3/19/2014 - markbp Does not like this wine:

Lifeless. No character at all. Flabby. Avoid.

11/20/2013 - markbp wrote:

Nearly clear with a just a hint of star bright yellow. Zero viscosity. Nose of overripe pears and chalky apple. Medium minus acid. Palate similar to the nose with very little complexity or depth. Lacking. Would not buy again.

8/3/2013 - markbp wrote:

Wow expected so much more from the makers of Pingus and Sisseck. I've had Crianzas better than this. Excessive buttery oak. Lacking balance. Wish I could've tasted it prior to dragging it all the way home from Spain. Meh.

5/31/2013 - markbp wrote:

Pop and pour. Beautiful red fruit nose but with a hint of herbaceous smoke. I could smell this all day. Wonderful balance and lingering finish. A winner.

5/11/2013 - markbp wrote:

Tasted at winery from a mag. Pop and pour. Holy oak! This mag should've been decanted yesterday. Striking nose which again seems dominated by oak. Dark fruit, vanilla. Fairly brutal astringency on the finish. Hard to judge pop and pour from a mag but a good wine nonetheless.

4/25/2013 - markbp wrote:

Fascinating priorat. Nose of very dark fruit. Plum, currant. Delicious mouthfeel with tight lingering tannins on the finish. I think this will be very good in about 5 years. Enjoyed but needs time. Recommend at least an hour decant.

1/21/2013 - markbp Likes this wine:

Northern Rhone vs...Tasting. This is the one I brought. I have had one other Cornas before (La Geynale) which was extremely good so I was looking for a lot here. This was lacking compared to the Geynale upon opening. I wish I had decanted this wine because it really opened up and gave me a classic NR nose albeit without a lot of the smoke, meat, and pepper that I like. This wine was a little punchy and lacking true balance but I did enjoy it. Not sure I would buy again for 65$ though.

1/21/2013 - markbp Likes this wine:

Northern Rhone vs...Tasting. A dense and concentrated wine. Some notes of violet/lavender reminiscent of the Northern Rhone but distinctly it's own thing. Power over grace for sure. I felt like I could almost take a bite out of this wine. A great wine but the 2007 was superior for me.

1/19/2013 - markbp Likes this wine:

Northern Rhone vs...Tasting. My notes on this wine make it clear to me that I have no skill when it comes to wine tasting. 87 from Tanzer? I thought this was one of the top 5 bottles of the night. After 30 minutes I could smell this wine from 10 feet away. Beautiful nose of violet, herbs, and smoked meat. A full-bodied, well-balanced wine. This has to be the QPR of the night for me.

1/21/2013 - markbp Likes this wine:

Northern Rhone vs...Tasting. White pepper, stony with violet/floral notes. I enjoyed the red fruit. This is a fine wine but no superstar.

1/21/2013 - markbp wrote:

Northern Rhone vs...Tasting. Unexpected notes of forrest floor and wet earth. Unbalanced in terms acidity and bordering on flabby. Shocked to see this wine averages > $100 a bottle. Not my thing especially at this price.

1/21/2013 - markbp wrote:

Northern Rhone vs...tasting. Not sure if this was decanted prior. What am I missing? Had Carlisle in the past but this did not evoke those memories. Certainly more fruit forward than other wines tasted that night. While there is fruit and citrus aplenty I was missing any sort of balance or symmetry from this wine. I want to taste this again by itself given the approbation of other respected tasters at the table.

1/19/2013 - markbp Likes this wine:

Drank at a Northern Rhone vs...tasting. Pop and pour. Notes of smoked/cured meat with a tinge of "minty" herbaceousness that I was having trouble describing. The tannins and acid had a bite to them that was not off-putting but suggested that this wine needs more time or at least a decent decant. To me this was the closest to the Northern Rhone style of all the wines of the night. Very nice.

1/6/2013 - markbp wrote:

This wine never really opened up for me. Had a decent enough St. Estephe nose but there wasn't much there on the palate. Was hoping for more. Tasted like a 10$ table BDX. Perhaps flawed but I didn't smell any TCA to speak of.

12/16/2012 - markbp Likes this wine:

Thanks to my wine buddies for the privilege of being able to drink this. One of the more complex champagnes of the night. Beatiful hints of figs, smoked/grilled fruit, jam, walnut, and almost a touch of demerara. The palate wasn't quite as complex as the nose but a thoroughly enjoyable champagne. A great treat!

12/30/2012 - markbp wrote:

Toast. Dried pears. Fairly dry and austere with a lingering acidity that is not particularly pleasant. Hollow kerosene-like finish. Is this a flawed bottle? I have to wonder based on so many other positive reviews. Wouldn't surprise me based on the provenance of the wines sold at Max's.

12/30/2012 - markbp wrote:

Pale color. Fairly flat on the nose. Mild fruitiness with notes of pear and mirin (?). Harsh acidity with a somewhat hollow finish. Average.

12/16/2012 - markbp Likes this wine:

WOTN for every person at the table. This was an excellent champagne that beat out some heavy hitters including a 1999 Vilmart and 2002 Dom. Surprised at the "low" Tanzer rating. A nice nutty nose with just enough toast/yeast. This was a very balanced champagne with a dense full-bodied mouthfeel and a wonderful lingering finish. I need to get more soon.

12/8/2012 - markbp wrote:

Wish I could give more note but I've had too much to drink. Apples, pears, dry austerity. A beautiful specimen. Thoroughly enjoyed.

12/3/2012 - markbp wrote:

Oak...oak...oak. My first adventure with Behrens Family. Sorry this note lacks details. Summary: I can't figure out what this wine is trying to be. Given the other people at the table raving about it, I guess it's just not my thing.

12/3/2012 - markbp Likes this wine:

Drank at the Monty after a brief decant. Perhaps too brief. Cassis, leather with fairly concentrated fruit. High heat upfront which dissipated with time. Vegetal and spicy with a medium body and somewhat coarse finish. This was good enough but hoping for more. Will benefit from more time.

12/3/2012 - markbp Likes this wine:

Not enough light outside to comment on color. Apricot, honey, and lime on the nose. Beautiful bright acidity shines through with stone, petrol, and honeydew rounding out this terrific wine. I thoroughly enjoyed this. A new benchmark for me with respect to riesling.

11/23/2012 - markbp wrote:

Disclaimer: I know little to nothing about Beaujolais/Gamay. Pale garnet in color. Fair amount of off-putting heat up front which faded quickly. Frankly a rather uninspiring nose but surprising body on the palate. Dried cherry, strawberry. Fair amount of acidity even a day later but not overwhelming. Easy finish. A fairly balanced wine. Would drink again at 15$ but not at the 20$ tariff I was subjected to.

5/24/2012 - markbp wrote:

Appropriate color. Upfront earthy barnyard nose which faded rapidly to reveal cherry, plum, hint of wet moss, and just a hint of molasses. Medium bodied with a lot of acid up front which also faded nicely. Fairly mellow tannins with a nice finish. A very nice burgundy at this price point. I think it still needs to sleep a bit more but a great wine. Would buy again.

5/9/2012 - markbp wrote:

Pop and pour. I have been a fan of Vizcarra since I tried Inés while in Spain. Unfortunately this wine is lacking. Color seemed thin for a Ribera. Minimal on the nose. The midpalate and finish were severely lacking depth. Some bitter tannins was all I was left with. Very disappointed. This wine to me brings down the Vizcarra name. I would like to think that maybe this would improve with time but I don't think that's the problem here. Would not buy again.

8/27/2011 - markbp wrote:

Very nice rosé. Nice value.

7/31/2011 - markbp wrote:

Light red color of cranberry juice. Almost nothing on the nose. Decent fruit mid but slightly sour finish. Better bottles out there for the price.

7/19/2011 - markbp wrote:

Very nice ruby red color. Somewhat flat on the nose with some earthy minerality. Nice fruit on the midpalate with cherries, herbs and a hint of graphite. Slightly harsh tannins but not a significant problem for me. Short but nice finish. Drinkable now. WS 91 is deceiving and I would not buy again unless on sale. Although this one was no chump, I have had better Priorats.

7/17/2011 - markbp wrote:

Pop and pour last night. Notes from memory lacking detail. Beautiful nose and color. Dark fruit mid with nice long finish. Very very good. Drink now. Wouldn't wait more than a year or two IMO.

7/16/2011 - markbp wrote:

Delayed tasting note from memory so lacking details. Appropriate color, nice nose, some slightly snappy tannins but only adds for me. Ohhh, the finish...at least 15 seconds of goodness. Will be better next year for sure but will make you very happy now as well.

6/28/2011 - markbp wrote:

Flat on the nose and tasted like an ashtray. My first amarone. Cross this one off the list. So many better wines for the price.

6/12/2011 - markbp wrote:

Ruby red color, some fruit on the nose but a little restrained. Medium body, delicious fruit with some slight astringency on the finish. Excellent!

6/11/2011 - markbp wrote:

I thought this was a spectacular value for the price. Headed back to the store for more. Beautiful fruit with a nice finish.

4/1/2011 - markbp wrote:

Strong fruit up front. Agreed with prior reviews. Dark cherry, cassis, maybe a touch of licorice?? I don't think it needs time at all. Ready to drink.

4/1/2011 - markbp wrote:

Agree with prior review. Bitter tannins on the finish. VERY YOUNG. Let it sleep.