Tasting, brief note. Lots of red and black cherry aromas with plenty of floral support. Similar flavors with spice coming through. Still very firm, but classic Barolo. Very good 91-92 point potential, 2025 or 2030 forward.
Tasting, brief note. Black cherry and berry aromas and flavors with anise and fresh thyme. Lots of complexity kept emerging in this one small pour. There must be some other varietals adding complexity and nuance to this mostly Sangiovese wine. Easily my favorite wine of the tasting. Good now with enough fine structure to age gracefully. 92-94 point potential for me.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Tasting, brief note. Another big step in quality. Black cherry and berry aromas and flavors with good quality and more elegant tannins. Good length and weight. Needs at least 5 years in the cellar, I'd want to wait 2025-.
Tasting, brief note. I rarely taste wines from this domaine, and this brings back real old school character. Very concentrated and powerful, but rugged tannins front-and-center. Overall tough to assess, but this will not provide much pleasure for the next 5 years, possibly 10.
Tasting, brief note. Ripe apple and pear with some sweet spice. Rich with enough weight to retain balance. Almost always one of the best wines at this level, 2015 doesn't disappoint, but is best to enjoy young.
Tasting, brief note. Floral hints upfront with ripe apple, peach and toasted hazelnut. Good weight and length for its level, very good balance. Good already now.
Tasting, brief note. Peach cobbler. Honeyed, rich and unctuous, but seemingly close to demi-sec. Very good in its style, but too extreme for my Viognier preferences.
Tasting, brief note. Black cherry with black pepper and dried herbs. More finesse than power, this is leaner than I expect from Rostaing, but nicely approachable.
Tasting, brief note. Sweet with clear savory elements. Marcona almonds, candied orange peel, fig jam. Excellent balance, very finessed. Easily my favorite of the RWC wines toasted. My first time trying this wine.
Tasting, brief note. Fresh apple aromas with floral lift. Similar flavors, even if slightly less exciting. Simple, fun and easy. A good value unoaked Chardonnay.
Tasting, brief note. Big, dense and vibrant. Good cross-section of orchard fruit. Partial ML works well here, helping balance richness and energy. Good now, with upside from here.
Tasting, brief note. Floral and spice aromatic start, with red cherry and berry throughout with lighter young vine concentration on the palate. Will benefit from several years in the cellar.
Tasting, brief note. Elegant start and finish with richer fruit in the middle. Good energy, good+ potential with classic styling. 88-90 point potential, better to cellar a few more years.
Tasting, brief note. Black and red cherry, slightly more powerful vs Mahonia, but also more firm and less elegant. Also better to cellar for a few more years, 87-88 point potential.
Tasting, brief note. Ultra ripe and sweet without being cloying. Would be very enjoyable in small doses, but like the old "24" TV show, too much might be exhausting.
2016 J. Christopher Cristo Irresisto
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Tasting, brief note. Fresh and bright, even if slightly simple. Good balance, very good value wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Scholium Project Zinfandel Il Ciliegio Stampede 87 Points
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
Tasting, brief note. Rich and powerful Rose with plenty of berry notes. Well done, and also a good value wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2012 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Santo Stefano di Perno
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Tasting, brief note. Lots of red and black cherry aromas with plenty of floral support. Similar flavors with spice coming through. Still very firm, but classic Barolo. Very good 91-92 point potential, 2025 or 2030 forward.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
Tasting, brief note. Pleasant red fruit in a lighter style. Acidity is slightly pronounced for now.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
Tasting, brief note. Black cherry and berry aromas and flavors with anise and fresh thyme. Lots of complexity kept emerging in this one small pour. There must be some other varietals adding complexity and nuance to this mostly Sangiovese wine. Easily my favorite wine of the tasting. Good now with enough fine structure to age gracefully. 92-94 point potential for me.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Jérôme Chezeaux Nuits St. Georges Les Charbonnières Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges
Tasting, brief note. Simple wine with good combination of black and red fruit, just slightly too rugged for its level of fruit and concentration.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Jérôme Chezeaux Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Rue de Chaux
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Tasting, brief note. Also showing mostly black fruit with firm structure, but better spice and greater concentration. Needs time, good potential.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Jérôme Chezeaux Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Tasting, brief note. Another big step in quality. Black cherry and berry aromas and flavors with good quality and more elegant tannins. Good length and weight. Needs at least 5 years in the cellar, I'd want to wait 2025-.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Hubert Lignier Morey St. Denis Tres Girard 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis
Tasting, brief note. Red and black berries with earth hints emerging. Fruit forward, so nicely accessible. Good textures. Very good for its level.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Hubert Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasting, brief note. Black berries here with anise and fresh meat. Cearly bigger and bolder vs MSD Tres Girard. Best 2020-.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Les Angles
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Tasting, brief note. I rarely taste wines from this domaine, and this brings back real old school character. Very concentrated and powerful, but rugged tannins front-and-center. Overall tough to assess, but this will not provide much pleasure for the next 5 years, possibly 10.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Jean-Philippe Fichet Bourgogne Blanc 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
Tasting, brief note. Ripe apple and pear with some sweet spice. Rich with enough weight to retain balance. Almost always one of the best wines at this level, 2015 doesn't disappoint, but is best to enjoy young.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Tasting, brief note. Floral hints upfront with ripe apple, peach and toasted hazelnut. Good weight and length for its level, very good balance. Good already now.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Condrieu La Petite Cote 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Tasting, brief note. Ripe stone fruit with gingerbread. Powerful and rich, but crisp and well balanced. Best young.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Condrieu Les Chaillets
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Tasting, brief note. Peach cobbler. Honeyed, rich and unctuous, but seemingly close to demi-sec. Very good in its style, but too extreme for my Viognier preferences.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Classique Ampodium 89 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Tasting, brief note. Black cherry with black pepper and dried herbs. More finesse than power, this is leaner than I expect from Rostaing, but nicely approachable.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series Charleston Sercial Special Reserve 90 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Tasting, brief note. Figs, toasted almond to start. Everything continues with some honeycomb emerging on complex finish. Very charming.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series Savannah Verdelho Special Reserve 91 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Tasting, brief note. Candied citrus peel, toasted walnut and figs. I like the combination of sweet and savory.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series Boston Bual Special Reserve 90 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Tasting, brief note. Candied nuts with roasted figs and coffee liqueur. Good+ concentration, just less nuance vs the less sweet cuvees in the series.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series New York Malmsey Special Reserve 89 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Tasting, brief note. Caramel and molasses with toaste nuts. Less complex vs Boston Bual, but an interesting/ different expression of sweeter Madeira.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series George Washington Special Reserve 92 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Tasting, brief note. Sweet with clear savory elements. Marcona almonds, candied orange peel, fig jam. Excellent balance, very finessed. Easily my favorite of the RWC wines toasted. My first time trying this wine.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Marland Chardonnay Non Affecté 86 Points
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Tasting, brief note. Fresh apple aromas with floral lift. Similar flavors, even if slightly less exciting. Simple, fun and easy. A good value unoaked Chardonnay.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2012 Wyncroft Chardonnay Avonlea Vineyard 89 Points
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Tasting, brief note. Big, dense and vibrant. Good cross-section of orchard fruit. Partial ML works well here, helping balance richness and energy. Good now, with upside from here.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Wyncroft Pinot Noir La Esperanza
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore, Fennville
Tasting, brief note. Floral and spice aromatic start, with red cherry and berry throughout with lighter young vine concentration on the palate. Will benefit from several years in the cellar.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2013 Wyncroft Pinot Noir Avonlea Vineyard 89 Points
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Tasting, brief note. More black vs red cherry with some roasted meat notes. Moderate weight and length, with good+ balance. Good now.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "The Kilmore"
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Tasting, brief note. Rich black fruit. Good+ weight, good length, reasonably well balanced. Lush, modernist style.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Mahonia Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Tasting, brief note. Elegant start and finish with richer fruit in the middle. Good energy, good+ potential with classic styling. 88-90 point potential, better to cellar a few more years.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Illahe
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Tasting, brief note. Black and red cherry, slightly more powerful vs Mahonia, but also more firm and less elegant. Also better to cellar for a few more years, 87-88 point potential.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Cuvée J 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Tasting, brief note. Red fruit throughout with savory and sweet spice. Very good balance and persistence. Very good now, also with upside.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Booker Vineyard Fulldraw 24
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Tasting, brief note. Ultra ripe and sweet without being cloying. Would be very enjoyable in small doses, but like the old "24" TV show, too much might be exhausting.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Melville Pinot Noir Estate
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Tasting, brief note. On the sweet side, not my style of wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Melville Pinot Noir Block M
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Tasting, brief note. Complex spice and fruit combination seems to show some whole cluster character. Very ripe, but still in balance. Good now.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Melville Pinot Noir Estate Sandy's
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Tasting, brief note. Red fruit with good combination of flavor and spice, but oddly lighter and riper vs the Block M that I really enjoyed.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Varner Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Tasting, brief note. Elegant and tasty entry level Pinot Noir with good balance. Very good value wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2013 Varner Pinot Noir Spring Ridge Vineyard Hidden Block 89 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Tasting, brief note. Very elegant style with red cherry and berry, delicate spice and great energy. Moderate weight, good+ length. Good+ overall.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue