Gil Krakowsky

9.3

Nose with chalky mineralogy but also distinctly of earth - like potting soil. diChalk on the nose as well as CM spice. Less chalk on the slate which features full bodied cara cara orange wrapped in a liquid of exotic spices along with more notes of earth and some bitter almond. Some toasted oak nuances but mostly integrated. Fantastic! — 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

9.3

Just a really enjoyable wine that is both hearty and even “ big” but still refreshing.
Clearly some Brett and some effervescent feel like may hint at VA, but I find both to be well integrated and enjoyable. A deep darker-side-of-red fruit profile: red and damson plum, dried red cherry, Black licorice, olive. Has a floral sense to it, and some exotic woody undertones as well earth - like a forest after the rain . A full bodied and almost lush wine that might recall the mouthfeel if a Napa cab, but with much more refreshing a acidity coming through - never the least bit cloying or overwrought. Simply a great wine with a broad food pairing potential. That said, I do wonder if it would taste dramatically different at the source. With zero sulphur amidst a long boat ride, life in distributor warehouses, a wine shop and ultimately my euro cave, whether the original intent is preserved in its entirety. Drinking fantastically but also wondering if peak drinking is 2-3 years ahead. Again, the sulphur thing... — 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

8.7

Definitely on last legs, but still quite enjoyable. Soft with Fully resolved tannins. Somewhat reticent nose with cherries and dried leaves. On the palate classic Rutherford kalamata olive and red pepper jam notes along with sweet almost hammy black cherry, and maybe a hint of something herbaceous , although there is a little bit of a bitter alcoholic note. Probably better 3 years ago. — 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

8.8

I just like the hell out of this wine. So many of these unoaked chards are shrill, picked too early, made with fruit that required to coverage of oak and manipulation so that they are either unbalanced or perfectly fine but just not interesting. And the truth is all you want in one of these is just A LITTLE interesting at a porch pounding price point

This wine absolutely delivers in spades on those dimensions. $18. From very old vines by north fork standards (30 years) with 3 years of age. This one also undergoes MLF, which many of the genre choose not to with shrill, austere and/or one dimensional results.

A smile-enduring nose of summer - peaches in the market with their scent activated by the sun, white flowers and citrus flowers, Juicy citrus fruits like clementine. Some nice body and texture, juicy without being overly fruity - more on the fresh squeezed juice side of things, and with solid med to med + acidity that refreshes the palate. String finish emohasizing fuzzy yellow peach. Certainly very giving, easy breezy, but fresh and transparent, never opulent or cloying. A go to summer drink. — 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

9.3

Very enjoyable, somewhat contemplative, and very representative of both terroir and onstage. I thought this was past peak, the. Then Again it is drinking better than the one that I than the one I opened 9 months ago, so what do I know?

Evocative nose to me screams ANDERSON VALLEY with classic dark cherry fruit along with blue and black fruits, all encased in sandalwood. Forest floor after the rain, but also the sanguine, meaty notes that I would associate with Willamette valley and particularly Dundee hills) and sanguine meaty notes of many Willamette valley wines). Bay leaf, and also an herbaceous top note I can’t place. Maybe tarragon? Dark and even ranging into amaro territory, but not rustic or brooding. There is great clarity to the fruit and the seamless integration of the exotic wood creates something noble and fine. Structure is there, with a nice big but clean mouthfeel and medium acidity that is palate cleansing more like a sip of water than a beauty peel. Not a ton of length. There and gone, but what a performance!

Also happy (relieved ?) to see you notes consistent over time

— 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

9.0

A benchmark for the style. ‘Bigger’ richer and more floral
driven than loire, with very nominal grassy notes of loire or NZ. Moderate skin
contact provides richness and body without “orange wine” character. Wine comes
in at 13.5%, high relative to most of loire. But 100% steel – not a Bordeaux blanc
by any stretch. Elegant and flower driven. White flowers dominating along with
ripe melon, stone fruit, some passionfruit and papaya and maybe loquat/Japanese
plum. There is an herbaceous undertone throughout that for me recalls dried
oregano on a hot pizza. Med/med+ acidity. Nice length. Great for rich and mild
tasting seafood like lobster risotto that you want complimented but not overwhelmed. — 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

8.7

Slightly reticent nose with grapey and dark fruit framed by savory notes. Restrained with a good amount of fruit - dark cherry, red and black plumb. Fruit is encased in savory and cooking herbs like thyyme and bay leaf. strong spicy element like cayenne present from Mid to finish. Significant oak flavors and maybe a bit too much vanilla oakiness for my personal taste. Nice acidity and grippy tannins. A good weekday wine at a surprising weekday price point. Wasn’t as impressed as I was with the 2012, it maybe this will show more with Time? — 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

9.3

Just a really enjoyable wine that is both hearty and even “ big” but still refreshing.
Clearly some Brett and some effervescent feel like may hint at VA, but I find both to be well integrated and enjoyable. A deep darker-side-of-red fruit profile: red and damson plum, dried red cherry, Black licorice, olive. Has a floral sense to it, and some exotic woody undertones as well earth - like a forest after the rain . A full bodied and almost lush wine that might recall the mouthfeel if a Napa cab, but with much more refreshing a acidity coming through - never the least bit cloying or overwrought. Simply a great wine with a broad food pairing potential. That said, I do wonder if it would taste dramatically different at the source. With zero sulphur amidst a long boat ride, life in distributor warehouses, a wine shop and ultimately my euro cave, whether the original intent is preserved in its entirety. Def I a great window , it Seems like peak drinking might be 2-3 years ahead, still, again, the no sulphur and the Brett/va... — 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

8.9

- [ ] Fragrant nose. Distinct fresh plum notes kind of surprising for a pinot. Those notes along with musky dark flowers, Palo santo and sandalwood dominate, buttressed by a wet earth, wet leaves and petricore note, a whiff of Smokey mineralogy, an undercurrent of caraway seeded rye bread that is both delicious and opens pairing possibilities. . Soft and silky with plush resolved tannins and good medium acidity. Not transcendent by any means, but really and complex tasty for what it is and punching far above its weight. It is a bit hollow at some moments, but that comes off to me as ore petricore freshness than the or flabby. Drink up and enjoy. Not getting better but probably has a couple of years of reasonable drinking
— 5 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

8.7

One of the few papapietro wines that have held up to any bottle age. Asian 5 spice and Fresh eucalyptus dominate, along with Blue and dark red fruit that I find a bit hard to pin down. A slightly harsh alcoholic note seems to indicate the structure is not all there, which is s shame. Otherwise clear, transparent and enjoyable. — 5 years ago