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Tasting Notes for Wamrod

(667 notes on 500 wines)

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White - Sparkling
3/28/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Wonderful champagne. Didn't take notes, but recall it was golden to the eye, with lively, fine and persistent bubbles. Bright and rich on the palate, with savoury and fruit. No one wanted to part with this...
White - Sparkling
3/28/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
The colour is showing her age, medium amber, slight hint towards brown. Quite muted pearlage, which quickly dwindled. Initial nose hinted at a touch of oxidation, but on the palate, rich and savoury, but perhaps not enough acid. After 15 minutes, any negatives blew off, and the wine opened up fantastically, showing a surprising amount of fruit and balance.
Red
3/28/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Wine of the night. Dark garnet to the eye, just a hint of bricking at the edges - wonderful nose. This performed like a young adult in the peak of health. Very slight bitterness on the end of a long finish. Drink and enjoy.
Red
3/28/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
flawed
This bottle was ruined by my early experiments with the Coravin. If anyone thinks they can get away with piercing a sterile bottle of wine, sampling some, and then putting it back in the rack for a few years - think again. On pulling the bottle, the growth floating on top made it immediately apparent that the Coravin introduced some eager beaver bacteria, when I tasted it years ago. SAD, especially as the colour of the wine srtill showed young, indicating that this would have been a lovely drink even now in 2024. The 1990 that we tried next next had fortunately escaped my Coravin experiments, and drank beautifully.
Red
3/28/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
Our first red of the night, paired with sausage paella. Dark purple and opaque, with solid legs. Nose of blackberries and currents. Rich on the palate with an unmistakable ZING of acidity that softened after 15 minutes in glass. Very enjoyable - even more so after 10 minutes.
White - Sweet/Dessert
3/27/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
92 points
Delicious. Hadn’t tried this grape before, but I understand it to be a Samlong 88 of a different name. Had a lot of rich zing to go with the sweetness. I enjoyed it and I’d do it again.
Red
3/16/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
92 points
Cellared from release. I’m totally going to quote WINEGUYX as he summed it up! “ Fantastic nose of kirsch liqueur, fresh herb de Provence switches and black cherry. Full-bodied and rich, just loadedw ith sweet black cherry juice, kirsch and the sweetest garden herbs. This is absolutely delicious and loaded with ripe fruit juices without being at all heavy or ponderous. This is perfectly mature but will last several more years. Drink now-2027.”
White - Sparkling
2/10/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
85 points
Cellared from release. Past its prime, but quite drinkable. Pale gold, perlite fades within seconds. On the nose you can smell some oxidation, which carries into the palate, along with bruised fruit, medium acid, burnt toast. Long finish.
Red
1/15/2024 - Wamrod wrote:
95 points
Oh my. I’m blown away by this - and from a half-bottle to boot!

Credit to Michigan Mostberg, whose note below nailed it simply and perfectly - and my note will therefore seem almost identical. Plagiarism alert!

For a 20 year old wine from a half bottle to be this dark, and rich is wonderful. Dark, ruby in color, all the way to the edges. Cedar, cigar box and dark cherry nose.

Yes again to the perfect secondary medium dark fruit, slightly spicy and grippy finish. And yes, it’s in an incredible place right now, surely drinking at its best for the next few years. What a treat!
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/26/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
92 points
Excellent wine in all respects except just too hot, alcohol out of balance, and a slight jammy note.
Red
12/26/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Deep dark ruby, garnet at the edges. Black cherries and strawberries on the nose, with a touch of pepper and liquorice. An all-out assault on the palate, with ripe, sweet black and red fruit. Almost imperceptibly fine tannins, and a touch of, dare I say, vanilla on the finish? Medium to long finish, stamped all over the mouth with vanilla and cherry. Reminds me why I love Ribera.
Red
2009 Château Cos d'Estournel St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
12/26/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
95 points
Cellared. First bottle I’ve opened from the stash. Absolutely was absolutely what I was hoping for from this bottle. Dark, black, inky purple/maroon to the eye. Modest legs on the glass. On the nose, blackberries, blackcurrants, tobacco, forest floor, green pepper. On the palate, an assault of perfectly ripe fruit and acid. Tannins are superfine, and alcohol hardly perceptible. Drinking beautifully already. This is sooooo much better than the 2009 Pontet Canet that we opened for the first time a few days ago. I look forward to continuing to sample the stash over the coming decades.
3 people found this helpful Comment
White
12/26/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Cellared. Rich, dark golden color. Honey, pears and spice on the nose. Beautiful on the palate, rich creamy, glyceriny, broad fruits - acids and tannins in great balance. Super long finish continues with warm fruits and melon.
White
2010 Château Pape Clément Blanc Pessac-Léognan Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend (view label images)
12/25/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
94 points
Cellared. Absolutely fantastic bottle that is drinking really beautifully right now - put this on your must-try list. Rich golden to the eye. Lush tropical aromatics on the nose that mix citrus and orchard notes. The expectation of fruity sweetness is instead met on the palate by very balanced flavors, with a creamy richness to the fruit and acid. So intense was the first taste that it took a second and third to realize that this was the intent, not a flaw.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Off-dry
12/24/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
94 points
JJ strikes again - Always an amazing bottle of wine. Nothing better for Indian food, except perhaps an aged Gruner.
Red - Fortified
12/24/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
95 points
Fabulous port. Wish I could instantly add 20 years to it - so young still.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2009 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
12/24/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
My first taste of this, having let a dozen bottles sit in the cellar till now - tried one tonight. I hate to be the outlier here, but I wonder if this is overrated. Heavily, heavily oaked, and not giving the ripe fruit I expected of 2009. Perhaps another 10 years?
5 people found this helpful Comments (4)
Red
2009 Syncline Cuvée Elena Columbia Valley Red Rhone Blend (view label images)
12/22/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
Cellared. Dark, opaque maroon/burgundy. Took about 20 minutes to settle. After it opened up, brambles/tayberries, sage and rosemary on the nose. Rich and vibrant on the palate, with berries and chocolate coming through. Hint of residual sugar? Clean finish that stays true.
Red
12/22/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
89 points
Cellared. Pop and pour, cork in good shape. Deep, dark, inky maroon red. Initial funk on nose, a few minutes to blow off. After that, dark fruit with a stemmy, vegetal note, concentrated but not cloying. On the palate, dark fruits, with cherries, cigar box and ending with blueberries and tobacco, on a medium short finish. I love how Mencia ages and although this is a little more concentrated and oaky than is typical, was still a decent bottle, with a couple of years left in it.
Red
12/22/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
90 points
Cellared from purchase on release. Pop and pour, slight intrusion into cork, 3mm. Dark, opaque garnet, bricking at edges. Cranberries and dark cherries on the nose. Bright and rich on the palate, medium finish, with a slight char on the end. Excellent for an inexpensive wine. After 30 minutes, was still going strong, if not better than on opening. I added a point for this.
Red
12/22/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
90 points
Cellared since release. Pop and pour, immaculate cork. Deep dark garnet almost to the rim, where it slightly bricks. Big legs. On the nose, blackberries, bramble, blackcurrant, herbal notes. On the palate, cool fruit is still very much present, black cherries and ribena, finished with notes of tobacco, along with wonderful acid and broad tannins. Well balanced, alcohol does not stand out at all. Medium length finish, carried by the acidity and fruit. I’m very impressed by how it held up. It’s aged really well, and is drinking superbly on opening - however, it does fall apart after 30 minutes. Drink now, it will continue to decline from here. To think I paid $14 dollars for this?! Good value.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
The second 27-year-old of the 9 champagnes tasted tonight, but this was the wine of the night. The age shows in the amber gold color. No pressure left behind the cork, however, some perlage persists on the initial pour, and also fine bubbles coating the glass. Toasty caramel, spicy oils, and green apple on the nose. The palate is enveloped by a broad, embracing attack of both flavor and energetic acidity. Stunning and beautiful. Long finish.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
Dry, bright and rich - yet well balanced for all the attack. Youth, with decent power - but not fruit forward, if that’s what you’re looking for. An excellent start to the night.
Red
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
89 points
Big tart fruit. Needs 5 more years
Red
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
Absosmurfly delicious. Good mix of maturity and fruit.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Pale straw gold - rushes out of the bottle with a lot of effervescence, perlage lasts a few minutes. Complex and inviting nose, with pear, lemon and biscuit. Complex palate, broad, rich, with a good acidic backbone. Long finish, with, no pun intended, mineral on the close.
2 people found this helpful Comment
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
89 points
Young and excitable on the pour, with loads of large perlage and tall head. Settles down and loses interest within a couple of minutes. Straw to the eye, interesting nose, with a hint of oxidation from earliest vintages on the blend. On the palate, a bit light. Although the older vintages add a little interest, not enough weight on the palette to compete with the big hitters on the list tonight. On any other night by itself, it would be delightful.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
92 points
For 27 years old, a really solid showing! Gold color. No significant pressure left behind the cork on release, but still some perlage, however the fizz fades in glass after less than a minute. The wine makes up for this with a rich nose of pear, with a hint of toasty oxidation, and a palate of pear, tobacco and honey, with great acidity. Long finish ending with cotton candy.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
Clear golden to the eye. Bubbles not as organized as when it was younger, but still lovely and fresh on the palate, with biscuit, green apples and lime. Medium finish, with a touch of chalk.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
2010 bottling, purchased in 2014. Still fresh, both in color and on the nose - Lots of yeast. Fine perlage, which persisted throughout the tasting. Pears and citrus on the palate. Fruity on the finish with a hint of sweetbread, broad attack. Lovely glass. Excellent aging performance for a non-vintage champagne.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Cork in great shape. Lively mousse and perlage that lasted for many minutes. Clear straw in the glass. Biscuit, yeast and honeycomb on the nose. Fresh, crisp fruit on the palate (the meunier?), with a wide center of acidity that carried the finish for almost a minute. Really lovely champagne.
White - Sparkling
12/17/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Fantastic. First off, the wine has outlasted the cork, which did not bounce back to its mushroom. The wine is crystal clear, pale gold, and bursting with lively fine bubbles. A nice mouse on top for a few minutes. On the nose, honeysuckle and a little citrus. Rich on the palate, with toast - went very well with Delice cheese. As it warmed, a little bitterness in the finish, due to a touch of oxidation creeping in, but very pleasant. As it warmed, this also crept into the nose. Long finish.
White
11/27/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
Just wow - surely this is showing at its best now. Pale golden straw, but a huge nose of flowers, apples, pears, grass and lemon, that just begs you to hurry up and taste. Bright and rich on the palate, with the fruit almost imparting sweetness, and the acid carrying an extremely long finish (almost a minute?) bursting with citrus and apple cider.
Red
11/27/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
93 points
I won’t be too repetitive - previous notes apply. This is in an amazing place right now. Absolutely delicious, huge fruit, blackberries and cherries, bright acidity, and medium tannins - pretty much hits all the buttons around the palate. Moderate finish with hint of herbs and oak.
Red
11/27/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
12 years since my last note - this has aged beautifully in the cellar. Dark garnet, with moderate bricking at the edges.

Still brambly blackberry, with a touch of blackcurrant and slightly herbaceous. Really great balance of fruit, with excellent acidity. Super fine tannins. Long finish.
Red
10/28/2023 - Wamrod Likes this wine:
91 points
Deep dark garnet red in the glass, with moderate thinning at the edges. On the nose, brambly blackberry, soft leather, a hint of creosote and rosemary. On the palate, soft tannins and oak are matched by the acidity and by somewhat less fruit than in the past. Finish is carried with oak and red cherry fruit. Is still well integrated, but likely will not improve further. It did improve with a small amount of time in the glass, however - and was very enjoyable.
White
10/28/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
88 points
Medium gold in the glass. I agree with others assessment of the nose, with beeswax, fragrant oils, and melon being prominent. On the palate, the fruit is not as strong as it once was, perhaps unsurprisingly, due to the age. These should be drunk by now, it's not hanging around.
White
10/28/2023 - Wamrod Likes this wine:
90 points
Pale gold, or deep straw in glass. Surprisingly robust nose with lychee, lemondrops and anise. Palate less fruity than the nose, with acidity and minerality more forward, but pineapple and citrus not far behind. Decent finish.
White
10/28/2023 - Wamrod Likes this wine:
92 points
Pale gold in color. Poured right away, but I waited a few minutes for the initial nose to settle, and was left with a sort of floral, herbal, minerality on the nose. Acid and minerals led the first taste, with the fruit and oak coming in afterwards. Finish rather dominated by oak.
White
10/28/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
The sides of the cork were clearly soaked from leakage, likely as a result of the cork being just too soft, not firm enough. While I could visualize what it should have been, it was rather affected by oxidation and slightly corked. Cannot rate - although, it seemed that it would have been rather nice, with a hint of sweetness.
White
10/28/2023 - Wamrod Likes this wine:
95 points
I am absolutely blown away by this wine. It has aged superbly so far, my only other tasting having been in 2012. Golden straw in color, the nose is spicy with a touch of petrol, not too dissimilar to a reisling, but with an enticing fruit overtone. The first taste is rich and balanced, there is obvious sweetness by design and due to vintage, but it is wonderfully braced by the acid and fruit. Peaches, apricots and guineps/lychee in the aftertaste, which lingers for a good while. I have four bottles left and am looking forward to continued evolution.
White - Off-dry
9/5/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
95 points
Just wow! Absolutely fantastic bottle. Rich, vibrant and full of flavor that whalloped every taste bud. The sweetness was challenged and balanced in every way. Bravo.
3 people found this helpful Comment
Red
9/5/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
92 points
Hold on to every bottle you’ve got. Tasted this tonight against the 2019 and there was no comparison. The 2012 beat the 2019 to within an inch of its life, the 2012 being visually denser all the way to the edges, while the 2019 thinned noticeably. The 2012 has great vibrancy and fresh acidity to go with the fruit, whereas the 2019 was noticeably flat and sweet in comparison. Hopefully the 2019 is just an off vintage, not a trend.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
9/5/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
Tasted tonight against the 2012. It seemed a totally unfair comparison, the 2012 beat the 2019 to a pulp. Compared to the 2012, the 2019 was thinner, yet sweeter, and the acidity was flat - in contrast to the excellent vibrance and freshness of the 2012. Visually, the 2012 was denser, and dark purple to the rim, whereas the 2019 lightened noticeably at the edges.
Red
2010 Château Roque Le Mayne Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
5/23/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
91 points
An excellent showing from great value Bordeaux, cellared since purchase. On opening, dark ruby, no bricking evident. Great nose, really well integrated fruit and oak, with dark berries prevailing. On the palate, this has improved so much since the original purchase - almost seamless integration and very very enjoyable. Surprise of the night.
White
5/23/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
Last bottle left in cellar till the bitter end. On opening, the dark golden color told the whole story… this wine has passed on. Fully oxidized and sadly not drinkable.
White
5/23/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
This was in fine form. Cellared from purchase. Quite a light Muller Thurgau. Light straw color. Lovely nose of sweet grass. Light fruit on the palate. Very quaffable. Impressive for its age and value.
White
5/23/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
I’m always trying wines that have been in the cellar far too long, to see how they evolve and fade. While quite oxidized, this opened up a bit after some air. It was surprisingly drinkable, though definitely not the wine it was. Experiment over for this one
Red
5/23/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
Impressed that after all this time it is still drinkable. Has certainly lost its freshness, but still quite enjoyable. Improved with air then faded fast. Drink up
Red
5/23/2023 - Wamrod wrote:
Despite careful cellaring, this has now passed its prime spot. However it still evolved in the glass - on opening, dark and rich to the eye, but more red than its original only purple. Excellent nose. On the palate, the fruit has faded and heavy oak and creosote dominated at first. After a half hour in the air, this balanced out a lot more, and the fruit became more apparent. If you still have any of these, drink up - but make sure to give it plenty air to get the best of what’s left
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