Pinotman /// Andreas

9.1

4 bottles within a week. Corks are in trouble they all seeped. Their top bottling in 2009 one barrel made / 60 year old vines / clone no idea? Still quite tannic. Needs 1 hour to open up before that flat/dull. Raspberries, tart cherry, red currant, chalky. Less complicated compared to 5 years ago some bottle variation. My strong advice - drink now (I re-corked 2 for 2029 for science). But honestly this is beyond its prime! OK gains significant elegance and pose after 2 hours of air. So yes still good but tough to figure out - and recommendation still the same drink up! May be folks luck out on the upside. — 2 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.2

Perfectly mature. Soft pruney fruit, gingerbread spice, mellow chocolatey tannines. Dashes of oak, mocha and smoke, as well. Not overly complex, nor complicated. A fun wine.
Very good QPR. — 4 years ago

John W

8.9

Dark ruby coloration. On the nose, dark cherry, leather, and vanilla. On the palate, cherry, fruity, anise, vanilla, short finish, not complicated but relatively easy to drink and enjoyable table wine. Full bodied, stronger tannins, again, not much in the finish. Gets a tad bitter. B-21 $35. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.0

The 2021 Nero d'Avola is spicy in the glass, displaying a woodland-inspired blend of mentholated herbs, shaved pine, mandarin and crushed wild berries. This is pleasantly sweet upon entry, with cocoa-tinged red berry fruits complicated by hints of sage and an air of lavender. Staining and potent, the 2021 tapers off with dramatic length, leaving firming tannins and notes of licorice to linger on. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2024)
— 2 years ago

joe mama

8.9

Get the licorice right off the top and then that fades quick..then. Blackberries and some other dark fruit..great long subtle finish..licorice comes back with subtle spice..great medium to full body..nothing complicated going on but great value at this price — 2 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.2

Medium red. Aromatic red fruit, with floral and licorice influence on the nose. Palate is complicated nicely with grilled meat, and a hint of green bell pepper and white pepper. Nice weight. Relaxed tannins. Medium plus alcohol. Not overly complex, may improve some, but I wouldn't expect a huge change.

92+ points — 4 years ago

Ron R

9.2

Lost my notes again.
We love this producer, but best drunk in its youth. Tannins and acid have all but left the building. Nice heady perfume, combines with sweetness and length, but has little to no structure. Red currants on the nose and palate. Complicated wood treatment adds the most interesting dimension. Get after this pinots now. — 6 years ago

with Anne-marie

Victor Hsu

9.3

Delightfully complicated California Chard masquerading as a White Burgundy. French nose and French finish. Minerals, flint, stone and fruit—apple, pear, peach and nectarine, with an obvious but restrained layer of oak. Not overly fruity or oaky; no pineapple or butterscotch here. Paired well with the Seafood Tower, Swordfish and Black Cod at the Water Grill Santa Monica. This was a juvenile 2021 vintage, tasted in 2024. Eager to try this gem after another half decade. — 2 years ago

JKT

9.2

sake of Kaiseki dinner at Naza GiroGiro with willie. Last sake and said to be best. Less fruity but complex with a note of sharpness and a bite that went well with the complicated duck dish. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.6

Another year in bottle has added unexpected depths and dimension to the 2016 San Leonardo. It wafts up with an alluring bouquet of smoky black currant and plum skins, complicated by savory herbs, hints of white pepper and fresh tobacco. It's hard chiseled edges have formed into smooth contours now, velvety yet youthfully dense, washing mineral encased dark red and black berries across a core of brisk acidity as a combination of saline-minerals and grippy tannins add tension toward the close. This finishes incredibly long yet also structured, begging for time in the cellar, as hints of licorice and earth tones grumble under an air of inner violet florals. The potential within the 2016 San Leonardo is off the charts, yet it will require a good amount of time to come fully into focus. Bury your bottles deep. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2022)
— 4 years ago