Wine Blog
Welcome to the Sipped Reviews wine blog. The reviews you see here are partly appearing because we love to taste, tear apart and review wines — and partly because of the Level 3 WSET course I’m taking currently.
Why ratings? I like to see a rating on a wine simply because it means someone else has taken the time to share their view, and also, I’m not blindly purchasing a wine. Now, I might not agree with the rating after I taste it, but at least I have some data to go on to give me some idea of the quality of the wine I’m thinking of purchasing. So, take it or leave it. Our ratings tend to be more conservative than others and, ALL of the wines rated here were purchased by us. None of these wines were gifts given to elicit a better rating. FYI.
ARCHIVE #1: The archive for the Wine Blog is here with reviews from November 1, 2023, to February 23, 2024. The archive contains 172 ratings.
ARCHIVE #2: The archive for the Wine Blog is here with reviews from February 23, 2024 to July 23, 2024
Most Recent — ARCHIVE #3: The archive for the Wine Blog is here with reviews from July 23, 2024 to May 23, 2025
Wine
BlaVintner: Chateau Bellevue
Description: Vin de Bordeaux, Alfio Moiconi Selecttion
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend
Notes: Blackberry, molasses, lilac, thyme, coffee, cocoa.
High tannins, high acid, med+ finish, med+ concentration and intensity. Full body and med alcohol.
A nice, rich wine that needs air. We are going to report back after breathing for an hour.
Remember, there are more ratings than appear here at our old site: Pantomimehorse.com
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 6/03/2025
Vintner: Chateau Vrai Canon Bouche’
Description: Grand Vin de Bordeaux, Canon Fronsac
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend
Notes: Nice aged notes on the nose, dried oak, black currant, walnut, dried lilac flower, sage, thyme, blackberry.
High acid, med+ body, med+ finish, med concentration, med+ intensity, high tannins.
It is a good effort. We seem to remember trying this before. But we bought this over a year ago and still don’t remember why we didn’t open this bottle. It’s not something we’d bye again, but it’s always nice to get our palates around some Bordeaux.
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Rating: 89
Date Tasted: 6/03/2025
Vintner: Chateau de Lamarque
Description: Heriitiers des Marquis d’Evry Haut Medoc
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend
Notes: A fairly basic wine with berry notes, currant, floral, dried herbs, graphite. The palate is fairly concentrated, med body, short finish, med concentration and med acidity. Not a great effort here.
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Rating: 87
Date Tasted: 6/03/2025
Vintner: Chateau Mayne Mazerolles
Description: Grand Vin de Bordeaux Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend
Notes: Not a lot to write home about here. The nose is full of rough edges. It is hard to find anything pretty here. There’s pencil lead, berry, black tea, pepper, black currant. The palate shows roughness, high acid, med- finish, med tannins and med concentration.
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Rating: 85
Date Tasted: 6/03/2025
Vintner: Dubourdieu
Description: Liaison Appellation Graves Controllee’
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend
Notes: Chewy black currant, black and red cherry, cocoa, black pepper, rose,
High acid, long finish, med+ concentration, tannins and intensity. It has med+ body and med alcohol.
It is a very fresh smelling wine right out of the glass. It has a bright nose with rose and cherry. But it fades a bit as it breathes in the glass. However, fresh out of the bottle this is a really nice wine for the $20 range. On the palate the tannins, acid and finish are very pleasing.
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Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 6/02/2025
Vintner: Chateau de le Chapelle
Description: Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend
Notes: Very dry berry, dry black currant, dried flowers, lilac, cocoa and tar.
This has got med+ tannins, high acid, long finish, high concentration, med+ intensity, med alcohol and med+ body.
We bought this a year ago during Bordeaux class at Total Wine. We let it sit for a year! And we’re glad we tried it finally. It has a nice complexity, fairly good concentration of flavors. For a $20 dollar wine this is really nicely made. Another reviewing site gave this a 95.
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Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 6/02/2025
Vintner: Rush Lattin Cellars
Description: Columbia Valley
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: Of the three wines from Rush Lattin, this one edged out in front. So, imagine you’re eating a biscuit topped coffee cake. You know that cooked brown sugar edge on the side? Well, this wine is what that smells like. And ginger, cardamom, pomegranate molasses, Medjool dates, dried fig, cherry kirsch, the blackest of blackberries, a fresh garden path thyme note, tar, cocoa, coffee, tobacco, corn flower and lilac. And there’s more, but I’m running out of room.
And then all these scents perfectly translate to the palate. It tastes like toasted brown sugar without a hint of sweetness. This wine is so concentrated in flavor. I keep thinking, how did they do that? The finish is so long. It’s a plush, pungent, full bodied, intensely gratifying with incredible balance.
This would be amazing with shawarma, Greek roasted lamb or chicken tandoori. It’s craving acidic foods with enough spice to balance the intensity of this wine.
This one goes for $60. Check it out on their site. Rush Lattin
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Rating: 98
Date Tasted: 6/01/2025
Vintner: Fiddler’s Bluff
Description: Columbia Valley
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: Deep black fruit notes balanced with raspberry and a touch of blueberry. Baked pie crust, stone fruit pit, coffee, black tea, black pepper, dried herbs and lilac.
The acid is high, the body full, the finish long, the concentration and intensity of flavor are high. The tannins are med+. So, in short, this is just short of perfect wine. It is powerful right at cork-pop. And it breathes nicely, leaving you with a well-balanced, massively intense wine – plush on the palate. Rush-Lattin has knocked this one out of the park! This wine runs $40 dollars per bottle.
Check it out on their site. Fidder’s bluff.
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Rating: 97
Date Tasted: 5/30/2025
Vintner: Fiddler’s Bluff
Description: Columbia Valley Red Wine
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: The folks at Rush Lattin Cellars have outdone themselves. This is a wine that must be experienced. The moment you open it you smell blackberries, raspberries, coffee, tobacco, lime leaf, dried herbs and what comes across as a croissant danish filled with raspberry.
The body on this is more than full, the tannins med+, the finish is long and elegant. High acidity, huge complexity, intensity and concentration.
This is a big, dark, elegant wine. If you go onto their website, you see that it’s only $37 dollars! This caliber of wine in Napa AVA would sell for four time this price. This is an exceptional bargain and a hidden gem! Check it out on their site. Fidder’s bluff.
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Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 5/28/2025
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Notes of soft rosemary, dense blackberry, spicy dried wood, raspberry, black cherry kirsch, lime leaf.
Of the six wines we just reviewed from Siduri, this one takes the award. The body is massive, the finish is huge, the acid is perfectly balanced with the fruit. This wine is intense, thick with a Jello texture and hugely concentrated. It is delicious.
We are looking forward to the next release when we get more of the Santa Lucia highlands releases.
Update: after breathing for an hour, the second half of the bottle blossomed. It became a 96.
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Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 5/27/2025
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Seascape Vineyard, West Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Spicy wood, blackberry, cherry, raspberry, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh earth and phreesia flowers. The minerality is like oystershell.
The tannins are soft, the body full, the finish long, the concentration and intensity almost high. The acid is high. And the balance is lovely. The scents and flavors are lovely. This wine is a pleasure to sip.
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Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 5/26/2025
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Gran Moraine Vineyards, Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: We get tart cranberry, strawberry, red cherry, minerals, bitter herbs and soil.
The tannins are quite moderate, the finish is long, the concentration and intensity are med+. The acid is high and the body is medium. On the palate you get those bitter herbs that pretty well balance with the fruitiness. The acidity is a bit high. Nice minerality though. It’s a big wine but lacks some balance in the acid area.
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Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 5/25/2025
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Bloomfield Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: We get black cherry, blackberry, raspberry, vanilla, cranberry and cooked green bean. But it works.
The tannins are pretty grippy, the acid high. The concentration is med+, so is the intensity. The finish is long and the body is full.
This is a mixed bag. The nose intensity is rich. The palate is a little less. The berries in this thing are amazing, especially the black cherry. It edges on kirsch.
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Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 5/25/2025
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Parsons Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: We love Siduri. They have so much Pinot! And this one is very nice. It has fresh raspberry, red cherry, lilac, white chocolate, cola, brioche and a slight note of wet logs (which is the precursor to mushroom and forest floor). This wine is a baby.
The palate has firmer tannins that most pinots. The body is full, concentration, finish, acid and intensity are all high. And it’s got great balance between the fruit and acid. The tannins are great and grip the teeth just a little. But that finish goes a long way with fresh fruit flavors.
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Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 5/25/2025
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Hapgood Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: We love Siduri. Not all their releases are stellar and there are about 18 a year. Maybe more. I didn’t count last year. But this one is the first of 6 that we received for the latest release.
The nose has lime leaf, strawberry, red cherry, raspberry, minerality, kirsch and wet potting soil. It’s a nice scent.
The body is med+, the acid high, concentration and intensity are med+. the tannins are medium.
This is another wine that fades in the glass pretty quickly. But in its prime, it has come nice notes. But it just isn’t tight. It smells and tastes a little loose.
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Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 5/24/2025
Vintner: Testarossa
Description: Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: This wine starts full bodied with high intensity and concentration. It has nice cherry, strawberry and minerals. But just ten minutes after a glass is poured and it fades off into the sunset. So, the rating is based on before and after effects.
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Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 5/23/2025
Vintner: Domaine du Vieux Telegraph
Description: La Crau, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2012
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This was a 375ml bottle. And it had a great nose, nice aged tertiary notes, still holding onto a lot of fruit, soft tannins and high acid.
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Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 5/20/2025
Vintner: M Chapoutier
Description: Monier de la Sizeranne, Hermitage
Vintage: 2012
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This is Hermitage. And it was a nice older one. But it was fading in the bottle. Still, it was a great experience to try an older one.
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Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 5/20/2025
Vintner: M Chapoutier
Description: Monier de la Sizeranne, Hermitage
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This is Hermitage. And this was amazing wine. We did not research quickly and found these wines available on Wine.com and Total Wine. At the winery in France this was 54 Euros. At sites in the states, these run $179.
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Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 5/17/2025
Vintner: M Chapoutier
Description: Saint Joseph, Les Granilites
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: A nice effort on this one, but not the best we tried at the winery. Downstairs there were so many bottlings from M Chapoutier and other labels. It was dizzying and hard to pick just a few to buy. This one was a loose flavored wine, but still had lots of redeaming qualities.
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Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 5/17/2025
Vintner: M Chapoutier
Description: Combe Pilates
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Viognier
Notes: We did a great tasting at M Chapoutier after being rained off the hill of the vineyard. We were soaked. But the wines did a great job of making this better. The Viognier was a solid 92 pointer.
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Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 5/17/2025
Vintner: Maison Jamet
Description: Cotes-Rotie, Fructus Voluptas
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: This one had slight balance issues, but still had good intensity.
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Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Pierre Jean Villa
Description: Crozes-Hermitage, Accroche Coeur
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Rhone Wine
Notes: A lovely wine for a Crozes-Hermitage, usually considered inferior to the great Hermitages.
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Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Chateau de Beaucastel
Description: Chateauneuf Du Pape
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Chateauneuf Du Pape
Notes: Great concentration, intensity and lovely fruit balanced with good acidity. This was the best of the bunch that we tried at the wine shop. We left with a bottle as well.
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Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Clos St Antonin
Description: Chateauneuf Du Pape
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Chateauneuf Du Pape
Notes: Great concentration, intensity and lovely fruit balanced with good acidity.
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Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Domaine Dambrun
Description: Laurence et Patrick Chene
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: We had this twice. The time at the wine shop in Arles it was very nice. But the second time was a fresh bottle. And that was very nicely balanced and had good intensity.
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Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Domaine D’Ourea
Description: Gigondas, Adrien Roustan
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This one was a bit on the lighter side, with less intensity than the rest.
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Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Chateau la Canorgue
Description: Luberon
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: A major region in the Rhone valley, Luberon. This was a big wine with lovely fruit and nice balance.
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Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Piaugier
Description: Sablet, Cotes du Rhone Villages
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: Great wine from a great village in the Southern Rhone. This was one of those wines from the wine shop in Arles.
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Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Chateau Manissy
Description: Tavel, Florian Andre
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Rose’
Notes: Lovely intensity, great fruit and high acidity. This is one of these Tavel rose’s that really pleases.
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Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Chateau Aqueria
Description: Lirac, Cru des Cotes du Rhone
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: There is a wine shop in Arles that lets you taste a large variety of wines by the small pour. This one rates a 91 point score for good intensity, nice fruit and balance.
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Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 5/15/2025
Vintner: Franck & Oliver Mousset
Description: Enfants de Vignerons, Cotes-du-Rhone
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This was a very inexpensive, pleasant drinking Rhone blend. We have not seen this yet on sites here in the states.
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Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 5/14/2025
Vintner: Montsant
Description: El Pispa, Vinos del Paseante DO
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Garnatxa/Carinyena
Notes: We tried this at the Renaissance Hotel in Barcelona a week ago. It was very oxidized. But the next night we tried it again in the main bar, and this was a fresh bottle. And wow, it was nice. It appears that the wine is available in the states and runs in the $12 dollar range.
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Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 5/13/2025
