| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2018 Ridge Lytton SpringsDry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel more |
12/1/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 88 pointsYoung, and a bit rough right now. I like the wine’s well-judged balance (this is Ridge after all) and firm structure, but the fruit runs a bit hot and the oak has not integrated yet. Give it time. |
| Red |
2005 Château LascombesMargaux Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/1/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 80 pointsThere’s so much oak here that there’s no need for a bottle. Now, I’m not prejudiced against Cabernet made in a more exuberant style. I love many a Napa. But this just reeks of cooked plum and vanilla, and tastes of french press dregs. Second of two bottles opened, both identical. |
| Red |
2017 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Gap's Crown VineyardSonoma Coast more |
7/5/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 75 pointsA Sonoma pinot with the flavors of a tarted up Cotes du Rhône and the structural integrity of a lean-to. There’s cherry, followed closely by intrusive vanilla and cola notes, then some sourness and tannic grit. Viscous and hot. Over twenty four hours the character of this wine did not change. |
| Red |
2013 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Le BrunateNebbiolo more |
6/7/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 90 pointsLight ruby in glass with subdued earthy aromas. This is quite open still, with refined lightweight tannins and a gentle cherry flavor that sweetens with air. The finish is of medium length and dry, where the grip of the tannins becomes more apparent. Young. |
| White |
2017 Ridge Chardonnay EstateSanta Cruz Mountains more |
5/16/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 85 pointsDisappointing, considering the renown of this producer and the great quality of the estate Cabernet and Merlot. While this Chardonnay is faultless in its acidity, structure, and balance there is little going on aromatically or on the palate, and little else to hold one’s attention. Mute. Focused, but not intense - an exercise in balance without complexity. The only reason to purchase this wine is to retain access to the Monte Bello futures program. Consumed over four hours, little change through this period. Too young? |
| Red - Fortified |
1985 Dow Porto VintagePort Blend more |
4/24/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 93 pointsFrom a pristine, recently issued bottle. By any conceivable metric this port is exceptional. Immensely concentrated and incredibly youthful at nearly 35 years of age. Perfectly balanced. Good quality spirit, seamless texture, and well-integrated tannin. Has decades of life left in it. |
| Red |
2017 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir Willamette Valleymore |
4/10/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 75 pointsGloopy texture, plenty of oak and alcohol. In contrast to these elements the fruit is strangely restrained - buried, really, under the heft of the rest of the wine. |
| Red |
2016 Ridge Lytton SpringsDry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel more |
4/6/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: NRWhy are you drinking this now? Wait! There’s something to this wine, but it’s buried under quite a bit of wood at the moment. |
| Red |
2011 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Porêts Saint-GeorgesPinot Noir more |
3/29/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 93 pointsProof that you can make good wine in a “poor” vintage. This wine is fairly rich, possesses lively acidity, and takes about an hour to fully unfurl. At eight years of age the tannins have integrated, though the autumnal character of maturity has not yet emerged. Pronounced spice, and impressive depth. |
| Red |
2007 Ribbon Ridge Winery Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyardsmore |
3/19/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 85 pointsTime has not done this wine many favors. Most of the fruit has escaped, and only sharp acidity, a hint of cherry compote, and damp undergrowth remain. That’s not to knock any of these attributes, though I suspect the wine has lost much of its vibrancy since its youth. Geriatric. |
| Red |
2016 Mullan Road Cellars Red Wine BlendColumbia Valley Red Blend more |
3/19/2020 - colorflavorlocking Does not like this wine: 80 pointsA big, heavy wine with lots of oak that is strangely devoid of flavor. Though a bordeaux blend, I doubt I could identify this wine’s dominant grape - cabernet - blind. (Maybe some botched Australian Shiraz?). Jam and oak spice. |
| Red |
2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-PapeRed Rhone Blend more |
3/5/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 90 pointsI don’t think that this wine has evolved much in the five years since I last tasted it. You still have those aromas of licorice and smoke, and flavors of roast meat and dark fruit, but there are now hints of liqueur and mocha on the palate as well. Over a couple of hours the fruit faded and the texture became less supple - ferrous and herbal. Good now, should improve. |
| Spirits |
NV Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 40%Islay more |
3/2/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: NRA scotch that is always welcome - a great heaping seaside bonfire that you can drink. Laphroaig 10 nearly eases the pain and embarrassment of sending in one’s primary ballot a day before one’s preferred candidate drops out of the race for democratic nominee. |
| Spirits |
NV Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45%Grain more |
3/2/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: NRThe best aspect of this whiskey is its supple mouthfeel. But that’s what you expect from a wheated bourbon. Like its stablemate the eagle rare 10 you don’t get much in terms of complexity, and there is little to hold your attention. An all-around inoffensive drink. |
| Spirits |
NV Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45%Grain more |
3/2/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: NRA perfectly decent whiskey, though one better suited for mixed drinks than consuming neat. Everything here is correct, but provided in insufficient quantity. Its body is too thin, and its aromas (spice) and its flavors (sour rye, caramel) are too restrained. |
| Red |
2015 Witness Tree Vineyard Pinot NoirWillamette Valley more |
2/19/2020 - colorflavorlocking Does not like this wine: 80 pointsWhat a strange pinot. Trying to describe this wine the words foremost in my mind are “beef stock.” Aroma of savory spices. Oily and full bodied, with flavors of roast beef and sweet fruit. A bit of rough tannin on the end. More soup than wine. |
| Red |
2015 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva Finca YgayTempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more |
2/16/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 88 pointsOaky at first, but this wine integrated after a decant of two and a half hours. Rich and full bodied with fruit reminiscent of blackcurrant. Pronounced spice, a bit of dust and leather, and pleasing sourness. Good acidity. Nose remains a bit reticent. Young tannin. Exceptional for the price (~20 usd). |
| Red |
2010 Cafaggio Chianti Classico Riserva Basilica SolatioChianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese more |
1/31/2020 - colorflavorlocking Does not like this wine: 80 pointsTired. Brown rim, nose of leather and cherries. Fruit is a bit clumsy and overripe. Sweet. Decent acidity, lacking tannin. I prefer chianti with a backbone. From two bottles. |
| Red |
2017 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Durell VineyardSonoma Coast more |
1/31/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 88 points14.6% alcohol by volume, but despite its brobdingnagian proportions the wine somehow maintains its poise. Good pinot-y nose. Though exuberant and very new world in style, the fruit character is not overwrought. Strawberries and cherries predominate on palate, with a bit of spice. Some oak sweetness. Acidity is very good, but there is no discernible tannin. No earth either. Soft. This wine is good now, and I would dissuade you from holding it for more than a few years. The structure just isn’t there. |
| White - Sparkling |
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Édition 168èmeChampagne Blend more |
1/17/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 93 pointsDay one: Exceptional, though this wine needs a decent amount of air to show at its best. Aroma of citrus, brioche, and gingerbread. Intense acidity on palate with flavors of green apples, baking spices, toast, and rum raisins. A bit like Apfelstrudel. Exquisitely balanced, with a huge, rich body and unami in abundance. I cannot remember tasting a wine that has shown so well at so early a stage of its evolution. 95. |
| White |
2017 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling KabinettMosel Saar Ruwer more |
1/7/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 93 pointsAromas of petroleum and spice on opening. Very reduced, too young. Great acidity. Really savory - a bit of a smoked salmon and paprika quality to it. Some limes, apricots, and white fruit. Not rich - the body is filigreed and elegant - though good concentration. Impeccably balanced. |
| Red |
2005 Pine Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap Districtmore |
1/4/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 80 pointsA specter is haunting this glass - the specter of fruit. Really, this wine is on its last legs, but not oxidized like a previous bottle. Dark red with brown rim in glass, aroma of leather, red fruit, and old wooden ship. Some fruit sweetness, some spice, some acidity, and some alcoholic heat on palate. The oak is a bit much though - all bitter chocolate and espresso on finish. What remains is drinkable, but not particularly pleasant. |
| Red |
2003 Etoile Cabernet SauvignonHowell Mountain more |
1/4/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 80 pointsI don’t know anything about this estate, and the internet turns up nothing either. Absent further information, I’ll assume that this wine was made in some guy’s shed. Fruit from Howell mountain. Aromas of pencil lead and spice. Black fruit, surprisingly light body considering the alcohol content (14.2 abv). Good acidity, but the palate is marred by some bitter oak. Youthful. I don’t know how much this cost, but considering the appellation I intuit a poor value. |
| Spirits |
NV Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 54.2%Islay more |
1/2/2020 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: NRThe color of amontillado. I once flavored a pecan pie with a healthy addition of laphroaig, resulting in a pastry that tasted quite a bit like this scotch. Roast hazelnuts, Christmas pudding, and burnt bacon on nose. Sherry, peat, salted whitefish, dashi, caramel, and bacon on palate. A bit like eel BBQ’d in the japanese manner, what with those fishy, sweet, and savory flavors. Richer and oilier than the standard ardbeg 10. This is fantastic, though I can’t help but wonder what this scotch would taste like if it was brought up entirely in good sherried casks. This is probably the best scotch you can find under a hundred dollars a bottle, trump’s tariffs on all that are good and european notwithstanding (though there is a case to be made for the ardbeg corryvreckan). |
| Red |
1982 Château Prieuré-LichineMargaux Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/31/2019 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 93 pointsRemarkably youthful. A bit musty on opening, but aromas of black currant and spice emerge in time. Perfumed nose, silky mouthfeel. Rich on palate, with quite exotic spiced black fruit. Great balance, medium length. After an hour and a half tobacco and roast coffee starts to peek through. From a pristine bottle, should last a good while longer. Margaux! |
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- Tasting notes: 125 notes on 118 wines
