Lover of: all things light, minerally, & red; in search of the perfect Chenin blanc, cru Beaujolais, mountain Nebbiolo, & varietals unknown.
Compared to the last Becker dry Spatlese tasted, this was less inviting: a bit more mineral & stony, with none of the fruit flavors associated with Riesling to be found. Very chiseled & imagine needs time in bottle/ long decant. You can still taste the precision though. — 18 days ago
Deep marigold yellow color- striking in appearance. Sherry like on nose, with oxidized notes of sea brine, quince, & dried apricots; on palate add all these plus umami notes of dried apple & edamame. Broad & substantial mouthfeel. I could live in this stuff. Wax sealed cork(watch for the crumbly bits!) & given the depth of flavor here, a relative pittance to be paid in exchange for the experience. Paired with Gochugang spicy potato, bean, & kale stew w parsley & Greek yogurt. Chardonnay w a smidge of savignin. — 24 days ago
Not as feral & gamey as the ‘16s in my memory, but still vibrant old school Chianti: nose of cracked leather, cassis, & ripe black cherries; loads of underbrush, kirsch, beets, black cherries on palate. Quite svelte in body, perhaps leaner than past vintages. One of my go to Chianti producers year in year out. — 11 days ago
Deceivingly medium bodied, but I guess like most Bandols needs air to really strut its stuff. Deep red fruits and dark brambly on nose; on palate more black & ripe cherries, & that Provençal garrique herb blend in the background. Quite accessible at six years of bottle age. My second bottle & consistent with first. Not the first word on complexity but not the last either…. — 19 days ago
Barrel Aged gruner. No notes. Quiet and layered. — 24 days ago
White blend from Mencia, that’s an orange wine in identity but a white wine in form. Aged in amphorae so quite round & broad in mouthfeel. Still very clear & lucid on the palate, with soft notes of minerals, tangerine & endive. Subtle & elegant. — 11 days ago
Trocken styled. On the lime zest end of the spectrum palate wise but found it to be too high pitched & thin to my liking. — 19 days ago
Consistent w previous notes but even better- more open & full on palate. Medium bodied but plays light on palate, & somehow feels playful. Fresh black fruits, & in layers so some depth. . A young gun vintner on the Mencia scene. — 24 days ago
Big, juicy Bourgueil- perhaps a tad too big for it’s frame-like when I try to fit into my 33 waist jeans. That said, if you like a fruit forward-ish cab franc that is lean on the bell pepper & heavier on the red & black fruit, & of course low tannin, here’s your bottle — 24 days ago
Peter Sultan
Entry level but brings so much panache— just dry, like its very edge, and concentrated yellow fruits of starfish & Meyer lemon. Completely punches way above its price. — 10 days ago