Delectable Wine

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9.2

Limpid, green-tinged yellow. Sharply focused, mineral-driven lemon pith, pear skin and tarragon scents pick up a floral nuance with air. Shows distinct saltiness and sharp focus as well as depth on the palate, offering sappy Meyer lemon, pear and honeycomb flavors and a touch of herbacity. Finishes long and chewy, with the floral and tarragon notes repeating. This wine's intriguing, savory and briny character is pretty wild, and I can vouch for how well it works with raw oysters and clams. In the context of world-class white wines, this one delivers simply amazing value. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, June 2021)
— 4 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.3

One of my close friends and I aged a bottle of this French Malbec upon his leave from NYC.

It’s not a particularly great bottle. It can be bought for $11. It is exceptional because of its context. We forget that wine is an opportunity. A moment of memory and gratitude to create. If we use this excuse to gather with friends, then we’ve already elevated the wine.

We aged it for just 1.5 years and so it met its 5 year mark. It was light, resembling the composition of a Pinot Noir. It was airy and, now, after tasting the bottle this weekend again, new, without the extra aging, we can tell that the chemical, sugary aftertaste disappeared.

Great out of the store, even better after personal aging in a walnut veneer bar, and exceptional if drunk with friends, especially close ones.

Two bottles, across two weeks, aging one for almost two years. For the cornerstone experience, a 9.3.

— 7 years ago

Ron from VA

9.2

Sooo delightful! This vintage was a blend of three lots… Combined they made a nuanced Northern Italian/burgundy-esk Franc that really speaks to Mark’s skill and the potential of classic vintages (weather) in VA. When it’s not too hot, the acids can stay in balance. This can lead to producing real aromaticly complex Francs. To put in context, we pair this with beautifully prepared salmon. Glad I still have one more bottle! — 8 years ago

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9.2

(all neutral French oak) Limpid yellow. Mineral- and lees-tinged citrus and orchard fruit aromas show very good clarity and hints of honeysuckle and sweet butter. Displays deeper pit fruit character on the palate, offering juicy, smoke-accented nectarine, pear nectar and Meyer lemon flavors that show depth as well as strong tension. The mineral quality comes back on a very long, juicy finish that echoes the Meyer lemon and mineral notes. In the context of top-drawer, Burgundy-inspired New World Chardonnay, this bottling delivers uncanny value. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, Feb 2018)
— 8 years ago

David Kline

9.2

What a lovely extra brut rosé of 100% Nebbiolo! Really nice to experience it in a singular context, away from its sister wines of such pedigree and substance that they cause her to become an afterthought. She is an amazing rosé extra brut with mineralogy for meters and miles and a tinge of signature Nebbiolo citrus upon a strawberry seed bed. With a smoky note to the bluing descent into a rain puddle of gravure. Charcoal lines connoting the breadth of an ageless arboreal apparition. #Nebbiolo #italiansparkling #extrabrut #piedmont #bubbles #spumantizzata #spumante #cascinachicco #rosealldamnday #roseseasonneverends #piemonte — 8 years ago

with Courtney

Neal Dessouky

9.5

Beautiful especially in context of vintage. Very elegant and complex. Showed a touch of heat but otherwise gorgeous. — 9 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Dampt made killer 13's. Just nailed the vintage. Minerals, seashells, apple skins, on the nose. Lively rich texture, but nice acidity, soft but present and works so well within the context of the vintage. Really elegant with lovely minerality. A great drink on a humid day. — 9 years ago

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9.1

The 2017 De Toren Fusion V, the Left Bank Bordeaux-based blend, 90% raised in 50% new French oak, is deep garnet in color. It has a well-defined blackberry, bilberry and soy-tinged nose, touches of pencil shaving coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, almost Médoc-like tannins, quite structured and more austere compared to older vintages that I have tasted, especially in the context of a ripe growing season. Noticeably bitter toward the finish. Personally, I would afford this a couple of years in the cellar just to shave the edges, but it is a commendable Stellenbosch Bordeaux blend, one that cohered nicely after two or three hours. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2021)
— 5 years ago

Jeff Murray

9.3

I’m partial to Sangiovese. I bought a few bottles of this on a whim with no context. Shipment arrived recently and I cracked open a bottle to accompany turkey and fixin leftovers. It’s awesome, and even more so considering $12/bottle. OMG. Need to cut this review short so I can go find som more. There’s another review below on a 2014 that gives much detail and indicates how good it will be with more time in the bottle. I’m having the 2009 and he was spot on. Cheers — 7 years ago

Ted Corvey

9.3

This is one of those lucky finds that just don’t come around very often. Sorry for the backstory but I think the context helps explain my excitement. There’s a small wine and spirit shop in a little beach town I drive through about 2-3 times a year and I’ll usually stop and get a bottle or two because they had a great and unique selection. Sadly, the last few stops there have been a bit disappointing as their variety seems on the decline. What was once a great range of wines with a lot of unique bottles, is now a lot of cheap high volume offerings on one end and on the other a nice selection of super high end bottles that I’m not picking up on a whim. While the high end selection is commendable, the magic of the shop seems to have faded. And if I am going to go high end I would rather do it with a shop I frequent in Charleston. Anyway, browsed a bit and didn’t really find anything I was interested in. Was on the way out and came across a 50% off rack and found this marked down to 9 dollars. Grabbed this and a few others thinking 🤷🏻‍♂️.The second it hit the glass it was beautiful on the nose, continued with deep richness on the palate. Great clarity and balance. My research suggests a 70/30 Cab/ Cab Franc blend. Have to assume this a nod to the famous Cab/Cab Franc blends in the region, and it’s a heck of nod. Have a half bottle left and I can’t wait to see how it held up for night two. — 7 years ago

Lindsey King

9.2

I've had this before, I'll probably have it again. Maybe it's context (it always is) but I liked this way more this round. I'm going out on a limb here and calling "huckleberry" but honestly what is a huckleberry do I even know? I'll eat one today and report back. — 8 years ago

Mike R

9.3

Thank you @Shay Aldriedge for this trade - really great fruit bomb - finish is growing - color lighter than I expected but real deep down honest to God freaking off the hook taste - first time and will not be my last one - and man I can fly (wrong context) - I can smile — 9 years ago

Dale Sparks

Founder 220 Imports

9.3

So amazing in the context of California. Outstanding — 9 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.2

Deep ruby, stewed red fruits, white and black pepper, clove, herbaceous, some vegies. Medium + tannins, high alcohol, full bodied, medium acidity. Medium finish. Very nice. On to an older competitor...

Please read my subsequent notes in the Muga Prado Enea for more context.

@Antonio Galloni any thoughts?

92 points — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2017 Barbera d'Alba Aves is another attractive wine in this range, although the greater impact of small wood does place it entirely in a different stylistic context relative to the other wines in this range. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, licorice and new leather infuse the 2017 with notable plushness and textural depth. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 6 years ago

Adam Reinhard

9.7

Got a little age on it. It is a dirty one. Not Tempier was a note I received,
But out of that context, who really is? — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.3

This is an utterly delightful white Burgundy that was a little understated to start but in the glass opened up to be complex, rich, slightly tropical, yet focused and, perhaps most importantly in this context, very good friendly. — 8 years ago

with Daniel and Cara

JKT

9.2

CVed 1/14/17 burg. Number five. Good complex nose of fruits and minerals and earth forest floor. Medium body with complex and balanced palate of fruits and acids and minerals with bite and texture. Long finish that's actually delicious.
Again CVed 1/16/18. A mini vertical of '02-'03-'05. In context of the others it is much more robust with very firm texture. That bite. Needs more time. Indeed the vintage. — 8 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.4

In the context of its value, this is a blockbuster Pinot Noir and quintessential of what Brian Loring does. I'm in agreement with Josh Raynolds take of "...red fruit preserves, incense, minerals and wisteria. Stains the palate with intense raspberry liqueur and floral pastille flavors..." That said, Allen Meadows does well in pointing out the "...lower register aromas of plum, dark berries and earth nuances." I will add that this has "pop" or "verve" or "tension" that puts all these flavors on blast. — 9 years ago

Daragh Hoey

9.3

Re-rating because I had this one at a tasting and sometimes you can lose context at tastings. This is superb. Biodynamic sparkling Malvasia. Rocky and cloudy and zinging. It's balanced, though. The acid and the minerality respect each other. The fruit - fuzzy pears and quince - is there but not too forward. — 9 years ago