12/17/2022 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Interesting expression of an aged chenin blanc, leaning towards a dessert demeanor with a level of sweetness captured in the darker gold color in the glass. The right amount of acidity holds up the richness this has to offer.

8/28/2021 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Very interesting bottle, with a more savory tone to it. Saline, slate, green olive, a hint of lemon, all almost understated......but not quite. This does not jump out at you but rather pulls you in slowly. Start with it cold and allow it to warm up to see how it changes its expression based on temperature.

2/20/2021 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

No formal note, a solid bottle but the QPR is a little to high for what what I paid for it. This will likely benefit from more cellar time.

8/16/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

{screwcap, 12,5% abv.} Given its modest price ($35USD), and a vintage I guessed was less than perfect, I figured I'd try one of a few I recently picked up. Fail. This is way too young. Sure, it can be enjoyed now, and in fact it truly did shine on nights two, and three, but as a SnP, this is like seeing half of a really good movie. HOLD. Classic, clean, refreshing, but also too young. I'll open some others beginning in 2-3 years at the earliest. Will look to add a few more. recommended

12/6/2018 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

A solid nose followed by a fruit filled palate that lacked the necessary acidity to make this outstanding.

10/1/2018 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

No formal note, a great example of a classic gran reserva, great QPR.

7/28/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Medium+ straw, bright and clear. Intensely mineral nose, white pepper, spiced candies, melange of orchard fruits. Broad palate supported by fresh, though not cutting, acidity. Shows good structure to the medium-bodied frame, vg length. As usual, love it. Will climb to the next level in 5-6 years. 2018-2032. recommended+

5/2/2018 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Something about this particular bottle of wine really captured my palate, with a great blend of white flowers and pear on the nose and lively acidity on the palate and a wonderful slightly salty and very long finish. I am hooked on Alsace riesling now thanks to this great bottle of wine.

4/7/2018 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Three hour decant time, this is a savory expression from the chianti region, with cherry, cloves and a bushy/bramble element on the nose as well as pine needles. The palate is a little on the hot side and bracing, with the acidity ahead of any tannic structure. This has a pretty long finish on it. Ready to drink but could also still go a couple of years in the cellar.

1/27/2016 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:

This is a terrific St.-Joseph that fills a nice niche in the world of syrah I don't encounter nearly as often as I'd like - it has all the earthy funk, cracked pepper, and dry-aged meatiness of a powerful Northern Rhone yet instead of the slick, dense fruit and/or ripping tannic muscle that ordinarily accompanies that, it's a buoyant middleweight with pure fruit firmly on the red-fruit side of the spectrum. It's almost like a friendlier version of a Levet Cote-Rotie - a lot of the savory elements that make those so interesting are here and the transparency and weight are similar, the fruit here is just rounder and cleaner. It's not a "needs food" wine - it's easy to sip and even has a surprising amount of glou glou for something with this kind of depth. A blend of young(ish) 25 year old vines and some serious 115 year old V.V.'s, which may be how it manages to pull off both sides of that personality at the same time.

3/7/2017 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Five hour decant, the nose is a deep rich blackberry and stewed fruit. The palate is also quite rich but not over the top in any way, the well integrated tannins and solid acidity back the dark fruit and clove elements. A thick mouthfeel and a long finish put this polished wine in a great category.

12/20/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Really nice wine once it opened up - which was only into the second glass, quite unexpected. I tasted this third, with the 1985 Mouton first, followed by the 2001 Araujo Eisele - it seems that was the perfect serving order, this being, not surprisingly, the big boy of that flight. And while I didn't really care for the first glass - some sweet torrefaction was/is a pretty big turn off for me - by the second glass this had really whipped into shape, offering precision, detail and very good purity. IIRC, this saw extended time on oak, yet there's really no sign of it; it's a balanced wine with a good future ahead of it. Not in the epic category for me, but very good > excellent, to be sure. recommended

PnP, served non-blind; suggest an hour of aeration prior to service.

12/31/2016 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Hour and a half decant, the nose is bright rasbperry, cherry and herbs. The palate is light on tannins and more on the acidic side but nothing over the top. More raspberry, light forest floor and herbs make this a pleasant, easy drink. Medium bodied with a shorter finish.

9/13/2016 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

PnP and ran through a vinturi, this opened in the glass over time, decant for at least an hour if possible before drinking. The nose is very rich with dark fruit and smoke. The palate started off slightly spicy and still running with the oak/smokiness, which is very nice. This is a flamboyant wine, with heavy, dark fruit throughout, hanging on chocolate tannins. A clean wine with some complexity to boot, with a thicker mouthfeel and a medium/long finish. Great effort by J. Lohr here.

9/14/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

G-P-L Vertical (82',90',96',98',00',03',05') Evening: Second wine of the evening and overall my favorite. The nose came across as younger and more potent than the 82', with similar characteristics but showing more fruit and less cigar box/cedar. The palate was spectacular, lighting my mouth up cassis, cedar and earth. The 82' was by comparison on the feminine side while the 90' had a more masculine characteristic to it that kept going for a good 30 seconds after I cleared my palate. This has many years ahead of it, with the tannins still going strong and the acidity in the medium range. Great bottle of wine!

9/20/2014 - heegaard wrote:

Not drinkable. Disapointing. Hope it will improve.

7/30/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Two hour decant, the nose is dark raspberry, bing cherry, light pomegranate. The palate is a little syrupy and sweet with raspberry, cherry and a little minerality mixed with flabby tannins and soft acidity with a medium bodied mouthfeel. Not the best valpolicella I have had recently.

7/30/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine:

Two hour decant, opaque purple in the glass. The nose is plum, blackberry and licorice, all of which carries into the palate. Very light on tannins and on the medium side in acidity with a slightly short finish, the stand out aspect of this is clearly the nose. Hard to find and worth a try, this bottle is the French version of the varietal, I need to track down an American version of this and see what the difference is, if any.

9/10/2011 - beau11 wrote:

drank 1/2 day 1 and 1/2 day 2 day 1nose for a cab very bordeaux like with dark fruits, oak and a little bit of barnyard. Tannins very stronggreat mouthfeel with dark fruits and camphor. After a few hours recorked an drank the rest day 2. Wine still going strong but tannins had integrated perfctively