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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More...
Red

2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

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9/8/2013 - mjnickel wrote: 90 points

I opened this bottle tonight for two reasons. The first is that I didn't want to wait any longer, and the other is that I'm celebrating some very exciting news. According to my latest Tarot card reading, I'll be the new lead singer of The Dixie Chicks in 2017. If anybody knows all the words to "Goodbye Earl," please forward them to me tout de suite. I'm bad with memorization and really want to hit the ground running with this new gig.

I carried this bottle with a chicken breast stuffed with shallots, goat cheese and thyme. Then, I made a sauce with tawny port and figs and put that on my chicken. Figs, y'all, they don't just come in Newton form. Did you know they're also a fruit? It's true.

By the way, here are three things overheard today while buying the figs at Whole Foods:

1) The cakes here are so good; they're made with free range eggs.

2) Excuse me. What kind of cheese are you sampling today?

3) That cupcake dog is the most adorable thing ever. And so is that cupcake pig.

Incidentally, Cupcake Pig is what the other Dixie Chicks and I are going to call Natalie Maines when I'm the new lead singer. Seriously, though, she's very talented. The three of us wish Cupcake Pig all the best.

Now, onto the wine: I would have been rewarded with another year or two of patience. The acid was stronger than expected, which is a good sign, as I like acid in my reds, just as with my whites. But with all that strawberry, cherry, rhubarb and sassafras, I would have liked the acid to settle down into some interesting spicy notes. Still, an excellent wine. Drink it. Drink it. Open a bottle and drink it.

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Red - Fortified

1994 Dow Porto Vintage

 Port Blend more
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12/31/2013 - mjnickel Likes this wine: 93 points

OK, stick with me here, because I'm about to break out some terms that will certainly mark me as a wine douche...

The attack on this bottle is not shy; right up front I got that sweet dark, red fruit you'd expect, and on the finish, there's that brandy with which port is fortified, so full of alcohol and oak, and caramel as it is. If I were a St. Bernard, I would happily wear a small cask of this around my neck while rescuing you from an avalanche, dear reader.

But what I like about this wine is the middle. You know the good part. Whereas so many wines show hollow, this was like swallowing a round ball of blackberries, dates, and figs. Really, I'm not making this up. This is an excellent bottle of wine. My friend thought it finished a little hot, and I wanted to punch him right in his mouth, because I thought it finished excellently.

I announced that we should be eating blue cheese with this, and my friend's wife produced a large wedge of stilton, then added, "I think we should be eating figs with this."

And so, we ate them both, and drank the bottle while ringing in the New Year (2014). I'm rating this a 93, which is lower than where it will be years from now after growing in complexity. It's so youthful, after 20 years, that it felt like infanticide. Hold on to your bottle for another 20 years, and you might even feel the same. It's gonna last a while is what I'm trying to say.

My New Year's resolution? It's the same as it is every year. I resolve to live more like a woman, because that's the best way I can imagine being a better man.

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Red

2009 Celler Vall Llach Priorat Embruix

 Grenache Blend, Grenache more
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8/15/2013 - mjnickel wrote: 90 points

Imagine slurping Grenache through a Swisher Sweet. That's kind of what this tasted like, only that's supposed to be a compliment. There's dark fruit here, and cigar box spiciness, too. The tannins are present and I suspect they'll tame a bit over a year or two. This is inexpensive, though, and tasty. Don't feel guilty about drinking it now. Instead, you should feel guilty about that thing you did in college. You know the thing I'm talking about. Your freshman year. Before you knew how to behave responsibly at parties.

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Red

2007 Molino di Sant' Antimo Brunello di Montalcino

 Sangiovese more
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1/20/2013 - mjnickel wrote: 89 points

Brunello sneaks up on you, man. It starts off simple and tasty like Juliette Lewis in Cape Fear, but once it opens up, it becomes broad and complex, like Juliette Lewis in Natural Born Killers. While still young compared to top flight Brunellos, this is marked with sweet, soft tannins and just enough acidity to walk along side the tomato sauce that was ladled over the gnocchi I served it with. Yes, it’s still an adolescent, but it won’t get better. Drink it now. Don’t look at me like that! Drink it!

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White

2010 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle

 Alsace Gewürztraminer more
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5/10/2013 - mjnickel wrote: 93 points

Gewürztraminer is a woefully underrated grape, and this is the best I've ever had. Made in Alsace, which has been passed back and forth for years between France and Germany, this bottle is bright, floral, Aryan, spicy, feminine and beautiful, much as I recall Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall. For those who are allergic to uppity tasting notes, please excuse yourself now or give yourself that Epinephrine injection you so often have to administer when reading about wine.

With this, I get apricots (no, not peaches you pedestrian sons of bitches...apricots!) all over the mid-palate and this thing I want to call grapefruit marmalade on the finish. Is grapefruit marmalade a thing? If not, you can have that idea for your own start-up specialty food business provided you give me a few jars and a shout out at your bankruptcy hearing. At 14% abv, the alcohol is really well integrated. I would have guessed something closer to 12-13%. Yes, the acid and spice make this a great pairing for curry, as one expects from Gewürztraminer, but to paraphrase Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Vacation, it does just fine by itself.

P.S. Patti Labelle just texted me to say that "Grapefruit Marmalade" is her cat's drag name.

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White

2010 Etude Chardonnay

 Carneros more
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4/2/2014 - mjnickel wrote: 88 points

This is going to be an odd tasting note, but hang with me and don't over think it. But this wine makes me want some biscuits and gravy. You know, the southern staple of fresh homemade biscuits and sawmill gravy.

This is not to say this wine tastes like either of those things, or would go well with either, but there's something here that is fatty and thick, but uplifting enough that you could full yourself with it for half a day.

There's some nice tropical fruit here, with just a hint of a grassy note, that takes a backseat to the oily, oakiness of the, um, well, oak. It's not overbearing, but about 15% more acid would have made this kinda special. As it is, it's still pretty good. I'd drink it again if you gave me a bottle. Hell, I'm drinking it right now as I type this. But I could also pick up a bottle of La Crema at just about any wine shop for $10 less, and enjoy it just as well.

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White

2010 Les Vins de Vienne Condrieu La Chambée

 Viognier more
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3/2/2013 - mjnickel wrote: 91 points

I love Condrieu for all its florid charms. When treated with Northern Rhone crispness, viognier is the rose on your birthday cake. Buttery, fattening and delightful in equal measures.

This bottle is so full bodied that it reminds me of new world viognier, which doesn't quite rise to the scarcity of this Nother Rhone version of the grape. This is not to say it's a bad wine. I liked it very much. I drank it with scallops on top of a a white bean puree. It was as round, soft and delightful as Scarlett Johansson , but when it comes to Condrieu, I expect all that, plus the angular sharpness of Charlotte Rampling. Still, the $50 I paid for the bottle was money well spent. It's a lovely wine.

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White

2009 Qupé Marsanne

 Santa Ynez Valley more
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2/19/2012 - mjnickel wrote: 90 points

I don't have to work tomorrow because of President's Day (thanks George Washington!). So, in addition to the many freedoms my country affords me, this particular non-worknight Sunday gives me license to open the wine bottle of my choosing. Tonight, I chose this. Why? Because I'm down with white Rhone varietals like Naughty by Nature is down with OPP (Did you know that when a white man makes a lame hip-hop reference more than ten years out of date, he becomes even more white? It's true. Look it up).

This California wine is crisply acidic, but mouth filling. You know, like Joy Behar, but better. I bought this bottle last 4th of July (thanks George Washington!) with my friend Nick Papafotopoulos in Chicago. We picked up about 18 other bottles that night and drank a good many of them while sitting on his back porch making like Bruce Springsteen and talking about the glory days. Tonight I drank this with Veal Picatta and a roasted potato medley while on the phone with my dad. My dad is a great guy. Get to know him!

Quick story about my dad: When I was around 10 years-old, UPS, of which he was a very early employee, sent him to Dyersburg, TN to become a center manager. This assignment was to a young UPS supervisor as the western outpost assignment was to Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves. Only in Dyersburg, there are fewer wolves, but more Lee Greenwood fans (I know, pick your poison, right?). He'd setup in an apartment and called on my brother and me to come visit. Then, while entertaining us in the swimming pool, things got rough and he went to splash me with a wave of water, but given his Nickel-like lack of dexterity, miscalculated his movements and punched me right in the mouth instead. Hard. Like, hey, someone should call Child Protective Services hard. The story's ending is unexciting, as it contains only profuse apologizing and rudimentary first-aid. But the denouement is fantastic! To this day, I have a "Get out of Jail Free" card with my dad.

"Son, I think you should give more care to your studies."

"Who are you to judge, Daddy? You punched me in the mouth!"

Wine! Drink it!

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White

2008 Höpler Grüner Veltliner

 Burgenland more
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5/11/2010 - mjnickel wrote: 88 points

Very good food wine with crisp acidity and peppery finish. I drank this alone, but wished I'd paired it with breaded fish or roasted chicken

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White - Off-dry

2006 Willi Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese

 Mosel Saar Ruwer more
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5/14/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 89 points

If I didn't know, I might have mistaken this for an auslese because of it's sweetness. Beautiful gold color, but the aromatics are a bit closed. Peaches, apricots, sweetened apple juice on the palate. And some all spice. If it had more of an acidic backbone, I could see myself going much higher.

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Red

2008 Famille Brunier Vaucluse Le Pigeoulet

 Red Rhone Blend more
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8/23/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 86 points

I found this to be spicier and greener than expected. Also, I didn't quite expect as much heat as I got from it for must 13.5% abv. If I'd not expected something different, I may have enjoyed it more, as it's not a bad wine. I'd suggest giving it a little time to open up before drinking.

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Red

2006 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon

 Sonoma County more
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12/30/2010 - mjnickel wrote: 87 points

I got quite a bit of fruit on the nose, but the finish was a little hot and chalky. I think this will be better on the second night than on the first.

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White

2008 Hugel Gentil "Hugel"

 Alsace White Blend more
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5/9/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 79 points

This is a tough wine to choke down. Disjointed, a little flabby and sour.

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Red

2008 Domaine Georges Vernay Sainte-Agathe

 Côtes du Rhône Syrah more
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6/8/2012 - mjnickel wrote: NR

Undrinkable with an near indestructible tunable nose. Think barnyard combined with a sol enter left opened in your garage. I thought the first bottle was flawed, si I bought another bottle the next time I found it and it was equally as bad. This is a quality producer with prestige vineyards in Condrieu, so maybe the distributor in my area improperly stored it before distribution.

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Red

2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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3/24/2013 - mjnickel wrote: 92 points

This winemaker is special to me because they are recognized as not only the finest producer of California Pinot Noir, but also as a champion barbecue team who has recently competed in the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Contest. This is one of the first of their wines I received after getting on their mailing list. And even though their fall releases are considered their lineup’s bettors, this spring released Somoma County bottle is round, full-bodied and packed with rhubarb, strawberry and mid palette goodness. It’s excellent wine, and I could just hug myself for obtaining more than just the bottle I drank tonight. Invite me over for salmon, pork chops or chicken, and I’ll bring a bottle to share. I promise. All I ask is you don’t be an asshole or try to convince me that my politically liberal leanings are immoral. Almost everything else I can tolerate.

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White

2009 Domaine Mercouri Roditis Foloi

 Peloponnisos more
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5/14/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 87 points

Nice crisp acidity. This would go well with anything that would benefit from a squeeze of lemon. I enjoy Greek wines because of the strong acidity of their native whites, but this Roditis and Viognier blend is missing out on the floral aromatics I was hoping for.

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Red

2008 Domaine Sarrabelle Gaillac Croix Blanche

 Duras more
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6/20/2012 - mjnickel wrote: NR

maybe I'm being unfair because Im not very familiar with the blend, but this tasted to me like someone set a pencil on fire. d
Dry, woody tanins, graphite and a slightly bitter finish where I expected a little more fruit. bought it as a curiousity.

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White

2008 The Hess Collection Chardonnay Su'Skol

 Napa Valley more
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7/11/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 87 points

This is a tough wine to score, because it accomplishes what it sets out to do, but I found it to be just a little too oaky for my preferences. The oak and the fruit weren't quite together here, but still not bad.

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White

2006 Loimer Grüner Veltliner Langenlois Terrassen

 Kamptal more
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4/17/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 89 points

Nice wine. And a good price. Grapefruit and minerality on the attack and mid palate, then some of that signature pepper on the finish. But with a nervy acidity throughout. Drank this five years after the vintage date and it showed very well.

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White - Sweet/Dessert

2008 Schmitt Söhne Eiswein

 Rheinhessen White Blend more
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5/21/2010 - mjnickel wrote: 88 points

Excellent QPR. Shows a golden yellow in the glass with a little sediment. On the nose was a slight earthy character that did not carry over to the palate. Very sweet, as you'd expect, with a syrupy mouthfeel. Pears, honey, and a slight clove spiciness.

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Red

2006 Casa Ferreirinha Douro Vinha Grande

 Red Blend more
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12/6/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 90 points

Excellent value with soft tannins and dark fruit favors (ripe strawberry, blackberry). Smooth mouthfeel and long finish without being too sweet. Good stuff

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Red

2007 Long Shadows Wineries Cabernet Sauvignon Feather

 Columbia Valley more
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2/16/2015 - mjnickel Likes this wine: 90 points

My three-day Presidents Day weekend was pretty much spent eating a steak so obscenely large it would make Larry Flynt blush. The son-of-a-bitch weighed over 5 pounds and cost $100, but went down easier than Lindsay Lohan for cocaine money

It was a dry-aged tomahawk ribeye and the meat I trimmed off the handle got ground up and yielded six of the tastiest hamburgers I ever had (actually, two of them are still in my refrigerator). And the steak was thrown onto a cast iron griddle, went in the oven until medium rare, and finished back on the griddle with garlic, butter and fresh thyme. If I had a time machine, I'd like to take that steak with me and dance with it on Soul Train to Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough." What happens after that is between a consenting adult and his Tomahawk Ribeye.

Don't judge me! I'm a tax payer and a licensed driver!

I'd like to say I chose the wine because I thought its bright Washington State fruit would carry the beets and turnips I roasted with the steak (which it marvelously did), but really, I just grabbed the first Cabernet I wasn't saving for a special occasion. As it turns out, it's dang tasty. Fruit forward and savory at the same time. Cherries, firm tannins and fresh herbs on the finish that carry the thyme-butter all the way through. It was my last bottle, so I can't share any with you when you invite me over for dinner, but could I interest you in a Syrah so tasty it'll make you excuse yourself to the back yard to contemplate the direction of your life?

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White - Off-dry

2008 Emile Beyer Gewurztraminer Cuvée de l'Hostellerie

 Alsace Gewürztraminer more
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12/4/2012 - mjnickel wrote: NR

This is sweet, spicey and mouth filling...justvlikebRosie Perez. With this I find quite a bit of residual sugar as with an Auslese Riesling, but with just a hint of cinnamon and cardemon. Mango, orange peel and crisp acidity is in there too, along with a want for an extra bottle or two.

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White

2009 Château Graville-Lacoste Blanc

 Graves Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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4/8/2011 - mjnickel wrote: 89 points

Really enjoyed this wine. Loaded with green apple giving way to banana peel in the middle and a crisp acidic finish. Though bright, I could have handled even more acidity. Still, a very nice wine, especially for the money.

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White

2008 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

 White Rhone Blend more
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3/5/2011 - mjnickel Likes this wine: 87 points

There is a lot of minerality here along with some herbal notes. White pepper and thyme, maybe? There's some decent acidity, as well, but irt all came across as a little too chalky to recommend.

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  • Tasting notes: 119 notes on 118 wines

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