Vivid medium light brick color. Ripe red crushed fruit. Peat moss, blue cheese, light white pepper spice, light smoke. Some serious underlying funk. On back end an aroma of dead red flowers - very cool - a nice oxidative quality. The palate is balanced with more damp red fruit and forest floor, shrooms and some light baking spice. Nice medium acidity. Overall more spice driven than fruit or earth. Elegant and pure. A real nice cleanliness to the wine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Some spicy brambly berries. Light pink flowers, exotic curry spice and a old school sidewalk chalkyness on the nose - very unique. Palate is plush and showing well now for a vintage that tends to need a bit more time. Real nice acid showing a bit of Brett - which I find enjoyable. Rhubarb and spicy red veggies start to show on the back end. A nice unique wine from this classic vineyard.
This wine screamed DIRT right from the start. I was intrigued. Decomposition - wet dirt and earth on the front end. Some chocolate, spice and leather play as well. Just really - dirty. Sweet tannins. Everyone guessed this was Old World. Solid finish. Pretty good.
Again, I just love Alban's wines across the board. Some heat on the nose. An elegant Grenache not acting too flashy. This dances in your nose and on your palate with confidence. It doesn't need to be a blockbuster. It's well harnessed and is showing its fruit, smoke, wood, flowers and spice with elegance and finesse. The finish was layered and in harmony though showing just a touch more heat - probably due to being popped and poured. A stunning wine nonetheless.
WOTD - and on a fantastic day of many ultra fine wines! This is my style of wine. Big and viscous but extremely balanced and full of finesse and elegance all in the same juice. Big ripe red berries - cherries, strawberries, darker cassis and some lighter red plum action as well. Aromas continue showcasing balsamic vinegar, figs, nuts and heady vanilla mocha. Lots of weight - a massive hedonistic blockbuster. An enormous "yummy-deliciousness" factor. So young and super sweet but balanced tannins. Nice acid that will help this bottle stay lively for at least two decades. The back end shows flavors of molasses and red flowers. Very feminine in style. Awesome.
First, I must throw out a thankyou to Jeff for bringing my first Cogin Cabernet. This was a beautiful wine showing elegance, structure and tremendous length. Layers upon layers of medium dark red fruit, creme de cassis, lavender, rose petals, sweet baking spice, vanilla and dark rock. Really yummy and really young. Silky smooth and with air a really cool menthol, smokey and piney aroma and flavor begins to develop. The finish is flawless and shows excellent integration of tannins and lenghtly acidity. Alcohol is well harnessed. This is a pure and complete wine from start to finish.
And a thank you to Phil as well... This was a treat. Agreed - bold styling - a really masculine effort. Some light spice qualities but a lot of dark purple and black fruit dominate this juice. Really plush and complex. Silky mouth feel. Not enormous but definitely a big wine - not as big as the '03 Cariad. Really enjoyable and has that same "yummy" factor as many cult California Cabs do.
Super stinky wine - cheesy and damp earth driven. Very pungent aromas. Unique and wild in style. A little bit of Brett showing too but it's not overbearing. Angular finish. Not alot of fruit. Falls short as a whole but unique for sure.
A fantastic wine. Now I understand the love with this stellar World Class Merlot. Agree with Phil again - had some serious Syrah like characteristics. Some smokey cured meat and bacon fat up front. Super young with a grainy tannin structure that went a long way in my book. Loved it. Nice complex finish with a funky styling that I rarely find in Merlot. Would NEVER have guessed this was Merlot - and only one person at the tasting did. Really nice. Vanilla and mocha laced with a sprinkling of dark purple flowers, smoke and Asian spice on the back end. A pure and unadulterated wine. The alcohol was well integrated with the tannins and acidity which were perfectly in line with the fruit and earth in this bottling. This is winemaking at its best. One of my favorite Italian wines to date.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Really lovely extracted nose of cassis and medium red and purple fruit. Leather and a bit of dustyness as well. Drinking well for such a young wine - especially in this year. Dark and subtle qualities. Some rocky mocha and molasses flavors come into view then leading to a long layered steam lined finish. Elegant and masculine at the same time.
Close second best wine of the day - but stylistically I enjoyed the Foley Claret more. This was awesome to say the least. Super funky dirty, mossy, pungent aromas of shrooms, forest floor, peat moss, live earth and nuts. More flowing scents of brambleberries, blackberries, blueberries and plums. Really ripe and lots of life in this juice. The palate is seamless lending more dark fruit, earth, mushroom, stinky animal, and fresh barnyard. Such a unique aroma profile. Have never smelled anything quite like this - my first La La. The finish was exquisite - especially considering we popped and poured the wine. The tannins were perfectly integrated, the alcohol barely noticeable and the acidicty was lovely and full of beat. Overall, this experience was transcendant. Awesome Old World styled wine with some qualities any wine geek would love.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Smokey deli meat aroma coupled with spicy beefy savoryness - really eccentric. There is nice fruit with balance on the nose and palate. Nutty and feminine styled for a Syrah. Quite nice.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
This was a profound wine to say the very very least. It was Corey's contribution and he was still hung over from the night before - so a BIG thank you to him for popping this bad boy. Really funky spoiling strawberries and cream, white flowers, tons of Asian and Indian curry spice. Really clean and pure. Shows so so well at this stage in the game. Super earthy and damp. Feminine styling. The finish is pristine. Great acidity, nice soft tannins and some enjoyable alcoholic heat. Really really opulent and round. Light on its feat.
1997 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Vivid medium light brick color.
Ripe red crushed fruit. Peat moss, blue cheese, light white pepper spice, light smoke.
Some serious underlying funk. On back end an aroma of dead red flowers - very cool - a nice oxidative quality.
The palate is balanced with more damp red fruit and forest floor, shrooms and some light baking spice.
Nice medium acidity. Overall more spice driven than fruit or earth. Elegant and pure. A real nice cleanliness to the wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Jean-Claude Boisset Romanée St. Vivant 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Some spicy brambly berries. Light pink flowers, exotic curry spice and a old school sidewalk chalkyness on the nose - very unique.
Palate is plush and showing well now for a vintage that tends to need a bit more time. Real nice acid showing a bit of Brett - which I find enjoyable.
Rhubarb and spicy red veggies start to show on the back end. A nice unique wine from this classic vineyard.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2000 Saddleback Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
This wine screamed DIRT right from the start. I was intrigued. Decomposition - wet dirt and earth on the front end.
Some chocolate, spice and leather play as well. Just really - dirty. Sweet tannins. Everyone guessed this was Old World.
Solid finish. Pretty good.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Alban Vineyards Pandora 94 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Again, I just love Alban's wines across the board. Some heat on the nose. An elegant Grenache not acting too flashy.
This dances in your nose and on your palate with confidence. It doesn't need to be a blockbuster. It's well harnessed and is showing its fruit, smoke, wood, flowers and spice with elegance and finesse.
The finish was layered and in harmony though showing just a touch more heat - probably due to being popped and poured. A stunning wine nonetheless.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Robert Foley Claret 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
WOTD - and on a fantastic day of many ultra fine wines!
This is my style of wine. Big and viscous but extremely balanced and full of finesse and elegance all in the same juice.
Big ripe red berries - cherries, strawberries, darker cassis and some lighter red plum action as well. Aromas continue showcasing balsamic vinegar, figs, nuts and heady vanilla mocha. Lots of weight - a massive hedonistic blockbuster.
An enormous "yummy-deliciousness" factor. So young and super sweet but balanced tannins. Nice acid that will help this bottle stay lively for at least two decades. The back end shows flavors of molasses and red flowers. Very feminine in style. Awesome.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 Colgin Cariad 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
First, I must throw out a thankyou to Jeff for bringing my first Cogin Cabernet.
This was a beautiful wine showing elegance, structure and tremendous length.
Layers upon layers of medium dark red fruit, creme de cassis, lavender, rose petals, sweet baking spice, vanilla and dark rock.
Really yummy and really young. Silky smooth and with air a really cool menthol, smokey and piney aroma and flavor begins to develop.
The finish is flawless and shows excellent integration of tannins and lenghtly acidity. Alcohol is well harnessed. This is a pure and complete wine from start to finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 Abreu Madrona Ranch 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
And a thank you to Phil as well...
This was a treat. Agreed - bold styling - a really masculine effort.
Some light spice qualities but a lot of dark purple and black fruit dominate this juice.
Really plush and complex. Silky mouth feel. Not enormous but definitely a big wine - not as big as the '03 Cariad.
Really enjoyable and has that same "yummy" factor as many cult California Cabs do.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1993 Field Stone Petite Sirah Staten Family Reserve Flawed
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Boo.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1995 Château Gloria 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Super stinky wine - cheesy and damp earth driven.
Very pungent aromas. Unique and wild in style.
A little bit of Brett showing too but it's not overbearing. Angular finish.
Not alot of fruit. Falls short as a whole but unique for sure.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT 95 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
A fantastic wine. Now I understand the love with this stellar World Class Merlot.
Agree with Phil again - had some serious Syrah like characteristics. Some smokey cured meat and bacon fat up front.
Super young with a grainy tannin structure that went a long way in my book. Loved it.
Nice complex finish with a funky styling that I rarely find in Merlot. Would NEVER have guessed this was Merlot - and only one person at the tasting did.
Really nice. Vanilla and mocha laced with a sprinkling of dark purple flowers, smoke and Asian spice on the back end. A pure and unadulterated wine.
The alcohol was well integrated with the tannins and acidity which were perfectly in line with the fruit and earth in this bottling. This is winemaking at its best.
One of my favorite Italian wines to date.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Clos Fourtet 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Really lovely extracted nose of cassis and medium red and purple fruit. Leather and a bit of dustyness as well.
Drinking well for such a young wine - especially in this year. Dark and subtle qualities.
Some rocky mocha and molasses flavors come into view then leading to a long layered steam lined finish.
Elegant and masculine at the same time.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 96 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Close second best wine of the day - but stylistically I enjoyed the Foley Claret more.
This was awesome to say the least. Super funky dirty, mossy, pungent aromas of shrooms, forest floor, peat moss, live earth and nuts.
More flowing scents of brambleberries, blackberries, blueberries and plums. Really ripe and lots of life in this juice.
The palate is seamless lending more dark fruit, earth, mushroom, stinky animal, and fresh barnyard. Such a unique aroma profile. Have never smelled anything quite like this - my first La La.
The finish was exquisite - especially considering we popped and poured the wine. The tannins were perfectly integrated, the alcohol barely noticeable and the acidicty was lovely and full of beat.
Overall, this experience was transcendant. Awesome Old World styled wine with some qualities any wine geek would love.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Radio-Coteau Syrah Timbervine 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Smokey deli meat aroma coupled with spicy beefy savoryness - really eccentric. There is nice fruit with balance on the nose and palate.
Nutty and feminine styled for a Syrah. Quite nice.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Cain Vineyard & Winery Cain Concept The Benchland 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Funky with a bit of green pepper aromas. Not bad. Shorter notes.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny 96 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
This was a profound wine to say the very very least. It was Corey's contribution and he was still hung over from the night before - so a BIG thank you to him for popping this bad boy.
Really funky spoiling strawberries and cream, white flowers, tons of Asian and Indian curry spice. Really clean and pure. Shows so so well at this stage in the game. Super earthy and damp. Feminine styling.
The finish is pristine. Great acidity, nice soft tannins and some enjoyable alcoholic heat. Really really opulent and round. Light on its feat.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue