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

2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Bougros

 Chardonnay more
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2/21/2019 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Fading a bit. Drink up.

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White

2015 Château Lamothe de Haux Blanc

 Bordeaux Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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12/25/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Always a good value SB from Bordeaux. Sub $15 with ripe SB fruit, and decent mineral where acidity isn’t over the top but quite pleasant with chicken French.

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White - Sparkling

NV Foucher Lebrun Crémant de Loire Cuvee des Roys de Naples

 Chenin Blanc more
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12/25/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Still very enjoyable food wine. Maybe tasting a bit better than 6 months ago. A bargain sparkler.

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Red

2016 Montalbera Fuori Catalogo

 Piemonte DOC Red Blend more
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12/25/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Enjoyable table wine. Mostly barbera with nice red fruit, decent complexity for such a young wine. Decent acids to make the wine food friendly, but almost comical that it has a printed 98 score on the bottle. More likely reversed to an 89 at best. Still a crowd pleaser at Christmas dinner. I wouldn’t hold this for 10+ years but drink within 5 for maximum enjoyment of the red berry /strawberry fruit.

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White - Sparkling

2002 Drappier Champagne Grande Sendrée

 Champagne Blend more
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12/26/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

One if the reasons why I like this wine is that while citrus dominated, it’s not just lemons, but toss is some tangerine and orange zest. It has a nice mousse and fine bubbles. Not terribly spicy for a Drappier, it is elegant with its acidity holding firm, a great mouth cleansing feel and quite pleasing as it slides down your throat.

Very different from other Drappier champagne which are mostly PN. Definitely cellar worthy and very much in its own style. Great with grilled Octopus.

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Red

1996 Château Cos d'Estournel

 St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more
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12/26/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

This was very nice, predominantly red fruited, but with some dark plum from the merlot and a touch of crane de cassis. Thus wine was drinking very nicely. Tannins were mostly resolved but still enough to let you know they were there. Good structure of acid and mineral, especially on the finish where the mineral almost tasted gravelly. Earthly, some aromas and taste of integrated oak, in the form of dark cocoa is present.

I did decent this and removed the small amount of sediment from the bottle before pouring the wine back in a taking it to the restaurant. It seemed initially closed when I opened the bottle but aromas were quick to come forth once the wine had been poured into the decanter. The wine was a nice opaque garnet in color.

I think this wine could cellar a good 10 more years if the cellar is a damp cool one. The cork had very little sine going up into it. Along with the fruit, acid, oak tannin, I can’t see this degrading any time soon. A very nice Cos.

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White - Off-dry

2009 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese

 Nahe more
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12/18/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

I was a bit disappointed in this wine. After so many glowing reviews I guess I expected a lot. It had nice dried apricot, white peach and a touch of sweet apple. While quite acidic, it’s sugars meld to make it appear more round than it actually is. Perhaps having this as an actual dessert wine after some great Chardonnay and a Ridge Cab made for the let down.

Perhaps it was just needing a decant.

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White

2008 Domaine Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vide Bourse

 Chardonnay more
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12/15/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Excellent value Chassagne/Montrachet that lunches well above it’s tariff. Drinking very nicely now there are beautiful stone fruits, subtle orchard yellow apple and Anjou pear. Nice but if creaminess and that touch if butter and resolving oak makes for an enjoyable white.

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Red

2008 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

 Santa Cruz Mountains more
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12/15/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 93 points

This wine is drinking fantastically right now. Deep, structured with great mix of red and black fruit. The Merlot gives this wine a nice balance with a good acid to mineral ratio and backbone. Very much worth seeking out. I wish I had bought more than just a 3 pack of the ‘08 vintage. All the oak has integrated nicely.

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Red

2005 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia

 Red Bordeaux Blend more
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11/25/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 94 points

A truly fantastic Ornellaia, but most are quite good. Still quite youthful. As others have commented, the hint of Can Franc really makes this a top notch wine that I consider to rival any super second from the Left Bank and is amazingly consistent. This could probably go another 15 years an only have subtle changes. Gorgeous red and dark fruit with that CF showing the darker fruits seem to win that battle. So smooth, silky tannins in the mouth, and on the finish. All the oak has nicely integrated and this has a very long finish with no sense of flabbiness and filled with elegant structure. Everything I expect from a big boy Ornellaia.

Costly but well worth the wait. Considering that a solid second growth of similar quality, in a stellar year costs between $125-$300 I think this is a solid investment if you grab them around $150.

I do think, and have invested in, Orma and Oreno as much more economical choices, and even have a good quantity of the 2nd wine Le Serre Nuove on my shelves, but I’m happy I still have some Ornellaia from 2006,2007,2009 and 2010, which I will age as long as I can.

Highly recommended at least once or twice. The 2091 vintage remains in my top 5 Bordeaux blends from both France, Italy or the new world. I would put this up with the likes of Montrose, Dulcu-Beacalliou, Leoville Poyferre and while quite different than the Pessac’s style of greatness it would hold its own against most of the wines given that they are known for their silky mouthfeel. Not as much scorched earth.

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White - Sweet/Dessert

1999 Domaine Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin SGN Les Essards

 Chenin Blanc more
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11/23/2018 - Champagneinhand wrote: NR

I brought this to a dinner of wine geeks. It must have been good as I didn’t even get to drink any. I had to go pull a bottle of Z-H too have some dessert wine.

I should have brought something else as this was my only bottle.

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White - Sparkling

NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut

 Champagne Blend more
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11/23/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 91 points

Similar to other notes. But I’m questioning whether the price tag for this MV/NV is worth buying it again. I know what NV I really like and MC, VC, Roederer and Pol Roger make as good if not better in a different style for far less than $50US.

Still the Vilmart is good but I think it’s a darling that’s tariffs are unjustified.

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White

2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Bougros

 Chardonnay more
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10/27/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Drinking very nicely. Notes of citrus, yellow apple, freshly churned butter and as with most CC Chablis the great mineral and acidity. Also a note of saline which I enjoyed.

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White - Sweet/Dessert

2008 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Heimbourg Sélection de Grains Nobles

 Alsace more
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10/27/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 96 points

96 or better. While terribly young the fruits aromas and flavors do not disappoint. Z-D makes such lovely SGN wines that it’s hard to pick a favorite vineyard or vintage. This had great acidity and mineral. It reminds me of the 1995 where you can drink much more than you could, even with it carrying such aromas, and sweetness.

I love Clos Jebsal but this is very close. I hope I can find more.

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White - Sparkling

NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut

 Champagne Blend more
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10/27/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 92 points

Disgorged 10/14. Solid effort from Vilmart. Apples, toast and autolytic flavors and a nice mousse.

I wish I could have had multiple glasses.

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Red

2008 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

 Red Rhone Blend more
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10/28/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 93 points

This supposed off vintage was wonderful. Tasted alongside a bunch of French heavyweight reds and it was just fine. Good Grenache based fruit. Blackberry, boysenberry. Decent viscosity. Not as much silt as in some vintages and it’s still quite young as no real tertiary notes other than a touch of pepper and Provençal herbs seem noticed. Compared directly to a 2007 Clos de Ducs.

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Red

2000 Château Rauzan-Gassies

 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/27/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 94 points

I just love this wine. It’s seems ageless. Great fruit an it’s ever changing as great wines should be. Resolved tannins and oak with good stony mineral.

Just a great bargain in this commune.

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Red

2000 Château Pavie Macquin

 St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/27/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Solid P-M. Great fruit which is still shiny bright. Not as much plum as in some other Merlot, but dark and red cherry, blackberries and some cocoa and vanilla from the oak. Tannins have resolved but a touch of bitterness that isn’t necessarily bad on the finish.

This could hold another 5 without changing a lot. Nowhere as great as the Pavie-Decesse from 2000, as it was much more weighty, but P-M always seems more of a middleweight wine compared to its neighbors.

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Red

2007 Alain Corcia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Julie

 Red Rhone Blend more
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10/23/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

Not amazing but not weak. I’m torn up on my different exposure to 2007 CdP. Some way to bretty. Some just not ready. Some perfect.

This had good CdP fruit. Mostly aged Grenache. Some tertiary notes of pepper and herbs de Provence. Some Bret that really didn’t blow off but not in a bad way. No massive flaws. No massive “oh yeahs.” A pleasant wine probably meant for food.

Farm funk as well as cigar box and saddle leather seem to be the non fruit smells that have lasted all night. ABV hasn’t been an issue. Which is +1 for 2097. Not a bottle I would seek out again, but I’m picky.

Very good to excellent is where I am leaning. Though inbtruth there are better bottles out there. Maybe not from 2007, though Cuvée de Vatican has been a massive surprise and I still have Beaucastel to try. I sacrificed a Clos de Papes way too young. This vintage has be torn.

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White - Sweet/Dessert

1969 Bischofliches Pristerseminar Trier Trittenheimer Apotheke Beerenauslese

 Mosel Saar Ruwer White Blend more
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10/18/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

So this came from Winebid but was leaking all over. Fortunately WB refunded my purchase. I thought I would bring the half that was left to dinner. The cork was unretrievable but it just fell into the oxidizing juice. We tasted it and while clearly flawed do to the cork issue and leakage it was great to taste that the sweetness of a BA was mellowed and that the acids were still present. Sadly the fruit wasn’t very identifiable but present. I’m sure a bottle that was just pulled from a cellar would have been quite enjoyable considering it’s 49 years old.

Most who tried this were impressed by the fact that an aged German from a great vintage could really hold out this long. It was educational, but bittersweet as I would have loved to have enjoyed this in better circumstances.

I will look for more from that 1969 vintage.

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White - Off-dry

2009 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spätlese

 Mosel Saar Ruwer more
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10/6/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 93 points

Really one of the best values and best off dry Riesling not from the bigger well known vineyards. Fantastic mouthfeel, slight petrol but acacia, canned peaches, dried Turkish apricot, golden delicious apple with notes of green tea and thyme. Excellent length of finish. Can’t believe these were sub $30 Spatlese. Rivaling most Donnhoff, Prum, Molitor etc.

Maybe I am conservative with this score. Bummer as this was my last bottle.

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Red

2009 Fidelitas Red Mountain

 Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/6/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 92 points

This was showing really nicely. I brought this to lunch as a group of us helped with harvesting Chardonnay and Riesling. The family provided wine and a huge slab of beef. The Cab Sauvignon fans really enjoyed this. The oak was manageable, decent acids, good fruit and not as much sweetness, stickiness you see from places like QC. Fairly impressed. Typical dark cassis based fruit with secondary notes of cedar, baking spices and such. Great mouthfeel too.

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White - Sweet/Dessert

2007 Château Coutet Barsac

 Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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9/18/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

I knew this would be terribly young, do I decanted the Barsac for about 4 hours. Still this is quite thin. Great fruit of dried apricot, sweet pineapple, a touch of toasted coconut with honey, a touch of butterscotch as well a spices from the botrytis.

I wouldn’t open this wine for many years though I don’t know if it will thicken up. At least the ABV wasn’t bad and the acids were decent.

I paired this with a crab fondue from the wine bars appetizer list. It worked much better than with the bread pudding I choose for dessert. It did pair nicely with creme brûlée that my wife chose for dessert.

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Red

2006 Sterling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain Ranch Vineyard

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9/18/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: NR

This was very tight. It is aging nicely but really better on day 2, like it has been the last couple of bottles.

Great mountain dark berry cassis with a good dose of acid and mineral. Much more of a food wine right now but with plenty of air and a long decant it can be enjoyed solo.

This should hold for at least another decade and when it starts waking up I expect some very nice tertiary aromas.

I had this at a worldwide Cabernet tasting. My bottle. The only other Cab this dry and structure that was even similar was a 2000 Pauillac.

I am happy I purchased this inna full case to follow over time. Nice firm Maycamas mountain Cab. Diamond Mountain is quite reliable.

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Red

2008 Tranche Cellars Cabernet Franc Blue Mountain Vineyard

 Walla Walla Valley more
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9/9/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 91 points

I really liked this CF. Deep dark fruits with just the right amount of underbrush and this 10 year old CF has plenty of tannin although mouth coating but it seemed a bit chalky and it made things interesting. Ideally I would prefer a bit more acidity, but the oak has settled to a deep chocolate making this a wine I wish I had more of.

But plenty of wonderful CF from warm, dry vintages in the NY State Finger Lake regions, if you live close enough to find the better producers.

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  • Tasting notes: 1,168 notes on 759 wines

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