tp096255

Member #35,820 signed up 8/10/2007

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  • 2016 Fait-Main Cabernet Sauvignon Bettinelli Sleeping Lady Vineyard

    Solid Cab but needs time. Decanted for about 3 hours and it was still a bit tight. Very chewy tannins but did have wonderful expressions of blueberry compote, pipe tobacco and a little bark. Was solid from nose to finish, but was a bit underwhelming for what I was expecting at this price point. Will hold bottles for a few years and try again.

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  • 2015 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

    Had at Sir Winston's with Chateaubriand tonight. For such a young wine with such a short 1 hour decant, this showed beautifully. I have gravitated toward Bevan CS the past few years because my wife and I both prefer fruit-forward wines. Not alcoholic fruit bombs, but 10 pounds of fruit shoved into a one-pound bag. This wine delivered that in spades. If you give it about 4-5 hours and you like fruit, then this will do it for you.

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  • 2007 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

    This is prob 97+, maybe 98, which would make it nudge out the 2007 Schrader CCS we had 5 years ago or so. Once again, special anniversary dinner at Craft in Los Angeles.

    The bottle threw about 3 oz of the finest sediment I've ever seen from a CS. And boy were they glorious on their own!

    But on to the main event: We had 12-hour braised short ribs, hen of the woods, yukon gold puree, wheat sourdough bread, salads and some garlic-driven pasta. The amazing thing is that this wine played nicely with every element of the meal. It was like a member of the orchestra, never overpowering any other member, but perfectly melding into the symphony.

    The nose is everything you want in a Schrader CS, esp a Sparky. Nose of blueberry pie filling, vanilla, Saigon cinnamon, even bruleed brown sugar. It almost smelled over-ripe on initial opening but calmed down considerably over the 5-hour decant. The mouth was definitely still tannic, so small molecules here, but super ripe once again and just bursting at the seams with black and blue fruits. Almost veered again into stewed plum, but then brought it back from the edge. I have been cellaring this bottle since release a decade ago, so while hopeful I still had plenty to worry about. My worry proved unfounded.

    The finish was a magnificent melding of creme de cassis and more fall-seasoned pie crust. Cherry pipe-tobacco shows up about 15 seconds in, then espresso and then 70% dark cocoa powder. It just keeps reverberating on my palate and retronasal cavity. Yep, it was amazing. What a blessing and privilege to share this with our friend Ruthie. Too bad Jimmy don't drink wine foo!

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  • jmcmchi says:

    9/5/2017 9:12:00 PM - Good to hear from you tp096255. Liked your note on Elderton Command. I am planning a mini-vertical from the early 2000's for a November family visit, so this gives me a reference point

  • BuzzzzOff says:

    10/30/2015 5:40:00 PM - Nice to meet you tp096255. Northern Cali and Vouvray? Interesting!!! "Cork Dork"...we like!

  • puppetclause says:

    12/4/2014 2:58:00 PM - Hey man, great to (virtually) meet you. I keep my wine in pasadena so I'm up that way every so often. If you ever want to get together and pop a bottle let me know. cheers jeff

  • Robert Pavlovich says:

    12/2/2014 4:41:00 PM - Good to meet you tp...have another wine friend in your area, we should all coordinate something.

  • tp096255 says:

    11/23/2013 10:02:00 AM - Thanks Ltomanek! I love this type of comparison tasting/review. It helps all of us and certainly makes my tasting experiences richer than they otherwise would be. Keep up the good work!

  • Ltomanek says:

    11/15/2013 5:13:00 PM - After I noticed earlier this year that the 2008 Dirt Worshipper (DW) may not be as great of a wine as it used to be, and someone else pointed it out on Cellar Tracker as well, I decided to do a mini vertical tasting, with the 2008, 2009 and 2011 vintage. Here are some of my notes: 2008: purple hue, dark color, slightly hazy, aromatic aroma, still youthful in its development and clear blackcurrant and blackberry aromas, off dry, full-bodied, smooth acidity, low levels of and soft tannins, powerful flavor intensity, finish very long. 95+ 2009: ruby hue, deep color and some cloudiness, aromatic and youthful with blackcurrant, blackberry, pepper and bilberry, dry, medium body, crisp and lively acidity, medium and soft/round tannins, very flavorful, long finish. 93 2011: garnet hue, medium color depth, slight haze, very aromatic, youthful, aromas not clear, very dry, medium body and tart acidity. 92+ The 2011 DW was just released and it was clear that tart acidity needed to become softer. It was clear that this wine was still very young, somewhat uptight and in need for some cellaring. Everyone liked it. It was the first of the three we tasted. The 2009 DW was smooth and soft and had complex aromas. Everyone like this more than the 2011. “Wow, this one is clearly better and lovely.” The 2008 DW was a lot better yet! There was no doubt that it was the highlight of the evening. Although it is possible that the 2008 DW is not as grand as it used to be, but it still reigns over the latest vintages. The five of us enjoyed the tasting and agreed with the ranking.

  • G_H says:

    12/2/2011 1:20:00 PM - Loved that you rated a wine 50 points :-) Seriously, love your reviews on Denner and Saxum, good stuff!

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