Lover of: all things light, minerally, & red; in search of the perfect Chenin blanc, cru Beaujolais, mountain Nebbiolo, & varietals unknown.
Unusual pale pomelo color. Muted dried grapefruit, white blossoms, & tangerine essence on nose; on palate long elegant & smooth, this drinks like a good white. Medium bodied, quince, more of the palate fruits, but a resolutely dry approach, & finishes dry. A reminder to myself that the roses I truly enjoy are because they’re really whites, & this is one of them. Screwcap. — 15 days ago
Very pale tangello color, yet with such a strong &surprisingly dense palate: black & red currants, pine needles on nose & palate; a bit hot but very, very long in mouth & on finish. . Makes me wonder how warm the vintage, but this bottling feels very refined & powerful. I could imagine all kinds of food pairings, including a burger or beef carpacio.. — 14 days ago
I’m not too fond of the blandness in a lot of Portuguese reds, but this style plays to its strong suits: unabashed joy in a chilled red, with a fine grained berry texture & an inky dark cherry fruit palate. Nothing complicated but something a bit more elegant & long. — 18 days ago
2nd time through this bottling: the nose deserves special mention as it really lands the day before touching glass to lips, it’s that fragrant & potent: lemon curd, white blossoms, endive, but special ly made by some wacky German cousin of Willie Wonka. Little did I know that Roter Traminer is a kissing cousin of Gewurtztraminer ( if I followed the lineage properly) so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. On palate the fragrance notes are there, but neither shrill nor imbalanced, with a medium styled body & a slight viscosity I like. For some reason could imagine mushroom dishes pairing beautifully. — 22 days ago
A damn good Godello, god dammit, if you’re ok with some slight oxidation & roundness. Utterly Crazy Eddie insane for 9.97 ( aware that it’s sticker price is 20$)., — 15 days ago
New producer for me, solid fairly crisp Manzanilla — 18 days ago
Ramisco from Colares is one of my bucket list experiences so anytime I get to share (& it must be shared!)a bottle it’s a special experience indeed. Truffle, aged bark, blackberry must on nose; on palate those notes plus sour cherry concentrate, cassis, & forest leaves all in a light medium body. Did not decant & wondered if mildly corked (vs needing air). I experience these wines as remarkably evocative, & find my self transported to, for example, my English grandfather’s library in London,as a child, which I suppose is another way of saying it’s a”contemplative” wine. I also find the 500ml format an excellent way to sample aged, noble wine like this- the Goldilocks of proportion. I humbly bow to my dear friend for breaking this out. — 19 days ago
Peter Sultan
Razor intense and like a foal as it finds its legs: all kinds of white fruit pit, grapefruit pith, & white grapes on nose; more of those notes on palate & more white blossoms. Really delish & juicy, though has a very dry channel which I find exhilarating. — 13 days ago