| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2010 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas Les SouteyradesRed Rhone Blend more |
5/8/2021 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 93 pointsHeld this for some time. Was always perplexed when to drink. I remember it was a score-fueled purchase originally. This was a delight, consumed too quickly without enough attention - which indicates you're having a good time, a healthy sign. Have to imagine at apogee now, lived in a decanter over the course of three hours - great and open-knit from the jump, but last taste perhaps best. So you needn't be in a hurry, either. Lovely integration, no element stuck out over top. Great. |
| Red |
1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La TurqueSyrah more |
9/4/2019 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 96 pointsBYO at RPM Steak - Chicago a month ago. An overtly opulent riche bottle for an overtly opulent riche restaurant. Gift Cards and gifted bottle, don't shake me down for money. A tremendous wine, the best kind of Bob Parker wine. Sultry, resonant, good lift to its thunder. Extremely dark, this truly is still rather primary in a lot of its features, but there are no hard edges here either. When to drink it? It's tough telling, it did not expose any fragility of any type, but it does have tenderness. Would have liked to have spent a day two or beyond with this, but not possible in this environment. Great wine, my second 90's La La - both extremely satisfying and among the highest rating I've given any wine. Sometimes with as much as others love such a unfathomably broad spectrum of taste profiles - I often say that "I guess I don't like wine as much as they do". Here, I believe that if you can't see the greatness of bottles like this, you don't like wine nearly enough. Great. |
| White |
1994 Domaine aux Moines Savennières Roche aux MoinesChenin Blanc more |
12/2/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: flawedThere's some attractive aged complexity to the nose. But my two purchased bottles opened in the last six months were both oxidized beyond drinkability. Too bad, I never had this in its prime. |
| White |
2013 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay Monterey Countymore |
12/2/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Does not like this wine: 76 pointsNot drinkable for me. One of the worst non-flawed wines I can remember having in a bit here. One that I purchased! |
| Red |
2010 Domaine d'Aupilhac Coteaux du Languedoc MontpeyrouxRed Rhone Blend more |
9/5/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: NRLiked this wine a year or two much more than now. Classic case of reading too much into the future harmonizing of a wine enjoyed really for its edges. It was all sanguine, irony and tough then and nothing better at the price for game or a rustic stew. Now the last two bottles, it's just rounded out and dull for me. Maybe a better crowd pleaser though, certainly not offensive to any taste now. |
| Red |
2013 Maison Roy & Fils Pinot Noir Petite InclineWillamette Valley more |
8/20/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 92 pointsThis is deeply impressive right now. It was good right from the pop and 10 hours later it's stunning. Light complexion, explosive nose, filling but fresh palate. Sumpreme balance, very light prickle of tannin. Mixed berry, smoke, brown spice. Long. The good 13s offer a lot of pleasure today for my tastes. |
| Red - Sweet/Dessert |
2006 Philip Togni Black Muscat Ca' TogniSpring Mountain District more |
8/15/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 93 pointsHuge floral (red rose?) nose, exotic spice. What I imagine of an opium den. Turkish coffee. Slightly syrupy mouthfeel, soft, plush. Not a touch of harshness, sharpness. No tannin or alcohol obvious. Brown butter aroma lurking in back. Golden raisin. Complex. With this intensity, I don't see this being fragile but I lack experience with the bottling. Hugely satisfying. This is a gorgeous desert wine that shares some qualities with Recioto Valpolicella and some similar pairing flexibility and range. It doesn't need to pair though, it speaks for itself well. One of my top two wines of a good night of wines ('07 Cayuse) |
| Red |
2010 Wollersheim Winery Domaine ReserveLake Wisconsin Marechal Foch more |
8/15/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 89 pointsServed blind to smart tasters. Guesses concentrated on Gamay, Loire or Beauj. Toasty oak notes are abundant, more US characteristics to the barrel influence to my taste. Med-long sappy, tangy, dry wine, the oak actually integrates well. Savory, mouth-watering. There's a smoky, feral, stemmy quality to the berry fruit. Remember this being fairly tannic in youth, fruit is still well placed on day two. I don't know why you'd wait longer on this vintage though. This could be enjoyed with a great range of food and is plush - plenty of density. This is a single plot of a vineyard, treated with great care by an experienced Beaujo born, bred and connected vintner. This could change your mind about the potential of hybrids and Wisconsin wine. |
| Red |
2010 Amalie Robert Syrah SatisfactionWillamette Valley more |
8/15/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 88 pointsThis is good, but a little underwhelming after reading the WA review, which reads three points higher than the score provided. This is a unique domestic Syrah, lean, lithe, cut. On the other hand on Day 1 it came off a bit lean and austere. Black pepper galore (I am sensitive to this) and smoky meat notes, organic soil matter, floral, smoky cranberry. Tannins are well integrated, very cheerful on D2. Aromas are pretty and keep you coming back, but the wine lacks flavor intensity, and it finishes short. Total N.Rhone experience (but maybe more Crozes than CR) Had in the company of an '07 Cayuse En Chamberlin Syrah which was the more haunting and complete wine. |
| White |
2002 Domaine de Chevalier BlancPessac-Léognan Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more |
8/15/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 91 pointsThis, probably less than ideally raised bottle, was very exciting for a group of enthusiasts and professionals. It's quite understated on the nose, showing a lot of fresh/dry herb, dried flowers, hay, sweet lemon,smoke, macadamia nut, coffee bean. Plenty of tanginess and super long. Far from explosive and slightly oxidative - tasting on day two though, it's not fragile. Having this at current maturity shows a glimpse of why Vina Gravonia was modeled after old white bdx. Maybe a light vintage, there's not much tropical element to the fruit, no banana. The color shows no distress on this bottle. Wine of contemplation, not a crowd- pleaser type. |
| White |
2010 Talley Vineyards Chardonnay Rincon VineyardArroyo Grande Valley more |
7/18/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 93 pointsOne of the best California Chardonnay I have ever had, maybe the champ. Purchased for a song considering the quality. Golden hue presents age, but outside of the harmony nothing else suggests age. The end date on this currently (2016) is too soon. I'd bet on it being great until at least 2018. Great acidity balances the richness, rich mango is an evident fruit note. I can't overstate the balance. Having had such a high rate of premox Wh.Burg recently of an equivalent vintage, I was blown-away by this. This had appeal to typically Chardonnay-averse taster at home. A long-cool growing season with below average sugars, only 21% new French Oak. |
| White |
2010 Domaine de la Folie Rully Clos La Folie BlancChardonnay more |
6/14/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: flawedPremox. Booooooo. |
| White |
2010 Dureuil-Janthial Rully BlancChardonnay more |
6/14/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: flawedPremox. Grrr. |
| Red |
2005 Château Mille-RosesHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more |
5/20/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 90 points90-91. Really enjoyable from the jump. Not overripe by any means but a more opulent mouth than its company (06 SE GC). Still with enough fruit, resolved tannin and secondary elements sticking out - it's a wine with good harmony now. Complex and identifiably Bdx in maturity. |
| Red |
2006 Château Barde-HautSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more |
5/20/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: 86 pointsFairly simple, brightly cherry fruited. Lacks some depth/potency, solid acidity - vety mild tannin. I don't see an upward future, this is more than ready with little complexity or layers. Had in company of an '05 Haut-Medoc and that was a much more satisfying wine. |
| Red |
2008 Clos Pissarra Priorat El RamonRed Blend more |
2/21/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: flawedlightly corked |
| Red |
NV Cooper's Hawk Barrel ReserveAmerican Red Blend more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: 85 pointsTasted in company of two Lynfred Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ('08 '09) in a contemplative tasting of some local cheapies I had laying around. Natural cork enclosure! This NV Barrel Reserve (from 2012 I believe?) has lots of vanillin-rich wood perfume. Some generic red-wine aromas are here, and a bit of RS seems intentionally left to round out the palate. Red fruited cherry berry with just a whif of green herb, a very light cedary quality. Perceived body is broader than the Lynfred wines, but again-probably a doing of the RS. Tannins are extremely mild by comparison. This would be a far bigger crowd-pleaser, and it is not offensive. On the trailing end of the finish is shows itself as being a very cheap wine. This would do very well in the commercial market as a brand-wine in the sub-$12 segment. With these three wines in particular, it becomes a question of how serious you want to take things. Lynfred fancies making a very 'serious', tannic dry wine. Cooper's has made a less serious, gulper. Good intentions don't always make for what you hoped for, and at some point with cheap sourced fruit from thousands of miles away you just make a gulper. |
| Red |
2009 Lynfred Winery Cabernet Sauvignon ReserveAmerican more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: 84 points(84-85) Tasted in conjunction with '08 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose here is both at the same time attractive and unclean. A range of aromas including green pepper, green herb, coconut and raisin. Not overtly opulent, a medium-bodied frame with a lot of oak laid on top. Drying. There's dark berry flavors dominating. Has tannic structure you'd like to see melt with time, but I don't see the balance of fruit and heft to see that through. Interestingly the range of green to raisin with lots of toasty, coconutty US Oak treatment reminded me of Silver Oak Napa 2010. It's as if the '09 here has the Napa treatment of high-toast oak with some overripe fruit, and the '08 is like the Alexander Valley Silver Oak with less toast, ripeness and more green dill. Sorry, Cabs with noticeable American Oak I tend to speak of together cause its so distinct and prevalent. |
| Red |
2008 Lynfred Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Americanmore |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com wrote: 83 pointsTasted in conjunction with '09 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This is much lighter in color, translucent throughout. Light green herbs dominate the nose with some cherry fruit. Seems to have a touch more body, but there's massively palate-shredding oak tannin. The oak comes across as being lower toast, but very fresh. Too much oak heaped on fruit that's not substantial enough to carry it, comes across kind of thin and drying. Drink quickly with food and don't expect too much. |
| White - Off-dry |
2011 Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling SpätleseMosel Saar Ruwer more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 89 points(89+) High-toned aromas led by attractive lime zest, light honey and slight toast. Golden apple. There's considerable acidity and good sweetness. Light on its feet, the richness of the attack is quickly fleeting into mid-palate, and the finish is abrupt. A slight petrol-soaked-rag character as the wine sees more air. Classicly weightless, this would be a happy and versatile drink at the dinner table. Any type of pork dish with considerable fat. For a spatlese with secondary notes already poking out, not a great deal of rich fruit and plenty of acidity - I would drink this earlier than later. Additional air brings out a slightly powdery texture and orange marmalade (with peel) in palate. |
| Red |
2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah Ethos ReserveColumbia Valley more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Does not like this wine: 86 pointsA dark fruit-driven nose. Blackberry with integrated oak. Comes across a bit firey, lots of acidity, plenty of alcohol. Plenty of tannin, plenty of body! A very more-ish wine. Wine overall is pretty wild, feral. There's some mediteranean herb notes (lavender, sage). Black pepper that's intertwined well. An unusually lifted, astringent finish. Nose is much much better than the palate. The finish is particularly unpleasant. This wine in the mouth is so disjointed and the overt acidity does feel unnatural, perhaps added. It has some of the separate elements to make you think it could age okay, maybe even to meld some of the odd hard edges. On the other hand, it's eight years old and is very poorly balanced now, I'd vote against it happening. |
| White - Sweet/Dessert |
2007 Fortress NovateurRed Hills Lake County Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 88 pointsThis is a very interesting wine. Today, the nose makes me think that she has finally hit the end of the road. Color is only a light-gold. Aromas are somewhat nutty. A big vivacious body, with only mellow sweetness. Bitter-almond character on palate, the finish is lightly bitter - some evident drying minerality. Not unattractive. Not dead. The grapes and back-label will tell you about Sauternes-inspiration (though never the sweetness level) but I think perhaps the end result gives you more of a Vin Santo characteristic. It's not so much gone-away, but it has transformed. It's truly unique and great quality wine for next to nothing at this point cost-wise. ($5.99/375mL) I do think it is time to drink. |
| White |
2011 Doña Paula Torrontés EstateCafayate more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Does not like this wine: 75 pointsI try to be fair in reviewing items generally, I'll preface that this one is somewhat unfair. I know this wine should have been drank probably from 2012-2014. A slightly floral, rosey nose with macerating tropical fruit salad. Apricot, mango. It still has fruit notes! A truly nasty wine in the mouth. Short and dead with a very bitter, phenolic texture. It makes the nose seem really great by comparison. Seeringly dry, and regrettably persistent - has a chemical/synthetic feel to it. Unlikely this was ever quite good, but have mercy on me today. |
| Red |
2011 Château Pesquié Ventoux TerrassesRed Rhone Blend more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 89 pointsPart of a four-year single-blind vertical of Ch. Pesquie Terrasses (07, 09, 11, 12). Pour #4. A more vibrant pour, fresher ruby tone. Nose is a little musky, slight bo. The nose is probably the most generic of the lot. Some cheap funk, lots of red fruit and garrigue. There's a touch of lake/pool to it, I guess chlorine added to a bit of seaweed. Some of this sounds very derisive, but it isn't all meant that way. This has the broadest palate, most body of the lot. Featuring lively, prickly, peppery tannin. Lot of wildberry fruit. Quite a happy wine, possibly the best palate, a bit similar to #2 (2012). There's bigger chunkier tannin here though than others. Guessed as youngest wine based on the fruit density and tannin. This has the most range in pairing flexibility now (power and ability to stand up to big dishes) and the most vivacious fruit with less of the green - your fruity friends will like this. Has time to go. The playful pepperiness reminds me of how the '13 was about 6 months ago (not featured in this flight - why not?). |
| Red |
2007 Château Pesquié Ventoux TerrassesRed Rhone Blend more |
2/7/2016 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 87 pointsPart of a four-year single-blind vertical of Ch. Pesquie Terrasses (07, 09, 11, 12). Pour #3. Barely translucent throughout core, but seems a dimmed hue, a bit browner of red? My lighting was very poor. Quite a lot different than prior pours (later revealed as '09 and '12), evolved, leather with lots of bonfire smoke. A touch farty. The acidity is vibrant and its structure is very integrated, tannin almost completely melted. Though the evolution is very clear, it is interesting than this comes across as nearly the fruitiest of the group. A big divergence between the nose and palate. Signs of age on the finish, with everything drying out a little bit. Thought it to be the '09 because of the amount of fruit and ripe vintage elements (softness) revealed to be '07. |
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- Tasting notes: 71 notes on 70 wines
