| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2016 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Mountainmore |
4/22/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis was a real treat. Sonoma fruit at its best. The bouquet was a ringer for a 2nd or 3rd classe Margaux. Deep plush flavors and texture were classic California. |
| Red |
2010 Giovanni Sordo Barolo GabuttiNebbiolo more |
4/17/2024 - O'Meara wrote: NRDrank over three hours following a 2-hour decant. This is a bit ho-hum. It is definitely in the drinking window. It opens with more vibrant fruit, which fades about an hour in. There is not much density and the texture is on the lean side. It could be going through a dumb phase, but I suspect it is just not that exciting. If you have these in your cellar, you could roll the dice and be rewarded for more cellar time, but I would not recommend it. Drink up. |
| Red |
2000 Les Forts de LatourPauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more |
4/14/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRDecanted for two hours before enjoying with dinner. Tell-tale Latour scents of almonds, mint, green tobacco, and of course, cassis. This has plenty of energy to continue to evolve for a decade, but it’s wonderful now. Expressive and integrated with fruit that is still fresh. Drink or hold. |
| Red |
2018 Poderi Aldo Conterno Langhe Nebbiolo Il FavotLanghe DOC more |
4/12/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is a nice light Nebbiolo that is perfect for a casual weekday dinner. It has enough complexity to keep me interested, but it’s not breaking the bank or detracting from the food. Quaffable. |
| Red |
2009 Château Malartic-LagravièrePessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more |
4/9/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is a nice Pessac wine with a modern edge. The bouquet is ripe dark fruit with green olive, tobacco, crushed rocks, and, of course, cassis. The fruit is polished, but the tannins are a little coarse for the vintage. Does that make sense? I hope so. The finish is surprisingly long. I think the tannins will be more integrated in another 5 years, and then it should be rewarding. In the meantime, I will do my best to keep my hands off the remainder of the case, but it will be difficult because I think it would be a good entry into Bdx for a Cali fan. |
| Red |
2021 Quilceda Creek CVR Columbia ValleyRed Bordeaux Blend more |
4/6/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRA full bodied wine that is incredibly youthful. Smooth and symmetrical with a healthy lavishing of new oak. It’s lacking the density and nuance of its big brother, but it punches above its weight class. This needs several years to really hit its stride, but it’s so easy to drink now that you might have a hard time keeping it in your cellar. Drink or HOLD. |
| Red |
2018 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Natalie Silver BeltSonoma Coast more |
4/4/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRReady to go with 30 minutes of air and it keeps improving. A very fine example of Sonoma Pinot Noir. This probably gets better for the next five to ten years. It has the stuffing to go the distance. |
| Red |
2009 Château Lafon-RochetSt. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more |
3/26/2024 - O'Meara wrote: NRSimilar to my note from 2022. It is smooth but reticent. I wonder if this will ever be a generous wine like many of the 2009 Bdx. Time will tell. Hold if you can. |
| Red |
2014 Château d'ArmailhacPauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more |
3/14/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is a nice down the middle pauillac. It is medium body with mostly red and some dark fruits. The tannins are ripe and delicious. It’s appropriately dense for a 5th growth. Still mostly primary and young. This should improve with another 3-5 years of cellaring. No harm in opening one now with a 2+ hour decant. Drink or hold. |
| Red |
2015 La Fortuna Brunello di MontalcinoSangiovese more |
3/14/2024 - O'Meara wrote: NRRather four square. Reserved bouquet and restrained red fruit palate. This did improve with a couple of hours in a decanter, but it’s still thin. I’ve had this producer before from a 15-year old bottle, and that showed much better. Given this vintage, I would expect a greater abundance of fruit. Time will tell if this fleshes out, but I’m not holding my breath. Drink or hold. |
| Red |
2013 Fattoria Galardi Terra di LavoroCampania IGT Aglianico more |
2/5/2024 - O'Meara wrote: NRSeemed tight and needing more time. On day two it was clearly better with more of the characteristic flavors for this wine. Hold. |
| Red |
2015 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di MontalcinoSangiovese more |
1/31/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is a nice wine in a nice spot. It needs a couple of hours in the decanter to start showing well. Scents of cherry, raspberry, bay leaf, white pepper. The flavors are inline with a somewhat chalky tannic structure and a nice lingering finish. If I had more, I’d sit on these for another 5-10 years. Pleasurable now with a decant, but missing those lovely mature notes. Worth it at $50-60. |
| Red |
2018 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Neighbors Series Joe's Spademore |
1/29/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is, if I dare say, a rather feminine style of oakville cab. I actually rather like it. I didn’t decant and drank it over three hours. It posses some nice, weedy cab fruit with a strong cassis flavor, an hint of menthol, and a decent amount of acidity so that I think this warrants another 3+ years of bottle age. The oak seems new and lightly toasted, but well judged. The finish and mid palate are a little lacking, but the finesse and charm upfront make this a nice drink for a dinner. Drink or hold. |
| Red |
2004 Mauro Sebaste Barolo BrunateNebbiolo more |
1/23/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is fully mature and ready to go. A quick decant off the sediment is all that is needed to enjoy this fine example of a Brunate. It has a lovely balsamic note on the bouquet that melds with porcini, spearmint, and of course roses and tar. It’s not the most complex on the palate, but it is a satisfying blend of cherries, strawberries, and orange zest. I won’t be seeking out anymore of these, but I would not hesitate to serve these to guests; and it would be a nice way to initiate a Nebbiolo newbie into the world of aged barolo. |
| Red |
2017 Occidental Pinot Noir Occidental StationSonoma Coast more |
1/16/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is a fantastic new world Pinot noir. It’s clear and vibrant red with a faint hint of purple. I drank this over the course of two days, and it kept evolving and improving. At the outset, it was reserved, but after about 90 minutes it came to life and featured typical Pinot notes of ripe red fruit, some lavender, and a faint hint of forest floor. The tannins were silky and the balance was very good. On day two the balance improved. The finish was impressively long. I’m holding my other bottles for another 3+ years. I bet this is at apogee in 10. Drink or hold. |
| Red |
2016 Groth Cabernet SauvignonOakville more |
1/12/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is a nice oakville wine. Not a blockbuster, but showing good typicity. I did not decant, but I consumed it over 4 hours and it kept improving. It’s mostly dark fruited with some red notes. Tannins are drying and still not fully integrated, and I’m not sure they ever will fully melt into the fruit. The bouquet is reticent but rather complex. Blueberry compote dominates with hints of green pepper, lilac, mint, and almond. I’d wait another three to five years…if I had more. This is still on the upswing. |
| Red |
2004 Uccelliera Brunello di MontalcinoSangiovese more |
1/5/2024 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is ready to go! You can uncork it and go or wait for a couple of hours and it holds its form. We didn’t decant, so some of the loamy and creosote scents and flavors may be from the sediment. But who cares?!? The are dark fruited Sangiovese flavors of dark cherry and hints of boysenberry with some orange zest in the finish. A symmetrical spine of acidity keeps things fresh and refined, while the nicely integrated but noticeable tannins remind you that this is montalcino and not Chianti. I see a year or three of upside here, but there is no reason to wait unless you LOVE tertiary flavors. Yum yum red wine dumb. |
| Red |
2014 Château Lynch-BagesPauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/31/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRMy first from a half case. New Year’s Eve. Vail. Upon the cork pull, it’s brooding and reserved. Drinkable and even gulpable, but there is clearly a lot hanging in reserve. It’s keeps on hitting new highs at every 30-minute interval in which I taste it. Four hours in, and this wine has revealed a good deal of its character. It’s slightly more red fruited than black fruited. It’s classical in nature and has cedar, graphite, and tobacco framing the Cabernet flavors, which have not of Pauillac green pepper…but not so much as to concern under-ripeness. Another 5-10 years will be rewarded…and instructive for the post-2010 Bdx fans. Drink or (better to) hold. |
| Red |
2011 Domaine de ChevalierPessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/10/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRI’ve always liked this wine, and tonight was no exception. It’s very smooth and juicy. The nose has a nice amount of complexity from red/black fruit to green tobacco and leather. It needs at least 60 minutes in the decanter before it really starts to shine. Then it keeps improving. While the vintage is maligned, this wine should change some minds. Drink now with a brief decant or old for another 5-10 years. |
| Red |
2007 Domenico Clerico Barolo PercristinaNebbiolo more |
12/10/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis was singing last night. A brief decant was all it took for the wine to wake up. A beguiling boquet of tar, roses, and herbs. Loads of cherry and layers of Monforte fruit with structure to boot. The tannins were melded into the wine and seamless. This is clearly modern, but in the best way possible. The wine is right in the drinking window. It balances primary fruit with secondary nuances and lovely mouthfeel. I’m sure this will continue to age well for another decade, but I would only suggest waiting if you are looking for tertiary notes to move more into the forefront. Enjoy! |
| Red |
2004 Château Smith Haut LafittePessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/9/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is ready to go and delicious. I decanted for sediment and then drank over three hours. It was in the zone the whole time with little change. In contrast to the Medoc from the same vintage, this seems to possess additional complexity and verve. It’s got all of the tell tale traits of a Pessac wine, and I wish I had another case of this for modest celebrations and midweek steak night. I would guess that this has a few more years at pleateau, but why wait? |
| Red |
2010 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Ghemme Collis CarellaeNebbiolo more |
12/5/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis was rocking…or shall I say, howling! Decanted for 90 minutes before consuming with a bagnacauda dinner. Pure fruit and wonderful northerly Nebbiolo flavors. This has more backbone than I initially thought. Drink or hold. |
| Red |
2017 Diego Conterno Barolo del Comune di Monforte d'AlbaNebbiolo more |
11/19/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is still grippy. I like the material, and it reminds me a bit of Castiglione on the nose but more Monforte on the palate. Certainly approachable now, but it really could use another 5-10 years for maximum enjoyment. It’s old school in its structure and use of slavonian oak, but it doesn’t strike me as very concentrated. I’d buy this for $50 maybe $70 as a nice representation of Monforte, but no more than that. |
| Red |
2004 Château Haut-BaillyPessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more |
11/17/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is a classically styled bordeaux from a great chateau (that I love) albeit a lesser year. I like it, but I won’t be seeking out any more of this vintage. It’s ready on the cork pull, but a 90 minute decant does help with its definition. There is a good dose of gravel scents along with green tobacco, thyme, cloves, and white pepper. The fruit is a nice mix of mostly red fruit with a touch of black fruit too. At this point, the palate is starting to get taken over by the structure and the tannins are bit underripe and woody. I think this is better drunk now rather than later. It probably will decline from here on out, but it’s Bdx, so you could gamble on this maintaining its plateau for several years. I’m drinking my last bottles in the next six months. |
| Red |
2009 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La DominodePinot Noir more |
11/8/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine: NRThis is ready and improved with about 90 minutes of air. As others have noted, this is a muscular almost burly wine. The structure is at the forefront of the wine, but the red fruits carry it well. It is just veering from primary to secondary and I think this has some improvement left. It’s a nice example of a lesser known climat from a good year. Drink or hold. |
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- Tasting notes: 352 notes on 253 wines
