3/29/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Really nice wine with a fantastic qpr. Toffee and burnt sugar on the nose. Smooth and luxurious. Nutty with a chocolate note. Long finish. Really nice.

3/29/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Hour decant than drank over another 90 minutes. Lovely nose of red fruits, spices, roses and tar. Pallet of minerals, tar, cinnamon plums and cherry, perhaps a touch of leather. Great mouthfeel with smooth well integrated tannins. Long finish. Really nice barolo that is already drinking very well. Would buy again. 95+

3/18/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

4 hour decant. Strang wine that changed often.
I think it was at its best about 30 minutes after opening, when the group arrived a few hours later it was sliding downhill and was everyone's least favorite. But, when we revisited the bottle a few hours later (because it was the only one left) it had changed back into a very nice wine. Drink up with minimal decant imo.

3/18/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

No one does ice wine like the Germans! Light with the perfect balance of sugar and acidity. Not thick or heavy like most Canadian versions. Stone fruits and some citrus. Long finish. Sadly, my last bottle. 95+

3/18/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

4 hour decant. Lovely nose of cherry, a touch of leather and tar. Tannins are fine and almost totally integrated. Red fruits, earth, leather and tar. Great mouthfeel and finish. Drinking very well and should have many years of good drinking. Really nice wine and my wotn.

3/18/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

3 hour decant. This was really nice with leather,black pepper and dark fruits. No bell pepper! Good mouthfeel and long finish. Last vintage of this wine due to the owners death. I've had his 08 09 and 11 and they have all been very good. 94+

3/14/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Pop and poured. Is this a 92 or 95 point wine as some critics think--- no. But, for 19$ it is a very nice bottle that has an excellent qpr and is very drinkable. Good wine that will not break the bank and that lots of people will like.

3/1/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Poured 2 glasses and then started drinking 3.5 hours later. What a knockout! Sweet candied plums with a hint or cherry on the pallet. Incredibly smooth with a fantastic mouthfeel. Plums, dark fruit with some spice. Long finish. You just wanted to keep drinking this and hope the bottle would never empty. Fabulous wine in a really great place. One of the nicest wines I have had in quite some time. 96--97

2/28/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Very spicy. Needed lots of air. Not overly impressed. Decent wine but I don't think it is worth the price point.

1/22/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Corvined a large glass, let it sit for a couple of hours than drank over about 90 minutes. Cherry cola, leather and a hint of violets on the nose. Really smooth and easy drinking with a good mouthfeel and long finish. Dark cherry, cola, leather and dusty minerals. This is a really nice wine the is ready to go. Great qpr definitely would buy again. 93+

1/16/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Was a touch harsh on opening, because really nice after 20 minutes and the became outstanding after an hour.nose was pretty but fairly faint or I would have scored it higher. Great mouthfeel and a finish that goes on and on. Not good at defining this pallet, dusty red fruits with a touch of mineral. You just get a "this is really good" feeling. Wish I had another few bottles because as well as this is drinking it may still have some upside with more cellar time. Really nice wine. So different from west coast pinot and in a really good way.

1/15/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This was quite harsh on opening but smoothed out after about 20 minutes and hit full stride after about an hour. Sweet cherry pipe tobacco, roses a touch of cinnamon and violets. Pallet reflected the nose with a good mouthfeel and long finish. The nose was fairly subdued but also very nice. This will age for many year. 92 -- 93

1/12/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Cork came apart so had to strain. Nice nose of dark red fruits with a little raisin and toffee. Quite spicy with medicinal cherry and red plums. Still has some tannic heft. Long finish and decent mouthfeel. I'd say solidly in its drinking window. Everyone enjoyed this.

1/8/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

30 minutes decant. Much better than my last bottle. Very nice nose of dark cherry and spice. Pallet follows the nose. Good mouthfeel and finish. Still slightly tannic. This is drinking very well and may still be on the upswing. 92--93 great qpr at this point in time.

12/27/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Two hour decant then consumed over about an hour. What a wine! Ethereal nose of cherry, violets and a touch or tar. Still slightly tannic but very fine and pleasant with no hard edge. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Cherry, dusty minerals, a bit of tar and licorice, leather and violets. One of the nicest barolos I have had. Pricy but worth it imo. Several people at the little party asked if I could get a few bottles for them. This was either first or second place out of 5 $130 + wines.

12/27/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This bottle was outstanding with a minimal decant. Lush mouthfeel with no hard edge, fantastic nose of sweet cherry and a touch of cinnamon. Cherry, minerals, dust, smoke and perhaps some tobacco on the pallet. I've found that this seems to have more bottle variation than most other wines I've had. Never a bad bottle, just seem to range from very good to outstanding and this was outstanding. Very solidly in its drinking window and I think it may improve with more cellar time. Really nice wine!

12/27/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This was a nice champagne that punched well above its price point. Toast, citrus with some stone fruit on the nose. Bread with a dusty minerality and more stone fruit than citrus on the pallet. Great mouthfeel and finish. Really enjoyed this 92--93

12/27/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Nose of green apples with a little toast. Crisp pallet with apples lemon and a little citrus. Good finish and mouthfeel. 91--92

12/10/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Needed about 30 - 45 minutes to open up. Sweet red fruits, spice, good mouthfeel and finish. Nice wine. Probably in its prime but will last many more years.

12/7/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

90 minutes decant lots of earth and leather on the nose. Good mouthfeel and finish. Spice, leather licorice and earth. Nice brunello that is just entertaining its window. Good qpr

11/20/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Pop and poured because we were looking to finish our little party with one more wine. By far the cheapest wine of this day but it held its own. Lots of bright red raspberries on the nose and pallet with a bit of spice. Ok mouthfeel and finish. Not very complex but very easy drinking. Great qpr at around 25. Really nice wine at a very reasonable price point. Would buy again.

11/20/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

4 hour decant, lots of spice with dark fruit. No raisin note. Blind tasting and most people thought this was a Napa cab. Definitely not your typical amarone but I really enjoyed it and it was my 2nd place wine. At around 36$ this has a great qpr. It is drinking very well and shows no sign of being on the downside. Should last at least another 10 years. I would buy again.

11/20/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Consistent with my last note. Really nice barolo with a pretty nose, pallet of bright red fruits with a touch of tar. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Would buy again. 4 hour decant

11/20/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

4 hour decant. Small group of friends. This was everyone else's wotn but not mine. It had a great mouthfeel and long finish. A pallet of dark fruits that still had some fine tannins. I just thought that there was something off with the nose and pallet, a feeling no one else had. From my perspective, it was the most underwhelming bottle of private reserve I have had and I would not buy another bottle of this vintage. This bottle was not bad, it just didn't reflect its price point imo.

11/8/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This is fantastic. Thick and luxurious, it feels like liquid velvet in your mouth. A finish that lasts for minutes. The nose and pallet are pretty much the same, Turkish expresso mixed with caramel. Not something you are going to drink a lot of but incredible to have a small glass of after a meal or bottle of good red. At under $25 for a 375, the QPR is off the chart.

11/8/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Corvined a glass to see how this is progressing. Gave it about 60 minutes in the glass. Bueatiful nose of cherry, a touch of red licorice and rose and a hint of sandalwood. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Well integrated tannins. Cherry, leather, earth and minerals, maybe a hint of red licorice. Really nice wine that can be consumed or held. Definitely has some upside but drinking really well now with at least an hours worth of air.

11/7/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

I was not as impressed with this bottle as I had been with my first. Fairly muted nose of cherry and violets. Tannins were smooth and pleasant after a 3 hour decant. Leather, earth, cherry/red fruits. Good mouthfeel and finish. A very nice bottle but it really lacked the wow factor I expect from a $100 bottle. Still, everyone enjoyed this and it held its own in a great group of wines the 7 of us consumed on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.

11/6/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

2 hour decant. At around 35$ the cheapest of the 8 wines we consumed but this ranked 2nd for most of the group. Dark red fruit, good finish and nice mouthfeel. Will last for years but drinking really well now with a good decant. My last bottle. Fabulous qpr.

11/6/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This was fantastic. 3 hour decant, dark fruit, bacon, minerals, very earthy. Great mouthfeel and long finish. 8 different bottles of wine ranging from. 35 to 200$ and this was everyone's wotn. Every time you had a sip you wanted another. Really drinking well, wish I had bought more.

11/3/2022 - americanstorm wrote:

Had this in a restaurant a year ago and was really impressed so I bought a couple of bottles. This was a huge disappointment. Fairly bitter when first opened and while it smoothed out somewhat over an hour, it never became what you would expect from a wine at this price point. Decent nose and long finish. Dark fruits. Disappointing

10/22/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Probably just entering its drinking window. Completely different at 15 minutes and then evolved more and more as time went by. Dark plums and minerals. A little harsh when first opened but after 15 minutes it because really nice. Earthy with fine barely noticeable tannins. Good mouthfeel and long finish. It another few years this will go from very nice to outstanding.

10/22/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Pop and poured. This was just outstanding. Sweet plums and cherries on the nose. Lots of chocolate, some spice, sweet red fruits, a touch of peach and a dusty / mineral note. Great mouthfeel and very long finish. Better than a lot of Napa cabs that are 2 and 3 times it's price. Got even better as time went by. Really nice wine that I definitely would buy again.

10/17/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Great zin. Always a favorite.

10/17/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

One of my favorite zinfandel that never disappoints. Drink very well. Somewhat amarone like in its flavors. Really easy drinking. Will buy again.

10/17/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

One hour decant. In its drinking window. Still slightly tannic but good mouthfeel and long finish. Tar, violets, roses. Very good reasonable price barolo.

10/17/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Dusty with smooth tannins, nice mouthfeel and good finish. Drank well right out of the bottle. Lots of dark fruits. Nice wine with a good qpr.

10/16/2022 - americanstorm wrote:

Corkvcame apart. Seemed really thin. Fairly drunk, lol

10/14/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Somewhat harsh when opened but after 30 minutes it smoothed out. Nothing special but a decent and enjoyable brunello, especially at a 33$ price point. Everyone liked this and it improved over time in the glass so I suggest at least an hour in a decanter. Might improve with a few more years in a cellar.

10/14/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This was really nice with a earthy/fruity nose, nice mouthfeel and good finish. Popped and poured then drank over a couple of hours. Others seemed to think that this went downhill after 2 hours but I didn't notice that, but probably at its peak so drink up. Red fruits, minerals and dust. Purchased at the winery in 2019

9/28/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This has one of the best qpr of any wine that I have ever had. Just outstanding for the price. Just purchased another case.

9/22/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

One of the best zins around. Pop and poured but this needed about an hour to really start to sing. Dark fruits, great mouthfeel and good finish. Aging very well and probably not at its peak. Would definitely buy again.

9/20/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

The line up, 2016 world's end crossfire georges 3, 2013 david Arthur 1147, 2009 sbragia rancho del oso, 2017 hewitt Rutherford, 2017 Joseph Phelps, 2017 judge palmer Beckstoffer to kalon, 2007 mayacamas mt veeder
The other 6 wines all had at least 1 hour decant but this received only about 15 minutes because we had to wait till one of the other 6 decanters were empty. Still, it came in #3 for me and several others. Floral and powdery nose, leather, earth and red fruits. Great mouthfeel and finish. By the time we opened this no one was feeling any pain:) great cab night with good friends. Ed sbragia is the former head wine maker for beringer and created some of their finest private reserve. 09 or 10 was the last he made this and I think that is really sad (perhaps this vinyard was no longer available) because this was an outstanding Napa cab that punched way about its price point. In its prime with years left. 94+
FYI, the mayacamas was my #1 and the world's end #2.

9/20/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

The line up, 2016 world's end crossfire georges 3, 2013 david Arthur 1147, 2009 sbragia rancho del oso, 2017 hewitt Rutherford, 2017 Joseph Phelps, 2017 judge palmer Beckstoffer to kalon, 2007 mayacamas mt veeder
Everything at least 1 hour decant in a decanter. Raspberries, bright red fruits and Jalapeno,, on the nose. Best nose of the group IMO. Smooth totally integrated tannins, great acidity, cherry, leather, red fruits, great mouthfeel and long finish. Everyone's # 1 or #2. My # 1 but it was really close with the world's end. The 3 2017's really needed either a much longer decant or several more years in the cellar.
Fabulous cab night with friends! Wish I had a few more bottles of this, it is really hitting it stride!

9/20/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Greapfruit, tangerine, perfect acidity and balance. Outstanding reisling!

9/19/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Nice champagne to start the party. Good qpr. Everyone liked this. Not the most complex but very good for the price.

9/10/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Pop and poured. Initially quite tannic but in a good way. Cherry candy, tar, a little rose on the nose. Sour Cherries, minerals perhaps leather. Nice mouthfeel and decent finish.
For 34$ this has an excellent qpr. Nice wine that is drinking very well. Would definitely buy again. 91--92

9/8/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This is really young and either needs several years of cellar time or a really long decant. Extremely harsh upon opening and not pleasant. After about 90 minutes in the glass it smoothed out and became enjoyable. Dark fruits and a dusty minerality. Ok mouthfeel and finish. I will not open my other bottles for a couple of years. 85 on opening, 90 after an hour+. We gave this a 98 and I see absolutely nothing that would indicate this will ever come even remotely close to that score. I think I was actually generous in giving it a 90.

9/4/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Minimal decant. Seems younger than 13 years. Didn't get any of the dried raisin notes found in a lot of amarone. Dark and full bodied with plums and black/blue fruits. Dark cherry and spice on the nose. Nice mouthfeel and good finish. For under 40$ a really solid amarone with a good qpr. Probably in its prime drinking window. Should last many more years.

9/4/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

This impresses every time I open a bottle. I would say that it is solidly in its prime drinking window and shows no sign of decline. Dark blue fruits, ground coffee, a hint of leather and a little dust. This punches better than most Napa cabs costing twice as much. Rock solid wine with a great qpr.

9/4/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine:

Drinking really well. 15 minute decant. Everyone loved this.
Wish I had another bottle or two. Solid wine.