4/29/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Really nice. Given a lively dinner with family, I wasn't able to focus too deeply on this, but it was fresh and pure and should only improve.

4/20/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Still young. I keep drinking these because of the forward character of '20s, generally, but this wine really will benefit from more time. Improves markedly with time in a decanter. Probably best in 2-5 years.

4/20/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

I thought this was generally poor, lacking the acid needed to lift the wine. The overall feel here was rather insipid.

4/15/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Excellent once again. Balances power and finesse. Qualitatively it feels more CCR than CC, though not because of any particular density.

4/12/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

First of the case which arrived today. Perhaps a bit travel shocked, but sound and enjoyable enough. Fresh, easy Nebbiolo, with traditional Nebbiolo flavors and a touch of herbal, garrigue notes. If there's a complaint here it's that the middle is a bit soft, chewy, almost dilute. Not one to age, this is an easy-going AP nebbiolo for early consumption.

4/12/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

This bottle seemed more muted than previous. Perhaps an off bottle, or off night, but less electric than previous experiences. While still young, perhaps this should sit for a bit. These can have long lives.

4/4/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Nice mature Barolo but doesn't reach the level of really being excellent. Consumed at a dinner amongst many other wines, I didn't get to spend the time with it I'd have liked. Pleasant, but just that.

3/30/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Quite nice, with excellent, stacked structure, but it needs time. At 5(ish) years old this will probably be best in another five or more. Rather locked in on itself to start, it improved over several hours. This approaches Brunello structure but without the same ripeness level, which is just about right by me.

3/30/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Still quite ripe, perhaps a bit too much really. Not bad but it's a bit heavy.

3/23/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Totally agree with the other notes. This is very light in color but smells like Barolo, with a pleasant chock of tannin leading into cherry fruit. Excellent. May grab more of this, but will be very excited for the '19-'21 versions.

3/23/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

I was slightly worried about this at first as I thought it showed a hint of a somewhat oxidized or tired note, but it was late and I wasn't certain. On day two it was fresh and bright, fruitier and simpler than the really excellent '16, but great stuff. Absurd that I paid less than $13 for this a week ago.

3/17/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Drinking well. Pelaverga tends to be something to drink young, but this shows no signs of fading just yet. Still pleasant strawberry fruit, bramble, and black pepper..

3/10/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Haven't posted a note on this in a few years, but I have been drinking them during that time, so thought I should add another to track the progress. Of course, the main theme is that the wine continues to drink wonderfully well, and probably will for many years to come. How many is anyone's guess. Delightfully brightly fruited with a red/black cherry note, good depth and a lick of tannin on the finish. One of the world's great red wine values. Just bought six more of these.

3/8/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

As Jeremy says, ripe and inviting. Much more so than the prior vintage of this same wine from a few years back. This was Chenin in a riper style, per the vintage, fuller and with heft, but not too fat.

3/8/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

My first Gorges from Pepiere, and it was fantastic. Different than my regular Pepiere bottlings, Briords, Thebaud, and Clisson, all of which are more direct, piercing, driven. This had a touch of cream, at least by Muscadet standards. Lemon sherbet, crushed ice, hint of cream, white flower, touch of citrus oil. Really excellent. Would gladly have much more of this. Like all Muscadet, buy in the lean years, avoid the ripe ones.

3/2/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Really good LN, structured but with nice deep cherry fruit as well, all riding a solid beam of acid. Not as tannic as the Barolo, but still with plenty of tannin and acid. This is better than a good deal of Barolos. Lovely stuff. Probably best in 3 years or so, but can be enjoyed now with a decant and followed over time.

2/26/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Really good, but still needs time. Opened this alongside an older Burgundy to decide which we wanted to take to dinner out. This was tight as nails upon opening and I felt that even a decant would not be sufficient, so after a taste I replaced the cork firmly into the bottle and returned to it two nights later. After those two days under re-cork it had softened quite a bit and was drinking well. Even so, it was fairly tannic at first, opening a bit more over the course of the evening. I definitely don't find the excessive alcohol noted below, but can see how it could peak through if the wine was quite closed otherwise and not given enough air and time. Good cherry fruit with a firm tannic spine and sufficient acidity to carry the fruit flavors. Revisit in 3-5 years, should hold considerably longer.

2/24/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Fully mature and time to drink (at least from my sourcing and cellar storage, ymmv). This is quite good. Doesn't feel overripe or fat, just well-aged Burgundy. Not mind-blowing either, but a totally solid Volnay. I've found that many 2003s are aging rather quickly and most should be slated for relatively short term consumption, though I haven't recently checked in on GCs or sturdier CdN 1ers.

2/18/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

This opens up with an intriguing note of salty bacon fat, but at this point it's still mostly lost in primary fruit. Drank well with burgers, where the fruit balanced the fat well, but after dinner, on its own, this was less compelling. Hopefully time helps straighten this out but I worry that it's a bit too soft and jammy, without enough acid or tannin. I advise holding.

2/17/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Not the best showing for this wine. I typically quite like the Vajra LN and thought the '20 would be showing well, as many other '20s have been showing well. This seemed rather closed down, causing the wine to come off as rather generic rather than showing particular Nebbiolo character. This opened slowly and would benefit from a long and vigorous decant at this point. Hold.

2/11/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

All toasty oak on night one and not much else, reminding me why I don't often drink young Bordeaux. Replaced the cork in the nearly full bottle and checked in on a small glass the following afternoon. Now this is cooking. Lush, forward fruit has come to the fore, pushing the oak into the background. Age will be the best thing for this, but a long decant should make it approachable enough now. While second wines from Bordeaux can sometimes disappoint, Dame de Montrose does not.

2/10/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Drank alongside the '20 Burlotto Langhe Nebbiolo, this wine surely suffered by comparison. This felt tired, slightly oxidized, and there was something that just felt wrong with the texture, too soft and dense. I wonder if it was the influence of the barrique Sottimano uses. I can't stand barrique on nebbiolo. I haven't noticed this in the other vintage of the wine I had, 2018 IIRC, but drinking it with the Burlotto really highlighted that something was different, and not in a good way. This is cheaper and easier to find that the Burlotto, but there are dozens of similarly priced, readily available nebbiolos I'd rather drink. Left most of the bottle so I'll revisit tonight and see how it does on its own. Will revise my note if appropriate.

A bit better on night two. Still feels a bit plush, but has revived and doesn't seem as tired or oxidated. Still, its soft. It doesn't have the edge that tannin and acid should provide. To me, that's what French oak does to Nebbiolo. It makes a more accessible wine, plush, but stripped of edge.

2/10/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Ah, there it is. My last of four bottles and by far the best. This seemed both better fruited and more structured. Lovely bottle. Wish I had more!

2/5/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Really good again. Tempted to buy more of this but will probably go for the '19 instead. Waiting on the '19 CR to be released as well. We opened several "better" wines this weekend, yet this was the most enjoyable.

2/3/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Reliably excellent Sicilian white. Crisp and fresh but characterful, with a bit of grilled lemon. One of my go-to whites.

2/3/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Wanted to check in on this to see if I could evaluate for the purpose of determining whether to buy more while it is still available. A mistake, really. Past its youthfully fruited phase, if ever it had one, it is now quite austere and hard. I saved most of the bottle and will revisit tonight.

2/3/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

This might have been just a bit corked. Otherwise seems to have good material and to be in a fairly good place in its evolution. Saved half the bottle and will revisit tonight.

1/26/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

That's really nice. Fresh fruit and structure. So many RdM's are glossy and modern, while this is more like a top Chianti, with rustic character. Okay, perhaps a bit less leathery and earthy than Chianti, but without sacrificing that character. This is excellent and the structure tells me it should improve with time in bottle. A splash of licorice concentration on the back end should resolve a bit with time and become even better.

1/26/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

This is good, but a bit tame. Light and fresh but without the same level of energy as my go-to Sicilian whites. I like it, and at the $20 I paid I have no complaints, but Tornatore is about the same price and I prefer that.

1/22/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

This bottle was surprisingly tight, taking quite a long time and a decant to show much. Eventually came around. Could be a bit of a shutdown period. Suggest a decant if you plan to consume now.

1/14/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Excellent value in entry-level N. Rhone Syrah goodness. Classic flavors of olive, blackberry, tar, but a bit less volume than the St. Jo. Very good.

1/14/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

I think this is a bit too young. I enjoyed it but not quite as well integrated as previous versions.

1/13/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

This bottle really underwhelmed. Maybe just a bad bottle but there simply wasn't a lot of anything to it. No energy or lift. Felt a bit flat, not with regard to the bubbles themselves, but simply the wine. Disappointing.

1/12/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

I was impressed with this after buying and drinking a bottle over the summer, but the setting didn't allow for any detailed consideration of the wine. Seeing these on sale recently, I bought 7, hoping my initial impression had been correct. As it turns out, I think I underrated it initially. It's just killer. This wine just has excellent poise and balance. It has richness but enough energy to remain light on its feet. There is oak but it supports rather than intruding. Love it, and going back for more before the sale ends.

1/2/2024 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Hmm. Maybe this just needs time, but right now there simply wasn't a lot here. This is very much a zero dosage Champagne, and I'm okay with that, regularly enjoying many natures. This was very lean though, without much of anything to buffer the acidity. Even on day two there simply wasn't much to this. Maybe another couple of years will help it but I wasn't really a fan.

12/30/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

My first of this vintage, having enjoyed many of the '19s. This was a touch crabby and reticent at first. Through it into a decanter with a bit of purpose and it made all the difference in the world. Softened and opened up significantly. Very nice, but recommend more time in bottle and/or a decant.

12/29/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Again, acceptable but nothing special. Lean and taut as expected, but that is the whole show with this wine. I enjoy a very taut nebbiolo but ideally there is some depth to the nose or palate to provide additional interest. There are many better entry-level Alto Piemonte wines for the same price or less.

12/28/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Really pleasant spatburgunder. There was a time that I didn't really care for the German PNs I'd had, often finding a strong brown spice note and maybe some peculiar oak treatment. I should probably branch out a bit on that. This was fresh and bright and fun. I'll likely grab a few more.

12/26/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

My last bottle and in a great place right now. Plenty of maturity but still with plenty of fruit. For me this is probably at peak but should drink well for several years. Excellent.

12/26/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Excellent wine. Great weight and depth, fresh and bright. Delicious now but will only improve.

12/21/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Last bottle and each of the three has been a fun, forward, juicy wine focused on red fruits and silky texture but with a bit of structure underneath. I enjoy this and would drink again. The only knock is that full price seems a bit steep for what it is. I bought these on a blowout sale for about $20 and it's a great deal at that price, but not so much at double.

12/20/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

My least favorite of the 18-19-20 trio, but still a solid Pinot for the price.

12/19/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Some bottle variation here, as my first bottle was very good, second seemed a bit tired and maybe slightly oxidized, but this was a return to the previous good form. Could have been a cork issue on the second bottle. Not a wine for aging, I'll drink these in the nearer term.

12/19/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

This is really holding up well. Not that it shouldn't, being only three years old, but it has improved where some entry level Macon wines seem best out of the gates. Really enjoyable. This is a relatively dense wine but not heavy. Excellent value.

12/18/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

$30 for vintage Champagne seems almost too good to be true, and, in this case, perhaps it is. Don't get me wrong, this is fine, but it tastes basically like a $30 Champagne. There's a boatload of $40-50 NV which I'd take over this. I'm not unhappy with the purchase, but it is a budget Champagne. It's rather full and toasty in style, lacking precision, edge, or refinement.

12/15/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

My first time with this cuvee. They say it's made only in very good vintages and made in an old-school way for longer aging. Based on this showing, that seems spot on. While the Campi Raudii has been wide open and lovely from the jump, and the Spanna needed only a bit more time, this is clearly quite young and built for more aging. It would be fun to see how this does in 10 or 20 or more years, and to compare it side-by-side with the Gattinara and Boca. I'll bury my remaining bottles. I still have a good bit of CR from this vintage, and 17/18 are earlier drinking vintages. Oh, the wine is quite nice; there is fruit and a certain lushness, but it's all riding on a serious beam of underlying structure. It doesn't beat you up, especially after a long decant, but it's definitely there and the wine will be better once it softens.

12/15/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

I'm generally a big fan of Occhipinti's SP68, and have been for years, but something is off in this vintage. The first bottle seemed flawed and this one perhaps was as well. There is a lot of brett, maybe some VA. Underneath you can taste the fresh fruit typical of this wine, but not much of the depth you usually get from the N d'A. It wasn't bad, exactly, but not what it normally is either. Perhaps a bit of time will help as this is quite young.

12/14/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Wow, that is excellent Chianti. Bright and fresh in style, more red fruited but juicy, not tart. Crushable but with charm and an undercurrent of chianti's rustic, food-friendly character. It's been a few years since I have had this producer and that is a mistake. Will look to reload here. Bought these on a sale for under $15 all in. Split a case of this and the '20 Volpaia, and while that is good wine, this is better.

12/10/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

From 375. Oct. 2021 disgorgement. Really nice bottle, fresh with good balance and breadth on the palate. Probably at the top of what I normally drink in terms of dosage, but carries it well. I checked, and found it's 7 g/l, and that's about what it feels like, but again, well balanced. A great wine to have in halves for an easy apertif.

12/9/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:

Manzone makes vert good wines, even in underwhelming vintages, and 2017 certainly qualifies. This is a pleasant Barolo that is still drinking well now. It may never really close down because it doesn't have a ton of structure, at least by Barolo standards. Decanted for a couple of hours then followed for a few more. This showed atypical notes of purple flowers, flavors of dark sour cherry. Pleasant and a vintage to drink early. I'm sure this will hold but it will never be a great.