Maggie Thompson

9.5

This chenin is everything I have ever wanted a white wine to be: crisp, acidic, slightly sweet and slightly salty, absolutely free of oak, but with deliciously full aroma of apple and stone fruit blossoms, lemonade, and salt flats. Perfection. — 8 years ago

Eric Zimmerman

9.5

Having an adult afternoon on the flats in Cleveland, with the last bottle of Disciples in the city.
— 8 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.3

Not actually the Pure bottling, this one has minimal sulfur and is the better for it. Apparently from vines in the flats below Vosne-Romanée, this is Gamay with a firm Burgundian stamp - whole cluster, more structure and less enthusiastic fruit then you might find just down the road in Beaujolais. Stunning, complex conversation stopper. How often can you say that about Gamay? Hand carried back from the Domaine, I wish I could have this on the regular. — 9 years ago

Michael Tao

9.1

Excellent Zin! Very smooth with nice depth. Not overwhelming like many Zins. Enjoying at Buckeye Roadhouse — 9 years ago

Denise Mathias

9.1

I like this! Best of the whites I tested there. To me it's more like a Pinot Grigio, but definitely the Chardonnay "bite". — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Gave this around 4+ hours in the decanter and it needs more. Dark and deep ruby with high intensity. Quite a bit of heat on the nose and palate. Dissipated a bit on day two but this needs some bottle aging. Notes of dark cocoa and dark raspberries on the nose as well. Heavy tannins (8.5/10) and full bodied. Dark palate with vanilla, dark cocoa, cloves, dark raspberries and cherries. A few restrained black fruits too. Layered and thick with balanced acidity. Long and lingering finish. Only issue is the heat in this. At 15.5% thats a lot of alcohol, hopefully it tones down with some time. Drink from 2018 till 2028. — 9 years ago

Chris Pittenger

Owner Gros Ventre Cellars, Winemaker Skinner Vineyards

9.3

While I may be biased, I still love this wine. Freshly structured pretty stuff. — 10 years ago

with Sarah and Hardy

Clayton Bahr

9.0

Screw top aging is pretty awesome. Licorice, dried red currants, baked cherries, dates, orange rind — 11 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

Andrew Willingham

9.3

Very dark purple, almost black, totally opaque, no sediment. Medium+ viscosity, medium staining. Pepper, tobacco, cherries, tea, cocoa on the nose. Palette has a long finish with sour cherries, raspberries. Medium+ acid, balanced round tannins, light mouthfeel. This was a real treat- big, bold, balanced and surprisingly fruity Napa cab. — 9 years ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.0

Really soft but bright fruit buckeye integrated with the oak. Med body, good length. Very dark purple. — 10 years ago

Keith Levenberg

9.1

Old vine syrah from the wrong side of the tracks in the Cornas neighborhood, so it's appellation Cotes du Rhone, but the hope is that it's kind of Cornas-y even if it comes from the flats. At first it's super-structured and backwards but also very hearty and dense with that rich old-vine concentration. The flavors at that point might have passed for something grenache. With a bit of air it gets more civilized, though, retaining that hearty richness but the structure turning almost silky even though it builds and toughens up on the back end. How Cornas-y is it? Well, it doesn't have any of the wild meatiness or much non-fruit stuff, and the particular berry flavors still coulda fooled me on the syrah vs. grenache thing, but that dense inner core and muscled structure seems about right. — 11 years ago

ben gillette

9.3

Boys lunch at buckeye! — 8 years ago

Jae Cho

9.1

Not like any other barbera. Like a boxer in ballet flats. Underripe dark fruits, plums esp, but in a light crisp crunchy package. Do I sense a bit of VA? Such a great food wine. — 8 years ago

with Diana

LM Segal

9.3

A luscious promise in a bottle, rich, boldly aromatic and loaded for bear with cocoa powder and oaky tannins. It tasted like the early morning earth smelled on my last bike ride through Yountville flats. So primary, like just bottled. May be as good as the Pedregal of '08 but we won't know for 5+ years. — 9 years ago

Jim Westby

9.0

1996. Not the Panzano Le Fonti--this is from Poggibonsi down in the flats. If there's anything besides sangiovese in it, you don't taste it. Classic Chianti taste and anything but tired at 20 years old. — 9 years ago

Mitchell Mandler

9.2

Didn't write on time. Harris brought over. Very good. — 9 years ago

Hansal Patel

9.1

Good scotch ale. Tastes more ale like than scotchy. Had at beer head in flats east — 10 years ago

David Kline

9.0

Gasoline-pear, old sock and hot stones, tropical banana, hibiscus, lemon and coconut water and salt flats greet the olfactory bulb. Very lemon, bordering pith, baked pear and dry dirt, icy acidity. — 10 years ago

with Courtney

Sandy Lieberman

9.5

Premiere Napa Valley Cimarossa 2009 — 11 years ago