Joel Lara

9.3

This is at a really good place right now, definitely within its drinking window. Long-aged balsamic with a harmonious blend of spices like clove and anise coming through on the nose with some woodsy herbs as well. Mix of plum, dark cherry, balsamic, and spice on the palette. Smooth mouthfeel gives way to a bit of astringency on finish, which is evened out by nice acidity along with balsamic and spice. Paired wonderfully with duck breast and balsamic, red wine reduction with cherries. — 4 days ago

Joel Lara

8.9

This is a pleasant nebbiolo that I see pairing well with a lot of pasta dishes. Overall, this wine has very scrumptious red fruit flavors with settled tannins that balance the fresh acidity really well. It’s a translucent, pale red that’s medium bodied with scents of cherry, rose, and leather. Primarily it’s the cherry that comes through on the palate. The fine grained tannins transition to black tea notes and cherry on the finish. The fruit on the finish quickly disappears. — 19 days ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Popped and poured. The mouthfeel had rich, creamy lusciousness with gentle acidity. Baked apple with warm, autumn spices flooded the palate. Also had an underlying minerality that provided nice backbone. Long, fine finish. This was absolutely scrumptious. — 2 months ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Popped and poured for Thanksgiving dinner. No V.A detected on nose or palette, although I see some tasters noticed it. Had with non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner of duck cassoulet, and it was a wonderful pairing. Lovely initial cherry notes on the palate followed with anise, woodsy herbs, and hints of leather with nice and smooth mouth feel. Tannins are well-integrated. Finish was long and beautiful. — 2 months ago

Joel Lara

8.5

Leather and spice on the nose, with cherry and earthy notes of anise and violet coming through on palate. Tannins and black tea dominate the finish with very little fruit or spice coming through at all. Acid on the palate is decent, but the finish seems harsh, as nothing is really balancing the tannins out. — 6 days ago

Joel Lara

8.7

Really concentrated fruit, mainly pomegranate and cherry, with notes of white pepper and anise. Would be a lovely weeknight wine to have with pizza or pasta. Great acidity with light tannins on the uncomplicated finish. I liked this better the day after opening, as the fruits became a touch more subdued. A phenomenal wine for this price point (<$20). — 14 days ago

Joel Lara

9.4

This is an intense, full-bodied wine. A striking minerality with scents of cherry on the nose. On the palate, the rich cherry flavor comes through with beautiful violet tones melding together harmoniously with a ferrous-driven minerality. The finish is long with the violet and cherry flavors making way for iron notes and strong tannins, which are almost too strident on the finish. I see the tasting window starting in 2017 or 2018. I decanted most of the bottle for two hours while leaving a serving in bottle for the second day. These notes are based on second day. Tannins were smoother second day, although still quite strong. I had the 2016 in the fall, and it had more complexity with softer tannins on the finish. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.0

Pleasant sparkling rose with initial strawberry notes making way for orange, dried apricot, and florals dominating on palate and finish. The floral notes shined through beautifully when paired with mushroom risotto. Has good acidity and freshness that will help this pair well with a lot of foods, but makes for a pleasant aperitif as well. Also has a good minerality that provides balance, and a nice finish as well. — 11 days ago

Joel Lara

9.4

This is showing beautifully right now, with a beguiling blend of orange peel, cassis, and anise aromas that carry over to the palate, where black cherries, balsamic notes, and a delicate mix of earthy autumnal spices provide a sensuous background. Soft mouthfeel with fine tannins that peek out a bit on the long finish, where the spiced citrus seems to last forever. Paired perfectly with pan-roasted wild mushrooms and dry-aged ribeye. — 19 days ago

Joel Lara

9.5

Decanted for a couple hours. This paired wonderfully with duck cassoulet. On the nose, scents of black cherry and currants with some earthiness in the background. Full bodied but fairly smooth mouth feel. On the palate, really sumptuous dark fruits come through along with mineral notes, and some clove, pepper and cocoa come through as well. Tannins are fairly well integrated with just enough acidity to provide balance, although the tannins do come through with some astringency on the finish. I could drink this on its own, but of course this went really well with the lamb and duck in the cassoulet. I would love to have this with a dry aged ribeye. I may have to find a couple more bottles to see its evolution. — a month ago