GUINIGI

Wine Reviews

95

Domaine Vicomte de Noûe-Marinič 2021 Groblja Vedrignano II Cru Chardonnay, Slovenia

This is a medium-to-full-bodied white with a bit more richness of lemon and lemon-oil fruit, apple and pear, mineral accents, and slivered almonds, with flinty minerals and mouthwatering, crisp acid tension. Fermented with a pied de cuve of native yeasts, and the 45-year-old vines are rooted in Marl sandstone and schist. Aged 12 months in used Burgundy barrels and 12 months in stainless steel. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

93

Domaine Vicomte de Noûe-Marinič 2021 Sotto La Chiesa Bigliana II Cru Chardonnay, Slovenia

A riveting expression of Chardonnay that is so fresh, so bright, and so focused, even with good mid-palate richness of lemon-lime and apricot fruit notes, candied green apple, and slivered almonds with smoky mineral nuances through the bright, crisp, and mouthwatering finish. Fermented with a pied de cuve of native yeasts, and the 25-year-old vines are rooted in Marl sandstone and schist. Aged 12 months in used Burgundy barrels and 12 months in stainless steel. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

96

La Única NV Vino Tinto Red Wine, Spain ($79)

Full-bodied, robust, with rich, ripe dark fresh and dried fruits redolent of strawberry and cherry, and plum, bold oak spices, dark chocolate notes, spearmint and black licorice with crushed slate and graphite mineral notes. Long, layered, succulent, and well-endowed.

94

Matthieu Barret 2023 Brise Cailloux Syrah, Cornas, Rhone Valley, France ($80)

Totally alluring, bursting with classic Syrah notes of ripe red berry fruits, white pepper, ultra-perfumed violets, and grapefruit zest. Explosively bright on the palate, with excellent fruit weight, a kind of slick tangerine oil character, supple, velvety tannins, and tangy blood orange acidity on the mineral-scented finish. 100% Syrah sourced from 50 micro-parcels. Hand-harvested, fermented in concrete eggs, aged 12 months in used oak and concrete. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

92

Nicolas Reau 2024 Victoire Chenin Blanc, Anjou Blanc, Loire Valley, France ($40)

This zesty, expressive white is teeming with baking spice notes, orange citrus, yellow apple, and poached pear, and that classic Chenin Blanc lanonlin character with a bright, vinous quality. Fresh, inviting, with a zippy acid grip on the medium-bodied finish. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

91

Pas de Problème 2024 Pinot Noir VDF, France ($13)

A vivid, juicy, red-fruited wine with hints of violets, candied raspberries and strawberry fruits, nuanced by bright garrigue notes, and framed by tart and racy acidity that brings lift and tension. 100% Pinot Noir. 13% abv. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

93

Remi Pouizin 2025 Clovis Côtes du Rhône, France ($14)

Deeply satisfying and expressive red wine, built mostly on Grenache and Syrah, revealing blue-black fruit notes, candied rose petal, and brown baking spices. Soft and supple, with fine tannins that have a bit of apple-skin grip, bringing structure and integrity to this ultra-deliciously ripe red. 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 10% Carignan. 13.5% abv. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

95

Tenuta Di Fiorano 2022 Fioranello Rosso IGT, Lazio, Italy ($28)

The wine is bold, richly layered, with black fruit, walnut husk, elegant cedarwood spices, dark loamy earth, and a wonderful deep mid-palate concentration of black fruit and warm spices, with beautifully refined tannins, finishing with graphite mineral accents and an incredibly vibrant spine of racy acidity. The length is incredible, and the finish is full-bodied. It’s a delicious 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tenuta di Fiorano is owned by Prince Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi, a member of one of Italy’s oldest noble dynasties (the family of Pope Gregory XIII, a Boncompagni, and Pope Gregory XV, a Ludovisi). Since the 1940s, the estate has farmed its vines organically. Decades before Bordeaux varieties became fashionable in Italy, Prince Alberico planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sémillon alongside local grapes. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.