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

2012 Whitehall Lane Tre Leoni Napa Valley

 Red Blend more
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1/27/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 90 points

Perhaps the oddest thing about this wine is the fact that it has virtually no nose. When I dipped my nose into the glass, I could tell it was red wine but little beyond that. Given this experience, I was prepared to assume the wine wasn’t very good. However, I was pleasantly suprised that this is textbook Napa cab and a perfect Tuesday night wine. My palate is overwhelmed by black cherry, cassis and black currants. It’s pure fruits and no tannins. Perhaps it drank so well because we were crushing Southern Rhône wines which can be devoid of sugar. Good juice in a jam. Cheers!

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Red

2009 Smith-Madrone Cook's Flat Reserve

 Spring Mountain District Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/27/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 88 points

Smith-Madrone makes great wine. In fact, their standard Cabernet bottling is a tremendous value - and I would stick with it. This wine featured intense red and brown fruit flavors, a fine structure, and a medium to full bottle. However, it lacked complexity given the price of the wine. After about two hours the flavors flattened out with little change in the overall palate feel so there is more time. In fairness, my hopes may have been too high given my affinity for their standard bottling. Cheers!

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Red

2009 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme

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1/27/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 93 points

This is the best Châteauneuf du Pape I have had all year which means little since we haven’t made it through January yet. We have tasted a lot of wines from southern France this evening which has allowed me to confirm my theory that this region drinks like Macallan - the older the better! There’s candied raspberry, sweet cherry, tobacco, leather, clove, and a little toast. My patience was rewarded - this wine is fabulous! Cheers

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Red

2005 Levendi Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

 Napa Valley more
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1/27/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: NR

I had a chance to consume my last bottle of this wine and was disappointed to have waited a bit too long. In 2014, I thought this was one of the best wines I had ever had but the tannins and fruit have faded. There’s still a ton of tobacco and spice on the palate so it’s quite drinkable. However, the wine that I tried several years ago is gone. I’ll pass on rating this wine since it drank like a 94 and now feels more like an 87. This is a good excuse for me to put my Coravin to work on some of my other 2005s. Cheers!

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Red

2007 Domaine Albin Jacumin Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Begude Des Papes

 Red Rhone Blend more
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1/27/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: NR

I scored this wine at 88 several years ago and think it’s drinking just as nicely now as it did back then. It possesses the hallmarks of your typical southern Rhône wine and the structure to hold up like the Chateauneu du Pape that it is. The wine is bursting with raspberry and a bit of thyme but I do regret that none of the other spices present themselves. It’s got another 3 - 5 years easy but I don’t know how much it will evolve. Cheers!

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Red

2012 Mercer Cabernet Sauvignon

 Horse Heaven Hills more
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1/17/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 91 points

SWADE's description of this wine is spot on. I purchased a case ($18/bottle) of this at a tasting two years ago and it has proven to be one of the best value wines I have ever procured. It consistently stood up to far more expensive bottlings at blind tastings and even bested a few of the big boys. I would liken it to Long Shadows Feather in that it finds a balance between over-extraction and firm acidity.

Blueberry, vanilla, and cassis rule the day here. Cheers!

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Red

2013 Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon Branding Iron

 Oakville more
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1/17/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 92 points

Branding Iron is my favorite Nickel and Nickel bottling outside of the winery only juice. I was disappointed that the cork was compromised and am hopeful that this had more to do with the wine store's handling than the winery.

This slight oxidation made for the flavor profile of an older wine. It drinks, like more Branding Iron, like textbook cabernet. There is a ton of cassis and purple fruit in this medium to full-bodied, opaque wine. The tannins were extraordinarily soft which may have been tied to the aforementioned oxidation. If not, the wine may not have the longevity of prior bottlings.

Cheers!

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Red

2010 Cain Vineyard & Winery Cain Concept The Benchland

 Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/1/2018 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 88 points

Happy New Year! Drank this wine at Toulouse and was underwhelmed. It is a bourdeaux blend that lacks body and depth. There was a lot of black cherry and minimal brush. Nothing to write home about but not offensive.

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White

2015 Domaine Pichot Vouvray Domaine Le Peu de la Moriette

 Chenin Blanc more
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12/26/2017 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 87 points

Vouvray’s are wonderful summer wines and also make a lot of sense when temps hold around 70s degrees in December - God Bless Texas. This particular bottling is not sophisticated. There’s a little honeydew and apple and the slighted hint of lemon-lime. I recommend chilling this one a bit lower than other whites since it can taste quite flat if it gets to warm in the glass. Costco had it for $10 and at that price, I would buy more. Cheers!

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Red

2016 Meiomi Pinot Noir

 California more
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12/26/2017 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 85 points

Full disclosure, I don’t drink a lot of Pinot but keep a few bottles on hand for guest who prefer the varietal. The wine is not offensive but reminds me of a tall glass of Coca Cola with ice. I understand that this a hallmark flavor of the varietal and can be quite pleasant. My only concern is that the wine is devoid of any other real complexity.

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Red

2012 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon

 Napa Valley more
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12/26/2017 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 89 points

The 2012 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful purple hue and a medium bodied frame. We because concerned when we noticed the wine lacked any discernible fragrance and decided to drink the wine immediately for fear that it was dead. On the palate, the wine is in great shape and features dark red/blue and a toasty light oak touch. While the wine showed well I doubt that there is much potential for growth as it did not change much throughout the evening. Cheers!

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Red

2007 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

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12/10/2017 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 89 points

Grad school has gotten the best of me and I have had little time to review wines. However, given my break and the fact my brother is in town, we opted to open this wine to see how is drinking.

On open, I noticed that the wine had started to climb the cork but never made it to the rim. Thankfully the wine was not oxidized but it lacked any significant notes on the noise. The juice is light to medium bodied in the glass with minimal sediment and a light purple/red hue.

Upon tasting, red and unsweetened blue fruits lead the way but never really take hold on the finish. The wine is very delicate and well balanced - it’s a good effort but a bit of a disappointment from the hearalded 2007 vintage. I have had far better In the same price point.

Cheers!

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Red

2009 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve

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5/26/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 88 points

After raving about the 2010 BV Georges de LaTour I was confident that the far superior 2009 vintage would just blow me away but sadly - I was mistaken.

In the glass the wine host a more redish hue than it's younger sibling but the nose is more like warm plum sauce. On the palate the wine is a wrecking ball just packed with fruit and tobacco. Unfortunately, it's heavy and disjointed from front to rear palate.

I can taste purple, blue and black fruit. There is also some tobacco and heavy vanilla. If this one was held together more tightly it could be nothing short of 95+ points but today if falls pretty far short.

After an hour in the glass the wine calms a bit but never really comes into good form. I have two more bottles and remain hopeful that I visited this bottle far to early. In the interim, I will refrain from buying future vintages until I have tasted them.

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Red

2009 Delectus Cabernet Sauvignon Boulder Falls

 Napa Valley more
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5/24/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 94 points

Easily one of the best 2009 Cabernet's that I have tried to date. The dark fruit permeates from the glass and invades the lungs much like sulphur but pleasant. On the palate there is black fruit...all black fruit with just enoughs sweetness to make it easy to drink. The medium to full frame flows effortlessly over the palate and makes no apologies for its heavy handed brut force. It's such a dramatic wine...not the best I've ever had but just a great wine! The company wasn't bad either. Cheers!

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Red

2009 Col Solare

 Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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5/18/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 89 points

Wine Spectator Grand Tasting (Washington, DC)

Col Solare is one of the most consistent bottlings from Washington State and I have bought several bottles of the last several vintages. However, the 2009 is out of joint which I am hoping is merely a dumb phase for this otherwise outstanding wine. Make not mistake...this is a decent bottling of wine but falls short of expectations for this wine house.

All of the typically red and blue fruits are featured prominently in the wine but it possesses a medium palate that is atypical of Col Solare. The mid-palate is sound but the rear is a little fleeting and leaves me wanting more. Perhaps the oak is overwhelming the fruit and that's why this one taste a little off but for now it is an average bottle of wine. I plan to amend this note when I have a chance to try another bottle next year. Cheers!

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Red

2010 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley

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5/18/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 91 points

Wine Spectator Grand Tasting Event (Washington, DC)

Again, not a fan of 2010 Cabernets but Hall's signature bottling is evidence that great wines were made. I tasted this one after the BV Georges De LaTour which was the high water mark for the evening so it's likely underrated here.

This lacked some of the depth that I have tasted in prior vintages which may be due to the vintage. However, it still possesses laser-like cabernet focus and an extended finish. In the glass the wine is a full bodied and has a beautiful nose of dark black and blue fruit that stays true on the palate. The front, mid and rear palate are all fully engaged with good acidity, soft sweetness and balanced tannin that make this a fund one to drink. My guess is that this wine will age quite well and warrant a much better score in later years. Cheers!

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Red

2011 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection

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5/18/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 85 points

Wine Spectator Grand Tasting Event (Washington, DC)

Jeff hit the nail on the head. One of the reasons I attend the Wine Spectator event is to try higher end wines that I would like to taste prior to committing over $100/bottle. I couldn't have been more excited about Caymus Special Selection since previous bottles have been outstanding representations of what Napa is capable of.

Unfortunately, this wine was not very good. Expanding on Jeff's points, the wine featured cinnamon, vanilla and even some nutmeg but there was not fruit to be found. It really did taste candied or like it was artificially flavored. I have stayed away from 2010 (personal taste preference) and 2011 due to the difficult whether and this tasting reinforced my stance. If Caymus can't make a great wine in the 2011 vintage....who can?

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Red

2010 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve

 Napa Valley more
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5/18/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 93 points

Tasted at Wine Spectator Grand Tasting Event (Washington DC)

Full disclosure - I am not a big fan of 2010 Napa Cabernets but this is a tremendous bottling that would stack up well against the best Napa has to offer in any vintage. The dark purple hue of the wine is serves as subtext to the beautiful macerated dark fruit fragrance from the glass. On the palate this wine has everything you'd expect from this benchmark Napa cab: cassis, blueberry, lead and cedar. The wine is full bodied and finishes strong (60 seconds). Perhaps the most impressive attribute of the wine is its drinkability despite it's weight and flavor intensity. Cheers!

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Red

2008 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon

 Oakville more
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5/18/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 91 points

I haven't been a fan of this particular bottling during earlier taste (once in Napa upon release and last year with friends (bald bull). However, last night we opened a bottle and let it decant for a while prior to enjoying with cheeses and fruit and it was great. The wine possesses Oakville character (cedar, lead, tobacco) and features dark black and purple fruit that is in perfect balance with the medium frame and moderate acidity. This is not a Caymus type wine but rather a Mondavi Reserve like bottling without all of the horsepower. Cheers!

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Red

2006 Renato Corino Barolo

 Nebbiolo more
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5/10/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: NR

Very impressive juice that appears to be entering a very good phase. There are lots of cranberry and orange flavors that dance on the mid palate with sugar and light spice. The wine is medium bodied with a high ruby red hue that reminds me of the apples I used to give my teachers in hopes that it would give me some advantage. I would open now to taste for yourself. Cheers!

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White

2011 Mira Winery Chardonnay

 Napa Valley more
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4/21/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 85 points

Mira made this wine in stainless steel and it shows. It's a really crisp and acidic wine that pared really well with oysters. However on its own it leaves a bit to be desired. You can find better examples of Unoaked California Chardonnay for the price.

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White

2011 Arrowood Chardonnay

 Sonoma County more
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4/21/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 89 points

Met the wine maker about a week ago at Vienna Vintner and she was lovely. Her Chardonnay was good too - especially for the price. I prefer her 2010 and still have a bottle but tried the 2011 to see how she managed the more challenging vintage. It drank just like a chard from a better harvest albeit it very light bodied. The wine is in good harmony and drinking well with a medium finish. Here are light citrus and pineapple undertones.

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Red

2008 Col Solare

 Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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4/21/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 92 points

I have never met a bottle of Col Solare that I didn't love and this one doesn't dissapointed. It's a little different than some of the other vintages I had recently - more expressive with quite a bit more depth. It's dark red black fruit is tempered by good acidity that makes the wine enjoyable with food but still strong on its own. Having said all that, the finish is as strong as ever. If you can find this for under $50 buy a few bottles. You won't be dissapointed. Cheers!

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White

2009 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay Arcadia Vineyard

 Napa Valley more
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4/19/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: NR

Great bottle of Chardonnay which is not overwhelmed by oak...but not what I expected of this wine. I think it is in a dumb phase and will reserve judgment. I have high hopes for future tastings.

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White

2006 Sepp Moser Riesling Von den Terrassen

 Kremstal more
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4/19/2014 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 87 points

This wine drank quite a bit like it did during my first taking in 2011. There is lots of lemon and green apple with the slightest bit of petrol. I'm still not writing home about the wine but want to compliment it for holding up so well over the last three years. I would venture to guess that I could have waited 1 -3 more years and don't think in it's prime yet - despite the fact it's prime is likely to still be average. Cheers!

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  • Tasting notes: 223 notes on 198 wines

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