Matt

9.3

A great example of how great producers can trump challenging vintages. Rain, pest pressure and hail were present in 2014 for the N. Rhône. This wine is beautiful and shows just how transparent Syrah can be in the right hands. Dark fruit notes, crushed granite, animal, damp leather, dried violets, warm spices. The tannins are raw and lively without being overbearing and balanced by a stern acid note. Mainly press wine I believe. Classic Cornas — 9 years ago

Henrik Poulsen

9.2

To me a tad below their 2011 but for "American palates" (did I really write that??) this should be worth checking out. — 10 years ago

Hannes Huefken

9.0

Right after opening I wasn't sure if the bottle wasn't flawed. A little stinky. 2 hours later, without decanting, it turned beautiful. Mute, dark nose. 12% abv, sour cherries, but not a lot of fruit. The words earnest and stern come to mind. On the palate, very mild wood tannins, firm acidity, some sweetness. Medium finish. More elegant than supple. Very good, but not sure it's worth the €30. Maybe after another couple years of bottle aging? Anyone? Oh, and don't pair with Camembert. — 10 years ago

Dave Chambers

9.1

So tonight's dinner is Tortière so I went down to the cellar to find something to match. I found this 2011 Organized Crime Pipe Down is a beautiful Cab Blend from an interesting small Beamsville boutique winery. The experience of this wine starts with walking in to the winery and chatting with the owner Krystyna Tarasewicz. She comes across as a bit stern but is actually quite charming. The bottles of wine are very high quality but also beautiful due to the art on the labels that tell the story of the name of the winery. Drop in and listen to it! Tasting notes: the wine is young so the color is still a deep red. The nose shows berries and give promise for a balanced glass to follow. My first few sips reinforce my recollection of this wine as a great value for the quality. Tannins and alcohol balance nicely with just enough fruit to lay for several more years. Now I need to see whether I have any more bottles either on or off-site! — 11 years ago

with Heather

Steffen Pelz

9.7

2004 Chateau de Pibarnon. This #wine is drinking well right now. Earth, licorice, blackberry, dried herbs, bacon and truffle. Lots going on. Still on then stern side, but definitely ready to go. #france #bandol #provence #wine #vin #mourvedre — 11 years ago

Abe Schoener

Owner/Winemaker Scholium Project

9.6

Crazy good 93 Riesling. Still with stern acidity and reduction built to last. At the @samplerwine — 12 years ago

Matt

9.0

Earthy, taut, textural, and stern. Lots of organic and inorganic elements framed around focused and spiced fruits. Young and wound up but really enjoy the tension this brings now. Great intro into what Savigny-les-Beaune can offer in terms of quality. Smoke, mushrooms, underbrush, tart cherries, bramble, crushed rocks, sanguine. Day 2: much stronger core of fruit with baking spices and more floral tones showing up. — 9 years ago

Jim Chen

9.2

Such stern minerality that spanks your palate silly. But in a good way, like Wachowski siblings style. — 10 years ago

Jeff Hollinden

9.1

A little stern, tight. Young, could mellow a little. — 10 years ago

Jason Heller

Master Sommelier

9.1

Stern in comparison. Brooding and austere. — 11 years ago

Annette Bruley

9.0

I will always love aglianico in all it's forms but this producer holds a special place in my heart when it comes to this varietal. Entry level (this) to all their others, so solid, firm, always generous fruit that is friendly but stern, dense delicious and dry finish. It fools people with its youth. — 11 years ago

Jonathan Lipsmeyer

9.5

2005. What an amazing discovery. Agree it's Sangiovese-like. This wine is still stern but shows a sweet leathery core and some delicious unidentifiable jammy smoked plum and some red fruits hiding beneath tannins. — 11 years ago

with Zachary

Chris Zitzman

9.0

Crowd-pleaser Pinot Noir with oodles of cherries from stem to stern. — 13 years ago

with Jennifer and Beth

Louis Schofield

Sommelier/Wine Merchant East End Cellars

9.4

Really stern tannin and not a huge amount of fruit character, but great depth of flavour and concentration. Looked better after 5 hours open than it did after 7 hours, maybe would have been better still the next day — 9 years ago

Seth Morgen Long

Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long

9.4

Stern, but delicious. — 10 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

nose is nada after p n p. But massive palate that is super rich and pure. Big huge ripe epic tannins. Sensual though and velvety and stern and built for long haul. Has an oxidative qualify that you barely see in Burgundy now. So concentrated. So pure. — 10 years ago

B

10

2008 Pierre Yves Colin Morey White Burgundy. First dinner white at the Stern charity dinner. So good. — 11 years ago

Jonathan Wood

9.1

Salty and stern, intense. — 11 years ago

with absurdhero and Erik

Gahl Rinat

9.6

Minerals, peaches, balanced, half sweet, delicious — 11 years ago

Rainer Schwilden

8.9

Perfekt zur Gänseleber! — 12 years ago