Jose Lorenzo

9.3

Beautiful golden hue. Creamy, Wildflowers, grapefruit. Probably the best Viura on the market. Cheers — 2 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.7

Wow. This Ribero del Duero stands with the best of Old World wines and maybe the best among what Spain offers. — 6 months ago

Ericsson

9.3

Napa Bordeaux style blend, pop n pour with scents of wet earth and perfectly ripe red fruit. Exquisitely balanced on the palate, soft tannins, medium alcohol… Loved the wine, definitely old world character, but must say there is short finish (a bit disappointing with this caliber of wine to be explicit). Still, great wine. — 7 months ago

Brad Jensen

9.4

Strawberries, eucalyptus and plums on the nose, maybe even a lil crushed raspberry on a medium body, with a ruby core with purple hues through the edges. Old world styled, gripping tannins and dry, with prominent eucalyptus, ripe plum, cigar smoke, and tart cranberries and maybe even a lil tar. Definitely could use some time to soften, but still beautiful! — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured, no formal notes. Despite its relative youth, the 2017 Sassicaia is showing very nicely right now. To my palate, this does as good a job as any in deftly straddling New and Old World…and just leans enough towards its structure and non-fruit characteristics to give it a sense of place. To be clear, there is plenty of fresh and delicious fruit, it’s just that the structure and the firmness of the tannin and acid is so “favoloso”. Drinking well in its youth but should drink very well through 2042. — 9 months ago

Alex Taylor

8.9

Solid white. Not funky. 2022. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1992 vintage. Very, very close to Japanese auction market quality with fill, cork, capsule and label nearly immaculate. Decanted and tasted immediately and over the course of 3 hours. Expected amount of sed. What a ride! Having tasted this back in the day when first released, recalled an unusual (for this property) amount of richness in the frontal palate. Wasn't there initially but rolled in for a cameo approx 45 mins after decant. Then...vanished at the 1 hour open mark. First whiff of the nose was fresh, clay kitty litter. This morphed into graphite after 15-20 mins. Body was surprisingly light early on, then fattened up after 30-40 mins to medium status. Impressions were of a leaner effort, then things got positively jammy with unexpected fruit hither and yon. This remained for approx 1.25 hours, then the entire performance, body included, thinned out with their old-school, estate-expected, aged leather punch combined with dark-skinned fruit, mountain grip and a little touch of grey sea salt. No food involved during the experience. The 1991 Montelena Estate Cab is nearest and dearest but this following vintage was an absolute, palate-bending acid(ity) trip. Looking forward to the next trip...er...show. 11.25.23. — 6 months ago

Ron R

9.5

Not ready for prime-time just yet, but that didn’t prevent us from committing the felony.
Pale straw color in the glass links up with lemon curd and a hint of gooseberries. Robust acidity frames this up nicely. Finishes taught and with urgency. Drinking the best wines in the world can be a little like fumbling around in the dark. But with this, I can see in the dark. — 7 months ago

with Anne-marie

Ge Reid

9.0

Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir
Liaison 2021
Baden, Germany
12.5% ABV

German Pinot is supposed to be the next big thing, the best Pinot Noirs outside the Cote D'Or. And Enderle and Moll is reputedly its top producer , with a cult-like following in the German-speaking world. They make 3 versions, somewhat comparable to regional level , village level and grand cru, their top wine being the Buntsandstein. The Liaison is their mid-level offering from old vines up to 50 years old grown on limestone and sandstone soils. Needless to say , I've been dying to try one and see if it lives up to the hype.

On Day One , pop and pour. Very light, translucent ruby. Pretty red fruit and fresh mushroom aromas lead to a light yet intense entry on the palate with bracing , mouthwatering acidity dominating the wine at this stage. Showing more '21 Germany than Pinot character at this stage, so corked and revisited the next day.

On Day Two, this has completely transformed . The first thing noticed is that the color has become darker and deeper, and now looks like classic young burgundy. Aromas are also much more developed , with scents of Indian spices underneath the cherries , raspberries and forest floor. The tiniest hint of wood adds breadth and depth to a bouquet of classic pinosity, but with a character all its own.

On entry, this shows typical flavors of red fruit (currants , marasca cherries , cranberries ), brown spices , and sous bois in a light -bodied but incredibly intense package , with bracing acidity unlike any Pinot Noir I've ever tasted. Despite all the mid-palate energy , this has only moderate length and intensity on the finish. There's a bit of barely noticeable tannin. Built for medium term aging , it will be interesting to see if it remains balanced as it develops. Regardless , the acidity helped make it exceptionally good at the table , here paired with an herb and teriyaki roasted Salmon.

The Liaison can be found for around $30 here in the States , making it an excellent value, though California Pinot lovers might find the level of acidity shocking . While it's not going to make me think about pouring my Wilamette Valley Pinots down the drain , this is really good for the level, and really food friendly. A Pinot for Italian Wine lovers . — 5 months ago

Will Stanley

9.6

Such is the way of life at López de Heredia, the 2010 Reserva was only released to the market last year, while most bodegas are currently extolling the virtues of their 2019s. Well, as a fan of Viña Tondonia, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the 2010, fabled year that it is, having enjoyed many a superb wine from other producers in this vintage.

Decanted for four hours, this wine is effusive from the glass, with a strikingly darker, richer aromatic profile compared to vintages such as 2007 and 2001, and more in line with 2008 - but better still. The oak provides a generous chocolate- and vanilla-laced bouquet that also has blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries and kirsch, and bouquet garni. The palate is, predictably, very austere at this primal stage, but again has a richer, more rounded mouthfeel to prior vintages that is simply wonderful. Needless to say, this is a benchmark wine for the region and will age rather well, and what a wine it will be in decades to come.
— 7 months ago