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My Tasting Notes from "Sand Hill"

(5,000+ notes on 4,843 wines)

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White
2022 Luke Wines Chardonnay Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley (view label images)
3/27/2024 - brouigu1 wrote:
87 points
Thought I’d give this a try, it has a nice price point. I feel like this is Rombauer’s little sister, substantial Oak and not complex. Although it was rested on the lees I had to wonder if these were reused lees. Thin with only the oak to hold it together, IMO. I am a huge fan of Washington wines, but this left me reaching for a stainless steel finished Chardonnay.
White
3/27/2024 - dlu Likes this wine:
Still drinking well ... would be a repurchase at the WT price.
Red
3/27/2024 - MateusPetrus Likes this wine:
90 points
Still drinking very well. Full of fruit, perfect balance of sugar/acids/tannin. Very food friendly.
Red
1991 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese (view label images)
More muted than the others, but that's Italian wines for you! Inconsistency is their Moto! lol. Still beautifully elegant
White
3/28/2024 - Dale M wrote:
At first the nose seemed a tad off, possibly advanced, but the palate seemed proper for a mid weight 8 year old Sancerre. While the nose was a minor distraction, it was not enough to enjoy a rather nice drinking experience. Going back 3 hrs later, the 'off' nose had morphed into a lovely orange - orange blossom scented beauty. Fascinating.
Red
3/28/2024 - querilant Likes this wine:
90 points
Garnet red. Red fruit aromas. Elegant palate with spicey notes. Strong tannins. Very enjoyable wine. Slightly cooled this wiill do good in summer.
Red
3/23/2024 - SoleModel23 Likes this wine:
97 points
This is just phenomenal. I see how some more patience would do it justice, but it's so good that I can't make any promises I won't open the rest of them!!! This bottle is HUGE, & will continue to develop over a decade & last for at least another after that. Guaranteed.
Red
3/28/2024 - Goodwine4ever wrote:
91 points
Fruits rouges, acidité +, tannins présents mais agréable, peu de chaleur en fin de bouche, l'ensemble commence a se placer et le fruit est en avant plan.
Un très bon rosso qui sera dans son apogée d'ici deux ans.
Délicieux
Red
3/23/2024 - brouigu1 Likes this wine:
92 points
Opened young but after 1.5 hours of decanting this was ready to enjoy. Palate was substantial with cherry, oak, and hints of cranberry & cola. The palate was very balanced already with smooth cherry, cranberry some hints of plum and oak.
Red
I feel like this bottle is currently in that middle stage of not knowing what it wants to be.... Upon opening, Big Bold & in your face, after 2 hours of decant, very muted, with small hints of Bordeaux like characteristics coming from the back end.... I feel as if this bottle needs another 5 years minimum to take on that older Napa style I believe it's made to resemble, but I will not think about touching my other bottles for a MINIMUM of 8-10 years. This bottle was great, but definitely let me down in terms of immediate enjoyment, but at the same time is talking to me on how amazing it will be with some patience.
Red
Smooth, slightly spicy flavor and the 15% abv is well cloaked (and can creep up on ya!). This reminded me yet again how good Zinfandel can be, and this was money well spent. Would recommend and definitely get again.
Red
3/27/2024 - cubswinws Likes this wine:
90 points
Nice CdR with soft tannins and good fruit profile.
Red
7/13/2023 - grub94 Likes this wine:
91 points
Mature classic Chambolle. Just starting a saw fade but very enjoyable.
Red
2020 Cairdeas Winery tri Yakima Valley Red Rhone Blend (view label images)
3/23/2024 - brouigu1 Likes this wine:
89 points
The Tri is always a fun wine with great flavors of Syrah but not over-bearing. We seem to enjoy this most with hard cheeses before dinner. A great QPR wine that is not fussy nor complex but it always pleases the crowd.
Red
3/28/2024 - Fantomas Likes this wine:
99 points
Smooth and silky, beautiful nose of cherry and raspberry, some leather notes, full bodied, excellent length. Back in 85, the alcohol content was still balanced and not overpowering. Reds should go back to less alcohol and more character. A beautiful time capsule.
Red
3/28/2024 - Lydiksen74 wrote:
91 points
Lovely wine to accompany a classic lamb roast
White - Sparkling
Absolutely Stunning!! Went and bought all I could get my hands on immediately after. Drinks like a $200 Champagne. Just wow
Red
2019 Château Fleur Cardinale St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
3/24/2024 - brouigu1 Likes this wine:
90 points
Decanted 2 hours and it may have needed more. Beautiful nose of red & black fruits with ceder wood and herbal whiffs. The palate was nicely balanced, but it seemed quite thin on the mid-palate. The fruits, wood and some leather were present but were hiding. Perhaps bottle age or longer decanting would help fill this out. I was really hoping to try some the next day but dang if we didn’t finish the bottle by evenings end.

This was my first swing at Château Fleur Cardinale and although the Merlot was present I don’t have reference to past vintages.
Red
Medium-dark ruby color. Youthful, fruit-forward aroma. Short finish...but naturally improved with some glass time. A nice change of pace, and something different from the multitude of Pinot Grigios coming out of the same region.
Red
3/28/2024 - Simba-wine Likes this wine:
99 points
Onto this years Easter wines🥳🥳🥳😍😍😍

This would have been clearly a 💯 pointer bottle, if the prior wine was such a clear step ahead, so this might remain the forever 99+ wine for me🤣

My prior detailed tasting notes are spot on just the tannins are finally after 23 years fully melting!

The wine has plenty of life ahead, would say now until 2035.

99+
White
3/28/2024 - Simba-wine Likes this wine:
100 points
Happy Easter 🐇🐣🐰

This bottle was smack on and so clearly perfect like the one we had about two years ago.

If you would ask me for 3 words of the purest description of this elixir:

Orange, Mandarin and Minerality!

It is always amazing how salty, crisp and clear these KPK GG show after 10-15 years. The wine is fresh but on apex. I think the prime is now probably for 10 years.

I have no doubt that there is more life after that but wonder if it will slowly decline.

💯
Rosé - Sparkling
Gruet never disappoints. Affordable, tasty bubbles that are readily available. This worked very well with fish and chips – yes, you read that right!
Red
7/13/2023 - grub94 Likes this wine:
92 points
Really tasty mature 82 Bordeaux. Dark red fruits, truffles, hints of leather and cedar, lavender. Balanced and fully resolved, Long finish. Glad to have a couple more. Not fading like some 82's.
Red
2010 The Mascot Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
3/28/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:
93 points
Dark fruits, dark cherry, graphite, pencil shavings, mountain fruit. Plenty of tannins here. Needs a good 1-2h decant to show best. Really good quality.
Red
Freshness and salinity on the nose. Limited fruit aromas at first.

Fairly light body. Plenty of acid present, but not overwhelming. Largely integrated, yet fine tannins still very much present. Some residual heat on finish.

Not a ton of complexity at cellar temp, PnP. Darker, but not ripe, fruits on palate
Rosé
Bonny Doon's Vin Gris de Cigare is always a reliable and tasty quaff with a bargain price tag. Definitely leans towards a Provençal style of rosé, which is right up my alley. It's just a nice bottle for when you don't really want to think too deeply, but rather just want to enjoy a tasty glass or two.
Red
3/28/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:
94 points
This was just gorgeous. Lovely napa fruit that is just turning to show some age. Fully integrated with hints of aged oak and deep potting soil. Hard to pick apart the flavors, it's all just one thing. Structure fully coalesced.

Drinking at peak for me.
Red
3/28/2024 - steinersing wrote:
96 points
Off restaurant list in Bordeaux. Still a little tight, but spices are there and a great core with good length.
Red
2016 Château La Gorce Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
3/28/2024 - Papies wrote:
89 points
By the glass at the BA lounge , LHR. Just opened bottle.
Probably at its best now that the freshness manages to give a bright feel to the wine albeit the nice evolved fruit and light secondary feel blends well with it. Nice entry level wine and drinks nicely now and we feel at peak. 89
Red
3/28/2024 - steinersing wrote:
96 points
Impressive but give it a few more years. Nice tannins.
White
3/28/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:
93 points
Really took me by surprise. One of the few white rhones I've had that was extremely enjoyable. Most are fat and flabby and lacking acidity, but not here.

Pretty orchard fruit, lemon, sliced pears, yellow flowers. Layered, complex, with density and richness but stays comparatively light due to the acidity.

One of those wines that changes how your perception of a style/region.
White
3/28/2024 - Papies wrote:
89 points
By the glass at the BA lounge , LHR. Freshly opened.
Better young and definitely better than the 2021 we tried a few months back ( Papies 87) . Bright , soft
Grassy good stone fruit. Nice wine and definitely better at this youthful state. roulez jeunesse ! 89
Red
3/23/2024 - EMAZurich Likes this wine:
97 points
Ja, keine klassische Barolo-Aromen, leichte Holz/Vanilletöne, vielleicht einen Touch zu süssliche Komponente wenn man jemandem „Barolo“ erklären will - aber mein Gott, war das trinkanimierend.
Die zugrundeliegende Aromenstruktur war eindeutig Monforte (und ja, wenn man dann weiss was man trinkt erkennt man sogar Ginestra), rotbeerig (Waldbeeren), Trüffel, Rosenblätter. So geschmeidig am Gaumen, seidige Tannine, Eleganz, feine Säureklinge, superkomplex. Ein wirklich grosser Barolo, auch wenn der Jahrgang und der Ausbau nicht gerade einen Klassiker verspricht.
White
I unfortunately didn't have time to take extensive notes but this is already drinking very nicely and should cellar well for at least another 5 years (if not more).

APPEARANCE:
Color & intensity: medium lemon

NOSE:
Intensity: medium (+)
Aromas: white peach, lime, white pepper, medicinal plants, white flowers, lime zest, crushed stone
Development: developing

PALATE:
Sweetness: dry
Acidity: medium (+)
Alcohol: medium
Body: medium
Intensity: medium (+)
Flavors: lime, white peach, white pepper, crushed stone, lime zest, hint of rosemary
Finish: medium (+)

CONCLUSIONS:
Quality level: very good
Potential for ageing: can drink now but has good potential for further ageing
White - Sparkling
3/28/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:
92 points
To me this was quite good. Full body with solid density and richness. Core of baked apple and toasted bread, maybe some subtle lemon curd. Really nice and I will definitely grab more.
White - Off-dry
3/27/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:
"Modern old school" Spatlese. I know that doesn't make sense, but this wine shows the richness of the modern era that seems to have since shifted, so that's where the old school comes in. There's a lot of fruit here, as well as a fair dose of the 2021 vintage acidity, but it's not a lightning bolt like some 2021 wines. I think this may very well have a long aging window.
Red
1/12/2024 - grub94 Likes this wine:
90 points
Very enjoyable N Italian Pinot. Cherry base with stoniness, some savory spice and hints of earth. Great acidity for a 12 year old. Med+ finish. Good match with sautéed duck breast.
White
3/27/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:
88 points
NOSE: Creamier on the nose than their generic Xynisteri, less immediate but with a deeper or richer fruitiness (white fruits).
TASTE: More cooncentrated, drier, more complex fruitiness, underlying minerality. Medium bodied but I suspect it has more to unpack and yield with more time in the bottle.
OVERALL: High quality. Promising.
TOTAL SCORE 88 points.
Red
3/23/2024 - Sp@rk Likes this wine:
95 points
This wine is ready to go. No kick from alcohol and fully integrated tannin. Savory.
White - Sparkling
3/23/2024 - EMAZurich Likes this wine:
97 points
Habe nun begonnen ein paar Notes zur Erinnerung an diesen epischen Abend zu schreiben, da kam ich diesen Wein nicht auslassen. Ich bin kein grosser Pinot-Fan aber das war ganz grossartig.
Hat nicht mein höchstes Rating des Abends aber war „mein“ WOTN.
Dicht, sehr Pinot, Bratapfel, Himbeeren, viel Hefe/Brioche - sehr dick aufgetragen aber von einer grossartigen, frischen Säure getragen, rasiermesserscharf. Diesbezüglich ähnlich einem kürzlich getrunkenen Cristal 2009. Der Jahrgang hat keinen grossen Ruf aber scheint mir also zu liegen.
Red
3/28/2024 - SMZ wrote:
Drinking beautifully at this point…..luxurious texture with excellent fruit flavors.
White
3/28/2024 - Casa HeRo wrote:
91 points
Modne grønne epler, saftig sitron og smør. Etter litt luft setter den seg også med litt fat og en rund smøraktig sitron.
White - Sparkling
3/11/2024 - 10xM Likes this wine:
90 points
Drank at L'envol in Hong Kong.
Lovely aromas of lemon and sugar. Fine bubbles
Dry finish with a very slight sweetness. It went well with majority of the plates.
Red
3/28/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:
92 points
No decant, brought to a wine dinner by a generous friend.

Immediately expressive on PnP. Gorgeous layered red fruits that were elegant and ethereal. Nice dusty earth undertones as well. Medium light body.

For me this is at peak. Can probably age further if you want more secondary and tertiary notes, but for me this is prime time.
White
3/28/2024 - 560 B&W Likes this wine:
91 points
And again.
Red
3/28/2024 - 560 B&W Likes this wine:
91 points
Pretty and well balanced. 13.2%
White
3/27/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:
86 points
NOSE: Fresh sea water, white fruits, underripe pear, a hint of jasmin.
TASTE: Light bodied, quite mineral, crisp, white stone fruits. Pleasant but fairly short aftertaste.
OVERALL: Pleasant, clean, refersehing.
TOTAL SCORE 86 points.
Red
3/28/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:
96 points
Just outstanding. Brought to a wine dinner by a generous friend.

Incredible nose of blood, iron, cured meat, game. Palate had tons of structure and minerality with iron earth overlaying savory fruit. Finish shows off some power and the structure again.

This should go another 20-30 years without problem. Pretty remarkable.
Red
3/30/2024 - Bryan49 Likes this wine:
90 points
Nice nose, Red and Black fruit. Long finish. Excellent QPR for weeknight easy drinker.
Red
3/27/2024 - Maryke Likes this wine:
85 points
Smoot and full body. Served with filet from the braai
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