Byron C Mayes

9.0

Bright transparent ruby. Dusty black cherry -- complete with the stems -- on the nose. Black cherry, black cranberry, balsam, and tarry earth on the medium full palate. Firm, woody tannins and high, bright acidity balances the otherwise zaftig mouthfeel. The trend seems to be to push Langhe as close to Barolo/Barbaresco as possible with earlier release. Revello uses its youngest vines for the Langhe which in turn portends what is to come from the vines and the DOCG appellations. 2021 should produce some good big boys. Drink now through 2027. — 2 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.2

2005 vintage showing beautifully today from half bottle with impressive freshness and relaxed posture. Instant aromatic attack- powerful bouquet of violets, chocolate, sweet black fruit, cigar box spice, whipped cream. Soft polished tannins, juicy black fruit and black cherry compote, blueberry pie, chocolate and creme de cassis. Succulent, fleshy and zaftig blend displaying some lovely Merlot character. Tartrates build at the end- decanting recommended to reduce the tannin buildup towards the end. I’ll happily put a couple more of these in the cellar. — 6 years ago

Alex Halberstadt

9.1

No excuses Bourgogne Blanc: zaftig, not shy about oak, but statuesque and even elegant. Roulot roules! — 9 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.6

2018 opened Oct 2021. Red raspberries and thyme on the nose. Dried currents on the front that are almost immediately balanced by some flinty notes that tingle on the front of the tongue. On the mid palate it continues with mild red-fruit flavors that are offset by some delicate high notes—that remind me of the smell of the loess that that gets blown off the Horse Heaven Hills on dry summers days. It has a slightly tart finish that lingers—but the satiny tannins offset this zing, and they hold this wine together from beginning to end. I’d want to call the tannic structure “heavy” except that they never come to dominate the tasting experience. This wine is lush and zaftig from start to finish, but its tremendous sophistication offsets any heaviness.

BTW, the fruit (which is subtle to begin with) fades after an hour of decanting. The tannic body opens up (i.e. it gets even smoother and fuller) but some harsh high notes begin to dominate on the finish. Frankly, I like this wine best a half an hour out of the bottle. If an increase in intensity is OK for you, go for a longer decanting. I like it better with less oxygenation. The fact that it gets a bit more intense with decanting makes me wonder if this vintage won’t lose some of its subtlety with aging. I’m not going to be able to resist drinking up my limited allocation, so, l’ll never be able to perform the aging experiment. — 3 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.5

Simply one the best grower Champagnes available anywhere. There is a slightly hedonistic, almost zaftig character to this bottling that could only come from “Pinot Noir” terroir such as Mareuil Sur Ay. Wonderful sweetness, impeccable balance and glorious texture. Almost none of us at the tasting would have guessed Chardonnay. Terroir matters! — 7 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Softer everywhere than the ‘07 we drank alongside. On the nose a tad more lush, nothing green. More voluptuous - zaftig? - giving it a more feminine, sexy and velvety feel. Red fruit shroomier in tones and finish just a bit longer and lusher. If the ‘07s tannins turn right, could be heading in this direction but the ‘03s can be had for ~$100 and that’s a bloody bargain. — 4 years ago

with Melissa

Jordan Wardlaw

9.0

Very expressive wine. Grilled pineapple, ripe mango, roasted walnut, vanilla and honey. Overwhelmingly ripe tropical fruit character without feeling lush, textured and rich without feeling heavy. It’s a decidedly zaftig wine with a lot of true Roussane character, but executed with the typical restraint that I’ve noted in virtually all of the Red Car wines. — 7 years ago

Dan Fredman

Chef Sommelier World of Pinot Noir

9.2

Bright fruit, good acidity, voluptuous with our being zaftig. Still young, could use more time — 10 years ago