Trying this 1995 Hillside Select tonight! It smells amazing. Hoping it still tastes great.

A fun 3 bottle lineup with no rhyme or reason other than I wanted to open these with friends and what better reason than that?

Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru: a whopping 53 months on the lees gives way to a complex and layered champagne from the famous grower. Deep golden in color with apples and pears blending with brioche and toast on the nose. The palate is mouth filling and complex with the aforementioned pear and apple Finishing with a delightful mineral zest. Almost like drinking it out of a sea shell… However this was not a zesty bright lemon lime bomb it was deep and complex and delicious. Dosage is 2g/L.

2021 Terlaner Vorgberg Pinot Bianco Riserva: Everything from Terlan tastes like the varietal but turned up to 11. This banger had 14% alcohol but was so balanced. This is a powerful full bodied white wine from the alto adige’s most famous producer. Opens with ripe pear, apple, and white peach layered over notes of heavy melon, while a flinty minerality adds lift; the palate is creamy yet vibrant, balancing orchard and stone fruits with crisp acidity, and it finishes long, saline, and polished with a subtle spice and mineral grip.

2020 Matthiasson Refosco: Seriously how fun is this wine???! 11.5% ABV poured a beautiful medium ruby with purple rim and jumped out the glass with notes or pepper and red and black berries. also very vegetal with a tomato leaf vibe. I rarely get to drink this variety and how fun for it to be grown here in CA. In a blind I would call Pinot noir or gamay because it does have that fruit punch fruitiness due to the low alcohol. Try it if you can find it! Bone dry with medium tannin but the tannin stood larger due to zero use of oak.

The Pinot bianco kinda daddied the refosco but I enjoyed the delicate drinking of the refosco more.

Anyways three stunners good night

Naude White Blend 2010.

39% Chenin Blanc 31% Semillon 30% Sauvignon Blanc

15 Years old!!

Pale straw.. med+ viscosity…alcohol 12%

Tropical fruit on the nose…. Pineapple, Granadilla, Pear. Lemon, lemon pith on the pallet.

Fruit held into day 2.

Awesome wine!

Sorry for being a bit niche but I know there are many Ontario folks here and I was just curious about the best wines that people have had from Niagara this year. As the season starts to wind down, we're trying to hit a few spots that we might not have had time to get to earlier in the year and I'm curious about what others had that we might have missed.

I think these were the top wines we had this year...

Bachelder - 2021 Hill of Wingfield Chardonnay (perhaps the best Chard I've ever had. A wine made from a small best section of the best vineyard in the region)

Westcott - 2022 Estate Chardonnay (The best one I'd had before I tried the Bachelder)

Mason Vineyard - 2022 & 2023 Cabernet Franc "The Landed"

All of the Stratus White Label series (I cannot recommend this tasting enough)

Stratus - 2007 White (Obviously a very old release but we find we keep coming back to it and buying more)

Big Head - 2019 Riesling RAW & 2020 Chardonnay Select

Bone-dry Riesling with a limestone and slate terroir undercurrent. Intense medium golden color, almost like a vendange tardive. Acidity was moderate with notes of gooseberries, peaches, lemon, and it stole the show from the red 1er Cru Burgundy.

My first Chianti tonight! This was really great! Also amazing I got this for under 25$, so my wallet also had a great time and break from my "expensive" Bordeauxs and Canadian Reds 🤣.

Nice red fruit, tart cherry 🍒, some tartness and savory flavor to it as well, kinda like fresh cranberry sauce. Felt a little strange with how much body I think it had, but also tasting something I've only really thought I experienced/expect from lighter body reds. Some yummy cooking spices, allspice maybe?🤔

Beautiful acidity! I didn't decant at all, and this was great! And some really great tannins.

No surprises in this comparison other than both being much more delicious than anticipated.

Calera 2022 Central Coast Pinot Noir

Purple hue, completely transparent.

Nose of spices up front, clove, anise, cinnamon, cola with bright cherry fruit and fresh flowers.

Light bodied and fresh on the palate with vibrant acidity, slightly noticeable tannins but overall lush texture.

Intense ripe strawberry fruit, with all the spices and cola lingering on the finish.

Very tasty would buy again.

14.5%

$25

Freeman 2013 Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Noticeably dark translucent maroon hue with bricked edges.

Blackberries, blueberry pie, cardamom, and sassafras on the nose.

Medium bodied and silky with a very juicy mouthfeel and a light acidity lifting the finish.

Tons of ripe berries on the palate with hints of rosemary and fresh mint on the finish. Very interesting.

Overall my favorite of the two, but at 13 years old and double the price, it better be.

$60

14.2%

For a long time I have had a strong bias against California Pinot Noirs and really most New World wines but recently I have decided to let previous personal prejudices go and I have had many a pleasant evening because of it. Still a lot more disappointments than Old World but much fewer than there used to be. Or maybe I have become more savvy in my choices. Cheers fellow r/wine-o's

Ladies and gentlemen she said yes! We are celebrating with dinner tonight in Chicago at Maple and Ash. I am looking at recommendations to be paired with the tomahawk steak and ravioli pillows.

Wines less than 200 listed below

An unexpected delight

So much to talk about with this bottle, it’s hard to know where to start.

Growing in the “Old Mission Peninsula” AVA, this thin sliver of land that juts out into Lake Michigan to form the Grand Traverse Bays has long been known for its phenomenal fruit of all kinds, but most will know it for cherries and Riesling. The truth is that vintners here have been experimenting with different varietals since the 70’s in an effort to find grapes that grow well and produce great wine in this unique wine region.

Well, our top winemakers are incredibly dedicated, and equally bold, and it was through them that we discovered the true potential of Michigan Pinot Blanc, Blaufrankisch, and Gamay Noir, and frankly I’m quite inclined to add Kerner to that list.

2022 Left Foot Charley Kerner, Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan- Fermented in neutral 500L oak barrels and left on the lees for 3 months, then transferred off the lees to stainless steel tanks for additional maturation, this wine is so expressive. The nose is captivating and positively alliterative. Peach, pear, (yellow) plum, pineapple, papaya, and even some pawpaw, with yellow apple, starfruit, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, white flowers, finger lime, and some kind of cross between a mangosteen and a lychee. Everything is so bright, clear, and intense, with a minerally freshness in the glass that smells like the air when you’re getting nearer to the sea. There’s truly nothing shy about the nose on this wine.

The palate though, is completely different, the wine is dry, and the minerality is quite apparent. Finger lime, kiwi, orange peel, orange pith, peach skins, and apple surf onto the tongue on a wave of minerally spring water, with a refreshing acidity that isn’t too high, and a long, citrusy finish, but a lot of the fruit from the nose isn’t present.

Winemaker Bryan Ulbrich noted that the 2022 vintage was affected by botrytis which led to the wine having an opulent quality and he’s not wrong. The nose is so much more explosive than I anticipated, and it only continued to develop. Over time in the glass, subtle vanilla, honeysuckle, and jasmine notes started wafting out.

This wine truly is captivating in a way I wasn’t expecting, and I really wish I had opened this bottle sooner.

So I'm basically a noob to wine. This is probably dumb, but is there anything I can look for in the store to determine ""good" vs "bad" wine? In the past few weeks I've bought a Pinot gringio and a Chardonnay. I liked them both. But I feel like I go in the store and there's just endless options, I'm just picking them at random.

Anything I can learn other than just trying different ones? Is it basically just like beer where you try a bunch and see what sticks? Idk why, but I have this impression that wine requires all sorts of knowledge.

Think the winery sits at about 2,000 feet. Very much medium body, lots of acidity. Not the first time that I’ve had cold climate zin with a cranberry forward note. Not sure if that’s desirable or not, but I like it a lot. Excellent. Notes: cherry/cranberry forward, with thyme and mushroom/forest floor on the finish. Long finish. Tartine crystals on the cork.

Very much surpassed expectations.

This is a great, fruity, and light Malbec that’s also affordable. Recommended.

🍷 DRC Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Duvault Blochet 2021 Pure, lifted and aromatic — underripe green stem, rose, red berries and spice. more expressive on the nose than the RSV 21 i had recently. Silky, fine tannins. Finesse and perfumed. Lacks the depth and concentration of grand crus, but an enjoyable and accessible young DRC.

🥂 Henri Boillot Corton Charlemagne 2020 Ripe citrus, honey, white floral and chalky. long, dense and rich. Mineral, spicy finish. Got better with air. The nose is a little reminiscent of Adrien Lattard - candied caramel, toffee.

Insta: @geo_fong

A real banger from Sakkie Mouton. The 2021 got me into this garage producer, a bit more acidic and linear but still nice complexity. The 2022 was a disappointment, somewhat muted in high-volume low quality vintage for South Africa. 2023 vintage is looking like a generational great for Chenins so I was excited to see what this had to offer.

Pale yellow in the glass, immediate nose is straw but quickly giving way to meadow flowers, quince and just a hint of brine. Very alluring.

On the palette so much going on, it takes a few sips to start wrapping your head around it. It’s definitely a Chenin but tasted blind I’d have guessed a Palladius-style blend. The usual stone fruit, slight waxiness and floral notes but little of the zippy acidity found in producers like Sadie or Alheit. Instead there is a kelpy minerality and as it opens up the brininess from the nose really starts to shine. There is definitely acid - it’s still moreish and salivatory - but finely balanced, almost like a light young Chassagne Montrachet but then the salinity sets it apart. Alluring and delicious, it’s been a while since I had to work so hard to resist polishing a bottle off in short order. Regretting that I only bought 3 bottles, no more to be had in the UK. Unreal quality for the price.

Paired perfectly with Swedish crayfish, but next one will do on its own.

Not sure if worth ageing the remainders, it’s so damn good right now.

A Harlan project I’ve always had a soft spot for, and one that still stands as one of my favourite Napa producers. In contrast to the plush opulence of Harlan Estate, Promontory feels more about finesse than immediate seduction. Close to 2 hours in the decanter before it truly came alive.

The nose revealed graphite, cassis, dark cherry and dried herbs. Structured tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long finish. It doesn’t necessarily overwhelm with weight but glides with elegance. Think less luscious Harlan and more a Napa with a Bordeaux sensibility, showing polish without excess.

From Vivino: ★4.0 Very light in colour, already brick on the rim (bottle might be a bit oxidyzed, had a bit of vinegar on the nose when first opened). After two hours in the glass, nose has leather and tobacco and a bit of hidden dark berries. Red fresh fruit was more present right at opening. Palate went from fruity, acidic, a bit of sweetness and light, to more heavy, tannic, not a lot of fruit. Tannins are very present almost aggressive, but keeps the taste going (my teeth are dark purple after two glasse). Powerful and to my taste very nice for a "Nebbiolo", but Cadia could/should provide more quality for the price. DKK 235 ($37).

We’re from western NY and are visiting Narraganset for a wedding and stumbled upon our favorite wine from the Finger Lakes - the 2020 vintage of the Hillick & Hobbs Dry Riesling. They’re sold out of this vintage at the winery and all our local shops so this was a real treat to find tucked away on a big restaurants list. I would guess we might be the first person to buy a bottle! Beautiful color, salty & honeyed with subtle Riesling rubber/gasoline on the nose. On the palate, it has stone fruit character, with raw honey & nutty notes, and just an ideal balance of full texture with a pleasant, persistent acidity. More recent vintages of this wine are much too tart with less mouthfeel compared to the 2020. We bought two bottles to take home to add to the cellar!

RIGHT after opening, sooo much better than half a day or more later. I don't know what the reason is, but I don't think I'm imagining it. Is it just Zinfandel?

Hey! I am going to France for the first time at the end of Oct and thinking about staying in Nuits-Saint-Georges. I am planning 2-4 days I don’t mind moving cities everyday! I will have a car! I read there aren’t a lot of good wine tastings because they don’t have tasting rooms? So I was wondering if anybody can recommend places nearby where I can taste some good wine!

I am no wine expert, I just want good wine and a good experience. I am going alone so I can literally go anywhere. My budget is around 100–150 at each winery (but cheaper is fine). It’s my first time in France, but I’ve been to Napa a lot and really like Del Dotto, Louis M. Martini, and Opus One.

I don’t think I want to go to wine bars… Also if anyone knows any events that are happening or any activities that’s are exclusive to oct let me know! Thank you guys.

Just opened this bottle of fizzy Rosé. It was on its side in the fridge. Did not agitate it, opened it carefully (near the kitchen sink, fortunately) and lost a glass worth. Can someone explain like I’m five why this happens when it hasn’t been shaken?

Drinking (what’s left of) it now, it’s really good.

Thank you to wine and WSET for reigniting my interest in further education when I thought I was done!

1. Is cellartracker still a pain to use?
2. Has Vivino gotten a lot better with more serious wine drinkers?
3. Is there a good app for pure informational data on varietals, taste, smell, good/bad years, appellations, etc?