Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 1991 | Year of birth wine | Autumn leaves, leather, cedar in smell, elegant taste. Difficult year of the April frost. Still a joy to drink, although the wine misses tension now | paired with beef loin and shitake — 9 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

A complex and evolving red blend from Pessac-Leognan, yet approachable. Plenty of red fruits, multi-layered on the secondary aromas, great mouthfeel, medium plus tannins, dry to mid-range of the palate. Finish is under 7-10 seconds. Nice structure, well-balanced between wood and dry leaves. Alone or with food pairing does the job. — 5 months ago

Vanessa

9.5

Nikolaihof is among the oldest winemaking estates in Austria with roots going back approx. 2,000 years. The estate sits among Roman ruins and ancient structures. It was acquired by the Saahs family in 1894, passing from generation to generation since then.🤩🤩

In 1971 it was one of the first estates in the world to adopt biodynamic practices and has been Demeter certified since 1998. Its vineyards can be found on steep hillsides of the Wachau region (a UNESCO World Heritage site) in Austria, overlooking the meandering Danube River, with geographical features that help fuel ripening and moderate temperatures during the growing season. ☀️🌱

This wine is medium (trending deep) gold in appearance. 👁️

👃🏻 On the nose are complex aromas with pronounced notes of peach skin, nectarine, ripe papaya, dried apricot, yellow apple, honeysuckle, peony, steely minerality, wet stones, orange marmalade, hay, fennel, damp leaves, honey, cream, and petrol.

👄 On the palate this wine is dry with mouth-watering acidity, mouth-coating and textural qualities, medium alcohol (12.5%), flavors match the nose, and a long, polished finish.

It’s hard to believe this wine is essentially 24 years old, as it has retained incredible vibrancy adding lift to the earthy and honeyed characteristics. It was bottled in June, 2016, after nearly 16 years aging in old Austrian casks, resting underground in Nikolaihof’s dark Roman-built cellar.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 — 9 months ago

with Deked1

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

2010 is a vintage to leave to your children if you bought this at 50 years old forward. This is a 50-60 year wine with proper storage.

The nose shows nice ruby, fruits of; dark cherries, cherries, strawberries with a dark currant center, blackberries, black raspberries & raspberries. Chocolate mousse, melted, milk chocolate, light caramel, moist sage, warm, slightly sweet dark earth with withering dark & red florals.

The palate is warm, inviting & beautiful. Easy to drink. Dark cherries, cherries, strawberries with a dark currant center, blackberries, black raspberries & raspberries. Red cola/licorice, dark chocolate, melted, milk chocolate, light caramel, moist sage, warm, oak barrel shavings, moist, dark earth w/ dry leaves, celery, used leather, moist tobacco, with withering dark & red florals. Perfect acidity with an excellently balanced, nicely knitted, perfect tension & structure with elegance for days the falls evenly on ripe fruits & soft earthiness.

94-96 in another 10 years. Outside chance at 97. — 2 days ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.0

Pale lemon (translucent) hue. Pronounced aromas of bell pepper, gooseberry, grapefruit, with a hint of grass. Medium-minus body with high acid. Citrus and minerals on the palate. Long finish. Exemplar of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. — 9 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

The 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is spicy with a bouquet of crushed woodland berries and flowery underbrush complicated by shaved cedar. It’s soothingly round and energetic, with cool-toned acidity and fresh red and blue fruits that swirl throughout. It leaves a subtle tinge of licorice and blackberry, only gently tannic, along with a hint of citrus that adds lovely depth. This is a perfect introduction to the Penner-Ash style. (Eric Guido, Vinous, August 2024)
— 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing currents, plums, cherries, oak, wet leaves, herbs, black pepper, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee and black tea.

Short finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 26 year old Merlot is still drinking very nicely. Showing a nice mouthfeel with nice complexity.

Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years, but will not improve from here on.

Needs an hour to open up properly, so be patient.

This was not a good vintage in Pomerol, but it held up pretty well.

Good by itself or with food.

A blend of mostly Merlot with Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$250. — 2 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.4

There’s nothing like the excitement of head to head competition. Unfortunately, that excitement ends quickly when one of the participants has to withdraw. The 2013 was extremely advanced with a heavy petrol nose. The 2014 on the other hand was a great example of what this wine should be. A clean nose of grapefruit and grass but not in that overbearing way that can be the case with SB. Once in the mouth SB steps aside and the Semillon becomes the “boss”. Apricot and pears pop up and the initial dose of mouth watering acidity gives way to a wonderful roundness that allows for a long finish. — 5 months ago

with Stephen

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Nearly 20 years in bottle. It is still ascending will drink well for another 15 days plus years.

From a warm vintage. Beautiful, even toned fruits with elegant earth & amazing lead pencil bloom for days.

This is approaching its peak, another 5 years from its peak.

Well resolved wine-fruits. The fruits are juicy, blackberries, black raspberries, plum skin, dark cherries & slightly, poached strawberries with a highlight of pomegranate. Mocha, dark chocolate, black tea, sandalwood, sandstone, limestone, some mushroom notes, dark, rich turned earth w/ dry leaves, dry tobacco, dry leather, dry herbs, dry stone, caramel notes, dry, withering, dark, purple & red flowers with excellent acidity, balance, tension, structure and finish for days that lasts 90 seconds. — 5 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.9

The 2010 Montrose is one of the highlights of the Icons of Bordeaux dinner. It has a show-stopper nose with powerful, intense, mineral-rich black fruit, becoming quite floral with aeration. Potpourri hints complement tobacco notes. The palate is fresh, vibrant and weighty, yet paradoxically, it has wonderful finesse. There is a symmetry about this Montrose, coupled with a tremendous length that leaves you wanting more. Brilliant. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Icons of Bordeaux dinner at Legacy Records in New York. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2024)
— a year ago