Dorothy Kangas

9.0

Purchased at Binnys September 2023. Might be better to save a bottle from 2017, but it was still very delicious. I’m trying more wines from France’s Rhône Valley in anticipation of visiting there in 2024.
Cost: $60 — a year ago

Deborah M

9.2

Opened this in anticipation of an upcoming Sonoma trip. Wonderful aroma. This wine has aged beautifully. Acidity and fruit are still nicely balanced. I would describe this wine as feminine and elegant. I last tried this about a year ago and it was somewhat shut down. Not sure if the extra year has helped or decanting this time. This wine can probably go a few more years but really no need to wait any longer. Cheers! — 3 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.0

Disappointment of the week. No, month!! This was one of our prized bottles we took back from our northern Rhône venture two years ago. So with great anticipation we opened it tonight. Great bouquet on the nose but didn’t carry through to the wine. Strong vibrant dry fruit up front but no follow through, no depth, no structure and no finish. — 5 years ago

with Tammy

Daniel P. Drake

9.2

Over the weekend I opened the 2019 Barboursville Vineyards Octagon Bordeaux Blend from Barboursville, Virginia. A blend of 62% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.

On the nose there is black cherry, blackberry, plum, black currant, vanilla, spice, licorice and earth.

On the palate I find black cherry, blackberry, black plum, licorice, black currant, spice, herbaceous notes and dark rich earth.

This is a medium + to full bodied wine with medium + acidity and medium + fine grippy astringent tannins which leaves you with a long black fruit crushed stone finish. Spring has arrived this week, so try and have a great full week in anticipation of the coming greenery and foliage. Stay safe and healthy and please be kind to one another. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 2 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.2

The nose on this is crazy. Smells heavenly. Like a ripe basket of wild forest berries in a log cabin. Very sexy nose. Palate is pristine, light, filled with bright red fruit. Concentration doesn’t quite match the nose, but can’t complain- this is lovely stuff. The anticipation of my first delivery from @Lyle Fass was killing me so I had to locate one of his wines from another source. — 4 years ago

TheSkip

9.3

My now-annual mid-January sampling of Rivers-Marie Pinot noir in anticipation of the forthcoming release.

Incredible how far this has come in a year. Singing! — 5 years ago

Norma Normington

9.2

Nice big bouquet - anticipation…. Wonderful Pinot Noir! I can see why this is so highly rated — 2 years ago

Ken Z

8.9

Drank 3/10/22

Bordeaux for less than $10, that boasts a 92 pt WE rating got my attention. I approached this with anticipation, but some skepticism.

I tried this in both a zalto and a less expensive Reidel glass. It was better in the Reidel glass a bit closer to mid 70 degrees, if you have a large stemware collection

On the nose plums and some blackberry are accompanied by peppercorn. Lighter, but pleasant. Flavors are similar, with plummy, blackberry notes, backed by earth, smoke, and bit of red fruit on the finish. Drinkable, but not 92 pts.

3/21/7/4/4 +50=89 pts. — 3 years ago

Bob Dylan

9.2

One of my all time favorite every day wines. Drinking last years last bottle in anticipation of the new vintage. — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

Wow. I’ve waited a long time to try my first Tondonia (surely this is a milestone for any budding wine collector, no?), having held onto this 2002 for a while and having a case or two of Heredia’s more recent vintages downstairs.

Such was the anticipation for trying this Rioja stalwart that I was almost nervous that it wouldn’t live up to it - especially with 2002 being such a rotten vintage for Spain’s flagship wine region. But this was staggeringly youthful, piercingly savoury with a gentle balance of tannin & acidity but all the supple features of an old school, aged Rioja. This is really special stuff. — 5 years ago