Brett Vanderbrook

9.3

Back in May of 2014 Serge and Gaston Hochar came to New York City and led a tasting at my local wine store. I wasn’t familiar with their winery or family at the time, but I understood it was a big deal. At this tasting we got to try both red and white wines dating back to the 1970s. Serge was enigmatic and passionate, and it was one of the most unique wine experiences I’ve ever had. My girlfriend and I splurged and paid (at the time) the most we had ever spent on a bottle of wine for the 1999 flagship red. We had really liked the 1994, but it was beyond our price point, and we figured if we held onto the ‘99 for a few more years it might start to take on characteristics of the ‘94.

Tonight, almost 6 years later, while in week 3 of quarantine here in Brooklyn we decided it was time to get dressed up, make a fancy dinner and open that bottle. So we pan seared some duck breasts, oven roasted some asparagus, and made a celery root and potato purée.

In my brief experience with Serge, I learned he wasn’t much for tasting notes. He didn’t care to hear what the wine smelled or tasted like but more about the esoteric way it made you *feel.* So in honor of the late, great Serge Hochar I won’t tell you that the wine poured a translucent brick red or that its nose was an intoxicating perfume of red fruit, spices, leather, and barnyard. That it was still vibrant and bright on the palate with cherry and baking spice, and without even a whisper of tannins. Instead I’ll just tell you it made me feel not cooped up for a few hours. That I was actually sitting down in a restaurant and enjoying a meal and conversation with my partner, and not locked down for the foreseeable future. It made us feel normal again, at least for one meal. — 5 years ago

with Raina

Adam Eagan

9.6

This bottle marks the first time I have had a booker wine with this much bottle age. IMO, still a long way to go with this one. Deep blue and blackberry flavors with rocky minerality, and vanilla flavors (almost root beer like). Love pretty much anything Booker makes. This wine included. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

After decanting initial notes of honeycomb. A good combination of root vegetable notes and savoury red fruits. Great palate intensity without weight. An excellent example of a 10 year old Tasmanian Pinot. Freycinet is on the East Coast of Tasmania and their Pinot Noir is a regular purchase for me. Capable of ageing for 15 years plus. — 6 years ago

Eric L.

9.3

This is a very big Pinot. Very dark and full-bodied. Really lovely, but you sort of need to put aside assumptions about what Pinot should be like and just enjoy it on its own terms. Tons of mixed berry fruit with a fleeting hint of vanilla and root beer. — 7 years ago

Chris Grimm

9.1

Roses, and agree with another note re: subtle root beer. Via Garagiste. — 7 years ago

Rachel Umbreit

9.0

Tasty, even though it is not as crisp as I was expecting for a Gruner Vetliner — 8 years ago

Turd Ferguson

9.0

Fairly ripe and extracted vision of RRV PN. Fruit fwd but not overblown in the least. Made well but not really my jam at 14.5%. A lot of people like this style tho. Red fruits and root beer. Decant, smoke a big doob, and pair with a big ass pot roast and some taters for a good time — 5 years ago

Douglas Braun

9.2

Meat and cheese night - I knew this would be big -big boysenberry and black fruits cured meat, little floral, celery root, spice - this is Syrah to the core big tannins that weren’t tamed much by five years in bottle (fortunately I have another) love it — 6 years ago

Richard Rosensweig

9.0

Red currant and stewed plum with a healthy dose of licorice root. Very well rounded with a full mouth feel. A little light on structure. Pays to try modest Bordeaux from the best years to see what they can do when everything goes right. — 6 years ago

Matt Sterr

9.3

Delicious. Like chewing on a root. — 6 years ago

Jonathan McCarthy

8.9

Racy! A little red sports car. Highly kinetic with crunchy strawberry, cranberry, and wineberry (R. phoenicolasius) on a prominent, angular skeleton. A faint touch of barbecue spices runs the last few yards of the race as the fruit fades. Quality stuff. — 6 years ago

Josh Krieter

8.9

Not a huge fan of Sauvignon Blanc, but this is fantastic. Crisp, but not just another simplistic Sauv Blanc, it has character. — 7 years ago

John Willison

9.2

Opens over time. InitIal nose of rose petals and muted fruit. Opens to cherries and licorice root. Bright red fruit, earthy mid palate, and then a lingering finish. Had to drink one. Will let the others alone for a while. — 8 years ago

Mason Hawver

8.9

Easy to drink — 5 years ago

John Willison

9.1

Rope red fruit, licorice root, a bit of menthol, sweet berry and smooth tannins. — 5 years ago

Karla Petroskey

9.5

Citrus, mineral, food friendly. Everyday wines AA. Gruner Veltliner, Austria. Repurchase! — 6 years ago

J Ferrugia

8.9

Classic Chianti from Laura Bianchi... smokey with ripe fruit forward. A balanced, forward Wine. Drink it now as it is at its peak.
Enjoyed with grilled lamb, root vegetables (including fennel), & tomatoes and mozzarella — 6 years ago

Jonathan McCarthy

9.1

Really needs some time in the decanter, wound up super tight. Funky earthy nose with sour cherry and topsoil, very fleshy, rustic body of blue and red fruits, a bit of red bell pepper, bakers chocolate, loads of pencil shavings, a faint suggestion of spruce. Really crunch skeleton with serious, almost saline minerality. Fruit fades before the minerals and earth. Really complex. Give it plenty of air and a long ponder. — 6 years ago

AJ Thomson

9.0

Bubblegum, cherry, oak, root beer, very velvety, light tannins — 7 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.4

First time trying one of the Tempier reds. Damn, this is some towering, dense wine. Perfectly balanced though. Intense concentration without any overripeness or hyperextraction. Even this, the entry-level cuvée, obviously has the stuffing to age for a while. However, it's surprisingly giving now with expressive aromatics and layers of flavor. Nose of ripe strawberry and blackberry, fresh thyme, an almost smoky, arid, gravelly soil character, rich tobacco leaf, licorice root, a slight gameyness, and a slightly volatile, balsamic character. Palate is equally dense and ripe, but still has some lift to keep it from being quickly fatiguing. More ripe strawberry and raspberry, thyme herbaceousness, smoky gravel earth, tobacco, savory gaminess, and slightly volatile balsamic character. Medium (+) acid, medium (+) to high intensity incredibly fine-grained tannin, medium to medium (+) body. Begs to be joined by a rich lamb or beef dish to stand up to it. I'm gonna get another bottle of this and not touch it for quite a while because there's still so much room to unfurl and smooth out, even with it being as good as it is now because it's just almost too intense right now. Will be an amazing wine at maturity. — 8 years ago

with Cassie