Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Domaine Derey Frères – Marsannay “Les Vignes Marie” 2021 🇫🇷
Marsannay AOC, Côte de Nuits – Burgundy, France

Overview
100% Pinot Noir from Marsannay, the only Côte de Nuits village allowed to produce wines in all three colors (red, white, and rosé). “Les Vignes Marie” is a standout parcel that shows the classic finesse of Burgundy Pinot while keeping Marsannay’s hallmark freshness and approachability.

Aromas & Flavors
Bright red cherry, raspberry, and wild strawberry lead the nose, with hints of rose petal, subtle spice, and earthy forest floor. A touch of mineral undertone brings lift and precision.

Mouthfeel
Elegant and medium-bodied with silky tannins, lively acidity, and a refined structure. Balanced and supple, finishing with freshness that keeps you coming back for another sip.

Winemaking Notes
The Derey family has been established in Marsannay since the mid-17th century, and their work focuses on organic farming and gentle cellar practices. The 2021 vintage, cooler and classic in style, emphasizes delicacy over power.

Food Pairing
Perfect with roast chicken, duck breast, mushroom risotto, or a charcuterie board. Its finesse makes it versatile across light meats and earthy vegetarian dishes.

Verdict
A graceful Burgundy Pinot that captures Marsannay’s balance between Côte de Nuits structure and charming approachability. For me, this sits as one of my most favorite wines in the Côte de Nuits — at a very affordable price point, it punches well above its weight and shows how Burgundy can still deliver tremendous value.

📚 Educational Sidebar – Why Marsannay Matters
Marsannay, at the northern gateway of the Côte de Nuits, is often overshadowed by its neighbors like Gevrey-Chambertin. But its wines deliver exceptional value, showing Pinot Noir with purity, finesse, and terroir character — a smart entry point into Burgundy without the Grand Cru price tag. Cheers! — 2 months ago

Ira Schwartz

9.3

Disgorged Feb 2021. The first sniff is the all knowing Selosse oxidative hallmark. Multiple scents scrambling to take the lead like the horses coming out of the starting gate in the Kentucky derby. Very fresh in the mouth with spice , nuts and orchard fruit . The only reason my score is not higher was the oxidative note that grew in intensity. — 3 years ago

Weston Mallgren

9.0

Hallmark of the variety. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Double-blind. This note is from memory but what an impression it made! I called Barolo along with a few others at the table; likely from a vintage like 2012 or 2015 since everything seemed well and open for business. Dark cherry fruit, dried herbs, and roses with monumental structure. This was a touch glossy on the fruit side and I thought that had more to do with the generosity of the vintage rather than the producer. We were all surprised (and also a bit, “yeah, that makes total sense) when it was revealed to be the 2016 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis. Surprised because the 2016 vintage from such a traditionalist was drinking so well out of the gate! Not surprised with the glossy nature of the fruit which I find to be a hallmark of Cavalotto; simply gorgeous texture. An utter delight now and, I suspect, will be stunning with time. Now that I think of it, the 2013’s were very good upon release as well and there are a lot of similarities between the two vintages. — 5 years ago

Ron from VA

9.0

After my bar-setting 2016 experience, this “classic” vintage offering didn’t disappoint. While it wasn’t the shooting star that ‘16 elevated to, the ‘12 had all the varietal mojo but with a little less juiciness going on. Solid structure and balance - that’s the hallmark here. Yes, 4 yrs of additional bottle aging to consider. I’m not trying to find a winner, rather I was delighted by consistency! What I was surprised to find: DAY 2 😳 —-> a wonderful rounding and depth evolved. So, I will be picking up another since my source has several. My pond is a secret ;) — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.2

Prunes and raisins on the nose with surprisingly high acidity in the palate. Subtle brett, but generally this is one of the more clean and polished vintages. More ripeness and primary fruit character for Musar, but with the hallmark minerality and elegant structure. Very little weight. — 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Saint-Joseph V.2018
Northern Rhône Valley, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Made entirely from 100% Syrah, this wine hails from one of the most celebrated AOCs of the Northern Rhône. The 2018 vintage was a powerful, structured year, known for ripe fruit and depth, making it one of the standout recent harvests in the appellation.

Aromas & Flavors
Nose: blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, and spices (notably black pepper, nutmeg) with floral hints of honeysuckle.
Palate: savory notes of smoked meats, olives, herbs, licorice, chocolate, and a touch of oak, layered beautifully with rich black fruit.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied, meaty, and concentrated with ripe tannins, round structure, and long finish. Balanced acidity ensures freshness while delivering intensity and elegance.

Winemaking & Style
Traditional Rhône winemaking highlights the terroir’s granite soils and classic Syrah character. The 2018 vintage is built for longevity, with the richness of fruit and structure to age gracefully for another decade.

Food Pairing
Ideal with duck confit, braised short ribs, lamb shank, venison stew, or wild mushroom risotto. Pairs just as well with aged cheeses like Comté or Manchego.

Verdict
A textbook Saint-Joseph: bold yet elegant, savory yet fruity, with the hallmark spice and depth that defines Northern Rhône Syrah. Aging potential of 10+ years, but already showing incredible balance and drinkability now. — 4 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

A nice CS/Sangiovese blend from around Pisa.
Very interesting how this evolves in the glass with the character of the two grapes coming out to shine and fading - sometimes this is very much reminiscent of a northern Medoc with gravelly black currants, a few minutes later the hallmark tomato leaf + some rusticity of Sangiovese emerges.
On the palate this is quite firm with a proper tannic frame filled with black cherry & black currant and juicy acidity.
Good depth & length and surprisingly youthful. — 2 years ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Talk about a singular expression of Pinot Noir. A pale gold coloring with effusive creaminess and a nice stream of very small bubbles. The aromas are a bit muted upon opening with just a bit of apple goodness to start the show. But let it sit for a while in a larger bowl and you’ll be rewarded. Warm cinnamon and crusty bread. Roasted nuts and blackberries all day long. There’s some fresh cherry and plenty salinity to boot.

Single vintage, single varietal, single vineyard. The hallmark of Jerome Coessens. 100% Pinot Noir from the lieu-dit of Largillier. The fruit hails from the plots that he has dubbed Fruit and Flower and that’s amazingly accurate. The amount of yellow fruit and floral notes are just ethereal in nature. The acidity borders on “racy” but instead settles on “zippy” which is just fine.

The attack is one that is quite pointed and full of finesse. It’s a very generous champagne that grows by leaps and bounds over time in the glass. An abundance of red and yellow fruits along with black pepper and dried herbs. Very fruity on the long finish with an added kick of spice. Singular and gorgeous. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

On Saturday I conducted a Cabernet tasting at home with 8 mates. The theme was 2009 Bordeaux v Margaret River. See previous note of 80 weeks ago. Wine No. 3. A nice red pepper note amongst the leafiness, cedar and red fruits. Wonderful balance which is a hallmark of Cullen Cabernet. More elegance than power. — 5 years ago

Eric L.

9.6

Gorgeous Cabernet with hallmark Stags Leap District elegance and finesse. Just lovely! — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.0

All the hallmark characteristics of young Sangiovese at a ridiculously fair price. Cherry, clove, tobacco, rose petal, a bit of mint in the back. Polished tannins, very bright acidity. Another great Marc deGrazia import. — 7 years ago

Shay A

8.9

Another 4th Friday for the books! Insane pulls this month to follow up the most epic month (April) that we’ve ever had!

Not familiar with this producer, but for a Bacigalupi Pinot, it was missing all the hallmark notes...no cola, little bing cherry, light cedar, non-existent licorice. My review here is more about what it isn’t as opposed to what it is... — 7 years ago

with Mark and Benjamin

Ira Schwartz

9.2

2001 base
Disgorged 2008
The hallmark oxidative note but not strong in the context of Selosse. Lots of complexity. A very interesting mixture of almonds, peaches and citrus scents and flavors. Felt a little heavy in the mouth. Almost felt like I was drinking a still wine rather than champagne. — a year ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

I want to say this is peaking now @ 16 years. Cassis, bramble fruit and this distinctive dusty-earthy spiciness + wet slate on the nose that’s a hallmark of the #priorat DOQ. Primary fruit on the palate is evolving, touch of caramel under that black/purple berry, delightfully peppery spicy finish that lingers for ages trailing off with supremely soft tannins. Nice bottle to share with my wife as an early 16th anniversary treat. — a year ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2020 vintage. This estate was known only for its sweet Maury wines when it was purchased in 1999 by Olivier Decelle. As sweet wines were (and still are) not in vogue, he started to also produce dry wines. A wise decision, as showcased by this gorgeous entry level Côtes de Roussillon. A Grenache- Syrah-Carignan blend from slate soils featuring an attractive nose with black fruits, spices and a distinctive minerality that is the hallmark of this wine. Crisp and pure fruit in the mouth, with a soft tannic bite and a long mineral-spicy finish. Fantastic value for 10 euros. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Pale lemon in colour. Very flinty - burnt match sulphidic notes on the nose yet peachy stone fruit on the light + weight palate which has medium + intensity. Really good. David Bicknell makes terrific Chardonnay. Tasted again 9 months later in early October 2022 with consistent notes. Those funky burnt match sulphides are a hallmark of this wine and really stand out - but they work. Stone fruit notes coming through on the palate. Handling 11 years of age with ease. — 4 years ago

Peg Hanssen

10

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this blend! 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot & 5% Carmenere. “Superb quality and craftsmanship are the hallmark of Santa Rita, one of Chile’s most admired and innovative wine estates. Heroes Red Blend is a wine with intense violet color. The predominating aromas of red fruits, such as plums, cherries and raspberries are complemented by very elegant and subtle notes of violet, vanilla, cloves and a touch of cocoa. The lush palate is fresh and juice with good depth and soft, ripe tannings.” — 5 years ago

Jeff Siwik

9.2

- Luscious and round with alluring aromas of black cherry and roasted herbs. The palette is savory and structured with flavors of robust black fruit, currant, and espresso. Ripe plum and peppery spice alongside complex tannins evolve into a delicate finish.
- The wine offers plenty of blackberry and cassis fruit as well as some licorice, truffle, and lead pencil shavings. It is full-bodied, again very opulent (a hallmark of all of the wines from The Prisoner) and finishes authoritatively. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.
- Deep ruby, black color; alluring and almost outrageous aromas of black currants and raspberry jam, bold; full bodied, sassy, smooth and fine on the palate; dryish, moderate acidity, well balanced; ripe berried fruit and light savory earth in the flavors, nice dollop of sweet oak; medium to long finish, smooth and layered in the aftertaste. Drinks nicely now. — 7 years ago

Matt

9.6

The hallmark, and almost its give away, is its balance of all the complexities that come together to create a stunning wine of richness, precision, harmony and length. There’s so many facets to this wine and they all seem to be working together to weave a whole, uniformed wine. Reminiscent of Batard Montrachet, but with a little more CA sunshine to boot. So powerful but so playful and energetic on the palate. — 7 years ago