Ira Schwartz

9.2

My first time tasting this producer, I would be lying if I said I did not have very high expectations. Scents of earth , flowers, spice and oak. As one would expect from this vintage fruit but it is not overdone that is joined at the hip with some serious mineral overtones. I have no clue what this sells for at the cellar door but secondary prices have to be based on one thing, scarcity. — a year ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.8

Jesus H. So pretty. Fine tuned. Licorice and rose hip. Mesmerizing. Tip of the iceberg. More to come. — 4 years ago

Jae Cho

9.2

Layers of generous cherries, cranberry, rose hip and cooling spearmint. Slow ox 4 hours and drank over 2 hours. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

The 2014 vintage was the last harvest while Serge Hochar was still alive. He tragically drowned while on holiday, NYE in 2014. I have no logical reason to be wary of Musar’s future as the team involved in producing the wines have been in place for some time. However, Serge’s death was for me, the loss of an wine hero. This is my first experience with the 2014 and I can’t help but reflect on the unforgettable experiences I’ve had drinking wines that he produced.

Decanted for several hours prior to dinner, the wine appears a deep purple turning garnet after plenty of air with an opaque core. High intensity, medium+ viscosity, a touch of sediment. On the nose, this is a wild carnival for the senses with cherries, mulberries, rhubarb pie, Twin Bing, harissa, kofta, pipe tobacco, oud, teriyaki, and event canned peaches (though only after some time in the glass). On the palate, things are much more modest with a very compelling cherry compote and bright cranberry notes with some tobacco and baking spices. Very primary at this stage. Medium tannin with medium+ acid. The finish long…forever and a day with dried cherries and dates bringing me home. While still an infant, this is shaping up to be a lovely and long-lived vintage of Musar Rouge. Cheers, Serge. Your legacy lives on. — 5 years ago

D

9.1

Pretty damn delicious. If you like your wine hip, satisfying and well-rounded... then this one’s for you. We enjoyed it with crackers and with my partner-in-crime ;) — 6 years ago

Ming L

8.9

Aroma of raisin, ripe plum, dried mushroom, toffee, black tea，brown sugar, and soy source. Rich palate is balanced by well judged acidity and solid tannins.

This small winery was founded by a brave young woman at the age of 25 in 2005, who tragically passed away in 2017, survived by her husband and 2 daughters. For the superiore, the grapes were dried for 20 days. 36 months in large oak barrel and 12 month in bottle before release. About 3500 bottles made. — 8 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

Foillard but make it alpine.

Fragrant, light and silky (cedar, rose hip, red and black currant, alpine berries). vintage after vintage, this wine always gets me. Paired with simple pasta and lentil salad. One site, one variety, one wine — no wine or place or label like it anywhere else in the world. — 3 years ago

Severn G

9.4

Nose has ripe plum, cedar shavings, dried blackberry, over-ripe black cherry, crushed black currant, menthol syrup and dried violets.

Palate has dried black currant, moist soil, cedar shavings, moist cigar, ripe blackberry, dried black cherry, rose hip tea with light tannins.

A beautiful cork, almost no soak; pulled clean with a standard screw. This is really in the zone tonight after a 6H decant. Drink 2022-2028 from proper storage.

Paired to Allen Bros USDA Prime Hanger with Dijon/Rosemary/Garlic/Lemon Zest marinade. Grilled to great 130° centers, 10m rise/rest to absolute perfection.
(I was honestly fighting with two cats to eat dinner tonight.) — 4 years ago

Seth Masterson

9.2

Not lemon custard in a bottle but yuzu custard (attention hip pastry chefs I think I just discovered the next big thing) in a slim bottle.
Cloudy, natural, refreshing with depth and citrus spice.
It has a bizarre aroma that I can't quite place- green papaya sprinkled with an Indian cooking spice but which one is it?
This is definitely a buy again wine.
$31 at Little Death — 4 years ago

PFM

9.2

My first Alice Bouvot wine.. lovely pineapple nose and deep amber colour. This is actually the Savagnin, not the Chardonnay. Ripe, acidic, effervescent. Tastes like a summer night 🥺 — 5 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.3

First encounter with the 2016 Trediberri Barolo. After an hour in the decanter it is very closed and tight. After an additional 30 minutes of had work of spinning the glass the wine finally unleashed its inner complexity. As it opens up it displays an intense fruit profile with slightly tart red berries; cranberries, rose hip and blood orange with a softer edged strawberry fruit and lavender coming from behind. Beyond the fruit there is plenty of complexity coming from a pronounced portion of incense, tar and spicy characters.
A penetrating acidity and pronounced, ye approachable, tannins with a gripping texture dictates the palate. A very good fatigue on the mid palate, strong but with light steps and plenty of vibrant energy. An expansive complexity holds your attention through a solid finish. 92 +
If opening today I would give it 3-4 hours in the decanter, and don’t rush it in the glass. I am confident that it will age beautifully, and I will keep my additional 6 pack on the back for a couple of years before a revisit. — 6 years ago

Brandon Boesch

10

Still the best fresh hip beer. Legendary. — 7 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.2

I'm going to admit to you that I'm not a great lover of Chenin Blanc. I'm not sure why. Maybe I don't have enough somm certificates; maybe I'm not hip enough; or maybe I'm just an idiot? That being said, this is a fantastic bottle of wine that's zippy, rich, elusive, and obvious all at the same time. — 8 years ago

Ginny DeLacey

9.0

Fresh and tart, classic. Rose hip, lime zest nose. Sour cherry, clementine on the end. River stone or a little minerality. Drank at Verre Volé our last night in Paris in 2023. Recommended by the somm. — 3 years ago

with Joseph

Travis Ladd

9.2

Drink in a big hip glass and it is delightful. — 4 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.5

Deep ruby.
Nose is initially a bit shy. With air, in tulip glass and paired with homemade shepherd's pie; this shows juniper berry, bitter cherry pit/bark, bracing digestif herbs. In a big Burgundy stem, shows some rose hip, acerola, crushed creosote leaf, damp pine forest. This is one heck of a complex nose.
Palate is medium bodied, tannins are fine, long and surprisingly dry, not on the mid palate but one the finish with a black tea/amaro like bitterness that lingers.
I really wish I had more as this is my last bottle. — 4 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

My first time trying one of the wines from Cantina del Pino, an estate with greater ties to Barbaresco’s roots than most. The Vacca family were long a part of the Produttori but in 1997 branched out (yes, a pun: it was they who in the 1920s planted the now iconic pine tree on the highest point of the Ovello lieu-dit), and now produce two single vineyard Barbaresco bottlings (this, and an Albesani), as well as a generic Barbaresco and Langhe, Barbera and Dolcetto wines.

Tragically, winemaker Renato Vacca died in March last year after a yearlong battle with cancer. The 2016 vintage, just bottled, is supposed to be superb.

For now, though, the Ovello from the less lauded 2012 vintage. This is a knockout wine, still young, and with great promise. The nose is very exotic, quite heady & oaky even after a two hour decant, but opened up as the evening progressed, to give gorgeous aromas of macerated cherry, blackberry preserve, cinnamon, cedar and old leather. It screams Nebbiolo, and it’s the first Nebb I’ve had in a year or so.

The palate is very concentrated, with ripe and intense flavours of cranberry, dried cherry, cured meat and tobacco leaf. There is great tension and energy through the mouth, which only this village - or its neighbour - can achieve. The finish is long and impressive. A seductive, ageworthy wine.

94+ — 5 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

8.9

Moises Wahle Vineyards ‘Mes Amis’ Pinot Noir 2014: Soft, medium-bodied. Bright red flavors & rose hip on the nose. Vibrant cherry & strawberry with a smooth touch of spice on the palate. Thoroughly enjoyed every drop of this Oregon Pinot! Cheers🍷 — 6 years ago

Scott Taddeo

8.9

Mix of red and dark fruit - ripe strawberry, dark cherry and black raspberry come to the fore- rose and rose hip, damp leather, anise, with touches of sap/whole bunch complexity all there too. Not overly complex but quite pure in its delivery. Acid is just medium plus and perhaps not quite as brisk as other 14s with tannins soft and dialed it around medium (-). Medium finish. — 8 years ago

ie

9.0

Sour mashed red berries, rose hip, bruyère, dirt, light funk; mellow medium body, vivid, vibrant, rounded up at this age (2014 on 01/06/18). Juicy pulp, some flesh, linear and bright. Half moon weight. — 8 years ago