5/20/2024 - tastark Likes this wine:

So, so elegant. Wish more people in Napa made wine like this. Not even close to peak, this has many, many years left ahead of it. Forget about yours for another 10 years, at least.

5/14/2024 - Seth Rosenberg wrote:

I struggled w this. Others loved but it kept changing on me but not in a good way. The nose was quite good but I found the end palate and finish very tart. Not sure why - the last bottle I had was banging.

Tobacco and green. Palate is smooth and deep and savory. Finish is a bit tart. Everyone else loved this. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4-4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15-16/20.

5/12/2024 - HandmadeHomemade wrote:

Decanted for 2hrs. Pours a medium purple in the glass. Developing, intense aromas of sour cherry, unripe plum, soy, raspberry, barnyard, dry leaves, smoke, crushed rock, and game. In the mouth, the wine is dry, med ium body, high acid, med + tannin, med alcohol, intense on the palate, with a med - finish. Overall, good. For me, I am picking up quite a bit of brett here, the wine suffers as a result- the wine is too dry and tart in the mouth (brett) and is missing some body/mouthfeel. So, so tart... either the wine needs more time or is just a swing and a miss. Feels like a departure from other ESJ wines I've had.

5/9/2024 - swillpower wrote:

The hype around this wine is utterly lost on me. Tried over 3 days. Yes, it’s intensely structured, I’ll give you that. But it’s also unyielding and almost devoid of fruit. I can only hope that this evolves, as those with more experience tell me it will. Right now, I feel like I spent a lot of money on a case of wine that will never be pleasurable to drink.

4/22/2024 - thesternowl wrote:

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Consistent throughout. The 2021 “Placida Vineyard” pours a slightly hazy, bright yellow with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is youthful with tart lemon, lime, star fruit, and minerals. Definitely some ethyl acetate there too. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium++ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, creamy, lightly buttery and lovely minerals. This is quite the departure from the “Chuy Vineyard” which was the previous, one-and-done, Chardonnay from Ketan. This gave me some Chassagne-Montrachet with a really soft hand, vibes. It’s very young. I’ll hold my remaining bottle for several years down the road. Fun now for all its youthful energy but better after 2026 and through 2040. Paired very well with lamb massaman, larb and papaya salad.

1/22/2013 - mdefreitas wrote:

Madeira @ Bistro Cacao (A Malvasia Affair) (Washington D.C.): A shy nose, but a flavorful and deep palate, offering maple, figs, honey and creme brulee. Hints of antique wood and vanilla on the lengthy finish. Moderate weight, but riveting structure. The toffee, creme brulee and vanilla notes, with its balanced sweetness, made this an excellent choice for dessert.

4/26/2024 - rieslinghoarder Does not like this wine:

Opened a bottle after seeing Geoffreychambertin’s note and have to agree. This was pretty flat and uninteresting, quite surprising given the vintage.

4/21/2024 - ohne_musik wrote:

Ye Olde Rieslings: Extroverted and racy, showing remarkably youthful energy, exotic fruit (guava, mango), salty minerals, and a hint of cumin and incense. Terrific concentration married to a laser beam of acidity, with just enough sweetness to soften the corners. A more complete wine than the '01 spatlese trocken we had last year, and the best non-dry wine tonight for me.

6/24/2023 - asgerG wrote:

DnP. Medium red brick coloured, orange tinged, 5. Really intriguing mature bouquet, black currant, herbaceous, cedar, complex. Harmonious palate, m-T, m+A, mB, dry, perfectly balance, dark fruits, long elegant finish. Drink now but will stay here for many years to come.

10/7/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

October 2023 Loire Dinner (Mathilde - SF): Very interesting to drink this side by side with an '09 Clos Rougeard Le Bourg. While the Bourg was silky, powerful, yet elegant, with a long finish, the Baudry had more complexity and texture at the front end. A little more funk, a little roughness around the edges. Both were fantastic, though the Baudry could probably use some more time to smooth out the edges. Yum.

4/14/2024 - WST Likes this wine:

I’ve had bottles in the past that were surprisingly tight. Last night’s was quite bold, and more typical of the vintage. It’s become a beautiful wine. Dense and creamy lime and orange, complex. Last night I sensed a hint of mint. Despite the richness, its lively and energetic. The bottle affirms Vilmart amongst my favorite growers.

9/1/2023 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

PnP. From a Conterno Sensory. This pours really light and ruby and I love that so much. Wow nose is great and that’s no surprise. Redolent with the classic sweet wild strawberries, wonderful florals- some combo of roses and violets. Usually Monvig is wild strawberries and olives for me but the savory is less olives this time. There are some there but the dominant umami component is alpine herbals with maybe some smoked meats. The fruit is so sweet (but not remotely overripe) and the alloy of the sweet fruit and the umami is just divine. Hints of dirt and leather. The palate is less exuberant due to significant structure (acid and tannins) but shows similar flavor profile. It enters lithe and clear on the palate with tons of the savory - alpine herbs a la Chinato with the strawberries as support - as the palate develops it shows some serious tannins and acid. Combined with the savory notes it’s a pretty damn serious and tight-ish combo. This continues into the finish which is downright wicked at this point. Puckery tannins and acid with potent alpine herbs, leather and maybe hints of tar. It will take years for the palate and finish to come around to the nose but this will be even better when they do. I cooled this down in the fridge for a bit and I think that was the right call. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5-5.5+/6, Finish - 4.5-5+/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5-2/2 = 16.5-18/20 (with 17.5-18.5/20 potential.)

Day 8: still good. Pretty nose. The 18 bones are showing through a bit. Both on day 1 and now this is much much better chilled a few degrees

Day 116: about 1/5 of the bottle has been in the fridge, bottle corked, with no other preservation method. This has declined but is still holding up and pretty beautiful. Very gentle with olives and strawberries and mountain herbs - chinato. Showing more bones now - a bit of heat and varnish, but this is limpid and lovely. Seriously impressive. Exotic spices. This is very Burgundian.

4/14/2024 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

PnP. Very good showing, fully mature though still very much in its preferred window. Little to no sign of age on the medium ruby core. Soil, plum, the occasional barn note, some sage and forest, etc. Lovely medium/med+ body with exceptional balance and good+ persistence. A joy. Hard to believe I paid just $22 on release; way over-delivered that on that. Easily highly recommended

4/6/2024 - acyso wrote:

Birthday party (Chicago, IL): Excellent syrah. Certainly more red-fruited, more crystalline, and acid-driven than most these days; that's probably a bit of a house style thing and a testament to how 2017-2020 have been pretty big vintages. Meaty and a slight bit feral, but elegant, clean, and crisp. Lighter styled, but drinking very nicely.

4/6/2024 - acyso wrote:

Birthday party (Chicago, IL): #04-22, 8% abv. Smells like farts (is this what passes as cool these days in the Mosel -- same deal with Kilburg). Reductive and unpleasantly sulphured. On the palate, much better, with lean and crisp minerality and generous acids. But man, it's hard to get past this nose.

4/6/2024 - 2ndvinwine Likes this wine:

White colored wine, sweet on the nose. Really fucking good. Tastes like Martinelli’s apple juice. 8.5/10

7/19/2020 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Dark red. Earthy nose. 1-hour decant. Lovely balance fruit & acidity. Light body for a Gevrey I think. Nice finish. Paired well with Porterhouse steak. Terrific village level Burgundy. And a real lesson in the virtues of proper storage. Bought it in '07and stored at 55 degrees ever since. Now it's drinking in the sweet zone. Guessing years ahead of it still. Minimal sediment.

4/4/2024 - dream Likes this wine:

This wine has such a purity to it but it's also quite tannic still and needs a ton of decanting time. After 3 hours, it started to blossom especially with rack of lamb and a wonderful berry spice shows up to accompany the succulent acidity and beautiful black currant/cassis fruit. There's also a gritty Rutherford dust note which gives this wine excellent vigor. The finish is lean and stylish with a taut, mineral intensity. Interestingly, the '13 Kronos is more open than this wine. Trusting as I do in Cathy, I'll let this one sit for 5+ more years to reach peak. 93+

4/3/2024 - Rabaja Likes this wine:

This is just so beautiful. Drinking perfectly. From memory: slow ox (popped and let breathe in the cellar for five hours). Incredibly layered, sweet red cherry, baking spices, clove and nutmeg, but the fruit is still full and plush, resolved tannins. My wine of the year thus far.

3/25/2024 - thesternowl wrote:

Brought to a dinner with some guests visiting from Piemonte. The 2008 “Taillepieds” pours a deep ruby with a translucent core; medium viscosity with no obvious staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with tart and slightly underripe strawberry, cherry, mushrooms, red flowers, varnish (yeah, there’s some VA) stony earth and delicate baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The body is fit and the finish is long and full of energy. This is a really attractive beauty; the sort that you might feel compelled to apologize to for gawking. And, while I found this to be really tasty at nearly 16 years of age, it clearly has a long way to go. Drink now through 2033+.

4/1/2024 - cfk49 wrote:

This wine is a prime example of how so much of one of France's greatest appellations is wasted -- there's Jamet, Barge, Vernay and maybe a couple of others worth drinking and that's it. I once thought Levet was in that group, which is why I cellared this wine, but this bottle proves otherwise. Even after being open a day, the wine is brutally tannic and the fruit has to struggle to get through. That's not old-style -- I know young Côte-Rôtie back in the 1970s and this ain't it. Cellared since original release.

3/29/2024 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

This has been open for like 2-3 hours. JFC this is intense*. Pomegranate oil, strawberry compote and blood orange on the nose. Cherry flesh and pits. There is a stemmy/brambly note after the fruit. So perfumed and potent but with great verve as well. Very very young and primary. Maybe some Sous Bois? Palate shows wild strawberry and forest floor notes. Cherry. Gutty. Lots of flavor with some hints of sweet oak. Very light on its feet and precise. Finish shows tart red fruits, some menthol and some creamy oak. A really nice texture and depth to the finish. My first Thomas and I believe the hype. Nose - 5-5.5+/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5+/6, Finish - 1.5/2 = 17-17.5+/20 (with 17.5-18/20 potential.)



* https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/19c3d4fe-cb45-44b5-977b-8ae4e1d2fa39

3/27/2024 - Chomsky wrote:

Just wonderful to revisit this wine last night. The cork was terrible and disintegrated, but the wine was glorious. PnP'd. Fresher and more powerful than the last bottle - the nose was your classic Côte-Rôtie kaleidoscope, the palate was broad, vigorous and delicious. Absolutely in the zone and delivering on its full promise. As the wine sat in the glass it became more fuzzy and lost freshness - PnP was definitely the way to go here.

6/13/2023 - Seth Rosenberg wrote:

Nose of very sour cherries with dusty minerals. It seems to be opening with an hour or two of air but is still somewhat unforgiving. Almost medicinal with some bitterness, with about 2 hours some more complexity is coming out - meaty and earthy with a bit of cranberry and citrus. A bit of herbal. Very sour on the palate with sour cherry and the dusty minerals again - focused and lean but right now lacking a bit of complexity and depth. Quite austere on the end palate and into the finish where the minerals and acid dominate without much fruit - just hints of sour and tart cherry. Right now not too impressive but we will see how it evolves over the next few days. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14.5/20.

11/10/2020 - Seth Rosenberg Does not like this wine:

Opened this yesterday. On day 1 this was showing very little. Now on day 2 it has opened some but TBH I'm not thrilled. Right now this is showing very raisiny - maybe a little varnish or something. Maybe a bit of red florals. At this point the nose is a 3.5/6. With a little more time the nose improves some what - we see some tart red fruit - a bit of unripe cherry or strawberry. A bit of rose, tar, and earth. Palate isn't really raisiny but it is sour and a bit bitter and a little dilute - some minerals, tart red fruit, a bit of red florals. Tart finish that seems a little watery. Maybe this will improve with another day or two but right now very disappointing. The Vallana's I have had were less $ and much better. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12/20.

Update: No improvement on day 2 or 3.

3/9/2024 - acyso wrote:

Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): There's a virtue in drinking something like this so young. It's so unabashedly there and in your face, it saves you from having to think too much about it. At first, incredibly oaky, a hint of reduction, and plenty of sweet and broad yellow fruit. Unmistakably a large-scaled wine, with serious density and power. There's just a slight hint of popcorn there, but it's not prominent the way Coche's can be. An oily, thick texture, but balanced by acidity and the sheer amount of extract and concentration. Powerful nose, incredibly depth and breadth, and the way chardonnay really ought to be. This became even more expansive with air, and lost some of the taut oak character from the beginning. About 6 hours later, I finished the last pour, and at that point this had become so intense that it almost felt bitter -- coconut, almond, the whole gamut. "Why can't they all taste like this?" That said, the few of us at the table who have had Coche's preferred it to the DRC.

9/7/2020 - thesternowl Likes this wine:

Finally, the 2001 Mayacamas is open for business. Previous bottles have been green and reticent, so much so that I wondered whether or not these would ever come around. Thankfully, my patience was rewarded. Brought to Tasting Group. Opened in the morning and allowed to slow-ox for six hours before entering the decanter an hour prior. Served double-blind. Poured a lighter garnet with no signs of color variation towards the rim. On the nose, red fruit dominant with dry leaf tobacco, some green bell pepper and baking spices. There was an overall impression of freshness that was hugely compelling. On the palate, again, hit with crunchy red currants over some darker fruits with a little bit of tobacco, leather and dark cocoa and espresso. Long, tongue smacking finish. A show-stopper of a wine, really. This had everyone’s attention at the table. It was universally thought to be Old-World and probably Cabernet Sauvignon based. Everyone thought it was much younger and who would deny such an assertion as it came across so youthful! Loads of smile when this was revealed to be the wine. I wish this wasn’t my last bottle as this would be fun to follow over the next few decades. Unanimously the groups WOTN.

5/27/2020 - rieslinghoarder Likes this wine:

Poured in a Grassl Cru glass and followed over the course of the afternoon/evening.

Distinct and shifting aromatics of tilled soil, freshly butchered meat, raw leather, violets, and savory herbs jump out from the glass. While there is only subtle fruit on the nose, tart cherries and underripe raspberries are more noticeable on the palate intermingled with sous bois, leather, and baking spices. The supple, delicate tannic structure and vibrant acidity are already nicely integrated, and with more time in the glass the wine becomes more rounded and harmonious.

I've had the 2013 vintage of Josef Walter's Hundsruck "J" before as well. The 2015 I find to be less brooding, with more finesse and elegance, and overall a BIG step up in terms of complexity. This wine will certainly go the distance with some time sideways in the cellar, but worth trying one now if you have a few bottles.

5/4/2023 - Aravind Asok wrote:

Notes from 24 hrs open. Best young Walter Hundsruck I've ever had? Certainly in the running. On the nose: spicebox, cranberry, pomegranate molasses, wild strawberry...intoxicating perfume. On the palate: lovely acidity and density: soft spice, pomegranate, earth, strawberry leaf. Soft chalky tannin and a touch of warmth on the finish. This is spectacular.

2/27/2024 - acyso wrote:

Dinner at Eat Fine (Chicago, IL): #06-13, 9% abv. Been a while since I last had this. I had originally planned to check in once a year, but that definitely didn't end up happening. It's still as good as I remember it, though not as electric and racy. It's settled down some, showing more integrated balance, though the bright and intense minerality is still very much on full display. The acidity is more sedate and rounded and for the first time, starting to show a bit of maturity.

12/16/2023 - acyso wrote:

Dinner at D Cuisine (Chicago, IL): This is one of the better gamays I've tasted (mind you, this is a massive handicap because I genuinely believe Philip the Bold was right). There is but a very light touch of gamay sucralose, but otherwise this is weighty and drinks like a proper red wine. Dark complexion, leathery, and just a very light hint of barnyard.

2/25/2024 - jviz wrote:

Really incredible vintage for Thomas here. I’ve had 18 and 19 on release and this is just more ready for immediate pleasurable consumption.

Rather light garnet color in the glass, by comparison most 2020 red burgs I have had are far darker, this is open and aromatic, with wild fruits like rhubarb and boysenberry. Some savory underpinning (that I assume is the work of some whole cluster inclusion) and fine spices on a sapid conclusion. This was open knit and totally delicious. Wish I’d purchased more!

12/31/2023 - wineton.mee wrote:

They are probably known for their inconsistency. This one is one of the good ones and showing rather well. Touch of funk and Brett with pure strawberries, lots of tannin. The crunchiness and alluring red fruits reminded me of an Allemand but less the acidity and the oomph.

2/10/2024 - Chomsky wrote:

My first Grk! It's good!

This is not your father's Grk; this is apparently from young vines not in the ancestral source of Grk on the sandy grounds of Lumbarda, but elsewhere on the island of Korčula.

Rather yellow, canary-ish. The nose is a flinty with pale yellow fruits, a spine of lemon, and bright floral notes, trace of white pepper, not unlike Austrian dry Riesling. Fullish-bodied for a white wine, but it doesn't sit heavily on the palate. Good flavor, something like underripe nectarine, touch of honey, piles of crushed rock, and a pleasing bitter note on the finish. My empty glass smells of granny smith apples.

2/19/2024 - Chomsky wrote:

This was a thing of beauty. A bit shy on the nose at first, this opened up with classic blue fruits and smoky/savory tones that gained depth and precision with a couple hours of air. As joyous as the nose was, it was on the palate where this slayed: beautifully sweet fruit on the gentlest frame, silken and delicate with virtually no weight at all, with amazing length and persistence. You never know with these older bottles, but this was an exceptionally fine Côte-Rôtie.

2/3/2024 - cct wrote:

Festa dal Barolo 2019 Masterclass (The Pool, Manhattan): Festa dal Barolo Masterclass

A floral and red fruited nose. Lovely perfume and spice on the nose. Seemingly only midweighted but carrying more depth beautifully. More red fruits, licorice, spice on the palate with outstanding balance. Nice sense fo clarity and focus. This has come together nicely since last year.

2/13/2024 - ThomasAgathon Likes this wine:

92-94 TA

2/1/2024 - rc@ughey wrote:

This is young and oaky, as baby MB usually is. But I didn't get any off-putting smoke notes or other flaws that have been noted by some. I am cautiously optimistic that when this blossoms, it will be very good, as MB always is.

1/30/2024 - Montesquieu Likes this wine:

Enjoyed after each of three nights of the Chateau Lafleur event with Omri Ram and Martine's Wines at Blackberry Farm, TN. 45 second length. Full of soft spice, wood lacquer. Acidic. Smooth and pretty for Madeira, but dryer than we had anticipated. This Madeira is the perfect pairing with a fine cigar.

1/19/2024 - JJYoyo Likes this wine:

An hour of air. Wow, what a great mix of the best of old world and new — vibrant fruit and soothing loam-like earthiness. There are gorgeous Pinot cherries and stalky charred wood. Very light spice notes (clove? Ginger? Barely there). This can last for a long long long time in the cellar but already tastes fabulous. Saving my other bottle for the far future. Mouthfeel is beautifully poised, like tensed silk if that makes any sense. I have a note that reads “this is so f***g Pinot I can’t stand it.” Love it.
Score: 93-94. Relative to expectations: ++

1/8/2024 - salil wrote:

Not a great showing - I've had some monumental bottles of this before, but this wasn't one of them. This one seems a little more mature and advanced than others I've had in the past. It's got a core of rich citrus and stone fruit that builds with air, plenty of honeyed and smoky developed notes around it, and while it's an excellent bottle of Riesling, it definitely seems to be missing a couple of gears compared to various other bottles I've had (especially on the finish, which feels a little thin and clipped).

12/25/2023 - dbkitc wrote:

The wine of the night. Great Alsacien Riesling. Intensity, balance, purity.

1/7/2024 - Troon wrote:

Did not decant. The nose is fairly muted. It’s subtle and elegant on the palate with lemon and mineral. The finish was short, which leads me to say this wine should be consumed. It was good overall, but I have a few more to drink in the near term.

12/31/2023 - Geo_Geo Likes this wine:

It's a biggun, that's for sure. Decanted about three hours ahead of time, but tried early and often. Purple color, big nose of chocolate and black olive, some aged mea. No coffee aroma or elegance that I'd associated with Cote Rotie previously. I don't have a lot of experience with the region though. Tbh, tastes more Cornas-like than anything else.

Sharp tannins, as you'd expect, and even after several hours, much better with food. Finally started showing some more aromas after about 6 hours.

Obviously a baby, I'd wait until 2028 or so if I had anymore. It wasn't cheap---vaguely remember around $100/750mL---and I don't believe I'd buy anymore without the ability to cellar.

12/18/2023 - acyso wrote:

Dinner at Perilla (Chicago, IL): Absolutely stunning syrah that got better with more air. This is a profoundly meaty, backwards, and rustic version of Hermitage, with blood, iron, and smoke dominating the nose. With air, more of the delicate brine and olive notes develop. The way syrah should be made. The other non-Chave chronic underperformers on the hill (ahem Jaboulet) should take a lesson.

11/8/2023 - PITT Wine Guy Likes this wine:

2010 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Vallion Chablis Premier Cru

Purchased May 2023 (just after release from Chateau)
Drank at Burgundy lunch November 2. 2023
Bright yellow in the glass.
Notes of white peach and pear on the nose. The mouth revealed medium body, crisp and pure chardonnay, with white peach and pear fruit. There was bright acidity, good structure, and complexity. I enjoyed the wine over the next three nights.
This is a young tasting, vibrant wine at 13 years of age.
For me, it is everything a Chablis should be.
Bravo.

92 points.

12/16/2023 - salil wrote:

One of those wines that felt more interesting than pleasurable at points - I was surprised at how oxidative this showed, with some of the savoury/slightly nutty elements I'd expect in a Jura white or a Savennieres, rather than a Riesling. There's still plenty of ripe white fruit at its core and a mineral base underneath, though the oxidative elements felt a bit distracting. Will be curious to see how leftovers develop.

11/8/2023 - Matt Neel Likes this wine:

Green gold. Focused but reticent, primary nose; smoky flint and steel; an almost delicate florality is encased in ultra-expensive, tight-grained oak that is beginning to merge with the fruit. Very (very) rich on the palate, flinty, primary, and beautiful; peaches and apricots from Jesus' own orchards are awaiting delivery in the next life of this beauty. Absolutely, and literally, mouthwatering and comically long finish. The scent from the empty glass is just mesmerizing. Wowzers and holy shit is this thing SINGING. (Open 24-36 hours)
Edited to add: I'd say this is nearing the end of youth. A solid 20 years of improvement is ahead to reach full maturity. It will keep -- and probably improve in marginal, ineffably wonderful ways -- after that for longer than most of us will be alive.

11/18/2023 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote:

Krug tasting (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): Glass: Riedel Superleggero Champagne
From Magnum, tasted blind - Pirate. Clear, pale golden color. Very spicy, yeasty nose, a bit reductive, deep.
On the palate creamy, fresh, very young and juicy and deep. But also very sweet and simple. Lacks energy and tension.
We discussed, if this is even Champagne... Such a surprise to see what it actually was. I love DomPi 08, especially from Mag, but in this lineup I found it really, really weak. 90-91

11/22/2019 - markjanes wrote:

low depth of color, ruby rim. after an hour or so in the decanter the wine opens up quite a bit and has very pure red cherry, florality, minerals, background barrique spices, the fruit flavors expand and begin to get very NSG for me with time (rustic forrest floor/meaty note to the fruit)... with time a note of ethyl acetate becomes evident. on the palate the wine has high acidity, has a strong bitter or lifted note up front, has low to moderate midpalate depth, firm but integrated oak tannins, low to moderate alcohol. wine is firm on the balance side, has good length, ok intensity, good complexity. Dug up my old notes from tastings at Australia Wine Research Institute for this one... clearly there is a big difference in a wine that has high VA from ascetic acid (all Barolo ie.) vs. ethyl acetate and this felt very EA to me. My wife tasted it and picked up the EA right away but it didn't bother her as much as it did me. The bitter note goes away with food but that volatile aroma remains. Be interested to hear what others think of this wine or if other bottles show similarly... think I'll call it "flawed" for now... apart from this issue the wine is clearly very well made.