2011

World Wine – A benchmark aged Clare Valley Riesling. A nose of hot buttered toast with lime marmalade. Absolutely delicious with incredible length. Panel Chair: Ewan Murray | Co-Chair: Tim Atkin MW; Rating: 95 Points & Gold Medal; International Wine Challenge, London 2020

The Wine Front – Released as a five-year-old. I find most 'museum releases' of Australian riesling quite disappointing, on the whole, which I understand is not part of the accepted or common wisdom. This wine though justifies the (reserve) tag and the (hold back from release) treatment. It's alive with scent, feels textural and (relatively) rich, and has a tonne of sizzle though the finish.

James Halliday – "96 points" "From the Jenner Vineyard, only free-run juice (500l per tonne) used, traditional vinification with neutral yeast, cool fermentation and early to bottle. Still in its primary phase, fresh and vibrant, still pale in colour; that said, it has intensity and prodigious length. There can be no question about its future, with some honey just peeping around the corner, toast still far away. Irresistible, especially at this price."

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – This is a category they had not produced since 2005 and only bottled in exceptional vintages (1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2005). In their mountain vineyards (500 to 800 meters altitude), the 2009 season saw a cold and long winter with enough snow that provided enough water for a warm summer. It's a blend of the traditional Rioja grapes, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and the whites Viura and Malvasía. As in the past, all red wines contained a more or less small amount of white grapes and despite being considered modern when their first released their wines, today they are as classical as it gets.

James Suckling – Aromas of dried cherry, blueberry and citrus character. Full body, citrus peel and firm, silky tannins. Plenty of fruit. Flavorful.

Wine Spectator –

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – Color: Garnet with brick-red glints. Nose: Scents of garrigue, moving after several years of aging with aromas of stone fruits (plums), leather, fur and underbush. Palate: Cinnamon, pepper, meat Dapple. The development provides complex and spicier notes. Serve: Game, stews, truffle omelet and some bleu cheese.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – The 2011 Malbec Finca Altamira is a subzone from La Consulta in the Uco Valley, which is located at 1,050 meters above sea level on the east bank of the Tunuyan River. The soils have big boulders and volcanic ashes, and there is an important component of calcium carbonate. This is the first old vineyard they found, and it produces a very dark-colored, bright, wine with a subtle nose, mixing flowers (violets) and red, blue and black fruit, with hints of spices and a velvety feeling. The palate is medium-bodied, silky, with an impressive acid spine and completely ripe and round tannins. The velvety feeling is also confirmed in the texture, which displays a long tactile sensation mixing electricity, minerality and very good acidity. A superb wine! Drink 2014-2025.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – The different grape varieties were fermented together, part in stainless steel, part in cement, with one third of full clusters and aged for one year in used barrels and matured for a further three months in stainless steel before being bottle unfiltered. The nose is fruit-driven, there are no traces of oak, a combination of cherry fruit, herbal aromas and a pinch of spices, and a medium-bodied palate with focused, red cherry flavors, fine tannins and balanced acidity. This is supple and easy to drink, fresh and very pleasant. 91 points, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate, Jan 2015

Wine Spectator – Cherry, menthol and leather aromas and flavors vie with stiff tannins here, though this red remains lively and resonant on the lingering finish. Well-balanced overall, showing the dense, muscular side of Barolo. Best from 2019 through 2033.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – The 2011 Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese gold capsule, notes Katharina Prum, marks - like the estate's other gold capsule bottlings from this vintage - the point where botrytis begins to play a significant role. The nose offers finely fungal, musky animal and white raisin confirmation of the previous statement. Behind that lie intimations of lime meringue, spiced apple jelly and creme de cassis, all of which translate into a palate impression at once subtly honeyed and vivacious, confitured yet buoyant, and ultimately downright refreshing. Nips of lime and grapefruit rind as well as apple skin and brown spices not to mention saliva-drawing salinity add to the sustained stimulation of a magnificent finish. This multi-layered, enticingly-interactive gem is going to keep its immediate siblings on their toes over the next half century. 95 points, David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate #206

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – The 2011 Finca Pedernal Malbec is from a new vineyard in Pedernal at 1,400 meters altitude, which is the new, fresher, higher-altitude region in San Juan, the equivalent of Uco in Mendoza. It has plenty of aromas of violets with less impact from the French wood than the 2010, with fresh mulberries and blueberries. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals abundant fine-grained tannins, good fruit, balancing acidity, and well-integrated alcohol. This should age well.

Wine Enthusiast – A high-toned pitch of ripe pear and tart apple is like a clarion call. Residual sweetness on the palate mollifies that distinct, primal acidity, lending life to notes of dried peach and fresh apricot. Layers of flavor shimmer and shift, with apple notes that last and last.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – Melon and papaya are suggested by the nose of Deiss's Riesling- and Pinot Gris-dominated 2011 Rotenberg and reinforced by the wine's sense of sweetness, though that is arguably compensated for by a sense of energy alleged to originate with the high active lime in these soils. A creamy texture along with rich evocations of nut oils make for a soothing yet stimulating finish. This ought to be well-worth following through at least 2020.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – A blend of 62% Grenache Blanc and 38% Roussanne, the 2011 Le Cigare Blanc Beeswax Vineyard was aged in 30% French oak, on lees, for 8 months. Exotic and complex, it gives up notions of ripe peach, dried grass and citrus blossom to go with a medium-bodied, supple and nicely texture profile. It, too, is beautifully made, and should be consumed over the coming couple of years.