3/14/2024 - vespasian Likes this wine:

A very satisfying Petite Arvine from Aosta; some pithy extract on the nose and a honeyed character perhaps from extended time with the skins? Good refreshing balance on the palate with a textural element. Delicious.

2/14/2024 - vespasian wrote:

A game of two halves - lovely complexity on the nose and initially on the palate though it comes up a bit short, the finish is quite sudden for a wine at this level. A shame - its needs to give more on the palate.

1/19/2024 - vespasian Does not like this wine:

A major disappointment after cellaring since purchase in 2016, try as we might we couldn’t get on with this wine and we struggled to pick out any of the qualities on which its reputation is based. Bland & shy on the nose and neutral on the palate with a notably short finish. We kept half a bottle back to see if it would improve overnight and it didn’t, so we mixed with cassis to make Kir’s.

1/20/2024 - vespasian wrote:

A perfectly drinkable and enjoyable red with good freshness and restraint on show but I cannot help but end up shaking my head in disbelief at the price tag given to this wine. There are many wines in our rack in the £15-30 bracket that are the equal of this and if I’m honest, quite a few of them are considerably better and certainly more interesting.

12/10/2023 - vespasian Likes this wine:

Very impressive for the age - this has a great core of fruit still but has the lovely developed smoke and meatiness of fine Syrah; tannins fully resolved, perfectly delicious. We didn't decant (though there was a fine sediment) and the wine was still opening up as we finished the last glass.

11/15/2023 - vespasian wrote:

A good rendition of this wine in 2022, lovely purely fruited Dolcetto, perfect when served slightly cooler than ambient temperature. I decanted this which on reflection was a bad move as the wine did start to show signs of the finish drying a little toward the end of the bottle, so best served straight from the bottle.

11/15/2023 - vespasian wrote:

There is some class in this wine but its a very subtle expression and at this level I'd like to see more flesh and richness on the palate, coming across as it does very lean and linear. Its an enjoyable glass but it could easily be consumed without much afterthought. Quite short too. I have half the bottle remaining and I hope that an overnight airing might open it up a bit.

10/1/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Lovely nose which has impressive richness and shows cedary dark fruits in abundance; a little less generous on the palate which is quite austere though very ‘correct’ with tannins resolved and a good core of fruit for the vintage, a classic St Julien from a classic year. Started to dry a little by the last glass so drink sooner rather than later.

9/29/2023 - vespasian Does not like this wine:

An overly sweet, ripe and overbearing style of carignan & too much for me, I had to put this bottle aside and choose something less jarring to drink. Maybe we will cook with it? Not a great example of balance.

9/29/2023 - vespasian Does not like this wine:

A dull, charmless red which doesn’t have any of the perfume or generosity of the best malbecs from Argentina; I’ve tasted several vintages of this wine and I simply don’t see what Zuccardi are trying to achieve here. Awful. Not even good enough for cooking, down the sink it went.

9/16/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Pushed this one almost too far - drink up! Still pleasurable and had an almost old Burgundy flavour now, but definitely oxidative. Freshened up a bit on day 2.

7/18/2023 - vespasian Likes this wine:

From a 75cl bottle cellared since 2016.

Very good development on the nose, still a rich core of dark fruit here with supporting clove and oak spice alongside. Very smooth on the palate, the tannins very fine and integrated now. A real core of concentrated, top quality fruit here and notable density, in fact, this was getting better and better in the decanter as we finished the bottle over an hour or so. Delicious but no hurry to drink, if well kept it could go on for many years yet.

7/2/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Yet another Bourgueil from Domaine de la Butte that is riddled with Brett. Just such a shame - poured down the sink.

7/2/2023 - vespasian Likes this wine:

Quite a serious nose here, very tightly wound with dense fruit, but for me still a classic Chinon in the sense that despite the ripeness of 2015, there is a dark mineral element at play and a cool freshness running through things; delicious, classy fruit on the palate with tannins fully resolved - depending on how you like your wine, this could be cellared further but for our tastes its in a good place right now. Excellent.

6/15/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Dark and serious fruit here, quite a powerful expression with 15% ABV but high quality and a nice fresh streak running through it. Good Barbera.

6/5/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Quite a reductive streak on the nose. Blows off with air; fresh, a touch mineral but perhaps too shy for its own good? Nice drink though with good refreshment.

6/5/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Good nose. Mineral, delicate and fresh. Whiff of herbs and pyrazine; nice, restrained style . Good freshness and bright acidity.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Showing more promise on the nose than the Viole, impressive richness here; silky tannins on the entry, 'almost' approachable, good future potential. Big grip on the finish.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Herbal streak - very inviting on the nose; fresh and cool entry, lovely fruit. Full and expansive. Good wine.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Sturdier/tighter on the nose; all about structure currently on the palate, very embryonic. Big grip on the finish.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Again, very nice expression on the nose, pretty, nice fruit; good structure and good fresh streak. Lovely wine.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

A clear step up from the 2020 Langhe - nice aromatics on the nose and lovely fruit expression; rich expressive fruit on the palate and grip. Good wine.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Good, spicy nose, nice varietal character; nice richness on the mid-palate and good freshness. Not bad. Grippy finish.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Clearly a step up in concentration on the nose vs the other crus (and with the quality of the 2019s that's saying something). Powerful and full-fruited but fresh too; full & rich, expansive. Grippy structure appears at the very end. Long life ahead.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Interesting nose with complex fruit and spice, a touch exotic; very full and rich on the palate - nice spread of flavours, long. Nice potential.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Brooding/masculine nose. Good complex expression already here; very grippy - will need lots of time.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

More obvious fruit than the Ambroglio, complex already, red and black fruits; lovely richness and a fresh streak. Good grip - quite a structure but masses of fruit concentration surrounds it.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Quite a strong herbal streak, a bit raw and austere; better on the palate, great fruit core, serious grip. Needs time but good potential.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Much more raw on the nose vs the 2018, richer and clearly more concentrated; lovely palate, good freshness and balance. Very good quality fruit here.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Good purity here, nice fruit expression; silky on the palate, really nice spread of fruit. Fresh, with good balance and transparency.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Tight on the nose, no discernible fruit; brighter and prettier on the palate. Lovely refreshment.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Good nose - very classic Barbera, richly fruited; some black cherry and Maraschino; cool and fresh on the palate - very refreshing style. Lovely Barbera.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Spicy nose - smells older than it is; a bit austere on the palate, lacking fruit and generosity.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Very understated on the nose and quite tight on the palate. Structure to the fore at present, lots of grip.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Punchier on the nose than the Barbaresco 2019 wines; nice combination of richness and freshness on the palate, good honest expression of Barolo. Nice refreshment and good grip.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Richly fruited but subtle/understated; nice character on the palate - this is good but I prefer the Rabaja Bas on this occasion.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

More impressive than the straight Barbaresco 2020, a better nose with much more interest; nice weight and ripeness. Very good, though tannic, needs time.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Quite light and delicate, again; a bit too easy and threadbare. Fine.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Brightly fruited - pretty classic; a but tough on the palate, lacks generosity. All structure, not much charm.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Very lightly fruited on the nose, quite slight; cherry fruit, a little rustic, not unlike a Pais in some ways. A bit mean.

3/21/2023 - vespasian wrote:

Creamy, custard/mineral nose; interest here, nice wine. A bit like a Pinot Blanc.

12/28/2022 - vespasian wrote:

The more I taste the bottles from this case the more I find this quite a pedestrian Chiroubles - not a bad wine but distinctly unmemorable.

12/14/2022 - vespasian wrote:

This had been kept for way too long - light and tired at age 7.

9/29/2022 - vespasian wrote:

Oxidised

9/29/2022 - vespasian Likes this wine:

Lovely, expressive nose of lime pith, mandarin, jasmine and greengage; good weight and refreshing acidity on the palate with just the right amount of dry extract. Pomelo on the finish. Delicious.

8/26/2022 - vespasian Likes this wine:

Clearly an alpine Pinot Noir, delicate fruit, a fresh pure and lifted nose and then fresh acidity and light body on the palate. Almost something a bit resiny about this. Very drinkable, very delicious.

6/18/2022 - vespasian wrote:

Complex nose, like very fine patisserie. Distinct brioche aroma. Very inviting; golden and rich on the palate, very umami on the finish and shows great length. A very good case for aging English fizz. Leaves you desiring another sip!

6/7/2022 - vespasian wrote:

Full and ripe on the nose. Rich red and black fruits. Spice; full fruited, very much on the fruit, some good structure here. Still quite light in style. A challenging wine.

6/7/2022 - vespasian wrote:

Great nose - lovely darker fruit, stems, a little PN like. Herbal notes. Floral. Black cherry; crunchy and fresh on the palate, very fresh acidity. Needs time to settle a little. Some hidden tannins here too.

6/7/2022 - vespasian wrote:

Very spicy nose, rose petals, ripe raspberry, herbal character. Not dissimilar to Dolcetto in some ways; quite a juicy style, not very high acidity. Red fruits driven. A bit of alcohol on the finish. Mineral.