Jamie Lauder

9.0

2025 vintage.
54 % Riesling, 37 % Gewurztraminer and 9 % Pinot Gris, Ehrenfelser and Oraniansteiner.
After the devastating winter freeze and loss of 2024 crop in Okanagan and Similkameen valleys, this vintage is a return to all British Columbia fruit. Aromatic and off-dry styled after Alsatian Edelzwicker.
Fresh and bright flavours of white peach, crisp, ripe Golden apples, ginger, lychee and lime.
— 3 months ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

The classic caramel/baking spice notes crop up on the nose but cut with fresh apple cider. The palate follows suit, bringing pear and citrus into the fold. The body is a medium-plus premise, and while the flavor profile verges on rich and the alcohol elevated, somehow, it all integrates into more than the sum of its parts. New bottle look, dependable, delicious taste! — 2 years ago

Evan McKenzie

8.9

Darker yellow appearance, very light aromatics, minimal oak, lemon, high acid, medium + minerals, 13.9% EtOH

2016 crop of Wente Selection Chardonnay hand-harvested on 9/23 with a yield of 1.05 tons per acre. Whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented in seasoned French Burgundy barrels. 147 cases produced. — 6 years ago

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9.3

The 2017 A Quo is the only wine Montepeloso bottled in a brutal, challenging vintage in which dehydration took with it 40% of the potential crop. All of the best fruit went into the entry-level A Quo, which is positively stellar in 2017. Red cherry jam, mint, cedar and wild flowers are all wonderfully fused together in a sumptuous, racy Bolgheri red that punches well above its weight. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 6 years ago

Maggie Harrison

9.7

This was amazing. I’ve never had anything like it. The story told to me about this liquor is that the fruit comes from old old orchards on or near the Chave estate. Apricot trees used to be a big crop for the region a long time ago! this is a sublime drink — 7 years ago

Joseph Gannon

9.4

Cherry juice with slight effervescene, pure enjoyment. This was my favorite producer from last year’s Nouveau crop, and is likely to be again. love it — 9 years ago

Francesco Montanari

10

Lovin' bottle. Crop 2003 in 2016. Perfect — 10 years ago

Tegan Marriott

9.3

Loved the balance here. Complex & gracious, Carnuntum cream of the crop. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

A beautiful top shelf Margaret River Cabernet drinking well at 16 years of age. Deep Ruby in colour. You would never know it was that age from the colour. My 2nd last bottle. A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Trademark herbaceous notes with mulberry and spice. 2008 was a hot and dry vintage in Margaret River. Severe winds at flowering drastically reduced the crop to the lowest yet recorded - under 1 tonne per acre. Shelley Anne named after Stuart Watson’s wife. Stuart is the chief winemaker and one of the owners. Had my last bottle on 2nd April 2026. Starting to think these top Woodlands Cabernets are better earlier in life when there are more black fruit cassis characters. Good nevertheless but certainly not improving. — 2 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.6

medium lemon yellow, watery rim, moderate tearing; lemon custard, Golden Delicious apple, buttered brioche; fleshy, lemon cream, apple, buttered toast, excellent persistence; full bodied, bright acidity, 14.6% ABV; made from 100% Chardonnay sourced from Mon Plaisir estate vineyard planted in 1990 in rocky, volcanic-origin rhyolite soil exclusively to Old Wente clone, most lush of their single vineyard Chardonnays, “Mon Plaisir” meaning “My Pleasure”, 2015 was drought vintage with very small intensely flavored crop; naturally fermented in barrel, undergoes malolactic fermentation, aged 11 months on the lees which were stirred weekly; $95 — 6 years ago

Anna Vocaturo

9.6

Crisp, Refreshing, lots of grapefruit, grassy- concentration of flavors from 45-48 year old vines, they lost a lot of the crop in 2018 — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

After Jim Clendenen graduated with a pre-law degree in ’76, he was assistant winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery for the 1978 harvest, and in 1981 he pulled a “triathlon” and handled three harvests in one year as Jim worked crush and directed the harvest at wineries in Australia and France. Small crop, early ripening with concentrated fruit, aromas of tropical fruits and toasty notes. On the palate fresh pineapple and pear with oak tones, a bit creamy, almost buttery, a bit overdone, but still a good value. Medium finish with a round mouthfeel and bits of mineral on the ending. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

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9.2

Wine is a product of nature. This fact was all too real for Ormes de Pez in 2014 as the estate suffered through a brutal hailstorm in May that took with it a third of the potential crop. Yet, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining and the positive result here was that the reduced yield resulted in an unusually deep, powerful vintage for this St. Estèphe property that belongs to the Cazes family, owners of Lynch-Bages. A dark, sumptuous beauty, the 2014 Ormes de Pez offers up a compelling mélange of purplish and black fruit, smoke, grilled herbs and graphite, with quite a bit of density. Rich and voluptuous, the 2014 is a gorgeous Ormes de Pez that will drink well relatively early. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Feb 2017) — 9 years ago

Jo Anne B

9.5

Goes great with back injections.😖😬. Haven't had an AVV wine I didn't love. Dark cherry, raspberry, anise and a little black pepper. So good. Makes me forget the aching pain. — 10 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.6

And now to South Africa! Where they produce some awesome en es for decent prices. The Pinotage was created there. A crossing between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (which was called Hermitage in its olden days). It tastes like a Pinot Noir on steroids. But, when Kanonkop gets its hands on it they lift it up to a sensational experience. Vibrant, intense and layered with flavors. Their black label is their cream of the crop sourced from old vines. — a year ago

with Tammy

Jason Goodfellow

9.0

Complex, rich, dark fruit, aged qualities and good for any red meat meal. Look no further for high quality under $60 — 3 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.3

Very much like all the Ponsot wines from this era, and Domaine des Chezeaux was a "mettayage" agreement, Ponsot taking care of the vines, making the wine and getting 50% of the crop. We like it a great deal, actually.
Great bottle. — 3 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.1

Winery: Luna Beberide
Wine: Fina Luna Beberide
Vintage: 2017
Denomination of Origin: Bierzo
Grape: 100% Mencia

This wine has changed names with the 2017 vintage. Former called Finca la Cuesta, this is sourced from the same, estate vineyards on clay and broken slate. The winery has reduced the amount of new oak and time in wood with this vintage lending a fresher fruit character. Good thing as 2017 crop was drastically reduced by frost.
Medium opaque purple. Nose of plums, graphite, a hint of gamy/butcher block. On the palate this is fleshier than previous vintages, with a silky, Merlot-like character. Persistent and concentrated while maintaining a sense of levity. — 6 years ago

Matt Trader

9.3

Another stunning wine! Probably tied for WOTN. Just an absolutely fantastic GC, and a lesser known producer, but not to be taken lightly. For under $100 you are getting cream of the crop, and something that even at 6 years of age will soldier on and continue to develop for at least the next 10 years. Vibrant and aromatic - crushed clove, fresh pansies, rhubarb, a faint touch of brett to bring the terrior together. Beautiful ruby color, no loss of youth in flavour either - raspberry reduction, nutmeg, dried cranberries, cedar, and a finesse only known to GC Burgundy.

Another special treat to open. Thank you @Kyle Groombridge ! — 8 years ago

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9.2

The 2012 Alter Ego is unusually dark in this vintage, the result of abnormally low yields and very ripe Merlot. An exuberant, voluptuous wine, the 2012 hits the palate with a mélange of black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice, tobacco and grilled herbs. There is more than enough tannin and acidity to support a good decade-plus of very fine drinking. This is a superb second wine that should be on consumers' radar screens, as it over delivers, big time. The 2012s at Palmer are made from unusually low yields of around 28 hectoliters per hectare. One of the effects of the 2011 hailstorm that hit the estate was a lowering of the following year's crop, which has resulted in rich, tannic wines. Estate Manager Thomas Duroux opted to give the 2012s more time in barrel than is customary and the wines were bottled in September 2014. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous) — 9 years ago