Pinotman /// Andreas

9.3

Great. Touch chardonnay like. Quite acidic. I kind of like it. Green Tea! Honey. From Etna - Sicily at 750 meters. 2500 feet. Very southern vineyard only altitudes allow them to make great wine. — 7 months ago

Vanessa

9.3

Let’s talk about VIÑA SASTRE!

This is a family-owned and -operated winery (since 1992) from Ribera del Duero DO, located in the broader Castilla y León region of Spain.  

Ribera del Duero is highly regarded for having many old vines (50-100 yrs + in age) and a quintessential “continental climate,” with extremely cold winters and hot summers, vineyards planted at high altitudes (a plateau called the Meseta Central), and thus a large diurnal range…

All of these factors help enable the production of highly structured and age-worthy wines (with deep concentration, tannins, alcohol, acidity). This wine is no exception!

It’s a deep ruby wine with medium (+) intensity in aromas / flavors including ripe red and black currant, blackberry, black cherry, red plum, violets, tobacco, nutmeg, clove, pencil shavings, coconut, vanilla, cocoa nibs, and mocha notes.

On the palate, it’s dry, with medium(+) acidity, a full body, high alcohol, and medium(+) tannins that are fine-grained, with a long, elegant finish.

Cheers to delicious wines that offer a sense of place! 

Viña Sastre Ribera Del Duero Reserva Pagos Viejos (2017). — a year ago

with Deked1

Sagee Aran

8.9

A nice Bordeaux blend from the Shomron area at altitudes of 700 to 900 meters. Good dark color, medium nose, missing on the palate. — 3 years ago

Konrad Ziegler

8.9

Happy Easter!
— 8 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

Oh, hello, Friulano!! A local specialty of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in the far northeast of Italy. 🇮🇹

This beautiful wine is the Livio Felluga Friuli Colli Orientali DOC Friulano (2021).

Livio Felluga was an early adopter and pioneer of modern production techniques in the region, employing the use of stainless steel tanks, delicate grape pressing, and temperature-controlled (cooler) fermentations to produce clean, varietal-driven and refreshing white wine styles the region is now known for 🙌🏻👏🏻

The fruit used to make this wine hails from the Colli Orientali DOC, situated on hillside sites, stretching along the border of Slovenia, benefiting from higher altitudes, and cooling Alpine breezes, in support of a firm acid structure.

👁️ This wine has a medium lemon hue with a medium (+) bouquet 👃🏻 of white peach, green apple, Meyer lemon, clementine peel, green mango, white blossom, mint, basil, rosemary, white pepper, and wet pavement (petrichor).

👄 On the palate, this wine has a rich texture and weighted mouthfeel, balanced by medium (+) acidity, supporting its structure, while adding freshness and lift. Flavors are consistent with the nose – well-defined and concentrated.  Alcohol is medium (13.5% ABV) with a warming presence.

We paired this lovely wine with smoked salmon canapés made with lemon-marinated cucumbers and crème fraiche, lemon zest, shallot, fresh dill and chives on Norwegian crispbread, and was a stellar match-up! 🤩

Cheers to the pioneers who’ve shaped the evolution in wine styles we’ve come to know and love! — a year ago

with Deked1

Pooneet K

9.1

Another Brunello producer I have not tried before - quite nice. Quite restrained - apparently the Brunello comes from higher altitudes which shows. It’s not quite Ragnaie in terms of the high altitude character but it’s a nice wine for sure. Perfect with some local Cinta pork. — 2 years ago

KRISTIE

8.9

Style = Bold and fruit forward. Flavors = Fresh black and red fruit, with a long and supple finish.

This single vineyard Malbec was handpicked from the high altitudes and cool weather of the prestigious Valle de Uco. This exceptional terroir provides to this expressive Malbec bold and fresh fruit characters, with hints of spice and floral notes. — a year ago

Elyse King

8.9

Les Cassagnes de La Nerthe is produced in the Southern Rhône Valley in France by a property owned by the Richard family, who also manage the famed Château La Nerthe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The same team creates this elegant and fruit driven wine.

The wine is a blend of organic Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes grown in sandy and limestone soil containing shards of calcareous rocks, providing high quality natural filtration. The average age of the vines is over 40 years old. The vineyards are located at altitudes up to 600 feet above sea level. The gently undulating slopes produce high quality grapes that turn into fleshy and balanced wines. The grapes are harvested by hand and carefully sorted after arriving at the winery. The grapes are lightly crushed, and color and tannins are gently extracted with several daily pumping overs of the tanks. Co-fermentation of the three varieties occurs over a long maceration (3 to 4 weeks). The final blend is aged on fine lees in stainless steel tanks for 9 months before bottling. — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Vines are planted on small, steep cirques with an eastern/south-eastern exposure at altitudes of between 250 and 300 metres. Medium lemon color with muted aromas of citrus, stone fruits and nutty floral notes. On the palate flavors of apple, melon and lemon citrus with notes of honey and nutty oak. Medium+ finish, vivid acidity and ends with nutty mineral character. Nice! — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.1

Liguria is a coastal region in Italy, nestled in the northwestern corner of the country, hugging the Ligurian Sea, with steep mountains defining the landscape.

It offers an ideal mix of warm, dry conditions, moderating influences from the coast and varying altitudes, and nutrient-poor soils (which is good for vine growing!). However, its dramatic topography limits the amount of wine that can be produced from this region…

With that background, we were thrilled to be sipping a glass of this beautiful Ligurian white wine made from the Vermentino grape. What a pleasure to envision us sitting on a terrace overlooking the sea!

Leaping out of the glass was tangerine peel, grapefruit, green apple, passion fruit, pineapple, boxwood, white citrus blossom, elderflower, and wet stone -- a delicious confluence of pronounced fruit and floral aromas and flavors.

It was vibrant, youthful, and fresh, yet also concentrated and juicy, adding a level of richness to the mouthfeel.

Lvnae, Colli di Luni D.O.C., Vermentino, ABV 12.5. Vintage 2019. A fantastic value at $25 / bottle.

Salute! — 3 years ago

with Deked1