Shay A

9.3

(Two previous 1983 wine reviews never made it on here, so copying from my CT).

Continuing a run of ‘83s over the last 3-6 months, this not only showed quite well, but it was at its best after almost two hours in the bottle. Whereas the ‘83 Pichon was clean and elegant, this was a bit more dense and powerful. Beautifully expressive aromatics of potpourri, espresso, fig and leather with a flavor profile mostly on the red/black fruit side of the spectrum. The mid-palate showed good weight and continued to bulk-up during the evening. Old cherry-tobacco note at the finish. Honestly, this drank like it was more early ‘90s than it was early ‘80s. Good. — 3 months ago

Steve Rura

8.9

Pretty consistent with the 22 vintage. Tart, fresh, raspberry, a little bitter and herbaceous towards the end. Slightly less abv at 12%

Follow up: By day 3, it’s not good anymore. — 7 months ago

Ge Reid

9.0

Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir
Liaison 2021
Baden, Germany
12.5% ABV

German Pinot is supposed to be the next big thing, the best Pinot Noirs outside the Cote D'Or. And Enderle and Moll is reputedly its top producer , with a cult-like following in the German-speaking world. They make 3 versions, somewhat comparable to regional level , village level and grand cru, their top wine being the Buntsandstein. The Liaison is their mid-level offering from old vines up to 50 years old grown on limestone and sandstone soils. Needless to say , I've been dying to try one and see if it lives up to the hype.

On Day One , pop and pour. Very light, translucent ruby. Pretty red fruit and fresh mushroom aromas lead to a light yet intense entry on the palate with bracing , mouthwatering acidity dominating the wine at this stage. Showing more '21 Germany than Pinot character at this stage, so corked and revisited the next day.

On Day Two, this has completely transformed . The first thing noticed is that the color has become darker and deeper, and now looks like classic young burgundy. Aromas are also much more developed , with scents of Indian spices underneath the cherries , raspberries and forest floor. The tiniest hint of wood adds breadth and depth to a bouquet of classic pinosity, but with a character all its own.

On entry, this shows typical flavors of red fruit (currants , marasca cherries , cranberries ), brown spices , and sous bois in a light -bodied but incredibly intense package , with bracing acidity unlike any Pinot Noir I've ever tasted. Despite all the mid-palate energy , this has only moderate length and intensity on the finish. There's a bit of barely noticeable tannin. Built for medium term aging , it will be interesting to see if it remains balanced as it develops. Regardless , the acidity helped make it exceptionally good at the table , here paired with an herb and teriyaki roasted Salmon.

The Liaison can be found for around $30 here in the States , making it an excellent value, though California Pinot lovers might find the level of acidity shocking . While it's not going to make me think about pouring my Wilamette Valley Pinots down the drain , this is really good for the level, and really food friendly. A Pinot for Italian Wine lovers . — a year ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of black fruits, cedar, spices, chocolates, coffee, licorice, light vanilla and black pepper.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, cooked cherries, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, cedar, earth, dark chocolates, licorice, cola, spices, vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 17 year old Napa Cabernet Sauvignon feels more like a Left Bank Bordeaux. Fruit forward with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing great complexity and delicious, but I expected more from this great 2007 vintage. I had the 2001 not too long ago, and it was so much better.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. A good food wine too.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$350. — 5 months ago

Doug Powers

9.1

Very fresh, lively, primarily redfruited aromas and flavors, some spicy notes as well, super nicely balanced, great acid, shows admirable restraint, should age nicely midterm (5-10 years?), very good “entry level” Zinfandel, long finish!! I’d read that the 2023 Zins, grown in a relatively cooler year, had a very long growing season, with excellent acidity, and I’d say this shows all of those characteristics. Morgan nailed this, it was great to finally meet his “adult” version, my wife and I first met him about 35 years ago at a ZAP event at Ravenswood hosted by his father Joel. — 7 months ago

with Jim

Dennis Hogenkamp

9.2

13.5% ABV Salute to Lulu Peyraud of Domaine Tempier in France. Lulu’s father owned the vineyard , and she along with her husband took it over. Sadly we lost her in October 2020 at the age of 102 y/o. This is a blend of old vine Mataro and Grenache. Light salmon color, watermelon initially , later apple. Very nice! — 3 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.3

This current vintage, 2020, is the best I’ve had over the last few. This funky, crunchy blend of mostly Carignan with a splash of Pais, has been a consistent favorite in my house for its immense drinkability, freshness, and individuality. This wine scratches a specific itch every time. — 4 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1990 vintage. Excellent fill and halfway saturated cork. Used a Durand but surmise a regular waiter's friend, wielded carefully, could have done the trick with the cork. Decanted and tasted after 30 mins, one hour and two hours. Some obvious sed but not troublesome or overtly noticeable. Original owner-château direct on original release. Super cold cellar because this was lagging noticeably behind other '90's and LB's. Bigger tannic structure (for a generally feminine-styled house) than anything save a Latour, Mouton, Ducru Left Bank property. Even more guts than Lynch-Bages or Pichon-Baron '90's currently stored above 55 or so degrees. Surprising but made sense. Light-medium body. Appropriate color. 3-4 years left in this stage unless larger format in play. Slight, fleeting burst of richness in the frontal palate and a tad brickish and then it just flowed on, without speed bumps. A little cocoa powder and cedar/tobacco. Suspect 750ml specimens not stored as cold/religiously will be showing more in the 9.0-9.1 range and farther down the backside of the bell curve. 10.26.24. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2016 vintage. Last tasted 6.15.24. Still too fleshy for me. Prob need to decant (or open and put back in the reefer for a day or two) for 3 hours to draw out the tannins that, theoretically, should be there. Enjoying the 2006, 2018 and 2019 vintages a bit more currently. **UPDATE**Came across an opened (2/3rd left from last night's party) bottle and retested. Tannins out and looking for nightlife. Upgraded to 9.3 (7.21.24.) 7.20.24. — 10 months ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

100 year anniversary ... not of the winery, but of the acquisition of the winery by the Cordier family--France is unreal! Deeply extracted, royal purple, opaque, medium plus to full bodied. Red cherry dominated on open but after an hour blackberry has taken over. Spices and a hint of vanilla in the background. Medium plus alcohol 14.5. Medium acidity. Tannins are still biting a bit. Super long length. I would recommend holding this at least another 2-3 years. The tannins will soften, and I suspect we will enjoy some tertiary flavors from the spiced vanilla that remains.

93 points — 3 years ago