Tasting Notes 93 found

Dead. This seems like heat damage. I bought it on some kind of closeout deal, so it was probably in a distributor warehouse for way too long. I have 2 more, so fingers crossed. (3341 views)

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I've given up trying Privat Riesling on release because it's always so tightly wound. This was one of the vintages that convinced me to approach it that way, so I remember how unyielding it was, how tied up and tough to read it seemed. Now it's a totally different story. There's still the focused mineral core, but so much has fleshed out beyond that, with beautiful floral notes, a wide range of fruit, and overall something that, while still firm and mineral-based, is a really complex and beautiful wine in a style that's relatively reserved for this level of quality in Austria. I'd say it is just entering a really good phase, and I'm glad to have a few left to check in on over the next 5-10 years. (534 views)

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What initially seems reminiscent of Silex for its concentrated tropical fruits and grassy aromas turns out to be flawed by excessive nail polish/VA and apple cider vinegar aromas. This is very troubling as it is the third bottle of '09 Dagueneau that I've found to have this problem. Down the drain. (1287 views)

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This wine is crazy good for the price (around $20 or less). It's a very elegant style of Rioja, to the extent that I would even use the controversial descriptor "Burgundian". Ripe and tart, restrained red fruits join dusty earth, leather, pencil shavings, autumn leaves, and the subtle telltale herbal note of dill. It's quite complex. The palate offers fine-grained tannins, a core of extremely fresh fruit surrounded by all of the interesting non-fruit components, and a clear evolution of flavor. I'm not saying this is the greatest Rioja I've had. It's far from it. But it is the best one I can remember at this price. Really nice wine. This is one of my top QPRs in a long time in any category. I think it easily has the potential to develop well over the next 5-6 years, if not MUCH longer, but it's so good now that I likely won't have any at that time. (1920 views)

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The nose features fresh black fruits along with strong floral notes, graphite, smoke, and even a touch of olive. This is definitely a style of Syrah that I like; nothing jammy or cooked about it, and plenty of character beyond fruit and oak (the latter of which is barely evident). The palate is rich but balanced. Lots of flavor here, but in no way monolithic. This is distinctly California Syrah, but in a way that expresses its origin without feeling "made". It's not the most complex Syrah, but to me, it's plenty delicious, and a nice value. (3228 views)

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Pop and pour. This is very nice. It reminds me of a Scherrer Zin, both in profile and in its ability to deliver a combination of ripeness and restraint, with fruit that is not at all over-ripe and leans toward the red side of the spectrum. Ripe raspberry and cherry mix with a touch of rhubarb, as well as white pepper, cumin, and a little allspice. On the palate, alcohol is well balanced with the full concentration and refreshing acidity of the wine, giving everything lovely integration, which can be a concern of mine with this type of blend. What oak is apparent is in no way obtrusive, only adding a hint of spice and cocoa to the mix. The finish is long and complete. I'm starting to see what all the talk is about with Bedrock. Well done. There's a depth to this wine that makes me think it has the potential to develop positively for at least 6-8 years, and possibly much longer. It's delicious now, though, so I doubt I'll be holding any for that long. (3864 views)

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Wow, this has really blossomed over the past few years. It has gained a lot of complexity with the addition of waxy, earthy developed aromas, as well as broadening out a lot. Fruit is a combination of dried and fresh, mainly lime and lemon, with some green apple. There are also some spice components. The whole thing still sits on its frame of steely, stony minerality. The just-noticeable residual sugar is balanced perfectly by piercing acidity. This is an absolutely delicious wine at the perfect stage of evolution for me. (2264 views)

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Pobegad open as soon as the box arrived. This shows a bit of the herbal streak that I've found common with the vintage, but it is balanced by plenty of pure, focused, ripe and tart red fruit, as well as some beautiful floral notes. There is also an underlying aroma of soil and dusty earth. The wine is silky on the palate, and really seems seemless; everything is so well integrated, although tightly knit as expected at this young age. Overall, I think there's a ton of potential here, and I would say John really excelled in what I know was a difficult vintage. I've tasted quite a few 2013s at this point, and this is definitely my favorite so far. There might not be any difference between this and other vintages in that respect. As seems to be par for the course with Thomas, this wine has admirable depth, and a sense of restraint very rarely found in New World Pinot Noir. Lovely wine. (3068 views)

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day 2. Similar to day 1, but maybe slightly more open.
As expected, beautiful aromas including fresh, focused floral and red fruit notes, as well as underlying mineral and earth character. Fruit is largely strawberry, with a combination of ripe and tart, but mainly just-ripe. There is impressive depth here. There's the slightest hint of barnyard (brett), which I actually find adds to the complexity, and I tend to be quite intolerant to that. Overall, I think this is a very good wine, and a good, but not great, vintage for Lapierre. MUCH better than the 2012, but not quite on the level of 2011 or 2009. (2710 views)

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This is my first Chateau Musar Rosé. Unsurprisingly, it smells a lot like Musar Blanc plus some tart red fruit. To elaborate, I get a combination of dried, fresh, and slightly bruised apple and pear fruit, a strong waxy, lanolin aroma, green tea, fresh and dried herbs, a medicinal eucalyptus note, a subtle nutty, oxidative character, and that tart red fruit. The nose is very complex, rustic, and a bit funky with the oxidative feel. The palate is fairly light, with moderate, well-integrated, alcohol, light enough for the wine to feel quite refreshing despite only medium acidity. The nutty, waxy character takes on a bit of dusty earth here, reminiscent of some Savennieres in a way. That tart red fruit is quite fresh, really lifting the otherwise oxidative orchard fruits. This is a thinker, as expected, but there's also a surprisingly refreshing delicious factor (not a helpful descriptor, I know) reminiscent of more simple, quaffable French rosés. This is in no way simple, though, with impressive complexity, deft balance thanks to that moderate, basically unnoticeable alcohol, and just enough acidity. As expected from Musar, this is a thought-provoking wine, which I have VERY rarely said about any pink wine that isn't also a sparkling wine. I am told this can age, but I think I'll prefer to drink mine while that red fruited rosé character is still nice and fresh. Outstanding. (1384 views)

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Beautifully transparent garnet color with some ruby still in the core. There's still plenty of freshness to the fruit here, but with some dried/baked fruit maturation also coming into play. Fruits are mostly red, ripe but in no way overripe, and very focused, including strawberry, red cherry, raspberry, and more subtle black cherry and black currant. There's also some smoky tobacco, very well integrated cedar and toast of oak, subtle autumn leaves starting to emerge, and various spices. The style here is very elegant, but not lean. It almost has an Old World sense of restraint despite being a very flavorful wine. The palate displays silky, ripe tannins (med-) and ample, lively acidity. It's just what I want in a Zinfandel. I would say this has entered a lovely drinking window and will continue to evolve positively over the next 6-8+ years. (I am making that assessment based on what I find in the glass rather than any familiarity with how this wine tends to age, so I wouldn't be surprised if it could go quite a bit longer.) As far as quality, I would put this right up with some of my better Ridge experiences, and without the overt American oak signature of those, so I think I ultimately enjoy this even a little more. Outstanding. (1537 views)

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This is a lovely young Lapierre. There's a great mix of red and dark fruits, some tart and some a bit riper. The pronounced floral character that I hope for in Lapierre is here in spades. There's very good depth and persistence on the palate. This might not be on the level of some truly great vintages, but it is a huge pleasure to drink now, and I think it has the potential to evolve over the next few years in a positive way. (2527 views)

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Darn, the advice I got not to open this was more correct that I had hoped. This thing is tight as a drum. I mean I almost don't get anything out of it besides oddly concentrated tart fruit and acidity at this point. It is so closed on the nose and awkward on the palate that we did not even drink it. Knowing the track record of this wine, I do believe it will turn into something great, but I really can't even get a sense of that now. (3792 views)

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Drinking great right now. There's plenty of time ahead of this, but I have a few and am very glad I opened one. Classic Musar, and this is still looking like an excellent vintage, as it has all along. After this showing, I now think it's right up there with the '95. (4446 views)

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Stunning aromatics are unfortunately shrouded in a veil of excess ethyl acetate. What a shame. The wine doesn't seem otherwise oxidized, so I am very surprised and disappointed. (2728 views)

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