𝑨𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒕, 1983

In perfect shape, this Riesling blew my mind. It was alive, mature but still very young with lots of freshness.

The aromas were very expressive and ripe, offering notes of preserved lemon, ripe peach, syruped kumquat, wax, wet stones, old eraser and mild smoke (like the oldschool cap guns with smoke - a little matchstick-like). No extreme petrol.

On the palate, it was medium-bodied, off-dry, highly acidic but very rounded on the edges. Lemon wine gum, lemon zest, a hint of honeycomb (but not sweet), tangerine, ginger sweets and salt in the finish.

Such a pure wine! In love with these +30 years old Rieslings, where the marriage between sweetness and acidity is reaches a unique level.

• “Kabinett” is one of six designated German wine classifications and indicates the lightest style of German wines. The grapes are picked at normal harvest, typically in September when they have ripened, and shows an off-dry style, unless “Trocken” (dry) is mentioned on the label as well, which indicates a longer fermentation leading to less residual sugar content (a drier wine) and a bit higher alcohol.

Behind this label is a story of the great Staatsweingute (state wineries) of Germany, which are owned by the state and works like umbrella wineries, where smaller wineries finished their vinification. This label refers to the old state winery Niederhausen-Schlossböckelheim, founded in 1901, but by the A.P. Nr. on the label (1 750 053/10/84), the 750 refers to the bottler/the specific winemaker, which is Gut Hermannsberg.

Since 2010, the winery has worked under the official name of Gut Hermannsberg. They are also founding members of VDP.

 ⭐️93+/100⭐️ 𝑨𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒕, 1983

“𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏” 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒐, 2015

🍇 70% Granaccia / 20% Syrah / 10% Barbera

Nice dark and muddy look - beautiful color. The bouquet is very dark and spicy, offering blackberry, blackcurrant leaves, black olive, sweet liquorice, tar, smoky game meat, black pepper and wood. Some Mediterranean herbs and a funny hint of tonka bean.

The palate is rich and full with medium acidity and easy going tannins, offering blackcurrant, baked plums, charcoal, vanilla, black pepper and dill in the finish.

The alcohol is definitely present on the palate, but it’s well integrated.

• Fermented in steel tanks (10 days maceration and three daily pump-over)

• Aged 13 months in 2nd and 3rd use barrique followed by 11 months in the bottle

• The variety of Granaccia is a local variant of Alicante, that’s very close to Grenache (Alicante is an old cross between Grenache and Petit Bouschet)

• In local dialect, "Pulin" means "last born," as this wine is aged longer than any other Bruna wine

Bruna, established in the 1960s, is located in the village of Ranzo Borgo (not far from Imperia and Savona) in the beautiful mountains of western Liguria with the famous terraced vineyards.

They work organically in their 7,5 ha vineyards and use only a tiny amount of sulfites when needed.

Colline Savonesi wines, like this Pulin, tend to lie at altitudes between 400 and 700 meters. All local varieties are allowed in the blend in any proportion - most often with Granaccia as the lead singer.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ “𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏” 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒐, 2015 📍Ranzo Borgo

𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

📍Traben-Trarbach, Mosel, Germany🇩🇪

The wine was decanted a few hours before first test.

Very dark and golden color - probably from the late harvested grapes and the tiny maceration.

The aromas are powerful and delicate, offering ripe pear, lemon peel, beeswax, baked lemon, mild petrol, old eraser, dark honey, lemon wine gum, wet and smoky stones and lees.

On the palate, the wine is rich and creamy (not heavy) with a sick acidity to balance the body. Ripe pomelo, nectarine, lemon peel, a mild green bitterness, lemon verbena, honey (without being sweet) and white wine gum. Very fine minerality, lots of salt and a hint of salmiak in the finish.

• Hand-harvested from the famous and steep Enkircher Ellergrub vineyard

• Naturally fermented in 8-year-old barrique

This is the first Ellergrub “Reserve” wine from Weiser-Künstler, and probably the last for a long time, since it was kind of a (happy) accident. In the very hot vintage of 2018, Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler were waiting and waiting for the humidity causing the botrytis - but it never came. The vines were actually ment to be used for an Ellergrub Auslese, but instead, the overripe and very sweet grapes (still in perfect condition) resulted in a dry Riesling Reserve with high alcohol for its kind.

Konstantin and Alexandra started the winery in 2005, and quickly they were on the lips of the biggest international wine personalities. They farm a little morethan 4 ha of Riesling, all biodynamic and with a low amount of sulfur.

 ⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒎, 2018

Umbria might not be the biggest and most famous appellation in Italy, but with many upcoming names focusing on biodynamics and low intervention wines, the future seems bright.

Fongoli, run by Letizia and Angelo, has worked organically since the beginning of the winery’s history in 1927. Their portfolio of wines range from the more classic to the more juicy and “fun” wines - all made with care and nature in mind.

• The local Trebbiano Spoletino, used here, is distinct from Trebbiano Toscano by, most often, producing wine with a richer texture and more overt and deep fruit and having a less bright acidity.

• Spontaneous fermentation in open vats

• Aged in steel tanks for a few months on the lees

The aromas are very expressive. Heavy and fresh at the same time, offering notes of warm apple juice, tangerine peel, canned peaches, dried apricot, mango puré, honey and chamomile with hints of spray painting, sweet liquorice and asphalt.

The palate in rich with fine grained tannins and a medium acidity and a prickling minerality. Nice crunchy mouth feeling.

Semidried apricot, bitter orange jam, grilled pineapple, pepper and herbs on the tongue. Walnut and salt on the finish.

Nice, but gets a bit mousy pretty quick, though.

 ⭐️88+/100⭐️ 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒎, 2018 📍Montefalco, Umbria, Italy🇮🇹 🍇

𝑴𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕-𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒓𝒊𝒆̀𝒓𝒆𝒔 1𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒓𝒖, 2015

Right in the middle of the Beverly Hills area of white wines, Côte du Beaune, Meursault is home to some of the most prestigeous Chardonnays in the world.

For 300 years, this domaine has been run by the Latour family, who merged with the Giraud family in 1958 to the current configuration.

Since the 90s, winemaker Jean-Pierre Latour has been the main figure and the man behind the domaine’s more recent succes - implementation of organic practices, lower yields, natural yeast and cellar investments.

* The 1er cru of Les Genevrieres, located in the kind of central-southern part of Meursault, are named after the juniper bushes planted next to the vineyard. The soils are mainly clay and limestone, and due to the location and the sun exposure of the slope, it’s often one of the earliest 1er crus to be harvested in Meursault. The wine profile are often fat and rich in structure with high minerality.

* Aged 15-17 months in barriques (25% new Allier and Vosges oak)

Unfortunately, it was quite closed this time. It slowly opened a bit, bit it lacked of intensity especially on the nose.

After some hours, the wine offered aromas of nectarine, peach, honey, bees wax, hay loft, lemoncurd and roasted pines. It was complemented by a hint of whipped cream and petrol, a bit of vanilla and chalk.

The palate is well balanced; medium-bodied, stony and mineral and medium+ acidity. Flavours of quince, Meyer lemon, fennel, whitecurrant and nuts. It’s a bit bitter on the finish at this stage.

Less full than expected and potential for higher score when not this closed.

 ⭐️91+/100⭐️ 𝑴𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕-𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒓𝒊𝒆̀𝒓𝒆𝒔 1𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒓𝒖, 2015 📍Meursault

𝑽𝒊𝒏̃𝒂 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒛𝒂, 2010

Lopez de Heredia is the definition of old school with their “extended” winemaking process that has been passed on from generation to generation since 1877. They a known for producing some of the finest whites and reds of Rioja.

All wines are made exclusively from their own four vineyards:

The most famous “Viña Tondonia” is behind the winery’s biggest wines, and “Viña Cubillo”, “Viña Bosconia” and “Viña Zaconia” are behind the others.

* A white Crianza only requires a minimum of 6 months in barrel and a few months in bottle. This Crianza ages in barrel longer than the minimum requirements for a red Gran Reserva..!

* Harvested from 50 year old bush vines from Viña Zaconia (altitude: 340 m)

* Fermented in large, old oak vats up to 6.000 liter

* Aging 4 years in old (neutral) American 225-liter barrels

First a bit shy on the nose (decant if possible). Otherwise, sick aroma profile - fresh, concentrated and quite oxidative!

Dried orange peel, salt preserved lemon, perfumed citrus oil, peach skin, bees wax, slightly burnt caramel, cinnamon, old hayloft, Tiger Balm and fresh resin.

The palate is exciting too with a rich body, medium acidity and a super fry mouthfeel. It offers semidried apricot, bitter grape fruit, quince, dried papaya, roasted nuts, pickled ginger, vanilla, a touch of anise and jasmin. It’s super mineral with a great salty character.

It freshens up over time, getting more floral, less oxidative and more “pure” in the fruit. It’s youthful and full of finesse. Sick bottle!!!

 ⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝑽𝒊𝒏̃𝒂 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒛𝒂, 2010 📍Haro, Rioja Alta

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐚 (𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐨 & 𝐆𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐢) 𝒁𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒐 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐, 2014

📍Pantalleria, Terre Siciliane, Italy🇮🇹

🍇 100% Zibibbo (Muscat d’Alexandria)

In a former life Gabrio Bini was an eccentric architect in Milan. Now, he’s a an eccentric winemaker in a very eccentric place: the tiny volcanic island of Pantelleria, located just south—west of Sicily.

Since the foundation of Serragghia in 2000, Gabrio has become a legend - a cult figure when it comes to natural wine - because of his skills in the toughest natural environment, and because of his personality. Today, Gabrio and his son Giotto run the winery together.

+60 years old bush vines located on some of the highest vineyards on the island - extreme sun exposure balanced with the cool breeze from the ocean and the altitude. The vineyards have never seen any chemicals, are biodynamically farmed and tended by hand and horse

• Aged 7 months on the skin in Spanish amphoras, that are buried in the vineyards, and a few months in the bottle.

• Unfined, unfiltered and no added sulphur.

Wow!!! Extremely expressive on the nose and very tropical, offering notes of grilled mango and pineapple, orange oil, dried papaya, canned peach, dried apricot, rosemary and some undefinable herbs and a smoked/burnt scent.

The palate is almost vulgarly rich and “warm” with silky soft tannins and medium(+) acidity. On the tongue; sweet/sour unfiltered apple juice, kumquats in syrup, mango, passion fruit, candied citrus, almonds and yeast. The finish is long with lots of minerality - mainly salt.

 ⭐️92+/100⭐️ 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐚 (𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐨 & 𝐆𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐢) 𝒁𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒐 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔, 2012

Dom. Francois Raveneau, arguably the most celebrated estate of Chablis, was establish in 1948. After WWII, the economy in Chablis was in bad condition and the region was hit by phylloxera, so many wineries sold off parcels. Francois saw the potential and secured himself af few parcels here and the on some of the best 1er and Grand Crus in Chablis (approx. 9he in total)

The exceptional Raveneaus are a combination of the greatest holdings, low yield and quality consistency.

Francois passed away in 1995, and today, François’ sons, Bernard and Jean-Marie, direct the domaine with their father’s philosophy in both the vineyards and the cellar.

* The pressed juice is left to settle, and then racked off its lees into cuve to ferment.

* Elevation: 18 months in older oak barrel and feuillette (a local barrel size holding 114-132 liters)

Extremely clean expression of Chardonnay!

Expressive aromas of ripe pear, yellow apple, dandelion, mild soured cream, lemon curd, freshly cut Meyer lemon, white flowers, flint, seashell and a slightly waxy touch.

The palate is medium-bodied with great acidity. Crispy and milky at the same time. Peach, baked apple, lemon zest and juice, almond and “unsalted parmesan”. Long finish with huge minerality - salt and chalky.

 ⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔, 2012 📍Chablis

𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017

📍La Morra, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Roberto established the winery in 1986, and today he rules over parcels on some of the best and most prestigious vineyards of La Morra.

He is an exceptional farmer and winemaker and his methods in the vines are extremely careful: He fertilize each plant (not the whole vineyard and no chemicals), and he thins out the vines at least twice before harvest - in July to make sure only 5 clusters are on each plant, and in August where he almost cuts away 30% of each cluster.

In the cellar, Roberto is considered somewhere between a modernist and a traditionalist due to his mix of small and big barrels (some new, some old), but still with a long maceration.

- Total production: Around 45.000 bottles

• Hand-harvested from the vineyards of Vigneti S. Francesco and Fontanazza in La Morra

• Spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks

• Aged 12 months in tonneaux and barrels of 25 hl each (30% new) followed by 8 months in steel tanks

Very expressive on the nose right from the start. For a Langhe, it’s very dark offering dark cherry, blackberry, strawberry wine gum, chocolate, Bassett’s brown liquorice, cloves, rose petals and violets, fresh asphalt and watermelon rind.

The palate is medium-bodied, a bit fat in structure, with fine small tannins and medium acidity. Elderberry, fresh dark cherry, sweet blueberry, black liquorice, coconut, black truffle, vanilla. Long finish with a graphite-like minerality.

Greater depth than most Langhe Nebbiolos!

 ⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017 📍La Morra

Single estate Yarra Valley Chardonnay that screams a pairing with shell fish.

Actually, with the Tennis stars in the headlines at the moment for their outrageous demands, I’m demanding this be paired with Lobster. Tasmanian rock lobster, no less, with garlic butter. While looking over Noosa Beach, of course.

Not forgetting a glass of this Chardonnay of course. Just like the lobster, the wine is juicy, not overpowering, with the right amount of oak...simple...

This was not a paid review. It was a complimentary bottle from

 Mandala Estate Chardonnay Single Vineyard 2019 Rating: B+

Riesling Spätlese “Herxheimer Himmelreich”, 2011

12th generation of Petri winemakers are running this old winery located in the village of Herxheim am Berg in one of the 13 Anbaugebiete (wine growing regions) of Germany called Pfalz (the Palatine region), where they cultivate 21 hectares of vines. The business is dating back to 1655, when the Petris arrived from Tyrol working as barrel makers before starting the winemaking.

Ever since, the focus has been on environment-friendly cultivation with no chemicals in the vineyards and only harvest by hand to secure the health and natural development of their agricultural areas.

The wine undergo slow fermentation on steel to preserve the Riesling’s precious characteristics before maturation in big 80 years old wooden barrels of 3000 liters to gain some more complexity and balance the structure.

This wine’s aromas are what Riesling dreams are made of.

It brings notes of ripe pear and candied ginger followed by white fresh mushrooms, nice hints of old eraser or tennis balls and melted plastic, acacia honey and lemon peel and some nice petrol starting to show muscles without taking over yet.

The palate is oily, off-dry and fresh offering lovely notes of peach, dried apricot, lemon peel and mild honey. The balance between the sweetness and the acidity is just lovely.

I’ve been working with these wines for some years having tried most of their portfolio from different vintages. They all show fine quality, but this exact one (with this age) is the best experience I’ve had from Petri. For the price, their wines are really nice, btw.

If you’re ever searching for these wines, the labels have changed quite a lot, but the (aged) content doesn’t disappoint.

 ⭐️87/100⭐️ Weingut Petri Riesling Spätlese “Herxheimer

📍Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Aldo Conterno is one of the most famous houses of the Barolo region, located in the northern part of Monforte d’Alba (3 km east from Barolo village), starting its adventures in 1969.

The estate, which vinifies exclusively its own organically grown grapes, consists of 25 hectares of vineyards - all Barolos are from exclusive parcels inside the vineyard of Bussia.

The yields per hectare are extremely low to secure great complexity and intensity, and the total production is about 80.000 bottles a year.

Since Aldo passed away in 2012, his three sons, Franco, Giacomo and Stefano, have run the winery.

The grapes are manually harvested from “Cicala” (meaning “balm-cricket”), a small, steep and very sunlight exposed parcel inside the Bussia vineyard, with +50 year old vines.

The wine is fermented in steel vats with 30 days maceration and spends three months in steel before multiple rackings and aging in 25 hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels for 29 months before bottling.

This is a stunning Barolo, but very young and a bit tight.

The bouquet is dark, concentrated and dusty with cherry, raspberry, plums, perfumed rose petals, fresh truffle, dry leaves, red clay bricks and rusty iron.

The palate offered strawberry and cranberry followed by rooibos tea, raw liquorice, bay leaves and cooling menthol.

It’s got a nice balance between creaminess, grippy fine-grained tannins and acidity, but will definitely be better with more age and increase the beauty and the balance. Lots of potential!

 ⭐️92+/100⭐️ Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Cicala, 2014

𝑰𝒅𝒅𝒂 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐, 2019

My first try from the new joint venture between world famous “Mr. Barbaresco”, Angelo Gaja, and Alberto Graci from Graci on Etna, who joined forces to produce wines on the south facing slopes of Mount Etna with their first vintage released in 2017 - Idda Etna Rosso. First release of the Bianco was 2018.

The name, Idda (meaning “she” in Sicilian), is also the name the locals have given to Mount Etna – the Sicilians attribute a female nature to the mountain: a strict yet generous mother.

The grapes are harvested from 4 ha. organically grown plots located in the altitude of 700-800 meters amsl.

Whole bunch pressed and fermented in a combination of 10 hl. oak barrels and steel tanks, followed by 12 months in same kind of containers.

I know nothing about the label design, but I think it might be Etna seen from above...(?).

The nose is very expressive and in great harmony offering fruity aromas of ripe peach, grape fruit, banana peel, honeydew and tropical wine gums followed by greener notes of cress, fennel, freshly mowed lawn and pressed white flowers. It’s all complimented by a sick volcanic minerality (slightly smoky) and chalky quarry. The oak brings a nice buttery and Pecorino-like element.

The palate is medium-bodied, dry, soft and round with a crispy “crescendo-acidity” (gradually increasing in the mouth) offering fresh peach, lemon juice, mild malo, cress, white pepper, grass with salt and a hint of salmiak in the, very long, finish.

Summarized, this wine shows great balance of fruit, malo and minerality with a nice perfumed touch. Delicious on its own, but would be sick with fresh seafood. Complex and harmonious.

 ⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝑰𝒅𝒅𝒂 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐, 2019 📍Etna, Sicily, Italy 🇮🇹 🍇 100%

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Amoureses”, 2016

📍Chambolle-Musigny, Bourgogne, France🇫🇷

This small but high quality domaine has holdings in the top vineyards in Chambolle such as the Grand Cru “Bonnes-Mares”, 1er Cru “Les Amoureuses” and “Les Charmes”, with vines that are around 45 years old. Bertheau has been in the business since 1984, and took over the management of the winery in 2004 carrying the philosophy of as much hand-off winemaking as possible. The domaine is certified as biodynamic with no intervention in the cellar - only indigonous yeasts, little remontage and pigeage and mainly use of 2-3 year old barrels to let the wine express itself as pure and typical for the terroir as possible.

“Les Amoureses” might be the most hailed 1er Cru vineyard in Bourgogne. There’s a general agreement in the fact, that it outshines some of the Grand Crus (and should be counted as one).

What a sensual and beautiful young wine! The bouquet needs some time to show off, but wow, the fruit and floral scents were magnificent, pure and intense with notes of blueberry, amarena cherry, violet and rose petals (with a green touch of stem), chocolate, hibiscus, warm baking spices and mild toasted oak.

The palate is soft and bold with a refined, balancing acidity.  The taste is very youthful offering fresh raspberry, cranberry juice, candied orange peel, black tea, white pepper and a dark touch of sweet cranberry sauce - a fine, medium long mineral finish.

It might sound like any other good Pinot Noir from the tasting notes, but this one is extremely well made with great elegance, power and structure. What a wine!

 ⭐️93/100⭐️ Domaine Francois Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny 1er

📍Castiglione Falletto, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Grapes are mostly harvested from the Barolo area, but the recent vintages contain Nebbiolo from the area of Barbaresco as well.

Malolactic fermentation is done in both barrique and big Slavonian oak - 2 years of oak maturation follow.

First of all, the wine was pretty much closed. Maybe it’s a bit too young, but it didn’t really express a lot - a little disappointing since I really love Vietti’s wine.

Aromas are in the lighter end of the scale. A bit of spices, menthol, candied raspberry, violet and pepper.

Light and fresh palate of strawberry and raspberry, a bit of leather, raisins, liquorice and a nice balsamic finish.

Looking forward to try this vintage again another year...

 ⭐️86/100⭐️ Vietti “Perbacco” Langhe Nebbiolo, 2017

📍Calce, Côtes Catalanes, Rousillon, France🇫🇷

Another one from one of my favorite natural wine producers.

And what a funky and funny, and yet elegant and delicious, wine from Tom Lubbe.

The old vines are harvested from a more than 110 year-old small parcel (0,5 hectares) with very low yield.

The grapes undergo 1 month of maceration in 1000 liter amphoras - afterwards matured 8 months in the same amphoras.

The wine looks, smells and tastes like Matassa. Seriously, look at that color!

It’s just the full Matassa power experience. It’s simply amazing!

Watermelon (juice and skin), rhubarb, nectarine, cranberry and wild strawberry, all followed by black pepper, bergamot and the almost “classic” complex Matassa funkiness.  It’s a nose to die for!

The palate is medium-bodied with a fine touch of chewy tannins balanced with a medium sharp volatile acidity. It’s got a crazy structure which, since my last try half a year ago, has integrated a lot more. It offers cranberry, fresh apricot, blood orange peel, peach and basil on the tongue with a white balsamic note. It’s super juicy and has a tiny sweet touch to it (a bit strawberry winegum-like and maybe some Fanta Exotic as well).

It still might benefit from a longer aging, but it’s already drinking superbly. ——

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Matassa El Carner Rouge, 2018 📍Calce, Côtes

This is a really nice example to convince doubters in a positive way.

Pianora (1986) is located in the hills of Montorfano just at the border of Franciacorta, characterized by the steeply sloping terraced vineyards.

Erborista is based on organically grown grapes, then enriched with slow infusions of carefully selected local herbs and spices.

There are no added alcohol, chemical additives, artificial colorings or burnt sugar to manipulate this vermouth.

The nose is very expressive with backberry, sweet flag, elderflower, star anise, tonka bean,  orange peel and a brunch of herbs.

The palate is very full-bodied. Soft and round, but surprisingly with a little touch of tannins.

Elderberry, blackberry, cinchona bark, bergamot, liquorice and bitter orange.

The bottle had been open for a few days when I tried it. It seemed a bit oxidated (don’t know if it always does), but it kinda integrated well with the sweetness anyways.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Azienda Agricola Pianora Wermut Erborista, 2018

📍Valle de La Orotava, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain🇪🇸

🍇 90% Listán Blanco / 10% Torontés Volcánico

I was first introduced to the unique wines of Tenerife last summer. And wow, that blew my mind! Since then, wines made from Listán Blanco has been among my favorites, and this one is no exception. They are complex and distinctive - quite their own.

- There’s a lot of synonyms for Listan Blanco. The most well known is Palomino made for sherry.

This small unique family winery, located on the northern part of the island, has made wine with their own label since 2006 with a minimized human intervention philosophy.

They own 11he in total ranging from 350 to 750 metres above sea level, moreover, they work closely together with other local vine-farmers bringing extra 15he to harvest from. All on volcanic soil.

Trenzado is a village wine harvested from +100 years old vines, made with wild native yeast, fermented with whole clusters and left on the lees (40% in concrete tanks with a few days skin contact, 60% in 500 liter foudres without skins).

It’s aged 9 months in used French foudres (20hl. to 45hl.).

The aromas are crazy and extremely reductive (lots of sour cabbage to begin with). Leave it to breath for half an hour.

Afterwords, lovely scents of roasted sesame, citrus, smoky gunpowder, oily train rail yard, brown-baked croissant, sea breeze, petrol, yeast and crushed volcanic stone appear.

The palate is medium-bodied, a bit oily with an insane, mouth cleaning acidic level and great minerality. Grape, bitter pomelo, lemon peel, croissant, butter, salt and flint.

Summarized, the nose is insanely interesting (maybe too interesting for some people…). The palate is milder and delicious. An addictive wine for sure! And for the price...🤯

 ⭐️92/100⭐️ Suertes del Marqués Trenzado, 2019 📍Valle de La

📍Calce, Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France🇫🇷

🍇 70% Grenache Noir / 20% Grenache Gris / 10% Macabeu & Syrah

Another refreshing natural wine from Tom Lubbe’s Matassa.

After tasting the whole 2019-portfolio from Domaine Matassa, there’s no doubt, that it’s one of his greatest vintages so far.

As I thought, his bigger wines couldn’t get any better, he easily proved me wrong.

Even his less expensive wines (all his wines are fair priced, btw), Coume de l’Olla Blanc & Noir are showing better results.

The grapes for “l’Olla Rouge” are harvested from 60-80 years old vines - all organic and biodynamic.

The three varieties of grapes ferments naturally together with all skins and whole clusters for 10-14 days with only indigonous yeasts. Élevage lasts 6-8 months in concrete tanks before being bottled unfined, unfiltered and with no additional SO2.

A wine balancing between fun (funkiness) and the seriousness.

The bouquet is offering dark, jammy cherry and blackberry, orange peel and hot spices (reminds me of the “orange & cloves pomanders” from Christmas), followed by some tiny, funky horse stable and lots of herbs.

The palate is a bit simple but with a great and delicious strawberry-rhubarb taste. Chewy whole-cluster-tannins and a bit of acidity to bring some vibrance to the wine.

The wine is refreshing and delicious with a fine depth, but lacks of the elegance and finesse from Tom’s bigger wines.

⭐️93+/100⭐️ 𝑨𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒕, 1983

⭐️88/100⭐️ “𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏” 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒐, 2015 📍Ranzo Borgo

⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

⭐️88+/100⭐️ 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒎, 2018 📍Montefalco, Umbria, Italy🇮🇹 🍇

⭐️91+/100⭐️ 𝑴𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕-𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒓𝒊𝒆̀𝒓𝒆𝒔 1𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒓𝒖, 2015 📍Meursault

⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝑽𝒊𝒏̃𝒂 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒛𝒂, 2010 📍Haro, Rioja Alta

⭐️92+/100⭐️ 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐚 (𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐨 & 𝐆𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐢) 𝒁𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒐 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐

⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔, 2012 📍Chablis

⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017 📍La Morra

Mandala Estate Chardonnay Single Vineyard 2019 Rating: B+

⭐️87/100⭐️ Weingut Petri Riesling Spätlese “Herxheimer

⭐️92+/100⭐️ Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Cicala, 2014

⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝑰𝒅𝒅𝒂 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐, 2019 📍Etna, Sicily, Italy 🇮🇹 🍇 100%

⭐️93/100⭐️ Domaine Francois Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny 1er

⭐️86/100⭐️ Vietti “Perbacco” Langhe Nebbiolo, 2017

⭐️88/100⭐️ Matassa El Carner Rouge, 2018 📍Calce, Côtes

⭐️88/100⭐️ Azienda Agricola Pianora Wermut Erborista, 2018

⭐️92/100⭐️ Suertes del Marqués Trenzado, 2019 📍Valle de La

⭐️87/100⭐️ Matassa “Coume de l’Olla Rouge”, 2019 📍Calce

⭐️91+/100⭐️ Cantina Bartolo Mascarello Barbera d’Alba, 2017

⭐️92+/100⭐️ Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Corton-Charlemagne

⭐️90/100⭐️ Domaine Rolet Expression l’Etoile, 2013 📍Arbois

⭐️97/100⭐️ 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒈 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒖, 2017 📍Vosne-Romanée

⭐️88+/100⭐️ 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝒅’𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒂, 1992 📍Castiglione

⭐️87/100⭐️ 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 (𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒔𝒔), 2020 📍Oggau am Neusiedler See

⭐️91+/100⭐️ Gut Oggau Edmund, 2018 📍Oggau am Neusiedler See

⭐️89/100⭐️ 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆́, 2017 📍Weinviertel, Niederösterreich

⭐️91/100⭐️ Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Aligoté, 2018

⭐️93+/100⭐️ Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

⭐️94/100⭐️ Chateau Giscours Margaux Grand Cru Classé (3rd

⭐️84/100⭐️ Domaine Pierre Vincent Girardin Éclat de Calcaire

⭐️88/100⭐️ 𝑷𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒏 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒆, 1977 📍Margaux, Bordeaux, France🇫🇷 🍇