10 years from last bottle. still fantastic, really reminiscent of lightly mature white burg, but with more honey, herbal notes and viscosity. Great bottle. Shame its my last and I hope at some point they make this cuvee again.
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Color: dark yellow with viscous legs Nose: medium intensity. Complex warm aromas of stone fruit and berries; some minerality. Opens in the glass... Body/flavor: medium body. Complex fresh and dried stone fruits... hard for me to identify certain flavors, maybe because lack of familiarity with Friulano and Tocai. But what a treat! Aftertaste: lingering dry to sweet flavors
My last bottle of a white wine aged for 140 months before bottling. And then rested for 22 years in my basement (45 - 58 F). Quite the experience.
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Consistent with notes from 17:"Medium gold color. Nose showing citrus/lemon, some petrol and ....Palate of aged apricot, citrus, marzipan, nuts/almonds on back palate."
A decant makes a difference with this. Wine was open for about 2 hours before drinking. The mid/back palate nuts/marzipan notes are the highlight here.
This has gone a long way for the origin and varietal. Would drink up at this point
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really didn't like this the first time, years ago. on revisiting, i find the flor/sherry elements lovely, and the wine is lovely and lighter (i found it unbearably heavy and oily last time). i do not get much petrol as others have, but happy to say that this was enjoyed with some shrimp tapas cooked with sherry and butter
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I held this bottle for long time waiting for friends to share it with, but social distancing has put that very far. I was going to have a cheese fondue and was looking for a wine that would pair with it and I am glad that I reached for this bottle. I am borrowing from SKIP2MYLU note in terms of descriptors, not sure if it is bottle variation, but on the contrary, this bottle felt vibrant, it was hard to believe it was 19 years old.
Light golden appearance with thick legs, somehow gives the impression of being oily. Medium nose with notes of flowers (similar to those of Alsace Pinot Blanc) and petrol and Lychee.
The palate is clean it does have some oily feel with some notes of petrol, there is minerality and some yeast, similar to that of Flor in Sherry. The acidity is medium, it paired beautifully with the Emmental cheese founde, served with broccoli, bread, chicken sausage and boiled potatoes.
More than anything, drinking this bottle was a true experience, there is a lot of confidence from the winemaker in the aging potential of the fruit.
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Very good but on the downhill slide. - Golden appearance with thick drippy legs, beading into droplets after 30secs. - Aroma floral and petrol with slight lemon juice. Young up-front on the nose with undertones of age rising to the surface. - Palate on the downside. Very petrol and oily. Slight clay and grass, some slight minerality. It was not very good with curry lamb and NY cheese but palatable. The finish was like a flat ginger-ale. Quickly fades into nothingness. This one won't last much longer...
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Similar to past bottles. This had more of a honey / corn thing going on the nose. Interesting but not something that I would choose to drink often. (88)
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Light gold. Under-ripe apricot skin, mild honey and marzipan on the nose. Oily, slightly waxy and oxidative. Zippy acidity cut the finish off just a tad early. A good aperitif or cheese accompaniment. Nice. (87)
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I only had a small tasting of this wine as my wife and her friend were busy consuming this after dinner. Light straw in color. Aroma of honey and flowers was amazing. Light and airy on the palate with a taste of misc fruits and flowers. Loved it, but I had consumed 2 long island teas and 1/2 bottle of 2009 Chappellet Cab before tasting so reader beware.
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This was excellent and unusual, but the usual qualifiers apply here -context, expectation, time and receptivity. Youthful apearance - clear yellow-gold with bitter almond and quinine at the outset and then it settled down to be a dutiful companion to salmon, Caesar salad, grilled asparagus etc.. a wine for a long meal. There is some weight and oily texture that comes through balanced by excellent acidity. Needless to say, food and consideration are mandatory. Develops Meursault-like characteristics with matchstick, flint and nuts never losing that bitter finish and always bright. Held up well over several hours. A lovely wine.
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This was a little less expressive than prior bottles, not sure if the bottle was off or decant too long(?). Medium gold color. Nose showing citrus/lemon, some petrol and ....Palate of aged apricot, citrus, marzipan, nuts/almonds on back palate.
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Notes after following for a few hours open. Pale yellow, foggy straw color with very slow legs. Shy aroma, whose main feature is the light oxidation present. Oily palate with very little fruit, some vermouth-like nuttyness and a rockslide of minerals on the back end. Interesting to try, but no intent to re-buy. Perhaps too long in the tooth now, or maybe not enough time yet? I know not, but my first bottle last June was much more enjoyable. Now, I'm just I'm happy to have the cellar space back. 3+8+13+7 = 81
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Veneto Underground Dinner (Chicago, IL): Why are these white wines always so oily? That, even though there's plenty of crisp acidity here. This is really high-toned as well, and although the minerality and acidity are here in spades, it doesn't seem to have integrated well and neither of those properties drives this wine. Feels disjoint. For its age, this wine seems to be lacking a bit of palate fullness too. This wine has many of the things I like, but they just somehow don't come together.
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Like many have noted, not for everyone's taste, and it should be allowed to breathe and be consumed a little warmer than other whites. There are nice fruit and nut flavors, but there is a sort of herbal character that almost puts one in the mind of a red, and a nice oily texture like you'd expect from an older white. Esoteric, and maybe not something I need on a regular basis, but worth trying at least once.
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Opened for Atleti-Barca, 2nd leg. I agree with some previous tasters that this is a divisive wine. I'm on the favorably-disposed side. I'm not gaga for this, but I found it very interesting and sophisticated. Loads of wax, bitter almond, and quince.
NB: As others have found, this is way better on days 2 and 3 than on day 1. Decant, double decant, swirl your glass, put in the blender, run through the bogus yuppie wine aerator you got suckered into buying, and enjoy.
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91-92; however my score is probably irrelevant since I've never had anything like this as a comparison. This wine was very intriguing, lots going on. To me it was more reminiscent of a light red than a white wine. Lots of savory notes, a bit of funk (almost barnyard-esk), some dried grass or herbs, waxy texture but still lively with fair acidity. Not much in the way of fruit, maybe a touch of citrus and some baked pear/over ripe melon. The finish is quite long. For me, a winner, but to each their own. This wine is very obscure and likely draws in a particular type of drinker, thus the crazy fluctuation in scores (I've seen really low to really high on multiple apps). If you like to try new things I would give this a try, fun wine.
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Fascinating wine. Reminds me of Monastero Suore Cistercensi Coenobium - orange wine in character with interesting fruity, waxy scents (gummy worms/life savers) Best at cellar temp.
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2nd try and i've decided i am not a big fan or this style of wine. i guess some people just like to do things differently without good reason (at least to me anyways)
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Served only lightly chilled with grilled swordfish, sauteed collard greens and roasted baby new potatoes. Aged citrus, yellow fruit, subtle earth and dried herbs, very nice translucent acid and light flower honey sweetness that made for great synergy with other attributes, for an absorbing & intriguing palate of moderate length. Nose ebbed and flowed with same. Grew richer and more evocative with air and warmth. Will very much look forward to a second bottle down the road.
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A delicioulsy complex wine. This bottle was a little fresher than the previous one. It opened up nicely as the temperature came up to 65 degrees. Orange zest, marzipan, stewed pair with backdrop of gravel and petrol. Full bodied to be sure and very nicely balanced with bright acidity. Palette coating texture, yet somehow light enough to not feel weighed down. Very long finish. I could not have chosen a better bottle to drink with seared scallops and orange-fenel salad over lemon risotto. 8-18-9-9
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Best bottle of the last three. Limpid, suave texture, with sweetness balanced by noticable acidity. Such pleasure. Worth snapping up every bottle one can find. At the price paid, easily a favorite house wine.
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At home with wood oven pizzas and salad, first bottle from a stash bought from Garagiste.
Medium gold color. Nose was lemon/citrus, pear, petrol. Nose could have passed for an aged Rielsling. Some spritz/fizz at first that seemed to disappear over the hour we drank this. Palate was savory, apricot, lemon zest, marzipan.
This is a unique wine, and since it is "waking up" after 13 years it needed some time to breathe. We did not decant but drank in burgundy goblets which helped appreciate the complexity and nuance in this wine. Better at room temperature than when chilled.
Rating is tough on this as it doesn't have any ready points of reference - really unique wine. My oldest daughter has an excellent palate - not wine educated yet - noted this was one of the most unique whites she has had
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Wow, was this a nice bottle! Started with saline and savory notes and finished with a ton of sweet fruit as it blossomed with air. How do I get more of this/more like this???
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Very nice scents, indeed it's leesy for sure, but probably only because I know it should be. Generally, those notes are of stewed melon covered in a strong sense of bees wax, spicy acid, and preserved lemons. Very strong, rich, and deep. Similar notes of wax and preserved lemons on the plate, which is rich in acidity and fairly thick and viscous texturally. Not entirely graceful in texture, as it offers some chunky movement. That's a lovely preserved lemon note, though. Rich acid dials up on the finish as this really coats the whole palate in its presence. Some slight funky leesiness at the end on large sips, but overall after an hour open or so, this offers quite a bit of pleasure. A fun experiment they had making this wine, and a reasonable value considering the investment of time.
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Cork in very good shape. Deep yellow. Definitely mature, but very assertive. A bottle that would have paired well with more robust food--we had it with steamed mussels, where it didn't add. Next time, cheese or a chicken braise.
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Not a lot I remember here... tasted like "aged" white wine, some weight developed here with lightly oxidative notes, slight funk. Good stuff, was not super blown away. Does have a few more years in it.
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The best Italian white wine I've ever had. Petroleum, baked pear, lemon custard, and tropical vegetation with lots of bitter almond on the finish. Hay yellow in color with a green tinge that hints of the vegetation.
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I'm not going to score this. Smoke and burnt rubber on the nose. This drank a bit like a low alc dry sherry for me. Did not get a lot of fruit but there was a long liqueur like finish. I actually enjoyed it but I kept asking myself whether this wine was oxidised. Reserving judgment as I haven't had old friulano before.
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Awesome bottle! Everything was in line with the positive reviews and the negative reviews only applied when the wine was too cold. In an attempt to understand both sides of the story, we poured half of the bottle into a decanter and re-corked the remainder (also tasting immediately after popping the cork). Even the first taste after opening, it was clear that this is a special and serious wine. The decanted portion (1.5 hours) was better than the portion that was not allowed to breath, but it was tasty in all cases. Do not drink this wine too cold. It looses much of the appeal and complexity. i suspect that this was the cause of the scathing reviews.
Strong apricot with lemon zest, marzipan, very nice minerality and a slightly sweet petrol note. The texture was a little oily, yet crisp (somehow). Good acidity and a long finish. This wine is good without food, but much better with it (we had ours with scallop ravioli and a brown butter bur blanc). 8-18-8-9.
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Had this with Hellowine below. Outstanding. Interesting. Unique.
Decant this, and enjoy. very rich wine, with a medium-heavy body. Held up to food very well. Would be a nice winter white. Nose was all apricot, pear and light baked apple. Slight chemical/petrol smell. Big fruit taste with strong minerality, almond, balanced acidity and alcohol with a nice structure. Very long finish. No need to hurry to drink.
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Very nice white. Deep, golden color. Lots of rich flavors and weighty. There was a tarry rubber note on the nose that did not blow off, but highly recommend decanting for at least an hour in advance. It's wonderful once it opens up and the tar smell blows off. After that, it's like a very dry cider with a sweet apple flavor but without any sugar.
Best with food. Ate it with a grilled chicken breast in a spicy orange sauce. (Think OJ, Sriracha, herbs and salt) Sides were buttery sweet potato and grilled zucchini. Wasn't the best match with the spicy heat, but was held up.
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Gasoline and rubber. Another reviewer mentioned that it opened up to reveal some interesting complexity after four hours, but not for me. The worst of it settled down, but this is still a failed experiment in my book.
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A polarizing wine among those who partook of this bottle. Smoke on the nose, continuing on to the palate with a touch of beeswax, some citrusy acidity and a strong mineral finish. I only wish I'd paired it with smoked fish to give it a fair pairing. Count me among the group who liked it!
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One hour decant, followed by lots of swirling and several small glasses over a period of hours. Initial nose was nutty, with big blasts of gasoline. First few sips were all roasted hazelnuts and bone dry minerality. No fruit anywhere to be found. If I quit at this point, my reaction would have been "wow, that was rough." Over time, the harsh gasoline fades and the nose becomes more complex, with floral notes to go along with the nuttiness. Palate is still full of wet stone, but fruit also emerges, including lime, green apple and even a bit of barely ripe pineapple. This is a fun wine. It cries out for food. But any white that changes this dramatically over 4 hours is well worth exploring. Can't wait to see how the remaning 5 bottles evolve over the next several years.
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Medium metallic gold. Hazlenut nose. Fruitless, interestingly nutty but unattractive on day one. Day two, still running a zero on fruit and sweetness. The unpleasantly austere edge has mellowed, walnut, stoniness, tiny hint of lime, medium long finish. Unique, interesting.
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Wine was chilled for approximately 45 minutes before tasting, then tasted repeatedly as it warmed up. Showed all sorts of interesting aromas, including oak (of course). Beeswax, pear, quince, perfumed flowers, and honey seemed to all play well with a solid line of minerality that flowed throughout the wine. I loved the balance and structure, plus the "gee-whiz" factor of drinking a wine that spent 140 months in oak. Absolutely cool, delicious, and begging for a food pairing.
8/13/2023 - ericindc Likes this wine: 93 Points
10 years from last bottle. still fantastic, really reminiscent of lightly mature white burg, but with more honey, herbal notes and viscosity. Great bottle. Shame its my last and I hope at some point they make this cuvee again.
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1/25/2023 - OldwineinVT Likes this wine: 91 Points
Garagiste selection. 13% ABV
Color: dark yellow with viscous legs
Nose: medium intensity. Complex warm aromas of stone fruit and berries; some minerality. Opens in the glass...
Body/flavor: medium body. Complex fresh and dried stone fruits... hard for me to identify certain flavors, maybe because lack of familiarity with Friulano and Tocai. But what a treat!
Aftertaste: lingering dry to sweet flavors
My last bottle of a white wine aged for 140 months before bottling. And then rested for 22 years in my basement (45 - 58 F). Quite the experience.
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4/23/2021 - walkerjfw wrote: 88 Points
Paolo visits Princeton... (Cellars at Chez Walker): Thought to check in on this, its been a few years. A "wine geeks" selection, rare and interesting but not for every palate.
Consistent with notes from 17:"Medium gold color. Nose showing citrus/lemon, some petrol and ....Palate of aged apricot, citrus, marzipan, nuts/almonds on back palate."
A decant makes a difference with this. Wine was open for about 2 hours before drinking. The mid/back palate nuts/marzipan notes are the highlight here.
This has gone a long way for the origin and varietal. Would drink up at this point
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8/10/2020 - Enfant sauvage wrote: flawed
This bottle was a spoiled hot mess.
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7/28/2020 - edgar Likes this wine: 87 Points
really didn't like this the first time, years ago. on revisiting, i find the flor/sherry elements lovely, and the wine is lovely and lighter (i found it unbearably heavy and oily last time). i do not get much petrol as others have, but happy to say that this was enjoyed with some shrimp tapas cooked with sherry and butter
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6/21/2020 - Oldworlddrinker wrote:
I held this bottle for long time waiting for friends to share it with, but social distancing has put that very far. I was going to have a cheese fondue and was looking for a wine that would pair with it and I am glad that I reached for this bottle. I am borrowing from SKIP2MYLU note in terms of descriptors, not sure if it is bottle variation, but on the contrary, this bottle felt vibrant, it was hard to believe it was 19 years old.
Light golden appearance with thick legs, somehow gives the impression of being oily. Medium nose with notes of flowers (similar to those of Alsace Pinot Blanc) and petrol and Lychee.
The palate is clean it does have some oily feel with some notes of petrol, there is minerality and some yeast, similar to that of Flor in Sherry. The acidity is medium, it paired beautifully with the Emmental cheese founde, served with broccoli, bread, chicken sausage and boiled potatoes.
More than anything, drinking this bottle was a true experience, there is a lot of confidence from the winemaker in the aging potential of the fruit.
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3/8/2020 - skip2mylu Likes this wine: 86 Points
Very good but on the downhill slide.
- Golden appearance with thick drippy legs, beading into droplets after 30secs.
- Aroma floral and petrol with slight lemon juice. Young up-front on the nose with undertones of age rising to the surface.
- Palate on the downside. Very petrol and oily. Slight clay and grass, some slight minerality.
It was not very good with curry lamb and NY cheese but palatable. The finish was like a flat ginger-ale. Quickly fades into nothingness.
This one won't last much longer...
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6/22/2019 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 92 Points
Constantly surprised by how well this has lasted. Significant minerality. Great with cheese!
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6/11/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 88 Points
Similar to past bottles. This had more of a honey / corn thing going on the nose. Interesting but not something that I would choose to drink often. (88)
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10/16/2017 - dbkitc wrote: 87 Points
Light gold. Under-ripe apricot skin, mild honey and marzipan on the nose. Oily, slightly waxy and oxidative. Zippy acidity cut the finish off just a tad early. A good aperitif or cheese accompaniment. Nice. (87)
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9/22/2017 - kcsteve Likes this wine: 90 Points
I only had a small tasting of this wine as my wife and her friend were busy consuming this after dinner. Light straw in color. Aroma of honey and flowers was amazing. Light and airy on the palate with a taste of misc fruits and flowers. Loved it, but I had consumed 2 long island teas and 1/2 bottle of 2009 Chappellet Cab before tasting so reader beware.
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9/17/2017 - vindictive wrote:
This was excellent and unusual, but the usual qualifiers apply here -context, expectation, time and receptivity. Youthful apearance - clear yellow-gold with bitter almond and quinine at the outset and then it settled down to be a dutiful companion to salmon, Caesar salad, grilled asparagus etc.. a wine for a long meal. There is some weight and oily texture that comes through balanced by excellent acidity. Needless to say, food and consideration are mandatory. Develops Meursault-like characteristics with matchstick, flint and nuts never losing that bitter finish and always bright. Held up well over several hours. A lovely wine.
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8/9/2017 - bspahn wrote: 87 Points
This wine seemed past its prime. Highly acidic with no fruit to balance. Much worse than the 140 months Galea I had a few months ago.
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4/24/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 89 Points
"Boston Wine Dinner #3 with Mirela/Brad/Helgo...Todd a no-show...:( (Prezza - Boston North End): Was looking to add an "interesting" white for this crew to start the evening. Opened and slow oxed about 2 hours from prior experience.
This was a little less expressive than prior bottles, not sure if the bottle was off or decant too long(?). Medium gold color. Nose showing citrus/lemon, some petrol and ....Palate of aged apricot, citrus, marzipan, nuts/almonds on back palate.
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4/7/2017 - fingers wrote: 81 Points
Notes after following for a few hours open. Pale yellow, foggy straw color with very slow legs. Shy aroma, whose main feature is the light oxidation present. Oily palate with very little fruit, some vermouth-like nuttyness and a rockslide of minerals on the back end. Interesting to try, but no intent to re-buy. Perhaps too long in the tooth now, or maybe not enough time yet? I know not, but my first bottle last June was much more enjoyable. Now, I'm just I'm happy to have the cellar space back. 3+8+13+7 = 81
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2/2/2017 - LoireFan wrote: 90 Points
Back to just interesting.
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10/27/2016 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
Veneto Underground Dinner (Chicago, IL): Why are these white wines always so oily? That, even though there's plenty of crisp acidity here. This is really high-toned as well, and although the minerality and acidity are here in spades, it doesn't seem to have integrated well and neither of those properties drives this wine. Feels disjoint. For its age, this wine seems to be lacking a bit of palate fullness too. This wine has many of the things I like, but they just somehow don't come together.
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9/24/2016 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 91 Points
90-91; similar to previous bottle, mostly fun for the intrigue factor. Nice texture, good acidity, enjoyable.
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8/2/2016 - ilcalmo wrote: 90 Points
Like many have noted, not for everyone's taste, and it should be allowed to breathe and be consumed a little warmer than other whites. There are nice fruit and nut flavors, but there is a sort of herbal character that almost puts one in the mind of a red, and a nice oily texture like you'd expect from an older white. Esoteric, and maybe not something I need on a regular basis, but worth trying at least once.
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5/13/2016 - Enfant sauvage Likes this wine:
Opened for Atleti-Barca, 2nd leg. I agree with some previous tasters that this is a divisive wine. I'm on the favorably-disposed side. I'm not gaga for this, but I found it very interesting and sophisticated. Loads of wax, bitter almond, and quince.
NB: As others have found, this is way better on days 2 and 3 than on day 1. Decant, double decant, swirl your glass, put in the blender, run through the bogus yuppie wine aerator you got suckered into buying, and enjoy.
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4/17/2016 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 92 Points
91-92; however my score is probably irrelevant since I've never had anything like this as a comparison. This wine was very intriguing, lots going on. To me it was more reminiscent of a light red than a white wine. Lots of savory notes, a bit of funk (almost barnyard-esk), some dried grass or herbs, waxy texture but still lively with fair acidity. Not much in the way of fruit, maybe a touch of citrus and some baked pear/over ripe melon. The finish is quite long. For me, a winner, but to each their own. This wine is very obscure and likely draws in a particular type of drinker, thus the crazy fluctuation in scores (I've seen really low to really high on multiple apps). If you like to try new things I would give this a try, fun wine.
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12/25/2015 - skip2mylu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day-1 12/20/15 = 87 Pts
Day-5 12/25/15 = 92 Pts
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12/7/2015 - mtaczak wrote: 92 Points
Fascinating wine. Reminds me of Monastero Suore Cistercensi Coenobium - orange wine in character with interesting fruity, waxy scents (gummy worms/life savers) Best at cellar temp.
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11/26/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
Thanksgiving at Chez Walker w/Jeroen,Isobel and family (Princeton, NJ): Served pre-dinner for our guests to sample a unique wine...had with cheeses and appetizers...consistent with prior notes...really unique wine without a clear reference. Hard to rate but very enjoyable
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11/6/2015 - cortoncharlie wrote:
2nd try and i've decided i am not a big fan or this style of wine. i guess some people just like to do things differently without good reason (at least to me anyways)
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10/7/2015 - LoireFan wrote: 93 Points
This was great! Want more. Superior to first two bottles; maybe just now coming around.
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10/3/2015 - wayfarer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Served only lightly chilled with grilled swordfish, sauteed collard greens and roasted baby new potatoes. Aged citrus, yellow fruit, subtle earth and dried herbs, very nice translucent acid and light flower honey sweetness that made for great synergy with other attributes, for an absorbing & intriguing palate of moderate length. Nose ebbed and flowed with same. Grew richer and more evocative with air and warmth. Will very much look forward to a second bottle down the road.
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9/6/2015 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 94 Points
A delicioulsy complex wine. This bottle was a little fresher than the previous one. It opened up nicely as the temperature came up to 65 degrees. Orange zest, marzipan, stewed pair with backdrop of gravel and petrol. Full bodied to be sure and very nicely balanced with bright acidity. Palette coating texture, yet somehow light enough to not feel weighed down. Very long finish. I could not have chosen a better bottle to drink with seared scallops and orange-fenel salad over lemon risotto.
8-18-9-9
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8/2/2015 - jonbknight Likes this wine:
Fresh, Excellent
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7/15/2015 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Best bottle of the last three. Limpid, suave texture, with sweetness balanced by noticable acidity. Such pleasure. Worth snapping up every bottle one can find. At the price paid, easily a favorite house wine.
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5/16/2015 - OldwineinVT Likes this wine: 91 Points
Garagiste selection
Color: medium yellow; nice viscous legs
Nose: Complex floral and tropical fruits. Definitely needs air and as another writer said, time to "wake up." Unusual but attractive aromas.
Body/flavor: Medium to full bodied. Complex fruit and dried spices/
Lingering aftertaste.
Went beautifully with bloomy rind goat cheese and aged cow's milk cheese; some terrific American-made salami, including 'Nduja!
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5/16/2015 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Very aromatic. Flavor profile and texture very mellow, with a bit a bitter backdrop. Will miss this wine after the last bottle.
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1/1/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
At home with wood oven pizzas and salad, first bottle from a stash bought from Garagiste.
Medium gold color. Nose was lemon/citrus, pear, petrol. Nose could have passed for an aged Rielsling. Some spritz/fizz at first that seemed to disappear over the hour we drank this. Palate was savory, apricot, lemon zest, marzipan.
This is a unique wine, and since it is "waking up" after 13 years it needed some time to breathe. We did not decant but drank in burgundy goblets which helped appreciate the complexity and nuance in this wine. Better at room temperature than when chilled.
Rating is tough on this as it doesn't have any ready points of reference - really unique wine. My oldest daughter has an excellent palate - not wine educated yet - noted this was one of the most unique whites she has had
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11/9/2014 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Wow, was this a nice bottle! Started with saline and savory notes and finished with a ton of sweet fruit as it blossomed with air. How do I get more of this/more like this???
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10/6/2014 - LoireFan wrote: 90 Points
Interesting but not offering much pleasure.
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9/8/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
Very nice scents, indeed it's leesy for sure, but probably only because I know it should be. Generally, those notes are of stewed melon covered in a strong sense of bees wax, spicy acid, and preserved lemons. Very strong, rich, and deep. Similar notes of wax and preserved lemons on the plate, which is rich in acidity and fairly thick and viscous texturally. Not entirely graceful in texture, as it offers some chunky movement. That's a lovely preserved lemon note, though. Rich acid dials up on the finish as this really coats the whole palate in its presence. Some slight funky leesiness at the end on large sips, but overall after an hour open or so, this offers quite a bit of pleasure. A fun experiment they had making this wine, and a reasonable value considering the investment of time.
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8/23/2014 - 1961Vintage wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful surprise. Quite complex and full of well balanced minerality. Looking forward to trying the remaining bottles in a few years.
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8/15/2014 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Cork in very good shape. Deep yellow. Definitely mature, but very assertive. A bottle that would have paired well with more robust food--we had it with steamed mussels, where it didn't add. Next time, cheese or a chicken braise.
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7/17/2014 - sjr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not a lot I remember here... tasted like "aged" white wine, some weight developed here with lightly oxidative notes, slight funk. Good stuff, was not super blown away. Does have a few more years in it.
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7/14/2014 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 93 Points
The best Italian white wine I've ever had. Petroleum, baked pear, lemon custard, and tropical vegetation with lots of bitter almond on the finish. Hay yellow in color with a green tinge that hints of the vegetation.
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7/8/2014 - cortoncharlie wrote:
I'm not going to score this. Smoke and burnt rubber on the nose. This drank a bit like a low alc dry sherry for me. Did not get a lot of fruit but there was a long liqueur like finish. I actually enjoyed it but I kept asking myself whether this wine was oxidised. Reserving judgment as I haven't had old friulano before.
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6/15/2014 - CO_Roots13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Awesome bottle! Everything was in line with the positive reviews and the negative reviews only applied when the wine was too cold. In an attempt to understand both sides of the story, we poured half of the bottle into a decanter and re-corked the remainder (also tasting immediately after popping the cork). Even the first taste after opening, it was clear that this is a special and serious wine. The decanted portion (1.5 hours) was better than the portion that was not allowed to breath, but it was tasty in all cases. Do not drink this wine too cold. It looses much of the appeal and complexity. i suspect that this was the cause of the scathing reviews.
Strong apricot with lemon zest, marzipan, very nice minerality and a slightly sweet petrol note. The texture was a little oily, yet crisp (somehow). Good acidity and a long finish. This wine is good without food, but much better with it (we had ours with scallop ravioli and a brown butter bur blanc). 8-18-8-9.
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5/17/2014 - ericindc wrote: 94 Points
Had this with Hellowine below. Outstanding. Interesting. Unique.
Decant this, and enjoy. very rich wine, with a medium-heavy body. Held up to food very well. Would be a nice winter white. Nose was all apricot, pear and light baked apple. Slight chemical/petrol smell. Big fruit taste with strong minerality, almond, balanced acidity and alcohol with a nice structure. Very long finish. No need to hurry to drink.
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5/17/2014 - hellowine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice white. Deep, golden color. Lots of rich flavors and weighty. There was a tarry rubber note on the nose that did not blow off, but highly recommend decanting for at least an hour in advance. It's wonderful once it opens up and the tar smell blows off. After that, it's like a very dry cider with a sweet apple flavor but without any sugar.
Best with food. Ate it with a grilled chicken breast in a spicy orange sauce. (Think OJ, Sriracha, herbs and salt) Sides were buttery sweet potato and grilled zucchini. Wasn't the best match with the spicy heat, but was held up.
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5/15/2014 - LoireFan wrote: 91 Points
Maybe 92. I think it needs more time.
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5/11/2014 - robmillis Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Gasoline and rubber. Another reviewer mentioned that it opened up to reveal some interesting complexity after four hours, but not for me. The worst of it settled down, but this is still a failed experiment in my book.
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5/3/2014 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 89 Points
Notes of pineapple, some creamy tones, with a hint of oxidation. Sweet and spritzy on the palate with some syrupy depth. Satisfying lingering finish.
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4/13/2014 - urban_dk wrote: 90 Points
A polarizing wine among those who partook of this bottle. Smoke on the nose, continuing on to the palate with a touch of beeswax, some citrusy acidity and a strong mineral finish. I only wish I'd paired it with smoked fish to give it a fair pairing. Count me among the group who liked it!
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4/7/2014 - BBencz Likes this wine: 93 Points
One hour decant, followed by lots of swirling and several small glasses over a period of hours. Initial nose was nutty, with big blasts of gasoline. First few sips were all roasted hazelnuts and bone dry minerality. No fruit anywhere to be found. If I quit at this point, my reaction would have been "wow, that was rough." Over time, the harsh gasoline fades and the nose becomes more complex, with floral notes to go along with the nuttiness. Palate is still full of wet stone, but fruit also emerges, including lime, green apple and even a bit of barely ripe pineapple. This is a fun wine. It cries out for food. But any white that changes this dramatically over 4 hours is well worth exploring. Can't wait to see how the remaning 5 bottles evolve over the next several years.
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4/5/2014 - Atwellian wrote: 88 Points
Medium metallic gold. Hazlenut nose. Fruitless, interestingly nutty but unattractive on day one. Day two, still running a zero on fruit and sweetness. The unpleasantly austere edge has mellowed, walnut, stoniness, tiny hint of lime, medium long finish. Unique, interesting.
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3/28/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:
Wine was chilled for approximately 45 minutes before tasting, then tasted repeatedly as it warmed up. Showed all sorts of interesting aromas, including oak (of course). Beeswax, pear, quince, perfumed flowers, and honey seemed to all play well with a solid line of minerality that flowed throughout the wine. I loved the balance and structure, plus the "gee-whiz" factor of drinking a wine that spent 140 months in oak. Absolutely cool, delicious, and begging for a food pairing.
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1/1/2014 - j.a.price.trucking wrote: 89 Points
No fruit, like a funky dry cider. Good. Slightly wooden and nutty. Austere.
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