Aaron Tan

9.0

For the price, I expected a lot more. So did the rest on the table. Probably too young as it did improve with air, but I’ve had youthful (and cheaper) Champagne’s that performed far better than this. Started off with heaps of pears, bruised apples, and almonds on the nose. The palate was concentrated, juicy and almost too fruity for me (apples and apricot for days!). Air brought about more cut and chalkiness, as well as some floral notes. In short, I expected more depth. I suspect I’m just not a fan of the vintage. Time will tell. — a year ago

Sharon B

9.3

One of my favorites! Enjoying some cloudy weather this afternoon with a good book — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

Aced this blind, though I felt the palate weight does lean more towards a Langhe Nebbiolo by convention.
Like the blinded Margaux on the table, the nose led with Morello cherries, but without new oak and more layers such as aromas of dried roses, leather, star anise, and earth. The trademark Nebbiolo tannins and acidity on the palate was what scored the clincher for me. Lighter than expected for the level of tannins, but I felt it was still balanced especially with the mouth-filling mid-palate fruit (mixed berries here). Finishes with spice and fresh acidity. It’s a dangerous drink given how elegant it is at 14.5% abv. Best red of the night!

NB: The 2017 Blue Label Ascheri Barolo was made with a blend of fruits from La Morra, Verduno, and Serralunga. Fermentation was a 50% mix of 15-day batch and 25-day batch with submerged cap. Aging was for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels (70% new oak and 30% used) and for 12 months in stainless steel before bottling. It’s interesting to note how little wood character was imparted into the wine using large format barrels, despite the high percentage of new oak. I would imagine that one of the roles of this cuvée at Ascheri is just to season the new barrels for use in the better cuvées. — 3 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.8

Yesterday late afternoon I had the pleasure of tasting the 2016 Luciano Sandrone Le Vigne Barolo. At first taste I knew this was a special bottle of wine. All boxes were checked on the nose as well as the palate.

On the nose were fully expressive notes of black cherry, strawberry, herbs, clove, clay pottery, rose petals, underbrush, tar and dusty soil.

On the palate were delightful notes of dark cherries, strawberry, red plum, licorice, truffle, herbs, dried roses, a good mineral note and dusty earth.

An outstanding wine from the word go, full bodied, well balanced with a smooth round mouthfeel, medium + acidity and medium + to high fine mouth coating grippy tannins that leaves you with a long pronounced fresh fruit dusty earth finish. This wine still has a lot to offer years from now. What a pleasure to have experienced this. I hope everyone's weekend is going well? Have a continued wonderful weekend. Please stay safe and healthy. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 4 years ago

Jay Ivison

9.6

One of the smoothest, most flavorful whiskies I have tried. — 5 years ago

Dawn E.

9.3

Really delicious Kermit Lynch selection! Loads of baked apple and peach cobbler...brioche and nutmeg! Creamy delicious yet zippy too!

Celebrating the return of my Daughter's car after it was stolen Monday! 🚘 Thank you Iowa City PD! 🚔 I was craving a bubbly so I have my justification! 😄 — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.8

Dark scarlet color with a deep center. Notes of black cherry, cola, roses, cassis, some spice and a little wood char. Amazing perfume in the nose. Smooth and silky in the mouth. Lots of drama with this one, and many agreed the 59 was better than the 45, the 61 and 82 Latours beside it. Bravo! — 2 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

Cedric Bouchard makes some of the most singular, vinous and terroir expressive wines in Champagne which is even taken to the next level in his prized and ultra rare cuvée, La Bolorée. 2015 was a particularly great vintage for Bouchard and every cuvée I’ve tried has been fantastic. La Bolorée, 100% Pinot Blanc from 50+ year-old vines on limestone soils, is powerful, detailed and multidimensional showing layer upon layer of rich orchard fruit, white flowers and salty minerals. Just my 4th time having this bottling, but it is always a special drinking experience. We did not decant, but drank from Zalto Burgundy which somehow didn’t break on a boat 😅
— 3 years ago

farzad farzin

9.0

Classic with expressive bubbles and beautiful color, almost orange!! Very balanced notes of mineral and brioche. — 3 years ago

Martijn

9.3

Incredible glass of rose. Roses, almond paste, tart, some dried figs. In the mouth sweet, acidity and bitters so well balanced. — 3 years ago

Jordan Yu

9.5

Third rating for this: started at 10 degrees , and warmed up to around 15-18 in a warm 29 degrees tropical Singapore. Was fresh, crisp, lemon-like at first, followed by zesty mandarin orange flavours that finally matured to mellow honey apricots. Best of all coloured like the upcoming Chinese New Year - perfect gold. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

The 2016 Blanc de Noirs Presle is an explosion of aromas, flavors and textures. A Champagne of tremendous aromatic intensity, the Presle screams with Pinot character, certainly more so than the earlier wines in this range. The Presle emerges from a tiny parcel of measuring 0.25 hectares planted with 10 different Pinot clones over 15 rows. It is beguiling, nuanced and so full of character. I love the energy here. Zero dosage. Disgorged: April, 2020. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2020) — 4 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.1

Saw this in the Delectable thread the other day and realized I haven’t tried the -15s with food and a long decanting. In a nutshell, high quality, too young, as expected. Light ruby slight brick color; youth- and powerful nose of not tar&roses but sharper, like diesel exhaust & Tom Ford’s Rose Prick - an excellent mix; very high acids and tannins on the palate, dominated by unripe strawberries; finish is of medium length and quite chest-burning despite the indicated 13.5% alc. content. As 2015 was very hot in the summer, one might expect overripe grapes and lower acidity, but not in this beauty. A half-a-decade or more in the cellar should do wonders. — 5 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.5

Plug of green fruit to the nose, like a jolt of electric freshness. Salt, fruit and taffy notes. Lemon zest and lemon curd, walnut skin and light yellow curry. Some fresh baked cake too. What a wine — 3 years ago

Alan Weinberg

9.2

V 18. Awesome, of course. — 3 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Nose is totally closed on open. Maybe a hint of tomato skin.

Palate is sort of stewed sweet tomato a bit. Some acidity.

Let’s see how this goes.

As this opens gunmetal smoke on the nose.

Palate is fresh. Fruit is smoked sun dried tomato. Lovely internal aromatics.

2 hours in. Nose is cherry with a hint of pleasant tomato skin. Deep. Dried red roses.

Palate is bright cherry. Savory tomato (good thing). Savory. Very interesting.

Day 2 nose is smoky. Deep. Hint of tomato skin. Palate is savory. Better yesterday. But not awful. — 3 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It’s 1/2 bottle n/v Billecart evening.

This is a more appropriate color of rose for the Rosé color of this champagne.

My go to n/v Rosé Champange for a number of reasons…quality & 1/2 bottle availability are right up there.

Blood orange, black cherries, Rainer cherries, lean strawberries, pomegranate juice, hints of raw rhubarb, grainy, grippy, sharp chalkiness, crunchy volcanics, limestone, sea fossils, baguette crust, deep white spice, orange lilies, peach roses, excellent, lively acidity with a rich, well balanced smart finish that starts clean, ripe fruits falling onto perfect minerality. — 4 years ago

Joe Weinberger

9.0

Not quite as good as I remember this the last time I had it. There was more of a smoky element that wasn’t there before and it seemed that the fruit wasn’t quite as bright. Still, this was a very nice wine and wish I had more of it. — 4 years ago

Manny Abascal

9.4

Roses, blood oranges, touch of heat, distinctive Nebbiolo presence. Amazingly paired with veggie stew with chickpeas. The food and wine match was a 10. — 5 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A slightly stinky front. Then real deep clarity of raspberry fruit. There’s a gentle luscious center of hauntingly pure aged fruit (dried roses, soft cherry?) leading into the end palate. Really lucid. Delicious. — 5 years ago

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