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Comments on my notes

(32 comments on 31 notes)

1 - 31 of 31 Sort order
White
2012 Dirty and Rowdy Sémillon Yountville
Tasted over the course of several hours. Initially showed notes of white flower, grapefruit, and crushed limestone on the nose with plenty of acidity and a chewy texture on the palate. As it opened up, I started picking up faint whiffs of gooseberry, lemon pith, clover, and stone fruit. Wonderfully skewed towards the acidic end of the spectrum, this semillon is at once complex yet light and fun. Outstanding stuff.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    6/29/13, 6:52 PM - Fantastic note! Thanks for sharing...can't wait to try this.

Red
2011 Wind Gap Wines Mourvèdre Bedrock Vineyard Sonoma Valley
Opened at cellar temperature, I had to go back and check to make sure I pulled the right bottle. No way was this Mourvedre - Cru Beaujolais, maybe. Really light on its feet, and peachy and floral with great acidity. After a couple hours in the decanter and warming to room temperature, I still think you'd be hard pressed to call this Mourvedre, but it builds some body, takes on some darker red-fruit tones, and shows hints of that animal/meaty/feral quality I usually associate with the grape. Nevertheless, it remains light and nimble and refreshing with a sneaky complexity lurking in the background if you look for it. As with the rest of the Wind Gap lineup, simply stunning with dinner. It's fun when you get a wine that totally changes your notion of what a variety can do. Wish I had more than the one bottle left in my cellar.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    6/20/13, 12:40 PM - Awesome note! Incredibly thoughtful - thanks for sharing.

Red
2011 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
4/14/2013 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
92 points
Popped this to pair with my birthday dinner and wow was it impressive. Bright ruby red in the glass. The enchanting nose dominated by red fruit and spice got me thinking of Gevrey-Chambertin for some reason. Equally impressive on the palate. Barely mid-weight with a lovely texture, great balance and a charming burst of red fruit flavors but showing some earthy flavors that add complexity. No discernible oak. Just enough acidity. Great, long finish. My first Kutch, but wow what an introduction.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    4/14/13, 1:45 PM - What a wonderful, thoughtful TN. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this one!

White
2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Albariño Abrente Carneros
4/9/2013 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine:
91 points
What a pleasant surprise. I got a ton of peaches upon opening the bottle, but that blew off and succumbed to more citrus fruits. Remarkable minerality for Napa and the salinity that the Rias Baixas is known for is present as well. An almost effervescent quality is strangly obvious in the wine. I am very pleased overall, and will continue to try anything MTP produces.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    4/10/13, 7:39 AM - Nice note...completely agree with your impressions.

Red
2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah North Coast
3/19/2013 - Ex-Ray Does not like this wine:
88 points
I keep tasting these and can't figure out what the excitement is about. It's dark and opaque, and the nose has some tar, but it's not a pronounced aroma. Fruit is reserved and one dimensional, tannin a little too prominent. Medium aftertaste. To my taste, there are many much better wines with greater aroma, fruit, and complexity. I don't see the magic in the syrahs, wins, or cabs, and I plan to stop ordering them.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    3/20/13, 5:14 AM - 88 points and you don't like it? Confusing.

  • smokeshowing commented:

    3/21/13, 5:06 AM - Certainly confusing (for me) when there exists no explanation of your specific methodology and a score of 88 usually indicates a very good wine if one chooses to use CellarTracker's suggested scale. Of course, my assessment of your tasting note is nothing more than my opinion.

    From CellarTracker's wine rating assistant: "The 100 point scale isn't anything to be afraid of, use this guide to help you select the right score. NOTE: Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate describes this in more detail at erobertparker.com."

Red
2009 Vino Noceto Sangiovese Marmellata California Shenandoah Valley
3/7/2013 - VeniceCalif wrote:
91 points
Mozart was not the world's most innovative composer (except maybe in the realm of piano concertos). Rather, he excelled within the parameters of the various media as then understood (symphony, opera, string quartet etc). Those compositions are mostly rich, warm, and wonderful; he does not overwhelm you but still he's great. Decanted 1 hr. ahead. Light-medium ruby, with just a hint of orange. Nice nose of allspice, tobacco, cherries, and even a few floral notes. Easy texture, which means not strongly acidic but not flabby either; balanced. Pleasant flavors of spicy oak, pomegranate, red plum. Finishes very well, with another blast of spices ahead of orange peel notes and light velvety tannins. This is a very nice bottle, totally worth drinking now or maybe even cellaring for a couple of years. The label says that this is the biggest & most intense sangio that they make. I disagree; the Dos Oakies takes that role in 09. This wine is a Mozart of sangioveses, completely worth your time.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    3/7/13, 7:46 PM - Love this note!

Red
2010 Tablas Creek Counoise Paso Robles
1/19/2013 - SimiSusan wrote:
75 points
Didn't taste like it did at the winery.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    3/3/13, 5:46 PM - What did it taste like at the winery? And what did it taste like outside of the winery?

Red
2010 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
5/23/2012 - RobertDwyer wrote:
93 points
There's a purity of fruit and freshness here that's tremendously appealing. Light-medium bodied visually with perfectly ripe strawberries dominant and supporting tart cherry notes. It's subtle, but along with mild orange peel notes, supporting herabaceous aromatics and flavors add a perfect touch of earthy compleixty. Not an off note in the bottle. I like this. A lot. A tremendous introduction to the producer. 13.9% alcohol. Read more...
  • smokeshowing commented:

    5/24/12, 5:46 AM - Had the very same experience with this lovely wine!

Rosé
2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvèdre Ode to Lulu Rosé Sonoma Valley
5/10/2012 - fullpour wrote:
Honestly? This particular emperor has no clothes.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    5/11/12, 6:23 PM - Huh?

White
2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard Chalone
12/30/2011 - Acohen wrote:
91 points
Very impressive chardonnay with lighter style and less oak leading to nice acidity and great lemon and citrus fruit
  • smokeshowing commented:

    12/31/11, 2:07 PM - Just can't bring myself to pop this one, yet. Our introduction to the Brosseau convinced both my wife and I that this would be one of our very favorite chardonnays and when the thought crops up, we gently remind the other that we can't commit what feels like a heinous crime against this baby. Glad to see you liked it!

Red
2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Sonoma Coast
12/31/2011 - winecharmer wrote:
93 points
PnP at Charlie Palmer Steak in DC. Ready to rock with no decant, though it definitely improved in the glass, too, so decanting is not out of the question. Dark maroon, and beastly body. Drips with bacon fat, tobacco, anis, and a hint of pencil, all sumptuously integrated. Luscious mouthfeel. Absurd QPR. But is any of this a surprise?
  • smokeshowing commented:

    12/31/11, 2:04 PM - 100% agreement on your impressions when it comes to this wonderful wine. I am just thrilled to see Morgan producing such brilliant wines. Thanks for your post!

Rosé
2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvèdre Ode to Lulu Rosé Sonoma Valley
6/17/2011 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine:
91 points
100% Old vine (planted in 1888!) mourvedre, whole cluster pressed and fermented with native yeast in s/s. Underwent partial ML. Gorgeous eye of the partridge color. On the nose, I picked up fragrant aromas of raspberries, white peach, wet stone and a faint floral note. On the palate approaching medium bodied, dry with wonderful acidity and flavors of spicy white peach, a bit of citrus and mineral. Med-long finish. Excellent rosé. Wish I had more!

http://enofylz.wordpress.com/
  • smokeshowing commented:

    6/17/11, 8:18 PM - You hit the nail square on the head! Love this wine and wish I had secured a supply for the entire summer. Nice review!

Red
2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Sonoma Coast
4/11/2011 - zscheiner Likes this wine:
92 points
Blueberries and black raspberries on the nose. Light to medium bodied, with juicy raspberries and blackberries on the palate, buoyed by medium+ acidity. Incredibly vibrant and fresh for a CA syrah, I couldn't stop sipping and swishing. Wish I had bought a case.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    4/12/11, 6:26 AM - Been struggling to keep this wine untouched in the cellar, but the more I read about it the more I want to pop it! Nice TN.

Rosé
2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvèdre Ode to Lulu Rosé Sonoma Valley
4/7/2011 - PIntag wrote:
93 points
Pop & pour - consumed over 3 hours. Very light salmon color - much lighter than most rosés. Initially, a bit sharp and unbalanced - needed about 30 minutes to open up and even out. But did it ever! Nose was subdued but displayed some nice wet gravel and citrus. On the palate, fairly light bodied but showed beautiful minerality with some depth and great balance. Very interesting and enjoyable wet stone flavors with light citrus nuance. Very Bandol-like. I find this to be much better than the 2009 version. Loved it!
  • smokeshowing commented:

    4/8/11, 12:25 PM - Wow! I can't wait to serve this up on a nice warm evening. Thanks for your TN!

Red
2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Russian River Valley
3/13/2011 - lsnider wrote:
85 points
Opened poured out a glass then drank the rest over 2 days.
I feel this wine has taken to much bad press. The first glass did have some prune notes, but I felt as I finished the bottle over the following 2 days it got better. To me that was what I was looking for by opening a bottle this early.
Morgan is a standup guy for what he has done for those who purchased this wine and other things he does for the people who purchase his wines.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    3/15/11, 6:32 AM - Completely agree with your assessment of Morgan and his wine!

Red
2008 Dashe Cellars Petite Sirah Todd Brothers Ranch Alexander Valley
2/13/2011 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine:
88 points
Inky purple black color. On the nose plenty of dark fruit blackberry, currant, along with pepper and spice. On the palate blackberry roasted coffee vanilla, and spice. Fine tannins medium bodied. Young, but still balanced. Medium long finish.

http://enofylz.wordpress.com
  • smokeshowing commented:

    2/16/11, 9:21 AM - Going to finally get up to Dashe to get mine - thanks for the TN!

Red
2008 Bedrock Wine Co. Lorenzo’s Heirloom Dry Creek Valley Red Blend
2/3/2011 - Mike Dildine wrote:
93 points
15.4% alcohol. Medium-dark ruby red. An expressive and interesting nose of red and black fruit and forest spice. The flavors are rich, deep and savory - cherry, black cherry, rasberry, a bit of pepper and a spicy finish. Very well balanced, this wine has great fuit concentration, but comes across as vibrant and light on its feet.

For you vineyard geeks, Lorenzo's Vineyard was planted in 1909. You numismatics will recall that was the final year of the Indian Head Penny and the initial year of the Lincoln Head penny (if you have one from the San Franciso mint, you are in luck). The vineyard is dry-farmed and is a cofermentation of Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite and some other stuff. Native yeast fermentation.

Damn I love wines like this!
  • smokeshowing commented:

    2/4/11, 4:49 AM - I have a single bottle of this wine squirreled away, but your TN is putting my self-discipline to the test! Excellent stuff - thanks for the info!

Red
2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Russian River Valley
2/1/2011 - swillpower wrote:
I'll be a bit of a contrarian on this one...not to say that I thought the wine was fantastic, but rather that it needs time to be judged accurately. Everything about this is painfully young and backwards, with super-tight flavors, sharp acidity, and some coarseness to the tannins and overall mouthfeel. in short, it strikes me as tasting like a backwards barrel sample. There are certainly some of those flavors people mentioned; I liken it to more of a fruit compote sort of thing. Nonetheless, while I don't expect revelatory greatness, I do think it needs time to be judged fairly.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    2/2/11, 5:06 AM - Goodness gracious! Someone willing to show a bit of patience prior to excoriating a wine - common sense still exists! Nicely composed TN.

White - Sweet/Dessert
1992 Columbia Crest Sémillon Late Harvest Columbia Valley
1/31/2011 - bmwcarl wrote:
Drank over 3 nights. Color of bourbon with a thick, viscous quality. Nose and palate of baked apple, apricot, honeycomb, creme brûlée, and vanilla. Absolutely singing. Wish I had more than a one-off bottle.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    1/31/11, 9:19 PM - Sounds absolutely incredible!

Red
2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Sonoma Coast
1/31/2011 - twelch wrote:
93 points
Ok so I popped this expecting to be wowed with all the publicity Morgan has been getting on his wines. Not only was I wowed but completely blown off my feet by the fact that this wine is only $20. Pop and pour and consumed over the next 4-5 hours. It never relented the whole time it was open. You may call me crazy but the nose on this was fantastic and simliar to what I would describe as that Cayuse "funk" game, kalamata olive, earth, meat with a nice floral berry component. This wine was much more elegant in the mouth that one would have expected from the nose. Silky smooth with nice black and red fruits, a hint of leather and a hint of oak that all went great with each other. I immediately jumped online to find some more. Thank god there is some out there for the taking still.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    1/31/11, 6:48 PM - Outstanding TN and glad to see I'm not alone when it comes to being impressed with the quality at the $20 price point.

Red
2008 Woodenhead Zinfandel Mendonoma North Coast
Good enough to buy 4 more bottles! There's enough alcohol (15.2%) to let the fruit pop more than any other sub $12 wine. With respect to price category, it's a 90. Tasted blind, I'd consider it crap. There're never any great wine deals at Trader Joe's, because they buy what everyone else passed on and still need to profit.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    1/29/11, 5:42 PM - This means that at TJ's price point you like this wine, right? Just confirming.

    Cheers!

Red
2006 Cabot Vineyards Syrah Aria's Humboldt County
12/12/2010 - z_willus_d wrote:
92 points
PnP to glass. This one was on the purple side of the spectrum with plenty of serious concentration edge-to-edge. The nose is coming off kind of primary on first sniff, begging for additional airtime. With time and lots of swirling, the primary facade of blackberry and plummy cherry fruit peels back to reveal an under-layer of mild, peppery spices and raw cheese funk trending to smoky charcuterie or blood and puss encrusted, antibiotic ointment laden gauze bandages. There's also a bite of tar or bitter insect poison that glances off the end of the bouquet. 30-minutes of sniffing and I have a very particular, unique and complex glass of wine to smell on. Grand, grand plush stuff shows in the drinking. The oak is doing a wonderful job of adding all kinds of silky goodness to the mouthfeel and minute flavor enhancements for dimension; still time will do well to further integrate the wood so it's not so overt -- I shouldn't be able to pin down the oak influence so easily. Medium leaning to heavy bodied, this wine is full of spicy, rich syrah fruit. This bottle is more creamy, and in a way that means clumpy, than the Humbodlt bottle I had last week. This is for the cellar while the other is for drinking in the nearer term, but that's not to say this isn't a pleasure with its reduced violet and Jerky Game meats flavors...little flecks green like broccoli topped by white pepper powder that I like too. Middling acid levels. Tannins deeply submerged. Drinks better slightly chilled, which brings out the true raspberry jam fruit. Medium-plus finish that is very clean and pure. I wasn't much interested in drinking tonight but did so out of some boredom; yet through the procession of inspection, I've found myself an appetite more than I could want -- forced the food and drink to my mouth. This will be even better in 2-4 years time.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    12/13/10, 7:47 AM - This is one heck of a note! We had our first Cabot last night and it proved to be a real eye-opener. Super earthy with a whole lot of leather, spice and meaty flavors. Really interesting and satisfying stuff.

Red
2008 Phillips Hill Pinot Noir Beeson Tree Anderson Valley
11/10/2010 - ScottGoodwin Likes this wine:
91 points
LIght red. Pale. Definitely some smoke but also earthy strawberries and cherries. Restrained nose. Nose doesn't begin to hint at the palate. Big, vibrant red fruits. Lots of earthy minerality and balancing acidity. Absolutely gorgeous overall mouthfeel and weight. Just kept getting better and more interesting over time. Roasted brown sugard. Root beer. Day 2 - a little lighter on the palate. Smoked fruits. Wet campfire. But still very nice with just a hint of funk.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    12/8/10, 5:37 AM - Thanks for the thorough review. Very helpful!

White
2009 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
12/5/2010 - tp096255 wrote:
93 points
---
COLOR: Light gold

NOTE: At Pitfire - Great floral and melon/pit fruit nose. The pit fruits, esp peach, sing in the nicely viscous mouth and has a great, clean but rich finish. EVERYONE (7 diff folks from novice to advanced) really enjoyed it, and it paired nicely with the pumpkin white pizza!

DECANT: n/a
GLASS USED: Cheap
TASTE: 9.3
COST: 33
VALUE: 8.4
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 05/10
TRY AGAIN: now - 2011
PAIRING: see above
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
  • smokeshowing commented:

    12/8/10, 5:36 AM - Thanks for the outstanding and thorough tasting note. Very helpful!

Red
2008 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County
11/23/2010 - Racer117 wrote:
88 points
After a tasty broiled flank steak and a '06 Richard Partridge Cabernet Sauvingnon, we found ourselves wine-less. This took care of that quite nicely. This is a very, very good Zin but it lacked the peppery element in a great Zin that I enjoy. However, it almost made up for it in bright fruit. This wine is the type that really stands up tall on its own; complexity and flavors that make you think and ponder. Got to go and pour myself another glass. Chrissie Hynde thinks its a good idea!
  • smokeshowing commented:

    11/24/10, 8:08 AM - Outstanding tasting note! I can't agree with you more on this wine.

White
2005 Chéreau-Carré Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie Cuvée des Ceps Centenaires Comte Leloup de Château de Chasseloir Melon de Bourgogne
10/23/2010 - StuckinPA wrote:
91 points
Lovely straw color. Light nose of lemon and citrus. Great minerality, acidity and fruit well balanced, an absoulutely delicious wine, excellent weight, mouthfeel and a great finish. Disclaimer: I absolutely love Muscadet, this is a really good one. Great shellfish and white fish wine, we had it with mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat and salad.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    10/23/10, 6:13 PM - Excellent review - we also love this wine!

Red
N.V. Bedrock Wine Co. Sherman & Hooker's Shebang! North Coast Red Blend
10/9/2010 - River Rat wrote:
Awesome value. This rivals the 09 McManis PS as my California QPR of the year. Another score from MTP.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    10/9/10, 2:09 PM - Totally agree with your sentiments. Both of these wines, especially the Shebang!, are incredible California values.

Red
2008 Indian Creek Pinot Noir Reserve Unfiltered Anderson Valley
9/26/2010 - Redteeth wrote:
Sure there is a bit of a smokey taste; especially if you are actively looking for it. However, last time I checked most high end wineries are spending big bucks for charred oak barrels for aging their wine. I like this wine. At the price it is the value of the year. I commend Navarro for being so customer centric in dealing with this "issue". What a great operation.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    9/27/10, 5:08 AM - Absolutely agree with your assessment of the Indian Creek Pinot Reserve. As for a value play - simply outstanding!

Red
2006 Marietta Cellars Petite Sirah Alexander Valley
9/11/2010 - markandsusanw Likes this wine:
92 points
Pop and pour through Vinturi ... Smooth, dry and fruity, with beautiful berry nose. This remains one of our favorites (the only sub-$20 wine that really fits into that category) and just about the best QPR I've ever had.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    9/12/10, 10:12 AM - Agreed, just a flat out bargain!

Red
2008 Indian Creek Pinot Noir Reserve Unfiltered Anderson Valley
9/11/2010 - z_willus_d wrote:
90 points
This wine comes from Navarro's Estate Pinot Noir "Méthode à l'Ancienne" bottling. Owing to the rampant, co-terminal forest fires that coincided with the '08 grape maturation in the Anderson Valley, Navarro decided to relabel their mid-grade reserve Pinot under the Indian Creak producer designation. I'm an inveterate fan of the M l'A Pinot at Navarro, and when I found I could pick-up this wine for a pro-rated $10 (1/3rd regular price) as part of a 3-pack sampler with free shipping, well I couldn't resist the offer. As I understand it, some customers were put-off by an overt "smokiness" in the bouquet and flavoring on the palate. Tonight I was quite looking forward to testing for that toasty element when, quite coincidentally, lo what happens but a wafting of wood smoke fills my house, room to room. I've the doors open with screens and fan, which helped the smokey incense along. After searching the perimeter of my abode (my next neighbor's house burnt to the ground in front of me 2 years back, so I have reason to be edgy of fires), I found no explanation for the perturbation so back to my note.

[This wine was NOT the Unfiltered version.] ~50-min in glass @74F. COLOR- darker than the norm for Navarro but only slightly, otherwise clean, clear and filtered red. NOSE- seed-fruit notes of bing cherries (cherry cola) and sweet plums, lovely floral aromas that have me thinking of violet colored flowers, a citrus peel element, brûlée crust, and perhaps smoke, though it's in the air already -- all in all, a very nice bouquet with moderate depth for so few years. PALATE- huh. This is great! Medium bodied but with wonderfully intense, lithe cherry, mountain berry red fruit flavors that are surrounded by a smoked sausage note and that enveloped in finely ground spices (curry, cinnamon, Chinese 5-spice). This is significantly better than I had hoped it might show; very fresh, vibrant and juicy, superb balance, not a hint of any heat. Long, sweet finish with a little toasty oak cream showing. This could use more structure, as the tannins aren't apparent short of the slight test of drying. For me this bottle is showing better than any of the more recent tastings I've had of the '04, '06, or '07 Méthodes at Navarro. Having paid only ten dollars makes this wine the best value for a Pinot I've encountered in 10+ years of tasting the grape. Cheers to Navarro for making these available for those of us willing to adapt to the more brutal vintages nature has to offer. Update: deeper into the bottle (later this evening) this wine took on a heavy cola syrup sarsaparilla note that I felt had a depreciating effect on the cohesion and freshness of the wine. I expect this was an oak component. -1 pt.
  • smokeshowing commented:

    9/12/10, 6:51 AM - Great review! I can't agree with you more...I am so impressed with the way Navarro has approached the smoke taint issue. Some will see these wines as being the deal (steal) of the vintage in Anderson Valley.

Red
2008 McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah California
7/24/2010 - smokeshowing wrote:
88 points
Can't disagree with all of the positive impressions on this Petite Sirah. To say this is a good deal is a serious understatement. This wine competes favorably with wines two to three times the price and comes away a winner in some cases. The nose is pure dark fruits - almost overripe cherries. Flavors are powerful, yet somewhat restrained until you let this one breath a bit. There are fairly smooth tannins accompanied by hints of leather. I love this wine and it's definitely way up there on the all-time best value list.

http://fearnowine.com
  • smokeshowing commented:

    8/16/10, 1:08 PM - Had this wine again last night. Enjoyed with fries and sausages and need to reiterate that this is an incredible bargain at $12, but when you can get it for $10, it's a steal!

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