Nose is cedar, herb, and leather. Medium body. Raspberry, red currant, and dark chocolate with really nice tannin throughout. Long finish is currant and cranberry. This wine is delicate. Overpowered by aged Gouda. Drink with Brie and French bread.
I pulled a classic and was just a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, still great, but for the anticipation... I have one more bottle that I’ll wait a long time and hope there’s a big payoff.
Interesting note, the 2013 Heitz Cellar in the background was remarkably similar in fruit, weight, and profile. 1/3 the price and I’m giving it a 92. — 7 years ago
Wonderful Sicilian natural wine! Deep gold (let’s call it light orange) in color. Hints of grilled lemons with a hint of smoke. Beautifully “funky.” A true winner! Great with appetizers! Thank you Franky Bella for this selection. — 8 years ago
Revisiting this splendid wine almost two years since my last tasting note and it is delivering above expectations for this undervalued Bordeaux vintage. The color is deep garnet almost black, the nose in enchanting with lairs of black current, cherries, cassis, coffee, dark chocolate and a touch of spice, the body is full round and delicious with velvet tannins and precise acidity, a true pleasure that continues with a delicious long finish. A wonderful wine. My score 93, drink to 2024 perhaps longer. — 10 years ago
Great vintage, no doubt. Wild strawberry, with an almost Oriental spice note that emerges with an hour of air-one might think Burgundy. This shows great texture and nuance, certainly beyond the Nebbiolo from the same vintage. — 11 years ago
Cherry fruit and bright acidity. Short,
spicy finish. — 6 years ago
I will preface this note by disclosing that I am generally not a fan of Super Tuscans. I like old school Toscana. But I will try to be objective here. The nose is very evocative of a classified growth Bordeaux: lots of cedary, gravelly scents and some dark berry fruit underneath. In the mouth it is concentrated and soft, but develops weight in the back half of the palate. Some peppery heat from alcohol at the end too. I know it’s predominantly Sangiovese, but it really does taste very Left Bank, except for a little note redder fruit at the end. — 7 years ago
This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink. — 8 years ago
Very complex and delicate Chardonnay. Nice front push, dry with slight note that comes through — 9 years ago
Almost amber in color with tropical and floral nose. The color belies the fact this is not an over extracted sweet juice. Beautifully bone dry with great acidity. Super. — 10 years ago
Awesome — even after a day open — and with some basil, squash and quinoa salad. — 10 years ago
Une petite note d'amertume mais c'est un régal — 11 years ago
Slight fruit up front, dry finish — 11 years ago
2008. Dried cherry, black tea, dried mushroom and rose, prosciutto. Minerality is reminiscent of standing on a dry, dusty dirt road. Only criticism is that it falls off in the mid palate, but finishes with a nice gamey note. — 12 years ago
Really enjoyed this Pinot Blanc. Paired well with creamy food. — 6 years ago
Special new year’s eve selection. Contemplative wine that gets more interesting and dynamic with each sip. The dominant flavor is a smooth balanced coffee note that is just beautiful, with tobacco, leather, cedar, some light red fruit as well. Exceptionally long finish, like 10 minutes long. A treat to drink. Happy new year! 🎊 — 7 years ago
My favorite Pinot in a lineup from Tony Rynders. — 8 years ago
Giving absolute credence to the reputation that the wines from the Margaux commune show, both displayed an elegance allied with a subtle power and perfect balance, especially 2005.
2000 had a trace pyrazine note that I found unexpected, and quite frankly not that enjoyable. Outside of that the wine was perfect. The second bottle did not throw it as strong, so not exactly in the clear on this night.
The 2005 was in perfect shape, drink now or age it another 20 years easy, this was so enjoyable and balanced with perfect tannin integration and a seamless, dense and pure finish that sailed on forever.
#margaux #bordeaux #wine — 9 years ago
Very special!
— 10 years ago
What a beauty! Creamy, defined and rich. Perfumy with flowers, mint, sweet apples, minerality and very concentrated honest power. Acidity is angular, very bright and holds this huge palate together nicely (and oh boy, I wish I had a time machine to see how it evolves in 10 years). I'm still trying to crack that dominant aftertaste note — it's almost cake-like sweet, with some nutty backbone and caramel on the top. Absolutely in love. — 10 years ago
2001: going into a black olive, black truffle note. Rich meaty notes, vibrantly meated, smoky, leather, tobacco, cigar. Towards full, complex, chewy. Light liquorice, light black truffle. Tip top. — 10 years ago
look: pale ruby red core with slightly garnet rim. medium viscosity.
smell: medium intensity aromas of roasted red bell pepper, allepo pepper flake, raspberry sauce, roasted jalapeno. overall, sweet and ripe fruit smells followed by slight iron-like gravel note.
taste: medium + acidity, nearly high acidity, medium - tannin, flavors of smoked tomato, sour cherry, ending with a note of sweet dried/roasted pepper.
profile: flavor is 'bursty' and drops out quickly and then hangs in a very subtle low way on the palate.
purchased with Somm Select. honestly, it could have cellared a few more years. — 11 years ago
Justin Kaneps
A wine to drink with a lover. — 6 years ago