| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2009 Château Lilian LadouysSt. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more |
9/30/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 pointsCoravined a glass. I agree with most of the other reviewers. Jammy aromas and flavors dominate--primarily raspberry, but the full-bodied palate is not overly heavy or sweet. Lots of red fruits with some herbal character. Long finish. Oak is coming together. Not really classical Bordeaux, but pleasurable if you're in the mood for a fruit-forward cab/merlot. Became more herbal and simple with time in the glass. Clean. Excellent value! |
| Red - Fortified |
2011 Dow Porto VintagePort Blend more |
12/30/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 96 pointsGlorious nose almost more reminiscent of a late harvest cabernet than a port. Some cassis, tobacco, black cherry, incense. Gorgeous palate with waves of sumptuous black fruit, kirsch, plum sauce, mocha, licorice, and laced with some Indian spices. Liquid silk in the mouth, with a moderate amount of rich, ripe tannins. Very long finish with very little heat. More restrained oak and alcohol than the Taylor. This is very elegant for a young port. It's drinking so well out of the bottle with little air that you shouldn't feel guilty enjoying a some now. There wasn't a significant change over the 2 weeks the bottle was opened. 2nd bottle with consistent notes. |
| Red |
2001 Faustino Rioja I Gran ReservaTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
8/19/2015 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 pointsJust entering early maturity, with a long life ahead. Ripe red fruit, some leather and slate-like minerals on the medium finish. Plenty of structure. Pnp no problem. |
| Red |
2010 Louis Jadot Bonnes MaresBonnes Mares Grand Cru Pinot Noir more |
2/20/2016 - DarinC Likes this wine: 95 pointsPnP and consumed over 3 hours. Many 2010's are currently drinking well so I figured this was worth a try. With some swirling and time in the glass it really opened up nicely. Lots of black and red cherry, roses, hints of earth and smoked herbs. Great medium to full-bodied mouth feel with ripe fine tannins. Long finish. Juicy and balanced. Might go to sleep but should have a bright future. Reinforces my favorable opinion of the 2010 vintage. 95+ |
| Red - Fortified |
2011 Fonseca Porto VintagePort Blend more |
11/20/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 95 pointsLarger and more masculine with more tannins and alcohol than the 2011 Dow. Needs some time in the glass to calm down. Very concentrated with a tremendous amount of depth and complexity. While enjoyable now, it will certainly get better with age. |
| Red - Fortified |
2011 Dow Porto VintagePort Blend more |
7/26/2022 - DarinC Likes this wine: NRFirst Coravined this bottle 6 years ago and just finished the last few ounces on 7/23/22. Still impressive. The tannins are smooth as silk. 5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4) |
| White - Sparkling |
2007 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal BrutChampagne Blend more |
11/9/2017 - DarinC Likes this wine: 93 pointsRipe, rich style of Cristal. Drinks well now. Showed best 2 hours opened on ice. |
| Red |
2010 Passopisciaro PassopisciaroSicilia Nerello Mascalese more |
5/16/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 92 pointsPerfumed nose of strawberries, cranberries and flowers. Clean, refreshing palate dominated by crushed strawberries, with some cranberry, a touch of red plum and earth, a dash of spices, and some minerals. Discrete oak treatment. Fine, grippy tannins carry the fresh fruit filled, slightly saline, finish on and on. I didn't get any heat like some other CT tasters. Best after 20 min in the glass. A great wine for the $ if you like this style. |
| Red |
2005 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva EspecialTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
4/23/2016 - DarinC Likes this wine: 92 pointsIf you're in the mood for a big, lush, rich, oaked Rioja, this fits the bill. Easy one to PnP and please many palates. The oak has mostly integrated. Good balance. Will improve for at least several years. |
| White - Sweet/Dessert |
2003 Château La Tour Blanche SauternesSémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more |
2/22/2015 - DarinC Likes this wine: 92 pointsTropical fruit, honeyed melons, and creme brulee. Rich, and intense. Nice pairing with carrot cake. 3rd consistent bottle. |
| Red |
2010 Continuum Proprietary RedNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/31/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 94 pointsI fear these May be shutting down. This was a notch less expressive than the bottle I had in April 2013. That being said, it's still a great bottle of wine. With some air, a potpourri of scents emerge from the glass...brambly black berry fruit, milk-chocolate covered black cherries, violets, vanilla, and baking spices. Full-bodied, rich, and layered in the mouth, with loads of ripe black fruit, chocolate, warm spices, and silky tannins carry the long finish. Reminds me of a ripe vintage of Insignia. After a few days in the bottle it evolves into milk-chocolate in a glass. |
| Red |
1996 Château MontroseSt. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more |
2/15/2024 - DarinC Likes this wine: 94 pointsPnP. Expressive aromas of leather, tobacco, brambly dark fruits and graphite. Fourth consistent bottle out of a well-stored case and they continue to mature and improve. Great balance with a few tannins in reserve. Drinking very well now and should hold for ~10 years. |
| Red |
2010 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru ChampansPinot Noir more |
12/20/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 95 pointsPnP. Spectacular nose of cinnamon, bright red and dark cherries, light herbs, red plums, and traces of soil tones. Medium-bodied, elegant mouthfeel with layers of red fruit and spices. Singing after just a few minutes in the glass. Medium + finish. Perfect balance. Clean. Softened up significantly on day 2. I preferred the vibrancy and delicacy of the initially showing on day one. |
| Red |
2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-PapeRed Rhone Blend more |
5/3/2013 - DarinC wrote: 87 pointsNot one of my favorite bottles. Dominated primarily by garigue, very ripe black fruit, licorice, leather and meat juices. Medium body with a lengthy slightly tannic finish. Decent complexity, but I prefer a bit more fruit and freshness. |
| Red - Fortified |
1983 Dow Porto VintagePort Blend more |
2/8/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 pointsFully mature. Medium body and light to moderate concentration for a port. Nice balance and not showing any heat. Very long tobacco laced finish. Better than my last bottle. Drink now-2030. |
| Red |
2008 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountainmore |
3/1/2012 - DarinC wrote: NRDecanted 4hrs through venturi and drank the following 3hrs. Very concentrated and extracted with serious potential. While certainly drinkable, it never really came around like the 3 prior vintages did when we opened them a couple weeks earlier. I wouldnt open another bottle for at least 7yrs. I could see this meriting a score in the 93-96 range when mature. |
| Red |
2008 Continuum Proprietary RedNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/26/2013 - DarinC wrote: NRThis bottle is clearly shutting down: brooding, backward, monolithic, and showing a lot of heat. Little to no improvement after hours in the glass or the following day. What a big disappointment compared to sensational 2010 I opened a few months ago. |
| Red |
2008 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGTRed Bordeaux Blend more |
5/23/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 94 pointsPnP. Beautiful floral nose of violets, roses, blueberries, essence of cassis and a trace of earth. Plush and refined fruit forward mouthfeel. Long, slightly mineral finish with abundant fine tannins. Excellent blend with the merlot being the most obvious. Very enjoyable and came across more like a California wine than Italian. |
| Red |
2012 Keplinger SumoAmador County Petite Sirah more |
8/19/2014 - DarinC wrote: NRWinery tasting note |
| Red |
2012 Clos Mogador PrioratGrenache Blend, Grenache more |
12/27/2016 - DarinC Likes this wine: 92 pointsI'm a big fan of Mogador and this vintage didn't disappoint. Though, it doesn't have the depth,richness or graphite of the 2008 IMO. Drinkable now for sure but should be in its prime in 3-7 years. |
| Red |
2007 Altamura Cabernet SauvignonNapa Valley more |
11/27/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 pointsBrooding and mostly closed upon opening. After 2 hours in the bottle it began to open up a bit to show very ripe plums, blackberry jam, cassis, and chocolate, with a hint of spice. Full and rich with a moderate finish. Even with a coolish 70F serving temp it showed some distracting heat. Nowhere near as expressive or complex as it was on release. |
| Red |
2007 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate ReserveNapa Valley more |
9/6/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 94 pointsDouble decanted 1hour prior to dinner. Loads of sediment. |
| Red |
2007 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga FontalloroToscana IGT Sangiovese more |
8/26/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 pointsZero nose immediately after pouring into the glass. Muted, almost watery palate. An hour and a half later after some agressive swirling, some essence of red plum, light spices and vanilla emerge. The palate has opened up to reveal mostly red plums, flowery spices, a bit of berry fruit, and a trace of bittersweet chocolate and a dusting of iron like minerals. discrete oak treatment. Medium+ body with juicy acidity a respectable amount of fine tannins on the extended finish. Continued to improve in the glass. Drink now with ample air or hold for a few years. 90+ |
| Red |
1995 Pahlmeyer Proprietary RedNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
4/9/2016 - DarinC Likes this wine: 97 pointsPnP. Perfect cork and fill. Completely agree with HKBOB. Drinking at prime. Very expressive nose of dark red, blue and black fruits, with a bit of new leather. Wonderful full-bodied mouthfeel with no gaps in flavor. So many layers of flavors and finishes very long with little to no tannins. Such purity and complexity. Incredibly balanced. One of the best aged Meritages I've had the pleasure to drink. The 94-95 Napa reds are great at this point in time! 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2) |
| Red |
2008 Cade Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Estatemore |
7/19/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 96 pointsPnP (natural cork bottle not screwcap) Wow! This has really opened up since release. Glorious aromas of perfectly ripe primarily black berry fruits, roasted cacao beans, blueberries, and damp stones. Insanely pleasurable and seamless in the mouth with a very long finish dusted by ripe tannins. Didn't evolve much in the glass or with time in the opened bottle, but it didn't need to. Pure pleasure. Don't hesitate to open one now or hold a few more years. My favorite vintage of this bottling. |
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- Tasting notes: 619 notes on 508 wines
