| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco BarbarescoNebbiolo more |
4/13/2021 - drwine2001 wrote: NRDecanted 5 hours in advance. Translucent light ruby. Fennel, menthol, and sour cherry greet you. Medium light weight. Less tobacco and tar than before but increasing fine perfume, and an interesting sweet/sour palate contrast from both ripe fruit and a cranberry aspect. Vibrant (if ever so slightly intrusive) acidity, light earth, and just gorgeous, fine tannic structure with quite a bit of grip at the end. Four or five months ago, I said I would keep opening bottles until it convinced me that it was intent on shutting down. The acidity has welled up and for now, the wine seems less harmonious than in the very early going. So, for my taste, this is the right time to find something else to drink and allow the 2016 normale to rest until it reaches its next phase and regains its superb balance. Sleep well-see you again in a few years. 29 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4) |
| Red |
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco BarbarescoNebbiolo more |
12/5/2021 - drwine2001 wrote: NR2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Crus Plus a Few Older Produttori Wines (San Francisco): Light red. Fragrant cherry aromas. Supple, bright sweet fruit. Elegant, fluid, and more open than when last tasted. Earth and tobacco on the finish. The overall balance, and in particular, the duet between the fruit and savory flavors are both superb. I thought it had gone to sleep, but it was tasting great today, as delectable and approachable as any of the other 2016 wines in its flight. My goodness, one has to be impressed by how well it acquits itself when tasted alongside the more expensive crus. 22 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva MonteficoNebbiolo more |
12/5/2021 - drwine2001 wrote: NR2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Crus Plus a Few Older Produttori Wines (San Francisco): Light ruby. Menthol scent. Not fruit forward, but blackberry is there. Lean, lots of soil, and highly structured with serious drying tannins. I think it will be excellent in the (far) future, but honestly, I found this the most difficult of the 2016 crus to read and assess. 11 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3) |
| Red |
2010 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco BoschisNebbiolo more |
3/9/2024 - drwine2001 wrote: NRDouble decanted 6 hours in advance. Light ruby, garnet rim. Beautifully fragrant, complex nose-an atypical whiff of green olive followed by very typical red fruit, menthol, and orange peel. Lovely medium body. Bright, tart cherry with paradoxical natural sweetness, exhilarating acidity and citrus zest, anise, and fine finishing minerality with almost invisible tannin. Not a somber, road tar example but a lively, nimble, dancing version of Barolo with superb texture and both aromatic and palate complexity. This was the most exciting Cavallotto I've had to date, not merely correct or just very good. It's hard to transmit how much joy each sniff and swallow provided. |
| White |
2005 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña TondoniaWhite Blend more |
11/9/2021 - drwine2001 wrote: NRDeep yellow. Fascinating nose of vanilla, pear, and apple skins. Medium to full bodied with both glycerine texture and earthiness that reminds me of some Loire valley Chenin Blanc. Incredible complexity with fruit, marzipan, soil, and an underpinning of mild oxidative qualities that are held tightly in check and great acidity. Just a flat out great white wine in a unique style. We enjoyed this. |
| Red |
2005 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña TondoniaTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
10/18/2020 - drwine2001 wrote: NRBeautiful clear ruby almost to the edge. After being gently oxygenated for 4 hours, this was still quite taut, but another hour in the decanter unlocked things. Subtle pine aromas and creosote. Light to medium body, but it grew and added flesh over time. Dry, uncompromising boysenberry and blackberry fruit with a dash of herbs and cranberry acidity, then a tannic finish drenched with stone. There is more to it than a 2004 Tondonia that we recently tasted, and I loved the way it steadily, inexorably unfolded with air, but this still seems to require more time to be at its best. Its structure had no problem knifing through a well marbled ribeye steak, and the combination brought back wonderful memories of drinking Rioja and devouring chuleton in Spain-ahh, what I would give to be able to travel again... 9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2015 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de ThalabertSyrah more |
12/1/2018 - drwine2001 wrote: NREarly test drive after 6 hours of aeration in the bottle. Deep ruby, but not opaque or thick. Early black olive and rather pungent fennel, but then after letting it sit open, faint floral notes and more of the typical black fruit and anise. Medium weight, clean, good intensity, fine ripe fruit with excellent soil and bolstering acidity. Moderately tannic finish. Promising wine that I'd personally be inclined to revisit 6 or 8 years down the road. I get the sense that this is being made in a more approachable style than the Thalabert of old (I'm thinking of the 1978 and 1990, for example, both of which drank beautifully for over 20 years), but this still should last and age very well. 9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2010 Bodegas Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado EneaTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
10/2/2018 - drwine2001 wrote: NRRuby, redolent of blackberry and plum with trailing pine. Great maturity of the fruit without any evident overripeness, and magically, it still possesses strong acidity which gives it liveliness. Buried tannins. Modern in the sense of density and amplitude of fruit, and probably leans more toward Torre Muga than classic vintages of Prado Enea. Exquisitely balanced and built to improve for decades. Structurally, it reminded me of some 2010 Barolos which are similarly packed without being overwrought. I can see why people have been so impressed with this wine. 9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3) |
| Red |
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco BarbarescoNebbiolo more |
12/2/2019 - drwine2001 wrote: NRLight ruby core. My word, this is all about balance. Everything you want is there in understated, discrete proportion-tobacco leaf, gently sweet cherry, fine acidity, citrus peel, and minerality. The tannic structure is long and fine grained, and did not suggest that this was likely to shut down and become sullen, at least at any time soon. It is probably well worth having a good quantity of this on hand to follow regularly over the next 15 years or so, during which it should age gracefully. 9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2005 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée RéservéeRed Rhone Blend more |
5/13/2015 - drwine2001 wrote: NRTasted with the 2004. Light ruby. At once, cleaner than the bottle of 2004 and much more developed, secondary aromatics. Leaner and lighter, more tobacco leaf and leather and considerable fading of fruit. Dry, tannic finish. Not very appealing tonight, and the question is whether it is too young or too old. Based on this bottle, I am worried, suspect the latter explanation, and would advise checking in on any stock that you own so that you can draw your own conclusions. Last tasted 5 years ago, when it exhibited more brett but more promise. |
| Red |
2015 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de ThalabertSyrah more |
11/12/2020 - drwine2001 wrote: NRAerated for 4 hours in bottle. Deep color but not quite opaque. Strong initial whiff of olive, then candied black fruit. Medium weight but nice ripe sappy feel. Ripe, tangy boysenberry with an earthy base and excellent acidity. Roundly tannic. Quite beautiful depth and purity of fruit, but still waiting for more complexity to arrive. 8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva MontestefanoNebbiolo more |
12/5/2021 - drwine2001 wrote: NR2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Crus Plus a Few Older Produttori Wines (San Francisco): Deep ruby. Somber black fruit aromas. Blueberry fruit, great acidity and salinity, real sap overlying a ton of structure. Terroir-driven wine. This seems incredible too and right up there at the level of Asili and Rabaja, but it is larger scaled and more backward than either of those wines. One to be buried deeply in the cellar. |
| Red - Fortified |
1994 Dow Porto VintagePort Blend more |
5/2/2023 - drwine2001 wrote: NRTasting at Graham’s (Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal): Maturing rim. Powerful, backward, almost sweaty nose with a bit of herb. Moderately sweet but dry and stern in comparison to the rest. More concentrated than the Warre, uplifting citrus, long finish. Outstanding potential but needs at least another decade. |
| Red |
2004 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée RéservéeRed Rhone Blend more |
7/7/2017 - drwine2001 wrote: NRRuby with some tawniness at rim. Explosive nose of ripe red fruit and olives. Medium to full bodied with superb, meaty, mouth coating feel. Amazingly fresh pomegranate and fig fruit that is naturally sweet but not stewed. Complex array of savory elements-licorice, bark, and spice. Framed by excellent acidity and an orange twist. No brettanomyces on this bottle. The last of my bottles of this and what a way to finish! I've gravitated away from Chateauneuf, but this is the best I have had in a long while, and everything I used to look for in these wines. Assertive and interesting without being too heady. |
| Red |
2006 Bodegas Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado EneaTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
4/13/2023 - drwine2001 wrote: NROpened 3 hours beforehand. Deep, primary ruby. A touch of VA and fennel aromas. Incredibly rich, round, dense, and chocolaty with a hint of pine. Full bodied, ripe cassis and blackberry, strong acidity, and generous, yielding tannins. Amazingly young and powerful, not at all in the more subtle Lopez de Heredia style. Modern in the sense of its volume but not the degree of woodiness. This was a fantastic bottle with a good 15 years ahead of it. |
| Red |
2016 Château Pontet-CanetPauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more |
7/25/2019 - drwine2001 wrote: NRThe Wine Club Tour de France (San Francisco): Deep ruby. Perfect ripeness, backward, serious, outstanding length. Classic Pauillac, a real winner that is amazingly easy to taste at this young stage since it is superbly balanced. 7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña TondoniaTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
8/21/2020 - drwine2001 wrote: NRLight ruby. When first opened, it was lean (completely without texture) and green, with a predominant and aggressive tone of fennel. I was not convinced that time in a decanter would help, but I was wrong. What emerged 4 hours later was a medium bodied wine with a much better mouth feel, blackberry fruit that approached but did not achieve real sweetness, and a firm, earthy, very mineral core. The green had pulled back to a more gentle, high toned menthol. In the end, very good but clearly not an ethereally silky or particularly charming Lopez de Heredia wine. I was really impressed with this in 2016, but 2 subsequent bottles have not been nearly as good. At any rate, I've got two words of advice for anyone opening one over the near term: decant it! 7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2008 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña TondoniaTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
2/2/2022 - drwine2001 wrote: NROpened and poured. Even, deep ruby. Medium body. Initially sour cherry, high acidity, and very astringent oak. Leathery feel. The fruit quickly blossomed and sweetened to some extent, although it remained pretty taut and lean at this stage. The wood has a dill pickle quality that is problematic for me. Not a positive impression at first blush, but half of the bottle is now recorked to be retasted tomorrow or the next day. |
| Red |
2016 Oddero Barolo VilleroNebbiolo more |
1/28/2023 - drwine2001 wrote: NRLa Festa del Barolo (Los Angeles) Grand Tasting (Marino Restaurant, Los Angeles): Beautiful aromas, weight, and sappiness. Outstanding balance of fruit and tar elements with late spice and citrus. Classic dry, tannic finish. I retasted this and confirmed that it was one of my favorite wines of the day. Outstanding aging potential. |
| Red |
2016 Vietti Barolo CastiglioneNebbiolo more |
5/21/2020 - drwine2001 wrote: NRCurious to try a 2016 Barolo, so... Clear light ruby core. Aromas on the tobacco/herb/tar side of Nebbiolo. Light to medium weight, both black and dark red fruit backed by anise. Just a trace of upfront sweetness of fruit quickly closed down by the more savory components. Late powerful acidity and soil, quite tannic finish. This is youthful, classic, and quite penetrating in the mouth. While it is by no means unapproachable, it would be silly to burn through too many bottles before it reaches at least age 10 and has had more of a chance to unfold. Excellent potential. |
| Red |
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco BarbarescoNebbiolo more |
11/20/2020 - drwine2001 wrote: NRDecanted for 3 hours. Even ruby. Fragrant menthol and cherry. Perfectly poised, medium weight. Tobacco, brown spice, red fruit, and earth with fine grained tannins to finish. Another wonderful young bottle of this, and it hasn't shut down yet despite the tannins that are chewy and persistent. I love the bit of austerity and bitterness on the finish. This will continue to be my go to "house Nebbiolo" until it convinces me that it needs to sleep for a while...or the 2017 appears in the market and spares my remaining bottles from the fate of being drunk much too early. 7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6) |
| Red - Fortified |
2003 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto VintagePort Blend more |
5/1/2023 - drwine2001 wrote: NRVisit to Taylor’s (Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal): Powerful fig and cinnamon on the nose. Massive but excellent liveliness. Pure, sweet fruit, not the roasted character that I feared from this year. Medium finish. Huge and still simple. Lord only knows when this might be mature. |
| White - Sparkling |
2008 Dom Pérignon ChampagneChampagne Blend more |
10/20/2019 - drwine2001 wrote: NRA Small Fraction of the Wines at K&L's Champagne Tent Tasting (San Francisco): Well, what can I say? It's Dom Perignon, and despite being an easy target, it stole the show. Fantastically taut, fresh, bright, and bursting with energy because of the huge but ripe acidity. At the beginning of the road, but wow, should have decades of evolution in front of it. Reminiscent of the young 1996. |
| Red |
2010 Bartolo Mascarello BaroloNebbiolo more |
10/27/2016 - drwine2001 wrote: NRDeep and dark. Wonderful scent of black cherry, herbs, and soil. Atypically dense for Nebbiolo. Backward, long, complex, full of tobacco, and tannic. An infant, although a precocious one at that. This should be glorious. Impeccably balanced, so much so that it is a real pleasure even now. 6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2) |
| Red |
2005 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña TondoniaTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
11/14/2018 - drwine2001 wrote: NRDeep ruby with slightly tawny rim. A bit denser and more compact than the 2006 that we tasted at the winery a few days ago. Very much in the same style as that wine-lean, high acid, black fruited, and mineral, although I found this to be drier. The cherry fruit is pretty much buried by the structure. In a grumpy, closed phase now. |
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