David Brodati, DipWSET
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Reviews (622)
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Reviews
Château Beau-site 2009, Ac Saint Estèphe, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
Bordeaux, France$36.75
Patience and prescience - the skills needed to enjoy an ageable wine at its zenith. And for me, the patience to hold on and finally the prescience to pull the cork on this 09 St. Estephe paid off. Beautiful pot pourri nose of dried flowers and dusty dried fruit, along with tobacco, soy and balsamic. An almost sweet note on the palate of vanilla and caramel. More dried cherry fruit and savoury umami elements inculding leather, tobacco, soy, olive and balsamic. The tannin are fully resolved and smooth and the acidity still adds vibrancy. Excellent length. No need to cellar further. June 2023.
4.5 Stars
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Lightfoot And Wolfville Chardonnay Ancienne Reserve 2013
Nova Scotia, Canada$56.00
An excellent minerally driven chard from the Annapolis. You can pick out the fruit but why bother when the minerality screams for oysters. There's palate pleasing texture and well integrated oak that adds some spice, ginger and a hint of cedar to the complexity. Acidity adds structure and increases the food friendly nature. Very good to excellent length. July 2017.
4.5 Stars
Alvear Pedro Ximenez De Añada 2014, Dop Montilla Moriles (375ml)
Spain$24.95
Very rich and viscous with a pleasing and complex array of flavours including prune, raisin, honey, orange rind, tea, pear compote and marzipan. Quite luscious but there is hidden acidity that lurks and holds things to this side of cloying. Usually I like a sweet PX with salty snacks but this one is a bit more sophisticated, so pair with blue veined cheeses or Christmas cake. Oct. 2017.
4.5 Stars
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Brezza Cannubi Barolo 2012, Docg
Piedmont, Italy$73.00
A lovely elegant Barolo from the famed Cannubi vineyard northeast of the village. Showing its age both in colour (garnet brick) and aromas/flavour with dried rose petal, hay, prune and fig. Additional complexity with marzipan, sour cherry, tea, liquorice, cinnamon and a tarry molasses/burnt sugar note. Contemplative indeed. Juxtapositional: it's dry but has an almost sweet essence with the marzipan, burnt sugar; still tannic but smooth mouthfeel; light in colour but wonderfully intense. The length is excellent. Enjoy now. March 2025
4.5 Stars
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Norman Hardie Chardonnay Sans Soufre 2015, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$45.00
This wine is just plain delicious. The consistent quality of Norm's output sometimes results in consumer complacency - yeah, another good Norman Hardie (yawn). But the Sans Soufre for me is a reminder of this man's talent. Complexity, balance, refinement, length. Apple, lemon, lime, quince, honey, slightly minty, iodine, minerality. Creamy malo texture, vibrant with excellent length. Well done. Soufre not needed. Nov. 2017.
4.5 Stars
Il Grappolo Sassocheto Brunello Di Montalcino 2010
Tuscany, Italy$58.00
Garnet red in the glass doesn't belie this Brunello's age. Traditional in style. Umami driven nose of leather, tobacco, earth, dried flowers. Fruit is drying too. Some oxidation showing as may be expected. High acidity, high alcohol and drying tannin that is still grippy. Complexity and excellent length, but I wouldn't cellar too much longer. Enjoy while you can. Dec. 2018.
4.5 Stars
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Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese 2014, Pradikätswein
Mosel, Germany$39.95
A brilliant Spatlese here. Objectively it scores on complexity, balance, length and typicity. Subjectively, scores on being freekin delicious. It portrays notes of ripe apple, peach, apricot, marmalade, grilled pineapple, melon, candied ginger, honey and that wonderful Mosel minerality. The balance is impeccable with interplay between acidity and sweetness giving the impression of medium dry. I paired this with a butternut squash bisque finished with a dollop of maple syrup - sublime (or in this case subapricot). It's drinking lovely now, but can easily go another decade. Dec. 2019.
4.5 Stars
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Pieropan La Rocca Soave Classico 2011, Doc
Veneto, Italy$37.95
Who says Italy doesn't produce world class white wine. What a beautiful Soave (Garganega). I love the intense aromatics here, with pear, apple, melon, honey, wax and leesy butter/cream. The palate also offers complexity with a rich chalky mouthfeel, similar flavour replays as well as a bit of a bite (maceration). Medium plus acidity makes this as friendly at the table as it is a sipper on its own. Excellent length. A tad hot. Drink now or hold 5-7 years or more. Jan. 2016.
4.5 Stars
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La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva 2007, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$54.95
One of the best Rioja's I've tasted in a long while. Wonderfully expressive aromatics and much complexity makes this a fine sipping wine. Spot on typicity for Rioja. Dark cherry, tobacco, leather, herb, dill, olive, sandalwood, vanilla, mocha, spice, hoisin, smoke. The oak is very nicely intergrated at this point. Medium/full bodied, with medium plus acidity, refined silky tannins that still have some grip, and excellent length. A touch of heat on the lingering finish holds this a notch below the outstanding category. Drink now or hold 5-7 years. Jan. 2017.
4.5 Stars
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Picard Le Charmois Saint Aubin 1er Cru 2014, Ac
Burgundy, France$43.75
A very fine white Bourgogne, with apple, citrus, minerality, earthy with nicely integrated oak flavours. Good acidity keeps it fresh and the length is excellent. Feb. 2019.
4.5 Stars
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