5/5/2024 - jafny Likes this wine:

After 3 1/2 hour decant wine showed peppery fruit and soft tannins, medium bodied. Very good. Might be near peak and can hold another year or two.

2/4/2024 - jafny Likes this wine:

Certainly in it's window, enjoyable. Surprisingly threw off a moderate sediment. Came into balance after one hour decant somewhat light to medium bodied with medium acidity showing dried fruit with some peppery overtones. Not that experienced with Ventoux, wine reminded me very much of Vacqueras but a bit leaner and softer.

10/8/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

Lovely, from375ml, just now getting in stride. Nice caramel coming through balanced with gentle acidity and touch of pineapple. Drink or hold.

10/10/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

Knowing how explosive this wine can be from prior vintages I let it breath for about 30 minutes. High alcohol very evident in this vintage but apart from that somewhat true to form but not as outstanding as '15.
Rich body, caramel, pineapple, wet stone......more Condrieu like in many ways. Certainly no rush on this one.

10/10/2023 - jafny wrote:

Decanted 2.5 hours before serving. Light/medium bodied, tannins somewhat resolved and decent when paired with food but starting to dry out. This DOC is a 4-5 year wine IMO, unusual for the region. A fair value at best.

9/16/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

See prior note from 11/22......let this bottle air for 3 hours and it had a more velvety body plus a spicier flavor than the last bottle. Very good.
In its drinking window for sure.

9/16/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

Excellent. Full bodied, strong varietal character and loaded with caramel. May be a bit much for delicate fare but went very well with assorted antipasti and hearty enough to be enjoyed own its own. Ready now but no rush....

6/18/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

Very nice, acid in check for its age, pretty decent value, drink or hold another year or so.

6/18/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

As others have noted this was a rather light bodied Brunello Riserva. Enjoyable but I expected a more depth and character. Well balanced, soft tannins....opened up after 3 hour decant with some nice berry flavors. Can hold but I say don't wait too long on this vintage.

4/8/2023 - jafny wrote:

After 2.5 hour decant poured for Easter dinner. This bottle just never opened up. Tannin did smooth out a bit showing some leather, barnyard funk but fruit was practically non existent. It got by complimenting our meat course so that was something.

4/9/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

Excellent, certainly in it's window now and with plenty left. From 375, opened the darker of two bottled and rewarded with lots of toffee, caramel flavor. Body was a bit more syrupy than most, not flabby just thicker. Stood up well to rich desserts.

4/10/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

This wine threw a lot of sediment before 3 hour decant but was very much together, dark color, still youthful and well balanced. A little hot and laced with with some peppery overtones to me it was reminiscent of some good new world wine in some ways. Drinking well now but no rush on this one.

4/9/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

Big improvement over last bottle. After three hour decant this light bodied wine is much more in focus now and nicely balanced with soft tannin, cherry and typical silky mouthfeel you get from good red Burgundy. Not sure if extra cellar time made the difference or it was just bottle to bottle variance that you so often experience with Burgundy and Bordeaux wines. In any event drink up and enjoy.

12/25/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Surprisingly enjoyable at dinner, good QPR. Well balanced, tannins softened nicely with good fruit showing after 2 hour decant. Medium bodied, certainly not a big wine but an excellent expression of the DOC. Five years seemed to be the magic number for this wine but perhaps can go a bit longer.

1/8/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

The strong unique varietal character of this grape sets it apart from typical Northern Italian whites. It has a certain salinity and spiciness that can stand up to more robust dishes. A really good table wine IMO and not a bad value.

12/24/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

A star of the Macon.....at 5 years old still not a hint of Premox. Very well balanced, developed some complexity, excellent value.

12/26/2022 - jafny wrote:

An excellent value, as good as other Falanghina Taburno I've had for $20 or more.

12/24/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Surprisingly still developing since last bottle a year ago. Medium bodied, obvious Sauvignon Blanc varietal character but not too tart, showed some complexity . I think it could get better in another year.

1/13/2023 - jafny Likes this wine:

Commendable considering AOC. Light bodied, fairly well balanced, fruit showed up after 2 hour decant. Drink up.

12/3/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Was expecting a litttle more backbone but enjoyable never the less. Went well with spicy Asian food. Wine resembled more of a Spatlese to me.

12/24/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Very good Meursault. Crisp, light bodied, plenty of oak on the palate, citrus flavors prevail. Probably at or near peak.

12/31/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Outstanding. Would recommend uncorking about 20-30 minutes before pouring. Best bottle of CC I had the pleasure of enjoying. Beautifully balanced acid wise with hints of oak, vanilla, butter enhanced by a wonderful aroma, full mouthfeel and sublime oily texture. I think the wine is certainly in it's drinking window but should still continue to develop nicely for a few more years.

12/25/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Decanted three hours before pouring ( no sediment ) wine was balanced but still a bit closed. Light bodied as expected for an inexpensive non- riserva but came around after about another hour and developed some length with softening tannin and nice fruit. An outstanding value just decant well in advance. Drink now thru 2025

8/28/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

The best Lagrange I've ever tasted. Decanted about 90 minutes before pouring and the wine kept opening up nicely showing fruit and tobacco over a base of delicate soft tannin. At 40 this wine is drinking more like a good second or third growth. A very nice surprise and a worthy example of the outstanding 82 vintage.........drink up though.

11/24/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Light bodied, no sediment, youthful in appearance, decanted 2 hours before Thanksgiving dinner. Wine still a bit closed and acidic at first but softened and developed a decent mid-pallet with nice fruit showing after a while. Overall a good example of the AC, can hold another year or two IMO.

8/28/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Ready to go, this very affordable "everyday Amarone" is an oustanding value. Not a big bursting lingering example but very well balanced with soft tannin, peppery with some raisin on the pallet, excellent with food. Brought this back from Rome in '18, wish I had a case. Not available in the States.

5/9/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

This wine was jam packed with lots of fruit flavors, full, well balanced obviously well crafted. In its drinking window. Like most Aussie Shiraz the strong varietal character keeps it from being a great dinner wine IMO. I would have enjoyed it more on its own or with just some with cheese or nuts etc.

5/7/2022 - jafny wrote:

Not very experienced with Washington State Chardonnay. Lemony flavors here combined with the crisp light bodied style was refreshing but
did not pair well with our food since I was expecting much more of a fuller bodied Napa type of Chardonnay. I say the style is closer to a good California Sauvignon Blanc.

4/24/2022 - jafny wrote:

Was expecting more from this wine. Rather lean, not much fruit. I didn't expect Montepulciano d'Abruzzo to reach great heights but was hoping that this riserva would be a noticeable step up from the mainstream quality producers in the region and benefit form some additional bottle age. Not knocking the effort, it's not a bad wine but my advice is to enjoy wines from this DOC when they're relatively young and skip the riservas.

4/18/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Still the star of the Maconnais, a favorite, but for me not quite as enjoyable as the '15 or '14. A little tight at first then after about 10 -15 minutes it came around. Plenty of weight, touch of citrus with some hazelnut dancing around. To me Vire Classe wines, though superior, age a bit more like say a good Pouilly Fuisse as opposed to their sturdier Burgundian cousins further North.

4/18/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

From 375 ml......golden amber color. Nice butterscotch, flavor. I enjoyed it but it came off just a bit too acidic, maybe in decline so drink up. Would recommend drinking this alongside some fruit or nuts or on its own.

4/18/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

Basically this wine delivered what I would expect from a decent Vacqueras. Excellent QPR. Wine was rather light to medium bodied, certainly benefited form 2 1/2 hour decant. Not as peppery as other wines from this DOC I've enjoyed in the past but nice berry flavors, soft tannins, short finish. I say the wine is in it's drinking window now and can go another couple of years but why wait.

4/18/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

So I uncorked the second bottle of the four I originally owned to enjoy with our Easter dinner (with fingers crossed)....

After decanting the wine I immediately tasted it and it was no different than the previous bottle we drank at Thanksgiving (see notes). About 4 hours later we poured it when then meat course was served. What a difference from the last bottle! I was quite relieved to discover that the wine developed nicely. Full bodied, the tannins softened up, pencil, earth and decent fruit came through. Not a great wine, the finish was a bit short, but very enjoyable. The bottle to bottle inconsistency in Bordeaux and Burgundy never cease to amaze me, but the cookie crumbled my way this time. I say drink over the next year or so after a 4 hour decant.

4/3/2022 - jafny Likes this wine:

I'm a BV fan since they usually outperform my expectations but this bottle was not as lush and supple compared as others I've enjoyed. Still a good wine, unusually peppery, a bit lean, fair QPR. Drink up for sure.

11/26/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

My go to NV California bubbly. A touch more flavorful than most with good bead. QPR is excellent. I prefer it to their more expensive Blanc de Blanc.

11/26/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Last tasted three years ago and this bottle was definitely much lighter. Still excellent, went beautifully with dessert since not as overpowering as before. Certainly in it's drinking window.

11/26/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

This wine is to me is a typical premium full bodied California Chardonnay i many ways that's packed up front with oak, oily texture and strong varietal flavor. Not a bad thing, but can be overpowering at the table IMO. Fair QPR, overall an enjoyable experience.

11/26/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Love this wine, not quite as much as the '14 but still an excellent example of Vire Class. Lighter, not as complex or long lived as it's Cote D'or neighbors but still a beautiful white burgundy in it's own right. I wouldn't hold these for more than 5-6 years past vintage.

11/26/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

After three hour decant wine showed up and surprisingly showed a nice touch of elegance for a Rioja. Tanin and fruit were very well balanced, not a lot of depth but complemented T-Day turkey dinner exceptionally well. Excellent QPR but IMO needs about 5 years to come around. This bottle at 8 was a winner.

11/26/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Same as prior notes but but this bottle even lighter and a bit more Beaujolais like. Definitely at peak, QPR not great but wine was enjoyable.

11/26/2021 - jafny Does not like this wine:

Had high hopes for this wine. Showed light sediment, good deep color and nice nose upon decanting. Three and a half hours later and for another hour through the meal the wine never evolved into something resembling a nice balanced Bordeaux even from a much lesser growth. Lots of tannin to go the distance, stem, pencil, medium bodied but not a hint of fruit. Sitting on a few more bottles and I'm afraid that at 15 years old it could already be past it's peak.

11/8/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this wine after a 90 minute decant with pasta and meat course. Nicely balanced, good fruit, improved during diner with tannins softening so I think an extra 30-60 minutes in decanter before serving would have been even better. Lighter bodied than I expected but that added a certain finesse to this well crafted wine. Definitely in its drinking window now but no rush. Not sure if holding for a few more years will take it to a better place. Would buy again!

9/6/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Still togther but past peak, losing power and depth. Body starting to get lean, some fruit is still there but fading. Minimum two hour decant recommended. Overall an enjoyable well made Barolo that's now seen better days, drink up.

5/15/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Let breath for an hour in decanter and that was enough. Excellent peppery fruit forward wine balanced by soft tannins. Not what i would call a big wine but elegant. Getting in stride now. Recommended.

5/15/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Not an expert on Volnay but IMO this is a solid, quaffable, balanced light bodied Burgundy. Showed well after 90 minute decant. Lean, short to medium finish and lacking that silky mouthfeel compared to the better AOC wines but a fair value overall. No rush but not worth holding for years either.

5/9/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Soft tannins, decent fruit, well balanced, medium bodied. Blend is superb, can go well with a variety dishes. Wine is in stride right now.

5/9/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Better than average Southern Italian Bianco. Decent minerality, crisp with lemon overtones reminiscent of Sicily itself. Recommended.

4/11/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Not a "wow" wine but still an elegant example of a good well balanced Chassagne-Montrachet blanc. Definitely in stride right now, perhaps for another year.

3/21/2021 - jafny Likes this wine:

Same as my notes from last year, perhaps just starting to fade a bit. Still very good, don't hold very much longer.

12/25/2020 - jafny Likes this wine:

A nice surprise, at peak right now after 2 hour decant. Very well balanced, lovely berry flavors, medium bodied. Would pair well with either red sauce Italian or meat. Drink now.