Winebar [4 Whts, 8 Reds, & 4 Shared Bottles] from 4/30/18

• 2016 Jean-Max Roger Pouilly-Fumé Cuvée les Alouettes - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
  "...from [purchased] grapes grown in siliceous clay and clay-limestone soils...located on the right bank of the Loire River opposite those of Sancerre." "We buy must or wine from local producers with whom we have worked for over 20 years."
  
  N: Slightly closed; Minerals (POSS smoke?) with melons & undertones of grass?
  
  P: Med body; Rndish entry with NICE frt met by PIERCING acidity which carries into & through the LONG, TANGY finish with GLIMPSES of honey on the VERY end. An IMPRESSIVE, potentially POWERFUL style that needs through '18, then drinking for 3 yrs more? My VG+/EXC-, poss more down the line! 16/20 pts Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $19.95 is $5 < the only other currently listed U.S. source on wine-searcher!]
• 2016 Kellerei Nals-Margreid Kerner - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
  N: CLOSED; earth, poss minerals?
  
  P: Med body; Very RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt counterbalanced by tangy acidity which continues into and through the LONG, tangy/swt finish with occasional notes of bitterness. LOTS of flavor the price, & MIGHT improve into Fall '18, then drink into '20. My VG-/VG. [This vemdor's $15.95 is at least $2 < the next lowest of wine-searcher's LIMITED current entries.]
• 2015 Hyde Vineyard Estate Chardonnay Larry Hyde - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
  N: Butter, vanilla, with notes of minerals?
  
  P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish oak-frt (a melding) met by an acidity which slowly transitions into quite a LONG, BALANCED, tangy/swt finish with OCCASIONAL hints of bitterness. Drinking @ its zenith (?), & should go into, if not through, '20. My VG+/EXC-. [Tough to compare this vendor's $59.95 for an apparently LIMITED production wine which even the winery is not yet showing on its site!]
• 2015 Tyler Chardonnay W Block Bien Nacido Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Per the winery: "From the eastern edge of the Bien Nacido property, here the vines grown in the most shale laden gravel soils. These well drained, mineral soils along with the fact that the vines are planted on their own roots back in 1973 always produce the most powerful chardonnay." 13.0% ABV; 175 cases.
  
  N: BUTTER with notes of mercaptans
  
  P: Med body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish OAK/frt (& those mercaptans?) BEAUTIFULLY balanced by an acidity which transitions into a LONG, pleasant finish with a tangy/swtness (60:40). Drink now & prob through '19. My VG/VG+. 95 pts Vinous, 93 Int'l Wine Report, & 90 WA. [This vendor's $45.95 tops the next lowest wine-searcher entry by > $4!]
• 2009 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
  N: RIPE vanilla, poss spice, with undertones of berries?
  
  P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish oak/frt (with hints of choc?) braced by a puckerish astringency which slowly, fairly seamlessly morphs into a LONG, spicy, tangy/swt (50:50) finish with undertones of dusty tannins still present. For now & perhaps making its 20th? IMPRESSIVE! My EXC- with more a DISTINCT poss! :) 95+ pts WA & 17/20 Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $53.95 is as good as any of the currently listed U.S. vendors on wine-searcher.]
• 2013 Pietro Rinaldi Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
  N: Very slightly closed; Vanilla, some flowers. Note: Several other tasters detected an "odd" aroma that they found distressing.
  
  P: Med body; Rndish entry with nice frt QUICKLY met by PUCKERISH astringency which morphs into a LONG kindred finish but with notes of swtness. NEEDS 5 yrs, I'm guessing, but very likely EVERYTHING here. My VG+/EXC-, poss EXCEPTIONAL down the line? [I've no way to compare this vendor's $49.95 as no other U.S. vendors are currently showing on wine-searcher.]
• 2013 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
  N: Vanilla, minerals, earth, poss flowers? Intensity lurking?
  
  P: Med, poss MF, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt QUICKLY met by PUCKERISH astringency which transitions into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish which, while showing only a gradual relinquishing of its grip, ALSO shows glimpses of revisiting that initial frt. A *bonafide* LONG distance runner, I'd not even consider touching this until at LEAST 2026, then drinking for many more. :) My EXC+, with some level of EXCEPTIONALITY an eventual "given"! 96 pts Suckling, 94 ea WS & WE [@ $90], 93+ WA, & 17+/20 Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $64.95 puts it in the top 10% of wine-searcher's listings, only 1 other current U.S. source beating it.]
• 2014 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
  A true east-facing site supplying 1976 & 1983 planted, own-rooted Pommard clone P.N.
  
  N: RIPE, smoke, jam
  
  P: MF body; Rndish entry & NICE, almost swtish frt (POSS threshold R.S.?) firmed by a VERY slightly bitterish astringency whichmorphs into a LONG, balanced, tangy/swt (40:60) with a swtness to the hints of very, VERY fine tannins. Perhaps still improving? Drink into '21. My EXC-/EXC, at least in part due to the QPR of this vendor's $27.95, which is $11 < than the only other wine-searcher source! 93 pts WA & 92 Vinous.
• 2015 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
  N: CLOSED; Seems ripe with intensity lurking
  
  P: Med body; Rndish entry with NICE, almost swtish frt fairly quickly met by a PUCKERISH astringency which continues into the LONG finish of the same flavors/textures -- but without EVER losing the swtness of the initial frt! Deserves/NEEDS into early '21, I'm guessing, then drinking for at LEAST 4+ yrs more. [Not having personally experienced previous vintages of this, I'm being conservative with respect to its ageability.] My EXC, eventually SOME level of EXCEPTIONALITY? 97 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 94 Vinous, 93+ WA, & 93 Suckling. [Only 1/38 of wine-searcher's current sources beats this vendor's $35.95!]
• 2012 Casa de Piedra Vino de Piedra Tinto - Mexico, Baja California, Ensenada
  Apparently a blend of Tempranillo & C.S.
  
  N: RIPE, JAMMY, rest tough to parse
  
  P: MF body; ALMOST swtish frt (threshold R.S., I'd guess) fairly quickly met by some bitterish astringency which pretty much mitigates by the LONG, bit/swt finsih with the ULT sensation being SLIGHTLY towards the bitter side of the spectrum. Might still improve? Drink into '21. My VG-/VG, but a VERY *challenging* QPR @ this vendor's (probably competitive) $36.95, given the HUGE amount of arguably superior wines selling for roughly the same -- or, not infrequently, MARKEDLY less.
• 2015 Denner Mother of Exiles - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  N: Closed; Seems ripe, with jam, & poss minerals
  
  P: MF body; ALMOST swtish frt met by firming structure which DOES pretty much lose its bite by the LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Might improve for another yr or so, then drink for 3+ yrs more. Overly ripe for my tastes. Nonetheless, My VG+/EXC-, or more (for many folks). [Can't really compare this vendor's $55.95 as even the winery does not yet show this vintage.]
• 2015 Ridge Zinfandel Pagani Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  83% Zin, 10% Alicante Bouschet, & 7% Petite Sirah aged 16 mos in 100% air-dried Am oak barrels (24% new, 52% one & two yrs old, and 24% three to four yrs old).
  
  N: RIPE, plums, POSS choc?
  
  P: Med body; RNDISH entry with almost swtish frt met by slightly puckerish structure which slowly transitions into a LONG, tangy/swt (40:60) finish with OCCASIONAL glimpses of bitterness. Could well improve for another yr or so, then drink for the ff 3+. 15.0% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, though an EXPERIENCED fellow taster was put off by its swtness. (FYI, search out the CA Grapevine review for parallel opinions by some of the tasters.) 94 pts Vinous, 93 Jeb Dunuck & WS, & "Highly Rec", 92 pts CA Grapevine. [This vendor's $33.95 puts it in the Top 10% of wine-searcher's VERY large listing.]
• 2014 Tommasi Ripasso Valpolicella - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Ripasso della Valpolicella Classico Superiore
  THANK you, Arturo!
  
  N: CLOSED; Intensity lurking?
  
  P: Med body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by somewhat puckerish, spicy/dusty, very, VERY fine tannins which slowly transitions into a LONG, TANGY/swt finish with OCCASIONAL bitterness from the dusty tannins. I can see this improving through '18, then drinking for 2-3 yrs more. My VG+ with more NOT unreasonable given this vendor's $19.95 price pt. 91 pts Suckling, 88 WS, & 87 WA.
• 1999 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Dr. Tom, you're TOO generous for sharing! :)
  
  C.S. 62%, Merlot 19%, & C.F. 19%; 13.00% ABV & 3.68 T.A.
  
  N: Vanilla, complex (& tough to parse); More yet to come? (& it had been open > 4 hrs!)
  
  P: LM body; NICE, almost swtish frt NICELY off-set by by very, VERY finely tannic (but with a swtness) acidity which slowly transitions into a LONG finish of the same nature. Could still (safely) go for 2 or 3 yrs more, I'd guess. My EXC! :) 94 pts WS, 92 Tanzer & Falstaff Magazine, 91 WA, 90 Jeff Leve, 89 Jean-Marc Quarin, 17.5/20 Vinum, 17/20 La Revue du Vin de France, and 16.5, then 17/20 Jancis Robinson.
• 2013 Cayuse Syrah En Cerise Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  Dr. Tom, you DO outdo yourself! :)
  
  N: INTENSE! Jam, certainly, rest tough to parse
  
  P: Med body; NICE, lovely frt met by an astringent structure (but with the backdrop of the frt), all of this playing into the LONG, tangy/swt finish with notes of the mid-P astringency (in this case, bitterness). P not currently up to N; might a yr or 2 help? 13.2% ABV; My VG [based upon *now*], but with the CLEAR potential for waaaaaaaaay more! 95-97 pts WA, 94 ea WS & WE (@ $80, though current wine-searcher prices START @$110!), and 93 Vinous. Apparently only something like ~370 cs were even made.
• 2013 Casa E. di Mirafiore Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
  THANK you for sharing, Rick!
  
  N: Flowers with notes of vanilla
  
  P: Med body; NICE frt QUICKLY met by an astringent pucker that holds into & through the LONG finish with hints of bitterness, though without ever really losing the initial frt's swtness. NEEDS through '20, I'm guessing, then likely drinking for ANY # of yrs more. My VG/VG+ -- & I'm very likely UNDERrating what could WELL be a sleeper. Gold & 96 pts @ '17 Decanter World Wine Awards, + 95 from 5StarWines - Vinitaly. [While I'm not sure of this vendor's price, IF it's still the $24.95 of the '11, it will beat anyone else currently listed on wine-searcher by $2!]
  
  Note: The consensus of several trying both this "feminine" [relatively] style *&* the other 2 more "substantial" Barolos from the bar was that, for the $, this was a no-brainer!

Some *very* IMPRESSIVE wines, including my first ever taste of a 2nd Growth! Also, there was an interesting comparison of '13 Barolos from 3 quite different price pts!