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Tasting Notes for pmarlo

(901 notes on 669 wines)

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Red
12/1/2023 - pmarlo Does not like this wine:
86 points
12/1/23-Composite cork that helped when removed. Legs are very apparent for this wine. Wasn't the jumilla flavor profile I was expecting, which was thick and dense. This was thinner but I don't mean low level of fruit. Viscosity? First impression is not that impressed. Only had a glass to go with a meal of Italian sausage, as I hoped it would pair well. Vacuum sealed for next day.
Day 2. Tart and has changed. Really sour fruit and nothing like jumilla I've known. Wine has fell together more since yesterday, but still not a wine I like. A sting on the tongue. Sour cherry? Hard to peg this. It doesn't taste like wine. Trying tomorrow but if no improvement, tossing.
I replaced the cork, left on kitchen counter for 2-3 months, and used for cooking pot roast and crock pot Italian sausage. Had high hopes as label advertises a 93 Wine Spectator rating, but not a rebuy here, and can do better.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2012 Saxum Broken Stones Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend (view label images)
3/8/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
Cork softer than expected, not quite as soft as 2005 Merus cab recently opened, but similar. No infiltration, cork end deep dark purple, almost black, and faint smell of what? Mold? Foot? Yeesh. Strong sting of alcohol but also deep and thick flavor. Not a shy wine. Lightness at rim of glass but dark as night after. Reticent and needs air. I caution that users realize this is almost 16% alcohol. One glass will affect you.
Red
3/17/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
92 points
Good flavor right at opening, more like a Russian River profile. Very good at initial sip but fades quickly and felt thin in flavor. The intensity waned and did not persist, but the initial attack was quite good. Felt this on side of tongue mostly on the middle. Good bouquet. Not as deep colored as in previous vintages. Lot of energy here, and medium acidity. Tart, but not quite cherry. Different in style than in previous vintages, not as extracted, and more finesse as a result. Good, ready now, and might see 5 more years of age. Vacuum sealed now to have in one week. Was Ok then but as I recall but seemed best the first day.
Red
3/1/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
92 points
3/1/24- Soft cork, was able to pull it out by hand once started. Lots of sediment, especially on the cork, and it stained my hands. Tastes funny, like almost candy. Can't tell if it went bad. Doesn't smell bad, but can smell alcohol. Fruit is muted except for that odd candy flavor. Sealed by vacuum pump cork.
3/8/24-I've had a small glass every other day up to today, and today was the best showing. Actually tasted like a cabernet today, with juice and deep fruit. Alcohol has remained strong but today the fruit did not give an inch. This was a very hard wine to figure but it redeemed itself today. I was on the verge of tossing this in fact. I would have this now and hope for the best. I'd taste it upon opening, and if you have similar impression as I did, I'd throw it in decanter. Had this in a deep bowled glass and noticed the legs really persisted on the side, longer than anything in memory.
Red
2/24/2024 - pmarlo wrote:
94 points
Sort of muted upon opening but after an hour it emerged and is ponderous on the palate. Beautiful fruit, beautiful structure. Very deep and complex. Alcohol is apparent but never overshadows the structure and depth of wine. After a sip want the next, a great sign.
Two days later, nose blossomed and very fragrant. Fruit now strong and nice, and there is a meat and funk taste. Jeeze, what does funk taste like? This was like molding hay and horse stall, but that was just a bit and for short second. Also a meaty taste was woven into it. Something for sure. The way I describe the flavors sounds bad, but it was a great characteristic. Liked this a lot more on second day.
I've had Reva a number of times; sometimes I open right at peak, sometimes several years before, and sometimes past peak. My approach in the past was to buy at least two bottles. In one instance I opened one at peak. I thought I could run the next bottle out a good five more years, but when I did was bland and flabby. Other CT reviewers seem to indicate this is a twenty year wine, and it very well might be. But my advice is drink them in the window but don't let them go more than another year, two tops.
3 people found this helpful Comment
White
2/17/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
89 points
Did not take notes, so this is from memory. Grapefruit but not razor sharp, and more full and round and juicy which added depth. Recall I liked this more than I expected to, and began to wonder if I should buy more sauvignon blancs for easy and pleasant drinks. Summertime comes to mind, but had this on a cold night, and was appreciated. Strikes me as a good choice at a affordable price point, and might be the front runner at that. Recommended. This was 4 years old so it may have come together. I don't know as I don't have experience with this grape, but think it should be consumed within first five years. Recommended.
Red
2/15/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
90 points
Pretty much liked this right from the first sip. No decant. Very decent wine that drinks a lot like a syrah/cabernet blend. Liked this a lot, and at price even moreso. Has a bit more complexity that expected for this price point. Fruit is apparent and not pushed aside by the 14.% alcohol. Worthy repurchase in so many ways, and would be a treat if offered as a modestly priced choice at restaurant.
Red
2/23/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
First day closed and astringent and wasn't giving much more than that. with glass time it gradually displayed limited fruit. Second day it was much better. Softer wine that other CT reviewers described as austere. Agreeable and not flabby as it was not past prime or in decline. Feminine might be the best way to describe this perhaps. Acidity was in a very sweet spot for me; enough to give wine a nice drive but not over the top. Today tannins present and they are not astringent. Very nice with food and meats and cheeses. The last glass or two threw sediment which required the fine screen of a Vinturi aerator.
I think this wine is in its drinking window. I've had aged chianti before and I expected it to be similar due to the sangiovese grape. It was not. This had a lightness on its feet aspect, an active in the mouth feel without a brutal acid dominance. I feel that this is a mature wine, that it may possibly still be evolving, and there is no way to know if the fruit has really faded or is just hiding. I would have it now, especially if you have other bottles to age.
White - Off-dry
2/11/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
Many of my German wines on CT show an extended drinking window as well as start window. Per CT this one was at midway point. Short cork but intact, and ends look like cross section of a tree. Never seen that before. Was that intentional or some odd manufacturing quirk or seepage? Bouquet of juicy pear. Fruit was a soft pear flavor, and then towards the finish lychee. Pale gold color and seemed more viscous. The sweetness however was a lot less than expected for a Spatlese at 7%, as well as low acidity. Thought perhaps these were characteristics of 2016 vintage. Over and hour in glass sweetness intensified. I've had other flavors take their time to appear (mostly red) but never before sweetness. The emergence of sweetness intensified the pear and lychee by a tic, and it was a nice balance. I didn't get much mineral but others may detect. Another taster liked this wine, and so do I. Last sip told me this is Spatlese. I've had a few of this producer in the past and was always pleased by quality and value.
Red
2/11/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
92 points
Composite cork made with cork fragments. A two prong opener began to push the cork in, so switched to corkscrew, and extracted no problem. Nice ruby color. Another taster remarked good bouquet, and flum flavor. Nice wine, elegant, and definitely Oregon. The closest California pinot style to this might be Martinelli, but only in passing. Good mouthfeel, but the fruit seemed either muted or subdued, and made me wonder is this wine at 8 years was past prime and fading? But it just required time and air. It was slow to reveal, and was consumed before I could evaluate additional glass time. Still, a very worthy purchase from a better than average Oregon producer.
Red
1/21/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
91 points
Last bottle. Cork great, no infiltration, end stained deep purple. Served on the cold side from recent cold snap, as I left this on the back door floor which really chilled it. No real bouquet. Very evolved. Initially tasted fruit but now is shy. Still tannins, detected when swished in mouth. Initial legs run fast, second wave quite slow. Will give this time and take small sips to see if fruit shows up again. Thought this would be a lost cause due to age (14 years) but maybe not. Blows my mind I'm the only reviewer. Sealed for 7 days with vacuum stopper sealer, the wine is hard to figure. Almost no fruit unless I taste in small sips. But it's still ok. Been on its side since purchased and decent amount of sediment on side of bottle. Not soft or flabby but very advanced. The very last glass, complete with sediment, was the best. I've changed my mind on this. The structure was always good, and the fruit in the last glass redeemed it and made it a very decent cdp. Overall my expectations may have been unrealistically high due to the great 2010 vintage, and perhaps I saw more here than what actually was. Its ready.
Red
2/3/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
Good cork pull and no infiltration, good heady bouquet right from the start. Medium burgundy. Classic Russian River. Cherry but not heavy, and darker fruit. But great soil. Slightly numbing but not due to mint, it's the RR profile. Very nice. Very much ready now. hard to see it getting better. Something I like so very much about RR pinot, and compared to other producers RR, Kosta has the most distinctive taste. And it's all here.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1/20/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
89 points
Wine was opened a week ago, then vacuum sealed. The first day this tasted more like a cross between a cabernet and syrah than a barbera. Today, there are tannins and even though they are drying they are, well, slightly mouth puckering. Fruit is very slight but there is a substance here. Needs to be sipped to be appreciated. Will air help?
Yes it will. Fruit more apparent, cherry flavor, nice. Worth re-purchase. Mediums body, acidity, and tannins. Like vinnut and Mahmund reviews as they describe this the best. Solid 89 for me and this was at 7 years of age. Was ready but might even go several years more.
Red
2004 Château Cos d'Estournel St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
1/27/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
95 points
The fruit was spectacular right upon opening. Just generous flavor, such wonderful fruit. Cork was extracted with two prong opener but it pushed in. Had to then back out and use corkscrew. But this was the best showing of the three bottles I had of this wine. 95 today. Really good and searching for descriptives. Sealed with vacuum plug and will the fruit last or fade? Update: didn't return to this for almost a week (but vacuum sealed in the interim). Fruit did fade, and wine was at it's best its first day opened. Still decent, but the fruit, which was definitely the star, stepped. Back. This wine was ready now. As this bottle was twenty years old, I am wondering if my first two so-so tastings several years ago due to bottle variation, or if this wine needed that much bottle time to shine? My rating is for the first day.
2 people found this helpful Comments (5)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2/3/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
90 points
Not overly sweet for an ice wine, which was a good thing. As a result the fruit profile was not as intense. Still nice though. I kept wondering what might this taste like in 10-20 years? More on the stone fruit side.
Red
1/13/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
Good cork and end stained like midnight. Deep aromatic and heady, thick, impressive somehow. Is it the grape or soil? 2 pm open, re-corked,, and trying later.
20 minutes later. Wonderful full-bodied wine, lots on the palate, wonderfully crafted. Signature profile and full bodied and not heavy but substantial just the same. Unique profile that begs the next sip. Legs run fast, next wave medium, and not sure after that. Feel this in my upper chest. Not heartburn but just extract of grape. Ogress3 got nice take, concentrated and needs air. Second day has a hint of cabernet taste. Fruit more apparent. Feels ready now but can go perhaps five years more. Had I another would give three. Car!isle delivers a good wine.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Sparkling
1/16/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
92 points
1/1/24-Bubbles medium but not aggressive. Initial taste is subdued grapefruit and perhaps peach. Not heavy but enough to tell. Next day. Some bubbles left more in balance. Improved a good tick. Very nice on second day. Has good weight in the mouth; not delicate but substantial without being heavy. Impressive NV, one of the better ones to be had. Nice cut. This may be to the chardonnay being sufficient. A pinot dominant blend would be more luscious and generous. This is nice for a blend. Think its 40% pinot and chardonnay each and 20% munier.

I see a lot of praise and admiration for this wine, and after having it myself, think it's well deserved. If one feels the need to compare, please remember to compare to other brut wines. This has a nice weight to it without being heavy and just the right cut for a brut. For me it's a solid 92.

Well reviewed wine here on CT, older house, uses a higher percentage of reserve wine (40%) than most houses. Although at this time Dec 2023 only 90.5, most rating in 2023 are 90 plus, which tells me these recent vintages are higher quality.
3 people found this helpful Comments (2)
Red
2009 Harlan Estate The Maiden Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
1/8/2024 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
91 points
First cab of 2024. Muted, and cork broke in half but not infiltrated. Deep maroon. Light at rim. Alcohol in check. Tannins still there when swished but not otherwise. Could that be alcohol instead? Needs air. Now open an hour and fruit stepping forward. Nice! Very balanced at this age of 15 years. Thinking fruit will follow a bell curve to peak then fall off. Vacuum seal may preserve this. Next few days it had declined but still ok. Fruit not apparent but was there in l;ittle sips, which is why I still enjoyed this. Should not be further aged; rather open and enjoy in one sitting, but after perhaps hour air. Observation: in decline, should have had this sooner.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/31/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
89 points
Very nice right out of the bottle. food friendly. Great paired with a variety of holiday foods. Medium gamay fruit and low tannins, with medium acidity. Held together for several days in a vacuum corked bottle. Differs from its cousin Moulin a Vent. Soft, not flabby, and gives a bigger impression from the slight tartness of the gamay grape. Worthy of re-purchase. Aging? Maybe 2-5 years tops. Prefer to have this in its youth. A worthy 89 for me, more likely should be 90.
Red
12/21/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
89 points
12/21/23-College football Bowl games. Cork intact, maybe 1/8th inch infiltrated. Almost has a slight gamay aroma. First sip was almost cherry like. Was not expecting that. Bright. Tannins low. Really reactive on tongue when swished.
Now open one hour. Wine has smoothed, cherry almost gone, starting to get the French syrah style more. Agree with others this needs time to open and evolve. Wine acts like a sponge you cram in a box but expands when you open the lid.
Now 24th. The doesn't exactly taste like a gamay but its similar and very slight. Still very bright. I don't have much experience with wines from this particular region so I don't know if this is typical. It's not bad but I was expecting more a syrah style, and this to me is more like a cross between a gamay and an Oregon pinot. Not a repurchase for me but willing to try more from Saint Joseph region. An observation. Had a peppermint candy, the soft ones that I used to see in doctors offices, the ones that dissolve instantly...and the cherry bright profile receded and the wine was much more enjoyable.
Red
12/9/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
91 points
Good bouquet when opened. Color light burgundy and lighter at rim. Legs took awhile to start and ran medium fast. Funky nose, smelled this before but can't place. Doesn't affect taste. Tannins when swished and active on side of cheeks. I refer to mouth cheeks, not...never mind. When sipped not as apparent. Dark black fruit profile, blackberry. Medium body. Looks pretty in glass under light. Still opening up. Keep reaching for more. Not as heavy as in past years. This may be either due to vintage or winemaker preference. Nice wine. Different than previous vintages, not as concentrated, and initially felt more dilute. But after two days opened its just more delicate an light on its feet. More like Martinelli in that respect. Stand by my word it's a nice wine.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
12/12/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
92 points
A very different profile of what I know of Reva. I have had several vintages so I have a bit of experience. This is not dense but is powerful. Red fruit profile for me. But the flavor was such I wondered is this TCA tainted? Very vibrant and active on palate. Had open three days now. It just hit me what this tastes like: a brunello.
Best showing on 16th. Very balanced, more like Reva I know, and heavy sediment, but when at last third of bottle to be expected. Smooth, alcohol not apparent (until you stand up) and just super nice. I had faith this would deliver and it eventually did. Why did it take so long to show?
Red
12/24/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
89 points
Very smooth and built for food. One of the best food wines I've ever had. Great with roast turkey and ham and sides. I keep buying to have one on hand. Recommended.
Red
12/16/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
90 points
Very good pinot. The most dependable pinot I know. Ruby color, medium bodied, decently extracted, medium tannins that don't intrude, very dependable wine that delivers. Good to always keep a Bella Vigna on hand.
White
12/4/2023 - pmarlo wrote:
90 points
Golden color. Have had Michigan and New York riesling, and this Canadian riesling tastes most like a German wine by far. Really ripe pear flavor with a heavier weight. Very well done. Worth buying again.
Red
12/17/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
89 points
12/17/23-Cork deeply stained, almost black, and tartrate acid crystals adhere to it. Very fruity, what to me is a monastrell profile. Low acidity, or at least dialed down. Mainly Grenache but I get mostly Monastrell. Hopefully no free floating crystals and if any most likely sank to bottom. Why would this have so many crystals? For what benefit of purpose?
Most reviews of previous vintages say a good value, fruity, not too oaky, and most consider it a good buy. I wanted a cooking/sipping wine without breaking into a more costly bottle.
Now 12/21/23. This wine grew on me. I didn't use any for cooking and consumed instead. I've had it vacuum sealed and had a small glass every now and then. The fruit is prominent, so much so I didn't know if I liked it. Mostly Grenache but I thought it was something else like mourvedre or monastrell. Made me wonder if this fruit profile was artificial in some way. It was intense almost to the point of coming off as sweet. But its held up and I would buy it again. Made for immediate consumption.
White - Sweet/Dessert
12/9/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
94 points
The best ice wine I've ever had, and probably the best sweet wine too. So smooth, developed, just a treat to have. Convinced me to have an ice wine on hand when I make chocolate cream pie. The combo was out of this world good, don't need but a sip. I don't think I'll ever see a Status again. Not offered in my area. Fifteen years and this wine was a gem. Would I have just by itself? Yes. But the best is with chocolate and fresh whipped cream. As good an ice wine as can be hoped for.
White - Sparkling
12/5/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
91 points
12/4/23-Don't have much experience with pinot based champagnes, and this possibly may be my first one ever. Based on this showing it won't be the last. Popped and was good right out of the gate. Medium bubbles, steady, but ran out of steam fairly quick, like half hour in glass tops. But the fruit was great. Pinot and menieur made this juicy and succulent and tasty. These wines gave deeper body and heavier pleasant feel to this. The acid was restrained and in balance, and didn't outshine the fruit. I would buy this against without second thought. I definitely want one in the cellar but it's hard to find in these parts. I don't want to get carried away with ratings, but this is a solid 91 for me.
Red
4/19/2015 - pmarlo wrote:
89 points
i remember tasting this at Local store tasting, and thinking it needed time, and this was at least a year ago, and I can see this was accurate. Deep maroon color, very pretty actually.
White - Sparkling
11/23/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
91 points
So lemon! Profound lemon flavor with acidity. Decent bubbles but abated over the course of the day. I expect that anyway. This changed over the course of five hours and the acidity leveled off, putting this in better balance. Really nice and savored every sip. Like how this evolved. Medium lemon color. Needs time to appreciate this as it changes so much. Sip slowly. Served in the forties and it was a different wine as it warmed. Flavor is here. Think I had it at a good time.
Red
11/23/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
Thanksgiving day. Cork, although soft, intact. Slight bouquet bodes well for good wine at 20 years. Cork medium purple stained. Light at rim then deep. This wine is good. First profile was cherry but that changed. Fruit was slight but with time in glass appeared. Swished in mouth and tannins apparent but only when swished. Lovely bright wine. Makes me want to go back to purchasing French Bordeaux. Very nice. I hope I will have some left when I sit down to prime rib Thanksgiving. A good aged cab that delivered. Sediment last glass. Demonstrates difference between old and new world cabs.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
11/20/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
91 points
Medium weight. Screw cap. Some density here. Nice deep fruit. Can't tell the flavor profile if black or blue fruits. Always a great wine and one of my favorite without stepping into the high end wines. When I tried several days later, fruit receded just a tad and became more balanced with the soil components. This can go a few more years.
Red
11/12/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
96 points
11/12/23-Bottle 02538. Cork broke in half but sealed still. Faint bouquet. No fruit and mostly alcohol. Hoping it needs air. Now open about 3 hours and fruit is showing up. The alcohol still there but fruit is balancing it so it is less noticeable. Wine lighter at rim of glass. Now 5+ hours and fruit has swam up to the surface. Not a lot but it's there and nice. Tart and there is acid but dialed down. Was expecting other flavors to be present from aging but its at the moment a onenote wine. Maybe a 92 for me.
Day two. Fruit has stepped forward big time. Taste is sort of cherry, a flavor I usually get from pinot. This is not a pinot. The fruit, which was close to nonexistent yesterday, is front and center today. So nice. Also some other flavors of soil and something earth and organic soil or moss. The greatness of this wine showed up. Revising to 95.
On the third day it rose. The purity of the fruit now is astounding. This wine was not a repeat of my last bottle in 2019. Among the best cabs I have ever had. And I was ready to write it off on day one. There is fruit in abundance but another flavor profile that I can't define. Is it soil or the unique site signature? Either way, compelling wine on the third day. I have no idea how much longer this will last. CT users indicate 2025 end date. My two times having this felt like I had two different wines show up. Further aging depends on which of these two show up. I know nothing about the pedigree of this site, or even if there is a Backus vineyard. A great wine, a great experience. If I recall, I originally bought this to have companions to the 2002 Insignia, which at that time was the wine of the year, a lucky find for me. Pricing will prevent me from ever having another. But glad I had it in the first place.
Red
11/4/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
92 points
Good pull, good cork, not soft. About 1/4" wet but intact. Good fruit. Spouse says can taste the alcohol. Fruit present but evolved. Nice wine. Fruit and secondary flavors in nice balance. Taking small sips to savor this nicely evolved wine. Had next day and was about the same. Don't see this improving. Should hold for up to 5 more years. Nice ruby color and some bricking but not oxidized and tired. Try this now. Have one remaining, CT states to 2032, I'll have it before then.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
12/18/2022 - pmarlo wrote:
88 points
Medium to light bodies, composite cork, medium fruity. Average for this bottle and price point. The balance may have sat in the fridge for close to a year.
Red
11/19/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
90 points
This is so totally a good wine for the price. The body is there, the fruit, the alcohol is reasonable and not harsh, and and its a pleasant drink. No way a thinker's wine or a let's contemplate this over the mysteries of life, but it did everything right for an simple sipper. It is ready now and is a definite buy again for me.
White - Sparkling
11/18/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
90 points
Don't recall when I had this, but of all the Moscato wines I've had, ghetto has the best fruit profile. Its worth the few extra bucks more than the average and worth buying g again.
White
11/6/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
94 points
Golden yellow in color,and bottom quarter of cork wet, but still good. This is a very nice chardonnay, different from last time I had it 2 years ago. Acidity nice and helped wine to get to this point. Everything in balance, no one component dominated over the others. Nicely done. Next day the acidity made this wine taste juicer, which I liked. Following day became more tart, and don't believe it held up. But day after that It was good again but no where like the first and second day. Lemon seems to be the dominant flavor. Chardonnay seems like it is always acidic to me, but this was done very well. A very good chard, one of the best I've had from West Coast. Worth buying again and i'd have these now.
Red
10/29/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
94 points
Great nose, so deep, almost thick in glass. The profile is complex. This seems familiar, perhaps a single vineyard offering from other Kosta Browne or Dumol, and I've made this observation about Cirq wines before. There's a richness to this. Its California pinot without apologies, and it's quite good. Finish of 30 seconds but some cherry lingers slightly and over a minute. Vacuum sealed for tomorrow.
Now 11/3/23. kept this vacuum sealed and had a small glass each day since opening. My observation is that the wine has completely changed from what it was on day one. Initial day it had a very distinct flavor profile. That then faded and changed into a more balanced wine. At first I thought, well, this has fallen apart with time, as the fruit softened and the initial attack was dilute. But then I had in little sips, nursing each small glass, and where this wine shined was at the back end. It took about 10 seconds or less to show up but it was very precise and pure. It's a good wine and the Treehouse vineyard is a good vineyard. I think it's time to drink these as they won't improve, and before the fruit falls off. The 10 years age helped, I think.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2007 Harlan Estate The Maiden Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
10/22/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
Didn't record notes so from memory. It was mature and fruit has receded but not to the point of tired or flat. Nice mouthfeel for what it's worth. I would have these sooner than later as age won't make them better, and they made fade soon.
Red
2013 Shafer Relentless Napa Valley Syrah Blend, Syrah (view label images)
10/28/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
93 points
Good cork pop, not cork issues. Stained deep dark purple and closer to black. Prior to tasting, and having read reviews both pro and here, was expecting this to be a giant kick in the Head experience. It was not at all. This is smooth, balanced, with a heady bouquet. I can sense the higher alcohol but don't taste it. Tannins become considerable but not when aerated in mouth. Not much fruit. Evolved. Cherry or something bright. Interesting wine that tastes evolved. I think you could have this now. I don't see it getting better.
White
10/19/2023 - pmarlo wrote:
90 points
Initial bitter attack on first sip and swished, but not in finish. Stone fruit but what? Peach? Nectarine? Just the slightest hint of grapefruit on the finish, what I call tired grapefruit. Ever so slight and very fleeting. Taste concentrated mid to front of tongue. Gives the sensation of bitter grapefruit without the actual flavor. Acid and unique flavor cut through food and resets taste buds. Don't think this would work with red tomato sauce. Keep to cream or olive oil. Ready now. Better than average albarino.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2007 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
10/15/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
94 points
Cork soft but pulled solid and intact. Fruit is not dominant but tertiary flavors give this a nice feel. Suspect fruit will appear in time. Nice but faint bouquet. Everything seemed to point to wine emerging. Tannins nowhere in sight, fully integrated. Tasting the alcohol though. Hours later, minimal fruit, astringent, but still have hope. Vacuum sealed for tomorrow.
Now two days later. I typically don't score a wine with limited fruit high, but I do this. I think this has evolved into its next cabernet stage. The mouthfeel of this is really good. Even though it's astringent when swished in mouth, it's more tannins that alcohol. This will probably be one of my last time having this wine as the price has more than doubled since I bought this. It's a ponderous wine that makes me want to extract tasting info. Feels like a mature cab blend here.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
10/14/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
91 points
This jackass always defies description as a Zinfandel. I think the taste profile of jammy and rustic is ingrained in from my earliest encounters from years ago, and this is nothing like those early zins. This was not as brutal but very nice, smooth, deep without weight, and on the hot side from the 17% alcohol. I actually opened this on 10/8/23 and this extended time in bottle eased the alcohol off. Today this is really nice without being overwhelming but when I swish in mouth I feel the burn on sides of tongue. Not tannins.
This wine needs to be opened for several days. The alcohol in these is quite high, and will subside to comfortable levels with within several days of opening. I prefer to see these made at lower levels but that might not be possible. I understand in Europe this grape is called Primitivo. This did not drink primitive or rustic but refined.
White
9/22/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
89 points
I had no expectations for this MI chard. It is good. Feels true to the grape and more like a California chard. Crisp which tells me consume sooner than later but a few years bottle age helps. Tart, and initially sharp grapefruit acidity but with about an hour air, has leveled off. One of the better chards from Michigan I have tasted because it's true to the chardonnay grape.
I finished the fridge stored wine about three weeks after opening, and my impression is this is a decent Michigan chardonnay. Surprised it held up for so long. Producer chose to ferment in stainless rather than wood and this made it a better wine. A good entry level wine that feels more like mid level. Would buy again. Should drink within five years of vintage. Solid 89 points.
Red
9/29/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
90 points
No formal notes taken, but enjoyed, on the rustic side, but quite good. Works well with a variety of foods, meats, and cheeses. Will try to keep one of these on hand. Interesting this isn't released until it has some bottle age. Negromaro grape, a decent grape when done well.
Red
10/1/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
90 points
My second bottle which CT advises to have by 2023. Deep burgundy color and no bouquet. Really solid cork and pop and cork end is a very light cerise hue. Very slight acidity. A softer wine but by no means dilute. Very nice. A great food wine comparable to many food friendly Italian wines, but nothing like them in grape taste. Not old or past prime or otherwise hobbled from age. It's only 5 years old. More is revealed, including gamay flavor, upon swishing in mouth. After reading previous notes I refrigerated. Other reviewers say tannic and high alcohol and I didn't experience this. It is nothing special but is very agreeable to me. Legs again slow to develop but run medium fast this time. I find myself liking these wines. Worth buying again. Ready now.
Red
10/14/2023 - pmarlo Does not like this wine:
87 points
Good pop, composite cork. Thin color in glass. Reminds me color wise of Michigan pinot. Tart from acid, and bright too. First wave legs fast, second medium. Strong sensation sides of tongue, like cherry. Swished in mouth and brighter still, and still seems thin in fruit but acid sharp. Acidity is not the star here and gives a juicy sensation.
Acidity was not good and upset my stomach. Not my kind of wine, at least not this version of nero mascalese. Not recommended, and remainder consigned to cooking wine.
Red
10/6/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
94 points
Very fruity and lucious. Color in glass almost a glowing ruby red, like there was a little light inside of glass shining. Just a crystal clear color, deep and intense and glowing. Real nice depth. Succulent is the word that comes to mind, but no hint of alcohol. It's that well evolved. Medium acidity so only a slightly sharp edge. This was the wine of the vacation, with a Castelli di Ama Lorenzo a close second.These wines were once available for $20 less, which is a shame, for $50 was a sweet spot for wines as good as this. These runaway prices and driving me to consume wines at a lower price point.
Red
2014 Saxum G2 Vineyard Paso Robles Willow Creek District Red Rhone Blend (view label images)
10/7/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
92 points
G2 is very alcoholic wine. Despite that, the wine only had a medium hotness, and it's a dense wine without being gritty or thick and heavy coating on the palate. Three levels of legs observed;, fast, medium, and slow in that order. Slightly tart. Puckering on the tongue. Tannins substantial but not unbearable because they are evolved enough to fit with both the fruit and alcohol. Lingering taste on side of tongue as if the wine somehow absorbed more there and this effect was sustained for minutes.
This was my first G2. Critics and CT reviewers both love these Saxum G2's, and iI wanted to liked this more, but it just didn't climb to the top of the hill for me. This was consumed in a party-like atmosphere and I suspect it should be enjoyed at a slower pace and setting. I think I missed the real nature of this wine in this sitting, and Ct reviewers should take my review with a grain of salt. Intrigued enough to try this at a future date in a more relaxed setting, and over more than two days if possible.
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