As stated in my previous post, I was in Paris in November, with Avi Davidowitz from Kosher Wine Unfiltered. The number of boxes in our room was not nearly as insane as last year. Last year, we had some 80 wines, this year we were at a measly 62. Of those 62, Avi did not get a chance to taste all of them, as he had to get back to Israel. It was a miracle he was even able to come in the first place and I really thank him and his family for him making it to Paris with all that was going on in Israel.

We were in Paris for a week and during that time Avi not only got to finally see some of Paris but we had three organized tastings and we had some Hotel time to taste other wines. Given the constraints, we sadly, did not have time to do these blind. I hope next year, we will make it a priority. Heck, at this point Avi has seen as much of Paris as I have, though he really does need to go to the Musée de l’Orangerie and some more of Musee d’Orsay. Heck, even a bit of the Centre Pompidou will not hurt him, but we have next time! B”H!!!

Like last time, I wanted to break up the normal approach, or taste wines from the distributor or wine producers and instead taste the wines in their respective groups. So the wines listed below are in the order we tasted them and in the groups, we tasted them.

Rhone & White Wines

Red Rhone wines were the first round of wines we tasted. I will take the blame here. I normally get rid of the white wines first, but I wanted to stick to regions and we did not have all the wines at the start, so yeah, the tasting order, at the start is a bit wonky.
Most of these wines were from Cedev, but a few also came from Yavine.fr. There were ten reds and three whites. The overall impression of the 13 wines was not impressive, though there were two nice wines from Yavine and Les Vins de Vienne and one from Domaine de Corps de Loup.

To start, the prices of some of these wines in France are outrageous and they are no better here in the USA (though some of these are only available in Europe). The others are barely OK wines and the price really is irrelevant. The best was the Yavine Les Vins de Vienne Crozes-Hermitage (white and red). The Domaine de Corps de Loup’s price was outrageous but it is a nice enough wine.

The Cedev wines rated OK to poor. The showing may be their best yet, but I have no need to buy any of them. They do have some interesting wines, like a Kosher red Vacqueyras, I just wish they tasted better.

In the end, the relationship between Yavine and Les Vins de Vienne continues to produce good wines.

Finally, if someone had asked me the day I came home, what was the best NEW wine I tasted on your trip – the answer would have been very simple – that is the 2021 Chateau Olivier Blanc. DONE. I would then have dropped the mic and walked away. It is an incredible wine! The 2020 vintage was nice enough, but the 2021 is shockingly incredible. It is clear that the 2021 vintage is really not good for Cabernet-based wines or even for some Merlot-based ones. It feels a bit like 2013 when the whites were incredible. We had no kosher white 2013 wines, but we had the 2013 Piada, yeah it is white, but it is sweet, and yeah, that was/is incredible!

2021 is a tough vintage for Bordeaux and 2022 is NOT what folks have hyped it – so far

This section is going to be tough. The 2021 vintage is a lost cause. Sadly, a large number of Bordeaux wines were made in 2021. There were no red wines made in 2021 from the wines we tasted in the hotel that were QPR WINNERs. There are four 2022 QPR WINNER wines but I continue to stress, that in the kosher world, for me, so far, 2022 is not the panacea or quality that the non-kosher world is hyping. Sure, we have not yet tasted the Chateau Pontet Canet. LOL! My real hope is that the 2020 Moulin Riche, Montviel, Royaumont, and so on, will NOT be like the 2018 vintage! NO! Please no! We want more of the 2014/016 vintage. Sadly, from what we have seen so far in the kosher wines, it is not what those on the outside are talking about. But, the final answer will be when we get to taste the big boys in November and Feb 2025. Yeah, 2025!!

Of this group, the standouts were the Taieb 20222 wines. No surprise here, Taieb continues to prove that great wine does not need to come from the Grand Cru names. Still, there were 2022 wines that were a ripe mess, but that happens with every vintage. My main issue here is that outside of these four wines we have found no other 2022 vintage that we liked enough to give it a QPR WINNER score. As stated, time will tell.

Other regions tasted with Avi

Literally, nothing here to talk about – next! So much pain!!

Elvi Wines

Elvi has another two QPR WINNER wines, while the 2020 Rioja Crizana (Mevushal and not) is not my cup of tea. The 2021 Clos Mesorah and the 2022 Herenza White are lovely wines. Sadly, because Royal can not sell the Herenza White (AKA Invita), the only place I get to taste the current vintage is in Paris or Europe. It is pathetic, that the USA cannot appreciate the joy and happiness of the Herenza white, but hey, that is OK! They sell out in Europe anyway, this is just the loss to those of us living in the USA!

The 2021 Clos Mesorah is another WINNER and yeah, lovely wine, ripe, bold, and concentrated, but with lots of soy sauce and umami. Great stuff and it shows the complexity that so many other wines we tasted lacked.

Other regions tasted without Avi

This is mostly a press release for the Terra di Seta wines I have yet to taste! JOKING, I do not do a press release wine posts, but yeah, the wines are nice. Look, something has changed at Terra di Seta since 2019, I do not know what it is. Sure, the 2019 Chainati Classico was not bad, it was a bit short, but ok. The 2020 vintage was OK as well, while the 2021 vintage was a real mess. The 2019 Riserva was a hard pass for me at the start. It took a couple of days and then I came around to like it enough but even there, the Riserva did not meet what I expected from TDS. Time will tell what is happening or if the Riserva or Assai are good in the later vintages. I have always felt that the Riserva wines were the real age-worthy wine. I have had my issues with the Assai. Still, something is amiss in the last three years. I am hoping that things will change back soon!

I tasted a bunch of wines in June of 2023. They were at a wine event and they were imported by BAM Imports. I wrote about them here. Well, it turns out I had them again, without Avi in Paris and they showed far better. This can always be an import issue, bottle variation, or who knows what. Still, the concern is clear and the wines were not evil in Paris, so who knows!

Finally, I had a couple of wines in the hotel after Avi left and the WINNER of those was a lovely Ribeauville Pinot Noir! I know the joke, Kosher Alsace Pinot Noir is too cheap to clean the car with. Still, this vintage was a SOLID QPR WINNER. Of course, import it to the USA, and goodbye QPR! Still, for those in Europe, ENJOY! This is a daily quaffer HOMERUN!

Where can you buy these wines?

So, the Cedev wines are in the USA, I have no idea what stores are selling their wines sorry. The Olivier and others from Mercier are imported by M&M (AKA Ralph) and sold by Kosher Wine Direct. The Taieb wines will make their way to the USA soon, and should be available by Liquid Kosher, and Elk (you can contact Elk, listed to the right on the desktop view of this page) has/should have them as well. Finally, the TDS and Elvi wines will get to the USA soon or are already here. The biggest issue I find, outside of Royal Wine produced wines, is distribution for the kosher wine buyer. It is almost impossible for the average Kosher wine-buying Joe, to know where to buy each and every SKU/wine, it is crazy!

Thoughts on this tasting

OK, so overall, this tasting was a disaster, much like most of our hotel wine tastings. Look, Kosher plonk exists in spades in all regions of the world! The USA may have the largest availability to them, but Paris is not far behind! That is the MAIN takeaway! Followed by that is the horrible 2021 vintage (other than white wines). Finally, 2022 is not all it has been cracked up to be. OK, that is a wrap for Paris 2023! Looking forward to my next trip over the pond!

Before I forget – Avi took all the pictures from this trip so if you dislike them, blame him. If you love them disregard the previous sentence! Thanks, buddy!! Finally, while most of these deliveries were to the hotel this time, my man Ari Cohen, AKA El-Presidente of Bakus Wines, still put up with our many deliveries. Thanks as always! These hotel tastings could never happen with you, my man!!!

The wine notes follow below – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here and the explanation for QPR scores can be found here:

—————————— Rhone & White Wines ———————————————-

2022 Domaine La Martinelle Cotes du Rhone Villages Visan, Cotes du Rhone – Score: 78 (QPR: POOR)
This wine is painful, it smells hot, it tastes hot, and it feels painful, literally. It also tastes like the wine came out of the wine vat early, AKA, hard pass! The wine has no acidity, loads of astringent, and uncontrolled tannin. Next! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Vignobles Vuillemin de Valois Bonne Etoile, Cotes du Rhone Villages – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
This wine is a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Grenache, and 15% Carignan. This is a solid wine for a good price the wine has nice acidity, showing blue, red, and green notes, and earthy, smoky, dirty, and loads of graphite. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is solid is nice, with good acidity, nice tannin, good fruit, herbs, nice blueberry, raspberry, roasted herbs, soft tannin, and graphite. The finish is nice, tannic, fruity, simple, and not asking for much. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14%)

2022 Vignobles Vuillemin de Valois Les Achenaux, Cotes du Rhone “Villages”, Cotes du Rhone “Villages” – Score: 81 (QPR: EVEN)
This wine is a blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 10% Carignan. The nose of this wine is ripe, too ripe for me, smokey, dirty, and too fruity. The mouth really has issues, it is medium-sized, it has holes and it lacks the acidity I need, it shows blue and red fruit, not much else, and really too ripe, unbalanced, and off-kilter. Next! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Domaine Aimé Arnoux Vacqueyras, Vacqueyras – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR)
The wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre. The nose of this wine is ripe, with nothing else, it lacks any complexity or anything to grab me, almost hot, really a shame. This may well be the first kosher Vacqueyras ever made and it misses the mark. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine does not have enough acidity, too much blueberry, is out of whack, too ripe, raspberry, and smoked. Boring The finish is short, uninteresting, and not refreshing, sad. The fruit is too ripe and it sticks out poorly. Drink by 2024. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Maison Arnoux et Fils Vieux Clocher, Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone – Score: 75 (QPR: POOR)
This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre. The nose of this wine is pure baked blueberry sugar high, lacking balance, and really anything that can make this wine feel more interesting. The mouth of this wine has more acidity than the others made by Arnoux but with even riper fruit and showing more holes and even less of anything to grab one’s attention other than the overripeness. It feels like watered-down blueberry juice. Sad. Next! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Aimé Arnoux Chateauneuf du Pape, Chateauneuf du Pape – Score: 89 (QPR: EVEN)
This is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. The nose of this wine is the most balanced we have seen so far from Arnoux. The nose shows red and blue fruit, nice minerality, good smoke, nice oak, tar, graphite, and hints of plum. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is the most balanced wine, with great acidity, nice smoke, good salinity, earth, raspberry, dark cherry, blueberry, nice tannin, and black/white pepper. The finish is long but the wax and green notes feel off a bit. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Aimé Arnoux Gigondas, Gigondas – Score: 90 (QPR: EVEN)
The wine is a blend of 70% Grenache & 30% Syrah. The nose is the best characteristic of the Arnoux but at the price, it is not a WINNER. The nose of this wine is nice with rich coffee, tar, black/white pepper, red fruit, and nice smoke, really a nice grabbag of what you want in a wine like this. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice but with almost no complexity, which is a shame, it is a single line of points but never deep or complex, with nice red cherry, raspberry, dirt, smoke, pepper, and nice oak. The finish is long, tart, ripe, but simple. Drink by 2024. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14%)

2020 Domaine de Corps de Loup Cote-Rotie Fusion, Cote-Rotie – Score: 85 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is too ripe for me, the wine’s Viognier colors the notes with milk chocolate and candied fruit that make this wine, overall, less appealing. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is intense, layered, and concentrated, but over the top with the candied viognier, ripe and cooked peach, blackberry, plum, blackcurrant, intense pepper, and smoke, with too much ripeness and intensity. The finish is long, ripe, smokey, fruity, and not for me, but a well-made wine. Drink by 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2020 Domaine de Corps de Loup Cote-Rotie Le Lievre, Cote-Rotie – Score: 92 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is too ripe for me, still, the wine is well made with lovely pepper, smoke, tar, root beer, and candied fruit that make this wine, a bit less appealing. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is intense, layered, and concentrated, but over the top, still without the candied viognier, the ripeness is less in your face, the fruitiness is tolerable, and the acidity is incredible, with blackberry, plum, blackcurrant, intense pepper, and smoke, with great fruit focus. The finish is long, ripe, smokey, fruity, almost tart, with tart yet candied dark cherry, but still, not for me, at this point. Drink by 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2019 Les Vins de Vienne Crozes-Hermitage, Les Chaponeres, Crozes-Hermitage – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER (F))
The nose on this wine smells lovely, with ripe blue and red fruit, nice loam, smoke, roasted animal, tar, and forest floor. The mouth of this wine is ripe, but the acidity comes in to help, it is complex, with lovely blueberry, boysenberry, dark raspberry, and plum, with nice mouth-draping tannin, smoke, menthol, smoke, tar, and ripe fruit. The finish is long, ripe, balanced, and refreshing, with black pepper, nice charcoal, well-focused, nice job! Drink until 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2019 Les Vin de Vienne Condrieu, La Chambee, Condrieu – Score: 85 (QPR: POOR)
This wine was 9 months in oak and is 100% Viognier. The nose is ripe, too ripe for me, it feels hot even in a glass of fridge-temp wine, truly a rich and redolent viognier nose, showing intense ripe peach and apricot, followed by straw, heather, intense oak, and white flowers. The mouth of this wine is rich and layered and ripe, with lovely acidity, but my issue is with the overpowering oak and peach/apricot notes that overpower the wine, with layers of small yellow plum, and dry grass, hot notes, mouth-coating tannin, and sweet fruit in the background. The finish is long and ripe, too much oak, with saline and smoke. Drink by 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 15%)

2019 Les Vins de Vienne Crozes-Hermitage, Les Palignons, Crozes-Hermitage – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER (F))
The nose on this wine is lovely, rich, mineral, hay, smoke, less peach than a Condrieu, but also nice apricot, with yellow plum, floral notes, heather, yellow flowers, saline, and rich mineral, lovely! The mouth on this medium-bodied wine is lovely, layered, not rich, but well-balanced, good straw, floral notes, and some bubbles to start, but they blow off, peach, apricot, yellow plum, a bit too much oak, smoke, and a bit too simple. The finish is long, green, mineral-driven, with hay, straw, yellow plum, and rich saline. nice! Drink until 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Maison Arnoux et Fils Vieux Clocher, Blanc, Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR)
Sadly, this wine starts nicely but then turns into a sweet peach mess. This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache Blanc & 40% Viognier. The nose of this wine starts nicely, with good dry straw and yellow plum, but then it turns into a peach mess and I cannot advise such a wine. Sad. Next (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Chevalier De Marmorieres Rose, Vin de France (M) – Score: 88 (QPR: GOOD)
This is a fine simple and nice rose that is a bit off-dry and works well with great acidity, with peach and raspberry, refreshing and simple. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Chevalier De Marmorieres Blanc, Vin de France – Score: 87 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine shows gooseberry, grapefruit, and citrus. The mouth of this wine is a bit effervescent, with gooseberry, nice acidity, off-dry like the rose, with good fruit and refreshing. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre, La Moussiere, Sancerre – Score: 89 (QPR: BAD)
I am not sure what happened here the wine tastes fine but it has no Sancere characteristics in any manner. It feels like a white wine with some RS, really surprised. The nose of the wine shows peach, apricot, grapefruit, and some minerality. With time gooseberry, and grapefruit show with the peach and apricot. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice it has a nice weight in the mouth, good acidity, some RS, peach, grapefruit, scraping minerality, and good fruit focus. Drink by 2025 (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Chateau Olivier Blanc, Grand Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan – Score: 94 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is stunning, captivating, redolent, and elegant, with rich fruit, grapefruit, minerality, saline, dry grass, gooseberry, and passion fruit, a beautiful wine that hits the mark! BRAVO! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is stunning, layered, complex, plush, and concentrated with rich acidity, minerality, slate, flint, and saline wrapping the gooseberry, grapefruit, peach, orange peel, and passion fruit, showing an impressive complexity. The finish is long, mineral-driven, dense, weighty, and plush, with rich salinity, flint, wet rock, and slate, and extremely refreshing and mouthwatering. BRAVO!!! Drink by 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

———————— Bordeaux Wines ——————————————–

2021 Chateau Massieu Boutet, Bordeaux – Score: 83 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine smells like Jalapeno salad with a side of stewed raspberry, it is just a true joy to behold! The mouth is thin and tinny, green, herbal, Jalapeno mess. Next! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

2021 Chateau Massieu Boutet Cuvee Noir, Bordeaux – Score: 84 (QPR: BAD)
The nose of this wine is ripe, and candied, yet green, herbal, and Jalapeno/thin and tinny. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is boring, herbal, Jalapeno salad, with some red fruit somewhere in there. Next! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

2022 Chateau Haut Perdrias Reserve, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux (M) – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is an oak bomb with milk chocolate, a nice bright nose, and not much else. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has good acidity, but this is a starter wine, with loads of candied raspberry, milk chocolate, and oak juice, just not interesting to me. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Chateau du Vieux Puit Malbec, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux (M) – Score: 70 (QPR: NA)
This wine is useless, it has no body, it feels watered down, and while it is not a Jalapeno juice, it is worse, as it has no taste at all. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Chateau la Garricq, Moulis-En-Medoc – Score: 87 (QPR: BAD)
The nose of this wine is simple, much like the wine, a simple expression of Moulis-En-Medoc, which shows pretty well for 2021, but it is still boring. The nose of this wine shows green notes, ripe red fruit, iron, mineral, and fruity notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has good enough acidity, a nice mouth-draping tannin structure, and dark raspberry and berry fruit, with good minerality, smoke, and roasted herb. The finish is simple, long, not complex, but good enough, with more herbs, fruit, acidity, graphite, and tannin lingering. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Chateau Peyroutas, Saint-Emilion, Grand Cru – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is nice enough with good minerality, red fruit, smoke, earth, herbs, and oak. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, a bit empty, with good salinity, minerality, nice cherry, raspberry, smoke, herbs, and good mouth-draping tannin. The finish is long, herbal, and fruity, with good tannin, a bit simple, the tannin and graphite show nicely, but the fruit is less interesting and a bit chunky. Drink by 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Haut de Grava, Bordeaux – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is simple, dirty, earth, red, and crushed herbs. The mouth of this medium-bodied is nice enough, there is enough acidity, candied raspberry, cherry, and plum, with nice tannin, and earth. The finish is long, dirty, and simple. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Chateau L’ Haur Du Chay Merlot, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux – Score: 84 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe, and stewed, with notes of raspberry coulis, rich dirty dirt, and herbs. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, candied, yet green, with rich garrigue, loam, dirt, raspberry, herbs, nice tannin, and more green notes. The finish is short with more dirt, herbs, and red fruit. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Chateau L’ Haur Du Chay Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux – Score: 85 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe, with black and red fruit, with notes of blackberry, cassis, rich dirty dirt, and herbs. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, and candied, with candied plum, blackberry, and raspberry, with rich garrigue, loam, dirt, herbs, nice tannin, and some green notes. The finish is ok with more dirt, herbs, and dark fruit. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Chateau L’ Haur Du Chay French Blend, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux – Score: 83 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe, and stewed, with notes of raspberry coulis, some black fruit, rich dirty dirt, and herbs. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, and candied, yet green. It is the worst of the two other wines, it feels watered down, with garrigue, loam, dirt, raspberry, herbs, sticky tannin, and more green notes. The finish is short with more dirt, herbs, and red fruit. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Château Meilhan, Medoc – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is a smoke show, with blue and black fruit, candied raspberry, Coca-Cola, and roasted herbs. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is ripe, with nice acidity, sweet tannin, more smoke, black plum, candied raspberry, mouth-scraping minerality, and nice tannins. The finish is long, and tannic, with dark coffee, graphite, loam, dirt, and more cola. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Chateau Bois-Cardon, Medoc – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine shows ripe red fruit, followed by funk, coca-cola, and Blackcurrant liqueur, too ripe for me. The mouth of this wine is ripe, and candied, with black fruit, and good acidity, but not for me. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 La Chenaie du Bourdieu, Medoc – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is ripe blueberry, blackberry, and candied raspberry coulis. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is too ripe, it has ripe blackberry, blueberry, and bitter notes, just a wine that is too much for me. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2020 Marquis Haut-Medoc, Haut-Medoc – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
This is the second time I am tasting this wine and it has improved since the last time I had it.
The nose of this wine is nice, showing ripe fruit, herbs, menthol, cassis, raspberry, and plum. The mouth of
this medium-bodied wine is ripe, with nice acidity, herbs, menthol, raspberry, blackberry, smoke, and herbs. The mouth is nice with good acidity, but the wine feels out of balance. The finish is long, and off-kilter, with more acidity, tannin, and mineral lingering. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Chateau Clement-Pichon, Haut-Medoc – Score: 88 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is all that is wrong with 2021, chocolate-covered Jalapeno, with candied green fruit, milk chocolate, and rich smoke. With time, aka a day, the nose vastly improves to show notes of bell pepper (no Jalapeno), controlled ripeness, lovely dirt, and loam, smoke, tar, coffee, and black tea. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is a strange blend of green fruit, rich tannin, plush mouthfeel, wrapping jalapeno, plum, and loam. With time, the mouth improves to show rich salinity, lovely mouth-coating tannin, great acidity, intense oak, and milk chocolate. The finish is long, and herbal, with milk chocolate, tobacco, and smoke. Drink until 2028. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Chateau Tournebrise, LaLande de Pomerol – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine starts over the top, ripe, and funky, with blue and black fruit, along with plum, mineral, and some funk.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is intense, with rich black and blue fruit, layered, extracted, and richly concentrated, with intense acidity, that is wrapped by chewy and dense tannin, blackberry, boysenberry, cassis, dark plum, and raspberry, a crazy fruit bomb that works because of the intense acidity.
The finish is long, dense, acidic, rich, layered, and chocolaty, with chocolate-covered tobacco leaves, black and blue fruit/chocolate, and rich tannin lingering long. Drink by 2028. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Chateau Merigot, Cotes de Bourg – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe, and red, with no green notes, well-controlled, candied raspberry, sweet cherry cola, craisins, sweet herbs, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is solid, showing good fruit, great acidity, nice structure, good sweet tannin, fruit focus, and really a good professional approach to a simple but enjoyable wine. The finish is long, ripe, candied, and approachable. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 La Colonne, Lalande de Pomerol – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe, but controlled, with heat, smoke, blue and red fruit, roasted herb, tar, and tutti frutti. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe with dense blueberry, blackberry, rich acidity, with enough complexity, but it lacks what I need to make me want more. The finish is long, dirty, and smoky, with more milk chocolate, sweet tobacco, and some minerality. A simple wine that is in drink-now mode! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Pavillon du Vieux Chantre, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion – Score: 91.5 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe but well-controlled, with a mix of red and blue fruit, loam, dirt, tar, smoke, green notes, garrigue, and herbs. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is rich, layered, earthy, dirty, dense, and concentrated, but simple and drink now wine, showing rich blueberry, raspberry, herbs, loam, and lovely graphite, wrapped in a cover of nice tannin. The finish is long, herbal, smoky, and dirty, with nice mineral, smoke, and green notes, a fun wine for a year or so max! Drink until 2025 (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14%)

2022 Chateau Rocher Gardat, Montagne Saint-Emilion – Score: 89 (QPR: GOOD)
This wine is a blend of 90% Merlot & 10% Cabernet Franc. The nose of this wine is ripe with blue and red fruit, smoke, and loam. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is not complex, it has a singular focus on ripe juicy blueberry, nice tannin, and nice acidity. The finish is long with the same stuff. Drink by 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Chateau La Bessane, Margaux – Score: 85 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is chocolate-covered candied Jalapeno, yet again, what a joy, what a vintage! Sorry, this is the umpteenth 2021 wine I have had and I am at my wit’s end. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is pure red water, with some tannin, and not much else, along with the famous candied Jalapeno. Next! After a day, the wine improves to show bell pepper, nice dirt, loam, some smoke, and red fruit. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine shines in two places, acidity, and sweet tannin, the rest of this wine is boring, with some nice earth, bell pepper, raspberry, dry cherry, and not much else. Be well. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Château Olivier Grand Cru Classe, Pessac-Léognan – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine follows up on last year’s first kosher vintage with green notes, bell pepper, smoked meat, roasted herbs, chocolate, and garrigue. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, with good acidity, roasted herbs, garrigue, cherry, raspberry, nice graphite, and loam. The finish is short, with nice herbs, lovely minerals, graphite, wet earth, and loam. Nice! Drink from 2024 until 2029. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Marquis de Saint-Estephe, Saint-Estephe – Score: 76 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine shows yet more of this vintage classic note, hot Jalapeno, with green notes, and herbs. The mouth of this wine is so green yet so hot and spicy, with green notes, herbs, no acidity, and a watery finish. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Marquis de Pez, Saint-Estephe – Score: 81 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine shows bell peppers, green notes, herbs, and loam. The nose of this medium-bodied wine is green, and herbal, with good acidity, raspberry, cherry, effervescent with bubbles, and some nice tannin. Drink now. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Chateau Haut-Marbuzet, Saint-Estephe – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe, with red fruit, nice flowers, violet, rosehip, loam, dirt, and hints of the forest floor. The mouth of the full-bodied wine is ripe and comes at you with layers, first, there is almost no acidity, nice menthol, mint, and roasted herbs, and then the acidity appears, with raspberry, cherry, herbs, and sweet oak, finally, you get the intense mouth-drying tannin, and loam. With time, the wine opens a bit more with a nice mouthfeel, sweet tannin, red fruit, herbs, raspberry, sweet herbs, green notes, and nice smoke, with good sweet tannin., The finish is long, tannic, green, herbal, and smoky. Drink from 2024 until 2028. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2014 Chateau Serilhan, Saint-Estephe – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is filled with mushrooms, soy sauce, earth, roasted animal, red fruit, and smoke. The mouth of this wine is tart, with good acidity, a bit simple, with good cherry, raspberry, mushroom, loam, with some nice tannin, and smoke. The finish is long, tart, and green with red fruit and some mineral notes. Drink now! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2015 Chateau Serilhan, Saint-Estephe – Score: 89 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is rich, and loamy, with nice mushrooms, smoke, roasted animal, and red fruit. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine shows Jalapeno, sweet bacon, mineral, raspberry, sweet oak, and very simple wine. The finish is long, and simple, with more raspberry, loam, and some monerality. Drink until 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

—————— Other regions of France ———————————

2021 Château de Marmorières Les Amandiers, La Clape, Languedoc (M) – Score: 62 (QPR: NA)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, and oxidized, with residual sugar, and stewed, this is a true mess, my apologies. The mouth is sweet, alcoholic, and stewed, I cannot sense fruit, all I get is a sense of dread. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14%)

2021 Chevalier de Marmorieres Cabernet Sauvignon, Vin de France (M) – Score: 60 (QPR: NA)
The nose of this wine is stewed with Jalapeno, Bell Pepper, and sweet notes. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine has RS, with stewed fruit, nice tannin, and no acidity. Drink now if you must. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Philippe Paine La Petite Metairie, Bourgueil, Bourgueil – Score: 78 (QPR: NA)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, and herbal, with candied red fruit and sweet notes. The mouth of this light-bodied wine is flat with no fruit, a nice red grape juice. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

———– Other parts of Europe - tasted with Avi ———————————————

2022 Claudio Quarta Vignaiolo Greco di Tufo, Greco di Tufo – Score: 87 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is pure apple juice followed by some salinity and not much else, strange that people love this wine! The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is average at best, with simple apple juice, some saline, and some acidity. The finish is more apple juice and saline lingers. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Domaine Bousquet Alavida, Mendoza – Score: 79 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is ripe, big, and bold, too much for my tastes, with blue and black fruit, pomegranate, ripe watermelon, and loads of sweet spices. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is too ripe for me, with nice acidity, intense and ripe cherry lifesaver, plum liqueur, and candied watermelon, this is just too much for me. The finish is long, overripe, and intense. Drink until 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 15%)

N.V. Cantine Di Ora Amicale Rosso, Limited Edition, Corvina Oak Aged, Veneto – Score: 50 (QPR: NA)
This wine is vile, evil, thick, and impassable, with sweet fruit, vanilla, sweet oak, and an overall profile that screams evil! Next! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Philippe Paine La Petite Metairie, Chinon – Score: 83 (QPR: NA)
The nose of this wine is flat, simple, alcoholic grape juice, with red fruit, green notes, and not much else. Next! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

——————————— Elvi Wines ——————————————–

2020 Elvi Wines Herenza Crianza, Collection, Rioja (M) – Score: 86 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine shows no ill effects of the Mevushal process, rather the issue lies in the absurd amount of sweet oak, vanilla, and fruit. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is ripe, candied, and oak-driven to the point that all I get is sweet oak, and vanilla juice, with ripe cherry, smoke, earth, and more vanilla. Drink by 2026 (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2020 Elvi Wines Herenza, Crianza, Rioja – Score: 84 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is nice, and balanced, but stunted, with sweet oak, coffee, cherry, soy sauce, and tobacco.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is too ripe for me, with sweet oak, vanilla, and hot with too ripe a fruit, the wine is too simple for such a ripe fruit, with candied fruit, coca-cola, and smoke.
The finish is long, ripe, candied, and smoked. Drink by 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14%)

2022 Elvi Wines Herenza, White, Alella – Score: 91.5 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 60% Pansa Blanca & 40% Sauvignon Blanc. The nose of this lovely wine is screaming with lychee, pink grapefruit, orange fruit, nectarines, orange blossom, and nice minerality.
The mouth of this medium-bodied wine shows lovely acidity, good precision, good fruit focus, minerality, saline, melon, Asian pear, pink grapefruit, lemon/lime, lychee, nice tension, deeply refreshing, and honeyed citrus.
The finish is long, green, tart, and mineral-focused, with great saline, slate, flint, and sweet/tart fruit. Lovely! Drink until 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Elvi Wines Clos Mesorah, Montsant – Score: 92.5 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, showing already some funk, with rich salinity, roasted animal, soy sauce, blue and red fruit, ripe and juicy blueberry fruit, and lovely root beer.
The mouth of this medium-plus wine is ripe, rich, layered, elegant, not concentrated or extracted, with lovely acidity, intense blueberry, ripe raspberry, loam dirt, forest floor, lovely mouth-coating tannin, and good fruit focus. With time the fruit shows riper than at the start and less soy sauce.
The finish is long, dirty, earthy, smoky, and ripe, with tannin, dirt, minerality, graphite, and blue fruit, smoked animal lingering long. Nice! Drink by 2028. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

————————– Other European wines tasted without Avi ——————-

2021 Jean Perrier & Fils Savoie Abymes, Cuvee Gastronomie, Savoie – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
This is a very unique wine, and many will call this wine boring, and hollow, but that cannot be farther from the truth. Rather this wine is very delicate, it has a feathery touch, but the acidity, minerality, and balance are quite nice!
The nose of this wine is unique, showing nice minerality, flint, saline, pear, apple, and quince.
The mouth of this light-bodied wine is well-balanced, with good acidity, nice pear, apple, flint, smoke, and flint/smoke funk.
The finish is long, salty, funky, and refreshing. Nice! Drink now! (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 11.5%)

2019 Cave de Ribeauville Pinot Noir, Vendanges Manuelles, Alsace – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
Finally, after more than a decade of subpar Alsace kosher Pinot Noir, we FINALLY have a WINNER!! This wine is dirty, earthy, stinky, funky, and light-bodied, with nice floral notes, great acidity, mouthfeel, BRAVO! And Not Mevu! Finally!
The nose of this wine is already stated, it is dirty, floral, earthy, with rosehip, violet, dry red berry, loads of loam, and just a funky joy!
The mouth of this light-bodied wine is popping with acidity, nice floral notes, good dirt, dark cherry, currant, floral notes, and more loam that is rich.
The finish is long, dirty, and complex enough with the funk, acidity, floral notes, and salinity. Nice! Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 Domaine Bousquet Alavida, Cabernet Sauvignon – NOT KOSHER FOR PASSOVER, Tupungato, Uco Valley (M) – Score: 87 (QPR: GOOD)
I hesitate to write notes about this wine – this wine is NOT kosher for Passover!!!
It is also Organic USDA, with no added Sulfites. The nose of this wine is ripe, I understand that this is not a wine for me, but it will meet the needs of others, with ripe vanilla, blackcurrant, dirt, loam, and floral notes.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is too ripe for me, but it has good acidity, and nice focus, with overripe blackberry, dark plum, smoke, loam, nice coating tannin, and earth. The finish is long, dirty, earthy, and ripe, with sweet tobacco, sweet vanilla, and tar. Drink until 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2019 Terra di Seta Chianti Classico, Riserva, Chianti Classico – Score: 91.5 (QPR: WINNER)
Terra di Seta is prone to go too ripe and this is another such example. The wine is a solid buy, but its ripeness may well keep me from buying it, hence after a couple of days, I could not give it the score and WINNER QPR. However, after more time, the wine finally calmed down, the heat dissipated and the fruit and mouthfeel became quite lovely! The nose of this wine is too ripe for me, this is after two days of air, and the ripeness is just scary, with Cherry Cola, ripe floral notes, ripe sweet oak, rich red and black fruit, almost bordering on purple fruit, with mineral, loam, and dirt. With time the ripeness calms and the fruit balances. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, the first issue I have is it lacks the acidity I feel it needs to balance all this fruit, next the fruit is too much for me, almost feels like date, with ripe blackberry, and plum, candied raspberry, cherry liqueur, intense tannin astringency, extracted, concentrated, and out of balance for my needs. With time the mouthfeel focuses, the acidity is clear and the fruit and mouthfeel are lovely, I found it refreshing and focused. The finish is long, ripe, extracted, and dense, with milk chocolate-covered tobacco leaves, leather, smoke, and more minerality. Drink from 2026 until 2030. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2018 Terra di Seta Chianti Classico, Assai, Gran Selezione, Chianti Classico – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This vintage is not as elegant as the 2016, at first I thought this was a few steps behind, but with time it shows to be a slight step behind. The wine shows ripe fruit, roasted meat, soy sauce, red and black fruit, tar, smoke, violet, and some loam. With time the mushroom, dirt, and umami appear as well. The mouth on this medium to full-bodied wine is ripe and concentrated, but well controlled, with ripe plum, dark blackberry, dark strawberry, candied raspberry compote, menthol, licorice, and baking spices, all wrapped in dense sweet oak, sweet tannin, smoke, and green notes. With time, mushrooms, elegant concentration, and plushness appear. A lovely wine! The finish is long, dense, dark, rich, layered, concentrated, with lovely balance, espresso coffee, mineral, graphite, and star anise. Drink from 2025 until 2033. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

—————————————— Wines tasted again in Europe ———————————

2021 Casa Al Vento Aria Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
This wine starts hot and stays that way for a bit but it does calm down eventually.
The nose of this wine is ripe but also unique, it feels akin to some kosher options, but still, it is on its own, which is fun. The nose is ripe, but controlled, showing lovely red fruit, rich minerality, lovely sweet tobacco, sweet cedar, smoky, dirty, earthy, and enjoyable.
The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is a classic Chianti, with good acidity (though I would like a drop more), good minerality, graphite, dark cherry, sweet cedar, loam, dirt, and rich mouth-draping and elegant tannin. An overall elegant, refreshing, and focused Chianti Classico. The finish is long, herbal, and smoky, with rich tobacco, green notes, scraping graphite, and cherry. Nice! Drink until 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Casa Al Vento T’Amo, Toscana Rosso IGT – Score: 89 (QPR: GREAT)
Like the Chianti Classico (Aria) from this winery, the wine starts hot, unlike the Aria, this wine is close but no cigar, to the WINNER circle. It is a solid enough wine but its simplicity is its Achilles heel. The nose of this wine is hot to start, that blows off, to show a simple enough wine, with sweet oak, vanilla, red fruit, and not much else. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice enough, showing less acidity than I would like, sweet oak, vanilla, plum, dark cherry, soft tannin, and a ripeness that feels a bit off-kilter. The finish is long, ripe, and round, with nice soft tannin, some more oak, green notes, and minerality. Drink by 2025. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)