sashole
Member #161,630 signed up 1/26/2011 and last accessed 10/27/2014
Profile
Member since January 2011
Locale: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Favorite region: Perhaps Alsace for whites. Nothing for table reds - all depends. Massandra/Livadia for desserts.
Dream wine: Impossible to name
Homo Sapiens downloaded circa 1956. Love all types of wine, spirits, and beer, with the sole exception of ouzo or anything anise, for that matter. Some emphasis on table reds, but really no heavily-biased preference. Perhaps less enamored with CA cabernets than other reds and not quite fond of overoaked chardonnays. Among whites, perhaps enjoy Alsace more than anything else, but only statistically-wise. Among reds, really have no clear winner, each (well-made) region/varietal having their bright, unique sides.
2008 Cancello Del Barone Barolo Riserva
10/11/2014 - sashole Likes this wine: 90 Points
This juice is kind of eldritch. Had I not known it was a Barolo, I would not have guessed it either on the nose or palate, but if I were asked if I like it, I would say "definitely, yeah". The first thing that struck be straight out of the glass was a fresh smell of pencil shavings, as if they were floating in the glass. None, really, of the typical Barolo scent. The color is beautiful, garnet-ruby, but again, none of that copperish tinge one thinks of when Barolo comes to mind. On the palate, cedar goes on to dominate at first but then a mouthful of wild strawberries with a splash of Hungarian plum preserves sets in, all tied together with the same puckering cedar, yet none of the quintessential Barolo tart austerity, either... a very easily drinkable everynight wine. In sum, weird... but nifty! Giving it 90 for being a good, enjoyable $20 red I could not guess, the mystery element being part of the rating.
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2009 Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rùfina Riserva Bucerchiale
5/14/2013 - sashole wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic. Pure beam of clean complex red fruit, wild strawberry being most prominent on the nose. No rustic notes at all, sheer pedigree oozing onto the palate with an intriguing mix of drunken cherry, pomegranate, so very slight cranberry, and the same inimitable wild strawberry clearly percolating through the mix. When first uncorked, rather austere with acidity biting rather sharply. The next day, pure balanced delight, acidity having receded, cashmere tannins caressing the palate. Not an everyday fare, though. Needs to have pauses filled with wines with other characters to re-appreciate.
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2007 Château Marjosse Blanc
11/10/2012 - sashole wrote: 91 Points
Bought 1 bottle from a local retailer from their back rack - "dump" clearance, $8 out the door. They have many more, but I wanted to taste first. Jumping ahead, I can say that tomorrow first thing in the morning I will go back and buy a case - this wine is a steal for thrice the price, in my opinion.
Most likely, the bottle had not been properly cellared, yet it showed no signs of oxidation whatsoever; the cork was perfect; and the wine overall feels mature and yet vibrantly fresh. The nose starts with the dense "Russian" mixture of "white" mushrooms and overripe "rattling" Antonovka apples. It sets the expectation for a full body on the palate - and, voila, it is elastic and velvety (kind of Alsace Pinot Blanc like) there for good 5-10 seconds, after which the whole gamut of unobtrusively acidic citrus rushes in to balance the first wave.
Surprisingly, after a few seconds of swooshing, peat and lime emerge. Oak, if present at all (not sure about that), is exceedingly subtle, and does not overshadow the beautifully pure expression of fruit. Last, but not least, it lasts, alternating its variegated colors as it wanes off the palate .From my unelucidated, layman's perspective, this is a splendid specimen of white Bordeaux - and eminently drinkable, too: I went through the bottle the same evening I purchased it, looking forward to enjoying the smell and taste of each ensuing sip.
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