The 2021 vintage of Gestalt Block Pinot Noir showcases its trademark style and depth, with dark blue and black fruits—blackberry, blueberry, and black plum—layered with savory notes of tobacco and herbs. Firm tannins... Read More

Because the Vecchie Vigne was not made in 2022, fruit from the old vines was directed to this wine instead. The Paitin 2022 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin is a beautiful wine with dark elements of graphite, dusty root,... Read More

A bigger, richer wine, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes has a similar style in its peppery garrigue, lavender, scorched earth, and licorice aromatics. It’s slightly darker fruited than the base cuvée... Read More

Régnard, one of the oldest and most prestigious houses in Chablis, was founded by Zéphir Régnard in 1860.
In 1984, Baron Patrick de Ladoucette purchased Régnard and has perpetuated the style and tradition... Read More

Fermented in a mix of stainless steel drums and older oak barrels, the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is a beauty, based on Musqué-clone budwood from Arroyo Seco. Spicy and herbal, with a pungent hint of boxwood, it also delivers... Read More

The 2021 Chardonnay Zotovich is bright and focused, with terrific depth and tons of character. Savory and mineral notes are pushed forward, while the fruit is more in the background. Citrus peel, dried flowers, herbs, mint, sage... Read More

A fresh and fragrant cabernet with violets and dark rose-like floras, cassis and blueberries. There is also a decent serving of spicy oak in the mix. The palate is smoothly arranged on sheets of formidably strong tannins, which... Read More

A blend of crushed plums, rose petals, lavender and Violette pastille creates a deeply seductive bouquet as the 2019 NeroSanloré blossoms in the glass. This is a model of grace and elegance with silky textures, vividly... Read More

Dark and earthy in the glass, the 2019 NeroBufaleffj opens with a burst of crushed ashen stones and earth tones before giving way to dusty black currants and blood orange. It's deeply textural, with silken waves of ripe red... Read More

A blend of 88% Sauvignon Blanc and 12% Sémillon, Clos du Val's 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is partially barrel fermented, with the balance made in stainless steel. A hint of boxwood joins pink grapefruit and nectarine notes... Read More

Practicing organic
100% Pinot Noir
From a 1 ha parcel in “Les Combes”, a lieu-dit that is at the bottom of the Corton slope, directly adjacent to Corton “Les Chaumes”
Planted in 1942
Grown on clay and limestone... Read More

Quite dense in the glass, this blend of 40% Syrah, 24% Mourvèdre, 12% Grenache, 9% Graciano, 8% Tempranillo and 7% Carignan shows concentrated aromas of blackberry, black pepper and uplifting violet on the nose. The palate... Read More

Tasting note: Slightly more prominent wood sets off slightly riper aromas of white orchard fruit, floral wisps and a similar hint of lemon zest. There is even better volume to the less refined medium weight flavors that also terminate... Read More

This is both deep in color and on the nose with plenty of wood spices, dark walnuts, black cherries, peppercorn, licorice, bark and dark mushrooms. Supple entry, but the oak tannins and the intense, juicy fruit quickly take over,... Read More

I was able to taste three wines from Domaine Santa Duc. Starting with the 2020 Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits, which spent 18 months in 36-hectoliter Stockinger foudres, it has a floral, elegant, medium-bodied profile as well as lots... Read More

The refined, delicious and caressing middleweight flavors possess very good punch on the firm, balanced, moderately dry and bitter lemon-inflected finish. This markedly stony effort is also quite good and worth considering. *Sweet... Read More

This wine presents the eye with a magenta hue and a vibrant ruby red rim. The
nose offers up an inviting bouquet of ripe red cherry, damp earth, and nuances of
fresh violet. The palate is elegantly structured, with harmonious... Read More

When young, Carbonnieux white wines are delightfully refreshing and pure with a fruity, floral intensity. When mature they develop hints of dried and candied fruits giving scope for a large range of gastronomic pairings. The batches... Read More

The 2023 Chasseignes is already a delight to drink. There's no need to wait: it offers a warm welcome with a round and immediately charming entrance before tightening up as it moves through the mouth. There’s a belt... Read More

Vinified in 300 and 600 liters, the 2022 Cuvée Antan is an aromatically restrained, barrel-fermented Sancerre. The palate gives more flavor than the nose suggests, filling the mid-palate with fresh apricot, lees-derived... Read More

Another wine that's just about to be bottled is the 2020 Todos, which is a final blend of 57% Syrah, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest a mix of varieties. Ripe blueberries, fresh plums,... Read More

The 2022 Ribolla Bengier Vineyard is another superb wine in this range. Intensely floral and nuanced, the 2022 is a standout. All the varietal signatures come through loud and clear. This is the white wine in this lineup that... Read More

The 2023 Pinot Noir Fox Creek Vineyard is a bold, potent wine. Macerated cherry, spice, orange peel, sage, cedar, new leather and earthy notes fill out the layers. This sturdy yet mid-weight Pinot has a ton of character, even... Read More

The 2020 Pirouette is spicy with a dark and brooding bouquet of musky black currant, grilled herbs, cocoa and ashen stone. This is velvety smooth yet lifted in feel, with a combination of red and blue fruit that flows across a... Read More

The 2020 Merlot Pedestal Vintage Select is brooding with a hauntingly dark, backward bouquet of dried blueberries, sage, cedary spice and gravel dust. It sweeps across the palate with grace, silken yet poised, with mineral-inflected... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather is lifted and perfumed with a cascade of red berries, dusty rose and lavender pastille. This is pure elegance, silken, polished and nearly creamy in feel, with fresh acidity and complicating... Read More

Very rich and spicy, with impressive concentration and stacks of fine, soft tannins on the full-bodied palate. There’s licorice and meaty intensity in the crescendo finish. A cuvee of 60% grenache, 20% syrah, 10% mourvedre... Read More

Mineral and savory nose with lots of crushed stones, iron, seaweed, spiced blood orange and cranberries. Structured and vertical on the palate but nothing fleshy here. It shows more mineral tension and tautness than fruit. A pure,... Read More

Wildly spicy, the 2022 Bianco MunJebel bursts from the glass with an array of fermented ginger, fennel, crushed stones and dried apricots. More like nectar than wine, this smooths over the palate then finds a beautiful lift through... Read More

Bright jeweled ruby in color, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is flush with pure aromas of candied flowers, cherry lozenge, pine needles, and blood orange. Medium-framed, it's ripe and pure on the palate, with refreshing energy,... Read More

This Burgundian beauty exudes charm and intensity with ripe fruits, bright aromatics, and the structure to age gracefully. It's a welcome introduction to an exciting year in Burgundy and an ideal choice for your Easter table!... Read More

Looking at the 2021 Figlia, it's an interesting blend of Petit Verdot and Merlot. (Again, the percentages are a secret.) Its saturated purple hue is followed by a wonderfully pure, exotic, medium to full-bodied red that has... Read More

Jean-Guillaume Bret, who with his brother Jean-Philippe manages this 12 ha domaine, and which buys in another 8 to 10 ha of organically farmed must and/or fruit which they sell under the Bret Brothers label (see herein), enthusiastically... Read More

Aromatic intensity characterizes the 2022 Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana as crushed ashen stone and grilled herb aromas blow off to reveal spiced orange peels, dried black cherries and cloves. A captivating lift from vibrant acidity... Read More

96 points Wine Advocate: Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sisters has a delicate perfume of raspberries, rhubarb, tar, orange peel and tea leaves with touches of flint. The light-bodied palate is powdery and fresh with fragrant... Read More

The 2021 Chardonnay Fósil from San Pablo, Uco Valley was 30% aged in 500-liter barrels, the rest in concrete. Yellow in the glass. The nose offers notes of linden blossom, apple, country herbs and a hint of huacatay, a... Read More

Plenty of blackberry, blueberry, lead pencil and violet aromas here that follow through to a full body, with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. So integrated and polished.Changes a lot in the glass. Thoughtful... Read More

The citrus really comes to life here as mandarin, Meyer lemon and finally lemon verbena. While green apple, which is typically quite pronounced in Montelena wines, is somewhat overshadowed by the opulence of other flavors, I would... Read More

So perfumed and dreamy with flowers, citrus and hints of stone. Medium-bodied, this has fine tannins and lovely fruit in the caressing center-palate. The fresh, vivid finish ends with a bit of muscle. Drink or hold.

From a château that deserves more recognition in the market, the 2020 Château De Fieuzal is a brilliant Pessac- Léognan based on 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot raised in 60% new... Read More

Composed of 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.57, the deep purple-black colored 2020 Fleur Cardinale bursts from the glass with powerful notes of crushed blackberries,... Read More

A earthy and attractive nose of forest berries, wild currants, dried leaves, cedar and baking spices. Medium body with firm tannins. Powdery texture at the end. A little hollow now should fill in with a few years of bottle age.... Read More

Juicy and upfront, this has nice energy and life with good acidity and clear texture. Nicely framed with a toasty touch balanced by a hint of sweetness to the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with some floral accents. Oak and... Read More

The medium ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is fresh with aromas of wild strawberries, fresh roses, and beet root. Medium-bodied and elegant, it floats across the palate with fine tannins and a delicately earthy finish. It’s... Read More

The 2022 Misturado was still unbottled in stainless steel and waiting to be bottled in November when I tasted it, so it was a pretty representative sample of what the bottled wine is going to be, as the wine has no added sulfur.... Read More

The 2020 Pouilly-Vinzelles, made one-third in barrel and two-thirds in tank, has a lovely beeswax and dried flower bouquet. The palate is slightly honeyed on the entry, countered by a fine line of acidity with hints of verbena... Read More

Mount Etna’s astronomic rise in hipness over the last decade or so has created a sort of gold rush (or oil rush, to use the metaphor used on this wine's label), with producers from all over Sicily, mainland Italy, and... Read More

Disgorged 01/2021