Jay Kline

9.3

Mention “Monvigliero” around any Barolo nut and there is a better than good chance you might witness the following behavior: waxing poetic in hushed tones, sighing, swooning…possibly fainting. Monvigliero truly is the zeitgeist. For over 40 years, Comm. G.B. Burlotto (and Fratelli Alessandria before them), have quietly been making great single-vineyard Monvigliero and it was only in the last 10-15 years that the world started to catch on to the magic that was happening in Verduno. In the last handful of years alone, there have been a flurry of producers with holdings in Monvigliero that have released their own single-vineyard expression. However, what many may not realize is that Enrico Scavino and his daughters have been producing a “Monvigliero” since 2007, making them one of the first half dozen to do so. I’m only suggesting that the Scavino’s knew there was something special there well before the hype train came to the station.

Popped and poured; enjoyed with dinner and over the course of a couple hours. The 2020 “Monvigliero” pours a deep garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. The nose is gorgeous; seemingly darker fruited with blackberry, pomegranate, black cherry lozenges, roses and spice box. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin (though friendly) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and lithe. An elegant wine and downright delicious. I think Paolo Scavino did a fabulous job of capturing the synergy of what Mother Nature gave in the 2020 vintage and the source of their fruit in the heart of the Monvigliero MGA. These are very early days for this wine but it’s already a joy to drink now but I expect this will continue a lovely evolution through 2038, easy. — 2 months ago

Lucy

9.0

BGR holiday reds — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.4

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady is a powerful, intense wine that is going to need a bit of time to come together, as it was bottled just a few weeks before this tasting. A rush of dark red cherry, pomegranate, menthol and orange peel gives the wine a somewhat exotic profile, but it is the wine's structure and overall balance that stand out most. For all of its obvious intensity, the Sleeping Lady is an especially polished 2015. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2018) — 7 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.2

Has the same overt let your hair down bathe in the sun vibes I remember from JJM's Bourgogne Blanc. This is deeper, more vibrant, more concentration, more sun.

His wines are something - wild, clearly natural in the Zeitgeist sense, not what I think of when I hear Puligny Montrachet.

Pours hazy and looks sticky. Smells like sour starfruit, grilled pineapple, banana taffy, and jalapeno.

Goes down in thick textured blood orange and bitter grapefruit. Gobs of texture that wrap your tongue in a blanket of acid and says dammit I'm here and I'm alive and I'm staying for a bit. — 2 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

If you had to pick a wine that somehow managed to capture the zeitgeist of what deliciousness means today, this little beauty would be a candidate for sure. Forest berries, Rosemary, juniper, cedar and sour cherries all crunchy with crystalline acidity and a dusting of tannins. A fantastic, yes, even exotic, blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Grenache Gris, Mourvèdre, and Syrah from vineyards across the Western Cape of South Africa. 2018 Thorne & Daughters “Wanderer’s Heart” Cape Red Blend. Stunner. — 4 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.2

Syrah seemingly in the zeitgeist right now so I picked up this 2011 Coulet. Wow - it's so different than the Cote Rotie I just had. I know syrah can run the gamut but this is radically different. Biodynamic, low so2, neutral oak & concrete. Not really Vin de Garde; Not really Vin de Soif...

So what then? Certainly intense. Plum & liqueur-like raspberry notes that are both in-your-face "sexy" & "scary" at the same time. Even more prevalent than the fruit are the aromas of menthol, acetate, & iron. Nearly akin to robitussin - & I mean that in the best way possible. It's weirdly delicious & syrah freaks will get it.

Unfortunately, the regular consumer might find it to be too much. The slight volatility is both good & bad. It dials up the fruit's sweetness, giving the wine body & texture. But also amps up the medicinal quality. This is not a wine to guzzle & ignore. Admirably, not subtle.

Coincidentally this wine reminds me Pax - who is getting a lot of attention right now & rightfully so. I have't tried the new 100 point Hillside bottle yet (though I have one ready), but I've always been a huge fan of his wines for a long time. My favorite site he works with is Griffins Lair & I believe I've tasted every vintage of it going back to 2002. Those original vintages are bigger & riper (which I still love & fuck you hipsters for not), but even back then Pax never used superfluous new oak, sulfites, yeasts etc.. Yes, they were broad shouldered wines but they were pure & unmasked - like this Cornas. Some of the early 2000s Griffins Lair had a slight volitility that came across as kirsch sweetness. It's an interesting balance that punctuates the varietal character perfectly - & it demands your attention while doing it.

This Cornas is not some delicate wine that somms gush over; nor is it a slick, parkerized wine without sense of place. It's something else. A wine for the true syrah aficianado. The audience is small but those who can appreciate it, will appreciate it. If you like weirdness, intensity, complexity & the flavors to scream at you from the glass, this is your wine.

#cornas #syrah #coulet #biodynamic #pax #coterotie #rhone #northernrhone #rhonevalley — 6 years ago

Greg Smith

9.0

Virgin Wines - yes! — 3 years ago

Pablo Cetlinski

10

What a Cabernet Franc!!! — 3 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

Occhipininti’s wines are part of the zeitgeist but are also incredibly well balanced and not overly avant garde or divisive.

Il Frappato is lucid ruby and her best expression by a long shot. Beautifully restrained red fruit and subtle wood doused in minerals. Exceptional texture - soft fruit with big grip. — 6 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Very very good cab. In this last month of observation I’ve tasted too many not-mentionable cabs. This guy is solid. The acids are strong (solid plus point with me!) and the tannins oh so smooth (albeit me personally might like more but I am NOT the zeitgeist). The alcohol I guessed was 13.8 and I got...13.5 damn. Close.Then let us say blackberries, green vines, with perhaps some blackberry pleasure. Damn yummy wine with doable Napa price point. — 6 years ago