J. Kim

9.2

More complex fruit profile than the Bourgogne Blanc. Seems less mineral but really takes off after 24 hours. The bottom end fills out and the classic nutty component appears alongside more tropical fruit. — 4 years ago

garry post

8.9

Green peppers and asparagus initially, black cherry, naugahide, boy's bottom, — 5 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.6

Blinded and my WOTN. You know when a wine's open for business, it's simply unbeatable. That being said, even the KR crew was surprised how well this showed. I mean it technically sits near the bottom of their wine range, but we absolutely annihilated the bottle. This line from a CT user pretty much sums up the wine - "Quite intense, but gives the refreshing feeling of mountain spring water". In fact, I thought it was a Spatlese trocken.

Nose of sea spray, grapefruit, pear, anise, fresh green herbs, chamomile and that typical KR dirt. The palate's just so saline, juicy, and spicy. Like biting into the juiciest white nectarine by the ocean. Finishes tart, mineral, and long. Pure finesse! — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Full bodied, opulent and unctuous - talk about a mouthful of flavour. Fruit salad flavours with low acid - bottom line delicious. From the Vacqueyras property of Emmanuel Raynaud of Chateau Rayas. 100% Grenache Blanc. Quite an adventure! Will seek out in the future. — 6 years ago

Lisa Hammershaimb

9.6

Light, not too sweet, delightfully pink and very easy to drink. Bonus: beautifully designed bottle with a rose on the bottom. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

It been hot on the west coast...even in places it's not normally. Today is no different and you can add humidity; which is something we almost never have here. Time to bust out the Sauvignon Blanc. This beauty is loaded with tropical madness. Plenty of crystalline sugar in the bottom of the bottle. The green apple, ripe pineapple, lime, lemon, mango, green melon, guava, saline minerals, dry grassy notes, and spring flowers leap out of the glass. The palate matches the nose with beautiful, round, acidity and round rich long finish. Photos of, their tasting room and Calistoga vineyard. Delicious tonight! — 8 years ago

Lawrence Bernstein

9.0

80 % Merlot and 10 % Cab Sauv and Cab Franc. Really enjoying this round, full wine with both a nice top and bottom. — 8 years ago

Austin Beeman

9.4

Out of control. Halfway between a dry red and a port. Black raspberry pie filing complete with burnt crust and little melted bits on the bottom of the pan. A hedonistic wine. $100 retail. — 9 years ago

with Barbara, Laura and 2 others

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

A lot can happen in three weeks. Cheers 🥂 to that!

Top photos, April 11th. Bottom photos, May 1st.

Happy May Day all. Hope yours was as nice as ours.

Numerous notes still stand. — 5 years ago

Lawrence Bernstein

9.0

Blockbuster good. A lot of bottom. Dark. A bit of pucker 91 — 5 years ago

Jesse Hudson

9.5

Fucking delicious but great dinner better than the first. Full body I’d go top to bottom... and underneath!!! — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Mid Ruby in colour. Highly aromatic nose reflecting its youth and freshness like freshly baked blueberry pie. Ultra savoury and juicy on the palate - a note of crushed ant amongst the raspberry notes. Medium minus tannins. Loving these unoaked fresh dry reds using old vine fruit. TheSkip if you liked Bests Bin 1 you will love this. Bottom line delicious. Most importantly my wife loved it. Tasted 168 weeks later on 14th February 2022 with Georgie home. We all loved it. — 7 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. — 7 years ago

Robert Evans Jr

9.5

Amazing! 2 Hour Decant , paired with Pic Top Left, Argentinan Chorizo, Top Right Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto. bottom Left 4 NY Strip & Bottom Right Bottle & Decanter — 5 years ago

with Nicole

Jeff Murray

9.2

Have been enjoying this over the last few months and finally reached the bottom tonight on a lovely evening out back. It was delicious. Lots of other reviews here with descriptions which I echo. Grab some if you can. — 6 years ago

web bond

9.2

1er Cru as of 2019 vintage. Would be a Monopole except half of a row was planted by another owner on what used to be a quarry at bottom of vineyard years ago when word spread that 1er Cru classification was impending.

Les Clos, also owned by Chateau Fuisse, will be the only Pouilly-Fuisse Monopole when 22 vineyards become 1er Cru as of 2019. — 6 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.3

2003 Vintage in Magnum. 14.1% Alcohol. Took a while to soak up some air and settle down but once it did, smooth palate and aged fruit flavors and resolved tannins. Not Gail’s style but nothing wrong with this over several days. Slight sediment but no bottle coating. Tried to have it opened iat a restaurant for a friends retirement party but I forgot bring the Ah-so. Waiter with corkscrew destroyed the cork and I gave up and opened a 2003 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum instead which was perfection. No problem with using the Ah-so at home and the corkscrew has not penetrated the bottom or the cork. Purchased at a ZAP silent auction in 2004 or 2005 so it has the three owners signatures on the label. — 7 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.3

Mmmmm just a delish bottle of Pinot. Thankfully, not as dark or full bodied as I remember my last bottle being. This had some restraint, but was still pretty richly textured. Gorgeous lighter color, but beautiful perfumes notes of cherry, herbs, and red licorice. Palate is freaking smooth as a babies bottom. Just an enjoyable quaffer. — 8 years ago

Paul T HB

9.5

New bottle I've never heard of made by Aaron Pott,
Clone 4 & 337 adjacent to Meteor Vineyard
Accessible early, but still gave it a 2 hour decant to start, nice $60.00 bottle
Actually Barrel + ink winery not bare bottom,
Actually Bare Bottom is more appropriate since today is Naked gardening day🤷‍♂️, true story, saw it on the news (l) — 8 years ago

David Annis

9.6

This is gorgeous. The cork disintegrated, and the bottom was black as tar. The nose is fruit and earth in that order, which was surprising. Decanted 30 minutes, which wasn't enough time for the vinegar notes to dissipate. Light color, which is slightly incongruous given the still pronounced fruits and tannins. Leather, cigar box, blackberries, oak on the finish. I was initially worried that we might have waited too long, but by the end of the bottle, I'm convinced there was no rush. This is exactly what a mature Pauillac should be. — 8 years ago