Daniel M

9.0

R. Lopez de Heredia, Viña Cubillo, Rioja Crianza 2017
This is one of the many bottles we brought back in the trunk of our car from Spain and France after our summer stay over there. The nose shows dark berries, prune, meat juice, autumn forest soil after rain, oak. This is rather complex and layered. The palate is very well made and defined. There is a good acid drive, some nice dark berries and dark cherry notes all along, some width, some spices, a good tannic wall in the rear, disturbing ever so slighlty the mouthfeel by leaving a grippy, drying layer over a long, fruity, spicy finish which goes on for quite a while. The meat juice note that was showing in the nose makes a come back in the very end, adding a savoury, umami touch which is pretty nice, I must say. It's not at the level of the viña tondonia 2011 I tasted a while ago (and it costs only a fraction of the price) but it's very good Rioja Crianza in its own right. Not in-your-face, fresh and balanced winemaking style. Great effort !
90 out of 100 — 5 days ago

romo

9.2

Just when you think it’s going to Thelma & Louise, it spawns wings and lifts off. - at Franklin PT — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — 2 months ago

Paige Donnell

9.5

Are with beef, great flavor - rich and delightful — a year ago

Lauren Golanty

8.9

A good champagne. Drank kind of… young? Balanced but not graceful, hefty but a little too eager. All of the flavor was BOOM, right up front, and it was more green apple rind than anything. Good - maybe not my thing. — 5 years ago

Conrad Green

9.2

Another bottle. This rocks. A little bread and biscuit on the nose. Lean and defined. Rocks and conserved lemon. Very good. — 6 years ago

with Bex

Tom Casagrande

9.3

This was tricky to decant as it has a lot of super-floaty sediment that swirled around like crazy. Once decanted though, it’s excellent. Great nose of deep earthy notes (just a hint, and no more, of barnyard), deep ripe fruit. In the mouth it’s soft, deeply flavored, and buoyed along by zesty acids. Finish is lip smacking and ends on a slightly, pleasantly bitter note that balances the ripe fruit. — 17 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château Rieussec — R de Rieussec 2020
Bordeaux AOC, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A seriously over-delivering dry white from Château Rieussec, the celebrated Sauternes estate of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite. The 2020 is 57% Sauvignon Blanc and 43% Sémillon, combining Sauvignon’s freshness and energy with the texture and richness of Sémillon.

Aromas & Flavors
Passion fruit, citrus, grapefruit, ripe peach, and tropical fruit lead into subtle smoky and mineral nuances. Expressive and succulent without losing its Bordeaux identity.

Mouthfeel
Smooth and beautifully balanced, with enough volume from the Sémillon to give the wine substance while Sauvignon Blanc provides a sharp, refreshing backbone. Generous through the mid-palate, yet precise and lively through the finish.

Food Pairings
Oysters, grilled shrimp, scallops, crab, white fish, or seafood pasta. Equally enjoyable on its own.

Verdict
A hidden gem that punches considerably above its weight. Fresh, layered, succulent, and remarkably approachable, yet with enough structure and complexity to reveal its serious Bordeaux pedigree. One glass becomes two remarkably easily.

Did You Know?
Although 2020 may not be a headline vintage for white Bordeaux, R de Rieussec was a successful individual performer. The year was unusually warm and early, but Rieussec’s limestone-marl soils handled the dry summer well, with Sauvignon Blanc harvested exceptionally early in August to retain freshness.

🍷 Personal Pick
It took me a while to find other favorable vintages of this white, and I wasn’t sure 2020 would deliver, but I gave it a shot—and I’m glad I did. Succulent tropical fruit, beautiful balance, precision, and a sharp refreshing finish. Affordable enough to open casually, yet sophisticated enough to make you pay attention. Standalone or with seafood, this is exactly the kind of overlooked Bordeaux Blanc I love discovering. — 16 days ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

Touch of over the hill but still OK. Lost color. More for the geeks and aficionados - than the casual wine drinker. So this review is for you guys. — 3 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Bright dark garnet color. Aromas of red and black fruit, black licorice and light oak. Same fruits (very ripe) on the pallet with hints of wet loamy soil and basil. Plump and rich. Silky tannins. Pleasant surprise. Solid QPR. — 4 years ago

Rich Mueller

9.4

What do you think? — 6 years ago

Chase Parsons

9.0

Great wine especially for the price — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Splash decanted and enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 2014 “Viña Bosconia” pours a deep garnet/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Montmorency cherry, dill, toasted coconut, tobacco, leather and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and elegant. Delicious already in its relative youth and there’s a long, bright future ahead. Drink now with patience through 2044. — 10 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Still youthful — 19 days ago

Holly Morgan

10

Blood orange and cloves as well as cherries in the nose. A bit of vanilla as it opens up. Tastes of tangerine and clove with a sweet cherry after taste. — a month ago

Ed Tostanoski

9.5

Wine of the trip so far - just everything you would hope it to be (of course @ sacre bistro) — 2 months ago

Chris MacLean

9.3

Big winner at dinner tonight — 6 months ago

with Alessandro, Sarah and 2 others

Jason Budd

9.2

Lots of dark fruits with strong notes of cedar/cigar box. — 6 years ago

Peter A. Muth

8.9

I had a fruity to oak/earthy experience. Fruit up front Oak to Earth on the finish.
$10.+ at Costco.
Went well with my steak-filled salad...as well as with my chocolate-covered walnuts afterwards. — 6 years ago

Katie Davis

9.0

Yum not to juicy but still very glug — 7 years ago