I really hate it when people try to complement a CA chard as “Burgundian.” Not that it’s wrong to do so — it’s just my shibboleth. Ok. This is pretty Burgundian. When I had the 2018 version of this it came across as Chablis-like. This is much more Cote de Beaune, Puligny or Meursault-like, maybe more Puligny. Delightful contrast of open knit structure and bracing minerality. Several years short of maturity and I think this will gain complexity with time. It’s impressive now though. Beautiful mix of citrus — lemon, grapefruit, tangerine — along with some soft apricot-like honey-ness. The minerality is what defines this however: river stones, wet slate, a touch of granite: complex mineral notes.
Subtle, refined, pedigreed. Rich but also very structured. Wow.
Score: 94+. This could go a lot higher, I just don’t know. All I know is: this is still on the ascent.
Relative to expectations: ++ at least and with potential for more.
Btw, the bottle design is intriguing and is worthy of consideration for reds because it makes a natural wine cradle. Sone might roll their eyes but I am impressed with the thought that went into this.
Good material but out of whack right now. The Sauvignon is a little green and young, the Sémillon is a little round and young. This needs a lot more time. Right now, it’s acid driven with citrus, dried herbs and some bitterness. Medium-minus body with an ambiguous finish on fruit and bitterness. A little weird right now.
Yummy! Straight as an arrow but so much stuffing behind it! Citrus rind and citrus juice, hay, hints of honeycomb and long mineral finish. This is lovely as is but you can feel it could evolve into something entirely different on honeycomb, herbs and quince. Good vintage for this.
This was an absolute smashing auction find. Ripe red berries, stems, dark coffee, some more herbs and worn out leather. Big fruit up front with bracing (medium-plus) acidity and a decent finish on fruit and oak notes. I really dig this.
My first von Winning. Out of a mixed case I picked this because it seemed it would be most accessible. However, “most accessible” can still also mean “what are you doing opening this now, you idiot?” Although this is enjoyable now it begs for prolonged cellar time. Very impressive density, complexity, and right now forbidding structure. Initially bracing and taut, with ferocious citrus, melon and even toffee flavors coiled up like very hungry lions kept in a cage of acidity. Even after a day, this had put on weight, become slightly more approachable, with a dazzling g array of flavors, but still just a hint of what it will eventually become. This is going to age for eons, and has all the makings of a fabulous future.
Score: 93+ , likely to be a lot higher in about a decade or more. Could easily last a quarter century.
Relative to expectations: ++ for now and undoubtedly the third plus in time
Just like other Barossa shiraz, aromatic, full bodied, a bit high alchohol. But this one has good acidity which refreshes my tongue and relieves the pressure of drinking glass after glass.
Black plums and black cherries dominate, very appetising. Medium tannins. Have to admit that the wine is not concentrated enough to balance its acidity and alchohol, making a special sour and alchoholically spicy finish.
Overall, it’s good, and its outstanding acidity enables it to perform consistently from noon when I opened it to night. Maybe the wine can age effortlessly through a decade? It’s a bargain considering my purchase price.
This was a beautiful Riesling. Lots of tropical fruit on nose. On the palate shows like biting into a crisp sweet red apple. Very long finish. Definitely a sipper. Went well with the chicken mole I made
Duhart-Milon 2001 - drinking beautifully, so much better than the 2000. Classic Pauillac aromas, a classic dollop of blackcurrant, then a very long, creamy finish with soft red and dark berry flavours. Delicious. At release it was a paltry 19€, then the bubble came along and it rose to 100€, now it’s back down to 55€, which in view of the quality is a very fair price.
We opened a 2020 Falkenstein Mutter Anna and it was awesome. Keep your Keller and Muller at 5x the cost. When it was revealed that we were drinking a $30 bottle of wine, I was called a liar twice!
One woman said i thought all good Riesling smells like gasoline regardless of age. Lololol! Zero petrol on this bad boy. I was tempted to break out a Gisela #8 but we were quite satisfied with this bottle.
