Intrigue Wines
Black Sheep Finds
Hocus Pocus Syrah 2033
The second label to Amy Christine’s Holus Bolus, but still top-notch. From Santa Barbara! It gives ripe black fruit (cherries, plums, berries) for days with a touch of licorice and lilacs on the nose. The palate is spritely, with decent acid and sandy tannins adding grip to a surprisingly light-bodied blend. Easy-going but complex enough to add intrigue. — a year ago
Real Vinicola
Vintage Port 1961
Simply one of the greatest wines I’ve ever tried to date, the 1961 Real Vinicola is my first venture into mature Port and a complete eye-opener to this style of wine.
A veritable miracle on opening, the wine has a clear brick-red colour and a hauntingly beautiful nose. There are exotic aromas of toasted nuts, dried cherry, fig, raisin, lavender and clove; it’s a wine you don’t need to taste for a long time, such is the intrigue up front. The palate, then, is explosive for a wine of this age, almost full bodied with great complexity and acidity that belies its six decades of life.
The finish is staggeringly long, with a lasting impression on the palate. A new and totally enthralling experience for me in the world of wine. — 4 years ago
Franco Fiorina
Barolo Nebbiolo 1961
Perhaps the most interesting & intriguing older wine/Barolo I’ve had in memory. It showed its tannin profile and fruit. Tart and just gently sweet cherries, tomato leaf, soft, almost sweet tarriness, light tobacco & leather. Group intrigue. Special.
Happy birthday to me. — 15 days ago
Roar
Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2022
Medium in body, fresh and driven, the 2022 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) is pretty forward in its red-fruited profile, but it also possesses a core of stern, rocky minerality. An enticing air of highlands herbs and sweet lavender adds further intrigue. Juicy, sweet raspberry, clove and a kick of toasty French oak sweetness make the 2022 an inviting choice for drinking over the next several years. (Billy Norris, Vinous, August 2024)
— 2 years ago
Contrade di Taurasi (Cantine Lonardo)
Irpinia Aglianico
A very solid yet obtuse version of Aglianico compared the 2014 I had recently. This was much more similar teroldigo than the Nebbiolo-styled offering I experienced. Downside: less nuanced, a bit dull, and lacking intrigue. Pro: sturdy and effective…good for big rich foods like meat lasagna or sausage & peppers. 18$ for Kim’s  — 4 years ago
Diamond Creek Vineyards
Lake Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1996
Perhaps not quite on the same level as “La Romanée” in terms of history, but certainly in terms of exclusivity and intrigue, “Lake” is another one of those vineyards you read about, you hear whispers about, but you rarely see and even more rarely, get to experience. In fact, “Lake” is even smaller than “La Romanée”, less than half its size. The unique characteristics of the site make full ripening a challenge; it’s the coolest site at Diamond Creek and partially shaded. In the last 50 years, “Lake” has been bottled on its own 23 times. When there isn’t sufficient harvest for its own bottling, it usually gets blended into “Gravelly Meadow”. This bottle was graciously and generously brought back from the estate.
Poured into a decanter an hour prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1996 “Lake” pours a deep garnet/purple with a translucent core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with beautiful notes of cassis, tobacco, Poblano pepper, horse blanket, gravelly earth and a balanced mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. What a special wine.
If you’ve followed my tasting notes over the years, you may have caught me using the word “soul” or “soulful” to describe certain wines. For me, this describes a wine that expresses its site with a high degree of transparency and fidelity. This does not describe technical genius. In fact, the wines can often have some foibles. However, coming from me, it is the ultimate term of endearment, for whatever that is worth. Anyway, this bottle of the 1996 “Lake” has it. Drink now with patience and through 2046. — 3 months ago
Osawa Wines
Prestige Collection Pinot Noir 2017
Thought this blind was an aged red burg, so colour me surprised when it was revealed to be a young NZ pinot. Clearly a little more developed than it should be (colour and aromas), but credit where credit’s due, this was quite elegant. Even after the reveal I could not detect that marmalade finish I find so often in NZ pinot’s. This was all red cherries and ripe strawberries, with savoury spices and earthy notes. Perhaps the quality of the oak, which left much to be desired, and rich velvety texture were the only indications of it’s origin. Finished a touch short. There were wines with more intrigue on the table so I didn’t drink much of it, but it definitely wasn’t a bad drop. One to revisit. — 4 years ago
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2023 vintage. Light-medium/medium body. Gorgeous color. Musky, mountain morning nose. Plenty of flavors in the palate bouncehaus but none of them fall completely out and are forced to wait out a turn. Nice balance framed with intrigue. Existing acidity cuts through cream sauces or garlic butter but pleasant enough to tackle on its own. Very unexpected and the nice price (< $20 USD). Will keep this one on the short list. 4.1.26. — 11 days ago