web bond

9.0

Stylistically a dead ringer for Gonon Les Isles Feray. — 4 years ago

Raj Harb

9.5

Corkage at Wu’s wonton. Bright purple. Floral violet aromatics with a bit of cracked pepper. I was as impressed as the first time I drank it. Pulled away from gonon les iles feray (split decision) by end of night but they are two v high quality and v high qpr Syrah. — 6 years ago

Rich Bergan

9.6

Had this at 11MP. — 7 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.4

En magnum. Out of the gate this seems like 10 years too young. This is packing a punch that still impressed everyone at the table (luckily I opened the bottle the day before 😳) but nonetheless would not give it up completely. Finish is amazing! Minutes long of electricity and black berries. Nose wants to fight with a Gonon for champion but today I must say it is subdued. HOLD! cannot say it enough that I didn't know what I was doing. Hold on to this bottle. It has a long way to go with A LOT to say. — 7 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

So young but for my money it's hard to find a better St. Joseph. Yes this is easily on Gonon level, but different like Rousseau and Roumier are. It's a dark color. Almost black. Stunning nose of crushed granite, fresh underbrush, black fruits, minerals galore, leather and so much more. Nuanced and complex as great St. Joseph can be. The palate is deep with big black fruits, significant ripe and sweet tannin and a long juicy finish. This is obviously young but has all the parts to be one of the best wines of the vintage as the finish lingers for a long time which hints at a very long future. Will update as it aerates. Sick for now.

AFTER 5 HOURS -The nose is like a big drop of blackberry juice combined with super granite tones some herbs. Really complex. The palate is epic. Huge fruit, great freshness, firm tannins. Gets very nook and cranny. Needs 5 years. — 9 years ago

Doctor No

9.0

Good, but not massively better than the Peyrouses, so minus a point for QPR. Still, this and Gonon are my Syrah Hipster Heroes — 10 years ago

Jordan Mackay

Wine Editor San Francisco Magazine

9.3

This was a fantastic Syrah. The nose is all green olives and BlackBerry and violets. The wine is fairly light bodied for a fully ripe Syrah, and it fronts fruit over pepper. But in a lovely way; there's no mistaking that this is Syrah. Still, it's lightness and relative lack of midpalate density makes me wish it was just a tiny bit cheaper. Runs probably close to 40 retail. Comparable to Gonon Iles Feray. — 12 years ago

Mark S.

9.2

Pear like fruitiness without bitterness. Rich. That’s good Rhone blanc. 2017 @2880, Kping, 201205 — 4 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

I'll start off by saying that I think less-than-ideal storage conditions marred this tasting with Kai. It's a struggle here really because I really like their Malaysian importer. I can understand the difficulties in maintaining an effective cold chain in Malaysia, so I sincerely hope this gets better.

Having said that, this was my favorite in Kai's line-up despite the slightly advanced wine. Good perfume, sporting smokey black fruits, herbs, spices, violets, and wood (which was a touch distracting). I felt the palate should have been livelier - dark-fruited, spicy, and earthy, with heavy charred notes permeating throughout. The finish has a lot fruit sweetness, with a lick of caramel and balsamic. Nice wine, though not one I'd actively seek.

To be frank I think too much oak was used here, but not in the same liberty as in Barossa Shiraz. It's more like Guigal vs Gonon... maybe that's a bit extreme... Jamet vs Gonon... though not quite right still. I like Kai, but I gotta follow my palate at times like this. — 5 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.0

Gonon much? 🤔 serious accomplishment. — 7 years ago

Austin Ferrari

Wine Director Hillside Supper Club

9.0

Not like gonon but delicious — 8 years ago

Seth Morgen Long

Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long

9.4

Hervé Souhaut is an artist of fresh and pure. With the Syrah bottling, I relearn how simple techniques can yield complex results and how Northern Rhône doesn't always have to evolve into a drinkable state, unless it does. This is wild, mineral, dense yet lithe with a unique structure that isn't defined by tannin. Hervé is the Semi Carbonic King of Syrah. While I love Gonon, Jamet, etc, I am inspired but Souhaut tremendously — 9 years ago

Devin Bray

9.3

Woah. They say it tastes like old world Syrah, and so it does. It's less fruit forward than the Gonon I had recently, but concentrated and rich. Heavy scent of green olives on the nose, minerals, garrigue, a little bit of spice. The mouthfeel is voluptuous like blood, with a structure primarily held up by savory flavors - olives, pepper, cured meat, a bit of cherries. — 10 years ago

Jae Cho

9.1

Bring me some Gilles Verot head cheese and other Lyonnais delicacies. This meaty blue fruited stunner is gorgeous and goes on and on. I can see the Mauves neighborly comparisons. The first time I tried Gonon was at Bar Boulud. — 5 years ago

Jae Cho

9.1

Exuberant burst of blackberry, boysenberry, black currant and plum. Diametrically opposite to gonon, but more fun. Natty by nature — 6 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.3

Underrated, or should I say underrepresented. You can hardly find these in the east coast, though the same can be said in the west (of Australia, in case anyone's wondering). Picked up one of the last bottles of the 2018 Lowboi Riesling from a store in Perth. Lucky me since it's sold out in most of the city.

The 2017 Lowboi Riesling was one of my favourite Aussie Rieslings last year, and the 2018's another winner. Pure energy! Laser precision, white florals, limey-citrusy goodness, salty acidity. Six months or so on lees has given it quite a lovely texture and a musky element. The use of RS (5 g/l) is brilliant - adds weight and softens the acidity, but finishes dry and long.

While "Lowboi" may sound like an upcoming underground rap artist, the wines are far from trying to be hip. They're serious, age-worthy Rieslings and Chardonnays. In fact, the actual origin of the name is a pointer - it pays tribute to the area and namesake where the winemaker's mother grew up in. Lowboi is the personal label of Guy Lyons, winemaker and heir of Forest Hill. Trust me when I say there's real talent here, as I've had the pleasure of working and spending many nights drinking with the man himself. And let's not talk about the impressive resume, having spent time at perhaps the best wineries of their cepage - Gonon and Keller.

The Porongurup Riesling comes from dry-farmed vines planted in 1985. South-facing, the aspect might surprise some as it goes against all convention in the southern hemisphere. But like Kai Schatzael's north-facing auction Pettenthal, Guy probably saw the Springview Vineyard's potential in producing wines of greater finesse in an increasingly warmer planet. Taste this and they will be no questions asked! — 6 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.0

Ok I get it, this is an exact replica of Gonon's St. Joseph but let's be honest, those fruity island wine characteristics still come through like a clown at the farmers market. For the money? Definitely in a bout against Gonon it's holding its value...just ever so slightly. — 8 years ago

Flavio Menezes

9.6

Much more serious than the Gonon, same beautiful 2012 fruit, stern backbone for decades of cellaring potential. Will be grand! — 9 years ago

JohnQ Boxler

Sales Berkeley Wine Company

9.7

Dynamite showing for this after a few less-than-stellar ones. Amazing energy and lift, beautiful aromatics, really terroir specific-shouts St. Jospeh. Very, very pleased. Not Gonon, but damn good St. Joseph. — 11 years ago