karydas

Naoussa Xinomavro 2013

Powerful and enticing. This wine shows intense aromas of cherry, red currant, lilac, anise, cured black olive and bitter almond (maybe marzipan?) that carry over to the medium bodied palate. Plenty of acidity, though it gets overshadowed by the astringent tannins. This bottle screams for age and/or food (just a bite of castelvetrano olives brought out the finer floral and herbal notes). We capped the bottle after initial taste to see what happens over the next few days.

Update: what a difference a couple of days makes! (Don't let anyone tell you wine doesn't need to breathe). All the interesting complexities settled into an harmonious composition
— 6 years ago

Château Troplong Mondot

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend

Deep cherry red. oak vanilla black currant blueberry black cherry and berry. Leather. spicy bitter. Necessary to wait at least for 30 min to understand this, then understood its gentleness from Merlot rich 85%. It is mentioned that it is drinkable relatively early. Traditional. Fruitiness M Sweetness M Acidity M Gentle Tannin M+ Bitterness M Body M+ Finish M+ 13.5% Château Troplong Mondot St. Emilion Red Bordeaux Blend 21 @31500, AD, 260226 — 4 months ago

Château Angélus

St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Bday wine. Need decanting. initial open is rather bitter. then after 2 hours the fruit and mineral starts to emerge. orange rind, blackberry and raspberry. — a year ago

Ceccherini, Jan and 18 others liked this

Truth and Valor

Paso Robles Zinfandel 2020

Nice spiced berry nose of blackberry bramble, blueberry with notes of char, clove, and hints of brown sugar in the bouquet. Soft and smooth blackberry galette with weak black tea and a subtle spice on a medium long finish. Better on the second day, still holding up on the third. Great value, would buy again.
— 4 years ago

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

All the classic graphite, iodine, cassis and green pepper (perhaps a little overwhelmingly so) on the nose. Palate of INTENSE pepper (dare I say Serrano)…but overall light and enjoyable. Lacking some bottom end that may evolve in time? Still feels VERY young. A great 7th anniversary wine. Truth be told, slightly disappointing, though only had a one hour decant… — 5 years ago

David and Keith liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo

As the summer is slipping out of our hands, its time to to pop those complex reds that we’ve been lastning for. Produttori del Barbaresco is considered one of the best cooperatives in the world and its 2016 Barbaresco is a solid proof of that statement.
Restrained at first and needs a couple of hours in the decanter to reach its climax. True to its provenance its clasically crafted, and puts up complex profile of red cherries, rose hip, strawberries, spice, bitter orange and a volatile dried floral lift over a canvas of wet soil.
An offensive approach on the palate with a high acidity and a generous portion of mouth coating tannins that is well accompanied by a pronounced fruit profile with an evolving finish. Very good indeed, but is a couple of level behind to reach the higher tiers.
— 6 years ago

Josh, Daniel and 7 others liked this

Shafer Vineyards

One Point Five Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

Touch of bitter, black fruit, very very soft. Little tannin. — 7 years ago

Lisa Berger MayronCharles Mayron
with Lisa and Charles

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2001

K&L Wines Fete du Bordeaux at One Market restaurant. On the nose: stewed plum , coffee, black fruit. Taste: dark fruit, tobacco, tea, slightly bitter tannin. — 7 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Eric liked this
Eric

Eric Influencer Badge

@Tom Garland - Is this still drinking well? K&L has some in stock and I was hesitating because of the vintage.
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

Hi..its just an OK modern style Bordeaux at its peak or starting its decline...had it last Jan. at the K&L wine Fete du Bordeaux dinner and have not tried it since. Cheers.

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

Marc S
9.4

Smooth pleasant full tasting CNdP. Granberries, cocoa and ripe strawberries intertwined with almond bitter at the end; great wine! — 6 months ago

Remco liked this

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1991

Light medium caramel core , light copper rim. Quite mature , with spiced creme brûlée , saffron , burnt sugar , some crystallised orange peel , desiccated coconut . Slightly monochrome . On the palate this is quite light , with quite high acidity and a burnt caramel bitterness . Medium sweetness only , quite refreshing acidity . Slightly bitter orange caramel finish . Drink now qnd over the next few years , won’t improve . — 8 months ago

Matt, Anthony and 8 others liked this

Bodegas Muga

Selección Especial Rioja Tempranillo 2016

Deep ruby in color, almost Inky, with a short reddish rim.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Very dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blueberries, plums, cooked cherries, black currants, light cedar, dark coffee, chocolates, earth, peppercorn, pencil lead, tobacco leaf, light vegetables and bitter herbs.

Short, tangy finish with fine grained tannins and pomegranates.

This 8 year old Rioja Reserva is still young and very dry, but already drinkable.

Lacking a bit of fruits on the palate, but the nose is gorgeous, once it opens up. The nose is more interesting than the palate at this point.

Needs a few hours to open up properly, so take your time.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years. Would be interesting to try it again in 5 years.

A good food wine that will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$50.
— 2 years ago

Juan, Lyle and 15 others liked this

Enderle & Moll

Baden Spätburgunder Rosé 2019

Pure tart cherries. Flowers. Roses, peonies. Some cat piss. Long and tart, a little bitter and volatile but pretty nonetheless. — 5 years ago

Aravind, Tom and 38 others liked this

Distilleria Varnelli

Amaro dell'Erborista

Amaro from le Marche made since 1868. Very different- no sugar added to this- bitter- shocking at first- but really enjoyable by the 2nd and third sip. The bitterness fades, and u get a mix of herbal/ tree bark/ bitter chocolate/ coffee. Note- this is NOT a coffee flavored drink- just a hint on the finish. Really interesting. — 6 years ago

Dawn, Severn and 2 others liked this

Boulevard Brewing Company

Smokestack Series Dark Truth Stout

Black bear body with blonde grizzlies piled high, atop. Licorice, espresso bean, toffee, dark chocolate, burnt honey, dried violets, dried black cherries and rich malt aromas. Sarsaparilla taste, with dark, sweet coffee, dark chocolate, baked raisin, dried black cherry, dried black currant and licorice. Stupendously supple integration of all elements! The bitter bits are a perfect counterbalance. .
#boulevardbrewing ##beer #bier #birra #biere #stout #cerveza #cerveja #stout #darktruthstout #boulevarddarktruth #kcmobeer #mobeer
— 6 years ago

Severn, Andrew and 5 others liked this
David Kline

David Kline Influencer Badge

Really is. I used to get experimental bottles years ago under the original owner. Most never made it to production.
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Lucky man you are.
David Kline

David Kline Influencer Badge

Long time ago, unfortunately. Believe that may have been the original Smokestack impetus.