The 2012 Cristal is another absolutely stellar wine this flight of recent releases. Rich, vinous and beautifully textured, the 2012 has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. In the glass, the 2012 is radiant and luscious, yet it possesses remarkable transparency and striking aromatic depth. Light tropical notes develop in the glass, giving the 2012 a real feeling of exotic beauty. The 2012 is the first vintage of Cristal done with 100% organically-farmed fruit, an approach introduced gradually starting with the 2007 that has profoundly changes Cristal, especially in its aromatic breadth. Two thousand twelve is the vintage where endless trials and experiments in farming and winemaking are fully realized. The 2012 is just stunning. It’s as simple as that. Dosage is just over 7 grams per liter, the lowest it has even been for Cristal.

The most essential question when tasting wines is not what wines you taste but what kind of glass you use when tasting the wine! It was amazing how ideal glass design can make the 15€ riesling shine like a diamond!  

Alion 2017 / Ruby. Blackberries, anise, vanilla, spices, blueberries, fruit driven nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, liquorice and spices, detailed and long. 92

Richi Arambarri presents a new addition to the Matsu project, la Jefa. The project, started in 2005 in Toro, aims to pay homage to the wine growers of the region and their historical vineyards with old vines. In addition, Matsu defines a new and refined style for wines from the Toro region and presents bottles worth to be discovered. 

2007 Pinot Noir Comptche Ridge Vineyard / 92 p Grapes for this wines is purchased from a tiny vineyard, 0.80 hectares, north of Navarro Vineyards but outside the appellation of Anderson Valley, hence the generic Mendocino County designation. It's owned by the Weir family and planted to the old Pinot Noir clone from Swan Vineyards in Russian River Valley. It's just a few miles from the coast, so it's a very cool site.
To be a Pinot Noir, color is quite dark, but that's not so unusual for Pinot Noir grown in such cold regions, where the grapes gets small and the skin grows thick. It's a lovely wine with a great personality and a quite intense perfume of dark cherries, ripe wild raspberries and sloe, and there's almost a Gevrey-Chambertin like punch to it as well. The oak, just 20 percent new, is beautifully well integrated, and alcohol at 13.7 percent. Therefore it's no surprise the one may put it in Burgundy if tasting it blind. It's medium bodied but intense and very silky, with a slightly sweetish texture and a lively acidity. I tasted it the first time a year ago, and again some months later, and found it to be a bit closed in the finish then, but now it's lovely. I prefer to decant it just prior to pouring it, so the aromas evolve a bit.
This time, I left a glass in the bottle to taste the day after, and although I still loved it for its intensity and lingering aftertaste, I missed some of the more aromatic perfumes from when it was newly opened.

1808 Braheem A. Kassab Madeira SS Madeira / Very intense, with burnt brown sugar and mature orange, and fine glace fruit and crystallised ginger notes. On the palate it has richness and lusciousness, with masses of citrus fruit, lemon and lime, and a chocolaty foundation with caramel and still very fine, racy acidity that leaves this with lots of complexity, freshness and charm. There is a lightness and crispness, with plenty of vivid complexity - very good for the age. 97p

Seppeltsfield Para Tawny 1884 Barossa, Australia. Seppeltsfield have an unbroken line of tawny ports in bottle from 1878-2012. Amazingly intense nose of treacle, spice, raisin, balsamic vinegar. Viscous and amazingly concentrated. Powerful, spicy flavours with treacle, molasses, raisins and stunning acidity. Some crème brulee too.  A remarkable experience. 98/100

Clos des Lambrays 2017 / "Produced from what is nearly a monopole grand cru - Domaine Taupenot-Merme owns 0.004ha - Clos des Lambrays is always marked by its 90% whole bunches, but the style is very well done in 2017 under new cellarmaster, Boris Champy. With 50% new wood framing the palate, this is subtle, nuanced and focussed, with polished tannins and bright acidity. Drinking Window: 2025-2035.

Petrus 2018 / A Petrus of great dimension with a structure that gains in finesse with the passing weeks and an aromatic scope delivering spices, pepper, iris, marshmallow, violet. Alluring and shining tannins. A legendary vintage for the cru.

99 points

In 1993 was the first vintage of a new wine: Luce della Vite. The project of two famous wine families, Marchesi de Frescobaldi from Tuscany and Robert Mondavi from California, brought two grape varieties and a special terroir together. The grape varieties are Sangiovese and Merlot, the terroir is the one from Montalcino. Now, the new vintage is close to be released. On May 1, 2021 the wine lovers can appreciate the new born blend, Luce 2018. The vintage 2018 proves to be excellent with a damp spring with medium to high temperatures. Thus the vegetative development of the Sangiovese and Merlot grapes was very homogenous. The additional rains during the flowering phase slowed-down the fruit set, naturally lowering the production load of the plants. Summer time brought a regular climatic situation with little rainfalls and no excessive temperatures. I addition, the temperature differences between day and night in September, coupled with the northern winds, promoted a magnificent aromatic evolution in the ripening of the grapes.

Roederer Cristal Rosé 2012 / “Already upon launch this rosé shows rare harmony and seamlessness. It is opulently fruity and exuberantly Pinot-packed yet at the same time seductively silky-textured. The voluminous palate is perfectly integrated to the wine’s superb freshness that carries it to a great length. Structured whilst soft and comes with Cristal Rosé’s hallmark elegance and radiance. Highly enjoyable already but with great long-term ageing capacity. A perfect reflection of the vintage’s best qualities.”

Brand & Sons ‘Last Sunday Drive’ Cabernet Franc 2019 – We are back in ‘every wine gets a name’ territory. At least this time the wines have a story. The Brand family is one of the most famous and respected in Australian wine. Brand and Sons is the latest incarnation (this is Brand and Sons winemakers, not the plumbers or funeral directors – apparently a popular business name). The family’s involvement in Australian wine dates back into the 1850s. Current custodian, Sam Brand, is fourth generation. I remember meeting Eric Brand several times, an absolute gentleman (I specifically remember one day in a park near a local restaurant in Coonawarra, a bunch of somms, after some lengthy tasting sessions, were happily informing the world of their extensive wine knowledge. Sitting on a nearby bench was an older gent with a smile – Eric Brand. I remember thinking that he’d forgotten more about wine than all those somms, who clearly had no idea that they were in the presence of winemaking greatness, were likely to learn in a lifetime). Eric married into the Redman family (Coonawarra is a bit like Tasmania). I knew Eric’s son, Jim, quite well years ago. An exceptional talent himself and sadly no longer with us, taken far too young. Sam is Jim’s son and winemaking talent has not fallen far from the tree. But I digress. 

This is a fine example of Cabernet Franc. Offers a gentle leafy note, in keeping with varietal expectations. Blackfruits and blueberries. Plenty of grippy tannins and juicy acidity. The wine has good length. This is still very young. Expect good things over the next four to eight years. A fine example of Cab Franc, for those interested. 92.