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Growing Up ‘n Getting Wiser: South Africa in 2022 (Sep 2022)

The 2021 The Chocolate Block had been bottled a month before my visit. The Grenache and Cinsault plus part of the Syrah comes from Boekenhoutskloof’s own vines and the remainder from purchased fruit. It undergoes whole berry fermentation and aged for 14 months in French barriques and two oak foudres. This has a much more…

Digging up a Languedoc Treasure: Mas de Daumas Gassac 1978-2022 (Jul 2024)

The elegant 2021 Rouge offers discrete raspberry and violet alongside rustic and leafy undertones. Sporting less flavor concentration and overall intensity compared to the surrounding vintages, the 2021 is a delicate and laid-back Mas de Daumas Gassac that shouldn’t take too long to come around.

Intellect & Senses: Bordeaux With Time (Mar 2025)

The 1983 Yquem has a complex bouquet with dried honey, quince and Seville orange marmalade aromas. There is a subtle floral element at play, with saffron and yellow flower scents emerging with aeration. The palate is very well balanced, with a tang of marmalade on the entry and a killer line of acidity. It’s vibrant…

2011 Barolo: The Here and Now (Mar 2015)

Sweet rose petals, hard candy, cinnamon, mint and new leather open up in the 2010 Barolo Bricco Boschis. Sweet, layered and exceptionally polished, the 2010 is a superb example of the year. At the same time, there is more than enough fleshiness to allow the 2010 to drink well with just a few more years…

Barolo and Barbaresco (Nov 2013)

(aged in Slavonian oak botti): Deep red with ruby highlights. Wild, reduced aromas of black fruits, roast coffee and flinty minerality; extremely primary. Dense, chewy and ripe, with youthfully backward flavors of musky black raspberry and minerals. Evolving very slowly in cask.

2013 Barolo: Sublime Finesse & Elegance (Feb 2017)

The 2012 Barolo Monprivato is an attractive, mid-weight wine. Bright red cherry fruit, orange peel, mint and sweet, exotic spices all lift from the glass. Silky tannins accompany the finish in an airy, lifted, understated Barolo. As attractive as the 2012 Monprivato is, it also tastes more like a top Langhe Nebbiolo rather than a…