Wow this is singing! What a nose. Gorgeous lemon inflected minerality. Hints of attractive spicey oak and stunning rocky minerality. Tree bark and herbs. So good. What a screaming mimi of a nose. Palate is rich and ripe but also nervy and tense. Amazing purity buttressed by that awesome Meursault richness. Lovely texture. Awesome mouthfeel and a lovely lemon drop lime zest finish. Wonderful. — 3 years ago
Take a typical good-quality PN and amplify everything from color, nose, mouthfeel, structure, and length - and you get to this wine from Rocky Point, a steep hill above a lake in central Otago. Color is deep violet; nose is high-octane black fruits (mulberry) and ripe cran- and strawberries, and minerality and a sweet herbaciousness; taste is full bodied with round tannins, dense fruit, medium-high aclohol, rubber and spice. And all well balanced. Would love to try in 3-5y. — 4 years ago
Sanshugong.
12% alc. Margalagua is a charismatic parcel of the Taganan vineyard comprising 100- to 300-year-old vines on a uniquely iron-rich seam of rocky volcanic soil. This treacherously steep vineyard site is planted with a mix of mostly indigenous red grapes, such as Negramoll and Listán Negro, with a small amount of Listán Blanco. This parcel is about elegance and depth rather than power: due to the silky character of the wines, it is vinified differently with a much longer (30- to 45-day) maceration and 100% stem-inclusion, yielding a darker, bolder, richer wine.
[Vintage 2018:] “This vineyard has been vinified and bottled separately since 2012 because it has a very strong personality, not surprisingly, because it's one of the most fascinating and exceptional vineyards I've ever seen in my life. . . This is a translucent bright ruby color, and it's aromatic, floral, spicy and mineral, expressive and super fresh, because of the year and because they have new cooler vineyards. It has lots of notes of violets and lilies. The flavors are pungent, precise, clean, symmetric and very elegant, with refined tannins and a tasty, somewhat salty finish. This is the best wine they have produced to date. Truly word-class.” WA 98 (Luis Gutiérrez) — 2 years ago
Wow! High acidity, medium bodied, and flavorful. The ultimate wine for clams, oysters, and seafood. Made from Catarratto, the indigenous Sicilian grape grown in rocky and mineral-laden soil. Grapefruit and orange peel with hints of volcanic minerality. Lively and fresh. Excellent. 2018 vintage on Jun 7, 2020 — 4 years ago
Easy to drink and smooth. Baking spices are the star here— cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom (slightly). Cranberry is second. I want to drink this on some rocky European coast in the fall— like small, cute rocks. Not a Californian craggy coast. And there is a cute town there, too. Pair this while petting a Saluki. — 2 years ago
So long since I’ve had a Rockpile wine and loved this!! Black and green pepper along with dark berries (raspberry and blackberry). An excellent jam flavor that just fits so well with bbq ribs. — 4 years ago
Steve Goore
Aged well over last 7-8 years. There’s some oak, smoke, ripe berry with rounded tannins. Sharp and smooth simultaneously. Great with food or on its own. — 3 months ago