N: Grapey with floral notes & undertones of minerality
P: Med body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt NICELY offset by ALMOST puckerish acidIty which SLOWLY mitigates into a LONG, VERY slightly swtish finish with a very, VERY slight bitterness early on. For now & likely into '19. [This vendor's $13.95 is > 22% less than anyone else currently on wine-searcher!]
P: Med, poss MF, body; VERY rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt [are they commonly @ ~ 0.5% R.S. with this bottling?] NICELY countered by an acidity which slowly morphs into a LONG, VERY slightly honied finish with a very slight tanginess. LOVELY for now & through '19, + I suspect it will go well with any # of lighter entrées. [IF you're considering a white wine for Thanksgiving... ] ;)
N: Almost pungently powerful toast with notes of asparagus?
P: MF, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with almost swtish oak/frt NICELY met by a tangy acidity which slowly, fairly seamlessly extends into the LONG, tangy/slightly honied finish. A LOVELY food wine which I'd suspect to be even better in '18, then drink nicely through '20! :) 13.6% ABV 91 pts ea RJonWine & Vinous, 89 pts WS [This vendor's $41.95 is towards the top of a VERY crowded wine-searcher field.]
15.2% ABV; 90.6% Chardonnay, 5.8% Sauvignon Blanc, & 3.6% Muscat; "Largely sourced from theSonoma Coast and Atlas Peak AVAs..."
N: Toasty with undertones of earth & lemons
P: MF body; RNDISH entry with almost swtish oak/frt balanced out by a tangy, at times bitter, acidity which pretty much extends into the fairly LONG, tangy finish with VERY slight bitterness. Reasonable drinking for now & probably through '19. [This vendor's $23.95 is > 11% less than the next lowest in a CROWDED wine-searcher field.]
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
N: Vanilla, smoke, with undertones of berries & earth; Fragrant!
P: MF body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by a bitterish (yet almost swtish) pucker which slowly, fairly seamlessly only somewhat resolves by the LONG, (at times) puckery, very, VERY slightly bitter finish yet with almost a swtness to it. NEEDS through '19, then having the potential for 4 or 5 more yrs of NICE drinking. 95 pts Suckling, 93 WS, and 92 ea WE, Vinous, & Falstaff Magazine. [This vendor's $35.95 is a VERY competitive price.]
N: Vanilla with a distinct note of spiciness, berries/earth WAY underneath
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with decent frt quickly met by a PUCKERISH acidity which slowly transitions into a LONG, albeit slightly faint, tangy/swt finish. Should prove EXCELLENT QPR for a food wine to drink now & into '19! 13.5% ABV 95 pts Suckling, 92 John Gilman, 91 WA, & 90 RJonWine [This vendor's $16.95 is a competitively priced in a HUGE wine-searcher field.]
P: LM, poss Med, body; Rndish entry with NICE frt QUICKLY met by a somewhat astringent pucker which QUITE changes by the LONG, very slightly tangy finish yet with almost a swtness. DESERVES another yr or so, then drinking for the ff 3... easily. 14.5% ABV 96 pts Suckling & 92 WA, though I'm not currently seeing either of those. [This vendor's $66.95 IS competitive for a WILDLY varying wine-searcher listing.]
P: MF body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt met by a dustily tannic pucker which slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, very, VERY slightly dustily tannic, very slightly tangy, yet still almost swtish finish. LOTS of potential, but deserves/NEEDS 15-27 mos, then drinking for 3 or so more yrs... min. 96 pts Suckling, 95 WS, 94 Jeff Leve, 92-94 ea WA & Vinous, and 16.5/20 pts Jancis Robinson. This vendor's $66.95 would seem to be one of the best prices available.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: Closed; Floral, minerals, berries, what there seeming VERY lovely; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by a very, VERY finely tannic, yet ALMOST swtish pucker which fairly seamlessly, pretty much extends through the very LONG, deliciously balanced finish with a TOUCH of very, VERY fine, tangy/swt tannins. Approachable now with food, this DESERVES into '20, then drinking into its 10th yr, easily. SUPERB! :) [This vendor's $55.95 is over 20% less than the next lowest source I saw!]
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes
N: RIPE, vanilla/spice, poss choc, berries WAY underneath?
P: MF, poss Med, body; RIPE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some very slightly bitterish astringency which changes a fair amount by the LONG, VERY slightly spicy, ultimately bitterSWT finish. Approachable now, but DESERVES into mid '19, then drinking for at least 3 more yrs. NICE QPR -- particularly given this vendor's $20.95 is slightly < 2/3 the price of anyone else I found on wine-searcher!
2016 Domaine des Grillemonts Saumur
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
N: Grapey with floral notes & undertones of minerality
P: Med body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt NICELY offset by ALMOST puckerish acidIty which SLOWLY mitigates into a LONG, VERY slightly swtish finish with a very, VERY slight bitterness early on. For now & likely into '19. [This vendor's $13.95 is > 22% less than anyone else currently on wine-searcher!]
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2016 Friedrich Becker Pinot Gris Becker Family
Germany, Pfalz
Note: This wine is a lt amber in color
N: CLOSED; minerals?
P: Med, poss MF, body; VERY rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt [are they commonly @ ~ 0.5% R.S. with this bottling?] NICELY countered by an acidity which slowly morphs into a LONG, VERY slightly honied finish with a very slight tanginess. LOVELY for now & through '19, + I suspect it will go well with any # of lighter entrées. [IF you're considering a white wine for Thanksgiving... ] ;)
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2014 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
USA, California, Napa Valley
N: Almost pungently powerful toast with notes of asparagus?
P: MF, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with almost swtish oak/frt NICELY met by a tangy acidity which slowly, fairly seamlessly extends into the LONG, tangy/slightly honied finish. A LOVELY food wine which I'd suspect to be even better in '18, then drink nicely through '20! :) 13.6% ABV 91 pts ea RJonWine & Vinous, 89 pts WS [This vendor's $41.95 is towards the top of a VERY crowded wine-searcher field.]
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2015 Orin Swift Mannequin
USA, California
15.2% ABV; 90.6% Chardonnay, 5.8% Sauvignon Blanc, & 3.6% Muscat; "Largely sourced from theSonoma Coast and Atlas Peak AVAs..."
N: Toasty with undertones of earth & lemons
P: MF body; RNDISH entry with almost swtish oak/frt balanced out by a tangy, at times bitter, acidity which pretty much extends into the fairly LONG, tangy finish with VERY slight bitterness. Reasonable drinking for now & probably through '19. [This vendor's $23.95 is > 11% less than the next lowest in a CROWDED wine-searcher field.]
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2012 Tenuta di Collosorbo Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
N: Vanilla, smoke, with undertones of berries & earth; Fragrant!
P: MF body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by a bitterish (yet almost swtish) pucker which slowly, fairly seamlessly only somewhat resolves by the LONG, (at times) puckery, very, VERY slightly bitter finish yet with almost a swtness to it. NEEDS through '19, then having the potential for 4 or 5 more yrs of NICE drinking. 95 pts Suckling, 93 WS, and 92 ea WE, Vinous, & Falstaff Magazine. [This vendor's $35.95 is a VERY competitive price.]
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2010 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
N: Vanilla with a distinct note of spiciness, berries/earth WAY underneath
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with decent frt quickly met by a PUCKERISH acidity which slowly transitions into a LONG, albeit slightly faint, tangy/swt finish. Should prove EXCELLENT QPR for a food wine to drink now & into '19! 13.5% ABV 95 pts Suckling, 92 John Gilman, 91 WA, & 90 RJonWine [This vendor's $16.95 is a competitively priced in a HUGE wine-searcher field.]
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2014 Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti) Saffredi Toscana IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
N: Closed; vanilla, spice?
P: LM, poss Med, body; Rndish entry with NICE frt QUICKLY met by a somewhat astringent pucker which QUITE changes by the LONG, very slightly tangy finish yet with almost a swtness. DESERVES another yr or so, then drinking for the ff 3... easily. 14.5% ABV 96 pts Suckling & 92 WA, though I'm not currently seeing either of those. [This vendor's $66.95 IS competitive for a WILDLY varying wine-searcher listing.]
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2015 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
N: RIPE, jammy, berries, poss garrigue; Intensity lurking
P: MF body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt met by a dustily tannic pucker which slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, very, VERY slightly dustily tannic, very slightly tangy, yet still almost swtish finish. LOTS of potential, but deserves/NEEDS 15-27 mos, then drinking for 3 or so more yrs... min. 96 pts Suckling, 95 WS, 94 Jeff Leve, 92-94 ea WA & Vinous, and 16.5/20 pts Jancis Robinson. This vendor's $66.95 would seem to be one of the best prices available.
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2014 Cattleya Syrah Soberanes Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: Closed; Floral, minerals, berries, what there seeming VERY lovely; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by a very, VERY finely tannic, yet ALMOST swtish pucker which fairly seamlessly, pretty much extends through the very LONG, deliciously balanced finish with a TOUCH of very, VERY fine, tangy/swt tannins. Approachable now with food, this DESERVES into '20, then drinking into its 10th yr, easily. SUPERB! :) [This vendor's $55.95 is over 20% less than the next lowest source I saw!]
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2014 Department 66 D66
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes
N: RIPE, vanilla/spice, poss choc, berries WAY underneath?
P: MF, poss Med, body; RIPE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some very slightly bitterish astringency which changes a fair amount by the LONG, VERY slightly spicy, ultimately bitterSWT finish. Approachable now, but DESERVES into mid '19, then drinking for at least 3 more yrs. NICE QPR -- particularly given this vendor's $20.95 is slightly < 2/3 the price of anyone else I found on wine-searcher!
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