Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.4

Hints of caramel, orange peel, apricot jam and spice run through the 1989 Cristal. Ample, creamy and generous, the 1989 is in great shape today. The slightly forward aromas and flavors suggest the 1989 has arrived at a plateau of maturity. I would prefer to drink it over the next decade or so, although the wine has more than enough density to hold for many years. I have had fresher bottles of the 1989, but this is a fine showing just the same. The 1989 is always a silky, gracious and totally understated Cristal, as it is once again today. “Nineteen eighty-nine was a riper year, and therefore more Pinot-driven, with about 63-64% Pinot in the final blend than the more typical 60%” adds Lécaillon. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 1989) — 8 years ago

Thijs Hendriks

9.6

Incredible complex, this wine is developing in the glass, so mineral, layered and aristocratic. High end terroir driven riesling👍 — 8 years ago

Constance Upton

10

Rootstock description: "tiny ribbons of bubbles and an intensely mineral driven core balanced by layered flavors of stone fruit, croissant and chamomile." — 8 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.4

Sweet kettle corn and buttery croissant blanketing floral and lemon nuances. Piercing powerful acidity. Baked lemon and white pepper flavors. Amazing wine. All terroir driven without a hint of malo. — 8 years ago

Hum

9.7

This is wonderful. Smoky and earth driven. — 9 years ago

Matt Duncan

8.9

Showing a surprising richness given its age. Blackberry, coffee grinds, oregano. Great aroma driven by coconut husk. Moderate length with potential to extend in coming years. — 10 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.0

I suppose with climate change, we're going to start seeing more of these Loire SBs without the grassy, pyrazine qualities of years past. Delicious, mineral and citrus driven wine - but it doesn't line up with what I think of as Sancerre. Time to reframe expectations! — 11 years ago

Martin Redmond

9.2

Salmon color with lifted red berry, melon, blood orange, wet stone, ocean breeze and a hint of damp dusty earth aromas. On the palate it's medium-bodied, layered and fresh with fine concentration and mixed melon, stone fruit, red berry, flavors with and herbal note and a very giving mineral driven dry finish. Great value at $22! — 11 years ago

Michael Ochsner

9.0

Way young...but delicious nonetheless. Mineral driven and staunch. — 11 years ago

with Brett

Steve Steese

9.2

Excellent! Beautiful floral aromatics backed up with a long, mineral driven finish. Wet cement, hay, and good acidity, but balanced. — 12 years ago

Bill Bender

9.6

I’m a sucker for Clape. Rich, ripe and mineral driven. Lots of power but marked beauty and lush tannins. Licorice infused soil and sweet, sappy red fruit. — 8 years ago

Brian J.

9.1

Awesome nose! — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

A fab £56 St Estephe showing how well they can age but boy this is an oak dominatrix in an oak bondage orgy 😁 only for oak lovers 😉 I still enjoyed it 👍

🏵 92 points

🍇 40% Cab S & 60% Merlot

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Rich oak driven smothered dark fruits that drown out any other nuance aromas but some sooty smoke creeps through

👄 Med silky smooth body of oaky dark berries w/ a liquorice & mocha touch

🎯 Med+ liquorice & mocha dark fruits w/ dry oak dominating — 8 years ago

Greg Koslosky

9.7

Elegant vineyard driven with excellent minerality, red and blue fruit wild flowers complex and long really opened up with aeration superb! — 8 years ago

Geno Tomko

9.5

A pure wine. The fruit is dazzling, so subtle and perfectly ripe. With air it gains some stem driven aromatics, as well as dried violets. High pleasure, high pound-ability. — 10 years ago

with Chandler

Adam Jesberger

9.2

Awesome for the price. Autolytic and tree fruit driven. Fairly high acid and good length. Ripe red pears and yellow apples with cream and bread dough heavy on the nose and palate. Weighty and complex. — 11 years ago

Holly Orchard

Certified Sommelier, President of Savvy Cellar Wines Inc.

9.1

Lovely! There is a golden apple ripeness balanced by refreshing acidity and a silky chalky texture. A hint of buttery lees, and just enough minerality to make this a great compromise between an austere, mineral driven style, and a rich, round, brioche style (the hubby's style). — 11 years ago

Sergio Licea

9.2

Red cherries, white pepper, barnyard, vitamins, game, crushed red roses. Acid driven, slight smooth tannins, beautiful silky texture. Long mineral finish. — 11 years ago

Marty Winters

9.7

Showing well, after sulphur burned off, beautiful fruit for an acid driven vintage. Bright and such a lengthy finish on the wine. It's like drinking in High Definition. — 11 years ago

Ken Kailin

9.4

Rich ripe red fruit driven good structure and nice acid lift with dark chocolate finish. Still can see this integrating more, but quite nice. — 12 years ago

Kevin Cahoon

9.4

This is just lovely with hints of black cherry and plum with creosote, black pepper and soy accents. Palate is full of spicy Syrah flavors with lots of white pepper, plum and black raspberry. Tannins are present but sauve with lifting acidity. Just a great level of balance on the earth driven finish. — 8 years ago

ADAM STROMFELD

9.5

Soft and terroir driven brown and elegant. Well balanced sour cherries truffles and barnyard. Perfect acidity and balance — 8 years ago

with Natalie

Chris England

9.2

Fab 27yr Old Rioja @ £62 drinking like a Burgundy & perfect in a Zalto Burg glass

🏵 92 points

🍷 Garnet cherry w/ brown hue

👃 Leather & balsamic infused mulched spiced cherry w/ soft smoked oak, sherry, wet earth, cocoa, red berry, herbs & gooey date jam

👄 Med smooth, touch tart, red cherry & berry bathed in balsamic w/ a mocha touch

🎯 Med+ touch dry oaky driven red cherry & berry fruits w/ an earthy balsamic caramel figgy linger — 8 years ago

Matt

9.0

Subdued, earth driven wine. Noticeable brett that seems to be hiding everything else. — 9 years ago

Mark Cochard

Sommelier phillywine.com, Chaddsford Winery

9.1

Richly textured. layered compexity, mineral driven. Really nice wine. 2014 vintage — 10 years ago

Billy Fung

9.0

Primofiore is the entry door to the wonderful world of Giuseppe Quintarelli. Cherries, sweet spices and hint of green bell peppery notes dominated on the nose. Fruit driven but also pervading presence of dark chocolate on the palate. Delicious wine that delivers over its price point, well worth a try! — 10 years ago

Paul Masson

9.2

Impossibly dense. Generous, mouth-filling tannins. With air, the ripe black fruit emerges, but this is equally driven by graphite, smoke, black pepper, and some savory development. Obviously built for the long haul, but starting to strut its stuff. 375 mL — 11 years ago

markus gould

9.0

quite frankly it's not an insider tip to present helmut / cornelius dönnhoff's jewels, but this (in austria) quite underrated wine may be one of the best of the kabinett vintage 2013! the acidity vibrantly merges with the 40g plus residual sugar (43,9 to be very precise); presenting stone fruit, touch of exotic fruits as melon and mango, citrus cest, white blossoms and salty finish - easy going and for contemplation at the same time. you wanna DRINK it - touché!

the recommendation for asian / fruit and herb driven cuisine is obvious... — 11 years ago

Aristotelis Protopapas

Head Sommelier The Savoy, London

9.9

Dom Ruinart is what I call Le Montracet of Champagne. I found that Dom R's unique signature is the wine driven character it has. The sparkling influence just adding the last touch to make one of the best champagnes I ever tried. 2004 still fresh. Can take another decade resting!! — 12 years ago

Eddie Townsend

Winery Ambassador Hyde de Villaine

10

Power driven by smoked ham, burnt orange peel, leather, black pepper, sweet & sour sauce, clove, green tea, allspice, damp earth, sour cherries and tart blackberries. Soft, powdery, tannins. No barrel notes and a lengthy finish. — 13 years ago