“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

Innovative and always experimenting, the guys at Cantina Indigeno are obsessed with making primal/wild wines.

Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts without temperature control. Skin contact for 8 days in open vats, followed by ageing on the lees for 8 months in fiberglass tanks.

Foggy orange-gold in colour, very aromatic with grapefruit, lemon zest, sea spray, musk, baked pear, clover honey, wildflowers.

Lightening tanginess and racy acidity fuse with apple, lemon, grapefruit and nectarine.

Nuttiness accents the saline mineral finish.

Cantina Indigeno ‘Bianco’ Vino Bianco 2020

 Innovative and always experimenting, the guys at Cantina

Dedicated to organic and biodynamic methods, childhood friends Marco Giuliani and Davide Gentile are constantly experimenting and learning.

From a 1 hectare vineyard with vines 25 years in average age, with clay/limestone soils. Hand-harvested, destemmed, overnight maceration with the skins, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel, aged in stainless steel, unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.

Pineapple, peach, green apple, basil, lemon, orange, nutty trace, drizzle of honey accented by tangy acidity and gauzy green tea tannins.

Lemon zest, nectarine, and thyme infuse the crisp mineral finish.

 Uva e basta [100% Grape] 💥 Dedicated to organic and

“𝑰𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒕” 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2005

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

Beautiful color with a fine orange rim that doesn’t seem too oxidized.

The bouquet started offering notes of port, brown apple and prunes, but after a bit of air it blew off and revealed quite a youthful and fresh Nebbiolo for its age. Strawberry (fresh and candied), dried sweet cherry, pressed flowers, orange peel, tar, thyme, mint, charcuterie and rusty metal followed on the nose. The oak is clear too.

The palate was medium(+)-bodied with well integrated tannins and a vibrant acidity. Cherry, cranberry, raw liquorice, dark chocolate, cloves, spicy vanilla and mint. A taste of chalk and iron in the finish.

• “Il Favot” means “the favorite”

• Grapes from different small (and younger) parcels at Bussia

• Fermented in steel tanks (8 days skin contact - brings a deep color but lower tannic level) with indigenous yeast

• Aged a few months in steel tanks followed by some months in barrique

• No clarifying and filtration before bottling

An estate of the elite in the Barolo area. The history dates back to 1969, when Aldo left him and his brothers (Giacomo Conterno) wine business to start his own adventure with more modern philosophies, following Angelo Gaja, meaning shorter maceration and some barrique next to the large Slavonian barrels.

Aldo Conterno passed away in 2012, leaving the winery to his three sons, France, Giacomo and Stefano, who were all working with their father during his last yeast.

They work organically without certification, farms 25 ha with very low yields - a total of 80.000 bottles pr. year.

 ⭐️90/100⭐️ “𝑰𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒕” 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2005 📍Monforte d’Alba

4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture, Tenerife native, Juan Jesus has spent the past 25 years dedicated to preserving the indigenous grapes of Tenerife.

Ungrafted vines are 100+ old in volcanic soils, 300-700 meters in elevation in the northwestern part of the island. Hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, aged 3 months in used 225L French oak barrels.

Concentrated layers of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, red currant, roasted sage, black pepper, licorice, smoky earth framed by fine grain tannins and fresh acidity.

Black currant and blueberry linger on the smoky finish.

Viñátigo Listán Negro Tenerife DOP 2019

 4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture

Pioneering winemaker, clay amphora innovator Francesco Cirelli farms 23 hectares of certified organic land in the sandy hills of Colline Teramane, near the Adriatic Sea.

From a 2 hectare vineyard with calcium and clay soils. Grapes are destemmed, gently pressed with maceration on the skins. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in stainless steel followed by 3 months ageing in stainless steel. Unfined and unfiltered

Wild strawberry, cherry, hibiscus, sea spray, shake of white pepper, cinnamon glossed by tangy acidity.

Light, dusty tannins fuse with cranberry and cherry on the saline mineral, crisp finish.

Cirelli La Collina Biologica Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC 2020

 Pioneering winemaker, clay amphora innovator Francesco

Antonio and Daniela di Gruttola save indigenous, old vineyards in Irpinia that were at risk of being abandoned or uprooted.

Grapes are from a 70 year old vineyard located 450 meters in elevation. Spontaneous fermentation on the skins with wild yeasts for a couple of days, followed by 1 year in chestnut casks. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulphur. ➖

Intricate tiers of grapefruit, peach, nectarine, plum, lavender, clover honey, saline minerality flanked by green tea tannins and tangy acidity.

Pear, white pepper, ginger, wildflowers, smoky earth infuse the salty finish. Dynamic, vibrant, compelling.

Cantina Giardino ‘Paski’ Coda di Volpe Campania IGP 2018

 Antonio and Daniela di Gruttola save indigenous, old

📍Sant’Angelo in Colle, Montalcino, Toscana, Italy🇮🇹

Very old school Brunello with a bouquet slowly opening up revealing well matured notes of baked red fruits (a bit aged tawny-like), dark cherry, old leather, cinnamon, anise, dried herbs, sweet tobacco and old coffee grounds. It’s quite dusty as well and has some iron and blood-like scents coming through.

On the palate, it’s medium(+)-bodied with powdery tannins and medium acidity. Notes of dark cherry, prunes, baked tomato, cloves, oak, dark chocolate and rosemary/thyme-like herbs. The finish is long and balsamic, and the alcohol is (maybe a bit too) present. Not as floral as expected.

• Grapes are hand-harvested from the winery’s oldest vineyards (150-450 meters altitude)

• Fermented in steel tanks with indigenous yeasts

• Aged in big French oak barrels (30-50 hectoliters) for 3 years

An iconic winery in Toscana, still owned by the Francheschi-family since the establishment in 1890.

They own 600 ha of land, of which 125 are vines and 70 are olive trees, in the area next to the village of San’tAngelo in Colle, which is known as being one of the best terroirs in the Brunello di Montalcino-area.

Il Poggione is a winery with great quality, that delivers pretty much in all vintages. And the prices are not bad…

 ⭐️90/100⭐️ Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino, 2012

Anneliese and Werner Michlit live in harmony with nature, agriculture and viticulture in the middle of a World Heritage Site in Seewinkel, on the eastern side of Lake Neusidl in Burgenland

Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts with skin maceration for about 20 days in concrete eggs, aged on the lees for 1 year

Orange, pink grapefruit, apricot, apple, mango accented by tingly acidity.

Green tea tannins fuse with peach, mango and citrus zest on the crisp mineral finish.

Field Blend of Gewürztraminer, Gelber Traminer, Roter Traminer

Meinklang ‘Konkret’ Weiss Burgenland 2016

 Anneliese and Werner Michlit live in harmony with nature

Melding experimentation with minimal intervention and organic viticulture in Abruzzo...

Grapes are from a north-facing cru vineyard in Atri, at 400 meters in elevation. Destemmed and soft pressed, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, 7 day maceration on the skins, aged in fiberglass tanks

A gleaming fusion of mango, orange, lemon, sea spray, candied ginger, hibiscus, grapefruit, super light fizz framed by green tea tannins and citrus acidity.

Apricot, lemon, nuts linger on the salty finish.

Cantina Indigeno ‘Calanchi’ Vino Bianco 2020

 Melding experimentation with minimal intervention and

Atop a hill overlooking the town of Faro in the northeast corner of Sicily, Giovanni Scarfone tends to 2.5 hectares of old vine vineyards.

Dedicated to expressing the land and traditional methods of winemaking, he farms using organic and low intervention methods.

Vines are 10-80 years in age at 820-1000 feet in elevation, with layered clay and sandy limestone tuff soils. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts with 12 hours on the skins, aged 6 months in stainless steel. [Giovanni uses extended skin maceration time as this was “the way Southern Italian peasants used to make their rosé”.]

Crisp, funky and focused; with cherry, blood orange, smoky minerality, grilled herbs, tangy acidity gliding across light Darjeeling tannins.

Earthy spices and wild berries linger between each sleek sip.

Blend of Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera

Bonavita Rosato Terre Siciliane IGT 2020

 Atop a hill overlooking the town of Faro in the northeast

A collaboration born from a unified commitment to preserving the land, grapes, traditions and people behind the wines.

La Viranda dall’Alto Cooperativa in Monferrato and Valli Unite Cooperativa in Alessandria, A Vita is in the Cirò hills of Calabria.

Golden layers of fig, pear, nectarine, delicate fizz glossed by citrus acidity. Light, green tea tannins fuse with herbs and citrus zest on the crisp finish.

Blend of Cortese, Pecorino, Timorasso, Chardonnay

Il Collettivo Strade Sterrate ‘Bolle senza Frontiere’ Vino Bianco Frizzante

 ‘Bubbles without Borders’ A collaboration born from a

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

𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2006

Mario Minuto established Moccagatta in 1952 in the small village of same name located just south of the town of Barbaresco.

Today, the winery is run by Mario’s sons, Sergio and Francesco, and their children too.

Moccagatta is a modernist styled winery, using barrique for aging of which 20% are new (the rest 2nd and 3rd use) and short maceration (around 7 days).

The winery has worked 100% organically since 2014.

• Grapes from younger vines (also from their top crus) located in Barbaresco and Neive

Needed a bit of time to let go of some oxidized “damp basement” scent. Afterwords, a “classic” aged Nebbiolo appeard (maybe a bit too oxi still) with a bouquet offering as scent of aged port with lower alcohol, prunes, cherry, sweet liquorice, (very) old books, pencil shavings, truffle, wet wood, used leather sole, matured meat and black hibiscus tea.

On the tongue, the wine is medium-bodied and well balanced with silky tannins and vibrant acidity. Ripe cherry, warm prunes, dehydrated mushrooms, black tea with red berries, bresaola, juniper berry and iodine in the finish.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2006 📍Barbaresco, Piemonte

Another rebel in the pioneering Lazio wine movement is Marco Colicchio. He revitalized tiny, old, abandoned vineyards of native grapes at the foot of the volcanic Colli Albani [Alban Hills] in Castelli Romani, about 12 miles southeast of Roma.

Malvasia Puntinata vines are in predominantly calcareous soils, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts on the skins, unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2

Lemon, thyme, sea spray, jasmine, yellow apple, saline minerality glossed by super light, green tea tannins and fresh acidity.

Citrus zest accents the smoky finish. Refreshing and lively.

100% Malvasia Puntinata [Malvasia del Lazio]

Marco Colicchio ‘DeLiCa Bianco’ Vino Bianco 2020

 Another rebel in the pioneering Lazio wine movement is

Acquiring small, abandoned vineyards along Lake Bolsena in Lazio, Massimo Antonuzi and Patrizia Montanari revitalized old [70+ years], un-grafted native vines, saving them from extinction or being ripped out.

Organic and biodynamic cultivated vines are in volcanic soils [a mix of tuff/sand/rock], 400-550 meters above sea level. Hand harvested and destemmed, crushed by foot. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast with 10 day skin maceration in fiberglass tanks. Aged in old oak and chestnut barrels for at least 1 year. Unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.

Vivid blood orange, apricot, apple, honeysuckle, sea salt glossed by citrus acidity and supple green tea tannins. Orange zest infuses the smoky mineral finish.

85% Procanico, 10% Trebbiano, 5% Malvasia

 Acquiring small, abandoned vineyards along Lake Bolsena in

Where Lazio and Umbria meet, dedicated to the native grapes found there.

Fully sustainable, certified organic and carbon neutral, members of FIVI, the Independent Winegrowers Italian Federation.

From a single vineyard, Vigneto Cerquabella, planted in 2010 with volcanic and alluvial soils. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, skin contact, ageing in stainless steel.

Lime zest, lemon, basil, pignoli, sea salt, drizzle of wildflower honey flanked by light green tea tannins and citrus acidity. Citrus zest underscores the smoky mineral finish.

With Polpettine di ceci e menta and ricotta di bufala e miele al tartufo [chickpea and mint balls and buffalo ricotta with truffle honey]

Trebotti ‘Incanthus’ Tuscia DOP 2020

 “Volcanic, independent, organic.” Where Lazio and Umbria

An absolutely ⚡️Aleatico Blanc de noir from innovative, visionary Lazio winemaker Andrea Occhipinti.

His 4 hectares of organically farmed vineyards are at 450 meters in elevation along the north-western shores of Lake Bolsena.

Whole cluster pressing without skin contact, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in small concrete barrels.

Nectarine, pear, apple, jasmine, beeswax, flinty minerality, sea salt flanked by citrus acidity and green tea tannins.

Peach and orange zest infuse the smoky finish.

Andrea Occhipinti ‘Alter Alea’ Vino Bianco 2020

 An absolutely ⚡️Aleatico Blanc de noir from innovative

2017 Herdade do Rocim - Alicante Bouschet

ℹ️ This wine is from the Alentejo region of Portugal. The wine is 💯 Alicante Bouschet, which is one of the unique red grapes where the pulp is red like the skin.  The grapes are organically farmed and planted on sand, schist, and granite soils with an average vine age of 40 years old. Grapes are hand-harvested and foot trodden in stone Lagares. Only indigenous yeast fermentation and then aged for 12 months in barrel with 30-40% new oak. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine is aged in bottle for six months before being released·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe boysenberry, black plum, overripe blueberry, pomegranate juice, gravel, pen ink, lavender, blood orange·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, high gritty tannins, high alcohol (14%), and full body. A medium length finish of black and blue fruits·

🔔 This wine is a shade of deep dark purple that many grapes cannot achieve. The fruit is very primary and ripe. There is a lot of dry extract, and you feel the phenolics in the mouth. This wine craves hearty fare to stand up to it. For those of you that enjoy big, bold Zins, this is a great alternative that is very reasonably priced·

 2017 Herdade do Rocim - Alicante Bouschet @herdadedorocim 

2016 Domaine Font du Vent - Cuvée Élégance de Jeanne Châteauneuf-du-Pape (93 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation in the Southern Rhône of France. The wine is a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% field blend. The Grenache vines are 100 to 120 years old. The vines are from the famous lieu-dit of La Crau, which has soils made of clay and galets. All of the farming is certified organic, and grapes are hand-harvested. 50% to 100% of the stems are removed, depending on the vintage. The fermentation takes place with native yeasts, and the wine has 30 days of skin maceration. The wine is aged in demi-muids (600 L) barrels and concrete tanks. This Cuvée is only made in exceptional vintages.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe raspberry, boysenberry, black cherry, blueberry preserves, licorice, lavender, rose, white pepper, bergamot, and beets.

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium+ spicy tannins, high alcohol (15%), and full body. It is very layered with a great texture. A long length finish of ripe and preserved black fruits with a earthy and spicy components lingering to the end.

🔔 This Cuvée is another stunning wine from Famille Gonnet. The charm and power of La Crau are highlighted with this wine. I love the darker fruit profile combined with the mix of florals and spice. The spicy and earthy notes dominate on the palate at the moment, but there is plenty of fruit concentration to go the distance. I enjoyed it after giving it the right amount of air. My recommendation is to enjoy it in another 5-7 years. I would like to try this Cuvée and the previous one side by side in the same vintage.

 2016 Domaine Font du Vent - Cuvée Élégance de Jeanne

2015 San Polino - Brunello di Montalcino (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Sangiovese Grosso from certified Organic and Biodynamic vineyards in the Brunello di Montalcino sub-region of Tuscany, Italy. The vines were planted in 1998 and 2007. Indigenous yeast fermentation with 30-40 days of maceration in large Slavonian oak vats. The wine was aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for three years before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe black cherry, blackcurrant, red plum, sage, oregano, pencil eraser, and a touch sanguine.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, high drying tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. The palate has a dusty texture but is framed by the acidity and the tannins built with each sip. A medium+ length finish of ripe black cherry and oregano.

🔔 San Polino makes wonderful Brunellos. This wine, when initially opened, was tightly wound. It needed a few hours in the decanter to coax the aromatics to show themselves. Some drinkers may find the structure to fruit ratio overly drying on the palate, mostly if consumed without food. Drinkers that can wait 3-5 years should be handsomely rewarded.

 2015 San Polino - Brunello di Montalcino (92 pts) @brunello

ℹ️ This wine is a blend of 60% Nero d'Avola and 40% Frappato from estate vineyards in the appellation of Vittoria of Sicily, Italy. The vineyard is certified organic, but they do work Biodynamically as well.  The average vine age is 25 years old. The grapes are hand-harvested. The indigenous yeast fermentation takes place in unlined terracotta amphorae. The wine is aged in amphorae for 9 months and then rested in the bottle for 3 months before release. Pithos is the Greek word for amphora.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe strawberry, sour cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, peony, elderflower, gamey, and slight lambic sour beer

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium round tannins, med alcohol (12%), and medium+ body. A medium length finish of strawberry, rhubarb, and florals.

🔔 Initially, when this wine was opened, it was extremely "Natty," showing sour beer and yeasty funk than anything else. However, with a fair amount of air, this started to open up. The Frappato is the star of the show, showing those seductive floral notes, and it married well with the ripe and earthy notes of the Nero d'Avola. Overall, I prefer the Cerasuolo di Vittoria bottlings from COS.

 2018 COS - Pithos Rosso @aziendaagricolacos ℹ️ This wine is

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des Quarterons Vieilles Vignes St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (92pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Franc from the St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil appellation in the Loire Valley of France. The vineyards are certified Organic and Biodynamic. The Vieilles Vignes is less than 10% of the production from the best old vine plots that are at least over 40 years old. The soil type of gravel and silty clay with some limestone. The grapes are hand-harvested, then macerate in a tank for 5-6 weeks. The wine is aged for 12 to 18 months in demi-muids (500 l barrels), with 1/6 being new.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe red cherry, black currant, raspberry, rose petal, bergamot, basil, sweet tobacco, and wet rock.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium chalky tannins, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium body. More earthy and spice notes on the palate. A medium length finish of ripe crunchy red fruit, flinty wet rock, and basil.

🔔Cabernet Franc, in the right hands, can be such an elegant grape, especially in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. This wine is lighter and crisper than a lot of the wines from Chinon and Saumur. Honestly, it comes across more Pinot Noir-esque with charming floral, herbal, and mineral notes. Tasting a glass of wine like this reminds me that I need to be exploring more producers like Xavier Amirault.

 2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des

ℹ️ A small group of friends in the late 1980s decided to revitalize the Ribeiro area. Javier Alén founder of Viña Mein was among them. He replanted 16 hectares on the hill sides along the Avia River. These vineyards were planted with traditional Galician white varieties. Soils are granitic. Vine age 25+ years. This wine is majority (70%) Treixadura with the rest being a blend of mainly Godello and Loureira, but small amounts of Albariño, Torrontés, and Lado. Vinification in stainless steel with extended lees aging·

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of yellow apple, quince, and pear. Also Greek yogurt and white flowers·

👅 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, and medium body. Flavors of yellow apple, apple skins, quince, and pear. Finish is medium- length and shows a combination of floral and slight waxiness. There is also a touch of bitterness on the finish that I don't mind, but is a bit separate from the rest of the flavor profile·

🔔 Not a bad wine. 86 is decent. 85 being good to 89 being very good. This is a solid bottle of white wine especially with food. Definitely need to drink more Ribeiro wines to wrap my head around their sense of place. I will say that once this gets imported to the US at $20-ish I think there are far better Spanish white wines out there for that money, let alone globally at that price·

 2016 Viña Mein - Ribeiro (86 pts) #winereview @crdo

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des Quarterons Vieilles Vignes St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (91 pts)

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe red cherry, black currant, raspberry, rose petal, bergamot, basil, and wet rock.

🔔 Cabernet Franc, in the right hands, can be such an elegant grape, especially in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. This wine is lighter and crisper than a lot of the wines from Chinon and Saumur. Honestly, it comes across more Pinot Noir-esque with charming floral, herbal, and mineral notes. Tasting a glass of wine like this reminds me that I need to be exploring more producers like Xavier Amirault.

🥊 Round 2 of the Rosé Blind Tasting Tournament, the underdog threw in the towel before the match even started·

ℹ️ This bottle is not clearly labeled as a Sparkling wine, Surprise! 😲 $17 semi-sparkling or barely sparkling rosé from Burgenland Austria. Made from 💯 Pinot Noir·

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

Innovative and always experimenting, the guys at Cantina

Uva e basta [100% Grape] 💥 Dedicated to organic and

⭐️90/100⭐️ “𝑰𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒕” 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2005 📍Monforte d’Alba

4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture

Pioneering winemaker, clay amphora innovator Francesco

Antonio and Daniela di Gruttola save indigenous, old

⭐️90/100⭐️ Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino, 2012

Anneliese and Werner Michlit live in harmony with nature

Melding experimentation with minimal intervention and

Atop a hill overlooking the town of Faro in the northeast

‘Bubbles without Borders’ A collaboration born from a

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

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

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

⭐️88/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2006 📍Barbaresco, Piemonte

Another rebel in the pioneering Lazio wine movement is

Acquiring small, abandoned vineyards along Lake Bolsena in

“Volcanic, independent, organic.” Where Lazio and Umbria

An absolutely ⚡️Aleatico Blanc de noir from innovative

2017 Herdade do Rocim - Alicante Bouschet @herdadedorocim

2016 Domaine Font du Vent - Cuvée Élégance de Jeanne

2015 San Polino - Brunello di Montalcino (92 pts) @brunello

2018 COS - Pithos Rosso @aziendaagricolacos ℹ️ This wine is

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des

2016 Viña Mein - Ribeiro (86 pts) #winereview @crdo

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des

2016 Biokult - Rosé Secco (Not Rated) #winereview

2015 Poggio La Noce - Bàja Falanghina

2017 Domaine Font du Vent - Cuvée Tradition

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Le Vau Renou

With a PhD in Philosophy, Marta Sierota is inspired to