100% Rkatsiteli
Clear, clean, almost devoided of color.
Aromatically complex. Herbaceous, basil, honeysuckle, white peach, lime, flint.
Med plus plus acidity and dry. Big fruity profile. Asian pear, green apple, lime, with minty uplift.
This is a superb summer quaffle. Amazing value and uniquely Finger Lakes with vibrant acidity and immense mineral profile (though the grape variety came from Republic of Georgia). 89. — 7 years ago
From a little research, it appears this bottle is actually a grape that's a cross between Cabernet Franc and Zweigelt (i know, be still your beating heart). It was perfect with the Slovak food at the Riverside Restaurant in the Chicago suburbs. The wine featured a berry forward nose, with deep earth notes underneath, a balanced tannin to acid structure, and a touch of herbaceousness. — 10 years ago
B+/a- citrus on the nose. Honey and grape fruit on the palate. Medium acidity and mineralogy. Some RS on the finish. Finish is long lasting with citrus acidity and minerality as the standout. Light yellow color. Great with food. Bought in Central Europe. 2013 vintage. — 10 years ago
F Me Wine. Huh. Yup, this has me. Tobacco and oaky lovey goodness. Nothing about this wine says boring steady solid Barbera. It says, "Hey baby, let's make sweet sweet complex indigo berrilicious over and over grape love." And then you can't remember anything that is or was before. So Good. Can easily become my go-to over Macchia Mischievous. — 7 years ago
Japanese bio no. 2. Acid like grapefruits! — 8 years ago
To talk about Raboso is to talk about the Republic of Venice. We go back to the 697 ad. The Raboso grape grown in the area of the river Piave was a wine with deep red color, acidic, alcoholic and strong with tannins. The vivid herbal flavour was impossible to tame. It was perfect for venetians, to make the water (barely) safe to drink, for the hosts to sell, and to make a profit, since they could cut it with water (illegally) with no notice from the customers. Antonio Bonotto with his love for tradition and enormous passion for wine succeded in something unexpected... To make a wine that goes back to the dark ages which was barely drinkable, in todays standards, into a Great wine. Intense and pretty complex. With flavours ranging from spices, black pepper, almonds, nutmeg, leather, chocolate, blackberry, cherry liqueur .... You can feel Marco Polo's distress and the struggle of those harsh times but translated into a modern, concrete and intense wine. Like venetians are. Easy to fall in love and easy to put up a fight...Is this wine perfect? Was Bette Davies beautiful in todays standards? Was a 1968 Ferrari Daytona a reliable car? I guess not. But man... That's bleeding passion.. And I just love it for that. — 9 years ago
2012--the best of the Reds yet I've tasted in Moraravia--which is saying a lot. Very distinctive! Blend of 3 native grape, traditionally made--air and time it softens and harmonizes beautifully. Food wine for sure — 10 years ago
A good bridge from beer to grape. — 7 years ago
This is surprisingly for sale through Delectable...buy a bottle. If you haven’t had a well made Napa Cabernet this old, it’s a fun & enjoyable experience. This is a library selection release and was it a steal for under $50. Its a very classic BV. Especially, for the time period. On the nose; notes of Cognac; which I get in older BV’s. Ripe & slightly baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, rhubarb, figs, dates, cherries, dry, loamy, brown, top soil, steeped tea, dry & decayed brown florals with violets. The body is leaner to medium. Tannins completely resolved. There are noticeable tannins but it’s the acidity holding this wine together so well. The palate is ripe with baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, rhubarb, figs, dates, cherries, strawberries, and notes of light blue fruit. Some black licorice, cognac notes are very present on the palate. Loamy, brown, top soil, steeped tea, soft spice, clove, used leather, very soft chalky volcanic minerals, crushed dry rocks, dry & decayed dark florals with violets. The acidity is like rain. The well balanced finish is long and beautiful. Photos of their tasting room on Hwy 29, Rutherford vineyard just after harvest and tasting room on 29. Producer notes and history... Beaulieu Vineyard BV is a vineyard near Rutherford, California locates in the Rutherford AVA. It was established by Georges de Latour and his wife Fernande in 1900. BV was an initial a purchase of 4 acres of land in 1900. Beaulieu Vineyard derives its name from the French phrase "Quel beau lieu" which translates in English as "What a beautiful place!". Legend has it that Fernande uttered these words when she first saw the land. The following year, they purchased a nearby winery originally built by California Statje Senator Seneca Ewer in 1885. De Latour's knowledge about phylloxera; which had ravaged many Napa Valley vineyard and his decision to import a rootstock variety resistant to the pest helped secure his stature as one of the early pioneers of California's wine industry. When Prohibition in the United States began in 1920, most wineries in the country were forced to close. However, Beaulieu smartly obtained a contract to supply sacramental wine to churches nationwide. The demand for such wine increased dramatically during the years of Prohibition and the winery repeatedly expanded. By the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, production had grown to over 1 million US gallons per year. When Prohibition ended, Beaulieu hired Andre Tchelistcheff from France as winemaker and the quality of its wines increased significantly. Tchelistcheff also became a mentor to other important winemakers such as; Mike Grgich at Chateau Montelena who’s Chardonnay won (The Judgment of Paris), Joe Heitz of Heitz Wine Cellars, and Robert Mondavi. By the 1940s, Beaulieu wines were served at all major White House functions. In the mid-1940s, Beaulieu was owned by Marquis de Pins, whose wife was a member of the French wine-making de Latour family. In the 1950s and 1960s Beaulieu was considered one of the "big four" Napa Valley producers, along with Inglenook, Charles Krug (I have mad love for their 50’s & 60’s wines. Perhaps, their greatest period) and Louis Martini. The winery was purchased by international conglomerate Heublein Inc. in 1969. Heublein was later acquired by RJR Nabisco, then sold to Grand Metropolitan in 1987. Grand Metropolitan became Diageo in 1997 through a merger with Guinness and is now the largest multinational beer, wine and spirits company in the world. In 2016 Diageo sold Beaulieu Vineyard to Treasury Wine Estates. Between Treasury, Jackson Family Vineyards and Constellation, they own a huge chunk of the wine producing world. Beaulieu Vineyards is one of the largest land owners in Napa Valley with more 1,100 acres in vines. Their best parcels are located in the Rutherford appellation. They have plantings of all the major Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. They also have vineyards with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. In addition, they maintain a vineyard that is used to experiment with a wide variety of different grape varieties including; Carignane, Petite Sirah and Valdiguies. Today, Winemaker Jeffrey Stambor continues the tradition of finely crafted wines handed down to him by legendary BV winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. — 7 years ago
Cesh
Beautiful welches grape colour. Smells robust yet sweet. Tastes great! A little on the sweet side. Great for $4 off sale — 6 years ago