Austin Hohnke

9.3

Big and animal. Lots of good funk and wild sappy fruit. Delivers pretty immediate pleasure, but on the bigger side of Burgundy. Aged in clay amphorae and barrel. — 9 months ago

Ming L

9.4

I asked the Somm to recommend a wine from Andalusia to pair with the region’s cuisines. Without hesitation, he picked out this bottle from a winery based in Ronda, a town I visited more than 10 years ago and have vivid memories of.
This is the flagship bottling of the winery with 100% Petit Verdot aged 12 months in clay amphorae.
It’s rich and savory just like to cuisine, and also has the lively acidity and aromatic intensity to counter those richness. What a great pairing! — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

Sweet florals, spice, lemon curd and mint create a thoroughly inviting bouquet as the 2021 Nosiola Fontanasanta opens in the glass. This is soothingly soft, traversing both savory and sweet. It's perfumed, like liquid flowers mixed with the essence of apple as it flows across the palate. The 2021 finishes savory, nearly salty in style, with lingering citrus hints. (Eric Guido, Vinous, May 2023) — 3 years ago

Martinez

9.2

Excellent Priorat. Blend of Garnacha (60%) and Cariñena (40%) from the Les Planetes vineyard, a northeast-facing plot on slate/llicorella soils in Porrera. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 17 months in oak foudres and clay amphorae. Dark fruit, minerals (graphite) and smoke on the nose. Some floral notes. Full-bodied, round, structured. Good freshness — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion comprises 45% whole bunches and matured for two years in 80% new oak plus foudres and amphorae. Complex on the nose, this offers black olive and brine tinged black fruit, crushed stone and light minty aromas, quite intense in the context of the vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit on the entry, quite Rhône-like in flavour profile, hints of fennel and thyme interwoven into the red fruit, persistent on the finish. Delicious and distinctive. Tasted at the Les Carmes Haut-Brion vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, October 2022)
— 4 years ago

PFM

9.5

delish, mineral-y, medium body oomph, v interesting, unfiltered. ideal kind of orange. Drank w cheuk on a hill w Mexican food — 6 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2015 | lovely smell with a combination of cherries, minerality and a hint of raspberry. Fermented and aged in amphora. Juicy taste with high acidity, a real gastronomic wine. | Paired with chicken livers in port cream sauce. — 6 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.4

2019 Le Hameau. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Merlot. First vintage of this parcel selection in the commune of Cantenac, aged for 16 months in amphorae (2/3) and barriques. Le Hameau stands for finesse, whereas Le Plateau (in Soussans) delivers more power. — a year ago

Brian Hearty

9.4

2021. Opened two nights ago without time to decant and enjoyed a glass which had really intense aromas and bright acidity and earthiness on the finish. This rating is for the glass we had tonight. Tart cherries and berries, floral and herbal, all integrated. Delicious wine. — a year ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

The amphora-aged bottling gains noticeably in complexity and power. Warm and sunny, round on the palate, showing exotic fruit and floral tones with some nuts and spice. Worth the step up in price and still a very good value — 3 years ago

Vanessa

9.1

What a beautiful spring day in Minnesota!

The glorious, golden sunshine called us outdoors and inspired us to crack into this 2012 Arnot-Roberts “Amphora” Ribolla Gialla.

We had the pleasure of blind tasting the 2010 vintage when we visited Arnot-Roberts last year. Check out my IG post (@Sips_Ensemble) from June 9, 2022 for more details on that magical visit!

This wine is made from the Ribolla Gailla variety, an ancient and rare grape grown most notably in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy and neighboring Goriška Brda region of Slovenia (where it’s called Rebulla).

Here is a lovely Napa expression coming from the Vare Vineyard in Napa’s Oak Knoll District, which is farmed organically by the esteemed Steve Matthiasson. Growing Ribolla in the Vare Vineyard dates back to 2001, when cuttings were brought over from Friuli, Italy for planting.

Settled at the base of the bottle we can see the lees (fine particles from the yeast), an indication this wine was likely unfiltered (or minimally filtered), lending richness and texture while also helping to preserve the wine.

It’s justifiably showing some signs of age with its deep golden hue and honeyed, nutty notes; yet it still offers round primary notes of yellow apple, bosc pear, quince, orange peel, grapefruit pith, cantaloupe, honeysuckle, white blossom, and wet slate, with a notable creaminess.

Cheers to sipping delicious wine on a delicious day! — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Ely Cohn

9.0

Rose’ of Montepulciano aged in clay amphora. Ruby slippers underneath broad-shoulders. A sturdy wine with a pretty hue.

Red apple, spiced cranberry, scents of an old attic. — 6 years ago

Eric Urbani

9.2

Wow. Went into clay amphorae with their skins for 4 months ... well- structured with stone fruits and minerality. A serious white with aging potential. — 6 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.4

This wine is lightly tinted, a little redder than a rosato, but not as dark as most red wines. The nose is fruity, yet earthy. I smell red plums, blackberries, cherries, and a faint licorice note. The mouthfeel is full and clean, almost a creamy presentation of red fruit. The tannins are light, but the acidity is very refreshing. I wouldn't fault you for dropping an ice cube in it for summer enjoyment. I heard someone say they wanted to make sangria from it, and that sounds like a good idea. I'll just sip mine, though. — a year ago

Phil Kessling

8.9

Amphora, skin contact Pinot Grigio from Foradori. What’s not to like. This is amped up Pinot Grigio, savory, a little tannic and delicious. — 2 years ago

Stan Nguyen

9.5

Nose of citrus fruits and flowers and huge apricots finish. Really gorgeous interesting wine. — 3 years ago

John Tan

9.0

Rainy Saturday night at home listening to Lady Blackbird. Smoky, sultry, spellbinding. Fresh, with lots of finesse. Stewed fruits on the nose with hints of minerality. Some spice on the palate. Subtle hints of dried longan.

Blend of Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu, Minustello, Carcaghjolu, and Moresconu. Northwest- and south-facing vineyards on a windswept clay-limestone terroir. The estate has been certified organic since 2002 and the vines have been farmed according to biodynamic principles since 2006. The yield for this cuvée was 25 hl/ha. After hand-harvesting and sorting, the grapes are 100% destemmed and vinified with indigenous yeasts in clay amphorae. The wine is neither fined nor filtered. No SO2 added.
** Note: This wine will benefit from some time to breathe prior to drinking. **
“A rich, intense nose with notes of ripe fruit and spices. The palate has great volume, finesse and freshness – a pure and balanced wine. The amphora, this ancient vessel of winemaking, has been mastered to perfection by Canarelli.” Cave Pur Jus — 4 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.1

100% Zibbibo (Muscat), old vines planted in 1945. 13.2% ABV

Muscat done as orange wine in clay Amphora, and some time under Flor. Dried apricot, floral, terra cotta notes & texture. Dry, long finish. Very nice, fun & exciting. — 6 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

9.2

Biodynamic. Aged in amphorae for 18 months, revealing all the quality of the grape variety, without aging notes:
Malbec: black plum, eucalyptus, menthol, chalky, coffee roast, caramel. Opulent and fresh with a lingering finish of complexity. Very nice bottle, to be enjoyed with savory dishes as well as with chocolate-type desserts. Gastronomic !

Biodynamic. Élevé en amphore pendant 18 mois, laissant transparaître toute qualité du cépage, sans notes d’élevage:
Malbec: prune noire, eucalyptus, menthol, crayeux, torréfaction café, caramel. Opulent et frais avec une finale rémanente de complexité. Très belle bouteille, à déguster avec des plats salés autant qu’avec des desserts type chocolatés. Gastronomique.
— 6 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Just a great wine. 100% amphorae aged and fermented Cabernet Franc from vineyards in Muscadet. Much more open than last bottle. Gorgeous pure berry fruit. Mid season cherry. Some cassis. Spice. Resin. Almost smells like an e an m Grand Cru. Unreal florals, herbals and spice. Sick nose 9.6 nose. Leather. So complex. Just sick. Just noticed 11.5% alcohol. Deep, tannic and ripe. Big tannins but so elegant and finesse driven. Obvious structure and tannins place all over the mouth. Sappy and barely sweet with immense power and depth. Concentrated tiny berry fruit. Juicy and pure. So long and deep but also has so much more fruit, structure and other good stuff in reserve. So good. — 7 years ago