2/11/2024 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

Super Bowl LVIII 2024 (Alpharetta, GA): Starter wine #3: Once it was served at the right temperature, this was rocking and reconfirms how much I love Rose Champagne. Delicious!

1/20/2024 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Light straw with green hues; nose is floral and fresh, petrichor and spring flowers, really beautiful and driving, elegance and nuance, there is a candied lime, guava, taut green and yellow fruit, so focused this could fool you as very good White Burgundy, love the complexity, next to the Taille Aux Loups 2015 this showed a little more precision and complexity with promising future but what a 1-2 Chenin punch!, I also have to admit to liking this more than the Guiberteau Breze's I've had; day 2 this has opened up further exhibiting a kiss of honey, a little more peach classic quince and glazed apple, feels like it has lost a little intensity and focus, the wood usage is still very discreet and no reduction, this is fleshier and classy on the palate showing slight oxidation and nuttiness but still feel the development should be very nice over time.

11/11/2023 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

From magnum; possibly my favorite this evening as it was drinking youthfully and so pure, lacy red fruit, floral, delicate red fruit with a juicy core, a kiss of sweet oak yet to integrate, long finish and showing beautifully this evening; crazy to see a magnum doing this well as the 760s seem to have entered a dumb phase where all they show is their acids.

12/21/2022 - pbaek wrote:

Gorgeous nose of violets, pepper, olives. Lively, juicy fruit on the palate, good acidity and freshness. Spicy with marks of pepper and dark olives, this is a great vintage of this wine. Will it get better? I don’t think so. Will it age well? Yes, I think so. But I would drink this now for the sheer pleasure of the fruit and the aromatics and then wait for the St-Jo.

10/28/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

I was lucky to be served two glasses of this on Friday night. While still very young, it was surprising to me just how good it is drinking now. It will be interesting to see in 10 years if this vintage rises to the level of the 2002 Krug.

9/23/2022 - Rezy13 wrote:

$60+ Blind Bordeaux Varietals Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Opaque black core with thin purple rim; black licorice, honeyed, ripe blackberry, almost suggests smoke, a bit abrupt and almost bitter tannin in this youthful state, very volcanic minerality, intense and still very young.

7/15/2022 - Rezy13 wrote:

Syrah & Beef Ribs $60+ Blind Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Dark core with larger crimson brick rim; white pepper, stems, truffle funk and loads of character but not the depth of a special wine; called 2011 Levet Journaries.

6/26/2022 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Summer Mondo Event $200+ (Roswell, GA): Definitely a woo nose not dissimilar to Krug Mesnil, bread dough, rich and lush, lacy and silken, honeydew, eggy and almost dessert-like, still super fresh and not even 2ry, Grand Cru weight and power, elegant and refined mousse, generous dosage; killer stuff but even though it is so generous it still kind of begs for food, would be a great backdrop for elevated and complicated dishes especially something salty.

1/1/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

New Year's Day Double Blind Tasting (Atlanta, GA): Unblinded. I really enjoyed this wine and it came at the right time in the tasting event as an intermezzo to cleanse our palates. Fresh, full bodied, and the perfect amount of acidity. I would buy more of this if I could find it. Delicious!

1/1/2022 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

2022 New Year's Day Tasting (Atlanta, GA): Pale ruby see through; rose water, sexy nose, roses, pure pretty and Burgundian, driving, sweet and ethereal; delicious, youthful, slight medicinal, not very developed but enticing; '11 Giacosa Asili Riserva?; 93+.

1/21/2022 - Rezy13 wrote:

$80+ Blind Tasting Old World (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Dark core with thin garnet maroon rim; dark fruit, lots of oak, bacon fat, charred oak, very perfumed, almost truffle, spice, high toned, hard to decipher but I went Right bank on limestone.

1/27/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

I’ve really enjoyed this bottling from this producer from this vintage. Consumed the last of my six bottles. It paired wonderfully with pecan encrusted trout. Yum!

1/21/2022 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

$80+ Blind Tasting Old World (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Pretty crimson with orange rim; elegant nose, refined, rose petals, sour and sweet cherry, ethereal, young and firm, a coolness, sexy, still firm acids; Scavino but a soft Brunello-esque quality- lacking some cellar funk but I called '12 Cappellano Pie Rupestris; better with a few more years.

8/18/2021 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

My first Australian Pinot Noir and it did not disappoint. Taught and sour red fruits of strawberry, cranberry, and pomegranate with a lingering mineral and orange rind finish. Almost tastes like I’m drinking a wine from Cote de Nuits.

10/14/2019 - Rezy13 wrote:

Louis Latour Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Powerful, rich, intense fruit with very dusty tannin, great fruit, would make a New World PN drinker happy, almost need a steak for this.

11/24/2020 - Rezy13 wrote:

Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Dark core with reddish violet rim; tea, pomegranate, wet earth, nutty, round plum, dark raspberry, red currant, faint kiss of oak, good flavors but slightly 1-D, medicinal, good length, still a bit young, thicker on the palate, high acid and high tannin; Left Bank to CA to end up on '10 Tignanello?

11/10/2019 - Rezy13 wrote:

Darker color showing some clarity; a bigger richer style that still shows nice tension and verve, dark berries, plum, blueberry, rich fruit and plush texture with late grip, layered, nicely poised; tasty on day two.

10/1/2019 - Rezy13 wrote:

Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Dense reddish violet; deep raspberry, hot stones, dusty, violet fruit, plummy, elevated alcohol, blueberry, a bitterness on the back said Grenache to me, fresh, young.

3/29/2019 - Rezy13 wrote:

Dark garnet core with crimson rim; wow that’s a lot of oak, if tasting blind I would have sworn this was modern Rioja/Ribera, black fruit, smoke, tobacco, dill and green pepper, lots of glycerin, youthful and tannic on the palate, not digging this now.

1/15/2019 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Darker core with bright purple rim; violets galore, slight medicinal, soft delicate, young, loaded with fruit and mineral, pure, dusty, Beaujolais-esque in top tier producer; juicy, plush texture, more naturally made, bright purple fruit, seemingly plumper, silky tannin; surprisingly accessible now or mid-term cellaring potential; mine but really reminds me of Foillard in Cote-Rotie.

11/9/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

Great nose of Burgundy from a great producer. While this is only a Bourgogne, it drinks like a 1er Cru. Still very youthful with a strong expression of orange rind and grapefruit on the finish. Give this more time in the bottle to integrate all of the parts.

10/16/2017 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

Delicious. Bright bing cherry, jammy strawberry infused danish, but still light on its feet. Very good for an entry level DuMol.

8/29/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Alpharetta, GA): Dark core, lighter rim, maroon; green pepper, floral, black currant, dusty, clay, earth, Bordeaux like- called it on nose alone; nice structure, oak, pencil lead, boxwood, currants, good richness and round quality to it right now; delicious, called 2010 San Leonardo.

7/3/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Dark, concentrated and brooding on the PnP, I took one taste and immediately replaced the cork, eventually serving the wine two nights later after I'd stored it in the fridge. Deeply expressive, with the fruits tending toward the darker end of the spectrum - even for Scarrone VV - but the good news is there's enough acidity to keep this fresh and interesting. Whatever you do, HOLD! 2040 might well be possible. highly recommended

https://www.ItalianWine.blog

4/7/2017 - Francophile Likes this wine:

A little light but pleasant enough for a pretty cheap Italian wine that does taste characteristically Italian.

3/23/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

VinItaly Day 2 (Verona, Italy): Name means milestone; deep garnet; deeper more serious nose, big but elegant; very impressive, green, licorice, plum, vanilla; 4-5% Viognier.

9/11/2016 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

Enjoyed a 375ml bottle with a 2 hour decant. While still very primary, the right components are there for this to evolve into a special wine. Right now, it has almost a new world quality with espresso and chocolate notes with deep black fruit concentration. The tannin is actually soft and fleshy. I guarantee with another 10 years in the bottle, this will evolve into a complete gem. Glad I have more...

9/4/2016 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Still consistent with my last impressions (already years ago!). Fine Sauvignon Blanc notes paired with Sancerrois minerality. Great with food!

2/10/2016 - Rezy13 wrote:

Dense core with dark purple rim; nose shows lots of dark jammy fruit, blackberry jam, black currant, plums, layered, sweet with a savory edge; similar qualities on the palate, dense, sweet jammy fruit at this stage, good depth, latent structure on the finish; good stuff especially considering price.

2/7/2016 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:

This wine is a great everyday drinking wine with excellent QPR (~US15). A blend of approximately (the proportions vary slightly across vintages) 20% Nebbiolo (for structure, aromatics and elegance), 30% Dolcetto (for bright red colour, violet hints, primary aromas of fresh fruit and berries), 30% Barbera (for freshness and fruitiness), 10% Albarossa (for generous ripe fruit and body) and 5% Pinot Noir (for cherry hints). Serve slightly chilled. Under screwcap. Deep, dark colour. An expressive bouquet of wild blackberries and raspberries, compote of dark cherries, gunmetal and graphite. The flavours are those wild blackberries and cherries with blueberry jam and some savoury fallen leaves and earth. Fresh, vibrant and succulent. ‘A little volatile, unbalanced and unstable’ said Maciej, which is right, but this actually adds to the character of the wine and is not surprising at this level. Good, bright acidity. For early drinking.

10/20/2015 - Rezy13 wrote:

Tuesday Night Double Blind <$40 (Bin 75): Dull garnet core with pale red rim; alcoholic, sweet vanilla and cherry, currant, some green; higher alcohol, grain to the tannin; '11 Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux?; oh, 3rd wine of an over-hyped 5th growth for $40...makes sense.

9/13/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Decanted for 3 hours; still very vibrant color showing little color change at rim, some clarity; nose is classic Bordeaux but not yet delineated, red cherry, red currant, lots of red fruit all very round, a sharp green pepper note, cedar, tobacco in the background, slight chocolate; palate is impressive and subtle at the same time, soft silky entry, medium plus body but caressingly rich on the mid palate, ripe and polished tannin from the vintage, purity to the sweet red fruit, great acid lift, love the drinkability, long finish not driven by alcohol; a bit deceptive due to its elegance and drinkability, phenomenal balance, extremely graceful and noble; my style of Bordeaux; possibly just exiting its primary stage so this still has loads of potential, 96+.

8/25/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Deep rose and sandalwood, serious structure, young vines from Ginestra; why buy the Barolo Ginestra at 2X or more?

11/4/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

A bit darker violet ruby; nose is so youthful showing lots of pyrazines reminiscent of whole cluster fermentation, though a touch off-putting to some I found the herbaceousness subsided after some air and was easily looked past, the impressive wine underneath sowed dark sour cherry, smoky brambly character, black currant, nice richness and depth; the palate is very layered dripping with old vine texture, fresh acid, overall really great balance, persistent, beefy and brawny wine that should gain immense beauty with 10 or more years of age in the bottle, all the right things are present for this to have a great future.

9/29/2015 - Rezy13 wrote:

Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75): Dark core though some clarity, larger garnet rim; raspberry, brandy warmth, could use a bit of a chill temperature wise, chocolate, oak; glycerin evident on the palate, warm, heat from the alcohol, suffered from serving too warm, round softer tannin, some acid, good mid palate which led me to old vine Zin.

9/28/2015 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights with lots of air time in the glass....hours.

This wine is a bit of a conundrum to me. On the nose you get big dark fruit and some charcoal with leather notes. In the body you get more dark fruit but some lead, some crushed brick and game meats as nuances. The finish carries for minutes...literally minutes after swallowing you still have an alum kind of dryness I can only equate to eating pomegranate arils. That lingering bitterness that dries the mouth amid red juice with perhaps just a bit of blood, like you but your tongue with the arils.

So much going on with this wine; it could deserve a higher score but I found it a cacophony of flavors rather than a symphony. Perhaps with time.

8/14/2015 - Rezy13 wrote:

Dusty Nebbiolo, ripe cherry, bitter orange, anise, sandalwood, cedar; strong tannin, seems aged with very youthful characteristics; 91+.

7/31/2015 - Rezy13 wrote:

Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Garnet core, density with larger lighter rim; cigar, red currant, lead pencil; fresh, youthful, good stuffing but not super noble, good grip, cedar, leather, tart cherry and currant, juicy red fruit; called St. Julien though I presumed it was older.

7/28/2015 - Vino Me wrote:

Opened a bottle before dinner. Medium yellow color. Cork was solid. No petrol or sulfur in this bottle. Starting to show some secondary flavors. Notes of apricots, peaches and some tropical flavors. The acidity was still solid but not as prevalent as in earlier bottles. Still a good bit of sweetness (almost Auslese level). Rich and long finish. 94 points.

5/26/2015 - Rezy13 wrote:

Tuesday Night Double Blind $80+ (Bin 75): Dark crimson core with reddish rim; creamy, dark fruit, plum, raspberry, fig and almond paste; spicy palate, strong bitterness, grainy Grenache tannin, a touch of heat, creamy, briary, the finish is austere but the front end is more modern; very different from the last bottle just over 1 month ago, this was evolving at a much quicker pace and didn't have much potential to improve in the cellar except for texture; called '09 Clos des Papes.

2/13/2015 - georgenmil wrote:

The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.

2/12/2015 - pclin wrote:

Big, dense, and concentrated, almost like drinking a young Clos St Jean CDP. Dark chocolate, game, blackberry, bacon, and oak, again almost like a young CDP. Vibrant acidity with high alcohol of 13.5% and a touch of heat at finish. Slightly over-extracted. This is one of the most unusual young Burgundy I have tasted, the closest burgundy that resemble this is the '03 Clos de Tart. Surely an interesting wine but not for everyone. If you like young CDP, you will like this wine. Full-bodied and long, a wine that build to last for a long time but I am not certain how it will evolve, it's a gamble I am unwilling to take.(NR)

2/12/2015 - bevetroppo wrote:

Fascinating article read recently by under-the-radar, consumer-friendly, extremely modest Burgundy authority Bill Nanson on 2011 vintage and the specter of pyrazines. If I may paraphrase, and all errors are mine, if you experienced the green meanies widespread in 2004, you are doomed to relive them any time a subsequent vintage has even a whisper of the same problem-to whit, a nasty and penetrating herbaceousness that can completely overwhelm drinking pleasure. In any event, Dr. Nanson has observed some of the same characteristics in 2011, so now I am on the lookout.

But let's not forget we're talking about an '04 here, right? I honestly don't think I smell pyrazines in the nose, but on the other hand, the fruit is a little clipped, and it leaves a somewhat chemical impression if you really dip your beak into it. I'm all about vintage variation vs. manufactured consistency, but this seems to lack a certain je ne sais quoi. On the palate some fruit emerges, but it's quickly brushed aside by harsh and brutish flavors that render it somewhat unattractive. This doesn't strike me as a wine that is in transition to a more appealing state: it just seems harsh, and the sensation of a mouth-coating greenness tends to increase as you progress through the bottle.

Net net, no rating. I have one more bottle I will sit on for a few years to see if something resolves, but I'm not optimistic. Everything can't be '05 or '10 but it can be better than this.

Revision after posting: LOL. I have two prior notes on this wine that are completely different! WTF? Either I've changed or the wine has or both...makes it hard to regard me as a reliable reference on this one.

2/1/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Super Bowl 2015 (Roswell, GA): Dense chocolate core with garnet rim; earth, tart, currant, cherry, orange oil, tobacco, some Brett; fleshy, silky initially, luxurious, grainy tannin comes in later, strong mid-palate, funk, medicinal; very good but not a wine I could drink a ton of because of the lower acid; voted WOTN.

1/1/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

2015 New Year's Day Tasting- Double Blind $80+ (Marietta, GA): Dark maroon with lighter rim; dried red fruit, orange oil, sour cherry, red currant; softer, ripe, structured, black cherry liqueur, green pepper, sandalwood, herbs, savory; very much Sangio with Cabernet; called '07 Tignanello.

10/17/2014 - Rezy13 wrote:

Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Dull steely greenish yellow; subtler nose of pineapple, papaya, banana, melon, ripe, floral, waxy; similar to the nose the palate is waxy with rich yellow tropical fruit, heavier and showing some alcohol but not flabby, baby fat still hides some of the mineral; good.

1/24/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Nicely floral start with black and blue fruit. Still a bit firm, but with nicely rich, rounded fruit, hints of chocolate and espresso. Lots of energy. Good now, better with some air. Probably better in a few more years.

10/7/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Tuesday Night $20-$40 Double Blind (Bin 75): Wow, this is not what I was expecting from a young vintage of this wine, it shows phenomenal balance, sweet but not overripe fruit, pleasant grip, larger alcohol but it doesn't stand out, also good acid keeps this fresh; a complete package that I expect to age gracefully for 20+ years; one of the most exciting young wines to date.

1/10/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Sour and sweet cherry, deeper and richer than you'd expect from a Langhe Nebbiolo, very high quality, spice, good structure, caressing; this is the best thing for Piemontese producers to get people into this great grape.

12/12/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:

Galoots Lunch (Double Zero Napoletano- Sandy Springs): Good garnet color with nice clarity; tasted side by side with the 2007 this was amazingly fresher, ripe but cool dark red kind of a blue hue to the fruit, leather, lots of berry, dark cherry and raspberry, clean, deep though fresh, very Burg-like to me; palate is very similar with refreshing acid, ripe but not overdone; not as good as the one served during the 2000 retrospective but a well stored and great example of how brilliant this wine can be.