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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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1996 Château Lestage-Simon
Haut-Médoc
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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The last of the lot from my 2016 purchase. It did not disappoint for a 27yr old Bordeaux.
The cork fell apart but I was able to limit the breakup to only three pieces. There was a slight musty and sour aroma coming from the bottle so I thought it was possibly flawed or past its prime. I was mistaken!
- Appearance: Very orange on the rim with elegant drippy legs.
- Nose: Big minerality with flour and cherry juice notes. Slightly poopy diaper which may have been the cab franc penetrating the surface.
- Palate: Nice smoothness, almost Burgundian quality. Graphite, Berry and Forest floor followed by chocolate and subdued tannins.
- Finish: 19 beautiful seconds of a trip to Bordeaux and back. I am very impressed about the staying quality of this wine but I think you should drink now before it’s too late.
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Red
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2002 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon Jack London Vineyard
Sonoma Valley
more
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Drank for my daughter’s 21st birthday with friends. What a wonderful example of a well-made Cali Cab! CT drinking window showed to 2014 but this still has 10yrs more left in it here in 2023!
Very clear for a 21yr old and pretty tight and spicy on the initial nose. Smooth on the palate with alcohol and fruit, mentholyptus and graphite. It opened up after a bit of a decant (30mins) and really showed its true colors. Very impressive! I am going to add more Kenwood Jack London to my portfolio.
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Red
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2015 Et Fille Pinot Noir Kalita Vineyard
Yamhill-Carlton
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Day-1 = 85pts
The color was immediately intriguing. For a 2015 I thought it would look younger. After tasting, my thoughts were comfirmed - this is on the downhill slide. Drink 'em if you have the 2015...
Pale garnet with clear edges, clear burgundy color with thin colorless legs.
The nose exhibits clean, light + intensity, florality with slight rose and lavender and berry fruit with spice pefume. Slight scotch tape and minerality with a hint of pipe smoke.
Dry, med- acid, low tannins, med+ body. Shows Vess cola and cranberry juice, slight cherry and meat fat with some minerality.
Finish = 18secs
The 12.7% alcohol was an attractive attribute but it may the Achilles heel for this wine. Hopefully this may all change on subsequent tasting days.
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White
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2019 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli
Finger Lakes
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Day-1 = 88
Day-2 = 88
Pale lemon with legs quickly turning to droplets on the glass. Diamond clearness.
It is clean with a medium intensity. Pine needles overpower the beginning and then fade to tones of cannabis, minerality and lemon. There is also a hint of campfire and vanilla.
The palate shows off-dry, high acid, medium body with lemon zest and grapefruit upfront and heat alcohol on the way down. Slight petrol and switchgrass...
Finish = 22seconds, the blast of tart fruit, fading quickly, indicates youth
Tasted with a NY brie-style cheese and cacao infused shortbread. It went very well with these on their own but not very good when all combined. Also tried it with a NY Gouda/Cheddar/Truffle chees but this was not a very good complement to the Rkatsiteli.
This is an interesting varietal, apparently the oldest in the world, that is reminiscent of a French Chenin Blanc.
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White
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2010 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Wolff Vineyard Edna Valley
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Day-1 = 87pts
Day-2 = 95pts
Crystal clear but deep golden color for this 10yr-old beauty. It remibds me of a wonderful clear jewel. Clear legs quickly form and drip on the edge while bigger, slow dripping legs continue to form and drop and repeat for several minutes.
The nose is clean with pronounced intensity. If blind tasted, it could pass as a red wine. There is olive and minerality and slight bitterness and slight MA with slight chalk and asparagus, caramel bacon grease and alcohol on the nose.
The palate is dry with high acid, full body and is very, very smooth. I got slight graphite, mushroom gin, candy apple and nutiness and pecan.
Finish = 1min 10secs
Lemon, honey, minerality, yeast, wet rock, grass, chalkboard, meatiness, mineral water...
Conclusion: The first day was a bit of a letdown. But on day-2 it lived up to its reputation, coming back with avengance. So smooth, so flavorful, so BEAUTIFUL! Mount Eden Vineyards never dissapoints - It will remain my favorite!
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Red
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1996 Château Lestage-Simon
Haut-Médoc
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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Day-1 = 85pts
Day-2 = 88pts
Comparison Ch. Lamothe 2017 vs. Ch. Lestage Simon 1996:
I did a comparison of a 1996 and 2017 Haut-Medoc, similarly-styled wines. The 1996 was somewhat undrinkable on day-1 so I waited until day-2 to make the comparison. Wow! What a difference a day makes!
I was amazed at the similarities in the base nose and palate of the two wines, even though they are years apart in age. The terrior was unmistakeable and the 1996 finally opened up well on day-2. I would venture to say that I would prefer drinking the 1996 over the 2017 for the time being. Add a little food to the mix and Iwiuld definitely choose the older version.
- Chateau Lestage Simon
Very slight opaqueness but mostly crystal clear. 99% clear - surprising for a 25yr-old. Medium tawny, colorless thick clear, drippy legs.
On the palate it is dry, high acid, low tannins, full body, flat coca-cola, slight cocoa, tart cherry juice, smooth on the throat, slight minerality like chalk, slight mint.
Finish = 26 seconds - tart cherry to cola to bottle cap candy to mini-wheat cereal and quickly to nothing.
The Ch. Lestage 1996 is past its primebut can still stand up after some decanting. I am astounded by the similarities in terrior on the nose and palate vs. the 2017 Haut-Medoc.
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Red
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2017 Château Lamothe
Haut-Médoc
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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Comparison Ch. Lamothe 2017 vs. Ch. Lestage Simon 1996:
I did a comparison of a 1996 and 2017 Haut-Medoc, similarly-styled wines. The 1996 was somewhat undrinkable on day-1 so I waited until day-2 to make the comparison. Wow! What a difference a day makes!
I was amazed at the similarities in the base nose and palate of the two wines, even though they are years apart in age. The terrior was unmistakeable and the 1996 finally opened up well on day-2. I would venture to say that I would prefer drinking the 1996 over the 2017 for the time being. Add a little food to the mix and Iwiuld definitely choose the older version.
- Chateau Lamothe 2017
100% crystal clear medium deep purple juice. Slow-forming thin colorless legs.
Clean youthfulness, ripe strawberry, slight kernel, bite of alcohol, ink, paint, graphite and wheat on the nose.
Dry and low acid on the palate. Medium tannins, big cereal and wheat, moving to graphite, currant and blueberry, which gives way to cocoa powder, coffee grinds and asphalt. Finally there are tar overtonesand slight dark chocolate tastes on the back of the tongue.
Finish = 58 seconds - green pepper overtones to pencil lead to wet granite to bread and wheat and finally mineral water and then nothingness.
This is not a bad showing for the price of $14.99 but I think it could use a little more age. It is indicative of a Haut-Medoc. Comparing this to the 1996 was really interesting. I imagine with the higher alcohol content,this could last for another 15yrs. But in the end, I prefer drinking the 1996 right now.
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Red
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2009 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve
Napa Valley
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- Just Opened = 84pts - complex and youthful, lots of mint
- 3hr Decant = 87pts - complex, very fruit forward and heavy.
Deep garnet, hazy, big and colorful legs - resembles a paso robles CDR style or Australian shiraz - looks like Nyquil.
Nice and clean on the nose, med+ intensity. It started off with slate, cherry juice, huge mint leaf, cola bean, vegetal (asparagus) and sulphuric acid / After 3hr decant it was much more subdued but much more fruity - cherry, plum, vanilla, cherry cola, bottle cap candy, slight mint and slight gasoline.
Very dry on the palate, med+ tannins, huge body, my lips are still grippy after one minute! Cocoa powder, ripe bing cherry, firecracker, very fruit and alcohol forward. Reminds me of a sweet bourbon, slight wheat and switchgrass.
It may be deceiving me by the alcohol and fruit but this probably has 20yrs+ remaining on it.
I see this wine going one of two ways:
1. It will become refined and beautiful.
2. It will become a mishmash of fruit, alcohol and tannins with stewed fruit like spoiled red apples.
It is good with steak and dark chocolate.
This wine is not worth the price I have paid for it over the years. I think a value price for this would be about $15 but that is nowhere near what I and others pay for it.
I have one left which I'll keep for when my kid turns 21.
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White
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2001 i Clivi 140 months Brazan
Collio Goriziano
Friulano, Sauvignonasse more
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Very good but on the downhill slide.
- Golden appearance with thick drippy legs, beading into droplets after 30secs.
- Aroma floral and petrol with slight lemon juice. Young up-front on the nose with undertones of age rising to the surface.
- Palate on the downside. Very petrol and oily. Slight clay and grass, some slight minerality.
It was not very good with curry lamb and NY cheese but palatable. The finish was like a flat ginger-ale. Quickly fades into nothingness.
This one won't last much longer...
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Red
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2017 La Miraja Grignolino d'Asti
more
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High acidity but not much substance. Finish lingers only a few seconds. For this price US$20 level there are many more options.
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Red
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2015 Inniskillin Pinot Noir
Niagara Peninsula VQA
more
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2Hr Decant
Appearance: Deep Pink to Pale Ruby, clear, quick, clear drooping legs
Nose: Clean, pronounced intensity, strong acetone/alcohol, smokiness, meatless, charcoal, very bright and young aromas
Palate: Dry, Med+ Acid, Med++ Tannins, Med+ Body, Very tart, we'll balanced but not exactly indicative of Pinot Noir, green fruit and lemon overtones, wet bread...
Finish/Conclusions:
Finish = 34Secs
- Starts with big tannins, pencil lead and moves to tangy fruit then to bread crust and quickly to nothingness
- Reminds me more of Beaujolais or can franc blend than pinot noir
- pleasant wine for $12 price tag and nicely done for a Canadaian wine
- may need more cellar time, recommended between 2017-2021
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Red
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1987 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Seven Hills Vineyard
Walla Walla Valley
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Day-1:
- Out of Bottle: very tight and tart, lots of sediment, didn't rate it at this point, I'd like to try again after some O2.
- 1Hr Decant: 90Pts
Pale tawny, slight cloudiness w/ sediment, clear sheen and legs on appearance. Clean, med+ intensity, minerality, stewed fruit, prune, wet rock, sea spray, firecracker on nose! Dry, tart, med+ acid, med tannin, full body, raisin, black cherry, slight herbaceous, black cherry, green pepper on palate.
Finish = 20secs with pleasant lingering tines. It is opening up quite nicely. If I was tasting blindly I'm not sure if I'd like it as much. But as it stands after one hour I give it a 90 for longevity. I am struck by the high acidity!
- 8Hr Decant and Day-5:
Pale to Med Tawny now, clear, slight floating sediment and clear legs for the the appearance. Clean, Med tannins, wet red brick, antiseptic, stewed fruit on the nose. Off dry, low+ acid, low tannin, full+ body, Apple juice, kirsch, slight meatiness on palate.
Finish = 21secs fruity blast, bread, cracker, lingering fruit. Essence of fruit and 1987 has finally arrived on the palate - beautiful!!! Now that sediment has settled the wine has shown its true colors. I love it!!! More remaining to try on day-6.
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Red
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2014 Cosentino Winery Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
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Day-4: 85Pts - Med purple and deep clarity, colorful jammy legs to the eyes. Clean, slight funk, pronounced intensity cigar spice, deep fruit, tobacco leaf to the nose. Dry, low tannin, full+ body, chocolate, maple syrup, pipe tobacco, manure, Bacon grease to the palate. Finish came in at a whopping 43secs!!! Started at bid fruit onto meat onto hay onto bread onto sour candy onto yeast onto nothingness.
Very complex but cheaply put-together wine. This is one to drink after going through all the good stuff. Not a bad last resort though. Drink now to 2030.
Day-10: 87Pts - butter, campfire, perfume on nose. Chocolate powder, grippy tannins on palate. Finish at 19secs. Dark fruit onto chocolate moving to bread.
It got better with a bit more time. This will likely last a bit longer. Drinking window still recommended 2017-2030.
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Red
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2014 Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée de La Cure
Cabernet Franc more
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Day-4: Great balance, nice example of a great Loire Cab. Franc. Needs more aging but still very nice.
Appearance: Med ruby, clear, slight color in quick forming legs.
Nose: Clean, med+ intensity, gamay-like nose, funky at first, slight earthiness, minerality
Palate: Dry, med acid, low tannin, full body, peach, red sour grape, slight Hershey fudge powder, sulphur, slight meatiness, steak fat, cherry kool-aide
Finish/Conclusion: Finish = 35secs - earthiness headed to red fruit to Apple to yeast into final blandness
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Red
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2013 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Domaine Eden
Santa Cruz Mountains
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Day-2: I love this offering from Mt. Eden. At about half the price of a first growth, the Domaine Eden Cab. Sauv. Allows you to get a hint of the beauty of the Mt. Eden wines.
- Appearance: Pale purple, large colorful quick-forming legs, beautiful clarity
- Nose: Clean, med+ intensity, movie popcorn butter, blacktop, plastic, asparagus, spice, charcoal, pipe smoke
- Palate: Dry, med acid, full body, stewed fruit, essence of blacktop, tar, red currant pops, cherry cobbler
- Finish/Conclusion/Pairing: A whopping 45secs on the finish! Cherry juice moving to graphite moving to twig to bread crust to dough and finally receding into pleasant memories. I would pair this with heavy cheeses and fatty red meat.
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Red
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2013 Maison Albert Bichot Morgon Les Charmes
Gamay more
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Day-10: Another one I opened and forgot about until today. I decided to give it a try before putting down the drain. I'm glad I did...
- Appearance: Med purple, slightly hazy but mostly clear. Large, clear legs.
- Nose: Clean, very characteristic of Gamay, Strawberry lollipop, med+ intensity.
- Palate: Dry, med+ acidity, low tannin, full body, licorice hints, flat Coca-Cola, orange peel, Southern comfort reminders from my college days
- Finish/Conclusion/Pairing: Finish is only 9secs but I contribute that to the length of time opened. This is a well put-together wine at a great price. I think the length of time opened actually helped subdue its youth. I would estimate that it deserves another 5-10yrs cellaring. This would go well chilled with ham, turkey and cheese sammiches on the beach in summer.
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Red
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2011 Ridge Zinfandel Buchignani Ranch
Sonoma County
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Day-10: I opened this a couple weekends ago and forgot about it in the fridge. I thought I'd give it a try today and was pleasantly surprised.
Med Ruby, slow forming clear legs on the appearance. Clean, med+ intensity, yogurt and sour cream hints, potpourri and smooth cherry juice on the nose. Dry, low+ acid, med tannins, full+ body, milk chocolate, blueberry syrup, prune juice and cassis on the palate.
The finish was 24secs, slowly changing into a pleasant aftertaste. Overall a pretty good wine even after 10 days since opening. I don't think it was this good after just opening.
I would pair this with pepperoni pizza or just drink on its own.
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White
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2001 i Clivi Galea
Friuli Colli Orientali
Friulano, Sauvignonasse more
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Day-1
- 1st opened: 88 Pts - Deep gold, pale amber, clear with apparent dust specks in appearance. Clean with must, slight soap, slight minerality, grassy, petrol approaching gasoline, slight perfume on nose. Low acid, match stick, grapefruit, lemon peel, veggie bitterness on palate. Decent finish but needs time to open up. Still a bit tight after just opening.
- 4Hr Decant: 88 Pts - Clean and fruitier than first opened, slight mint, hints of perfume and clay, could be easily confused with a red just on the nose. Dry, low acid, med+ body, grape juice, peat moss, wood resin, pinecone on palate. Not a bad finish at 15secs. Reminds me of drinking an alpine forest.
Day-2
88 Pts - clean with increased minerality, clay and dough on the nose. Dry, low acid continues, apricot, licorice, pepper, cedar and woodiness on palate. Finish now at 18secs.
Overall Impression: This is a nice wine that is over its prime and should be consumed soon. It reminds me of a great Chenin Blanc from Loire. It got better after a lengthy decant and on day-2. It seems like a good wine on its own or with sweet foods. Paring notes below:
- Great = Dark chocolate covered almonds
- (OK)Good = Beer battered fried cod with bulldog sauce and mayo, scrambled eggs, Bacon, summer sausage
- Bad = fried fish without sauce, fried asparagus, Mexican chorizo
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Red
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1990 Leonetti Cellar Merlot Washington
more
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Drank blind with friends. It was acceptable for a 25yr old wine that was kept in marginal conditions. My friends seemed to like it blind. They thought it was only 10-12 yrs old.
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Red
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1990 Leonetti Cellar Merlot Washington
more
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One of two 1990s was still okay. This bottle was too old.
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Red
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2013 Dr. Konstantin Frank Cabernet Franc
Finger Lakes
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96Pts
After a Lenten sacrifice of wine drinking, the Dr. Konstantin Frank Cab Franc 2013 was a great choice. I can't say that I was completely successful in my Lenten endeavor but I tried - hard!
There's not too many wines that I'll award such high an honor of 96pts. But this one is worth it. Everything shines old world - relatively light alcohol of 13%, earthiness, acidity...
Appearance:
Pale-medium purple, beautiful clarity, no real leg formation, more like a pinot noir.
Nose:
Clean with light intensity. Char, burnt rubber - indicative of an oaken newer Nebbiolo. Sea spray, dust, chalkiness, hay. Much more old world than expected.
Palate:
Dry, Med-acid, low tannin, full body. Pepper, earth, blueberry maple syrup, delicious purity, tartness.
Conclusions:
This seems to be a high-quality wine at a very reasonable price. The attention to detail is astounding. It is one of the best cab francs I've ever tasted. Wow! A Beauty!
Finish = 31 secs - starts with fruit and earth and moved to autolytic.
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Red
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2006 Château Larteau
Bordeaux Supérieur
Merlot more
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Very pleased with this wine but very sad that it is my last. I think this one can go another 8-9yrs so I was a bit surprised to find the CT window ending at 2017. The tannins are still huge. The finish was on the shorter end (22secs) but I prefer if the wine gives its best and doesn't try to impress with a very long finish that usually leads to unpleasant flavors.
Day-1:
Pale purple with slow forming, clear thin legs.
The nose is clean with med+ intensity. I really like the nose on this. I am waiting in anticipation for the first taste. Rain water, earthiness, perfume spice, dust, play dough, palate wood. The aromas slightly burn my nose. It reminds me of an old warehouse full of shipping crates.
It is very dry (I sneezed and itched my scalp after the first sip). Med+ tannins - quickly fading and then lingering for several seconds. Full body. A bit of dark chocolate, steak gristle, blast of deep cherry dissapearing as quickly as it appears. Lingering flavors are of ash, bread crust and granite.
Finish = 22secs
The finish is perfect. It is shorter than others I've tried but I prefer the well put-together wines no matter the finish time.
Pair With: steak, bread and cheeses. This would also be great with hot Caramel apple pie a la mode.
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Red
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NV Wente Vineyards Winemakers Cuvée
Livermore Valley
Red Blend more
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Tried on a Delta flight. I tried it because I wanted to see what they're offering on airline flights these days. Delta did a good job here. At $8 for 187ml, though, it is way overpriced. Won't make the mistake of not looking at the price before purchase. Lesson learned.
Nose: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, slightly buttery, cherry juice, perfume.
Palate: High oak - not unpleasant just a lot of oak on this. Chocolate, bread, olives, Halls cough drop. Simplistic.
Finish = 30+ secs indicating to me that this is balanced and well done. It comes across as a decent wine.
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Red
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2010 Parusso Langhe Nebbiolo
Langhe DOC
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Day-1 = 85 Pts
Day-6 = 87 Pts
This one is too young to drink now. I think it could last several more years. Very, very grippy tannins and dryer than the Sahara. Fruit and sand was my first impression.
Appearance: Pale garnet, beautiful crystal-clear shine, slightly colored thin legs.
Nose: Clean, Med+ intensity, wet hay, burnt rubber, pool water, funky floral, ink. Very indicative of recent Barolo with too much oak - I don't care for the overpowering oakiness/wood on Nebbiolo. After opening a bit it changes to fruit and floral. Possibly in need of more decant on day-1.
Palate: Dry, very slight acid, High+ tannins - almost too much indicating that I opened this too soon. Seemed to hold a grip on my gums for at least 20secs. Dried fruit up front headed to blandness and lingering wood. This is a very slow developing wine and I expect it will continue for years to come. I think it can last 15-20 more years. I should've waited until 2020 to open this one. As tannins subside and wine settles a bit this could be a good, cheaper alternative to the more expensive Barolos. For that it scores high in my book as a great value.
Conclusion/Pariing: Finish = 70 secs --- Fruit headed to bread and doughiness which fades over a minute later. Still lingers even after 2mins!!! This is an interesting one and I wish I had more to try later.
Paired well with Boston Market rotisserie chicken and pecan pie.
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Red
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2011 Domaine Lafage Côtes du Roussillon Bastide Miraflors
Syrah Blend, Syrah more
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Day-3 = 87 Pts
This is a nice, seemingly long-lasting Syrah blend. Nothing is overpowering on this one. It is very well balanced, yet complex. It has kept well over a few days and being open may be the reason for the subdued tannins. I think I remember it had high tannins on day-1. This is decent for the investment.
Appearance: Deep purple, very slight haze, large colorful legs.
Nose: Clean, Med Intensity. In inky with raisin and wet grass. Tatami mat and slight bok choy. Cabbage, fermented fruit and lots of pepper.
Palate: Dry, Med tannins, full body. Pepper and fruit very nicely balanced. Bitter chocolate powder, twig and a bit of campfire.
Finish = 40 secs and lingering
This would pair well with a variety of breads and cheeses and any meat excluding fish.
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