Shay A

9.5

@Benjamin Keator had his hosting at the CC tonight and it was absolutely incredible. What a night of gorgeous wines! All wines are guessed blind.

5 reds tonight. 5 Bonds. Insane. I’m not going to try and evaluate each one as if they were crazy different because honestly, I found it fairly easy to determine all were from the same producer. That being said, I guessed all 5 reds were from the same producer and waffled between a horizontal or vertical...I ultimately chose vertical (which was wrong). I guessed all were Napa cabs. This was actually my favorite in the moment. It wasn’t as chalky/dusty as the first two and the fruit profile had mellowed. A younger tar and granite note came through with this. — 8 years ago

with Benjamin, Weston and 1 other

Shay A

9.2

What a Friday group tasting put on by Dan! Killer wines. 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 5 reds, 1 dessert. All blind.

Think this is the oldest bottle I’ve had to date. My guess here was Madeira. The finish was incredibly maple-driven. Caramel, sticky-sweetness with some acidity still hanging around to provide structure. Great dessert wine! — 8 years ago

with Dan and Weston

Ericsson

9.1

Blind tasting 4 of 5. Nebbiolo... Highlight of the night. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Second of the reds in our South African blind tasting. Definitely has some age as can be seen by the deep garnet core, bricking on the edges and more translucent. Lots of South African funk on the nose, a bit stinky with notes of pepper and light red berries. Medium tannins (5/10) and medium bodied. Earthy on the palate with red plums, cherries and crushed gravel with a medium to medium plus finish. This bottle has definitely aged gracefully, seemed a lot younger on the palate, maybe around ten years, not seventeen. Drink now. — 8 years ago

with Sean, India and 1 other

Elyse Lambert

9.1

Blind tasted. Great structure, still young. Potential of 5 to 10 more year. Impressive again! — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

What a nice Turkish delight this is.
Beautiful color of dark ruby/inky core with a purplish rim.

The nose is similar to a Napa Cabernet. Lots of vanilla and oak that drown all the fruits. Some chocolates, licorice, cedar, coffee, cola, smoke, blackberries, black currants, black pepper and spices.

Full bodied and bold, Smooth and elegant with medium plus acidity and gorgeous legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with oak, vanilla, blackberries, currants, sweet cherries, dark chocolates, cola, figs, raisins, tobacco, coffee, peppercorn and spices.

Long finish with full, firm tannins and black pepper.

A great Single Vineyard red wine. Big, bold and beautiful. At a Blind tasting I would call a young Napa Cabernet.
Balanced and Enjoyable by itself or with food. I Paired it with a Turkish lamb dish, and it held its own nicely.

This 5 year old needs some additional bottle time and will be even better in 3 years.
Needs 2 hours in a decanter.

Fun fact:
Okuzgozu, the grape varietal, means an ox eye for being the largest among the grape varieties grown in Turkey.

14.5% alcohol by volume. — 10 years ago

Matté

Manager The Wine Cellars

9.3

Vibrant nose of ripe strawberry, red cherry & redcurrant, though not in any way over ripe, with a (would I say this if I had it blind? I don't know) note of volcanic soil mineral shizz. Beautiful weight in the mouth with taught, expressive red fruit that's almost weightless but has a delicate grip. Like Nebbiolo this seems to be light on its feet but with a barely hidden controlled power to the tannins and succulent acidity that would suggest good age ability (what would happen to the fruit though?) infinitely drinkable but annoyingly cellar worthy. Buy 12 and forget about 6 of them for as long as you can. Call me when you remember you have more in 5 or 10 years time. — 10 years ago

Tim Herrmann

9.0

A great find at Delfina, this was a classic Nebbiolo with pure deep dark cherries and roses, but then it had this savory eucalyptus and potting soil with a mineral (from volcanic soils?) edge. Beautiful aromatics and a structure that's just starting to relax (the medium amount of tannins were present and felty but balanced by plenty of refreshing acidity) make me think this has entered its drinking window and may improve for 5-10 years. The character of the earth flavors here makes me wonder how many would guess Pinot blind. — 11 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A continuation of our anniversary celebration @ Cole’s Steakhouse.

On the nose; cedar, saddle-wood, ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, anise, graphite, touch of smoke, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers.

The body is round, ruby and full. Classic Haut-Brion profile flavors. I don’t believe I would miss call this producer blind as its flavor profile & style is so distinct. The tannins are nicely round and soft, 60% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance are well knitted together. It does lack some wow factor from their truly great vintages. However, there is plenty of life in this bottling and it has not achieved its peak. Probably, another 3-5 years from hitting its peak with another 8 years of good drinking beyond that. Ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, dry black cherry & cranberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, mint, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, saddle-wood, cedar, anise, graphite, forest floor, touch of smoke, volcanic ash, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers. The acidity is just about perfect. The ruby finish is elegant, well polished & balanced and last minutes. It continues to evolve & improve in the glass even after a hour long decant. Just missing a 9.4. Man oh man, I love well made older Bordeaux wines. My true love.

Photos of, Chateau Haut-Brion, field-hands harvesting that magical fruit, barrel room and their library cellar that I would love to raid 😜. — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.2

What a Friday group tasting put on by Dan! Killer wines. 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 5 reds, 1 dessert. All blind.

My guess here was mid-2000s Bollinger. Very creamy up front. The finish was so tart and dry that it begged for another sip. Yeasty, light chalk, crisp acidity. — 8 years ago

with Dan and Weston

Jason and Jennie

9.4

Holiday cab blind tasting

My ranking
1) 2015 quivet pellet
2) 2012 gallo estate cab (80 bucks. this had great tannins- an ager compared to quivet)
3) 2014 occasio reserve cab black label
4) 2014 steven kent smith ranch cab
5) continuum barrel sample — 8 years ago

Jason and Jennie

9.2

Girlfriend brought gifts from Gallo and poured a blind tasting for me.

Rankings

1) 2006 Clarendon hills blewitt springs Grenache
2) 2006 Clarendon hills Clarendon Grenache

3) 2010 Edna valley winemaker series meritage (this tasted like a mount George merlot from napa)

4) 2013 Renata ratti Nebbiolo

5) 2007 Clarendon hills hickinbotham cab
6) 2014 Renato ratti barbera — 9 years ago

Eric Egan

9.7

Hopefully the last time I will ever drink an '83 Scharzhofberger Auslese with a straw.

Unbelievable youth and acidity. Stupidly fine. I have 5 more bottles - seriously ambivalent: happy that it's one of the finest (nearly) dry whites I've ever tasted, want to kick myself for breaking it!

Incidentally, it came first in a NYT blind tasting of all eight '83 Scharzhofberger Ausleses in 1987. What a tasting to re-stage that would be! — 10 years ago

Keith Levenberg

9.7

This wine has been on a whole other plane the last few years compared to the vintages of the '90s/early 2000s. It feels more gently extracted and much clearer in personality. The addition of the new parcel a few years ago certainly didn't hurt. This one is a no-doubter from the very first whiff. There isn't really any fruit to it at all, as it's dominated by exotic spice scents on the deeper end of the spectrum - clove and even some carob, as opposed to the higher toned cinnamon/anise components of the 5-spice mix. Structurally, the Forey Gaudichots used to be a tough, gritty wine that seemed to ask for a lot of blind faith that a seriously long time in the cellar would pull it out of its shell. That's no longer the case. This is silky and impressively refined not just for Gaudichots but for the vintage in general, which has seemed to me to be something of a power year. The flavors are very much in line with what the exotic scents prepare you for - there is so much interesting seasoning here that the fruit is essentially invisible, just a screen for all the other stuff. — 10 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.6

Blind tasting, wine number 5, bag number 5b. Decanted for 2 hours. Dark, deep and opaque ruby red. Nose had a lot of dark berries, and a ton of cassis. Slow attack then it hits hard. High tannins (8.5/10) and full bodied. Long lingering finish. Beautiful and voluptuous wine. Second time having this and I loved it. Cannot wait to buy the 2013 next year. My WOTN! — 11 years ago

with Sean and India

Colin Cahoon

9.1

If you are looking for an elegant burgundy style Pinot, this will not be your cup of tea (or glass of wine). This is a big, high alcohol red that could hold up to a steak as well as many cabs. The nose is dark mulled fruit with barnyard funk. In the mouth dark cherry and spice predominate with a high acid level that kicks in early, builds through the finish, and lingers across the entire tongue. There’s even some chewy tannins in the finish. The wine was tight upon opening, so decant the 2013 if possible. I would not have identified this as a SLH Pinot blind. Powerful but delicious. Will it mellow if left in the bottle another 5 years? — 8 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2008 / Confession: I am really bad in recognising #tempranillo. So I ‘punish’ myself regularly to taste and drink it 🤨 Today it makes me really happy. A nice roof tiles colour, a smell with spices, warm cooked summerfruit, but above all: E L E G A N C E. Beautiful mouthfeel, satin, smooth. A wine you can easily underestimate, with finesse. Probably I would not recognise it as #rioja tasted blind, it is such a fine wine. Great effort of this Spanish winegrower. / technical: 85% tempranillo 10% graciano and 5% maturana. 30 months aging in French oak barrels. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

2010 was a very good vintage in Rhône. Rostaing is a well know producer with people that know and drink Northern Rhône wines, not so much with others that do not. The Ampodium is the entry level into Rene & Pierre Rostaing wines. It is a blend of 13 vineyards in Northern Rhône. They are simply one of the very best producers in the region. I spent an afternoon with Rene & his son Pierre tasting in the their cellar and in their La Landonne vineyard as shown in the photos. The 2010 is drinking beautifully with many good years ahead. On the nose; ripe & slightly stewed/baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, creamy raspberries, stewed plum, black raspberries, cherries, steeped fruit tea, dry crushed rocks, iron pan, some white & black pepper, bacon fat, grilled savory meats, pork, black licorice, black cherry cola, decayed & fresh red florals with violets. The body is round and medium full. The tannins round, still a little chewy & around 55% resolved. The length, texture, tension and balance are in near perfect harmony. The fruits are; round, ruby & ripe; slightly stewed/baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, creamy raspberries, stewed plum, black raspberries & cherries. Steeped fruit tea, dry crushed rocks, chalky minerals, iron pan, coffee grounds, spice, some baking spices w/hints of vanilla, white & black pepper, drying blood, dry herbs/bay leaf, dry stems, moderate levels of bacon fat & pork, grilled savory meats, black licorice, black cherry cola, decayed & fresh red florals with fresh violets for days. The acidly is round and dripping. The long finish is plush, velvety delicious and lasts & lasts. In good vintages, I would put this in blind with the best of of the best new world wines from any vintage that many love; SQN, Booker, Saxum, Alban, Cayuse, Horsepower etc.. I’d bet most of you would pick it over these producers that cost much more $$$. It’s simply one of the best pound for pound wines/producers for this varietal. Especially, for the $$$. Wow, what a wine for the $. $55 upon release. Photos of; Winemaker Pierre Rostaing and our group in their La Landonne vineyard, the small sign that barely identifies their Estate, an example of the Quartz mineral that runs throughout their La Landonne vineyard and the view back onto the river from the top of the very steep La Landonne Vineyard. Producer notes and history...Rene Rostaing produced their first wine in 1971. However, it took almost three decades before wine became a full time occupation for Rene Rostaing. Domaine Rene Rostaing came about through marriage. The wife of Rene Rostaing was the daughter of the famed Cote Rotie grower, Albert Dervieux, and the niece of Marius Gentaz-Dervieux who gave Christine the vineyard land that became the Northern Rhone estate for Rene Rostaing. Through inheritance from Albert Dervieux Thaize (his father-in-law) who retired in 1990, and from Marius Gentaz Dervieux, his uncle, Rene Rostaing expanded his holdings, giving him some of the best terroir in Cote Rotie. The new vineyard land was basically 3 small parcels in the La Landonne, Cote Brune and Vialliere lieux-dits. This initial expansion from his initial tiny parcel, allowed Rene Rostaing to change careers and become a full time vigneron. Since 2007, the estate has managed by Pierre Rostaing, (son) of Rene Rostaing. Currently Rene Rostaing owns 7.5 hectares of vines that is spread out among 20 different parcels located in 14 locations. Perhaps the most celebrated vines of Rene Rostaing are the 1.6 hectares of vines they own in the La Landonne vineyard (photo). On La Landonne, the vines are more than 60 years old. Some vines are even close to 100 years of age! Those are his largest holdings. The smallest vineyards of Rene Rostaing are located on Cote Blonde. Rene Rostaing also has vines planted in; Fonjean, La Vialliere, Le Plomb, Bouchare, Leyat, La Roche and La Tupin. Their oldest vines are more than 70 years old and are used for Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde. The majority of those plantings are on the steep hillsides with mica, schist and rocky soils. 25% of those vines are closer to the bottom of the slopes and on the flats. Rene Rostaing remains a traditional Cote Rotie producer who is not among the last to harvest. His wines are aged using very little new, French oak barrels. On average, Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie are aged in about 10% new French oak barrels. Rene Rostaing produces 4 different Cote Rotie wines. Rene Rostaing Ampodium, which was previously known as Rostaing Cuvee Classique, is a blend of 13 sections of different vineyards, but it does not include their best holdings on La Landonne or Cote Blonde. The fruit for Rene Rostaing Ampodium has at least 40% or more of the stems removed and run between 12-13.5% abv. The wine is usually made from 100% Syrah and is aged in an average of 15% to 25% new, French oak barrels. The amount of new oak can be less, depending on the character of the vintage. About 1,750 cases are produced each year. The wine is no longer called Cuvee Classique, the name was changed to Rene Rostaing Ampodium with the 2009 vintage. Rene Rostaing La Landonne comes from a terroir consisting of sands with iron oxide and traces of quartz. This wine is always produced from 100% Syrah. The grapes are partially destemmed, with about 10% to 20% of the stems removed, depending on the vintage. There are vintages when no destemming takes place. The remainder of the grapes are whole bunch fermented in stainless steel vats. Rene Rostaing is not a believer of using too much new oak for the aging, which on average uses 10% new, French oak barrels and the remainder of the harvest is aged in demi-muids (600 liter) and French oak barrels. This wine is like most wines from La Landonne, masculine and meaty in character, requiring at least a decade to soften and develop. On average, Rene Rostaing La Landonne produces less than 600 cases depending on what the vintage delivers. Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde is perhaps his best. It’s produced from a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. The grapes are co-fermented. The vineyards is planted in the region call Arzel. Arzel is a poor, mineral laden soil with deposits of Silex and Mica on a steep hillside. The vines are more than 50 years of age. The grapes are partially destemmed…35% to 50% of the stems are removed. The remainder of the grapes are whole bunch fermented in stainless steel vats.
The remainder of the harvest is aged in demi-muids. This one is the hardest to find and most collectible of all their wines. In fact, they only produce close to an average of 350 cases of Cote Rotie in most vintages. Rene Rostaing Cote Brune made its debut with the 2013 vintage. The vines were once part of the holdings of Marius Gentaz, which eventually passed to Rene Rostaing. Rostaing replanted those vines in 2000. Made from 100% Syrah. — 8 years ago

Joel Hodorek

9.3

Wine 5/6 in the Bordeaux horizontal blind tasting. Sleeper hit. Very light with sweet coffee or Kalhua liquor on the nose. Lighter body showing blue berry fruit. Lightest alcohol. Intriguing. — 11 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.3

2013 Syrah. In blind I guessed paso Syrah. Off by a mile. I never would have guessed Lato as this is a baby and I usually wait 5 years on his amazing wines. I remember the fruit as laser focused. — 11 years ago

with Jeffrey, David and 2 others