If jet-set had a fragrance, it would be Fonseca Port 1970. Imagine the smell of Jackie O's purse from that year: expensive Italian leather, spicy tobacco, brown sugar-and-bergamot perfume, maybe a sprig of mint from the Onassis compound. Fat and sweet, with a delightfully serious, old-school label. — 11 years ago
And there you have it: a wine worth getting up for in the morning, the week, the month: a unicorn wine, redolent of all the things we want in our old*er* PINOT - portobello, bergamot, potpourri, anise, saddle leather, forest floor, magic, love and peace in the world. Amen. — 11 years ago
The epitome of old-school Côte-Rôtie, the 1998 Rostaing offers up an ever-evolving kaleidoscope of aromas: smokey bacon fat and animal notes at first, followed by sweet violets and steeped blackberries. It's quite lean on the palate, with ultra-fine, well integrated tannins—a mark of maturity—underpinned by high acidity and gamey-green notes of dill and green peppercorn, olives, and cold, compost-laden springtime soils. — 11 years ago
This is terrific for a 21-year-old Pouilly-Fuisse (it's the Les Clos), surprisingly very youthful, great minerality and also that aged white burgundy "plumpness" without being fat and overripe, long finish, just a amazingly fine wine!! — 12 years ago
Fat, round, delicious and well-made. All the hallmarks up front with that classic Chenin rubber tire and cheesiness in back. Spot on. — 11 years ago
Unicorn wine! — 12 years ago
Aaaahhh Dirty Durty Duuurty... A little rough out of the gates in the first day, but this wine was just bottled, and judging it now would be as ludicrous as telling a 6 year old he'll never grow up to be a Unicorn Wrangler. Second day it was more intact, more cinnamon spice I associate with good carbonic maceration, not the banana and cotton candy. Bright, fresh red berry fruits, soft mid-palate with sour cherry core, fine but dense tannins and loaded with spice. This wine shows all the right dimensions of being something beautiful, I'd say 6 months and she won't be afraid to show herself to you. 2 years, and you'll wish you'd saved more bottles. Picked at 20.7 degrees Brix, whole cluster fermented, "barely" foot tread, more just pushed down with feet to maintain whole berries under the juice to promote carbonic maceration. A fairly aggressive pressing was done at the end of ferment to try to squeeze some tannins out and add a bit of structure and texture. Aged in one 5 year old Demi-muid and one 5 year old French oak barrel. Never racked until bottling. 82 cases made. 11.6% alcohol 3.9 pH — 13 years ago
Steven W Alexander
2014 is a great vintage. Old vine Roussette, fat & acidic at the same time with all that smoky, stone fruit. Gimme that mushroom fondue! — 10 years ago