3/29/2024 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine:

Ripe nose of pepper, black fruits and a touch of vegetal.

Beautiful mouthfeel, very supple, it is spicy and very fruity at the same time, with a balanced juice with good acidity. There is an eminently savory side to this wine that I really like. Decent finish on a slightly short length for my taste but it remains very good.

2/12/2024 - henryfriendly Likes this wine:

Lime juice, salty minerality, and white flowers on the nose. Lots of salty lime on the palate but missing…something. Maybe closed down and just too young at the moment but I’m not sure whether this one’s going to come around fully. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s still quality stuff. Just not at the level I expect for their other Art Series offerings.

8/27/2018 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

This was even better than I remembered at the cellar door. Floral apple/pear/quince, with hints of red apple skin. Very clean and attractive mineral profile, there is a nice tension here, everything is in balance. Something between the Alsatian style and the better examples of the more Alpine Italian style. Really moreish and food friendly.

11/21/2023 - ProfAvi Likes this wine:

I bought a case of this wine off the back of the glowing reviews.

I'm not sure what wine the "press" drink but it's not this wine!

I don't dislike this wine.

It's just I find its reductive quality too much, too much smoke and struck match.

I had a similar issue with another NZ Chardonnay from Dog Point.
My solution was to wait and it paid off.

I'll do the same with this too.

As noted in the comments the struck match "bonfire" does subside. By day two it'd had gone. Apples, with a creamy toasty buttery finish and well balanced acidity.

When I open my next bottle, I'll double decant before drinking and pop it back in the fridge.

10/24/2023 - scorbett Likes this wine:

Best young La Rocca I have ever tried.

You could probably blind someone with this and convince them it's a banger from Meursault. The orchard fruit and the nuttiness.

My experience with the '21 vintage is that it trends austere and occasionally severe... and this plays very well (young) with a wine that is known for being the more decadent and wide one of the range.

Typically you need to let La Rocca settle for a few years. But the cut of '21 assists an early drink here.

No idea what it will do later, but this label has proven to be one of the more ageworthy Italian whites over the years, so excited to see what happens.

12/17/2022 - Theamateurwinesnob Likes this wine:

Smelled of nail polish at first. I’m guessing this is what people refer to as a wine being reductive? I don’t know. After that blew off, I got great complexity from this bottle: hay, nuttiness, chalk, lemon, and pineapple. Good acidity, nice texture, and medium+ finish. Very good for its level. If the nail polish will blow off after some bottle age (again, I don’t know), then I would recommend holding for another year/two or a decant; otherwise, it’s a beautiful wine, especially for its level!

6/29/2022 - WyattTheSomm Likes this wine:

I 100% agree with SMENZIES

I find this wine has so much character for $20 buckaroos on the nose alone it’s yellow ripe and tropical fruits with white Citrus flesh followed by a lovely volcanic rock minerality character that puts me in Hunters Valley.

On the palate its focused, full, and so refreshing for people that haven’t had Sémillon before this is like SB but without the stinging acid, fuller-bodied and more yellow citrus just lovley!

This wine is a steal for the money everyone will love it !

2/16/2022 - SLB83 Likes this wine:

This is nice. Good rather than great, but not worth the £25 I paid.
Double decanted for 2 hours.
Typical heavy, non-refined Californian Chardonnay. Dark straw yellow. Thick in the glass.
On the nose melon, peach, butterscotch, with hints of coconut and vanilla. On the palate very thick. I think this wine lacks the acidity required to balance the strong bold flavours it offers.
Definitely not a wine to drink on its own. Pair it with equally bold food.
We had it with salmon fillets in a Malaysian coconut and lemongrass sauce, served with rice, fresh coriander and lime wedges. That worked well I have to say.
This was my first ABC, but did not live up to the hype. I have a 2018 Chardonnay and a Hildegard. I’ve heard lots of interesting things about the latter. So looking forward to pop that one soon.

1/2/2022 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Despite being open for 24hrs, this still came across as rather tight. Tangy, juicy red fruits are still tightly woven. The secondary characteristics are dominated by pipe tobacco, leather, and dill - these are showing nicely. Supremely supple texture and lovely tannins, but these need many more years. Bottle varitation of course means some may be in a better place (as was my last bottle 18 months ago!) than others.

10/29/2021 - thesternowl wrote:

I was completely unfamiliar with this winery until a visit to Dry Creek back in 2019. We randomly booked an AirBNB in neighboring Geyserville that happened to belong to the proprietors of Unti. They invited us to visit the winery and I’m so glad we made the effort to do so. They specialize in varieties that grow in and around the Mediterranean. This bottle of the 2016 Montepulciano was brought back from that winery visit and enjoyed over two days. It showed best on Day 2 and these notes reflect that experience.

The wine pours a deep garnet with an opaque core and a slightly watery rim; medium+ viscosity. On the nose, medium intensity with raspberries, blackberries, lingonberries, baking spices, purple flowers and crushed concrete. On the palate, a mixed fruit set with mostly blue and black fruits, figs, blackberries, mulberries, dark cherry, baking spices and minerals. Medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. This finish is long and dry. Came across quite young and primary. Years to go on these.

7/2/2021 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

This has just crested over the hill, but still in a very nice place. Strong note of apples - somewhere between baked and wizened, but definitely not fresh. Classic hints of lanolin and straw, with some citrus freshness to balance. Definitely a touch oak spice, though well integrated. The acid is quite assertive, but it's not out of balance or unpleasantly sharp. There is still a sense of what was probably a classical crystalline structure in all its glory, but this needs drinking.

5/15/2021 - gtilley wrote:

Classic vouvray. Light straw colour, upfront baked and dried apple nose along with dried apricot. Not aggressively cheniny, acid is pleasant and creamy and the wine isn’t doggy or smelly.

5/20/2021 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Absolutely gorgeous, but utter infanticide to drink this now. Deep and powerful, with dense black fruits, black liquorice, olive tapenade, black pepper, and herbes de provence. Intensely coloured, it hits your palate like a wall. Immense structure that is rather unapproachable now but sure to blossom into quite the stunner.

8/29/2020 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

I always approach 2003 with trepidation, but this was just magnificent. Deep pure cassis with touches of coffee, cocoa nibs, incense. Volumptuous in the mouth, the flavours are finely layered with incredibly fine tannins and a long perfumed finish.

2/13/2021 - gtilley wrote:

This is just so utterly clean and precise. Sometimes I find Polish Hill just a bit exhaustingly austere but this has had the edges sanded down a bit - loads of lime, orange blossom, white flowers, everything you want in Clare Riesling, along with some river water/wet stone/oyster shell. No trace of petrol. Still so young - will it ever age?

2/9/2021 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Lush and open for a Loire CF of this age. Ripe brambly fruits with a smart and polished edge, amidst classic pencil shavings, pepper, and spicy camphorous notes. Rather creamy and volumptuous, it's very moreish, if not a bit linear and simple at times.

12/4/2020 - acyso wrote:

Schwa DIY (Chicago, IL): "smoked trout roe: peach, bourbon, basil" Brilliant, as always. Consistent with my previous note, this is a really bright and vibrant bottle of riesling, very typical of the grape but clearly not a product of the Teutonic wine-growing regions. Racing acidity but also a richness and breadth of fruit that prevents this from being all about the acid.

10/3/2020 - gtilley wrote:

Good wine. Nose has an initial spurt of cracked pepper and Nescafé, then settles down into more typical dark berry and plum fruit with maybe some singed eucalyptus leaves. Rugged, textured, sturdy, enjoyable.

8/25/2020 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

A true grand damme that is just beginning her decline. Soft black fruits and emergine hints of dried currants, this is silky and fully integrated. Tannins and acidity holding things together, there is nothing that dominated here - it's all supremely layered. Definitely not the intensity and power you might want, but that's to be expected at this age for this vintage. For lovers of classic claret, you won't be disappointed.

8/22/2020 - progenitive Likes this wine:

Confirming last tasting note and upping rating by 1. We enjoy this every time. Try to give it an hour before drinking at 61F. QPR is high, easily beats some $40-50 bottles.

8/25/2020 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

This bottle was disgorged in 1985, so probably an atypical note. The age really works wonders on this. Really biscuity with hints of cherry essence, fruit pastry, and a hint of gunflint, the energy on this bottle was vigourous. Just delightful.

10/9/2019 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

By god this is stunning. A very humble Rhone blend that displays everything wonderful about old raisined fruit, but with some mineral freshness and black olive intensity to keep it going. Acidity is slightly volatile, so not everything here is perfect, but it's just a joy to drink and is demonstrative of how even the cheaper end of the spectrum can age well.

6/13/2020 - gtilley wrote:

Classic cote rotie. Dark red core, ruby red outer - masses of white pepper and roasted meats, liquorice and tar, occasionally a green note of pine resin or something, but not noticeable with food. Sandy, grippy tannins. Good stuff.

5/29/2020 - Paul S wrote:

From a half bottle paired perfectly with some Spanish food, this was young, but delectable. It had a lovely Rioja nose, with some of the fragrant ashy smoke that is so typical of traditional Tempranillo, this wreathed around a lovely sweet glow of red cherries, sour plums and some savoury earth and fig peel bites, all just sprinkled with a little sweet spicy twist of American oak. Lovely stuff. The palate was still very youthfully structure, with a chew of nicely round tannins and bright, juicy acidity shaping a succulent mouthful of dark cherries and red berries, these again seasoned with a nice little bit of savoury earth and smoky spice, and then some typical dill and menthol notes, especially as the wine unfolded into a surprisingly long and wide finish. Such a yummy drop - clearly with its best years 5-10 years ahead of it, but it was so delicious even now. Great with food too.

5/27/2020 - NickBurwood Likes this wine:

As per my January note. Excellent but a complete contrast to its illustrious and über long-lasting stablemate (Vat 1) - if none the worse for it!
For drinking up over the next year or so.

1/18/2020 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this far more than expected. Really ripe and fleshy with sweet tropical fruits and just enough grassiness to capture the varietal nicely. Doesn't do that reductive Marlborough thing. Good value.

10/21/2019 - Ara Kafafian wrote:

Slight brick rim, bitter, tart, acidic, menthol, vanilla and black tea notes. I thought I was drinking a $25 CAD old world wine, however when the bottle was unveiled, I thought the $55 CAD retail price wasn’t justified. Drink now.

9/24/2019 - pinoteer Likes this wine:

Writing this several weeks later, but wanted to capture my sense of how this wine has evolved. Bought a case en primeur, and this was the 4th bottle drank. Even though it was a pretty nice wine earlier in its development, it has really blossomed into a beauty. So velvety and loaded with lots of wonderful flavors. Seems to be hitting on all cylinders now. Probably another 10-15 years of prime drinking here, but doubt that my remaining bottles will last more than about 5 years. Much more price appropriate than prior bottles ($50). Easily 93 pts., but this bottle struck me as a 94-95 effort.

7/1/2019 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Very similar to my previous note, but the wine was even creamier and a bit more mellow. Strangely the classic bretty wet-dog note was subdued and the fruit just a tad less pinging in the acid department. Really classy, slick, almost polished for a Musar. This currently in a plateau and feels a bit like pensioner in expensive pyjamas, not quite ready for bed for some time. It's not anywhere close to being over the top. The evening gets interesting and surprising from here.

6/10/2019 - WetRock wrote:

Complex melange of fruit and oak. Both are pretty strong though you notice the oak more. The nose is really where the expression is. The palate just comes along for the ride. Medium bodied and lean. This drinks pretty mature to me. And isn't real interesting honestly. It's nicely acid driven making it a nice dinner companion but on it's own it's just alright. There is no sense of the sort of density or layers that would suggest improvement from here though it will last for quite a while. Fine.
EDIT: Drank over three nights with little change.

4/19/2019 - unionst Likes this wine:

Blue-red hue but the color is less impressive than the sheen. No signs of bricking to the watery edge.
Nose has initial barnyard that tells you Burgundy and gives way to wild flowers and cherry notes with air. Beautiful and delicately perfumed.
On the nuanced and sophisticated palate you get cherries, minerals and bright acidity. Great balance. A little thin but gained weight as it opened.
This is an elegant wine that made me feel under-dressed - I should have worn black tie. A very classy wine.

1/5/2019 - A6Rover Likes this wine:

I'm afraid my last ever bottle of Radio-Coteau riesling as this vineyard was removed and replanted, with pinot noir I believe. I appreciate R-C rieslings from the first vintage I had one (2012?), but this last vintage was really the coup de grace: bracing acidity, floral notes, and an apparition of sweetness. RIP

12/30/2018 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Far too young, but shows great promise. Dense plums and pomegranate, there is incredible intensity here with cutting acid and firm tannins. Smooths out a bit in the decanter, but really just a baby. Was a nice experiment to see where things might go and everything is solidly in balance here.

8/27/2018 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Round and full, but with precision underlying the rather fresh cherry and plum fruit. There is a savoury wrapping around it all, with a smoky, mushroomy element. The best of the beast that is CdP with the freshness that a cooler year can bring, including alc at only 14 degrees. Remarkable structure, these will bring much pleasure with age.

7/7/2018 - SMagowan wrote:

I found this a little disappointing, especially at the price point. I was expecting elegance. What I got was kind of dull. Not much fruit or nuance. It was better on the second day and I wonder if it needs a few more years. I will leave my remaining bottle until 2022 or so.

6/4/2018 - Schube wrote:

I was hoping for more here. A little flimsy. Drinking right now (I don't think it gets better from here). It's a little earthy, very little tannin, good fruit, but seems to fall off quickly. Had it with a steak, and probably should have picked something else...maybe pork would be better suited?

5/1/2018 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:

Needs some air, a little fume and edge upon open...sharp and energized grapefruit and lemon acidity...crushed flint and wet stone give a nice salinity, but not loaded with minerality, which I love in Cotat! Pretty pale yellow pitted fruits with a rainwater pureness, as well as some bitters. Subtle smoke, grass, and white pepper...pretty florals of white flower and lime blossom. Refreshing and full of sunshine, yet doesn't wow me like some of the other Cotat wines I've had...I liked the 16 Les
Caillottes more.

4/28/2018 - Skrutt (Formerly RotHead) Likes this wine:

A polished wine which for me has a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but not much character. Disclaimer: not privy to the greatness of rioja, never have been.

11/29/2015 - depechemoroder wrote:

Apparently the first Argentinian wine imported to the UK, this has the nose of a tawny port. Certainly not that sweet on the palate, but dusty old fruits, particularly prunes and a real liqueur-like finish. Rather low in alcohol for a Mendoza wine. There is just about enough acidity here but the tannins are basically gone. Interesting to see how a rather basic wine has matured over the years. Not bad with a stew.

3/28/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:

At dinner. Brief note. Pours a star-bright golden straw yellow in the glass. Fine and persistent perlage and a fine, creamy mousse. Nose and palate show intense notes of crunchy and tart green apple, Meyer lemon curd, brioche/autolytic notes, toasted hazelnuts, and crushed powdery limestone. With time vanilla pastry creme and salted almonds as well as more lees-y notes emerge. Laser focused and racy acidity define the well filigreed midpalate while the ripe citrus curd and vanilla creme are lifted by the perlage and create a lovely texture and complex midpalate to play off the salty nutty notes. Finish is long, complex, and satisfying. A completely different wine from the 06' a few weeks back. They are both brilliant in their own way. Should continue to evolve and was nice to follow the nose and palate as the wine warmed over the course of the night.

2/9/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

This is either in a closed dumb phase or it isn’t going to get any better than it is now. I had this years ago when it was upon release and it was awesome. Maybe that’s because it hadn’t shutdown yet. It is lacking a midpalate and a central core of fruit. Even after a 90 minute decant, it lacked a soul. Lots of graphite, mineral, cigar, burnt embers... all of what I love in Bordeaux, without the true soul of a noble Pauillac.

6/18/2017 - ricard Likes this wine:

Very good vintage of a very good wine. Graceful ageing going on, visibly and on the nose. Notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Figs and damson jam. Instant hit of a bright, assertive acidity on the tongue. Still tightly held together by firm tannins, but at its heart a velvety, fruity mid-palate leading to a splendidly spicy, clove and black crushed pepper finish. Very good indeed. Such a classic wine. Also chocolate and figs.

4/5/2017 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Quite young, showing baked apple and hints of honeycomb with some nice marzipan starting to work its way in. Still very fresh, creamy rather than unctuous with fine acid. Charming and stylish with a real playful character that will emerge into something really delicious in a few years time.

4/25/2017 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Still too young, but showing classic Musar black cherry and plum fruit with that musty wet dog and old country house characteristic. Fruit is still very fresh with cranberry-like acidity. Tannins have plenty of grip, but that finish, oh how it goes on. No point in putting an endless list of flavours and aromas, you will discover those yourself. Suffice to say this is great wine that combines flavour and texture in such a unique way.

8/10/2017 - JWdeSommelier wrote:

Traditional style Rioja, quite a nice nose, fresh red cherries, redcurrants, plums, nicely integrated oak, sandalwood, leather, iron. Palate feels a little bit tired and thin for a good vintage like '04, dried red fruit, not very broad, meaty, lovely oak, spicy, good length. Expected more from a Rioja like this, is it time or just the way this wine is made...

6/13/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine:

More restrained on the nose at first than the 2014 Los Alamos chardonnay, showing light tropical notes, but opens up with time to show more orchard fruit and floral aromas. Medium bodied and the last time I tried this wine was almost even months ago. Same mix of soft, rich orchard fruits upfront, mixed nicely with tropical notes coming in behind. Acidity and mineral notes remain, but they weren't as prominent as last time and it was served noticeably warmer. The use of oak here remains impressive (as with nearly all Chanin wines) as it adds depth and richness, but it's so deftly done, it's never intrusive. Should continue to improve over the next several years.

4/20/2017 - ParisWino wrote:

Big, dark and plummy. On the plus side, it's not particularly sweet and the alcohol does not stand out. In musical terms, this was the orchestral tuba that only has a few long loud notes to blow. If I had a second bottle I'd be tempted to stash it for another 5 to 10 years in the hopes that some complexity emerges -- I've had some pleasant surprises with well-aged Aussie shirazes, and the basic structure is certainly there.

3/20/2017 - tkoby11 wrote:

Horrible state of maturity, this did not age well or is a flawed bottle.

7/22/2016 - Merky_Waters Likes this wine:

Wow. Wish i had more of this. Purchased this one bottle 2 years ago.

Amazing nose on opening. black cherry, fresh currants, menthol, violet, and ashy minerals.

After an hour, drinking nicely. full body, integrated acid. Oak is present but not obtrusive. Tannins still young and dominate the second half but lovely fruit and nuanced flavors upfront.
creamy black and blue fruit lifted by plummy acidity followed by sweet oak and brown sugar. Savory and bitter green herb notes are amplified by the tannins, making the palate fall short of the gorgeous nose.

all things considered this is a tremendous value and worth double the $25-30USD asking price. Wish i bought more 2010s

1/1/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Oooh -- delicious and revelatory. This is the best dry riesling I've ever had, and perhaps the best riesling I've ever had. I love the aromas of lime and smoky, almost meaty rubber. This reminds me of Chablis with the precise lime on the palate and the mineral backbone. I wish more rieslings were made in this style instead of the syrupy traditional German style.