Dagalaifus
Member #69,689 signed up 1/5/2009
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Member since January 2009
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2019 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard
4/14/2024 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Duckhorn's Three Palms Vineyard has been described as producing fruit for consistently one of the best Merlots in California. The 2019 vintage is darkest ruby in the glass (almost inky) with a nose and palate of bright, red cherry and muted oak. It has a lengthy and lip-smacking finish. I made the mistake of popping and pouring the wine the first time that it was tasted. Without air, it was quite a disappointment -- especially, for a $100 bottle. I scored it a 90, and was left scratching my head and wondering if, I was drinking the same wine that my CT brethren had described. A 5-hour decant, however, softened its fierce tannins and allowed its beautiful fruit to emerge.
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2018 Levo Under The Gun Syrah
4/24/2023 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 98 Points
Nearly 20 years ago, I was introduced to Rhone-style wines from Paso Robles and especially, single-vineyard Syrah. At that time, I found these wines a pleasant change from their lower-alcohol and less fruity counterparts from Santa Barbara County. Of course, it helped that these Paso Robles wines were less expensive, --- even cheap -- in comparison to some Cabernets hailing from Napa. Today, with the passage of time and receipt of some stellar WA, WS and WE scores, the “best” of these Paso wines are now released for around $100 per bottle and in some cases much more. I now realize that after two decades, it’s not only the prices of these wines, which have changed, but my palate. I find, for example, that the recent releases of these Paso Robles “icons,” to be over-ripe, mono-chromatic, fruit bombs that taste decidedly, the same – especially, single-varietal wines, sourced from single vineyards.
Thank God for Brett Urness of Levo Wine. I have a degree in Classics (Latin) and I confess to being attracted to the name of his label Levo, before I even tasted his wine. In Latin, Levo means, I “rise, lift, or elevate.” And, that’s precisely what Mr. Urness does with Rhone varietals. Take his 2018 “Under the Gun” Syrah. Clocking in at 88% Syrah and 12% Petite Syrah, Under the Gun is a cuvée with fruit sourced from a combination of cooler and warmer vineyards located in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. In his deft, winemaking hands, this blend exhibits the savory nose and complexity of an actual Northern Rhone, but sacrifices none of the hedonistic pleasure, I once derived from Paso Robles’ highest-scoring (but no longer my favorite) wines. It’s almost as if Mr. Urness has polished the rough edges off a Hermitage or Saint Joseph in creating his Under the Gun, which is fitting. In Latin, Levo also means I “polish.”
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2006 Saxum James Berry Vineyard
11/23/2022 - Dagalaifus wrote:
In the glass, the wine was dark ruby. On the nose and palate, red fruits including cherry and raspberry with a hint of balsamic vinegar. The finish comes up too short. This was my first "WOW" wine, which I had the pleasure of tasting circa 2009. So, you can imagine how disappointed I was tasting this same wine in 2022. To be fair, I can't tell if the wine was way past its prime, or I sampled a bad bottle. Considering the recent and extraordinarily positive reviews of this wine, it's probably the latter. Still, this bottle cost me nearly $200 including shipping. For that price, I won't be buying it ever again.
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