Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

Recently tasted 9.8.21, 7.28.21 and 6.1.21. Like the old Van Morrison album...a period of transition. Mid-palate a tad dumbed-down but the nose is clearer and airy with spearmint and tobacco. Some new cinnamon/clove infiltrating the bouquet and palate now. Still a little richness/baby fat/smoke lurking about but said intensities increasing less every time tasted. Really need to lock and key this until 2030. Good luck. — 4 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.0

A six-year-old old vine Verdejo. Tastes way more aged than I expected… Dried mango, apricot, strong minerality, salinity, Marcona almond, caramel, dried herbs as well. High levels of linear acidity, full bodied but not fat. 14.5%. Grippy phenolics coating the mouth. — 5 years ago

Guillermo Gonzalez

9.3

Superb. Needed something to stand up to a bone in rib eye as well as an unruly 1 year old. Deep garnet color. Lot of berries on the nose with hints of smoke and bacon fat. Beautiful long tannic finish. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here's a fantastic one from California.

Pretty color of dark ruby with a reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, dried figs, tobacco, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, cola and peppercorn. Great nose.

Full bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity and fat legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, raisins, toasted cedar, leather, vanilla, tobacco, licorice, chocolates, medium roasted coffee, coke, sweet spices and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

The nose is gorgeous and I just kept on smelling on it for a long time.

This 5 year old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years and beyond.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 90 minutes of airtime.

This Single Vineyard Cabernet is just plain delicious. Tangy and interesting, rich yet elegant.

Aged for 20 months in French Oak barrels (70% new).

14.8% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$50. — 6 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.3

Deep purple. Intense nose of kirsch, bitter almond and pastry. Could be cherry pie in a glass. With that said, there is no fat or excess sweetness here. Driven, fresh and elegant tannins at 5 years old. Just delicious. — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.1

Serious Crianza with dark, powerful, brooding fruit and immense concentration. Very even and ripe tannins, revealing sweet, spicy and vanillin American oak. Fairly subtle and restrained aromatics even with quite a bit of air- cassis and blackberry aromatics with leather and tobacco. I would have a hard time not calling this Left Bank or old school Napa Cabernet in a blind tasting, but the American oak is a point of distinction. Love the supple mid palate which is revealing more freshness and bright red currant qualities. Peciña is a favorite of mine so the quality of this bottling comes as no surprise, but the extraction is quite robust for such a young style. I would love to see this again in another 2-3 years once the baby fat has shed a bit. By no means a delicate style of Crianza, but has ample acid and enough fruit and structure to age into something of true elegance. — 8 years ago

Tim Tsao

10

Amazing old vine I️ found for $21 discounted for some reason - 2005 so plum, clean, tannins crisp, not too heavy like not sloppy fat but def a solid mouthfeel, like a v8 engine sound. — 9 years ago

Willie Carter

9.2

Dense ruby red with light purple flecks. A wide brim with clear signs of bricking. The nose is certainly not tired with plenty of black olives, licorice, and chocolate cake. Old leather and coffee with dried cherries and plums. A little fat from the grill too just to make it even better.

The American project from Jonathan Maltus of Chateau Teyssier and baby, this is not your standard copy and paste Napa Cab. This is some serious stuff. Big but not huge. Full of depth but not ponderous. Rich and full throttled but not a mess of indistinct fruit. The ripeness of the fruit never crosses the line. Pronounced fruit on the palate with hedonistic cherries and explosive blue fruits. Beautiful vegetal notes along with a burst of green forest. Firm tannins and long finish. Starting to show its age a little so drink them if you got them. I’m not sure these wines are made anymore so if you see any, get them all. — 5 years ago

Richard Portes

9.0

16.5 Good fruit ,m+ length, good acidity, just what you want from a Loire CF. Great with fat fish. Note: 6+ years old, very fresh. — 5 years ago

Anders Berglund

8.9

Fylligt syrligt och lagom strävt. Smak av fat kryddor och vanilj. — 5 years ago

Severn G

9.1

Nose has dried grape vines, (old) neutral oak barrel, dried black cherry, dried garden soil, (cooled) grilled tomato, graphite mechanical pencil refills, old coffee grounds and very dry compost/soil.

Palate has dried cherries resurrected in bacon fat, several day old sliced fresh cherries, blend of moist/dry soil with medium tannins. Cork pulled for a slow ox. for ~6h, then decanted ~1h. Picking up some since decanting, but still not moving the needle much. Likely great 5+ years ago, acceptable this evening.

Paired to a local pig, grilled pork chops from our favorite just over the border farmer (Highland Farm, Old Chatham, NY). Courtney only raises about six pigs every year, I'm overjoyed when we land some for our freezer, delicious factor 2x over just about anything else in the region.
(Pork was 93 points, if I had been more observant on internal temps would have been 95 points, still grilled to a wonderful medium.) — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.3

This was my surprise of the day. At 15-16yrs old, blind I would have guessed 7-10yrs old! Lots of youthful and ripe fruit here. The baby fat has been shed to show blackberry and black cherry alongside herbal spice, tobacco and just the slightest hint of leather. Cassis and plum round out the finish. If you have, open and enjoy! — 7 years ago

with Dan and Weston

Ian Staub

9.1

Really riding the line here between easy drinking and serious. Ripe and grapey fruit aromas of cherry and cranberry meet dank earth. 100 year old vines contribute concentration and structure. Paired with a fat seared pork chop and roasted vegetables. Saving a third of the bottle for tomorrow to see how this develops. I’d love the opportunity to try this again in a few years. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Deep purplish ruby red. Lovely 'Côte Rôtie' styled nose with black olives, smoke, dark floral notes and black currants. More floral notes as it breathes. Well rounded and spicy on the palate with medium tannins (6/10) and medium bodied. Layered palate with notes of black olives, bacon fat, pepper, dark spices and minerality. Long and lingering finish with balanced acidity. Drink till 2024. — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2014 vintage. Super dry and powerful. Medium bodied but drinking like it’s (ballad of a) the thin man. Smoke/char in the nose. Upfront coffee/tobacco and raspberry flavors but little else. Not a good introductory Bordeaux for the masses. For those already smitten, I can see this going 40+ years but there will never be fat years. This is a (c)lean machine. Monolithic and totally old-school Bordeaux. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

This was a fun one. A friend of mine, a wine guy that predominately drinks new world Cabernet Sauvignon, was visiting my place and wanted to try something from the old world. I figured it might be fun to try two different expressions of Syrah from the Rhône; one from the North (Auguste Clape’s “Le Vin des Amis” with vines located in and around Cornas) and one from the South (Chateau Fortia “Reserve” from Chateauneuf du Pape). Both bottles were from the same vintage and aged (at least partially) in foudre. Popped and poured. “Le Vin des Amis” appears as a deep, glass staining purple color with medium+ viscosity. On the nose, high intensity with purple flowers and a powerful bacon fat/deli case smell. Funky, but not in a barnyard sort of way; more like a reductive sort of way. The funk eventually blew off after 15-20 minutes. There are blue fruits with a generous amount of black pepper. On the palate, blue and red fruits with black pepper, lavender and iron-like minerals. Medium tannin, Medium+ acid. Medium alcohol. Long, lip smacking finish. A very giving wine that punches way high above its weight class considering this is Clape’s “entry level” wine. Clape’s “entry-level” offering — 5 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

My first Ardberg and it left quite an impression. Gosh! This was like eating bacon and smoking cigars. Ron Swanson should be drinking this instead of Lagavulin 😂 Truly, it feels like someone decided to bottle up that campfire by the sea that's been drenched in bacon fat from dinner the night before. With water, the marine quality becomes more apparent, but that smoke just remains. Only with great concentration can one discern some fruit notes (citrus). The finish is just all about that endless peat. Surprisingly, this whisky was quite "smooth" despite all the extremities it brought. Definitely need to taste more Ardbegs to understand what's going on - not displeasing, but for now, Talisker's more up my alley in the category of peated whiskies. — 5 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.3

Unicorn Wine. 2005 vintage. Scents of lilac and blackberry. Sleek and lithe for 14 years old. Blackberry preserves, leather. Still has many years to evolve! — 6 years ago

with Gregory, Chad and 1 other

Joe Gillies

9.1

In Idaho for a wedding and needed to try some local wines. After a 12 hr travel day from south jersey to Ketchum....this paired with a local grass feed brie & fig topped burger is much needed. BlackBerry, plum, bacon fat, olive tapenade, and smoked meats. This could go against any old world syrah. Highly enjoyable. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

2010 was a very good vintage in Rhône. Rostaing is a well know producer with people that know and drink Northern Rhône wines, not so much with others that do not. The Ampodium is the entry level into Rene & Pierre Rostaing wines. It is a blend of 13 vineyards in Northern Rhône. They are simply one of the very best producers in the region. I spent an afternoon with Rene & his son Pierre tasting in the their cellar and in their La Landonne vineyard as shown in the photos. The 2010 is drinking beautifully with many good years ahead. On the nose; ripe & slightly stewed/baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, creamy raspberries, stewed plum, black raspberries, cherries, steeped fruit tea, dry crushed rocks, iron pan, some white & black pepper, bacon fat, grilled savory meats, pork, black licorice, black cherry cola, decayed & fresh red florals with violets. The body is round and medium full. The tannins round, still a little chewy & around 55% resolved. The length, texture, tension and balance are in near perfect harmony. The fruits are; round, ruby & ripe; slightly stewed/baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, creamy raspberries, stewed plum, black raspberries & cherries. Steeped fruit tea, dry crushed rocks, chalky minerals, iron pan, coffee grounds, spice, some baking spices w/hints of vanilla, white & black pepper, drying blood, dry herbs/bay leaf, dry stems, moderate levels of bacon fat & pork, grilled savory meats, black licorice, black cherry cola, decayed & fresh red florals with fresh violets for days. The acidly is round and dripping. The long finish is plush, velvety delicious and lasts & lasts. In good vintages, I would put this in blind with the best of of the best new world wines from any vintage that many love; SQN, Booker, Saxum, Alban, Cayuse, Horsepower etc.. I’d bet most of you would pick it over these producers that cost much more $$$. It’s simply one of the best pound for pound wines/producers for this varietal. Especially, for the $$$. Wow, what a wine for the $. $55 upon release. Photos of; Winemaker Pierre Rostaing and our group in their La Landonne vineyard, the small sign that barely identifies their Estate, an example of the Quartz mineral that runs throughout their La Landonne vineyard and the view back onto the river from the top of the very steep La Landonne Vineyard. Producer notes and history...Rene Rostaing produced their first wine in 1971. However, it took almost three decades before wine became a full time occupation for Rene Rostaing. Domaine Rene Rostaing came about through marriage. The wife of Rene Rostaing was the daughter of the famed Cote Rotie grower, Albert Dervieux, and the niece of Marius Gentaz-Dervieux who gave Christine the vineyard land that became the Northern Rhone estate for Rene Rostaing. Through inheritance from Albert Dervieux Thaize (his father-in-law) who retired in 1990, and from Marius Gentaz Dervieux, his uncle, Rene Rostaing expanded his holdings, giving him some of the best terroir in Cote Rotie. The new vineyard land was basically 3 small parcels in the La Landonne, Cote Brune and Vialliere lieux-dits. This initial expansion from his initial tiny parcel, allowed Rene Rostaing to change careers and become a full time vigneron. Since 2007, the estate has managed by Pierre Rostaing, (son) of Rene Rostaing. Currently Rene Rostaing owns 7.5 hectares of vines that is spread out among 20 different parcels located in 14 locations. Perhaps the most celebrated vines of Rene Rostaing are the 1.6 hectares of vines they own in the La Landonne vineyard (photo). On La Landonne, the vines are more than 60 years old. Some vines are even close to 100 years of age! Those are his largest holdings. The smallest vineyards of Rene Rostaing are located on Cote Blonde. Rene Rostaing also has vines planted in; Fonjean, La Vialliere, Le Plomb, Bouchare, Leyat, La Roche and La Tupin. Their oldest vines are more than 70 years old and are used for Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde. The majority of those plantings are on the steep hillsides with mica, schist and rocky soils. 25% of those vines are closer to the bottom of the slopes and on the flats. Rene Rostaing remains a traditional Cote Rotie producer who is not among the last to harvest. His wines are aged using very little new, French oak barrels. On average, Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie are aged in about 10% new French oak barrels. Rene Rostaing produces 4 different Cote Rotie wines. Rene Rostaing Ampodium, which was previously known as Rostaing Cuvee Classique, is a blend of 13 sections of different vineyards, but it does not include their best holdings on La Landonne or Cote Blonde. The fruit for Rene Rostaing Ampodium has at least 40% or more of the stems removed and run between 12-13.5% abv. The wine is usually made from 100% Syrah and is aged in an average of 15% to 25% new, French oak barrels. The amount of new oak can be less, depending on the character of the vintage. About 1,750 cases are produced each year. The wine is no longer called Cuvee Classique, the name was changed to Rene Rostaing Ampodium with the 2009 vintage. Rene Rostaing La Landonne comes from a terroir consisting of sands with iron oxide and traces of quartz. This wine is always produced from 100% Syrah. The grapes are partially destemmed, with about 10% to 20% of the stems removed, depending on the vintage. There are vintages when no destemming takes place. The remainder of the grapes are whole bunch fermented in stainless steel vats. Rene Rostaing is not a believer of using too much new oak for the aging, which on average uses 10% new, French oak barrels and the remainder of the harvest is aged in demi-muids (600 liter) and French oak barrels. This wine is like most wines from La Landonne, masculine and meaty in character, requiring at least a decade to soften and develop. On average, Rene Rostaing La Landonne produces less than 600 cases depending on what the vintage delivers. Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde is perhaps his best. It’s produced from a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. The grapes are co-fermented. The vineyards is planted in the region call Arzel. Arzel is a poor, mineral laden soil with deposits of Silex and Mica on a steep hillside. The vines are more than 50 years of age. The grapes are partially destemmed…35% to 50% of the stems are removed. The remainder of the grapes are whole bunch fermented in stainless steel vats.
The remainder of the harvest is aged in demi-muids. This one is the hardest to find and most collectible of all their wines. In fact, they only produce close to an average of 350 cases of Cote Rotie in most vintages. Rene Rostaing Cote Brune made its debut with the 2013 vintage. The vines were once part of the holdings of Marius Gentaz, which eventually passed to Rene Rostaing. Rostaing replanted those vines in 2000. Made from 100% Syrah. — 8 years ago