Pinotman /// Andreas

9.3

Rare and excellent Chambolle. Hard to describe. Elegant and soft some forest floor touch of cherry and allspice i wish i had more of the 2010 totally gone aka sold out world wide. — 8 years ago

Alex Kitayama

9.2

In the middle of dog days of summer, when the late afternoon sun is blazing and the breeze is heavy with humidity, opening a chilled bottle of crisp, fruity and zesty Sauvignon Blanc is too great a temptation to resist.

I have to admit, though, I'm a newbie to this grape variety. As a regular reds drinker and a big fan of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc never ranked high on my list. Things changed last late summer, when I encountered the beautiful bottle of Cloudy Bay from Marlborough on the South Island of New Zealand. It opened my eyes, not to mention my palate.

Since then, I usually choose NZ Sauvignon Blanc over those from Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre in the Loire Valley, France, especially in the summer months.

The classic French examples tend to be more elegant and creamy thanks to oak barrel fermentation and aging. Its flinty aroma, a gift of the terroir, is world-renown. On the other hand, the NZ Sauvignon Blanc is more expressive, showing off its lively aromas loaded with fresh fruit flavors, successfully retained by fermentation in stainless steel or concrete vat. This style of Sauvignon Blanc has set itself apart from its French cousins and put New Zealand on the map.

I've opened four different NZ Sauvignon Blanc, all from Marlborough, around the C$19 range over the last few weeks, including Villa Maria Cellar Selection 2016, Momo 2015, Kim Crawford 2016 and Astrolabe Province 2016. Among them, I like Villa Maria the most.

The pungent aroma with white peach, nectarine, passion fruit, gooseberry, lime and grape fruit is just intoxicating.

The first sip is almost like biting into a juicy, underripe white peach and Granny Smith apple, followed by zesty grapefruit and gooseberry, and then a slice of passion fruit kicks in. The hint of grass and crushed rock definitely adds another layer of complexity. Then the vibrant flavor lingers with a subtle green pepper note.

I paired with a wide range of dishes. The wine's refreshing sweetness and zest beautifully enhanced the spicy kick of Thai green curry and the cheesiness of margarita pizza. It nicely complemented grilled salmon and a big bowl of salad thanks to its crispness and subtle herbal note and minerality.

Still, this is a perfect summer wine to drink solo. As the glaring sun slowly goes down, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc guarantees to quench the thirst on a warm midsummer's evening. Cheers! — 8 years ago

Amanda Cripe

9.8

A very strong stout for a snowy night! Coziness in a bottle! — 8 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.2

As my tastes gradually drift to an old world sensibility, Paso wines are still a guilty pleasure. Purity and richness of fruit (deep dark red in this case), tobacco/leather notes, and a touch of spice. Significant presence of oak/vanilla but not offensively so. Overtone of smoke on a medium finish. Easy to drink alone but also adaptable to a wide range of heartier foods. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Amazing how well these mid priced Penfolds reds can age. This 2001 Bin 28 tasted much the same 10 years ago! Suspended animation with a powerful core. This will easily go on for another 7+ years. For a wine that cost around $20 what other world wide wine company can do that? Rich and satisfying. Drank another bottle 18th October. Perfumed nose of ripe blackberry and prune, chocolate notes. Still rich and satisfying. 92 points. — 10 years ago

Raymond C Wiley

9.7

My best friend picked this up at a silent auction fund raiser and has been holding it for over a year now waiting for the right occasion to open it. Wait, did I say "best friend"? Sorry, what I meant to say was, "MY BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD WHO IS BY FAR THE MOST KIND AND SHARING PERSON I HAVE EVER KNOWN!" 8>) — 10 years ago

Michael Trainor

10

Consistent from 2006 to 2007. Cork it and sit. Needs 10 minutes of air for a world of difference. Good pair with a wide range. Pairs well with cheeses or chocolate. And I'm guessing is up to the task with castelvetranos. — 12 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Price $75.

Beautiful dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim.

Gorgeous nose of black currants, blackberries, vanilla, oak, licorice, cloves, dried figs, smoke, spices, chocolates, dark coffee, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Medium bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, plums, cherries, strawberries, red currants, oak, wet leaves, smoke, light vanilla, graphite, earth, vegetables, and white pepper.

Medium plus in finish with soft tannins and spices.

This wonderful Merlot is drinking very nicely now. Soft and elegant with great balance and complexity. A little earthy, with an old world feel and a soft, luxurious mouthfeel.

This Single Vineyard is interesting and attractive. Peaking now, and will be good in the next 5 years.

100% organic Merlot grapes were grown at around 3,500 feet elevation, and aged for 14 months in French oak barrels.

I decanted it for 90 minutes. Yummy!

15% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Deep Crimson with reddish purple rim. Lovely complex perfume of Black Cherries Earth Stalks Twigs and Light Pepper from partial or full whole bunch ferment I suspect. Palate of cherries with earthy notes of Medium Intensity. This is their less expensive General Cuvée in contrast to their individual Vineyard Cuvees like Sexton Applejack Tarraford etc. From the much lauded 2015 vintage in the Yarra. 2015 seems to be one of those great world wide vintages like 1990. Great in most parts of Australia and New Zealand. Also in Bordeaux Burgundy and France generally it appears. Mediterranean countries. Not sure about North or South America? — 8 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

9.4

Lets travel across the pond to a little place called The Rhone in Rhone France. This is Chateauneuf du Pape Controle. Yep, no Cali cabs tonight. This is Clos des Brusquieres 2014. The color is that of a merlot, slightly darker than a pinot noir (Im sorry, Im a California guy. The legs are thick and slow to fall. The longer I decanted the more I had to change this review!!!!!! I finally added it to my wide base decanter and vigorously swirled it around creating many bubbles. The initial bouquet is rose water and cherry pie and an almost pepper aroma. The initial palate is earthy and spice. It begins with notes of red raspberry and leather. It quickly dissipates to a wonderful dark purple and red fruit like almost ripe plum and crabapple finish. It is dry yet somewhat light on the palate. I highly recommend this one.!!!!!!!!! It will be my French representation in my around the world tasting coming up next month. A very interesting wine. The best French wine Ive had to date. — 8 years ago

Larry Frierson

9.5

Excellent. 2010 base. Racy. Minerally like shells. Length already developing. Old vines?
200 cases world wide. — 9 years ago

Ken Wu

9.2

Discontinued, but glad World Wide Wine in DC still stocked. Tannic. Easy to drink while making orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe and also paired with same. — 10 years ago

Nicholas Livingston

9.4

Heidi Schrock 2014 Rosé Biscaya, Burgenland | 12% | From the warm continental (what they call Pannonian) climate of Neusiedlersee-Huggeland in Burgenland –Austria’s eastern most wine region pressed against the Hungarian frontier, this vintage seems to have dropped the St Laurent of previous vintages and is made of 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Pinot Noir although Heidi admits to using eight varieties in all –each in supporting roles. It’s a beautiful rosy red with a fragrant headful of umeboshi pickled plums of Japan for their tension of salty tart fruit and their fragrant shiso perilla leaf lift, but other fruit wafts up bright and fresh. Red currants and white cherries all carry over as well onto the palate –a scrumptious sip of tang and texture, brine and savor –for which it bears that saltwater taffy charm that I love about this rosé –in a watering-at-the-corners-of-the-mouth sort of way. It’s appealing in a way I’d never known before it –like feelings of fervor among inchoate lovers before which everything seemed so certain and after which the world seemed wide. Prepare yourself for a first kiss where red fruit orchards meet the sea. Food? Who needs food? …if I were to dream up a dish for this specifically it might involve a crispy rendered duck breast with a compote of those gamey black currants but you name it: pork chops, schnitzel, tempura, or citrus poached fish of the herring family.
Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, July 20th, 2015 (Fruit) — 10 years ago

Travis Hayden

9.4

Currently my favorite in the whole wide world — 12 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

On the flight from Dubai to Singapore. Mount Mary quintet 2012. Deep ruby core and quite wide light ruby rim, still seems quite young. Comes across as more mature on the nose, more tobacco , leather , red berries , spice and coffee, however there is sweet blackcurrant and cassis, underneath . Elegant and complex, and seems quite 'new world cool climate' so I suppose Yarra Valley would be in that category. Seems more fruit driven on the palate , nicely refreshing acidity , medium bodied only . Length is reasonable though not hugely long . Elegant is a word that comes to mind. Not sure how it will develop , tannins seem very interrogated and soft. Ready now and over the next 5 years ? 91 points — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

If you thought Australian wine weren't for you or just weren't that noteworthy, you haven't had Dan Standish's wines. This is as good as any great producer I've had anywhere. On the nose, boysenberry, blueberries, black raspberries, olallieberries, raspberries, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, Asian spices, raspberry cola, dry stems and brilliantly fragrant violets. The mouthfeel and texture are liquid elegant heaven. 12 years in the bottle and it's just now peaking. On entry, it's a rush of ripe, lush; boysenberry, blueberries, black raspberries, raspberries &raspberry cola. Dark chocolate, darker but mellowed spices with uplifting heat, hint of pepper, loamy moist soils, dusty tannins, crushed dry rocks, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, blue fruit pie with crust, volcanic minerals, liquid fragrant violets, perfect acidity with a finish that doesn't fade and lasts minutes. The tension, length, structure and balance push perfection. photos of; estate with with Dan, wide side shot of the estate, a sample of the soil structure of the vineyard this wine is grown...under the top soil and Dan's estate vines. Producer history and notes...The Standish Wine Company was created in 1999. Dan Standish purchased a small parcel of Old Vine Shiraz from his parent’s vineyard in the heart of the Barossa Valley. The 96-year old vines are planted on the typical sand over clay soil profile characteristic of Vine Vale the sub region of the Barossa Valley. Dan never got a enology degree. He learned on his own traveling to the Rhone Valley. The influence definitely comes out in his wines despite the very different terroirs. He's worked in various regions around the world including; Napa, Sonoma and La Rioja. After he returned to Australia, he eventually became the Winemaker at Torbreck in the Barossa Valley. Interestingly, Dan worked as a chemical engineer prior to his career as a Winemaker. Meeting him for the first time in April was a pleasure. He is a true salt of the earth type of person, with a great sense of humor, who is absolutely passionate about making wine. He marches to his own drum...not at all a person who follows trends or changes styles if something or one becomes successful. His wines are beautifully special if you can find them on Winesearcher or other. He does not have, need nor want a US importer. He sells all his wine through his mailing list. You can order his wines from here but the shipping charges are hugely expensive from Australia. The shipping cost for three bottles were as much as the cost of the three bottles. The quality of his wines will stand in there with any producer world wide. Tasting his new releases in April was impressive. Finding a well aged bottle back in the US to enjoy tonight is simply fabulous! — 8 years ago

Andrei Constantinescu

9.8

First wine who through it's wide range of notes made me glimpse into the world of wines — 9 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

8.9

Hugel cuvée des amours Pinot blanc... I love Pinot blanc done well and this is an exceptional example.
I cannot believe for one, how inexpensive this wine is, and two, how it is normally reviewed by the pundits. Phrases like "drink up within first couple years of life" or "lacks this and that"
This is really good stuff and for an 06 it has aged nicely. It goes to show that Alsace is a tremendous source of value in the wide world of wine.... I usually dont expect a whole lot from Sylvaner and Pinot blanc but this is right on par...
Golden color with aromas of quince, apricot, peach, and mandarin orange.... Smells sweet but tastes dry. Remind me of a huet clos de bourg (sec) in a lot of ways. Surprisingly good and worth picking up a few bottles
— 9 years ago

James Eller

9.6

I need to readjust my scale as I am rating all my wines in the 9 plus range (or I'm just drinking fantastic wines).
My favorite vineyard in the whole wide world would be two hands! — 10 years ago

NN

9.3

Very bold and complex, yet easy to drink and leave a lingering pleasant aroma in your mouth. Very cheap for its quality. This wine actually is 96 pt rated world wide, but inexpensive as with other incredible Tuscan wine. Reminds me of a higher brunello di multipulciano. — 11 years ago