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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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2011 Panther Creek Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard
Willamette Valley
more
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Appearance: very clear, ruby, medium legs.
Nose: raspberry, EtOH, a little smoke and green pepper.
Taste: jolly rancher raspberry, oak, vanilla, and perhaps whole cluster stems?
Mouthfeel: brightly acidic and a bit of heat. Soft finish, medium length.
Window: now-2017. Low ageing potential.
Overall: 2011 was a cold and wet vintage here in the Willamette valley. A lot of growers harvested early...garbage. Some braved a late season dry spell. I think that this is one of those, but the grapes still didn't quite get there. This is ok, fine table pinot, but not one of the rare exquisite 2011s.
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Red
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2010 Carpineta Fontalpino Do Ut Des Toscana IGT
SuperTuscan Blend more
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Appearance: dark ruby to violet, low clarity/inky, long legs.
Nose: red fruit, EtOH, smoke, cured meat.
Taste: same as nose, with star anise and Ceylon cinnamon.
Attack: fairly soft apart from the EtOH,yielding to a balanced midpalate and finish. Fruit finishes long. Dry on end.
Window: now-2020. Still plenty of grip for some ageing.
Overall: very nice super Tuscan for the price.
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Red
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2008 Collelceto (Elia Palazzesi) Brunello di Montalcino
Sangiovese more
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Appearance: ruby, clear, light legs.
Nose: raspberry, white pepper, menthol,garrigue, and a hint of tar.
Taste: bright raspberry and cherry, pepper, smoke, earth, and a little vanilla.
Mouthfeel: soft attack and mid palate. Somewhat dusty finish. Acid, tannin and EtOH are balanced. Medium long finish.
Window: PoP taste was only somewhat closed compared to decant + 2 hours. This is ready now. Probably close to peak (2016?). Go ahead and enjoy!
Overall: very nice medium complexity Brunello. At $24, very decent value. I would buy again.
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Red
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2010 I Giusti & Zanza Nemorino Rosso
Toscana IGT
SuperTuscan Blend more
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Appearance: dark ruby, medium clarity, medium legs.
Nose: Funky plum jamminess (overripe merlot?), oak, smoke.
Flavor: Decanting absolutely necessary! Undrinkably closed on opening! Again, overripe funky plum jamminess, thin and tart cherry plus vegetal (green pepper) on back end. Some smoke, tar, and earth. Very confused.
Attack: Fairly thin for tasting so jammy.
Window: ? Seriously, I don't know where this wine is coming from or going.
Overall: Some super Tuscans marry the best that France and Italy have to offer. This is not one of those wines... It's like they had overripe merlot and underripe syrah and blended them to hide the flaws. It didn't work. This note is made on my second bottle to ensure that bottle variation wasn't the culprit. I gave this an 81 because it's not offensive; however, it's not desirable either. I wouldn't pay more than $6 in the bargain bin for this, and even at $6, there's probably better value. What were the professionals thinking with the high ratings?
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Red
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2010 La Celestiere Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition
Red Rhone Blend more
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Appearance: dark ruby, only moderately clear, medium legs.
Nose: closed on opening. 3 hours after decanting, nose of plum, dark cherry, anise, menthol, barnyard and alcohol.
Taste: astringent on open, strong mineral. 3 hours post decanting, plum, cherry, bitter almonds, anise and a bit of tar.
Attack: soft fruit for about fifteen seconds, fading to drying tannins and bitter almonds.
Window: 2016-2022. This is drinkable now, but should integrate much better with some time.
Overall: respectable CDP, but I've had better at the price point.
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Red
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2007 Le Gode Brunello di Montalcino
Sangiovese more
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Appearance: light ruby, slight bricking, exceptionally clear, long legs.
Nose: just after decanting, nose predominated by sandalwood and EtOH. Over two hours, nose opened to add fennel, red fruit, blood orange and caramel.
Taste: red fruit and blood orange predominate, with hints of tar, dark chocolate and sandalwood. Dark chocolate and tart cherry predominate finish.
Attack: soft for about 5 seconds, then acidity and tannins kick in for a slightly drying finish.
Window: now-2017. This may have more staying power, but I think it's at or near peak.
Overall: nice Brunello.
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Red
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2007 Spalletti Brunello di Montalcino
Sangiovese more
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Appearance: dark ruby, very clear, medium legs.
Nose: Cherry, rose hips, EtOH, and a little sandalwood.
Flavor: Same as nose, plus meat, plum, and a hint of vanilla.
Attack: Soft mouth feel with round fruit, followed by balanced acid and EtOH. Medium long finish with fine, balanced tannins.
Decanting: It was fine PnP, but evolved nicely over two hours post decanting.
Window: It's ready. Now-2017.
Overall: This is an inherently well-crafted and interesting Brunello, and represents a terrific value at $27. It may be too polite/comfortable for some Brunello lovers, however.
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Red
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2008 Portal del Montsant Montsant Santbru Carinyenes Velles
Carignan Blend, Carignan more
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Agree with previous reviewers: massive wine with some bottle variation.
Rating down due to some fusel oil/acetone issues (like the fermentation got hot at some point in making the wine). Two bottles have each given me and mine a bit of a headache. Won't buy again.
Third bottle: I needed a quick bottle, and this was on the rack. Much better fruit than previous two, but I still detected more than a trace of fusel oils. I would give this bottle an 87, but I can't change my overall rating due to massive bottle variation.
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Red
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2007 Pecci Celestino Brunello di Montalcino
Sangiovese more
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Appearance: Medium ruby with very slight bricking, exceptionally clear, medium legs, no sediment.
Decant + 1-3 hours:
Nose: Strong red fruit, blood orange, meat and underbrush.
Taste: Dense fruit, almond, char, hints of citrus, underbrush. Somewhat tight.
Attack: Nice and soft up front. Acid and EtOH balance from middle on. Velvety tannin.
Day 2: This opened up nicely! The almond/marzipan funk has dissipated. Good, clean fruit, braced with underbrush, light oak, and fine tannins.
window: Now-2016.
Overall: I really like this wine! Decent QPR at $30.
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Red
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2008 Lazzeretti Brunello di Montalcino
Sangiovese more
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Appearance: dark ruby, slightly bricked, exceptionally clear, medium legs, no sediment.
Nose: Black cherry primary. Notes of blood orange, saddle, oak, and thyme. Fairly prominent EtOH.
Taste: Raspberry, cherry, racy acid, citrus and sandalwood.
Attack: Soft and medium bodied, followed by racy acid and EtOH heat. Tannins are just a hint drying still, but balanced. Medium finish, characterized by tart acidity.
Window: 2015-2018.
Overall: this is drinking nicely now, but could mellow a bit more. I feel that the acid and EtOH overpower the fruit somewhat too much (even for a traditionally dry style) to merit a super-high score, but this is very nice. decent QPR at $24, but there are plenty of Brunellos that I would rather have for just a few $ more.
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Red
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2011 L.O. Rhone Châteauneuf-du-Pape Adissat Isabelle
Red Rhone Blend more
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Appearance: Medium garnet, exceptionally clear, no sediment, medium legs.
Nose: Strong red fruit (black cherry, raspberry jam) primary, with liquorice, meat, coffee, oak, vanilla.
Taste: See nose. Acid and EtOH in balance.
Attack: Soft attack. Acid/EtOH/tannin start drying fairly early (10 seconds), but stay moderate throughout. Medium finish.
Window: Now-2020.
Overall: Approachable but still a bit young. A very "polite" CDP. I like it very much, but some earth/garrigue/stable would have netted a higher score. Nice QPR at $25.
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Red
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2009 Bodega Luzdivina Amigo Bierzo Baloiro Reserva
Mencía more
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Appearance: dark garnet, opaque, copious sediment, medium legs.
Nose: Jammy blue fruit, oak, earth.
Taste: Jammy, almost foxy fruit. Decent amount of earth, herbs, and smoke. Acid and EtOH in balance.
Attack: Velvety soft mouth feel. Tannins are firm but supple. Not dry or mouth puckering in any way. Nice, long, fruity finish.
Window: Now-2020.
Overall. Excellent Mencia! The only real detractor is that the finest tannins have not yet precipitated. Once this clarifies, it will be yet more appealing. And at $15, this represents stupendous QPR!
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Red
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2006 Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel Ribera del Duero Crianza
Tempranillo more
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Appearance: ruby, slight bricking, clear, minimal sediment, long legs.
Nose: Raspberry primary, with eucalyptus, plum, smoke, and bit of barnyard.
Taste: Raspberry primary, with cherry (almost Jolly Rancher), some earth, bit of barrel char.
Attack: soft and round for about 10 seconds, and then the acid and EtOH take over. Not much tannin here. Medium and tart finish.
Window: now-2017.
Overall: Nice, but could be more balanced. Average QPR at $20.
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White
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2009 Marimar Estate Chardonnay La Masia Don Miguel Vineyard
Russian River Valley
more
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Appearance: Straw color, exceptionally clear.
Nose: Apricot, honeysuckle, a little wet stone, and EtOH.
Taste: Honeyed layers of white peach, cherimoya, vanilla and banana.
Attack/finish: Round, soft mouth feel. Acid and EtOH kick in about 30 seconds in. Long finish with oak notes. Slightly hot.
Window: Now-2016.
Overall: Really nice Cali chardonnay! Not overly oaked; just enough to lend balance and roundness. The only real detractor that I have is the heat; you can tell this is over 14% EtOH! Otherwise, very well balanced. Good QPR at $18.
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Red
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2009 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini Red Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
SuperTuscan Blend more
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Update from my first tasting:
Nose: Cherry, with dark plum, eucalyptus, cinnamon, sandalwood, and a bit of meat.
Taste: Black cherry predominates, but goes watery after ten seconds or so. Accompanied by flinty earth, tart citrus zest, and dusty tannin.
Attack: soft for ten seconds, then acid and tannin dry the palate. Somewhat short finish.
Window: 2015-2018.
Overall: I gave this an 86 the first time around. Maybe there was some bottle shock going on, or a threshold level of cork taint. Either way, this bottle is much better. There's a fair bit more fruit, and the spice box is more muted. However, there's a watery thinness from the middle on, plus that dark plum bit, that cause this to be poorly integrated. Still poor QPR for $18, but at least now it's in the ballpark.
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Red
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2007 San Rustico Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneti del Gaso
Corvina Blend, Corvina more
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Appearance: Dark ruby, clear, long legs.
Nose: Classic Amarone; cherry, cherry, cherry, with almond, raspberry, wood cask, herbs.
Taste: Dark cherry, blood orange, oak, chocolate. Finish is long, and fades to strong tobacco.
Attack: Surprisingly soft at first, but powdery tannins kick in mid palate. Acid is balanced, EtOH a bit hot (classic Amarone).
Window: Now-2022. Still enough tannin to hold up for several more years and improve.
Overall: Very nice Amarone, in a more fruit-forward style than average.
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White - Sparkling
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NV Château La Serre Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Colsenta
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
Glera more
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Crisp, clean. Very dry for Prosecco. Nice, fine mousse. Some apple and peach in there, but also a dark flinty background which came through a bit too much for me. I was wanting a little more yeastiness as well.
Window: Now!
Overall: Dry/smooth enough to serve as a champagne substitute. Great mixer fodder!
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Red
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2004 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Cariñena Gran Viu Finca Santiaga
Grenache Blend, Grenache more
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Notes from memory.
Appearance: Dark ruby, clear, no sediment, medium legs.
Nose: Dark cherry and raspberry primary, with leather and almond/marzipan. Early, had a strong candy/artificial raspberry nose, which blew off over an hour in decanter.
Taste: Cherry, earth, a little barnyard, leather. Some dark plum underneath. Medium complexity.
Attack: Soft mouth feel with balanced finish.
Window: now-2018.
Overall: Nice wine, but a little dark and disjointed for a $30 bottle.
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Red
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2009 Bodegas Peique Bierzo Ramón Valle
Mencía more
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Appearance: Dark ruby, clear, no sediment.
Nose: Black cherry primary, with substantial dark chocolate. hint of almond.
Taste: Black cherry, hints of oak, bitter orange zest.
Attack: Soft mouth feel and fruit forward on attack. Remains soft through mid palate, but with some balancing tannin and acid. Medium long finish.
Window: Now-2017.
Overall: Not overly complex, but a worthy replacement for a mid-level Cal cab/merlot. Excellent QPR at $10.50!!! Would definitely stock up at this price point.
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White
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2010 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
Chardonnay more
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Appearance: Exceptionally clear, off yellow, no sediment.
Nose: Flinty mineral, wet stone, hints of honeysuckle and pear skin.
Taste: Comice pear, mineral, with hints of pineapple, quince and aged oak.
Attack: Very soft mouth feel, with some crisp acidity on the back end. Long finish.
Window: Now-2018.
Overall: Excellent Chablis! Only moderate QPR at $20, but good enough that I don't care!
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Red
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2011 Anima Libera Chianti
Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese more
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Going off of memory...
Appearance: Dark ruby, clear, no sediment.
Nose: Red fruits (even raspberry Jolly Rancher until decant +30 minutes), some leather, spice.
Taste: Very fruit forward, but with balanced acidity and EtOH. Medium finish.
Attack: Medium mouth feel, drying tannins toward finish. Medium length finish.
Overall: Nice Chianti, but not special. Great QPR at $10 though! I did have a bit of a histamine headache later in evening and next morning from 2 glasses. Will have to observe this next time.
Window: Now-2018.
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White
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2012 Bodegas Señorio de Valei Rías Baixas
Albariño more
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Going off of memory...
Deeply straw colored, clear, no sediment.
Nose: Pear, apricot, pineapple, wet stones.
Taste: Apricot predominates, but not cloying. Very crisp and clean.
Attack: Crisp. Nice, round mouthfeel. Long finish.
Overall: Very nice albarino! I really like this wine!
Window: now-2016.
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Red
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2005 Domaine A Gerson Nuits St. Georges Les Argillats
Pinot Noir more
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Appearance: dark ruby, bricking slightly, clear, light legs, no sediment.
Decanted. Evolved over three hours.
Nose: raspberry, with blood orange, earth,.
Taste: raspberry primary, blood orange, black cherry, scorched earth and graphite.
Attack: soft and fruity at first, then phenolics hit, followed by tart raspberry acid. Tannins are soft, only gripping at end of finish.
Window: now-2016.
Overall: nice, restrained, but somewhat disjointed. Not enough tannin to support much more aging.
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Red
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2009 Les Vignobles de Seysseul Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Sixtus
Syrah more
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Appearance: Dark garnet, very clear, light legs, no sediment.
Decant + 2 hours:
Nose: Blackberry primary, with plum, dark cherry, smoke, underbrush, earth, and EtOH. Slightly hot.
Taste: Blackberry primary, with dark fruit, spice, cedar, and hint of liquorice. Clean minerals and earth come through on finish.
Attack: Very soft at first, with soft mid-palate. Acid and EtOH kick in, but tannins stay smooth.
Overall: Very nice syrah, done in a classical, restrained style. The terroir really comes through on this wine. Perfect accompaniment for cilantro garlic lamb chops and roasted potatoes!
Window: Now-2016. Tannins are balanced right now. Drink up!
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Red
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2011 Vinessens Alicante Sein
Mourvèdre Blend, Mourvèdre more
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Appearance: Dark ruby, clear, medium legs.
Decant + 1 hour.
Nose: Blackberry primary, with oak, spice, and violet.
Taste: big blackberry with strong vanilla overtone. Mid-palate and finish are more plummy than blackberry, with vanilla holding throughout.
Attack: Starts very soft, then oak and tannin hit hard around 15 seconds in. Finishes dry.
Window: I'm going to differ from previous reviewers. there is plenty of tannin here to age for several years, and it should benefit. 2017-2022. However, it's so fruit forward that it's approachable now. It will just be so much better...
Overall: Agreed, no idea where the 92 came from. But this could be a 90-91 with some time to integrate. And for $14, very decent QPR.
Update: Had a glass left in decanter overnight. Finish really smoothed out; tannins very soft now. Taste picked up a slight cocoa flavor. Nice!
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