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Comments on my notes

(34 comments on 27 notes)

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Red
2015 Château Léoville Barton St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
1/7/2024 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
93 points
1st of a case. The nose on this is exuberant and lovely, showing lots of fine oak and fresh, ripe fruits (by no means overripe). 13% abv gives this a nicely balanced mouthfeel. It does feel a bit thin to me, and we noticed some green/bitter elements, but it also had great persistence and lovely flavor, so I'm hoping it will go up in score from here. Hold. 92-93+

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    1/9/24, 6:28 AM - Haha - yeah, this was a recent purchase. Cheers!

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Red
2010 Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
11/26/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
93 points
A beautiful cigar box nose, with lovely fruit alongside. The palate shows pure fresh fruit, modest tannins, and lovely balance and complexity. I'm glad I have 2 more of these - this is drinking beautifully now, but should gain complexity and drink well for another 30+ years.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    11/26/23, 1:14 PM - We brought it to a restaurant and weren't able to decant it. I thought it showed well despite that, but I think a couple hours in the decanter would be good.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    11/26/23, 6:28 PM - 👍

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White - Sweet/Dessert
1931 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección Montilla-Moriles Pedro Ximénez
11/22/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
97 points
Thick wine, unbelievable texture and finish. Pure deliciousness. Not too sweet. This is incredible.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    11/24/23, 5:52 AM - Good to hear that these stay in good shape over a long period of time! I agree that a small pour is just the right amount. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family as well!

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Red
2016 René Cacheux et Fils Vosne-Romanée Pinot Noir
1/29/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
93 points
The nose is wonderful - so floral and beautiful. The wine is delicious as well - there are nice tannins and a nice persistency. But it's a hair on the thin side for my preference. Still, it was a wonderful wine.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    10/27/23, 5:49 AM - Hi spv - thanks for the feedback. I wish I could find more of this!

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Red
2019 Seña Aconcagua Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
10/6/2023 - CourtlyDoc Likes this wine:
95 points
Nose- lightly floral, nice deep berries.
Palate- smooth, medium to full weight, long finish, deep berries and slight hints of forest.
10/11/23 - Drank the rest of the wine with Spaghetti dressed with pesto , pine nuts, and parmesan - it was absolutely delicious!

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    10/22/23, 8:30 AM - Hi Courtlydoc. Nice tasting note, but is your score a typo?

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Red
2016 Château d'Issan Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
9/8/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
94 points
Almost a year since my last review of this wine - I need to keep my hands off of these for a while, but they are just so good... See my last review for details. This bottle showed the same as the one last year - prototypical elegance and balance. The tannins are still very present, but are ripe and don't dry things out too much. Hold if you have the patience, otherwise enjoy.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    9/27/23, 4:00 AM - I decanted for about 4 hours.

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Red
2016 Château Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
7/23/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
94 points
Very dark, young color to the wine. Exuberant nose of fruit and tobacco. Palate is rich, with very fresh and delicious fruit, but with some smokiness and with heat showing a bit too much (it's 14% abv) and getting in the way of the purity of the wine. Tannins are very fine and not drying - the finish is long. This wine has a great future. Hold until at least 2026.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    7/25/23, 4:57 AM - I finished the bottle last night and it still had some heat on the finish (at least that is what I perceived) that I didn't love. That being said, this wine maintains amazing freshness and is utterly delicious. I'm glad to have several more bottles in my cellar!

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Red
2015 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
7/1/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
97 points
1st of 12. Truly amazing wine. The nose has lovely blackberry fruit, sweet tobacco, graphite, and elegant cedar. The palate has utterly delicious, fresh fruit, with a hint of beautiful cedar - the finish is endless. It's medium bodied and elegant, with fine, but very present tannins. This wine presents as incredibly youthful and will live for a very long time.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    7/10/23, 12:26 PM - I took it on a trip and didn't have a decanter with me, but decanting for a few hours certainly would not have hurt. I opened the bottle early in the day, poured off a 1/2 glass to taste and to let the wine breathe in the bottle all day.

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Red
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Nebbiolo
5/22/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
92 points
Still drinking beautifully. Youthful and full of fruit, acidity and mellow tannins. Just a wonderful wine.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    5/22/23, 12:09 PM - I mean that my opinion about the beauty of this wine has not changed since my earlier reviews.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    5/22/23, 2:22 PM - Me too. I bought 2 cases on release and I'm glad I have 18 bottles left to enjoy over the next decade+. I think that a bottle that I had in late 2022 might have been shut down, but the one last night was singing and was enjoyed by all.

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Red
1992 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
1/30/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
91 points
I was happy to get my hands on a bottle of this 31 year old TE cab. I've had his wines at age 15 and they showed so youthful. This one also is in great shape considering its age. The cork was perfect and the wine visually shows only slight bricking. There are violets, menthol and a bit of cigar box on the nose. On the palate, there is still a decent amount of fruit (although I imagine the fruit has faded quite a bit in the 31 years), along with fine, but strong and somewhat drying tannins. The acidity is balanced. There are also some pyrazines on the palate. The alcohol is 13.6%, which is refreshing to see. The finish is pretty long. It's a lovely cab that probably should be consumed soon, although it really doesn't seem tired at all.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    3/15/23, 6:32 PM - Hey KJ - I was super happy to get to taste this. It was not the best TE Cab I've ever had, but it was fun to try. FYI, I was able to score mine for $49 (a recent purchase), which I thought was a steal.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    3/15/23, 6:52 PM - Haha - yeah, go for it! I'm enjoying your notes as well! Cheers!

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Red
2017 Pax Syrah Sonoma Hillsides Russian River Valley
4/29/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
93 points
I was expecting a mess based upon the reviews here, but I'm really enjoying this. This presents as very young and it really could use another 5+ years in the bottle. It has rich fruit and a long sappy finish. The fruit is delicious as well. There are some "natural wine" notes to this (maybe a little brett?), which I can see some people not enjoying, but I find that aspect of this wine to be a minor side note - while the rich delicious fruit, fine tannins and nice acidity take the lead. This is a delight and I'm glad I have a few more to enjoy over the next 15 years or so.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    5/20/22, 2:49 PM - Thanks for the comment. Hopefully your next bottle will show better (and my next bottle won't show worse! - I have 3 left). Cheers.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    2/13/23, 6:52 AM - Well, I've only had 1 bottle of this vintage so far and from what it sounds like from you and others, I may have just gotten lucky! I hope your next bottle is worth drinking! Keep us posted.

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Red
2016 Domaine Tour Saint-Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Deux Soeurs Red Rhone Blend
12/5/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
90 points
5th of 12. 2 years since my last note, although apparently I consumed a bottle last year, but I don't have any record of it. Pnp tonight, but I think a decant would have been helpful. I don't think this has changed much in 2 years. This has loads of tasty sweet fruit, but some astringency present as well. Definitely some oak on this (disregard my last note on that issue), but the oak is nice and subtle. This still has massive tannins that need time to integrate. The finish is fairly long, but a bit drying. The fruit is overripe for my taste (on the nose and palate), and the alcohol is too high and lingers on the finish.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    12/6/22, 9:23 AM - Thanks for the comment - I am doing the same (gravitating toward the lower abv wines, especially Bordeaux these days). I still enjoyed drinking this last night, but I'm not sure I'll keep putting wines like this in my cellar.

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White - Sweet/Dessert
2015 Château Rieussec Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend
4/12/2020 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
97 points
Wow - just wow. Amazing wine. Never had anything like it. A dessert unto itself for sure. Don't need to have it with anything else - just an unbelievable pleasure. Nose is unreal - apricot. Apricot flavors, and pit - length, after flavor of saffron. Long finish.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    12/5/22, 4:50 PM - Thanks Remy - this was my 1st Rieussec, and in fact my first Sauternes tasting! I've had several others since then and this one still stands in my memory - just marvelous (I now have 21 bottles of this in my cellar to enjoy for the next fifty years or so...). I haven't had a chance to try the '09, but I will look for it! I had the '01 recently, and it was phenomenal. Cheers and thanks for the comment!

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Red
2006 Chateau Musar Bekaa Valley Red Blend
10/28/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
95 points
One of the best Musars I've had. I had this last night with 2003 Beaucastel CdP and this was better, and I had it a few months ago alongside the 2015, 2001 and 1998 vintages of Musar, and this was the best of the bunch in my opinion. This wine has a great nose and an amazingly long finish. I think the wine is in a perfect spot now for drinking, but it clearly has years and years left in the tank if you want to hold.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    10/28/22, 3:21 PM - Thanks for the feedback. Sadly, this was my last bottle of the '06 - I wish I had more!

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Red
2016 Château d'Issan Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
10/16/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
95 points
Medium bodied wine with a complex nose of black currants, blackberries, some very subtle plummy/blueberry notes, five spice, white pepper, chocolate, cigar box, roses, violets, and very well integrated elegant oak (toast and praline). On the palate, a nice medium-full mouthfeel, loads of incredibly fresh and delicious fruit, perfect acidity, very fine elegant ripe tannins, and impeccable balance (13% abv). There is excellent persistence on the very long finish. It drinks beautifully already, but should just gain complexity with time. 95+

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    10/17/22, 4:38 AM - Thanks for the feedback!

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    10/19/22, 1:41 PM - DQ - me too. I drank this one just to see if I should load up (which I did after tasting this) - and it was delicious and fun to see the potential at this early stage. I do think it is wise to wait 10 years though if you can...

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Red
2010 Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
12/10/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
90 points
Cork had mold on the top and was soaked through, which worries me about the longevity of the others. The wine was totally fine though. In fact, super youthful appearance - tons and tons of life left. Very Cab heavy nose - maybe a bit green even. Very big, rustic wine - massive tannins. Big, ripe fruit (not overripe though)... Nice acidity. Only 13.5%, but full-bodied. Quite good, but not really elegant though at this point. Needs time.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    4/28/22, 7:22 PM - Good to know that you have not had the same cork issue! Hopefully my other bottles will be fine - and even better with more age. Cheers.

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White
2016 Alain Gras Saint-Romain Blanc Chardonnay
4/7/2022 - oenanthe Likes this wine:
86 points
Pale golden yellow. Very white burgundy on the nose, clean, citrus, a bit mealy. First impressions very positive again, but the wine did not live up to it on the palate, there was a lack of zing, some washed out flabiness. It just felt a little flat and lacking in vigour. Is it time to drink up?

In conclusion not as good as previously consumed bottles for some reason, I find it hard to believe that a few more months has this effect, so perhaps a bit of bottle variation at play.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    4/8/22, 4:00 AM - I had a similar experience with a bottle back in January (the wine showing just a bit dull). I thought it might have been bottle variation, but maybe this wine is already fading. I have 2 left and I plan to finish them by the end of 2023. I enjoy your notes - thanks for sharing.

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Red
2019 Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie Gamay
12/1/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
93 points
A delicious wine. Fruit is nice and concentrated. Nice acidity. Alcohol is a hair high at 14%. Really enjoyable wine with lots of life ahead of it.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    3/23/22, 5:37 PM - Hi Big Juicy Red. The only other Bouland wine I've had is his 2017 Chiroubles Chatenay. I had it in July 2021. I gave it 93 points and wrote "outstanding" but I didn't take any more detailed notes and I don't recall anything at this point. I've had this bottle (Melanie) twice now and love it. I'd love to try some of his others some day!

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Red
2015 Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red Bordeaux Blend
10/20/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
98 points
From a 375ml. Amazing wine. Left bank nose and presentation. Mostly very young and primary at this point, but already showing some more. Elegant and balanced. Has a long, wonderful finish. Very classy wine. Amazing on its own and also lovely with food (likely would be perfect with steak). This is incredible and has tons of time left. I'll open my next one in 5 or so years.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    2/27/22, 5:16 PM - Hi Brian, that's great to hear! Thanks for the feedback. I have 4 750s and 1 375 left in my cellar and have to restrain myself from not opening them at every chance (I hope to hold on to 1 of these until the 2040s or even 2050, but it will be a miracle if I can withstand the temptation until then...). I read your review as well and feel the same way about the alcohol level - this is old school elegance, but without any loss of flavor or persistency. Such a great wine. Cheers.

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Red
2015 Château Latour-Martillac Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
10/29/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
93 points
I agree with others - this is delicious wine. The nose is just outstanding - classic Bordeaux, and unmistakably Pessac-Leognan. Fruit is fresh. Nice acidity and tannins (massive, but fine). Nicely judged oak - it's barely noticeable, which is how I like it. Tons of time left on this.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    10/29/21, 5:40 PM - Normally I would have, but it was a last minute decision tonight to open this, so I just popped and poured. The nose was amazing right away though.

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Red
2019 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity Barossa Valley
10/21/2021 - trumpet60201 Does not like this wine:
86 points
Seems overripe to me. Not my style. Maybe it just needs a ton of time, but I doubt it.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    10/27/21, 4:02 PM - Hi SRH, thanks for the comment. As it turns out, I've been following the bottle now for a week - allowing it to sit in the stairwell re-corked and taking a sip most days over the past week, and I just re-tasted it. It is much, much better today for my taste. For sure, this just isn't my style, but I admit I enjoyed it more today. Cheers.

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Red
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Nebbiolo
5/18/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
94 points
Outstanding - even better than the last bottle I had. I'm drinking this side by side with the '17 tonight and this is the winner imo. Fruit is abundant (but not at all jammy or overripe), tannins are strong but elegant (in contrast, the tannins on the '17 are brutal tonight), acid is perfect. It's a bit more closed on the nose at first, but with some air it opens up nicely. This is a wonderful wine.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    5/22/21, 4:32 AM - Thanks srh. Yeah, I opened the '17 trying to decide whether or not to put a case in the cellar, and just needed to open the '16 with it to have a benchmark comparison (and to have something palatable, as the '17 was brutal upon opening). The '17 was much better last night by the way (after 3 days in the fridge), with the fruit coming out nicely and the tannins dissipating a bit (it was still not as supple or luscious as this '16 though). Have you tasted the '17 yet? It seems to be getting high reviews like this one, but boy it was almost unapproachable for me on the first 2 days...

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White - Off-dry
2018 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Tuffeaux Chenin Blanc
2/21/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
90 points
I was a bit bummed by this after the 2 94 point reviews from V and WS. Unfortunately, this didn't go very well with my blond pasta puttanesca (Colu Henry NYT - a great recipe). I was surprised that this wine was a little sweet (I confess that I don't understand these Chenin blancs). The 2017 Chidaine Clos Habert that I had recently was even sweeter than this one, but I liked it better than this one (but, the 2017 Les Bournais was the best of the bunch - an unreal good wine, truly special - and not sweet at all). The Clos Habert was 12.5%, this one is 14%. This wine has a somewhat bitter aftertaste unfortunately. Now for the positives on this one: it has a beautiful creamy mouthfeel, papaya, honeysuckle, richness, nice acidity, salinity, fairly long finish - all wonderful and delightful qualities. I hope with time the bitterness will go away and the wine will be more pleasant with food (or maybe I'll just have the next one on its own, or will research how to pair a wine like this!). I have 1 left and I'll try it in 10 years or so.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    3/7/21, 4:55 PM - Hi HJImperial, Thanks for the comment. You are right that Chidaine clearly labels the bottles and it was definitely my mistake for not paying attention to that. Thanks for the chilling and pairing suggestions.

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White
2017 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos Habert Chenin Blanc
2/8/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
92 points
Not a sec chenin blanc - it's a bit sweet and I didn't expect that (haha, should have read the others' reviews first). Lovely apricots on the nose. Warm, rich, delicious - but only 12.5%, wow! A hair low in acidity for my taste. But, really a nice wine. Amazing nose. Went well with food.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    2/9/21, 6:04 AM - I had it with NYT Linguine with Clam Sauce (olive oil, clams, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, lemon, parsley) - I thought it paired quite well. Cheers!

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Red
2015 Fattoria Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
12/17/2020 - trumpet60201 Does not like this wine:
86 points
Bummed by this one. I should have trusted Tim Heaton - his review is spot on. This is totally lacking acidity. I don't understand the WS score or the other 90+ pro scores. But to be fair, other than the flabbiness, the other qualities aren't bad. It just lacks that quality that makes you salivate and want more... Drink up.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    12/18/20, 4:47 PM - Hi srh, well I must admit it wasn't that bad at all despite my less than enthusiastic review. The acidity was low for my taste, but it was still tasty otherwise. My wife, who is quite discerning, love this one - so, go figure! In any case for $25 a bottle or so, it's not a bad find! I'd be curious to see what you think. When do you plan to drink yours?

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    12/18/20, 6:23 PM - Haha - sounds like a good plan! Cheers.

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Red
2000 Monti Barolo Bussia Nebbiolo
12/8/2020 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:
90 points
Nose of old books and tar. Fading cherry fruit on the palate - nice medium+ finish. Acidity and tannins are still there. Very integrated, but strong tannins. Medium+ bodied wine.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    12/8/20, 6:44 PM - Thanks for your comment. I don't have a ton of experience with 20+ year old wines (part of the reason I bought this one is to add to that experience), so I'm probably not the best person to answer your question. With that caveat, this did seem to be a wine that I would want to (and intend to) drink up over the next year or two. It is nice now and I don't see it getting better with more time, but I certainly may be wrong.

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Red
2016 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges Pinot Noir
11/7/2020 - COWineLover wrote:
91 points
Opened without decant and poured 45 minutes before consuming. Light ruby color. Aromatically this has a predominant strawberry, sous bois, bing cherry, and cinnamon. On the palate this has good vigor with prominent acidity that lashes your tongue with cinnamon and cranberry before shifting to a noticeably tannic mid palate. This settles down for a strawberry influenced finish. Nice length with a subtle spice.

A good Village level wine with great overall balance. While this probably benefits from more bottle time, I would drink now through 2028 to enjoy the spice and strawberry pairing.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    11/8/20, 5:00 AM - Hi there, I have a bunch of these in my cellar and put in drink dates through 2042 (which come from WS). WA also says to drink through 2036. I am fairly new to aging wines and drinking aged wines and I'm wondering how to know which wines will be better in the long term as opposed to losing aspects as you note in your TN. Do you think this wine will still be good after 2028 (could it get better or will it just decline after that point?), or should I change my drink dates? Any other tips on knowing which wines will be better in the long term as opposed to the short term? Thanks in advance.

  • trumpet60201 commented:

    11/8/20, 11:19 AM - Thank you so much for your detailed and helpful explanation! You raise many great points that I intend to follow. I especially need to take your cellar space point to heart as my cellar is full (mostly with wines like this). I probably should shorten the drink dates on these wines (and many others in my cellar) to make room for higher end wines that will really shine with aging. Cheers and thanks again for the useful tips.

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