Component Wine
Foreau - Domaine du Clos Naudin
Vouvray Sec Chenin Blanc 2017
Popped and poured. The 2017 Domaine du Clos Naudin, “Sec” pours a deep straw color, medium viscosity with no signs of sediment or gas. On the notes, the wine is developing with beautiful notes of stone fruits; peaches and apricots with melon and some associated fruit cup notes. There’s a honeysuckle floral component too. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+/high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and there is some really attractive texture. Impeccable balance. I get the sense that this will age well. Drink now and through 2030.
— 2 years ago
Château de la Font du Loup
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2016
Intensely packed black fruits, ripe and soaked, pushing hedonistic but maintaining that fresh snap. Classic 2016. Very stoney, warm earth abound, a true sense of CNDP minerality here. I think the Mourvèdre component really shines through here, love the animal, fur, herbs and deep resounding tannin from it. Drank over two nights and it barely moved an inch, this will continue to age beautifully. — 4 years ago
De Toren
Fusion V Stellenbosch Red Blend 2018
A blend of the five Bordeaux varietals, this is an exceptional wine. There’s a great balance of acidity, velvet tannins and black fruit. Cassis, black cherry, black plum, a light toast and vanilla oak component and developing tertiary character of leather, forest floor and cigar box. Terrifically harmonious the wine is full bodied with a sense of being heavy. A joy to consume. — 9 days ago
Krug
Brut Rosé Champagne Blend
Comprised around the 2011 harvest, it sports its usual candied, floral and spice inflicted bouquet but also showing an excellent balance of mineral and complex earth component on this occasion. Always a treat! — 2 years ago
Domaine de la Grange des Pères
Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Red Rhone Blend 2006
Initially this is a funky, sweaty and a touch oxidized even though it was decanted. After about an hour nose is brighter with cassis, red raspberry and black cherry fruit. There are nice spice, dried herb and mineral elements that accent the fruit. Palate always stays a little rustic with the Cabernet component holding sway with the coarse tannic palate. Fruit is black cherry with both red and black current notes. Good length on the finish. Even after 3 hours, the wine remains slightly rustic, coarse and missing the hedonistic edge I often find in this wine. Based on this bottle, fully ready to drink. — 4 years ago
Produttori del Barbaresco
Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2012
Plenty of tannins left. 25bucks. Those were the days! 14%| Quite classic. Browne tinge. Needs at least 2-3 hours of air. Quite harsh and astringent. Roses, earthy and dusty, very dry. Hint of truffles. - Not super exciting at first (15min) so wait. Will last another 10 years - but i do worry about the fruit component if you need space in your cellar - i would suggest drink up. I will. Some folks tend to hype these wines i don’t - after all this is their most basic version with a large production volume. Total volume is 500,000 bottles a year at this cooperative. My guess they to make a lot of this one. — 2 months ago
Clos Erasmus
Laurel Priorat Garnacha Blend 2005
Gorgeous. Resolved, long, packed with luscious fruit character supported by sweet oak, minerals, earth, flowers and spices. Roasted black plum, crushed black currants, berry confiture, sandalwood, allspice, cardamom, bay leaf, spruce, cigar wrapper, menthol, pulverized rock, cigar ash, truffle, lilacs, dry aged meat. Can really pick out the Cabernet component, which I’m usually against but I believe the time in bottle brought harmony to it. The dimension it brings suits the wine well. Great example of alluring DMS with its earthy/truffle notes. — 5 years ago
Ted
So very different from the SB from New Zealand. Softer with a mineral component. Citrus skin. Slight waxiness. Beautiful wine. — 20 days ago