S.S. Mandani

9.3

Oh man. What a depth of flavor.

A study in pear. Dry and light.

Floral cherry blossoms as well. — 7 days ago

Henry Boshoff

9.0

Bok day wine! Very nice wine with best pasta ever! — 2 years ago

with Alicia

Jake Hajer

9.3

Religious philosopher Martin Luther said in the 1500s that wine is made by god and beer is made by man. (As grapes ferment naturally and nothing needs to be added and beer is a recipe). -this is a Mexican chocolate cake stout. It is exactly that and perfectly balanced: chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, habanero (earthy heat). The recipe is spot on. — 2 years ago

Laura Purdy

9.3

I was craving a big Cab tonight and man, this hit the spot. It’s a bit young but is opening up nicely. — 5 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

I’m kinda over Pinot Gris Ramato and then I come across a wine like this that makes me rethink everything. Yes, it has those classic notes of skin contact Pinot Gris (rose hip, red currant, candied strawberry) but it’s so fresh and clearly comes from a place — in this case the volcanic region of Hungary’s Lake Balaton — it’s flinty, with that volcanic licorice spice / allspice — and clearly from a cooler climate. The story behind the winemaker — a brave man in his 70s who has a former wine director for a Soviet Co-op, who now just wants to make good, natural wine his own way—and the label “Abeles” named for the Jewish family whose abandoned estate he found himself making wine out of before discovering an underground cellar and digging up the history of a family whose members were nearly all murdered during the Holocaust. It’s a just a great fucking wine without knowing the backstory; the backstory makes it profound. — a year ago

Timothy Lynch

9.3

My father (a man of very humble beginnings) suggested to me that if you need to ask how much it costs you probably can’t afford it. Thank heavens I can. Absolutely terrific commune effort. — 2 years ago

Chris Durall

9.2

Treehouse Brewing Co. Hey Mr Gingerbread Man. Imperial Milk Stout. 9.4% ABV — 3 years ago

Samuel Wong

9.1

Easy going IPA, good for social gatherings! — a year ago

Vanessa

9.1

If you’re looking for an excellent wine to pair with sushi, try a crisp, dry Chenin Blanc! If you’ve already tried this combo, you know what I’m talking about…

Chenin Blanc can have a mouth-watering structure and elegant fruit profile, lending brightness and lift to a meal with delicate fish flavors, without overpowering it.

This Chenin comes from South Africa (locally called “Steen”), produced by Lievland Vineyards (“Loveland” in Afrikaans), owned by MAN Family Wines, in the district of Stellenbosch, in the Coastal Region located on the Western Cape.

We’re grateful we had the opportunity to sample this wine with Winemaking Director, Tyrrel Myburgh (also Co-Founder of MAN), who was in town for The Wine Company’s trade tasting event last year. It definitely left a lasting impression. At roughly $17.99/bottle at retail, it’s delivering an excellent quality (and value) for the price.

The grapes come from old, dry-farmed bush vines in the district of Paarl, just north of Stellenbosch. Vines like this tend to produce lower yields, which often translates to more concentrated fruit (“less is more”). The juice was fermented in 50% stainless steel and 50% neutral oak vessels, followed by 2 months of aging on the lees; choices that lend balance, complexity, and richness to the resulting wine.

With that, let’s get to the tasting note! This wine is pale lemon with medium (+) intensity of aromas, including, fresh and vibrant lemon, lime, yellow apple, just-ripe peach, apricot, white blossom, lemongrass, wet slate, salinity, gunflint, and toast. It has a hint of struck match, as well. The palate is dry with medium alcohol (13% ABV), a medium body, and medium (+) acidity giving way to riper, rounder flavors emphasizing the stone fruit characteristics. The finish lingers.

Cheers exploring the wonderful world of Steen! — a year ago

with Deked1

Joshua Fisher

9.4

the wine is identified.. can you identify the man? — 5 years ago