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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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White
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2019 The Hilt Chardonnay Musqué
Sta. Rita Hills
more
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Eye: Medium straw with flecks of gold.
Nose: Light toast/dust, apparent minerality. Floral perfume.
Palate: Pleasant high acid. Loads of green apple. There is a slight creaminess, but the wine feels very low malo. Super taut and mineral driven. Again quite floral and perfumed.
Finish: Medium length. Lingering apple acidity and perfumey notes.
Overall: The wine lives up to its description; it shows marked Chardonnay characteristic, while being uniquely distinct from any other Chardonnay I’ve tried.
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White - Sparkling
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2015 A. Margaine Champagne Blanc de Blancs Special Club
Chardonnay more
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Eye: Firm mousse, rapid fine bubbles. Consistent pale gold with a gentle green tinge in some lights.
Nose: Brioche, hazelnut, tomato stems. Lightly creamy and autolytic. Citrus peel, green apples. Cinnamon-sugar pop tart.
Palate: Well balanced acid and sugar. The wine is very light on its feet despite its dosage. The notes from the nose carry over: Brioche, rich nuts, lemon, blood orange, crisp green apple. And again; just a faint hint of something autolytic and stemmy. Really driven minerality: wet rock and limestone. Nice creamy texture with a pleasant fizz.
Finish: Long. Lemon peel. Green apple. Faint touch of cassis. More minerality.
Overall: Some really incredible champagne. A beautiful introduction to the level that the Special Club operates on.
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Red
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2019 Gramercy Cellars Syrah Walla Walla Valley
more
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Decanted off moderate sediment and some “goop”
Eye: Mediun purple to medium red.
Nose: Toasty oak, plum, red fruit. Little meat and prune. Blood orange. Violets.
Palate: Quite dusty and vinous. Moderate acid and tannin. Reasonably drying. Very meaty. Cool mint. Blood orange. Earthy. As the wine airs it develops spicey and umami elements.
Finish: Lingering meatiness, earth, and blood orange.
Overall: It’s like drinking a steak. The wine needed about an hour to start hitting its stride.
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White - Off-dry
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2021 The Hilt Riesling
Sta. Rita Hills
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Eye: Consistent dark straw
Nose: White Flowers, petrol, wet stone, lemon pith.
Palate: Petrol. Bright acidity. Fleshy and mouth filling. Melon rind, lemon. Peach. Just the slightest touch off-dry.
Finish: Medium length. Lingering lemon, and pith bitterness.
Overall: Very true to type.
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Red - Fortified
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2018 Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah Port
Clarksburg
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Eye: Medium red center to medium ruby rim. Shows slight browning in certain lights.
Nose: Red fruit, prunes, lightly vinous. Cinnamon stick, pomegranate juice.
Palate: Juicy and sweet; but not unrefined. Sweet cherries and raisins. Some more cinnamon spice and grenadine. Boozy but not hot with very delicate tannins.
Finish: Medium length. Honey and walnuts. Reasonably drying on the back palate. There is a pleasant warmth at the very end.
Overall: An interesting take on a port-style wine, which combines a very old world technique with a varietal favored in the new world.
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Red
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2016 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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Decanted off moderate sediment and aired for a little over an hour.
Eye: Medium purple center to medium ruby rim.
Nose: Cherry kirsch, crushed violets. Cool mint. Cassis. Still very young and fruit forward. Touch of sous bois. Lightly vinous.
Palate: This is claret! Good acid, delicate velvet tannin. Crème de cassis, crème de violet. Rosaceous earth. Kirsch cherries. Black Forest cake; cacao and all. Meat and steel. Still just a touch of mint. Soy sauce and the occasional pop of something tutti fruity.
Finish: Long: Lingering cherry and cassis. Cacao gives way to roasted coffee. Graphite on the back palate.
Enjoyed with: Brisket and roast potatoes.
Overall: Simply incredible.
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White
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2022 Arnot-Roberts Ribolla Gialla Bengier Vineyard
Napa Valley
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Eye: Pale straw
Nose: Very compelling nose. Minerality, stems, orchard fruit, Ceylon cinnamon, spice cabinet, white flowers, jasmine tea.
Palate: Very delicate. Low acid. Fleshy fruits; peach, apricot. More minerals, stems, cinnamon, spice, and tea. Beeswax. Medium bodied with some creamy texture in the back palate.
Finish: Short. Light umami. Fruit, black tea, pale melon.
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Red
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2022 Arnot-Roberts Red Wine
California
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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PNP
Eye: Dark purple center to dark ruby rim.
Nose: Cassis. Black and red berries. A little steminess; a little tobacco.
Palate: More berries. Violets, roses. Good acid, drying tannins. This wine is very young and fresh. Cacao powder.
Finish: Tart and dry. Faint whisp of grape stem bitterness and eucalyptus.
This is the first bottle out of my AR allocation. It’s safe to say I’m pretty excited about what’s coming up.
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Rosé - Sparkling
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2020 Haliotide Wines Pinot Noir Extra Brut Rosé Topotero Vineyard
San Luis Obispo County
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Eye: Pale salmon. Delicate mousse. The bubbles are slow moving and absolutely minuscule.
Nose: Strawberry jam. Cherry juice. Brioche. Lightly autolytic. Blood orange, light minerality.
Palate: Beautiful crisp acidity. Richly layered red fruits. Little hint of crème de cassis. Watermelon candy. Touch of brioche. Green apple, pomegranate. Faint rhubarb.
Finish: Lingering cherry tartness. More strawberry jam. Toast.
Overall: Some superb rose sparkling. The bubbles are the finest I’ve seen in any American sparkler. I’m glad I got a few bottles; I’m looking forward to revisiting this Wine with some more time.
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Red
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2016 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91
Napa Valley
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Aired for 40 minutes.
Eye: Medium purple center to medium ruby rim.
Nose: Salted pretzels. Prunes, red fruits. Light toasty oak. Rich Cassis, a little graphite, a little caramel. Bit of tobacco.
Palate: Lightish tannin. Good acidity. Cherry kirsch. A little soy sauce. Dark chocolate, some almond.
Finish: Medium length. Dried cherries. Some cacao powder. Little bit of tart fruit. Bloody meat.
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Red
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2021 Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Signature Series Rutherford
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PNP
Eye: Medium purple center with medium ruby rim.
Nose: Iron shavings, light toast. Little bit of chlorine. Distinctly shows “Rutherford dust.”
Palate: Lowish tannin. Medium acidity. Medium+ body. Dark berries. Lightly ripe; it’s a bit sweeter than I tend to prefer, but it’s not overwhelming. Touch of that dust, cacao powder.
Finish: Short. Jammy, black.
Overall: For sub 20 bucks it’s pretty sublime.
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White
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2021 Kistler Chardonnay Trenton Roadhouse
Russian River Valley
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Eye: Light yellow to medium straw.
Nose: Light toast. Touch of caramel, chamomile tea. Steely minerality. Ripe stone fruit and just a faint whiff of cream.
Palate: Nice crisp acidity. Full bodied and creamily textured. More stone fruit, some cream. Still quite steely. Green apple. Little bit of marshmallow root.
Finish: Toast, chamomile, light lingering tartness.
Overall: This bottle lived up to expectations. As the wine warmed and breathed, the oak elements became more prominent.
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Sake
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NV Suigei Shuzo Tokubetsu Junmai "Drunken Whale"
Kōchi
Rice more
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Eye: Nearly completely clear with just the faintest touch of straw.
Nose: Apple candy, melon. A little cinnamon.
Palate: Similar to the nose. Quite dry. Ripe fruit. Rice.
Finish: Lightly nutty.
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Red
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2019 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Knox Alexander
Santa Maria Valley
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Aired for 45 minutes.
Eye: Crystaline ruby-red center to a medium pink rim.
Nose: Musky and perfumed. Cacao powder, caramel, touch of red fruit. Earth, light booze.
Palate: Good acid, low tannin. Rich and mouth filling. Pomegranate. Tart cherry, sous bois. Bloody meat, mushroom, soy sauce. Bacon fat. Strawberry preserves.
Finish: Meat, soy, umami, burnt caramel. Lingering tart red fruit.
Overall: Some very nice Pinot drinking surprisingly well despite its relative youth.
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White - Sweet/Dessert
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2021 Ojai Riesling Special Botrytis Bottling Kick-on Ranch
Santa Barbara County
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Eye: Medium yellow verging on light copper in some lights.
Nose: Lightly toasty. Smells of botrytis. Nice light petrol character. Light green apple.
Palate: Beautiful vivacious acidity. Crisp green apple. Orange blossoms. Rich stone fruit. Reasonably sweet; lightly confectionery. Like sweet autumn cider.
Finish: Short. Sweet apple and botrytis.
Enjoyed With: Sweet cheese blintzes
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White - Sparkling
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NV Carboniste CARBO-NATION "Flight"
California
White Blend more
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Eye: Lightly cloudy pale to medium yellow. Reasonably fine bubbles.
Nose: White peach, toasty egg bread. Light minerality.
Palate: Good acidity. Tart fruit. Lambic beer like. Light mint or eucalyptus.
Finish: Burnt egg bread. Lingering bitter acidity.
Overall: The wine certainly seems to fits its description of being a cross between a pet nat and a traditional sparkler. The nose was really appealing; but the palate was a slight let down.
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White - Fortified
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NV Pierre Ferrand Pineau des Charentes
White Blend more
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Eye: Deep orange-gold
Nose: Honey, orange blossoms, rancio. Toasty nuts. Prune and fig jam.
Palate: Sweet, very light acidity. Super toasty and nutty. Notes much the same as the nose.
Finish: Loads of rancio. Lingering orange blossom and tart white grapes.
Overall: My first Pineau de Charents. Very neat!
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Red
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2020 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis
Napa Valley
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The wine was decanted off a small amount of sediment and aired for an hour.
Eye: Deep purple center, wet pink-red rim.
Nose: Tobacco, mesquite, cassis, oak spice, red fruit.
Palate: Soft velvet tannins. Well balanced acidity. Cacao, vanilla, meat, blood. Red fruit, black fruit. Black cherry kirsch. Light prune.
Finish: Bitter cacao nibs, mesquite. Lingering black cherry.
Overall: Still very youthful; but a real class act.
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Red
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2010 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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Decanted off considerable sediment. Aired 30 minutes.
Eye: Dark purple center to light ruby rim. The wine shows light bricking.
Nose: Tobacco, mint, rich crème de cassis. Lightly spicy. Graphite.
Palate: Really soft. Low to medium tannin. Well balanced acidity. Loads of anise, red currant. Red and black fruit. Burnt caramel.
Finish: Long. Herbaceous, meaty, spicy. Mushroom and earth.
Overall: Wonderfully complex and elegant; exactly what I expected from HB.
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White - Sparkling
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NV Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Pierre Moncuit-Delos Blanc de Blancs Brut
Chardonnay more
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Eye: Pale straw. Vibrant rapid small bubbles.
Nose: Really briochey. Just faintly autolytic. Lemon, green apple, sweet toasted nuts. Pecan praline.
Palate: Lightly tart; the wine shows it’s dosage. The palate is much the same as the nose. Nice and fizzy on the palate. Moderate cassis character.
Finish: Sweet brioche. Light lingering tartness and nuttiness.
Overall: I can’t say I’m overly impressed by the champagne; but it did make some very nice French 75s.
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Red
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2018 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon The Estates Oakville
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Decanted off a surprising amount of sediment, and aired for an hour.
Eye: Black red center to a medium ruby rim.
Nose: Really pure cassis. Light graphite. Lots of toasty oak. Tobacco.
Palate: Really pure cassis. Light graphite. Lots of toasty oak. Tobacco. Chinese five spice. Lightly meaty. Some red fruit. Light anise. Low to medium acidity. Well structured tannins.
Finish: Lightly minty. Lingering meat, spice, and tart red fruit.
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Red
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2013 Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di S. Niccolò Toscana IGT
Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese more
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The wine was decanted off considerable sediment, and aired for 90 minutes.
Eye: Dark red center to a mild ruby rim. The wine shows slight bricking.
Nose: Tart cherry, and dark berries. Cool mint. Rich black licorice. Light cooking spice.
Palate: There is a rich center of tart red fruit, followed by lingering licorice. Dark prunes and raisins. Lots of oak tannin. Still a light touch of mint. Lightly chocolatey. Oak spice, grenadine.
Finish: Drying. Herbs, light balsamic. Cherry, strawberry, watermelon candy.
Edit: Returning to the wine on day two has really shifted my perspective. All of its elements are much more harmonious, and the wine is now giving off light notes of perhaps tropical fruit. I’ve moved the wine up to 93 points.
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White - Sparkling
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NV Lanson Champagne Green Label
Champagne Blend more
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Eye: Medium straw to light gold. Small lazy bubbles.
Nose: Brioche, green grapes. Apple and lemon. Moderately oxidative. Sweet almonds.
Palate: Good crisp acidity. Green apple, citrus pith. Brioche. Lightly nutty. Slight red berry character.
Finish: Lemon, green apple, tomato stem.
Bottle Notes:
Base Vintage: 2015
Disgorged: 06/2021
Dosage: 6 g/l
Aging: 4 years.
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Red - Fortified
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NV Blandy's Madeira Rich Duke of Clarence
Tinta Negra Mole, Negramoll more
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Eye: Ruddy orange-brown.
Nose: Honey, toasted nuts. Lightly vinous. Raisins, dates, prunes, Christmas spice, demerara rum.
Palate: Moderately sweet. Orange-juice acidity. Honey, nuts. There is a touch of something lightly cooking; like mint or eucalyptus.
Finish: Medium. Lightly sweet. Gently tart, a touch nutty.
Overall: This was a pretty cool Intro to Madeira. I’m certainly interested in trying more.
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White
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2022 Arnot-Roberts Sauvignon Blanc Randle Hill Vineyard
Yorkville Highlands
more
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Eye: Pale straw.
Nose: Lightly toasty. Grapefruit pith. Green apple and lemon. Seashells.
Palate: Crisp green and red apple, grapefruit. Good acidity, light steely minerality. Some tropical and lees character.
Overall: This is a very compelling wine which paired beautifully with some smoked salmon.
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