Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Pergolaia 2019, Red Blend – Toscana IGT, Alta Maremma, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Composed of 76% Sangiovese, 14% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this biodynamically farmed blend highlights Sangiovese-driven freshness balanced by Bordeaux varietal structure. Vinified gently in a gravity-fed cellar to preserve finesse.

Aromas & Flavors
Red cherry, raspberry, dried herbs, subtle cedar, graphite, light earth.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity, polished tannins, and a clean, linear finish.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, bistecca Fiorentina, mushroom risotto, aged Pecorino.

Verdict
Transparent and precise. A bright, terroir-forward expression within the Caiarossa hierarchy.

🍷 Did You Know?
Pergolaia is aged approximately 12 months in wood, reinforcing structure while maintaining freshness. — 4 months ago

Norman

9.0

An interesting sake out of LA. Drip or shizuku sake, it’s reading a bit sweet for me but true to its -3 SMV rating. They say the acidity is a bit higher than normal to balance it out which also comes across. It would be interesting to see the acidity lower. I will try the others they make and the beers look interesting as well. — 2 years ago

Karen Tripson

9.5

Amazing. Excellent WA fruit creating a stellar wine. — 4 years ago

ESF

9.0

Classic - hi gravity big guns here, tons of complexity - ever evolving & dang tasty when you’re working on a chainsaw — 5 years ago

Eric

9.5

“The Cure” takeout cocktail from Gravity Tavern in Mill Valley. El Silencio, apricot, apple brandy, chamomile lavender tea, and lime oil. — 6 years ago

Andrew Olsen

9.0

Packs a punch. Great stout from a great brewery! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

The fruits are brighter than the Chardonnay. Pineapple, white peach, green melons, ripe, cantaloupe, lime, lemon curd, touch of canned pears, grassy notes, yellow & spring flowers with lilies.

The body is lean, fresh and lively. After the leaner, bright fruits subside, grippy minerals take hold overlaid by white spice and powdery chalkiness. Pineapple, white peach, green melons, ripe, cantaloupe, lime, lemon curd, touch of canned pears, grassy notes, yellow & spring flowers with lilies. The acidity perfect. The finish is delicious, easy to drink with nice balance.

Photos of; the Estate vines of DeMorgenzon, suspended stainless tanks which, allows them to work the wine by gravity, barrel room and Cellar Door grounds.
— 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Harebrained Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A bold Napa Cabernet led by 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, rounded with 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Crafted under Hall Family Wines, this bottling is all about richness, structure, and layered complexity, showing off the precision of modern Napa winemaking.

Aromas & Flavors
Intense notes of dark fruit compote, blackberry, and plum, layered with cocoa, leather, and pepper spice. Earthy undertones bring added dimension, while toasted oak nuances complete the nose and palate.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with supple, well-structured tannins. The finish is long, balanced, and polished, with a firm yet silky texture that benefits from a touch of aeration.

Winemaking Notes
Employs high-tech optical sorting for fruit precision, gravity-flow winemaking, and extended élevage in French oak (22 months, 40% new). This combination yields both power and finesse.

Food Pairing
Ideal alongside grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, lamb chops, or aged hard cheeses. Also shines with earthy mushroom dishes or a dark chocolate finish.

Verdict
A rich, layered Napa Cabernet that captures both intensity and elegance. While approachable now, it rewards a short decant and has the backbone for several more years of aging. — 7 months ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.3

Ripe bright lemon yellow… with lemon curd, yuzu, ripe pineapple pouring from the glass. Alive, pulsing with lively acidity. Real tension with gravity/weight on the palate. Long, lip-smacking finish. — 3 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.2

2015 vintage.
Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) grown in gravel soils outside the village of Sotillo de La Ribera in the vineyards of Nogales, Monticello and Arenales at 870-890 meters.
Manual harvesting in individual boxes , gravity feed , natural yeast and 18 months barrels aging.
Bright, deep ruby red in the glass.
Dark plums, underbrush, rosemary and herbs on the nose.
Black fruits, currants, savoury, earthy, and tobacco with an astringent, long dry finish.
The oak is well balanced so give it 5 years.
We grilled rack of lamb and many Chorizo Sausage with this wine. — 4 years ago

Devin Bray

9.4

All fruit at Yarra Yering is hand-picked into 10kg picking buckets in the cool of the morning, and delivered direct to the winery. The fruit is sorted, then either destemmed or crushed into the traditional Yarra Yering “tea chest” 0.5-tonne open-fermenters. Depending on the variety, stalks may be added back during the fermentation stage in baskets for easy removal when there is just enough stalk tannin present.

Occasionally there will be some 100% whole bunch fermenters for use as a blending component. The stainless steel lined wooden tea chest fermenters were designed to hold just the right amount of fruit to fit into the basket press. During fermentation they are hand plunged for gentle tannin extraction, initiated naturally or sometimes with a specific cultured yeast strain.

Once fermentation is complete they will be basket pressed, preferred for its gentle separation of wine from the grape skins and seeds before being transferred via gravity to barrel.

Completes malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels.
Pleasingly unusual in its initial presentation, redolent of roasted carrots and turmeric, Indian spiced cauliflower. Resolves into a more familiar kalamata olive and ripe red fruit character, with some notes that push the profile towards a bigger, almost chocolatey, vanilla-laced Australian character with a velvety smooth, Syrah-like mouthfeel. The sweet glazed root vegetable flavors remain, quite welcome and delicious. — 6 years ago

Justin C. Thompson

9.2

I had this opened next to a 2007 Opus One. It spent an hour in the decanter. I actually preferred over the opus one. It has a deeper color and provided notes of blackberry, vanilla and pepper. Gravity fed winery, very cool. — 6 years ago

Maja Greig

9.0

Both of us enjoyed. Not heavy but more body than typical PN — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. In the 2005 Albesani pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears and no signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of tart and ripe red fruit: Morello cherry, pomegranate, red roses, cedar chest, a touch of leather, dried green herbs, and gravity earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. All around delicious. Drink now through 2035. — a year ago

Daniel veit

9.0

Still brooding, expressing dark chocolate, charred plum, coffee. Nostalgic. On the downside. Drink now — 2 years ago

Ron R

9.5

Single-barrel scarcity makes this a “must try.” It generates a meaningful event and a good disruption on the palate.
Green apples combine with melon and bright acidity - the signature of a typical SB. Moderately sweet. Serve it to those who appreciate uncommon excellence in wine. Approach the winery for this. — 4 years ago

with Anne-marie

Chris B.

9.0

Really nice - honeysuckle, apricot, maybe even some lemon peel? The oak is definitely there at the end but it’s not overbearing at all. Paired it with stuffing, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes but would also be great with grilled fish. — 6 years ago

bethany k

9.4

Delicious though we may have overaged it a bit. — 6 years ago

Seth Pelletier

9.3

The 1998 Clarendon Hills Grenache presents on the nose with the gravity of a notable moment in history. It’s a vintage you would rather experience on the nose for hours. Bramble and blackberries are prominent on the nose.

This vintage isn’t past it’s prime but it’s best to drink soon. I sense this wine will begin to decline over the next several years.

At first this vintage offers a fantastic array of plum notes and leather bound novels on the palate. Well-structured tannins target the gums and complement the dark fruits. The experience on the back palate is temporal but magnificent with gravel and soil characterizing the texture — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The nose reveals, dark currants, ripe, slightly liqueur; blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, black raspberries, charred strawberries, hints of cooked rhubarb and raspberries. Mixed berry licorice/cola, anise, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, touch clove, steeped fruit tea, herbaceous notes, leather, tobacco, charcoal, wood shavings, limestone minerals, dry stones, a little forest floor, dark fresh florals, lavender & violets.

The body is round, lush with some dusty tannins on the long set. It’s really beautiful right now but, there is still better things ahead over the next 5-8 years before it peaks. It’s silky & satiny. The structure, length, tension and balance are really starting to hit its stride. Dark currants, ripe, slightly liqueur; blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, charred strawberries, hints of cooked rhubarb and raspberries. Mixed berry licorice/cola, anise, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, touch clove, mocha powder, medium dark spice, steeped fruit tea, herbaceous notes, mint, expresso roast, leather, cedar, limestone minerals, dry stones, crushed dry rock & clay, a little forest floor, dark fresh florals, lavender & violets. The acidity is round & beautiful...really shows the greatness of the vintage. The finish is; lush, rich, ripe, elegant, well balanced, polished and quite persistent.

Photos of, Chateau La Fleur de Bouard, the tops of the stainless steel tanks that flow by gravity into the tanks that hang from the other side of the floor/ceiling and their Merlot vines.

I think this was under $35 when I bought it in futures.

Producer history & notes...Chateau La Fleur de Bouard was started by Hubert de Bouard, the owner of Chateau Angelus and Chateau Bellevue in St. Emilion. Hubert de Bouard purchased the vineyard from in 1998. This is a relatively new wine, as the first year for the wine was produced with the 2000 vintage.

Chateau La Fleur de Bouard is produced from a specific a two hectare parcel of old vines that are around 45 years of age, situated on the Lalande de Pomerol Plateau. The vineyard for Chateau La Fleur de Bouard Le Plus is planted to 100% old vine Merlot.

In 2011, La Fleur de Bouard completed a multi-year, top to bottom reconstruction of their entire wine making making facilities and the chateau, making this one of the most modern estates in the Right Bank. The most striking new feature is their hanging, reverse, conical, stainless steel vats as shown in my photos.

The production of La Fleur de Bouard sees a five day cold soak at 10 degrees Celsius and a four-week maceration in “OVNI” stainless steel tanks. The wine is vinified in a combination of stainless steel vats and short, squat shaped oak barrels. The wine receives regular pigeages.

Malolactic fermentation takes place in 100% new, French oak barrels from four different coopers, Taransaud (40%), Demptos (40%), Darnajou (15%) and Vicard (5%). Aging sur lies takes place in 100% new, French oak barrels for an estimated 33 months prior to bottling. The wine requires collaring time for the oak to fully integrate into the wine, and for the secondary notes to develop. — 8 years ago