Craig Williams

9.1

Approachable now with red fruit aromas, cranberry, cherry; modest structure and acidity. Clean medium long finish. Good quality and drinks above its level. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Henriot often flies under the radar and I get it, there are so many options out there...but don’t sleep on this house. This, their most modest offering, delivers immense pleasure for the price. A near 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (I guess they use 5% Pinot Meunier) the Brut Souverain displays well ripened pears, lightly roasted nuts, slightly burned brioche and a kiss of citrus. The texture is rich and creamy. The finish is long and satisfying. No disgorgement data. While there is a code on the back, I was social and wasn’t going to give myself the brain damage to decode that mess. — 5 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.1

The only wine made from Montepeloso in 2017, all the top fruit was used for the level A Quo and with a triumphing result and plenty of revenue for a modest investment. Ripe yet fresh red and black fruit with an underlying freshness, floral aromas and a dimensional complexity brought by toast, spice, warm rocks and a savory meatiness. Expanding fruit on the palate in casing of fresh acidity and a solid yet soft grip from the ripe tannins. Offensive yet integrated alcohol and balanced act throughout the finish. Quite unusual blend 30% Montepulciano, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 %Sangiovese, 10% Marselan, 10% Alicante — 5 years ago

Richard Rosensweig

9.0

Red currant and stewed plum with a healthy dose of licorice root. Very well rounded with a full mouth feel. A little light on structure. Pays to try modest Bordeaux from the best years to see what they can do when everything goes right. — 6 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.4

This is the star of the show at this point! An oft-overlooked bottle from Montagne-St-Emilion comes out as a rockstar in the 2015 vintage. The nose is captivating with smoldering firewood and ground spices leaping out of the glass. The palate is textured with nutmeg and more spice, vanilla, and oak. Darker fruit, anise, wild black cherry, and a touch of smoke round out the palate. This is a definite winner, especially at the modest $30 price point. — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

This wine has a lot of things going on. Immediately after cork pop, this bottle seems to be a little flat with a muted nose, modest (at best) acidity, and next to no tannin. Well, 30 minutes later and this Merlot is completely different. This wine is a little more weighted than the 2011. Not calling the 2011 'thin' by any means, but this one has some torque no doubt. Pours a dusty violet to the glass. The nose is baked cherries and some darker milk chocolate. The entry of this wine has sharp acidity, dark chocolate cherry cordials with some pretty damn good liqueur here. For a split second, a little bit sweet in the middle. Finish is acidic. Tannin seems to be there, but not significantly. Allows for a beautiful finish. — 8 years ago

CA Haynam

9.1

Mild fruity aroma, deep purple and barely transparent, flavors of dark fruit including plums and blueberries with low tannins and modest oak (aged for 19 months in oak). Excellent — 4 years ago

Walter Fahr

9.3

Ridiculously good Malbec for a modest price. Deep ruby color with a fragrant nose. Very smooth and paired perfectly with a steak, red meat and chocolate. Could sip on this wine for days. 2017 vintage in January 2021. — 5 years ago

Benno

9.3

Soaring aromatics that are quite special. Boysenberry and sois bois palate. More modest on the palate with moderate length only and slight graininess to tannins. very drinkable - love it! — 5 years ago

Kevin Løk

9.2

Pet Nat, natch. Floral and subtle apple notes. Very tart and has that kind of micro-effervescent mineral quality but it just smacks your palate. This is not a pink Pellegrino, if you will. Though, it is a modest 10.5% ABV, and as a real hand-to-mouth kind of drinker, I’m always into something I can mindlessly pound. Highly recommended. — 6 years ago

with Brendan

Fredrik Finn

9.2

You’ll have to look far for a Napa Cab of this standard at the modest price of ye good ‘ol Frog’s Leap, which does not leave you wish for anything more. The ‘15 is showing a wonderfully ripe, dense and energetic fruit profile aligned with the well placed oak profile and trademark dusty graphite complexity. Round and ripe textured tannins with a nice grip is bringing the palate throughout a long, though not exceptional — 7 years ago

Geoff Troup

Sales Eder Brothers, Cellar Fine Wines

9.2

Elegant and quite pretty for this producer. Graham cracker, sweet oak, touch of fruit with fennel, anise, forest floor, modest but firm tannin and acid. — 7 years ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.4

Considered a classic vintage in Clare, and this wine doesn’t disappoint. It’s a beautiful wine. At 16 years old there’s clearly some secondary development and deepening of the golden colour, but it’s surprisingly modest and nuanced, retaining licks of youthful, fresh citrus character and that clean acid finish. The nose is soft with subtle stone fruit characters and hints of kerosene. Once it hits the palate, everything is gloriously in balance. This feels like exactly the right time to be drinking it. It’s exquisite. — 8 years ago

with Sam

Jeremy.Buss

9.2

We are celebrating a 21 year old and someone who is . . .uh, older (me!). Pulled out this Italian red to complement homemade lasagna and our family dish called Italian delight. Decanted for over an hour. Modest spice, tobacco, cherry, dry blackberry, and has a slight burn - which sounds bad but it is actually a great finish on this wine. Light red and purple colors that give a slight reminder of a Pinot but tastes much heavier. Loved having this along with a great Bordeaux tonight!! — 4 years ago

Michael Phillips

9.5

Mature medium body well rounded modest soft tannins. — 5 years ago

Ross Vick

9.3

Okay, what ever. I like it. Nice mouthful of dark ripe cherries with an essence of leather and tobacco. Modest grip and smooth silky finish. Definitely a 2 Bottle dinner wine. — 6 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

Other vintages of this don’t have the most stellar reviews but I think this excels. Dear Chablis, please stay humble. It hit my nose with ever so much chalk. Then I took a sip and realized the chalk was just hiding all the lemon-honey-cough-drop-without-being-medicinal goodness in this bottle. It isn’t the most complex but rather just powerful and modest enough to keep me intrigued. Extra bonus it was not overly spendy. — 6 years ago

Sophie

9.0

Amazing; would buy again but prefer the Reserva which has more modest price tag and better value for money — 7 years ago

Angelo Casagrande

9.0

NZ Sav Blanc with more character than the in your face grapefruit wines. You get some citrus, but with some lemongrass/green grass and some saltiness. Very good for the modest price. — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.0

Revisiting this vintage and I’m finding that it is constantly evolving. It’s drinking rather open and approachable right now. Perhaps doesn’t have the attack, precision or intensity of the 2015 but it is nonetheless a very expressive wine with lots of character. The floral component is quite striking, the fruit is sweet and soft on the palate and there is a healthy dose of funk that permeates throughout. Moderate acidity and smoother tannins than I expected, but certainly not lacking in complexity for such a modest price point. — 8 years ago