Very fragrant - lots of lime, fleshy fruit. Very crisp, clean, cool and silky texture. Begs the question why people spend so much on Pinot Grigio when they could be drinking this.
WOW - can california cab get any better than this? Still a bit tight (so much for the myth of '97s fading early), with beautiful concentration of black fruit, tannins that are more satin than silk, and a long, brightly polished finish. Wonderful, and fully deserving of the accolades piled upon it, and then some!
Is there a better Merlot coming out of Cal? Or for that matter can the best of Pomerol (read Petrus and Le Pin) compare with this baby? First impression was something like this... "Mother of God... This is Merlot???!!!!" Massive fruit, huge cedar and vanilla from the oak, long and balanced from beginning to end. After nearly of quarter century of tasting wine professionally, I have not tasted a Merlot that can stand up to this one! If you have this in the cellar, be very, very proud (to hell with Pride) in our acquisition!
Didn't expect anything to surpass the Shafer Hillside, but... This is still in it's toddler stage, not quite an infant, but a bebe nonetheless. Tight, and even with decanting while we guzzled the '97 Pahlmeyer Merlot (yum!) it needs time. Very concentrated and pure aromas of cassis, cassis, cassis, and a palate that explodes with cassis and vanilla (ok - so maybe it's a bit one-dimensional - it still ROCKS!). Finishing long and pure. I can only imagine how awesome the Harlan '97 must be after tasting this. But If I can't have that, I'm not too disappointed with this!!
Ok so maybe my scores are getting a bit generous now, but this was delish! Impeccable balance, wonderfully delicate strawberry fruit, soft acidity, not very dry (or I would have scored it higher), but drinking perfectly now. Surprisingly elegant for this house.
Cork not very robust (been in the fridge too long) but still an A-mazing Champagne. Very rich, with apparent yet not overpowering notes of pastry dough, yeast, toast, white, fleshy fruit - mostly peach, but shades of pear and apple, too - with a finish that somehow suggested a lemon tart. Hands down the best Champ I've tasted, and crushes the '90 Clos de Mesnil from Krug I had last year.
In the fridge too long - no spring left in the cork at all - poured very flat. Still tasty, just not vibrant. A shame, cause this wine is usually a superstar, especially in a stellar vintage like '90.
If there is a better expression of Vin Santo, I have never tasted it. Sweet without cloying; rich without heaviness on the palate; nuttiness ala oloroso sherry, without the feeling of oxidation one would expect. I've had the good fortune to see this wine during production at the winery (just outside of San Gimignano [<3k]- well worth the visit, as the Falchini family is VERY friendly and loves Americans) and know that they have a 'secret' connection with world famous winemaker Giacomo Tachis - who made Sassicaia famous - and he gets them the old, used barrels from Sassicaia for them to age their Vin Santo in. Does that make the difference? I can't say, but I have tasted a number of different vintages of this wine from barrel, and must say that all are outstanding. Even after the 98 prior bottles shared bye only 8 friends, this was a classic.
A perfectly delicious bottle to enjoy while ding the dishes from the previous ten and accompanying New Year's Eve dishes (shrimp, salmon, cheeses, etc). Copious plummy and blackberry fruits, a supple and straightforward palate and texture, yet lacks the tannin and acidic backbone to age long term. Very pleasant now and into the new year, but iffy beyond '07.
2004 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina 90 Points
Italy, Campania, Falanghina del Sannio
Very fragrant - lots of lime, fleshy fruit. Very crisp, clean, cool and silky texture. Begs the question why people spend so much on Pinot Grigio when they could be drinking this.
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1997 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 98 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
WOW - can california cab get any better than this? Still a bit tight (so much for the myth of '97s fading early), with beautiful concentration of black fruit, tannins that are more satin than silk, and a long, brightly polished finish. Wonderful, and fully deserving of the accolades piled upon it, and then some!
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1995 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
slightly corked
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1997 Pahlmeyer Merlot 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Is there a better Merlot coming out of Cal? Or for that matter can the best of Pomerol (read Petrus and Le Pin) compare with this baby? First impression was something like this... "Mother of God... This is Merlot???!!!!" Massive fruit, huge cedar and vanilla from the oak, long and balanced from beginning to end. After nearly of quarter century of tasting wine professionally, I have not tasted a Merlot that can stand up to this one! If you have this in the cellar, be very, very proud (to hell with Pride) in our acquisition!
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1997 Harlan Estate The Maiden 99 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Didn't expect anything to surpass the Shafer Hillside, but... This is still in it's toddler stage, not quite an infant, but a bebe nonetheless. Tight, and even with decanting while we guzzled the '97 Pahlmeyer Merlot (yum!) it needs time. Very concentrated and pure aromas of cassis, cassis, cassis, and a palate that explodes with cassis and vanilla (ok - so maybe it's a bit one-dimensional - it still ROCKS!). Finishing long and pure. I can only imagine how awesome the Harlan '97 must be after tasting this. But If I can't have that, I'm not too disappointed with this!!
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1996 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Rosé 93 Points
France, Champagne
Ok so maybe my scores are getting a bit generous now, but this was delish! Impeccable balance, wonderfully delicate strawberry fruit, soft acidity, not very dry (or I would have scored it higher), but drinking perfectly now. Surprisingly elegant for this house.
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1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 97 Points
France, Champagne
Cork not very robust (been in the fridge too long) but still an A-mazing Champagne. Very rich, with apparent yet not overpowering notes of pastry dough, yeast, toast, white, fleshy fruit - mostly peach, but shades of pear and apple, too - with a finish that somehow suggested a lemon tart. Hands down the best Champ I've tasted, and crushes the '90 Clos de Mesnil from Krug I had last year.
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1998 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne
Oops - too busy reflecting on the poetic beauty of the '90 Krug to get any of this... Oh well.
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1990 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année Flawed
France, Champagne
In the fridge too long - no spring left in the cork at all - poured very flat. Still tasty, just not vibrant. A shame, cause this wine is usually a superstar, especially in a stellar vintage like '90.
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1998 Falchini Vin Santo del Chianti Podere Casale Iº 96 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Vin Santo del Chianti
If there is a better expression of Vin Santo, I have never tasted it. Sweet without cloying; rich without heaviness on the palate; nuttiness ala oloroso sherry, without the feeling of oxidation one would expect. I've had the good fortune to see this wine during production at the winery (just outside of San Gimignano [<3k]- well worth the visit, as the Falchini family is VERY friendly and loves Americans) and know that they have a 'secret' connection with world famous winemaker Giacomo Tachis - who made Sassicaia famous - and he gets them the old, used barrels from Sassicaia for them to age their Vin Santo in. Does that make the difference? I can't say, but I have tasted a number of different vintages of this wine from barrel, and must say that all are outstanding. Even after the 98 prior bottles shared bye only 8 friends, this was a classic.
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2004 Bodegas Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla 89 Points
Spain, Murcia, Jumilla
A perfectly delicious bottle to enjoy while ding the dishes from the previous ten and accompanying New Year's Eve dishes (shrimp, salmon, cheeses, etc). Copious plummy and blackberry fruits, a supple and straightforward palate and texture, yet lacks the tannin and acidic backbone to age long term. Very pleasant now and into the new year, but iffy beyond '07.
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