Angelika Kirilenko

10

BEST WHITE WINE!!! — 6 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2010 vintage. White Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Feuilles d'Or" Domaine Le Pointu. Owner Patrick Coste made his first wines in 2004 when he took over from his father who used to sell the grapes to a co-operative. He named the estate after a plot named "Le Pointu" of very old white vines near Rayas. Apparently a blend of 50 % Grenache Blanc and 50% Clairette from 90 years old vines, aged in barriques for 6 months. Light golden. Beautifully complex nose with dried pineapple, flowers, herbs and a distinctive minerality. In the mouth it combines power and elegance, with layers of concentrated dried fruits, spiciness, balancing acidity and a very long spicy minty finish. A spectacular effort and a steal at 39 euros. Abv. 14,5 %. — 3 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2018 vintage. This female-owned young estate (first vintage 2010, before that harvest they sold the grapes to the co-operative) fared very well in this warm vintage. Dark colour. Gorgeous ripe black fruit, balanced by good acidity, ripe tannin and good spicy length. I even prefer this to the delicious 2017. Well done ladies! Organic farming. Abv. 13,5 %. — 4 years ago

Samuel Wong

10

Sweet and easy going with different dishes. — 2 years ago

Grahame Taylor

8.9

Very pleasant — 3 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2016 vintage. Dark red. Black fruit, fresh herbs and a tarry hint, still holding back but obvious underlying complexity. Ripe blackberry and cassis, good focus and fresh acidity, refined tannin and an overall sense of harmony. Cave de Tain is probably the best co-operative in France and this is another fine showing. Good value for Hermitage at about 36 euro. — 4 years ago

Scott Petrus

9.2

More depth than most Gamay. The operative word here is balance. — 5 years ago

Dan James

9.1

Lovely smooth Barolo. Nice red berry notes with a bit of darker undertones. Very smooth and very drinkable. Bought at the co-operative — 2 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2015 vintage. As I am moving to Bordeaux (and more precisely Bourg sur Gironde) it makes sense to dig a bit deeper in the Côtes de Bourg appellation. It's not the most renowned part of Bordeaux, even with one pricey superstar (Roc des Cambes). But wow, did this one exceed my expectations! The estate has an ancient history, but up to 1993 the grapes were sold to a local co-operative. The present owner Philippe Betschart moved the estate since 2010 into organic and biodynamical farming. This "Terroir" is a somewhat atypical blend (65% of both Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, with the remainder Merlot) for the region where Merlot is king. More black than red fruit in the nose (cassis, blackberry) with some tobacco and a discrete licorice touch. In the mouth it has amazing elegance. The 14% alcohol go unnoticed, the fruit is bright and lively and the tannins velvety. This has class and depth for the price range (under 20 euros). Highly recommended. — 3 years ago

Natasha Langton

9.0

Juicy fruits — 5 years ago