Joseph Phelps Insignia 2018 / Blackberry and black chocolate with mint, conifer and clove. Sweet tobacco, violets and flowers, too. Some graphite. Cool and complex. Full-bodied with ultra fine, dusty tannins and a wonderful, extremely long finish. Savory and refined. A classic-styled 2018. This needs time, but is so approachable and gorgeous. One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time. 40% Stags Leap AVA. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 8% petit verdot, 3% malbec and 2% cabernet franc. Leave this for five or six years, but so wonderful now.

Break Free Enfant De Lune Syrah 2021 / Single Vineyard wine, fruit from the Frankland River region. “Child of the Moon", or born of the moon. Harvested in the cool, by moonlight. Ten days on skins, unfiltered and unfined. Just fermented juice it would appear. Juicy fruit nose, like the blackcurrant pastille you sucked on as a kid. Subtle baking spice hints, touch of old wood in the frame. 

Lithe, supple - not giving any hints to its 14.5% alcohol - with a wicked peppery lick across the length of the wine. It's juicy with a fine grip of subtle tannin, body to the persistent berry driven character present. Fun gear. 91

XF is a Rosé based on a wide choice of grape varieties: 35% Garnacha, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Viura, 5% Maturana and 5% Tempranillo. The production of this special blend of white and red grapes is complex. The white grapes will macerate for two days before pressing. One week later, the must of the red grapes will be added. This must had skin contact for 72 hours. The fermentation will be initiated by autochthonous yeasts under temperature control. 

Krug Clos du Mesnil 1982 / The wine of the vintage. More Krug-like than Mesnil-like. The color is reminiscent of a big, white, toasted, oak-barrel Burgundy—even the scent points in that direction. It has an oriental, spicy nose. Toffee, honey, coffee, linden, cream, butterscotch, sun-ripened oranges: it's got everything! Enveloped in a Corton-Charlemagne-like fat, nutty, enormous taste. The acidity is incredibly high but it hides beneath a layer of sweet fruit. One of myWINNERS  at the Millennium Tasting. The last two bottles have shown a rich big maturity and less refinement so the gigant is now down on 98 points.

Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2019 / 99 points. Served blind. Honey, raisins, detailed, rich, apricots, layered and complex. 
Fresh acidity, lucious, rich, intense, deep, layered, incredibly sweet yet playful, raisins, sultanas, deep, nuanced, long. Stunning TBA. 

BWW2023 Finals -part II with wines like Keller G-Max, Dominus, Ao Yun, Burlotto, Gaja, Guigal etc.

BWW2023 - Best Wine of the World-competition Day III / One more day to go before the we know the winners!

It was an great tasting with the Grand Crus from the Kirchberg de Barr, an excellent vineyard based on limestone rock and clay. Within the Kirchberg de Barr is located the  famous Clos Zisser. With an area of 9 hectares this Clos is Domaine André Lorentz's monopoly terroir. Its south-east orientation allows the grapes to ripen over a long period under ideal conditions. 

Hugh Hamilton Loose Lips III NV – This wine goes against all the rules of conventional wisdom. A non-vintage red that blends Malbec (40%), Mataro (14%) and Grenache (8%) with the white grapes of Viognier (20%) Pinot Gris (11%) and Sauvignon Blanc (7%). Is there any other wine on the planet made up of this combination? It sounds like a trainwreck but the result is surprisingly good. Pale crimson in colour, this is soft and fragrant with notes of florals and herbs, red fruits and blackcurrant leaves. Some hints of undergrowth. Bright, fresh and exuberant with a soft, lingering finish. Drink now for a year or two. 91.