Daniel Bloom

9.2

Upon opening and initial pour, this is severe in its dryness and austerity. Brings to mind ( well, my warped mind), very pale tanned blonde leather upholstery,Saddle leather.,Baguettes. With the sea and salt marsh hanging back. Let it sit and air for a bit while I prepared chicken breasts salmoriglio with lots of lemon, come back and it sings with matching acidity and on the finish, an interesting broad dried orange peel that is perfectly there. On day two, the dried orange peel comes to the nose, and a sweet, malty character makes itself known in the mid palate.
A weirdo let’s make Manzanilla with no fortification by Navazos and Niepoort. Rewards aging. Definitely a “table wine” for Sherry freaks. I count myself as one.
With Randy
Thanks @winesolutions — 2 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.2

This is one interesting beastie. From way up north…St. Moritz not so far away. All, as I understand it, done by one Renato Motalli. 80 years of age now, no one to pass the winery on to. So…get ‘em while you may.
I aired this for 3 hrs then decanted for 90 mins…this may not have been enough, as with air the complexity keeps evolving.
On the nose, there is an aged Barolo kind of pressed, half dried Cherry mixed with damp woods kind of thing. Evolving into sweet tobacco and kirsch. At first, this wine presents much more Burgundian than northern Italian. But with time and air, a northern Italian identity comes to the fore. Chestnut Botti, huh? There’s no vanilla or wood tannin, but the man has found a way to create a living, changing wine. With a thrown together ragú , tomato, beef, blanched bacon, and lots of mushrooms it coats the palate and begs for more.
As time goes on post dinner, it’s more intriguing, soft but sharp as well.
Glad to have some more to experiment with and see if prolonged time makes a difference.
Very interesting.
@Coturier
With Randy
— 12 days ago

Daniel Bloom

8.8

Well, 2025 is an acid bomb. Mind you, with food it’s not unpleasant, just bracing. Especially without. Some citrus and cherries( maybe Rainier)(sp). But this isn’t a wine for thoughtful musing. I believe it’s here to quaff with food, and with some olive oil based picatta esque dinner, it works. Of course as it warms, it gives more fruits and slight vanilla. One commenter here suggested animal fat in an earlier vintage, my head still spins!
A very well made, very dry, barely rosato rosato. Taught and refreshing, low alcohol. — 23 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.0

On a really hot day, full of Canadian smoke( Export A’s, anyone), thunderstorms and possible tornadoes, this vino zaps you into focus. Strawberries and vaguely Italian like Cherries on the nose mingled with earth, feet, and some umami on the palate. At first, the acidity is bracing. But with food a unified whole emerges.Perfect with Bacon & Lemon roasted Trout.Cuts right through the fats without overpowering your buds. Very glou glou at 11.5°.Raise a glass to Portugal!
With Randy.
Thanks @chambersstreetwiseInes. — 3 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.5

A hot day and Cambodian modern at@Mawn restaurant, so natch. Not the greatest glasses but serviceable enough.
Mouth filling orchard fruit with a decidedly underripe peach quality, white flowers and a refreshing peppery, stony wash of a finish. This was an accompaniment wine, no studying, swishing ( well, a bit), or developing in the glass. Got along perfectly with roasted Dorade, Sweet/Sour/Chili Head on Soft Shell Shrimp, begging for another glug.Texturally interesting as the entry was round, flattened out and finished with a snap. Our waitress was very curious and highly approved of her portion. No rough edges here. Happiness all around.
@fassselections
With Randy — 11 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.2

100° F calls for Gazpacho Andalus and…
Tavel Rosé.
That nose is huge, huge round citrus rind bordering on Strawberry jam(ala the Kinks). But the palate is long, mineral(dirty), sappy, almost but not quite sticky.Persistent aftertaste of pressed fruits, tarry tactile roof of the mouth exploration. A serious rosé, no doubt. With food, great. You could probably forget about one of these for years and it would be boffo. Aged on lees in an “Egg Vat”. As follows… 50% Grenache, 25%Clairette, 25% Syrah.

Fermenting and aging Tavel Rosé in concrete "egg" vats is a modern technique utilized by some of the Tavel AOC appellation's more progressive estates, such as Château de Trinquevedel. The egg shape promotes a natural, convection-style circulation of the wine, keeping the lees suspended for a creamier texture and enhanced depth.

With Randy.
Thanks @fassselections
— 19 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.2

From the insane clearance sales of the @plcb, comes this wine for $25. Often you have to tell them what they have in stock, or say…” could you please check in the back?”. Then out comes a sealed wooden, 6 btl case. ( in one instance.). If you’re lucky to hear of the clearance sales, and there’s some things you care for near you it can be great. One just 🤞then prays that the provenance was good.
The 2020 vintage in Priorat was a challenge from what I understand. Wet, with fungus and rot, etc.
The ordinarily Garnacha heavy blend was swapped for 55% Syrah, 34% Garnacha, some Cab. and others. A quite unusual winemaking regiment ensues with large tronchons, cement, and glass demijohns included.
So…this upside down year produced a very lithe, liquorice and mineral wine. Dusky dark fruit on the nose more reminiscent of St. Emillion. Grippy tannins but in harmony. Easy going for Priorat. If you’re lucky to have them, drink or hold ‘em. I feel lucky to have played my part and relieved the @plcb of their burden.
With Randy — 24 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.4

By far my favorite Valpolicella. See previous reviews. The downside is it used to be affordable easy. Now it’s close to $60 a btl.
Earth, smoke, forest,Black tea,tarry yet light ( ish). As far as i remember, made from leased vines 500 M above lake Garda.At least the first vintage. Aged in 2nd pass Amarone Botti.All in all, a highly idiosyncratic winemaker with some hits across the board and a meh here and there. I return to this particular wine however to fill my Valpolicella jones.
With Randy. — 8 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.3

Barbadillo tried to make a direct from the boot/butt/barrel unfiltered organic manzanilla. This is it , 3500 btls. Drink ‘em young. Delicious, as if your head were in a yeast covered barrel. All from Albariza soils which are chalky white. I’m guessing there may be some relationship between these and the soils under Chablis.
This smells like this weird combo of chalk, lime peels,seawater, yeast and old wood. I could smell it for ages.
The entry is gentle , broad and mouthfilling, giving seashore, something ancient that’s unquantifiable, and lots of yeasty goodness as if one’s head were stuck into a butt. Amazing stuff. Sherry freaks rejoice.
With Randy. — 18 days ago

Daniel Bloom

9.1

Food wine. Likes lots of air. A good jostle and not too cold really brings this out.
A protein ( in this case cold poached salmon) really makes this wine stretch out. Tangerines and honey on the nose, dried oranges and salt on the palate. The fish w lime, soy, and ginger really developed a broad palate and long finish.
Lots of weird varietals , all bush grown, I believe foot trod, then 1/2 in neutral French oak. I believe the other 1/2 cement. Some tasters say grippy tannins. I get plenty of acid and salt. Fino and Manzanilla fans should dig it. “A field blend of indigenous white varieties from two small centenarian vineyards at around 500-600 meters of elevation. The grapes were foot trodden in lagar and allowed to ferment on the skins. The wine was then aged for 9 months in a combination of concrete and 225L used french oak. “
From @chambersstwines.
A Lagar is a concrete trough used in Portugal for crushing grapes.
Thanks @chambersstwines.
With Randy
Day 2 possibly richer, saltier. Perfect foil for cold fried chicken.

@delectable.com, why are some posts( such as this) taking 24 hrs or more to post? — 22 days ago