Deborah M

9.2

2015 Renieri Brunello Di Montalcino - This wine gives lots of richness and structure. Tannins are still not fully integrated, but improved from my last try a couple years ago. FWIW, James Suckling gave this wine 100pts. This was my second time with this one, and while I still don’t see the 100pts, I do see it as delicious and for me that matters more than points.

Winemaker notes says it best - this wine opens with earthy aromas of bark, sand, truffles, graphite, rust, terracotta and sandalwood. Fruitier orange zest and lemon. Ripe, incense and with dense forest of aromas. Rich to the center palate, the fruit is vivacious and elegant. Robust and generous tannins. The finish is long, the after effects of the acidity unworldly. — a year ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.6

The 2018 Bélair-Monange, so impressive out of barrel, delivers now that it finds itself incarcerated by glass. It is endowed with a seriously impressive nose, delivering blackberry and still that faint warm brick/terracotta scent, shaved black truffle and a touch of clove. You could lose yourself completely in this bouquet. The palate has firmed up a little, displaying more backbone than I recall. The dash of cracked black pepper liberally sprinkled over the finish curiously bears similarities to some of the Pomerols this vintage, and the Cabernet Franc feels much more prominent than its 2% contribution to the blend would suggest. I adore this Saint-Émilion and it is going to benefit from 8–10 years in the cellar... if you can resist temptation that long. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2021)
— 3 years ago

Todd Abrams

9.3

The first whiff of a glass is that telltale Northern Rhône Syrah scent of red meat and flowers. It's a voluptuous set of aromatics over more nuanced shades of tarragon and sun-warmed terracotta. With time the scent of ripe berry fruits emerge. A sip is pure, spiced loganberry that slowly uncoils to a lengthy finish of light roast espresso. Fire up the (lump charcoal) grill and throw on the kebabs.
— 6 years ago

Joakim Andersson

9.3

Opaque and not a hint of terracotta color wise which was surprising. Lots of power and texture on both fruit and tannins. Still very pleasing and smooth. — 7 years ago

Jimmy Randall

8.9

Had 2009 vintage and still tasting great.. nice savoury flavours and terracotta colour — 8 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

8.9

It has been a while since I last had this one and the only regret is that I did not buy a case ;-) Ruby terracotta, lovely nose with a touch of Bret, mushroom, leather, cherries, current, medium to full body, smooth tannins and a lovely acidity, more than a blend of villages ;-) a lovely wine and a great value at about 25 Euro. My score 89, drink to 2018 — 8 years ago

The firehouse

9.5

Incredible depth, terracotta madness, sherry like depth — 9 years ago

Catherine Le

9.4

Easy to drink on its own — 9 years ago

Elizabeth Schneider

9.0

Wow! A 2003 that some friends brought back from Hunter Valley. Dark yellow, smells like petrol, cheese rind, mushrooms, curdled cream, and honeycomb. Tastes like burnt sugar, sautéed mushrooms, cheese rind, toasted marshmallow, petrol. Jasmine flower. So interesting. — 9 years ago

Matté

Manager The Wine Cellars

9.3

Fantastic precision of bright red berry fruit, some sweet smokey cherry and graphite a warm terracotta roof tiles (!?) and freshly planted roses. Abundant red fruit on the palate, irresistible! — 10 years ago

Alex Mutch

9.1

Bold juicy flavor and super unique. Easy drinking. — a year ago

Nicole Ruiz Hudson

8.9

N: strawberry, white pepper , slightly dried flower petals.
P: strawberry sauce and terracotta pot. White pepper, Stone, thyme and dried oregano. — 3 years ago

Matté

Manager The Wine Cellars

9.3

This is the Tibaani bottling.
On the nose there’s a wonderfully complex mix of treacle tart, apricot pastry, sticky toffee pudding, Manuka honey, warm terracotta pot, flapjack, gingerbread, yellow raisins and toasted almonds.
The palate shows spicy apricot, turmeric and gingerbread character, the tannins are sapid, firm but chalky and quite fine, certainly a wine that works best with food.
(Worked all with a chicken curry). — 3 years ago

Dan Groch

8.9

Intense musk stick,candied apricot and peach; honey and orange blossom nose. Temperature and time open up the palate to reveal some good texture and spice, along with orange pith and stone fruit flavours, maybe a touch of earth as well (courtesy of the terracotta, no doubt) — 6 years ago

Brad Pejcic

9.2

Day 1 was tight as a fish's arse. Tannin, acid and more tannin. There were some pretty floral aromatics but it was really austere in the mouth and not all that enjoyable. I drank half of it anyway.
Day 2 is a different wine. The pretty florals have gone and are now richer strawberry and chocolate aromas, menthol and some faint spice. Then darker fruits, terracotta, spicy cedar. Finishes long, puckering and quite moreish. Acid sticks out a little but the potential is clear. This needs a real good decant or at least another 5 years. — 7 years ago

Roel van der Burg

Sommelier at Restaurant Entrepot

9.0

Orange Fiano from the Salerno hills. Named after the traditional terracotta vase "quartara" in which this wine is fermented. Ferfumed aroma's, sweet tannins. — 8 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.2

Orange wine indeed! Fresh, sweet citrus, peach skin and fresh herbs, subtle and very fine tannin. Terracotta amphorae aged on skins with indigenous yeast. 100% Grecanico and organic. Completely clear and no hazy and milky look to the appearance. I like this a lot! #skinferment #sicilia #orangewine #cos — 9 years ago

Ed Merrison

9.2

Garrigue, bacon fat, game, terracotta and red fruits show on the nose. Fresh, medium bodied and moderately intense on the palate, with pleasing layers of the bouquet. Good all round. — 9 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.3

Ahhh... This is my kind of Ch9!
A bright, fresh, translucent, airy bouquet (full of funk, red cherry, dried herbs, touch of mocca and kirsch) is creeping up my flu-infected nostrils.. Beautiful, harmonious, old-fashioned palate oozes the good-life: hot terracotta tiles, dry lavender branches, black olives, tomato tapenade, grilled paprika, lambchops on the BBQ. Wish I was right there... — 9 years ago

Francesco Iacono

9.1

Affinamento in barrique di terracotta — 11 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.1

Crisp, cool, tart, stemmy and fresh.
Raspberries, cranberries, mineral funk, peppery and spicy garrigue and cold rocks (if that makes any sense…), as opposed to the hot terracotta tiles I often get in many other Grenaches.
This has a very cool-climate feel to it, rather delicate and refreshing. Like a Bojo from Oz. Lovely! — 2 years ago

Nicole Ruiz Hudson

8.9

Warm black cherries and red plums with baking spices, oregano and terracotta.
Tart black cherries w some candied cherry notes, oregano, marjoram, pepper.

Had with lamb pizza w oregano and zahatar and wine really resonated w both of those flavors.

P.s. last bit leftover in the bottle held up surprisingly well stored in the fridge for over a week. — 3 years ago

Rob Sonogan

9.0

Although young it has all the hall marks of having great potential. Aged in Terracotta. It didn’t miss the oak saturation. — 6 years ago

Michael Mallon

9.2

Amazing. Unique. Floral, funky, minerally nose. Sour red fruit, bitter herbs, banyard, red meat. Earth and minerality from being aged in terracotta amphorae. Very high acidity makes this an excellent food wine. Be sure to give this some air to bring out the wine's finer qualities. — 6 years ago

October Cleveland

9.1

Another orange character! Very floral nose - kitchen windowbox daisies and grandma's perfume. Light terracotta color and dryness. Savory fruit tingle acid, contact funk, bottle sediment. Fun stuff and great value. — 8 years ago

Kieran Roberts

9.1

Very nice fruit present whilst delivering loads of pepper and capsicum. Could have given it a minimum of 2 years lore age. Hints of game and leather. — 8 years ago

Jimmy Randall

9.0

Subtle tannins with a bold palate, terracotta colours — 8 years ago

Christine Havens

9.2

La Rioja Alta is but a stone's throw from my other favorite Rioja producer, Lopez de Heredia. The pedigree of the 2005 Reserva Viña Ardanza is evidenced by layered, complex aromatics—leather, terracotta roof tiles, plums and sun-baked figs, Madagascar vanilla bean and a lofty top note of char. In the mouth, it's medium bodied, but no less intense, and varied, with red cherries giving way to black peppercorn and green notes of dill, celeriac and dried rosemary. Perhaps even dark chocolate shavings. — 9 years ago

Jimmy Randall

9.0

Terracotta in colour touch off berry on nose and well balance fruit — 9 years ago

Stephen Hall

8.9

Concentrated Blackcurrant aroma, hint of herbs. Noticeable 'hear' in grapes reminding me of hot terracotta tiles. Softer structure, perhaps run & raison. A bit of white pepper. Medium tannin, body, length. — 9 years ago