John Bratincevic

9.3

Clay and juicy cassis. Black olive. Tannins taste like an old varnished bureau. This is the wine that made me love wine again — especially French wine — and motivated me to start systematically tasting and making notes. Then of course my liquor store stopped carrying it. I was delighted to find a bottle while traveling. Still a wonderful value and delicious,though age would improve it. 92 or … 93! — 10 days ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

Again, not a wine that passed the drinkability test for me, but there are things that I liked about it, and some that I didn't. Right off the bat, it was way too heavy for me, both on the nose and palate. Heaps of oak aromas covering some sweet black fruits. The palate also came off as being quite sweet, almost syrupy, but here's where the balancing act comes in - just the right amount of acidity to keep it juicy. It's like biting into a very sweet, ripe, juicy plum with a peppering of cinnamon and vanilla. I enjoyed the tannins most, fine and directional, starting at the tip of the tongue, then swinging under before traveling down the inner walls of the gum. What a cool structure! And then there's the underlying minerality with air, which was pleasantly surprising. The finish took a turn for the worse - medium, rich, and oaky, yet bitter with hints of scorched earth character which I dislike. Also quite warm. Generally, more finessed than the 2011 Troplong Mondot, but less stacked and more stumbling blocks. Has potential. — 4 years ago

E & K G

9.2

Solid champagne that really brings let’s the strengths of Pinot Noir shine through. Great fruit, toasty notes with a crisp finish. Got lucky finding this on on sale for a tad over $40/btl. Too bad I was traveling and couldn’t load up on more! — 5 years ago

John Brunner

9.5

after 2 weeks traveling Italy— this is my favorite! — 2 years ago

with Billy and Jan

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Just brilliant. Took 1.5 hours but boy did this unfold. A brilliant wine. 1/3 germany, 1/3 oregon, 1/3 burgundy. Just a world class traveling Pinot Noir. The aromatics were 9.7-9.8. Wait 5 more years if you have some. — 3 years ago

Nathan Renfro

9.3

One of my favorite value wines. Same notes as before. Unfortunately while traveling I forgot a corkscrew, so it’s a little corky 😂 Still a great wine though! — 4 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.4

Rich, flavorful Cab with fantastic bold tannins well integrated with the dark red fruit of cranberry, blueberry, currant. Layers of complexity readily opened up and a grippy finish. We picked it up at cellar doors when we were traveling across SE SA a few years back and visited Coonawarra. Had to drink it today to celebrate their most severe but shortest 3 day lock down in this pandemic history. — 5 years ago

with Tammy

Jan de Weerd

9.1

Expressive Bordeaux blend from …. Valle de Guadeloupe! Brought it home when we were traveling there. They are making great wines in Baja California region but interestingly very difficult, if not impossible to get in the US. Paralelo 31 was recommended by several. They are part of a larger project. No dedicated tasting room. Lot of upfront dark earthy expressive fruit. A bit tart on the finish. — 2 years ago

Deborah M

9.0

Vacations that involve both cycling and wine are the absolute best. Already thinking of where to go in 2023.

Last night my neighbors shared this gem that they brought back from a recent Bordeaux wine and bike holiday. (Note to self to spend more time with the fun neighbors 😁).

The 2014 Château Destieux was super approachable after a short decant. Very ripe concentrated fruit, but not in a bad way. Complex with soft tannins. 14.5% ABV. Really a lovely bottle.

Rule #64 Remember to bring back a bottle (or bottles) while traveling. The subsequent stories about the adventure will pair perfectly with that wine. — 3 years ago

P

9.2

Great toasted woods, great lemony acidity, superb finish. Excellent wine to drink on a summer evening when traveling the Palatinate... — 5 years ago