Search Results - Save This Search

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

2016 Gianfranco Alessandria Barolo

 Nebbiolo more
Options

1/28/2024 - pepmi wrote: 92 points

This case of attractively priced Barolo ($30.00/bottle from Flatiron NYC) reinforced my experience with mid-tier Barolo -- they have an optimal drinking window one should adhere too. Let's say 7-8 years. Open too soon and experience a closed wine with overpowering organic notes and little fruit. Wait too long, and the tannins have subsided but so has the fruit. Open at the optimal time and one finds an open, balanced wine with complex notes of fruit and organics (leather, tobacco, cedar and so on). A long finish with tannins with alcohol and sugar in check. Unfortunately, one often discovers this optimal window by chance. Alas, I tend to drink Barolo too soon or too late.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

1990 Château Latour Grand Vin

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

12/31/2023 - pepmi wrote: 96 points

I bought this single bottle of the 1990 Chateau Latour for $99 USD from The Wine Library soon after its release -- and way before Gary Vaynerchuk became an internet phenom. Back then he was "employed" by his dad who owned the store. Enough of the history...

Very little sediment evidenced when decanting. Dark ruby red with absolute clarity and no browning on the edges. A clean nose mostly of alcohol and esters. An initial impression in the mouth of mustiness evidenced by all tasters. A replacement bottle was readied.

Within 30 minutes this dissipated and we all experienced a near perfect wine. Not much fruit. Primary notes of leather, earth and dry tobacco. Quite round, lush and full in the mouth. The finish was remarkably long with contrasting tension between sweet black fruit and tannins. These same tannins were teeth numbing moments before. Or maybe it was the alcohol...

The mustiness returned on the second glass 20 minutes later and stayed with us for the balance of the bottle. Not so off-putting to wish we were drinking something else -- rather just the slightest of annoyances. Otherwise this wine would have been a 98 or higher.

The drinking window on Cellar Tracker extends to 2060 but I would suggest drinking this wine within the next five years -- unless you have plenty of the 1990 Latour and are willing to take the chance.

1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2019 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge La Moussière

 Pinot Noir more
Options

12/31/2023 - pepmi wrote: 88 points

A very funky nose upon opening that fortunately blew off within minutes. Deep red concentration suggesting more Syrah than Pinot Noir. Plenty of dark fruit. Hot on the finish. While I enjoy sampling Pinot Noir from regions beyond Burgundy, there are times I wish the locals would have renamed the grape. A change in nomenclature eliminate comparisons to the benchmark and prompt a more neutral or even positive tasting note.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
White

2021 Francine et Olivier Savary Chablis Sélection Vieilles Vignes

 Chardonnay more
Options

12/31/2023 - pepmi wrote: 90 points

Drinking perfectly now. Bright yellow in the glass. Pervasive zesty lemons supported by the slightest touch of oak. Well balanced.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2017 Silvio Giamello Barbaresco Vicenziana

 Nebbiolo more
Options

12/28/2023 - pepmi wrote: 86 points

Substantial sediment upon decanting. Magenta at the center fading to a prism of browns and brickish reds. Legs dripping on all sides. An overwhelming nose of prunes and raisins.

If this were a blind tasting, I would have placed this wine as a decade or so older. Considerable tannins on the finish. The finish also hints at balsamic vinegar.

I have a hard time thinking this would improve further with age. It's lost the beauty of a Barberesco in only six years. Despite purchasing this bottle from a highly reputable retailer with impeccable cellaring, I have a suspicion this is aging faster than originally intended.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

1986 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

 Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

12/26/2023 - pepmi wrote: 86 points

Father time has caught of with this wine which is now a fading memory of its once glory. Thin was the common descriptor among the tasters.
We "suffered" through the decanter before opening the second bottle for Christmas dinner.

1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

1995 Château Potensac

 Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

12/26/2023 - pepmi wrote: 89 points

A strong performance following the 1986 La Mission Haut Brion in a two bottle Christmas dinner. The last bottle of a case purchased years ago. Cellar Tracker stats indicate I paid $20/bottle.

A delightful surprise and I am happy I did not review my most recent tasting note from a decade ago. A deep sea red of darkness in the glass following decanting. Quite viscous with noticeable legs and staining. Much vivacity in the mouth with notes of blackberry and cedar. The finish lasted longer than the time it took to empty the decanter.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2012 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Villero

 Nebbiolo more
Options

12/15/2023 - pepmi wrote: 86 points

Based on my tasting note from two years ago, I should have consumed this last bottle 23 months ago! Does anyone go back and read their tasting notes? Anyway...

Decanted. Noticeable browning on the rim. Color reminiscent of that worn maroon blazer from parochial school. A nose that reveals a 14.5% alcohol level. All that said, well balanced and round in the mouth. The heat on the finish though is off putting. Let's get it a try and see if it softens in time...

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)
Red

2000 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

12/3/2023 - pepmi wrote: 95 points

Day after notes. An credible wine with decades left. Almost zero sediment. Ethereal notes of cedar, tobacco, eucalyptus and blackberry.
Round in the mouth, exceptionally balanced with a finish that never stops. I have one bottle left and wish it was eleven.

5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
White

1992 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand

 Alsace Grand Cru more
Options

11/23/2023 - pepmi wrote: 85 points

A vestige of its former self. I once rated this wine a near perfect 98. A glimpse of a nectar honey slightly off on the finish with a tinge of rust. Much less unctuous than at its peak.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

1993 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate

 Napa Valley more
Options

11/23/2023 - pepmi wrote: 85 points

Alas, all good things must come to an end. The last of a case of Chateau Montelena from what will likely be the greatest California vintage of my lifetime. The overwhelming flavor note was of raisins. The family enjoyed the wine but it was not to my liking. C'est le vin.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2014 Fratelli Seghesio Barolo

 Nebbiolo more
Options

10/13/2023 - pepmi wrote: 88 points

The best and last of the three bottles I purchased. Decanted with fine sediment. A lovely garnet color in the glass. A nose of rose petal, subtle oak and a hint of alcohol. Broad in the mouth, the wine laps across the tongue and "seeks the cheeks". The finish is quite pronounced with just a touch of something vaguely metallic at the end that wafts up to the nasal passages. Metal is not quite right but I am at a loss for a different word. Not a flaw but a distraction once noticed.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

1986 Château Gruaud Larose

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

8/20/2023 - pepmi wrote: 88 points

Unfortunately, poor serving conditions impacted this experience and I'm not sure how much should be attributed to the wine itself. The suggested drinking window beginning in 2023 is out of sync with my view (from this bottle) that the wine was a few years past its peak.

How poor were the serving conditions? It's a warm summer evening and I brought the wine down to cellar temperature by chilling it for a while. The glassware was a step above glasses suitable to your morning juice. So, who knows how good or bad this bottle of wine was?

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2015 Château Greysac

 Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

7/31/2023 - pepmi wrote: 89 points

Echoing my earlier tasting note, this wine is an absolute steal at $18 a bottle. There is not a wine made in the USA (at that price point) that can match the Greysac for balance, food friendliness, dark fruit/leathery complexity and an alcohol level of 13.5% Do you want to know what most everyday, cabernet based wines tasted like before Parker or Global Warming, then give the 2015 Greysac a try. I have a Greysac from 2000 in the cellar -- should be fun to try this too.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2015 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa

 Sangiovese more
Options

6/10/2023 - pepmi wrote: 91 points

Decanted with virtually no sediment. The deepest, maroon-blazer color. Sweet Raspberries up front. Quite balanced and round in the mouth. Tannins provide a structure that suggests this wine will last another decade. A chewy muscularity without any fat. There is a certain amount of heat on the finish that doesn't detract from the pleasant, overall experience.

3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2010 Domaine Pavelot (Jean-Marc et Hugues) Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode

 Pinot Noir more
Options

5/13/2023 - pepmi wrote: 85 points

A subdued, musty nose upon opening without the presence of any fruit or flower. Decided to decant after cheating and reading Burghound's latest tasting notes. A not so pleasant fist mouthful. Sour, tart and overly acidic and shallow finish.

This is the last of three bottles purchased. While I am hopeful it will open up and bloom over the next hour, I am relieved that I have no more bottles in the cellar. I don't think this will improve much. This is more dead than dormant.

1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2016 Massolino Barolo

 Nebbiolo more
Options

4/1/2023 - pepmi wrote: 89 points

Bright cherries with an underpinning of cedar. Tannins are very present and suggest a +10 year drinking window. A bit too much heat on the finish in my view. I would suggest drinking on the younger side -- as the fruit fades the alcohol will become more pronounced.

3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

1989 Château Talbot

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

3/7/2023 - pepmi wrote: 92 points

What a pleasant discovery. We opened the '89 Talbot not knowing what to expect 34 years after the vintage. Aside from a crumbling cork, we were delighted from start to finish.

I decanted and captured a ton of sediment. Once free of residue, the wine in the decanter was a very deep garnet with zero signs of brown or brick hues, even on the rim. Plenty of vitality and viscosity were present. The nose was clean without funky barnyard odor. Eucalyptus and menthol notes were prominent supported by leather and tobacco as undertones.

In the mouth, the wine remained fresh and quite round. The finish lingered. Naturally the wine tasted of fruit (it was made with grapes after all) but fruit wouldn't be its prominent characteristic. Rather, the fruit was integrated and elegant, producing balance and finesse.

A joy to drink. Two bottles remaining in my collection. For this experience to repeat or be shared, proper storage and care of each bottle is essential.

1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
White

2016 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc

 Chardonnay more
Options

3/3/2023 - pepmi wrote: 90 points

The palest of yellows color reminiscent of a varietal other than Chardonnay; Sauvignon Blanc comes to mind. Lemon is the most noticeable first impression. Quite acidic, astringent and racy in the mouth -- and narrow -- this wine moves front to back rather than side to side. A tart long finish. Very little sense of mineral, terroir or wood. Steel tank fermentation? A reference point, this Bize reminds me of a Chateau Montelena, which typically does not undergo malolactic fermentation as far as I know. A wine best drunk with food in my view.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2015 Domaine Cornu-Camus Pernand-Vergelesses

 Pinot Noir more
Options

1/13/2023 - pepmi wrote: 89 points

A pretty find from Flatiron at only $23/bottle. Value purchases like this reinforce my conviction that I "owe" it to myself for buying that 2017 Penfolds Grange @$700/bottle.

In the glass, a translucent maroon-blazer red (my old school uniform). The nose is floral -- rose petals with a touch of alcohol. Rolling over the tongue in the mid-palate, ethereal whiffs to the nasal passages.

Sweet cherries with very little earth or vegetation. The alcohol again is present on the finish with a slightly sour cherry note. Hints of metal that are the only detectable flaw.

A perfect time to drink this wine. No reason to wait.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2000 Carruades de Lafite

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

11/12/2022 - pepmi wrote: 94 points

This bottle reminds me of why I fell in love with Bordeaux. Carraudes perhaps the first among the first growth second labels?

In my view the wine is near its peak without any noticeable signs of regret -- oh, I think I should have opened this a few years ago. The nose is quite clean and floral. A red of royal depth and viscous in the glass.

Lush, rolling in the mouth from side to side. Notes of cedar and cassis with a hint of tobacco. The remaining tannins add just enough structure to the finish. Sweetness defines the remnants upon the finish.

One bottle left. Tonight has given me the motivation to open the second before too long.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2015 Forey Père et Fils Bourgogne

 Pinot Noir more
Options

10/28/2022 - pepmi wrote: 85 points

A wine comprised of disconnected parts. An alcohol heavy nose, a jumble of fruit, wood and harsh metal on the finish. It's hard to imagine a work of art emerging from these raw materials.

This is the first of three bottles purchased at Flatiron. I'll slip in one of the remaining bottles as the second or third bottle during a night of many and see if anyone notices. I'll tuck away the last bottle, forget about it and hope that I am pleasantly surprised in five years' time.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2014 Fratelli Seghesio Barolo

 Nebbiolo more
Options

10/23/2022 - pepmi wrote: 88 points

A modest improvement on the last bottle opened, which I presumed was flawed. Brick red with slight browning on the rim. An absent nose. This bottle had thin, subdued fruit, dry in the mouth with noticeable wood and brush, and a finish marked by tannin. Made it through half the bottle with my ever-present dinner companion.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2015 Château Greysac

 Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more
Options

10/21/2022 - pepmi wrote: 89 points

The auction price for this wine is $10. I paid $18. At these retail prices, Greysac should be the house wine in every bistro across the United States. Here's why.

I opened the 2015 last evening and had two glasses. Straight from the cellar at 56 degrees, the wine had youthful vitality and freshness. And at 13.5% alcohol, one could consume two glasses without sedation. Fresh dark berry fruit and narrow tannins that stay with you. The complexity was rooted in terroir.

Of course, a wine like this would not stand a chance against a first or second growth. That's not really the point. And many would prefer the profile of a California Cabernet. But for the money, a better food wine is rarely found. This assessment is not unique to Greysac (apologies to the Guyon family). As a rule, one can't go wrong with wines from the Medoc to serve everyday bottle after bottle.

1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2010 Domaine du Meix-Foulot Mercurey 1er Cru Clos du Château de Montaigu

 Pinot Noir more
Options

10/15/2022 - pepmi wrote: 92 points

At $35/bottle a wine like this should be on every wine list in America. There is not an Oregon Pinot that can match it at a similar price point. Light maroon luminescence in the glass and an inviting nose of cherry underscored with a touch of wood.

Chewy in the mouth with mouth puckering tannins more than 10 years after bottling. This wine should be drunk in the near term as I fear that with more time, the cherries would fade leaving the wood to gain more pronouncement.

A very nice food wine that won't make your head go spinning with either a sugar or alcohol rush. Elegantly restrained.

Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
  • Tasting notes: 683 notes on 491 wines

Loading wine details...
loading

×
×