Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.2

Delicious berry fruits. So lively, and juicy. Exists in that perfect space between tart and ripe. One of my favorite dolcettos at an amazing price.  — 10 years ago

Scott e

9.4

Cedar, tobacco, violet notes. Big but sweet and smooth tannins. In a great space, drinking fantastic. — 10 years ago

with Benjamin

David Kline

9.2

Fine, lingering lace on this blushing bride, with a train of elephants walking in space around the top. Dried starfruit and desiccated apricots, caramel apple and lemon merengue the an emphasis on the brown tips of the merengue. Also a sweet clay note rounding it out. Like mashed bananas in suspension. Piney note that effervesces in crystalline grains, turns smooth, round and absolutely impeccable! Orange peel, smoky chiffon, cedar plank, grilled banana leaf, lemon and pineapple mousse. The flavors integrate seamlessly; coconut and lemongrass following with resolute intent. — 10 years ago

with Courtney

Martin Frowde

9.0

A classic dry Provence rose, by which I mean a pale pink colour with a light fragrance and delicate taste. Light taste of strawberries and peaches - nicely refreshing. A good value "banker" rose which our family has drunk over many years and always make space in the car for on the journey back from France. — 10 years ago

with Georgina

mike pobega

9.1

What a beautiful expression of Santa Maria Valley Pinot. Color is medium, actually a bit darker than I expected. Nose is fragrant and spacious with a bouncy lilty tone of sweet red fruits. Palate shows the purity in fruit that is strawberries. Again, this shows depth in space while allowing a full dismantling of components right before you, in a good way, a deconsrtuct if you will. It unfolds with some very nice layers of different versions of fruit and red berries. Lots to love here and at a price you can live with. Tannins are well in place while acidity balances the whole enchilada. Verve, elegance and pop is what this is all about all while staying pure and fun. Gotta love the fun. — 11 years ago

James Dale

8.9

has wine diamonds in the bottom of bottle. creamy and smooth. lower acidity. delicious. — 11 years ago

TheElder Pinot

9.7

Early tasting of 2012 PN - watch this space in Oct 14! — 12 years ago

Dock Hooks

9.0

Reminiscent of Beaujolais' Gamay, this southern part of Tuscany's Ampeleia is producing some fine red wine! Mine tonight, after 30 minutes swim and spin in the decanter's pool of naked open space and air shows first to the nose wet rocks, slate and sandstone freshly accenting menthol and anise then strictly earthen dirt and minerals and a hint of the berries. First kiss is lightly but intriguingly nasty, wet and dripping red fruit which immediately coats and clings but most interestingly reaches back for the wet rocks overlooking the Med, then re-engages just in time to leave hints of her red and blue berry essence complimenting the blackened octopus in a mash of white beans and spices laced with a hint of Tabasco offered up by Chapel Hill's Il Palio located off Franklin Street (checkout both) Ciao🕶 — 10 years ago

Scott Taddeo

9.1

Given some time in the glass the wine opened up displaying red currants, strawberry, cherry, bitumen, baking space and a touch of earthiness. Still tightly wound with chalky tannins, but has such juicy acidity that they're soon forgotten; real pucker and thrust. — 10 years ago

David Kline

9.2

Big and bold imperial nose with burnt toffee and peanut brittle marginalia. Roasted sweet corn just arrived; fashionably late. Heavy malt, deep-space octopi splashes of Cuban coffee, black with half-dissolved sugar crystals. A blood-like mouthfeel, with a briary prickle, and low-burning, spiced candle calling forth the capsaicin smoke shadows. Chocolate smooth the finish. Regla de Ochà in a bottle. — 10 years ago

with Courtney

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.0

A neat space here; #villeneuve #rhone #2011
#grenache #14.5% ; at yellow in #pottspoint — 11 years ago

Molly Brooks

9.3

2007. Tiny diamonds in my glass have scarcely seemed more appropriate than for the riches afforded by this beauty. #chardonnay #savignylesbeaune #burgundy — 11 years ago

with Alex and Rory

Charles Hacskaylo

9.0

Quite nice for a domestic, in a similar space as the Laphroig 10; has some caramel but without the peat and smoke. — 11 years ago

Giampaolo Venica

Partner/Winemaker Venica & Venica

9.9

Diamonds in the sky — 11 years ago

Amy Matis

9.9

Beautiful wine. Finesse truly. Not a Chianti that one would expect. If you can source it good for you. I've got another 8 in my crawl space — 10 years ago

Dock Hooks

8.9

It's Holiday Season here in Morehead City, NC , and I'm at one of my favorite hangs (Promise' Land Market where the vibe is tres local, coastal, grooviness + Christmas) digging some amazing cheeses, olives, almonds and wine.
Firstly, I posted this wine previously, so this is a double tap with some space in between. Remembering my last experience, I decided to aerate pour into a decanter and on-and-off turbo-twirl for a half hour before jumping jumping in for the swim. That was proper, for sure, as doing so moves this wine up a bit, in my mind, mellowing this front-end tannin bomb , eliminating the raspberry and showing its better blue side, plus adding a little finish. My guess is that the cab franc vintage was less than ideal blurring the merlot and unfortunately squelching what could have maybe been St Emi GC elegance. The rest is my previous post: This GC is maybe a little past it's better time (odd). That written, its Merlot centric main grape charged by a cab franc splash and tempered by what seems to me to be plenty of time luxuriating in classic French oak expressing blueberry & vanilla on the nose contrasted by rabbit tobacco (earth connection complimenting country elegance) seems classic St Emi GC.
After that initial nose-hit of earth, spice, blue fruit and vanilla, it starts to slip, as the tannins grab somewhat roughly (perhaps a death grip) in one's front mouth cutting things short and masking the expectation of a rather brilliant nose turning what starts as blueberry and spice to a tannic squeezing raspberry mouth with zero finish - a shame. On t — 10 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.0

You can feel the space that used to be filled with fruit, which for me is a good thing. More open room for this to spread out into and reveal the floral, herbal and honeyed notes that were formerly steamrolled over. A touch of oxidation starting to creep in, but for now that's a welcome addition to the whole. — 10 years ago

Jay Clark

9.0

Gorgeous nose. Palate in a dried roses cranberry space. Gives the impression of a long future ahead. — 11 years ago

Katy Jossy Simanski

9.0

Rioja holds a space in my heart.... Showing some age. Dried red fruits, vanilla, leather, bay leaf with a savory character coming through. — 11 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.7

This bottle was disgorged in 2012 and based on either 2007 or 2008. Creamy and light at once, this bottle illustrated the virtue of aging good NV Champagne on the cork for a few years if you are lucky enough to have the space! So good! — 11 years ago

with Cleora and Jim