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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments Comment Date Community Score More...
Red

2018 Château Bouscassé Madiran

 Tannat Blend, Tannat more
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4/9/2024 - SCUBAdive wrote: NR

The bottle has a 95 rating sticker on it but no source. I'd accept an 88 rating. Had it open for 60+ minutes with minimal change in taste.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    4/10/2024 2:54:00 PM - Wine Enthusiast rates it a 95. Wine Advocate gives it a 93. And thus far I've given two bottles an average of 90.
Red

2020 Château Tour Saint-Christophe

 St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more
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3/23/2024 - Mimesis Likes this wine: 92 points

Yesterday I saw that six-packs of the 2020 were on sale for 25% off ($29.99/bottle), which was less than I paid for my first six-pack on futures. "Should I buy more?" I wondered. So, seeing the positive reviews here, I cracked open my OWC last night to try a bottle.

I had been pretty dubious about giving a 3.5 year old Saint-Émilion the pop and pour treatment, but this Tour St. Christophe was shockingly ready to drink with just 15 minutes of air.

The wine pours a deep violet color, and is nearly opaque. The nose hints of Merlot, but it's fairly faint. Then from the first sip, the flavor comes on strong. It's very forward, even flirty. The densely packed ripe (but not overripe) fruit is fortunately balanced by enough structure to keep it from being too cloying.

I don't know how this vintage will evolve from here, but it hardly matters, as enjoyable as it is now. I went ahead and bought that second six pack, so I can enjoy its youth while still keeping some for the long haul.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    3/23/2024 9:51:00 PM - ok, but WHERE were these being sold for that price?

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    3/26/2024 10:48:00 AM - When I lived in Natick, that would have been an easy drive. Sadly, I can't take advantage of it here in California.
Red

2019 Château Lilian Ladouys

 St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more
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3/18/2024 - melvinyeowq wrote: 87 points

Wine tasting with colleagues: Agree with previous notes that this was dark-fruited, tannic and closed at the moment. Thought this would be open but guess I missed the window.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    3/19/2024 10:02:00 AM - Give it another year or two.
Red

2017 Château Bouscassé Madiran

 Tannat Blend, Tannat more
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3/1/2024 - Rossodio Likes this wine: 89 points

The tannat must have softened up here. This is drinking quite well. Has an almost young mourvedre-like note, softened but still very present tannic structure, and a nice backbone bringing this wine out nicely as a hybrid between Southern France and bordeaux. Very enjoyable especially at the price, though I believe it was not so much a couple of years ago. Drink now + up to 3-4 years, though I am unsure whether it will improve during that span simply due to my inexperience with this type of blend.

I had half.
Vvv

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    3/2/2024 8:31:00 PM - I had a similar experience.
Red

2021 Le Grand Bâtisseur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Jean XXII Reserve

 Red Rhone Blend more
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2/27/2024 - Oberhau Likes this wine: 90 points

Learned about this on SOMM TV as a starter CNdP; this is very fruity, less earthy and nicely balanced with sweetness and acid; it works well as a sipper or with food and has a great QPR

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    2/27/2024 8:49:00 PM - Agreed!
Red

2021 Le Grand Bâtisseur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Jean XXII Reserve

 Red Rhone Blend more
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2/7/2024 - oropeza wrote: NR

Really dull and closed off at pop; came back the next day to find raspberry up front with menthol and herbs on the core, and then a decent finish on a good balance of tannin and slight acidity. Maybe a little above what I expected at $20, when I think CdP I think of something at least a little special though... could take it or leave it.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    2/15/2024 9:53:00 PM - When I think CDP, I usually think $35+. That there'a a CDP to be had at $20 in The States is a bit shocking.
    Admittedly, it's a quiet little symphony, but all the notes are there.
Red

2018 Ragtag Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon

 Paso Robles El Pomar District more
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12/10/2023 - Mss0904 Likes this wine: 87 points

Beautiful nose with dark cherry and leather. A bit disappointing on the palette, with light vinegar and cherry notes an a chalky mouthfeel.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    1/19/2024 3:22:00 PM - Sounds like maybe it needs more cellar time or a longer decant, although the light vinegar has me worried...
Red

2021 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Volte Toscana IGT

 SuperTuscan Blend more
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1/9/2024 - Barolo Freak Does not like this wine: 82 points

Another chapter in the Le Volte saga. I have been drinking Le Volte wines for more years than I can remember. This latest Le Volte was a big disappointment. The 2021 vintage fell flat. The wine has little personality, and doesn't display any interesting character at all. Le Volte was once considered to be one of the great wine bargains, now its an overpriced relic.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    1/9/2024 12:33:00 PM - I agree, the '21 is probably the weakest vintage I've had in the 12 years I've been drinking it -and at $24/bottle I wouldn't call it a QPR gem- but to my palate it yielded some terroir driven character and was decently balanced if a bit rough.
    It's been a half year since my last bottle, so I am hoping the next one has settled into better form. Fingers crossed.
Red

2016 Caiarossa Caiarossa Toscana IGT

 SuperTuscan Blend more
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9/20/2023 - tomoem Likes this wine: 94 points

I was told that this is a Modern Toscano Blend wine. To me this was aromatically a left bank Bordeaux. The wine very light to medium colored and an amazing expression for a wine of this viscosity. It is rich and full bodied spewing flavors of earth, mushroom, underbrush with fruits of plum skin, mulberry and cedar wood. Long finish.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    9/20/2023 9:44:00 PM - Well.... a modern Toscano blend could very well taste like a left bank Bordeaux. Super Tuscans are a relatively recent phenomenon.
Red

2018 Clos de los Siete

 Valle de Uco Malbec Blend, Malbec more
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7/15/2023 - Sagan99 wrote: 83 points

Nothing different this time around.
Now I'm just drinking it to have something with burgers.
I keep thinking how I need to stay away from these kind of wines, with Malbec as the foundation.
Been a decade or more of Malbec being pushed like Shiraz was being pushed the decade or two, prior.

And note to self... Don't buy cases of the Wine Spectator top 100, unless it's been tried and tested!!

PS- Drink The Rainbow!

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    7/16/2023 5:30:00 PM - Too bad we aren't neighbors, I would gladly pay you for them!
Red

2018 Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione Alta Valle della Greve IGT

 Sangiovese more
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2/18/2023 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 92 points

I found this to be the most difficult wine to assess of the three Chianti's that I opened this weekend. It really comes down to style preference. James Suckling, who is neither fool nor servant to corporate power rates this wine very highly indeed - 96 points. Wine Spectator pulls it back to 92. Both have legitimate reasons.

For me, the oak is really too dominant and it is discordant. Pencil shavings and a touch of vanilla threaten to run riot over the fruit. It is really distracting and, for me, irritating. When you manage to push it aside for a moment there is lovely cherry, plum and Cranberry fruit. I don't get a lot of the dried herbs that I love in Tuscan wine, probably because the tidal wave of oak has obliterated them.

Have I mentioned the oak? It is present on the palate in the form of texture. It provides initial creaminess but then you have quite assertive oak tannins to finish and I find the wine lacks balance and polish. No issues with length or intensity or palate coverage, but again, a lot of this seems oak driven.

I can't argue if you love this, because the truth is that the vineyards are beautifully sited and managed, the fruit (when you can find it) is really very good, but where is the regionality when oak is so strong a presence? Where is the varietal integrity? As international wine, speaking English with an Italian accent, it is terrific and merits 96 points. That is also what damns it.

This wine will certainly cellar and maybe the fruit will come up to absorb the oak - that is a distinct possibility. I have had youngish Ornellaia from Bolgheri and found it repellant because of the oak, but we all know what that is like with 15 years or more behind it. Maybe this will be the same and, if so, it is at a bargain price. Perhaps opening an IGT with two Chianti Classico was a bad idea and I have done the wine a disservice. I will look to buy an old vintage at auction this week to get a better idea.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    5/23/2023 11:38:00 AM - When comparing wine ratings, it's important to note the difference in systems.
    Suckling's ratings tend to focus on the overall quality, balance, complexity, and enjoyment of the wine, whereas Wine Spectator incorporates other factors such as value and availability into their ratings.
Red

2018 Clos de los Siete

 Valle de Uco Malbec Blend, Malbec more
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2/11/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine: 93 points

This is a much better wine since the last bottle we opened. It has seemingly become much more fruit forward. Quite round and full. The Bordeaux varietals are bracing it, but they're leaving the malbec front and center. I had questions when I last opened a bottle. Now I concur with DOZHDBOG that this wine is a stunning value. Well-done to Monsieur Rolland and the rest of the team at Clos de los Siete!

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    2/11/2023 2:55:00 PM - Huzzah!
Red

2019 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT

 Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/29/2023 - Members Does not like this wine: 50 points

Bought Oreno toscana 2019 ($80) at Costco. The price is exorbitant for wine quality and taste.
Regular cheap wine, taste similar to $15 wine.
No twist, no zest, nothing special about that.
Not worth the price.
Not recommend this wine type to friends and family members.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    2/4/2023 11:09:00 AM - Having tasted this wine on a few occasions, I have found it absolutely exceptional -one of the top three wines I've ever had. It is still quite young though, and needs significant decanting in my experience.
    I fear it may be possible the bottle you purchased was flawed in some way, or it wasn't allowed to decant to open up the flavors.
    I am sorry for your experience with what should have been a phenomenal bottle of wine.
Red

2017 Château Pesquié Ventoux Terrasses

 Red Rhone Blend more
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1/27/2023 - davidrmoran Likes this wine: 90 points

v nice red blend which as someone pointed out sure does modulate over time

started out pointedly spritzy, the way some reds do, a bit strangely, to throw one off

then (and the next days) that wanes and the wine becomes complex and pleasing with different foods

(weak vague review, sorry!)

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    1/27/2023 3:05:00 PM - Good enough review for me!
Red

2020 Antonelli San Marco Umbria Baiocco

 Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese more
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1/25/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote: NR

Erin thinks it corked.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    1/27/2023 11:56:00 AM - Erin go "blah"? :)
Red

2018 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Volte Toscana IGT

 SuperTuscan Blend more
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1/4/2023 - Dozhdbog Likes this wine: 91 points

This is my first CT note on Le Volte, although I have been enjoying bottles of it for well over a decade now.
My recollection of the previous 2018 I drank -just over a year ago- was of a wine that needed some more time. It was still rough around the edges and reticent. This bottle -decanted for 30- comes off more polished and ready to gambol.
It presents aromas of plums, dried herbs, and tuscan flowers such as honeysuckle. There is also a slight agrarian funk that really reminds me of summers I spent wandering Tuscany and exploring the vineyards and farmland. The body is plush and the flow is smooth from start to a lingering finish of cherries and soft chalk. The flavors have become more pronounced and balanced throughout the night, leading me to believe it perhaps could stand another year or so of rest before it peaks as far as my tastes go.
This is not a robust wine. It is elegant -subtle even- but there is quiet confidence in how it presents its quintessentially Tuscan flavors.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    1/5/2023 5:45:00 PM - Jonnhy99, I hope it suits you as well as it did me. I look forward to reading your notes on it.
Red

2019 Tenuta Tascante Etna Ghiaia Nera

 Etna DOC Nerello Mascalese more
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12/3/2022 - mouki Does not like this wine: 79 points

As another reviewer said, tart, tangy astringency, I was having trouble finding the words to describe this, terrible also comes to mind, I have tried 3 bottles, p&p, open bottle for 3 hours, decant, nothing seems to make this wine drinkable, having poured all three down the drain. I would give to anyone who would agree to pay for shipping, I have 9 bottles left. My rating may be generous.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    12/3/2022 6:14:00 PM - Ouf, I am so sorry those bottles didn't agree with you. I found they definitely need time to decant, otherwise the astringency is too much.
    It's always possible they were heat stressed in transit and no amount of time decanting or in the cellar was going to help them.
Red

2018 Clos de los Siete

 Valle de Uco Malbec Blend, Malbec more
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12/3/2021 - Al-Vino Likes this wine: 89 points

Decent red but Just doesn’t have the depth and finish to garner a 90. Ofcourse Mr James Suckling - who hasn’t drank a wine that could possiblly rank below a 90 - rated this a 94. Hmmm...wonder what’s going on with his cozy relationship with producers.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    11/18/2022 8:24:00 AM - The reason you think he never drinks a wine below 90 is because Suckling doesn't post reviews of wines he's tasted which rate below 90, or what he would consider a "great" wine.
    As he is oft-quoted, "Why drink anything other than a great wine? There are plenty out there at all price points."
    This, of course, is at least in part due to not wanting to step on wine makers' toes. Critics who publish harsh reviews of wine tend not to get asked to review a winemaker's product.
Red

2017 Mascota Vineyards Unánime

 Valle de Uco Red Blend more
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10/30/2022 - hotdogbudget wrote: NR

Open 3 hours. Mostly raspberry liqueur. Some hints of graphite and flowers. High acid is somewhat out of whack and with the high tannins it’s just not very pleasurable. I drank it anyway

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    10/30/2022 7:04:00 PM - Give it another year or two.
Red

2019 La Compagnie Rhodanienne Gigondas Clos du Bois de Menge

 Red Rhone Blend more
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9/27/2022 - eboracum Likes this wine: 90 points

This is very like the 2018 in its quite full body, its rich and slightly sweet fruit with a sprinkling of pepper and other spices, enough acidity for balance and finish veering towards liquorice and liqueur. Add to that a hint of bonbon anglais but at a low enough level not to pall and unobtrusive 15% alcohol and we have a good suave Gigondas, if not up with the most muscular or complex of its kind. That is what I wrote about the 2019 Bois de Menge a few months ago. This wine is labelled Clos du Bois de Menge. Does anyone here know what is the difference between the two, if any? The previous TN still applies though I fancy that there was a tad more structure and complexity, which could be attributable to some extra ageing or to a slightly different wine. Very good in spite of my perplexity.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    10/25/2022 8:15:00 PM - I am wondering if it is a distinction without a difference.
    It seems to be a company name change and little else, as far as I've gleaned from google:
    https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/vignoble+compagni+clos+du+bois+de+gigonda+rhone+france
Red

2019 Cellier des Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Reserve Grenache-Syrah

 Red Rhone Blend more
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3/29/2022 - Ordinary Pants wrote: 85 points

Seems less ‘licious than I expected. Well received at the table. Don’t know if storage impacted its flavors. Less fruit than expected, this Granache Syrah blend is a moderate acidity with a bit of heat. Will try another bottle soon. Good table wine but the flavor may be best young. Paired it with steak and it did the job of cutting the fat of sous vide Waygu chuck grilled medium. Expected more of its accolades but that was a barrel tasting and it’s muted qualities may be due to its current phase. I will try another bottle at the 5-7 year mark.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    4/6/2022 10:03:00 PM - In France, the Dauphins collective wines are mainly considered table wine. Good value, but nothing to write home about. Only recently, to my knowledge, have they started to produce inexpensive wines that also started scoring highly with some reviewers, their CDR grenache-syrah being one of them and their CDP being another. By highly I mean low to mid 90's. I liked the 2018 quite a bit, but have yet to try the 2019.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    5/3/2022 6:49:00 PM - I put a couple bottles of the 2019 vintage in my KL Wines online shopping cart. I'll give 'em a try and report back, probably in a month or so.

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    9/5/2022 12:08:00 AM - I drank a bottle a few months ago and was very underwhelmed, and gave it a score of 80 on the CT scale. I have one more bottle I am letting age, but I highly doubt it will improve.
Red

2019 Arianna Occhipinti Il Frappato

 Terre Siciliane more
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6/22/2022 - Rgentile wrote: 92 points

Deeply pitched nose of red fruits and earth, seductive. The palate had mint, dusty earth, hint of some mentholated cherry but with a striking mineral core. The bead of acidity was so great! Acid medium plus with a medium finish. Quite lovely and right up my alley, yup I need a few more!

  • Comment posted by Dozhdbog:

    6/22/2022 4:43:00 PM - What is bead acidity?

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