3/1/2016 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Ruby red appearance with no signs of bricking.

Dark red fruit on the nose with rustic forest floor on the nose.

Tart, sour dark cherry with high acidity. Fine tannins present but little other real structure. Herbal notes predominate on the finish.

A rustic wine that is classic Chianti with lots of rough edges as expected.

The down side is that, while the overall wine is pure Chianti it's too rustic. There isn't any smoothness. This wine requires food. It's not a sipping wine. I like it but it needs tomato/olives/something to soften the edges. It is a good food wine.

12/31/2015 - baseballvino wrote:

Young, with so much promise. One of my favorite Napa Cabs. Great depth of flavor

This will be better in about 3 years and may peak in about 5.

8/11/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

I would agree with the other tasters that this wine was very good but didn't deserve its high scores, BUT ... The finish lasted and lasted. It's got great depth. I get it.

8/5/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Good New Zealand SB with rich tropical fruit and grapefruit flavored. Decent acidity, very smooth and a crowd pleaser. Absolutely great QPR at under 11 per bottle. This is the definition of a great summer wine.

7/29/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Classic New Zealand SB. Pineapple and Grapefruit with bracing acidity but no real bitterness. Very refreshing. Nothing profound though. Just enjoyable. Drank over two days.

Repeat buy.

6/21/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Rich mineral notes with a saline edge, this wine would be excellent with any seafood fish. It has the core to stand up to fattier, richer fish dishes too.

6/14/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Relaxing in my den after the birth of my first grandchild. We will pop a CdP, Toro, Brunello or a Barlo later in celebration when every one is home, but this is a fine wine to sit back alone with its rich flavor and reflect on the events of the day. One of my favorite everyday Cabernets.

6/6/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Very similar to the 2008. Solid Shiraz

5/31/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Honey, minerals, citrus with a herbal edge over bracing, beautiful acidity. Long finish with a saline edge. Beautiful food wine.

Light Golden rich color with decent weight.

5/27/2015 - baseballvino wrote:

Still tastes very good on the PnP, but the wine is oxidizing too quickly after opening. In 8 hours it was completely gone. I've got a couple of bottles left and will probably drink them fairly soon. It doesn't look like it's got the legs to last too much longer.

5/16/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Great depth of flavor, rich, accessible. And last bottle. Hmmmm.

4/28/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Have had this Nebbiolo in other vintages many times. This vintage is brighter and more fruity than earlier vintages. Very nice but missing that core depth of a true Carema. I like the veggie, sweaty sock, dirty Nebbiolo that I got in earlier vintages though this profile is more mainstream/modern.

It may improve with more air so I'm keeping an open mind. Love Nebbiolo.

4/24/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

As a Barbaresco, this is basic introductory wine at a good intro price. Fruit driven and delicious but no depth. I like it and it's a good every day Nebbiolo. Good QPR at the price I got.

Drink now. It's as good as it's going to get.

4/23/2015 - baseballvino wrote:

Sat on this bottle for a year after the last bottle and it just keeps improving. Great food wine. Tastes like it has 4-5 more years left in it but it was my last bottle.

Consistent with previous notes but a bit more "relaxed" and approachable.

4/20/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Consistent with prior note.

4/16/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

good quality chianti that's a joy to drink. Excellent balance but average QPR. Looking forward to visiting Siena. Will be better in a couple of years. Still very young.

4/16/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Pleasant grapefruit driven SB but simplistic with little depth. Not a great QPR. Enjoyable

3/26/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Had at restaurant. Beautiful cab flavors of cassis with cocoa notes and a mineral core that is approachable now, but has enough stuffing to last for at least 5 years. Excellent QPR. Flavors balanced and drinking beautifully after catching some air. Just ordered a case.

3/23/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Citrus, lemon notes on a dry core. A touch watery and thin. Not much on the nose but enjoyable. Lacking the racy minerality needed to lift the score. Decent QPR. Better at room temp than when chilled. Nice acidity.

2/25/2015 - baseballvino wrote:

60% Tempranillo, 40% Grenache. Juicy, fruit-forward with the leather notes of the Tempranillo hiding behind the very berry-driven Grenache. Enjoyable, but not built for the long haul. Would be better in a year, but may not last more than 3-4 years before it fades. There is a light hint of the drying tannins on the finish.

After taste has some bitter notes from the Grenache. At $11, it's a repeat buy. At $15, I'd back away.

2/23/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Love this wine. Great acidity. Strong citrus flavors with an impressive mineral backbone. Good depth and just gets better the further into the bottle. Great summer wine.

2/21/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Apple mineral tinged with strong citrus core. Salty in a very good way. Gripping acidity. Herbal elements that fall just short of being grassy.

Good wine.

1/21/2015 - baseballvino wrote:

Beautiful everyday Chianti. Rich, balanced, savory. A go-to wine for casual company.

1/5/2015 - baseballvino wrote:

Huge wine that isn't anywhere near ready. The '04 is a classic example of a big Rioja that is just beginning to come into it's own. The '05 is it's brawny cousin that isn't ready to be revealed to the public yet. This is a big wine that is way to young to drink. Finished it over a few hours after a brief PnP followed by a rest. Love it and will pick up a case (to go with my case of '04), and I won't touch another bottle of it until 2017 (if I can help myself).

93 now, but I may be too exuberant (admittedly). 92 just seems too safe for this wine in 3-5 years. Pick up a case of the 07 Alberdi and finish that while you are waiting.

12/26/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Much better with a little age. This should continue to improve.

12/24/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Far behind previous bottles. Didn't taste flawed but was disjointed and un appealing. Hard to describe but a major disappointment

12/12/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Decent but rough around the edges with none of the Classico elegance. Very serviceable as a mid week pizza wine. Sour cherry and astringent right now, even after catching aid for over an hour.

12/10/2014 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

My favorite everyday Tempranillo. Has enough substance to age, but is approachable young. Juicy and delicious, with substance and depth. Light leather on the finish with cedar and tobacco notes, all hiding behind a bright fruit front.

12/9/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Right on the edge of tired. Almond notes and a trace of bitterness but lacking the acidity to go much further. Drink up.

12/8/2014 - baseballvino Does not like this wine:

Nice Verdicchio with a pronounced lemon bite, but there is a lack of depth. This is a nice simple wine that is vastly over-rated. It's simple and straight forward, astringent and doesn't open up with air. Not a repeat buy.

12/8/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Decentwine but way too tight for the price point. I don't want to buy a $15-$17 wine and wait 3-4 years before it's really ready to drink. Right now, it's rough and not-ready, but has promise. Don't touch before 2016

11/21/2014 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Light cherry color with bright red fruits on the nose. Tart taste of dried cranberries and cherries. Reminds me of Craisins. Nice finish.

With its high acid to cut through fats, pair this with a lunch of a rich spinach salad with orange segments and Craisins, followed by oatmeal cookies filled with Craisins. Cranberry sauce with Turkey would be a excellent too.

11/20/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Young, very young. Mineral spicy and almost muscular. Give it a couple of years and it will be excellent. Right now its very good with bright red fruit at the core

11/20/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

One of the nicest every day chianti's I've had. Will be stocking up.

11/18/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Not quite as good as the Achaval Ferrer (at least this vintage). Dark fruits and the classic Malbec taste with coffee notes and spices, but the structure isn't there to age. Drink within a year or two. It's a good wine, but not great.

11/18/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Consistent with prior note

11/15/2014 - baseballvino Does not like this wine:

Too new world and extracted for me. Most people I know would like it but it tastes artificial and unlike a true pinot noir.

Simple, fruit-driven, tart with medium length finish. Reminds me more of a modern style Sangiovese.

11/13/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Dry, fruit-forward, modern style Chianti with a long finish. Good tannin structure. Should last for at least a decade. Not a great QPR but a very nice wine. Dusty tannins, plums and Eucalyptus on the finish. Cherry and blackberry on the initial attack with mineral undertones.

11/11/2014 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Classic "green" Flavors with excellent spice and some hints of pepper. Fruit was well balanced. Nice Veltliner but it's (the varietal) not in my wheelhouse. Still, I would buy it again. It screamed, "make a salad" while drinking it. Enjoyable

11/9/2014 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Young with room to grow. I don't believe it will get much better in relation to score but another year will make a difference. Sit on it if you can. I like it, decent QPR.

11/2/2014 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Consistent with other notes. Very nice buy.

9/21/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Consumed over 6 hours. Improved with time but one-dimensional. Lemon only with few other flavors. Good cooking wine PnP was very unimpressive but it does get better with air/time.

9/15/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Fruit forward with black cherry and a bit of cigar box. Acidity is refreshing, though the wine tastes slightly sweet. The fruit is a nice match for food, but could over-power lighter fare. This is a food/drinking wine, not a sipper. It would be best with food and not nearly as good once the food is gone. Drink quick or eat slow. Tannins aren't immediately noticeable, but present. I'd give it 3 more years of shelf life. I'd buy it again. It's a very nice, serviceable, everyday Italian red.

9/1/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Tannins mostly resolved. Smooth taste that seems to showcase the Montepulciano. Aging gracefully but probably only has another two years so drink up. Good QPR on an under-recognized region.

8/15/2014 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

'Tweener wine. Bridges between old world and new. Grassy attack with bare hints of pineapple and tropical fruits.

On the PnP, a bitterness on the finish that dissipated with time.

Fruit was too muted to give a good kiwi score and the acid to low to give a good Loire region score. Hence the tweener tag. A nice SB, but you can get better NZ at this price point. I like it, but it's not on my repeat buy list. Don't believe it would age beyond 1-2 years tops.

7/25/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Old and tired. Minor bad, just over the hill

7/16/2014 - baseballvino Likes this wine:

Low acidity, medium weight with grapefruit and almond flavors. Very nice nose. Good minerality with a long finish (that contains an occasional bitter note) that is enjoyable.

Nice wine, not a great QPR.

7/11/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Love this wine. Favorite pinot Grigio

7/11/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Juicy and fruity but one dimensional, maybe even thin. Not a great QPR

7/5/2014 - baseballvino wrote:

Comparison of 07 Alberdi, 04 Ardanza and 01 Gran Reserva 904. Decanted and waited several hours. After 4 hours still not open. To early to touch. It was a big wine, but not ready yet. Not a good QPR. 89 now but great potential if you are patient.