Reviews

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle

Oh it's far too early my friends, but darnit-all if this isn't a fine specimen worth having in the cellar for a rainy day a few years from now. Opaque in the glass, with only the rims allowing…

Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

Signature Applewood bacon and mulch kick off the launch of earthy dark red and black berry, kirsch, cedar plank, garrigue, soppressata, sandalwood, and earthy funk flavors that culminate in a…

Allbaer Petite Sirah Un Petit Debut VERSION OOI

At first shy on the nose but eventually presenting faint puffs of freshly washed plums, peonies, and hints of menthol, the aromas on this curious petite sirah signal a fragrantly lifted and refined…

Patrick Piuze Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses

A young Grand Cru that still has some growing up to do, the Preuses shares qualitative similarities with its sibling Cote de Bouqueyreaux (dear lord, that's a mouthful) Bougros. Clean and pristine,…

Clarendon Hills Astralis

A smooth, dark, and rich wine that carries balsamic and plum notes pumping saturation and depth, cascading throughout the mouth and filling the palate. With earthy and leather flavors rolling in and…

Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta

A very darkly postured red at first sip, giving way to beautifully sweet and deep plum, black raspberry, fig, coffee cake, black licorice, cedar chest, and unsmoked cigar notes. There is a gorgeous…

Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Dorée

The Sémillon component shows strong from this bottle, with a more serious tone and structure flanking the bruised yellow citrus and olive oil flavors. Kiwi and passion fruit notes bring freshness and…

Bodegas Toro Albalá Don PX Convento Selección

So you're trekking along the outer banks of Quebec Canada with your syrup-hunting pig (Daisy), your two trusty Vizslas (Carpathian and Zoltan), and a 2-foot high Middle-Earth hobbit with bad hygiene,…

Château Prieuré-Lichine

Here's a piece of advice... Drink this wine by itself with a nice plate of food in the privacy of your own home while listening to yer boy Yanni. Don't take it to a tasting of great wines surrounding…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Montmains

Ironically, this bottle showed much more of an intense and muscular posture on the immediate pull of the cork. This tasted like a phat pull of a barrel sample, with what seemed like decent dollops of…

Weingut Prinz Hallgartener Frühernberg Riesling trocken

A really spritzy showing this time around. The lemon and limestone flavors were a bit prickly as they were barbed with edgy acidity. Needs time. Currently it's like drinking steel wool with…

Patrick Piuze Chablis 1er Cru Les Séchets

A nice hybrid between the 2017 and 2018 vintages, this 2019 Sechets weds the viscous weight and expansive lemony succulence of 2018 with the push of energy of the 2017. There is notable persistence…

Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre

Yellow citrus, lemon curd, lime rind, cream, honey, and marshmallow make for a more wood-influenced production at this stage. Though quite tasty and decently powered, the display of the purity of…

Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Bougros

Well this was a nice surprise. Full of life and popping with energetic and succulent lemon everything, this Servin is quite the over-performing little monkey. The Bougros site is brilliantly…

Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Coup de Coeur

This was best on PnP and served relatively cold. Juicy, luscious, plush, succulent, and all the words that make you want to take a dip in the ocean at midnight in Bora Bora when it's still 100…

Paul Pernot et ses Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles

At first a bit reticent and horizontal, the Pucelles takes some time and air to get out of first gear and increasingly, gradually, rev up to more expressive flavors of yellow and green citrus juice…

Sine Qua Non Syrah "M" Eleven Confessions Vineyard

Creeping up on two years now since I last had a bottle, I can't deny my affection for this wine; it simply commands attention as soon as it hits the glass. Pouring a moonless midnight black-purple,…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Coming off a bit heavy handed and blown out for the first hour or so, this bottle needed significant air to start coming into form. Ripe red and purple berry and plum are washed with spice and…

The Third Twin Nuestra Señora del Tercer Gemelo The Third Twin Vineyard

Saturated red and black raspberry, kirsch, black cherry, spice, toast, forest floor, and stems traipse around in a striking exhibition of confident flavor-parading. The entwining of ripe and ready…

Carlisle Mourvèdre Radiant Ridge

Pouring a translucent purple-crimson, the 2018 Carlisle Radiant Ridge Mourvèdre rockets-up aromas of spring flowers and a medley of freshly washed berries and cherries. The intoxicating color and…

Vangone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Over two and a half years since my last sample, the 2015 Vangone is now in quite the agreeable state at this stage in the game. A downshift from its original roaring intensity has made way for a more…

Heritage School Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Missiaen's Hillside Vineyard

Similar to the 2018 Hillside served directly beside it in terms of profile and specific flavor-components, this iteration is more of a hallmark of the affable and smooth-operator 2014 vintage. A bit…

Heritage School Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Select Blend

Always a three-barrel selection from among a combination of any of the three sites (Hillside, Lakeview, Creekside), this Select immediately shows an added layer of concentration and depth when…

Heritage School Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Missiaen's Hillside Vineyard

With a mountain fruit kind of vibe, reminding me instantly of a Pritchard Hill lookalike, the Hillside impresses with its iron-inflected and redder pitched fruit running through its otherwise dark…

Heritage School Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Lakeview

A dark and ripe fruit-filled entry is provided requisite frame and grip by way of a firm chalkiness that quickly whips-up the lush berry core and gives keen direction to the lifted finish. Though the…