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Wine Type
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Vintage
Name
Variety
Locale
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Date
Posted
Score
Helpful
Comments
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Red
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2005 9 Mile Road Cabernet Sauvignon
South Australia
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If you follow charts, then this wine was supposedly past it's prime. Heck no - it had plenty legs left, and was a nice surprise. Almost sad I didn't leave it longer.
As WICOZANI noted, it had a very dark purple color in the glass, with BIG legs. I sensed tobacco and cherry, solid fuit on the nose. The hint of vanilla and woodchips was well integrated, not overbearing. In the mouth, wonderful fruit backed up the smell perfectly. Good mouthfeel. Solid tannins held on to my taste buds and kept the finish going a lot longer than I expected - flavours of blackberry and grape/cherry, almost like I had a fruit pastel. Very slight initial heat, only very slight, went away after a short time in the air. I had not decantered this bottle, but would if I had another to taste.
As the wine got more air in the glass, the flavours became even more integrated, making the wine even more enjoyable as the glass went down. I really enjoyed this. Big surprise for the money, and a very credible effort. For the heck of it, I'm going to leave the rest of the bottle in the fridge till tomorrow and share out with friends at our tasting.
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Red
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2003 Igino Accordini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Le Bessole
Corvina Blend, Corvina more
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This was my last bottle, so felt compelled to leave a closing tasting note, as it is drinking so well right now.
To the eye, a dense "rusty-cherry" shows it has aged nicely, with thinning towards the meniscus. Significant sediment in bottle, important to rest before pouring, or better yet, decant a half hour out from serving.
On the nose the more jammy aromas of its youth have matured into something more "porty". Blackberry, Prunes and fresh pears, pipe tobacco, licorice, leather, almond, orange rind and Demerara. Not a trace of alcohol sticks out. Well integrated.
On the palate, very elegant and dry (delicious finish is not dry by any means tho). Complexity is impressive. Acid still in play, as well as some sticky fruit tannins, which are superfine and velvety.
Above mentioned aromas carry through on the finish at various stages of the VERY long finish. A little cranberry tucked in there also(!)
Recorked bottle and tried again the next day. Still drinking well, even if a little oxidation creeping in - did I mention the VERY long finish? Wow... The less I sip, the more I realize how persistent this finish is. Super.
This wine has gumption - but I think it's best to drink now as it appears to be about to head down the other side of the hill Hard to see it drinking even better than it is right now.
Wonderful.
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Red
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2005 Acústic Celler Montsant Acústic
Grenache Blend, Grenache more
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Dark ruby, with hints at the edges of both lavender/purple AND garnet reds.
Black cherry dominates on the nose, with celery and a little damp wood and rocks.
Palatte is a treat, better than the nose - tannins are sweet and intense, both from fruit and from well integrated oak. Flavour is more intense than the medium body would lead you to expect, with a very well behaved acid power-assist.
Finish medium-short, leaning on the bright fruit flavours and some oak tannins at back - in the form of cigar box.
Very nice drinkable wine that is very well put together. Nothing stands out badly.
Excellent QPR.
P.S. Had a 2007 of this at La Dorada in Coral Gables and it was also excellent. Great wine.
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Red
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2005 Acústic Celler Montsant Acústic
Grenache Blend, Grenache more
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Cellared from purchase. Absolutely delicious. 18 years old, and hardly any bricking at the edges. Plenty still going on on the palate. Winner
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White - Sparkling
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2013 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Minéral Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
Chardonnay more
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Pale straw gold - rushes out of the bottle with a lot of effervescence, perlage lasts a few minutes. Complex and inviting nose, with pear, lemon and biscuit. Complex palate, broad, rich, with a good acidic backbone. Long finish, with, no pun intended, mineral on the close.
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White
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2011 Agro de Bazan Albariño Rías Baixas Granbazán Etiqueta Ambar
more
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Excellent - paired very well with shrimp and scallops with garlic
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Red
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2007 Alain Jaume Lirac Clos de Sixte
Red Rhone Blend more
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Really lovely. Rich and full with no hollow spots. Good acid, rich ripe tannins. Great balance.
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Red
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2006 Alamos Malbec
Mendoza
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Deep medium dark ruby, purple opaque core, lighter near edges. Defined legs on glass. Nice blackberry fruity nose, slightly floral, slightly jammy, bit of vanilla.
A little warm from alcohol at first, but fades quickly to integrate. Also nice black fruit, a touch of oak. Tannins noticeable, but very smooth. Medium finish, with a little twang of acid to keep the fruit going.
Not bad at all, better than I expected.
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Red
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2007 Alamos Malbec
Mendoza
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Deep dark ruby/purple core, narrow garnet meniscus.
Brambly blackberry on the nose, with black cherry, fresh plum, and just a hint of herbaceousness, vanilla, smoke.
Palate consistent with nose, along with medium, velvety but grippy tannins and commendable acid. Tannins are sweet, but not overripe, and I wonder if there may also be a little RS.
Impressive medium to long finish, with assist from light oak and juicy acid carrying the fruit along.
Not super complex, but much better than the average CT scores here led me to believe. No reason for me not to give this 90 points.
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Red
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1998 Aldabea Navarra Gran Reserva
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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A previous bottle from my collection was slightly corked, the result of some heat damage while sitting in a hot container during my move from the UK in 2006. Luckily only a small number of wines made the transatlantic move with me.
To be safe, I chilled this bottle upright for several days before decanting, and left it to sit for a couple of hours before tasting. Whether this helped, or this bottle was undamaged from the move, the outcome was good!
To the eye, the wine still had some of its original inky purple hues that I remembered from my first encounters, but definitely showing a lot of amber now, especially on the pour into the decanter. On the nose, strong cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, with an earthy mineral undertone. Coffee, sugarcane, and a slight touch of citrus also? In the mouth, brambly blackberry and bitter cherry. Lots of tannins still present, though the wine has certainly aged a little prematurely, likely the result of the time spent in the container. Solid punch of fruit throughout! Bit of glycerin and just a faint hint of oak. Decent balance, especially after a couple more hours in the decanter. Not a high alcohol wine - not sure of the %, but I'm sure it is lower than most in my collection - easy to drink as a result. I love this inexpensive wine!
ADDENDUM: The next morning, the remainder (which spent the night refridgerated in the decanter) was even better.
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Red
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2008 Almira Campo de Borja Los Dos "Old Vines" Grenache-Syrah
Grenache Blend, Grenache more
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Dark but clear grapey purple. Fine to medium legs.
Nose of blackberry and blueberry. Oak, black and white pepper, slight alcohol.
Delicious fruit attack on palate (same players as nose, with also some black cherry), slight jam but with good acidity to counter; tho some alcohol heat.
Fairly simple, but delicious - amazing value for the price. Would have given more points too, if it weren't for a little alcohol heat. Was even better once the alcohol blew off a bit 40 minutes later in decanter.
Edit - this got even better the second night - I raised my impression from 88 to 90 based on that, and the great value. Third night was even better in many ways, but a sort of burnt plastic smell started creeping in...
It wasnt totally exposed, as I put Private Reserve in it between tastes..
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Red
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2004 Giovanni Almondo Barbera d'Alba Valbianchera
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Did not take notes, as we were all socialising.
But from memory, medium dark garnet - nose was not very forward, nor very sweet, hint of oak vanialla.
On the palate, was very smooth and drinkable. Again, the tannins were not as ripe as I would have liked, but there were no rough edges to make it unpalatable.
Very good QPR for day to day drinker.
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Red
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2005 Altamura Sangiovese
Napa Valley
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A good wine. Only possible downside was it was maybe slightly aggressive on the palate, as in having a bit more bitterness and acid than I expected - so not seeming fully balanced. But importantly, everyone who tried it tonight wanted more.
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White - Sweet/Dessert
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NV Alvear Pedro Ximénez Montilla-Moriles Solera 1927
more
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Delicious as usual. Can't go wrong
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White - Sweet/Dessert
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NV Alvear Pedro Ximénez Montilla-Moriles Solera 1927
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Coffee, toffee, caramel, spices, wow. Off the chain delicious. Especially with ice cream. Superb.
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Red
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2007 Anima Negra ÀN/2
Vi de La Tierra Mallorca
Red Blend more
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I rarely have such a bad reaction to a well-rated wine. Tremendously disappointing from the start, not remotely what I expected from a Spanish wine in this category. Drank with company last night and did not take detailed notes.
Color looked wrong, and the nose was horrible. Funky and very little fruit. Rotten eggs and grass, yet over ripe fruit as well. I can't decribe properly. VERY off-putting. I do not believe the bottle was corked, as there was no evidence of leakage of any other damage.
About the only redeeming quality was that the taste was very tame and had no rough edges, which also meant it tasted flat and had no finish. It also tasted stemmy and green, while overipe and rotten at the same time. I've never experienced this combination before.
After an hour, a little fruit appeared on the palate but the nose was still horrible.
Very disappointing - WHERE did these scores come from? Sorry Jay Miller, but I don't see it. Maybe these bottles were cooked before delivery, but there is no evidence of that. I will NOT be trying any of the other 5 bottles I bought - I'll be getting back some cellar space where the other bottles are...
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Red
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2007 Antinori Chianti Classico Pèppoli
Chianti Classico DOCG
Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese more
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Not your traditional chianti. A lot more oak and tar than most any chianti I have tasted. This is good in some ways, but takes a lot of getting used to. The longer this breathed, the better it tasted.
Anyway - medium red to the eye, a little darker than you may be used to from a chianti. A bit of legs evident on sides of glass.
We had this after a Mas Donis Barrica Old Vines, which had a lot of really tasty fruit and zing to it. By comparison, this Antinori did not have as much fruit, nor the zest, however, it had a lot more oak and was a bit green or bitter in contrast to the other wine.
But after a little while in the air, it became very enjoyable in it's own right - I kept pouring a little more.
So.. not your normal Chianti, but one that will make a nice smooth drink.
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Red
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2002 Antinori Solaia Annata Diversa
Toscana IGT
SuperTuscan Blend more
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Excellent bottle. This is drinking very nicely right now.
Opened up beautifully, even tho just popped and poured. Increased in elegance with air.
This is very Tuscan.
It's a shame some folks have been put off just because there was no Sangiovese in the blend for this vintage. The truth is that this is a top wine from Antinori, and they only chose to leave of the Sangiovese in this vintage because they wanted to maintain the standard, and the Sangiovese harvest in 2002 was not up to scratch.
The wine itself is brilliant. Lots of fruit, and a slight tartness that comes from the vintage itself.
In the beginning, when Antinori started making Solaia, it was originally a Cab/Cab Franc blend - before they started adding Sangiovese.
In 2002, they went back to their original blend, giving one an opportunity to taste this again. I'd consider this bottle a collectible.
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Red
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2011 Atticus Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
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Cellared from the start. However, this wine was really over the hill. Has not aged gracefully at all, rotten fruit dominated, which I’ve found common in lesser pinots
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Red
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2007 Baker Lane Pinot Noir Ramondo Vineyard
Sonoma Coast
more
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Brilliant acid, with good fruit. Very enjoyable. No detailed notes taken
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Red
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2004 Bodegas Balcona Bullas Partal
Mourvèdre Blend, Mourvèdre more
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On opening, about a third of the cork was soaked, had started to show damage, though not yet rotten. This is of note, because it has been treated like a baby since I received it.
Great blend of five grapes.
Color, medium/dark red, dark center.
Nose, brambly blackberies, touch of plum, slightly earthy (perhaps the cork) which blew off quickly, a bit of chocolate and oak.
Medium body, nice fruit, balanced with modestly firm tannins and acid, restrained "cigar box" oak. Softly chewy, great flavour, decent finish.
I really liked this bottle, was a real pleasure to drink. Had with ribs, but would have been delightful on it's own. Drinking superbly well right now. Excellent value.
Only concern is the damaged cork, which doesn't bode well for letting it sit too much longer. I may choose to try a second bottle in next few months - if the same cork damage, then I will drink the rest of my collection within the next year. Could have been damaged if it got too hot during shipping, I suppose, as it was shipped to Miami.
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Red - Sparkling
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2009 Banfi Piemonte Brachetto d'Acqui Rosa Regale
Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG
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Had this at a wine and chocolate tasting tonight. Went in to buy bottle tags and turned out a tasting was going on, so had nothing to do and joined in. This wine was the surprise of the night. Brilliant rich dark pink/red color, and an absolutely explosive nose of fruit and floral aromas. Not to mention delicious as well. This wine has fun written all over it. I'll take this over champagne, thanks!
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White
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2006 Banyan Riesling
Santa Lucia Highlands
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Very nice. Crystal clear straw color. Floral and pear on the nose. A little citrus in the mouth, but very smooth. and dry.
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White - Sparkling
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2012 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Crémant d'Alsace
White Blend more
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Cellared from release. Past its prime, but quite drinkable. Pale gold, perlite fades within seconds. On the nose you can smell some oxidation, which carries into the palate, along with bruised fruit, medium acid, burnt toast. Long finish.
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White
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2007 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Gewurztraminer Rosenberg de Wettolsheim
Alsace
Gewürztraminer more
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Wasn't going to drink this yet, but fractured a bottle while transferring between storage locations.
Rich deep golden straw color, crystal clear.
On the nose, intense floral, with pears and cotton candy.
On the palate, just absolutely superb. Wonderful fruity, sweet tannins. Stuff that I can't yet identify, but that is absolutely delicious. I think some passion fruit, and maybe papaya. And a little "kola Champagne", if any of you know what that is. Maybe "cream soda" will ring closer to home.
Yes, it's a fairly sweet wine, but backed with minerals and acid to make it work nicely.
Also, aroma of absolutely gorgeous hops - yes, that's right. the same hops from brewing beer. Noble hops beginning with "N". Delicious... I used to home-brew beer, but I never experienced such a floral "hops" aroma before in wine. This wine is really something special...
I am totally smitten with the nose and palate of this wine. I'm not saying my palate is anything special - but I am CERTAIN that most people will LOVE this wine.
A really, really nicely rendered Gewurztraminer - try it and tell me if you think I am wrong...
91 points, at LEAST... I could drink this all week long...
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