Uptick Vineyard

Château Beaumont

Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc Supérieur Red Bordeaux Blend 2019

Welcome relief following a couple of undrinkable older Bordeaux, my Sunday evening finally got underway with this 2019 Beaumont, opened as a backup and the first of four bottles that I bought en primeur for the modest sum of £8.50 apiece. I’ve had mixed experiences with Beaumont in the past, but the 2019 represents a notable uptick in quality, and I thoroughly enjoyed a few glasses of this over the course of the evening. It’s fresh, generous, modern, suave; plush blackcurrant with a touch of graphite, everything nicely knitted together. This is lovely claret for the money and a nice bottle to enjoy over the next decade or so. — 3 months ago

Bob liked this

Thibault Liger-Belair

Les Saint Georges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2009

From 375ml. Nice uptick from last bottle! Showing really well. — 3 years ago

Stags' Leap Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This bottle was a pleasant uptick from the last I had. Perhaps it was the vintage. Very soft, juicy fruit. Very balanced. — 3 years ago

Spoto Wines

Special Select Amber Knolls Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Reviewed this wine about a year ago. It was in sort of a weird spot then, but this is really QUITE better now. A previous rating of this 2016 Amber Knolls almost one year ago was a 93, and I will definitely add another few points to this rating today. This wine has come a very long way in a year. Crimson pour to the glass. Nose of black and bing cherries, and seems to be a spicier, "warm climate" nose vs. the Crimson Ridge Cabernet which seems to be "colder" and "darker" by comparison. This wine first hits the tongue and immediately shows you all that it has. This is a red fruit dominant monster. The palate is dominated by darker bing cherries leading the way with a hint of some younger blackberries. Raspberry cola shows up right before an uptick of volcanic character and finishes with nice black pepper and baking spices. Still more youthful and sweet, this one has seemed to balance itself out quite a bit within the past year. A medium+ bodied mouthfeel yet the complex punch of a heavier weighted wine. Finishes rather long. A year ago, there seemed to be a "green-ness" about this wine that I wasn't getting this time around, and it has come to my attention that there's an "Extended Barrel Aged" version of this wine coming out soon, which should be a REAL TREAT. 96 points. Best drinking for this wine 2020-2035. — 4 years ago

Paul, Severn and 16 others liked this

Whitehall Lane

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

2020 vintage. Big, jammy body like the 2019 but missing that 2019 uptick in terms of concentration/finish. Still...not too shabby and fairly reps intro Napa cab at a decent price point. Newish pedestrian labels bite/suck/are trash howevs. — 9 months ago

Shay, Tom and 4 others liked this

Moussé Fils

Effusion Rosé Champagne Blend

One of my favorite rosés, and producers, year in and year out. Definitely rises above the so many other bottles of champagne that it can be compared to. And, it’s exceedingly pretty.

A light salmon pink color in the class. Nice persistent bubbles and effervescence. Strawberries upfront on the nose but there’s this kick of cinnamon that’s just so delightful. Some light brioche notes with cloves and dried herbs to compliment. Earth and cherries really start to express themselves after plenty of time in the glass. Such an intense, singular nose.

Cedric Moussé makes a spectacular range of champagnes but this one has a special spot in my heart. It’s just so unique and fun. 92/8 Pinot Meunier/Pinot Noir from two separate perpetual reserves and disgorged in July of 2020 with the low dosage of 1.5 g/l. Medium bodied but weighty and substantial.

Cherries and cream explode on the palate. Vivacious red fruit but so far away from being a standard issue fruit bomb rosé champagne. Nice minerality and subtle notes of herbs and earth. Long finish with an uptick of cream and acid. Mesmerizing and beautiful. One of my favorites for a reason.
— 3 years ago

Severn, Josh and 4 others liked this

Vinum Cellars

Monterey Chardonnay 2017

A very nice and well structured Chard: lemon, vanilla cream and a citrus zing that just provides a nice little uptick at the finish. Great overall full mouthfeel after each sip - nice and muted on the nose, but hints of some oak. Really nice glass! — 4 years ago

"Odedi", Dan and 1 other liked this

Francois & Fils

Veauvignère Condrieu Viognier 2021

Only of a handful of Condrieu I’ve tasted in my lifetime. The viscous, thick mouthfeel is either a turn off or on-as is it’s endive, fennel, and white fruit palate as well. I loved both. Given its youth, it’s all packed in there too tightly, so bottle age & /or decant will only help. But well made & given the steep uptick in Chenin Blanc prices I could see going back again. — 9 months ago

Owen Mazon
with Owen
Bob, Tom and 5 others liked this

Rivers-Marie

Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016

Shay A
9.4

Drinking really well at the moment. I popped and poured this, and while it could have used a 30min-1hr decant, it really came alive out of the bottle after the first glass.

My main thought here is how elegant this is. Not overpowering with fruit but certainly not thin in structure. Black cherries, plum, spiced rhubarb and some chamomile on the nose. The palate is open for business with a vein of acidity down the middle alongside underripe red and black fruits, herbal spice, black tea and some mint. I didn’t necessarily find some of that RM signature orange zest, but blood orange had its profile all over this in a restrained way. The way this bottle is trending, I could see this maybe showing a slight uptick in integration, but I’m hard pressed to say this will get better…just different. The only other 2016 RM Pinot I’ve had was Silver Eagle (darker, more rich than this Summa), so I wonder how the other Pinots are drinking…
— 3 years ago

Deborah, Tom and 36 others liked this
Bryan Kesting

Bryan Kesting Premium Badge

Great note Shay…I’m still on the 15’s but I will be sure to post if I open any other of the 16’s.
Peggy Hadley

Peggy Hadley

Love your notes.
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Bryan Kesting : I wish I had 2015s left! Lucky you!

@Peggy Hadley : You’re too kind. Just my inner wine nerd coming out. 🤓

Cimarossa

Foglet Howell Mountain Nebbiolo 2010

Only took this 4 years from my first note for the acidity to settle down and for it to finally integrate! Well, it finally has. And on the last bottle to boot that everything came together....oh, only to have the other four bottles back!! Clove, cherry cola were the major campaign contributors, where tobacco and fig were minors. Well-balanced with a nice uptick in acidity towards the end. Actually still has some astringent quality. These really hold incredibly well and are very well crafted especially for a wine they make as a side-car. Well done! — 4 years ago

Aravind, Eric and 25 others liked this