Aravind A

9.4

Pop (with a durand) and pour. Cork soaked 95% of the way through and slightly pushed out. Notes from 45 min open. On the nose: lovely aged brunello, with roses galore, leather, dried blood orange and raspberry, strawberry and tomato leaf, cola... On the palate: good acidity, black raspberry, dark blood orange, soft bitter notes, good density and a tangy finish with a wisp of finely grained tannin. Very good. — 5 years ago

Matt

9.2

Love the life and energy these wines have, proof you can grow wines in dramatic climates like Priorat and still craft wines of place, balance and perfume. Black raspberry, soaked black cherry, exotic spice, scrubland herbs, dried flowers, leather, clove, apple, hung meat, crushed rocks. There’s a beautiful layer of Brett, this has natural leanings but its soulful and not lacking in character. — 6 years ago

Matt

9.2

Succulent red fruits, layered with spice and floral notes, firm mineral notes throughout. Lots purity across the board, love that. Theres an approachability and balance of tannin that suggests plenty of life ahead with great pleasure in the glass right now. Soaked cherry, licorice, cinnamon, clove, hung meat, finely crushed rock, sous bois. — 6 years ago

Diane Withrow

9.3

Ripe pear and pineapple on the nose. Rich buttery mouth feel. Mango, baked apples, sun soaked hay. Delicious! — 7 years ago

Chip Hughes

9.6

Is this the best Umathum Zweigelt ever? Smells and tastes the way young Henri Jayer wines used to. Perfectly ripe, weightless, low alcohol (12.5%). Seems like it was cold soaked. Cranberry, umeboshi plum, cherries. Extraordinary! #zweigelt #umathum #burgenland #austria — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.6

Bolly GA pink hits the spot & this £74 05 is no exception!

🍾 Disg’d May 15

🍇 72% PN & 28% C

🍷 Peachy salmon pink

👃 Toasted almond brioche & yeasty fresh bread, soft oak soaked peach, fallen red apples & red currant w/ pink blossom & smoke

👄 Med bodied fine bubbled creamy zesty fresh persistent mouse of red apple, sour peach, citrus zests, red currant, cherry, bread & creamy shortbread biscuit in med acidity

🎯 Med+ citrus zest, red apple & cherry dry biscuity linger w/ a touch of pink grapefruit — 8 years ago

Peter Marks

Master of Wine, Educator Constellation Brands

8.9

What a delightful surprise. Made from a blend of grapes, primarily Zweigelt, and a refreshing 12% alcohol. Vibrant acidity masks a hint of residual sugar and it finishes dry. Tastes like strawberries soaked in Grand Marnier. Best 2016 rose of the season so far! — 9 years ago

with Adrienne

Jan de Weerd

9.5

Excellent. So expressive, starting with a refreshing aroma of dark cherry soaked in rose water. Intense fruit, layers of spice framed by a nice tannin edge that gave it a lingering finish. — 5 years ago

with RoAnne and Tammy

S.S. Mandani

8.9

Deep magenta hues.

A wave of tobacco soaked cinnamon scent on the nose.

Forward kick of black pepper spice, culminating in a dark cherry mid palate, and ending with a welcome coupling of plum and star anise.

Its good. It’s fruity. It’s spicy. It’s dry. It’s not focused. — 6 years ago

Matt

9.3

Tar, raisin, soaked fig, cherry pit, wilted violet, hung meat, boudin noir, leather, cinnamon, cocoa powder, honey, truffle, scorched earth, roasted herbs, camphor, black tea. Wears the vintage well. More moderate frame (relatively speaking) showing some consistent grip throughout, surprised by the acid support this has, makes for a plausible argument about whether or not to continue aging. So tertiary and savory right now. — 6 years ago

Kenta Hayashi

9.3

Incense, smoky, Christmas spice, wet autumn leaves, soaked cherry compote. Rather airy for an 2006. After two hours, nose is earthy with burdock root in a very pleasant way. Sour cherries on the last splash. Guessed 01/02 due to the sweetness towards the end. One of the best 2006s I've had. — 7 years ago

Eric

9.5

Mark Herold wine. Terrific. sweet coffee vibe throughout. Outstanding balance. Blackberries soaked in ink. Damn. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Just past peak drinking @ £90 - this was showing more fruit than the last bottle .. just 😁

🍷Garnet red w/ bricked edge

👃 Mushrooms, soggy earth & leaves, stewed spiced dark plum, soaked scorched oak, cherry & burnt cranberry cocoa w/ old leather, date, prune & sherry

👄 Silky smooth earthy black plum & dark burnt earthy mocha cherry med balanced body all fully integrated w/ fruit just holding its own

🎯 Medium+ burnt earthy plum & chomped cherry w/ prune & mocha

One to drink within 1-2yrs 👍 — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

This 2k Pom is drinking superbly now @ £68

🍇 67% Merlot & 33% Cab F

🍷 Deep ruby red

👃 Like sticking your head in a old soaked oaky vat oozing heady smoke, liquorice, stewed plum, cherry, cocoa, damp cellar, wet earth, leather, truffle & mushrooms - I could sniff this all day 😍

👄 Med+ silky creamy body of gushy plum & cocoa beautifully integrated & balanced

🎯 Med+ mocha infused liquorice plumtastic chopper licker — 9 years ago

Matt

9.5

Drinking beautifully with a Northern appellation feel to it, more Brune and schistous to me. Would love to know all the lieu dits that contribute and their proportion in the final blend. Its darken fruit profile, meaty/smokey and forest notes make the argument that it’s of northern origin. Its opening up for now there’s a rich stream of dark black fruits reminiscent of Black raspberry liquor, soaked plums, almost prune, and overripe black berry/cherry. There’s still freshness to the fruit however, nothing ox’d or decaying. Singed cedar, leather, ash, roasted meat and animal come next, followed by the garrigue and bacon fat. Threads of eastern spices and of course pepper. It elusive now, the aromas coming and going. Palate has some lovely richness and bones to accompany it well, never pushy, always with restraint and nerve. Reminds me of Barolo. Great “basic” cuvée for Rostaing this vintage. Day 2 this really got going, much more harmony and focus on the nose. Loads of bitter root and pastille notes developing among its dark content. Very delicious — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

The 2017 Chateau Coutet is a beautiful wine that is needing a bit more time in the bottle to gain complexity. Aromatically intense, the wine shows good range from honey and nutmeg infused creme brûlée tones that combine with lighter wet stone and brandy soaked pear aromas that take shape in the glass. Flavors of vanilla cream and butterscotch with apricot jelly accents highlight this gorgeous wine. The palate has great tension and verve, revealing a silky mouthfeel. The exceedingly long finish lingers long on the tongue. Give this beautiful wine a few years in the cellar prior to enjoying. Drink 2022-2040- 94 — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

The 2016 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is a stunning wine from this famed estate. Needing more than an hour decant to fully develop, this starts off with beeswax, brandy soaked pear, nutmeg, and ripe banana that impress, as the intoxicating bouquet continues to bring you back to the glass. On the palate, the unctuous mouthfeel entices the senses. Silky smooth gliding through the palate, flavors reminiscent of baked pear, marzipan, banana bread and honeydew melon move through, leading to an exceeding long and satisfying finish. The salinity and light stony character of the wine further pushes this into the upper echelon of this prestigious region in the Rhone Valley. Enjoyable now, this wine will cellar well for decades. Drink 2019-2035- 96 — 7 years ago

Paul Krzych

9.3

Wow. Cognac and anise aromas. Rich, velvety. Sherry- soaked currant with an almost flinty dryness. Exceptional! — 7 years ago

Kareem Massoud

Winemaker Paumanok Vineyards

9.8

Plum, prunes, creme de cassis, truffles, forest bottom, cigar box. Redolent of vintage port. Still remarkably vibrant for its age. Ruby core, tawny rim. Ullage low shoulder. Cork intact but fully wine-soaked. A great wine that lives up to the hype. A real treat! — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.3

One of the best WF wines @ £62 that's perfect balanced for ☀️

🍷 Pale straw yellow

👃 Green fruits & citrus being smashed over mineral soaked rocks w/ white flowers & grapefruit

👄 Med body of creamy smooth rich refreshing pear, apple, citrus & minerals w/ tropical & honey hints in med acidity

🎯 Long dry green fruits & fine citrus mineral finish

Beautiful now but will go on for many years yet 👍 — 8 years ago