Ira Schwartz

10

Wine stimulates our sense of smell and taste but in this case it also created a tidal wave of emotion. Through a tremendous act of generosity a dear friend shared this special bottle when he heard me lament I was not able to secure a bottle of wine to celebrate my mother’s 100 birthday. My friend stood the bottle up for several days. We decided it made sense to PnP. As you can see the cork was intact and the color of the wine defied its age. The excitement to take that first sniff was overwhelming for me. Old but alive scents wowed me. Lots of tobacco, leaves, leather and dried fruit. In the mouth those same scents were transferred to my palate thanks to a tsunami of acid. At about the one hour mark the wine quickly entered a death spiral. I cannot imagine another bottle of wine that will ever conjure up that amount of emotion and happiness. When I described my experience to my mom, a very broad smile came over her face. A blessing to share this experience with my mom and a privilege to taste a wine like this. — 4 days ago

with Richard

Eric Laychock

9.6

Great value. One of my favorite Pinot Noir — 4 years ago

TA

9.0

A great dinner party red - not too easy to drink that you drink without really registering anything except “red wine” but not one you have to dry to decide whether you like or not. — 5 years ago

Kurt Schuster

9.6

One of our absolute favorites. Light and living and just effervescent with lemon curd and clean starfruit and just enough acid to keep the structure together. Incredibly delicate and a well done balancing act to get these flavors to exist with just enough yeast to reflect the lees. Absolutely delightful.  — 2 months ago

with Denise

J Levenson

9.1

The quality for price is outstanding. In 1936 “Caillou’s owner had no desire to join the governing ranks of anything, let alone a wine appellation. This brazen act excluded the estate from the AOC and essentially carved out a chunk of Châteauneuf-du-Pape‘s border. Today it continues to be an ‘unclassified’ section in what is otherwise some of the most prized vineyard land in the area“-Ian Cauble, master sommelier — 4 years ago

Kaitlin Brasuell

10

One of my top faves for a non-sweet wine, my usual.
Notes: black cherry, plum, black currant, mocha
From: BrightCellars — 4 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.1

The only wine made from Montepeloso in 2017, all the top fruit was used for the level A Quo and with a triumphing result and plenty of revenue for a modest investment. Ripe yet fresh red and black fruit with an underlying freshness, floral aromas and a dimensional complexity brought by toast, spice, warm rocks and a savory meatiness. Expanding fruit on the palate in casing of fresh acidity and a solid yet soft grip from the ripe tannins. Offensive yet integrated alcohol and balanced act throughout the finish. Quite unusual blend 30% Montepulciano, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 %Sangiovese, 10% Marselan, 10% Alicante — 5 years 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. — 3 years ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

Smells like a spiced pastry

Lively! Red stars dance across the tongue for only a meaty mingling moment, before the tannins start smacking every part of the mouth, up, down, left, right, Jab, Jab, Ka-pow! Those knock out tannins longer on and on.. and on..
Wish I had bought 2 bottles, this needs at least 5 years to relax those teen tannins.
I mean, don’t close your mouth for too long on these tannins, as they act like a vacuum and super glue. You’ll never get your jaws apart.. — 4 years ago

Barry Shailes

10

Full bodies. Excellent with cheeses. Smooth. — 4 years ago