Peter Sultan

8.8

Never had as a stand alone varietal, as my encounters were always with typical Rioja blends, so combined w its 10$ price tag my expectations were very low— & voila, a star is born. Fruit forward but balanced- makes sense given the arid Navarra region-& they even managed to squeeze in 4 months of barrel age. — 8 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

Cool varietal alert: 27% Lledoner Pelut/27% Grenache/23 Syrah/14 Carignan/7 Macabeu. Alpine Catalanes from granite soil so yeah, Beaujolais analogies inevitable but this pretty little wine has its own mojo going on. Barely ripe red cherry notes, & that amazing granite undertow. Drank as a pop n pour, chilled. 16$ & delicious. — 18 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.1

The higher end bottling for this maker, & I suspect deserves more aging and/or more decanting. As it is, feels like an exquisite, delicate expression of Chenin Blanc, almost ethereal in body & flavor- like tasting all the typical white flower & fennel notes through a soft lens prism. Cool stuff, & very reasonably priced (under 26$). — a month ago

with Owen

Peter Sultan

9.2

Greek varietal had never tried. A medium bodied red adjacent to quality Nebbiolo or northern Rhone re: Syrah; tannins need robust decanting and/or age to be tamed but once settled, tastes soulful & feral. Add the sub 25/30$ price & it’s a serious Qpr- just not a pop & pour. Paired with roast Chicken thighs w leeks, lemon slices, paprika, turmeric & had plenty of pep to meet & enhance. — 2 months ago

Peter Sultan

9.3

I started drinking Beaujolais several decades ago because it was cheap & farmers wine—true terroir, etc.. “Poor man’s Burgundy etc.. Lapierre Morgon was about 15-20$ then. Obviously times have changed as have prices. This all a wind up to when I find that aliveness again in Beaujolais, I perk up: here it is, in an aged, dark fruited Fleurie; the fruit is gorgeous, full, & dense; balanced acidity. From plots 60-90 yro, full on cassis & ribena. Aged Fleurie released late, & it’s wonderful. So for 32$- on sale around 26$-it’s a pretty, soulful creature. The reason why I got into Gamay. Plenty of sediment so decant. Savio Soares importer, who else? — 8 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.3

If one Portuguese varietal grabs me it’s Baga, & this bottling is one of the higher end bottlings I’ve tried. It’s early in its development so demands decanting and/or aging, but the stuffing is all there. Ripe red cherries, medium light body, some Burgundy adjacent analogies I’m sure. — a month ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

There’s a lot going on here: first off, an immediate juiciness, very joyous fruit but not out of balance; blue violet notes, stoniness, a cool tone, open knit & so accessible now but damn curious how this may come together & deepen w bottle age or more serious decanting. Downright & immediately enjoyable. — a month ago

Peter Sultan

9.0

A softer, sweeter style I don’t usually associate with Lauer. Still, this is my bath water I want to luxuriate in… — 17 days ago

with Owen

Peter Sultan

9.2

Drink now or now ish; baby Barolo as they say but the ferocity of tannin completely softened, so a gentle introduction to Nebbiolo, all round edges & smoked dark cherry notes. Lovely, just don’t expect the finish to last too long. Great old alpine nose too. — 24 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.0

My experience w Becker Riesling is they demand patience, air, & time. As a ‘22 & the lower end of the price spectrum ( for Becker- abt 23$) , this bottling felt as closed as a clam but peeking through were dry notes of salt taffy, hearts of palm, white pith fruits, & a saline nature to the whole affair. Decant the hell out of it or revisit in 3-4 years. — 2 months ago

with Owen