Inner Sanctum Cellars
Leonetti Cellar
Reserve Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014
The 2014 Red Wine Reserve bursts from the glass with a mentholated freshness as dusty rose and musky black cherries form its perfumed bouquet. This is deeply textural and plush on the palate, with saline minerals and brisk acidity adding tension as pretty inner florals form toward the close. The 2014 finishes energetically, buzzing with residual tension, as sour cherries and licorice tones slowly fade. Aromatically, the 2014 is beginning to develop, but it still requires some patience to truly soften. (Eric Guido, Vinous, October 2023)
— a year ago
Paolo Bea
Cerrete Sagrantino di Montefalco 2011
The 2011 Montefalco Sagrantino Cerrete is airy and fresh, with smoky notes of mint and dried roses slowly giving way to red currants, cigar box and hints of balsamic spice. This is a textural masterpiece, silky and playful yet bold, washing mineral-laced red berries across a medium-bodied structural core of bright acids, as nuances of spiced citrus add further contrasts. The 2011 becomes almost salty through the finale, where inner earth and tobacco tones linger. While structured, the tannins are in perfect harmony. That said, waiting is recommended because this beauty has the balance to age for decades. The 2011 vintage was incredibly warm, where grapes started to raisin on the vine, yet with rose-colored berries in the middle. There was an extreme loss in quantity due to strict selection, and the wine spent 52 days macerating on the skins. (Eric Guido, Vinous, November 2022)
— 2 years ago
Il Censo
Praruar Terre Siciliane Catarratto 2020
A deep, cloudy orange color in the glass, the 2020 Catarrato Praruar opens with an airy blend of dried apricots, crushed apples and ground ginger. It’s soft-textured and round, with ripe orchard fruits and a cascade of liquid inner florals that coats the palate with youthful tension. The 2020 tapers off wonderfully fresh, tactile and firm, leaving the mouth watering as hints of candied citrus and sour melon resolve on the close. This is a fantastic vintage of Praruar that can be easily enjoyed by fans of orange wines. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2024)
— 3 months ago
Vie di Romans
Dessimis Pinot Grigio 2021
The 2021 Pinot Grigio Dessimis lifts from the glass with exotic florals, sweet spices and peach. This opens with a burst of inner sweetness, complicated by zesty acidity and mineral tones, as a vivid note of ripe pear evolves on the palate. This finishes classically dry and slightly grippy, leaving nuances of white strawberry and rosy inner florals to linger. The 2021 is a more mellow edition of Dessimis, yet enjoyable all the same. (Eric Guido, Vinous, April 2023) — a year ago
Weingut Josef Walter
Centgrafenberg Frühburgunder "J" Trocken 2017
Wow what a nose. Stunning aromas that are so deep with the classic violets and spice. Gorgeous aromas and framed by the classic Walter sweet wood. Insane nose. Tree bark. Decadent. So juicy and sweet. Super concentrated and sapid but also elegant and haunting. Ethereal. Inner mouth aromas. Stunning and fresh. Opulent. Controlled opulence. — 2 years ago
Rocca di Montegrossi
Toscana IGT Sangiovese Rosato 2023
The 2023 Rosato is incredibly energetic like a horse waiting to bolt out of the starting gate. Ripe pineapple, pear and spiced citrus provide a foundation upon which the sparkling, lively acidity flutters. The balance here is admirable and nicely rounded and displays a lovely inner sweetness. This bottle could empty quickly. (Billy Norris, Vinous, May 2024)
— 4 months ago
Cantina Convento Muri-Gries
Muri-Gries Alto Adige - Südtirol Pinot Grigio 2022
The 2022 Pinot Grigio opens with a minty flourish, blending crushed green apples with white smoke and ginger. Candied lime and spice complicate its inner sweetness, while green apple notes add contrast toward the close. The tense, medium-length finish ends with salt and sour green melon. $20.00 (Eric Guido, Vinous, April 2024) — 5 months ago
Long Shadows Vintners
Poet's Leap Columbia Valley Riesling 2021
The 2021 Riesling Poet's Leap is decidedly green in character, wafting up with notes of lychee, lime zest and crushed green apple. This flows across the palate with grace, displaying a pleasant inner sweetness, as tropical citrus and saline-minerals add a lovely tension throughout. This tapers off with young mango notes accentuated by a salty flourish through the long and crisply refreshing finale. The 2021 is so balanced and refined, just 12.5% alcohol, and at just under one gram of residual sugar per liter. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
Michel Rebourgeon
Les Brouillards Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2020
Gorgeous nose. Some sweet wood initially with an unreal haunting Volnay ethereal quality. Yowza minerality and a gorgeous floral streak. Expansive and just so pretty. I love the mineral depth here. Wow. Sweet fruit, elegant and so complex with awesome purity and depth. Sweet and energetic and lovely lift. Beats 19. By a lot. Terrific inner mouth aromas and sweet, crunchy and velvety tannins. Awesome length and structure. Super mineral driven finish. This is tremendous. Let’s see what air does. The wood blows off so quickly! Just so complete. Stunning value here. Extra juicy. Real complexity here. The fruit on this is divine. — 2 years ago
Lyle Fass
Founder Fass Selections
Nose is all minerals. Some apricot. Tropical fruit. Very refined nose. Keller like. Smarties. Confectionary. Sweet lime zest. Like rock candy. High acid, confectionary inner mouth aromas, so pure, so refined. Most refined Juwel riesling I have ever had. So elegant so classy. Nose is getting so deep and the palate has such insane smarties and is most vivid smarties I have ever had in a riesling. Stunning. — a month ago