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Wine Type
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Vintage
Name
Variety
Locale
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Date
Posted
Score
Helpful
Comments
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White - Sparkling
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2013 Tom Litwan Extra Brut Schenkenberger
Aargau
Champagne Blend more
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Found a left-over bottle in the cellar by coincidence
Still fresh and very well drinkable. Has turned pink/orange by now. Yeast is quite present and gives a bit of a hospital (disinfectant) taste. A fun bottle.
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Red
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2015 K Vintners Syrah Powerline Vineyard
Walla Walla Valley
more
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Bottle was put in play by review by Tim M, suggesting to drink now.
He‘s right (thank you!). But it’s fine. This wine is in a great spot now.
Seductive, straight out the bottle. No sharp edges, when reaching the nose. Ripe plums dominate, alcohol is present, even if not intrusive.
The mouth is very velvety and smooth. Plum compote again, some licorice. Alcohol recedes. Lingers quite long.
Will this one hold another decade ? I doubt. Will it collapse in the next two years ? No. Will it get better ? Unlikely. Put remaining bottles high on the ready-to-drink list and enjoy while they last.
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Red
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2015 Hubervini Costera Riserva Rosso di Monteggio
Malcantone
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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Surprised by the freshness and vibrancy of this wine.
Long struggled with its harshness, today‘s bottle - second last - finally awards patience. And how.
Acidity is still there, yet gradually softening to support freshness. And freshness supports the fruit, which comes out clean and in abundance. Crisp red cherries, still a bit juvenile, yet settled enough to be really enjoyed. Clear, pure, alcohol hardly present.
A clear case of ‚the more I drink, the less I know‘. Meaning: the boundaries of the wine universe expand more rapidly than my ability to understand.
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Red
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2011 Quinta da Falorca Dão Noblesse Oblige
Touriga Nacional more
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Possibly still too young - very tight and tannic, even with an hour of air. A bit better on day two but still not as open as could be. Wait until 2027?
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White
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2018 Weingut Erich Meier Riesling
Uetikon am See
more
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A nice Riesling, even if it ends a bit thick. Erich‘s characteristic freshness suits a Riesling - which lends itself to purity and frugality alike - less than some of this other offerings such as his excellent viognier, räuschling, Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay.. and Kirche on the red side.
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Red
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2010 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura
Sangiovese more
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Still going strong after 14 years, yet fairly one-dimensional and quite alcoholic.
Pleasant on the eye, dark and dense, with just a flickering of ruby to note its age
Powerful on the nose. Still a few years ahead. That said, quite some alcoholic pugnency next to the dark cherries that is Sangiovese.
OK in the mouth. Fruit is there, licorice, alcohol as well. Refinement is missing, fairly one-dimensional.
Overall would have hoped for more complexity.
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White
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2022 Weingut Erich Meier Sauvignon Blanc
Uetikon am See
more
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Fresh and fruit-driven, without being too fat. More expressive than the 2020. Drinks well now
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Red
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2010 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
Sangiovese more
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Starting the dinner evening with a 2012, which is probably near the top. Do decant, as pleasure kicks in after two to three hours. Tuscan earthly cherries, somewhat restraint, but impeccable. A great wine in a great spot. Alcohol at 15% is there, but does not intrude. A real delight at 94 point cruising speed. (From magnum).
Add - later in the evening - a 2010 bottle to the discussion. Same storyline, but so much more body. 96 ? 97 ? So much body just leaping from the bottle in the first ten minutes, and continuing to run. 2012 is where it will end at 94 or so, with three plus years at this level.
2010 still is barely settling into maturity. Drink or keep, realize what treasure you hold. What an amazing wine.
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Red
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2012 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
Sangiovese more
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This 2012 is probably near the top. Do decant, as pleasure kicks in after two to three hours. Tuscan earthly cherries, somewhat restraint, but impeccable. A great wine in a great spot. Alcohol at 15% is there, but does not intrude. A real delight at 94 point cruising speed. (From magnum).
Add - later in the evening - a 2010 bottle to the discussion. Same storyline, but so much more body. 96 ? 97 ? So much body just leaping from the bottle in the first ten minutes, and continuing to run. 2012 is where it will end, with three plus years at this level. 2010 still is barely settling into maturity. What an amazing wine.
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Red
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2018 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Cincuenta y Cinco
Patagonia
more
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A good wine in a good spot.
In its sixth year, the wine still shows a fair amount of acidity upon opening. An hour of air greatly helps to settle down. Sour cherries dominate.
A very well structured wine, yet one that remains a bit too austere and hard to get. That said, it is very vibrant and will easily last into the next decade.
Had this been an unknown wine, it would have been a joyous discovery. The wrapping in stellar ratings has unfortunately upped expectations so much that reality is somewhat of a disappointment. Which also does not do it justice.
I’ll revisit in a few years.
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Red
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2015 Dominio do Bibei Ribeira Sacra Lacima
Mencía more
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This is fun to drink now.
Still a cool wine with a bit of an austere personality. Bright, translucent red. Mildly sour cherries, having lost their aggressive bite. Mid long on the palate. Will be a joy with food (which I omitted). A good few years of life left. Nice.
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Red
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2015 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino
Sangiovese more
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Just not yet ready.
Closed in the mouth, even after three hours of air. Sour cherries, which resonates well with food but not for drinking by itself. This is my second bottle - a magnum today - of this vintage in this mould.
Worst case this turns old before it gets better. Base case, this takes at least a further three years - and likely five - before it really balances out. The quality of the fruit supports this.
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Red
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2016 Schlossgut Bachtobel (Hans-Ulrich Kesselring) Pinot Noir No. 4
Ottoberg
more
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A great contestant in the 2016 Swiss pinot noir battle of the bottles March 2024 at Alpenclub in Engelberg.
95 for Studach‘s 2016 Pinot noir (WOTN) - open for business, gorgeous nose, multiple layers of fruit on the palate and a mid-length finish. A really great wine getting into prime drinking window.
Donatsch‘s Unique 2016 a close second at 94. Great fruit as well, notably in the mouth. Just is still a bit more closed on the nose. Takes time to open up and show its sophistication. Possibly the three hours given were not enough.
Gantenbein 2016 somewhat disappointing in the flight, as still quite closed and one-dimensional in the nose and on the palate. 92 ? 93 ? This wine still needs much time.
Two runners up with Maison Carree’s Hauterive 2016 (93) and Bachtobel’s nr 4 (92-93). Both great to drink, Carree with a bit better structure and length.
Overall all great wines of a good vintage that are coming into life now and will be a pleasure to drink well into the next decade.
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Red
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2016 Gantenbein Pinot Noir
Fläsch
more
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A great contestant in the 2016 Swiss pinot noir battle of the bottles March 2024 at Alpenclub in Engelberg.
95 for Studach‘s 2016 Pinot noir (WOTN) - open for business, gorgeous nose, multiple layers of fruit on the palate and a mid-length finish. A really great wine getting into prime drinking window.
Donatsch‘s Unique 2016 a close second at 94. Great fruit as well, notably in the mouth. Just is still a bit more closed on the nose. Takes time to open up and show its sophistication. Possibly the three hours given were not enough.
Gantenbein 2016 somewhat disappointing in the flight, as still quite closed and one-dimensional in the nose and on the palate. 92 ? 93 ? This wine still needs much time.
Two runners up with Maison Carree’s Hauterive 2016 (93) and Bachtobel’s nr 4 (92-93). Both great to drink, Carree with a bit better structure and length.
Overall all great wines of a good vintage that are coming into life now and will be a pleasure to drink well into the next decade.
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Red
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2016 Donatsch Pinot Noir Unique
Malans
more
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Runner-up in the 2016 Swiss pinot noir battle of the bottles March 2024 at Alpenclub in Engelberg.
95 for Studach‘s 2016 Pinot noir (WOTN) - open for business, gorgeous nose, multiple layers of fruit on the palate and a mid-length finish. A really great wine getting into prime drinking window.
Donatsch‘s Unique 2016 a close second at 94. Great fruit as well, notably in the mouth. Just is still a bit more closed on the nose. Takes time to open up and show its sophistication. Possibly the three hours given were not enough.
Gantenbein 2016 somewhat disappointing in the flight, as still quite closed and one-dimensional in the nose and on the palate. 92 ? 93 ? This wine still needs much time.
Two runners up with Maison Carree’s Hauterive 2016 (93) and Bachtobel’s nr 4 (92-93). Both great to drink, Carree with a bit better structure and length.
Overall all great wines of a good vintage that are coming into life now and will be a pleasure to drink well into the next decade.
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Red
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2016 La Maison Carrée Pinot Noir Hauterive
Neuchâtel
more
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A great contestant in the 2016 Swiss pinot noir battle of the bottles March 2024 at Alpenclub in Engelberg.
95 for Studach‘s 2016 Pinot noir - open for business, gorgeous nose, multiple layers of fruit on the palate and a mid-length finish. A really great wine getting into prime drinking window.
Donatsch‘s Unique 2016 a close second at 94. Great fruit as well, notably in the mouth. Just is still a bit more closed on the nose. Takes time to open up and show its sophistication. Possibly the three hours given were not enough.
Gantenbein 2016 somewhat disappointing in the flight, as still quite closed and one-dimensional in the nose and on the palate. 92 ? 93 ? This wine still needs much time.
Two runners up with Maison Carree’s Hauterive 2016 (93) and Bachtobel’s nr 4 (92-93). Both great to drink, Carree with a bit better structure and length.
Overall all great wines of a good vintage that are coming into life now and will be a pleasure to drink well into the next decade.
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Red
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2016 Thomas Studach Pinot Noir
Malans
more
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WOTN at a 2016 Swiss Pinot noir tasting at Alpenclub in Engelberg
95 for Studach‘s 2016 Pinot noir - open for business, gorgeous nose, multiple layers of fruit on the palate and a mid-length finish. A really great wine getting into prime drinking window.
Donatsch‘s Unique 2016 a close second at 94. Great fruit as well, notably in the mouth. Just is still a bit more closed on the nose. Takes time to open up and show its sophistication. Possibly the three hours given we’re not enough.
Gantenbein 2016 somewhat disappointing in the flight, as still quite closed and one-dimensional in the nose and on the palate. 92 ? 93 ? This wine still needs much time.
Two runners up with Maison Carree’s Hauterive 2016 (93) and Bachtobel’s nr 4 (92-93). Both great to drink, Carree with a bit better structure and length.
Overall all great wines of a good vintage that are coming into life now and will be a pleasure to drink well into the next decade.
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White
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2021 Weingut Erich Meier Viognier
Uetikon am See
more
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A fun wine. Chardonnay with a bit more expression. Apricot and a touch of lemon in a refreshing purity that is Erich Meier‘s style. May not get better but will be a joy to drink in the next 3-5 years.
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Red
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2013 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Cont'Ugo
Merlot more
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Still good, but unlikely to improve further. Decent but one-dimensional fruit, not overly complex and a bit too hot.
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White
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2018 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández La Mancha Alejairen Campo de Criptana
Airén more
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Interesting wine from a - for me - new grape.
Dark yellow apple juice on the eye, hints of sherry in the nose.
Pleasant acidity, apple and toffee notes accompany the sherry taste.
Possibly already on its way down, drink.
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Red
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2018 Tom Litwan Pinot Noir Oberflachs Auf der Mauer
Aargau
more
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Starting to open up. Lush in the mouth, quite present fruit in comparison to Tom Litwan's Chalofe, yet same style and similar characterization by ripe raspberries.
My guess is that this is still 2-3 years away from full maturity.
Day two: lushness becomes assertiveness. The fruit jumps at you with juvenile (adolescent?) energy. A very powerful Pinot. Perhaps it‘s the glass (Grassl cru), perhaps the crackers as food. Either way, a fun wine with an interesting journey ahead.
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White
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2016 Weingut von Othegraven Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs
Mosel Saar Ruwer
more
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A bit austere. Needs food to shine. Good but not great.
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Red
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2016 Marie-Thérèse Chappaz Grain Noir
Fully
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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Continue to like this wine at this stage. Takes a bit of time (air) to loosen up, but then delivers clean and well structured fruit. Better on day two.
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White
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2021 Christian Zundel Chardonnay Velabona
Ticino
more
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still quite closed and hostile. Opened too early ?
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Red
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2018 Fröhlich Weine Pinot Noir
Jenins
more
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Still quite young, a bit closed and acidic, even at day two. But great structure, good precision. Will go places.
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