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Comments on my notes

(12 comments on 11 notes)

1 - 11 of 11 Sort order
Red
2015 Realm Cellars The Bard Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
12/10/2023 - levinml wrote:
First try of Realm. Definitely a big boy cab, but not sure how to rate. Drank over two nights and never really seemed to open up. Could be great in a few years, but who knows.
  • levinml commented:

    12/10/23, 5:20 PM - You know, I think it’s me. I’m getting hesitant to post because I’m just not liking cabs as much anymore, and typically I drink them without food. I’m migrating my purchases to Pinots, which I find much more enjoyable. I’m almost 67 years old and have heard that it is not unusual for one’s tastes to change at this stage.

    Thanks for the comment.

Red
1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
10/7/2023 - levinml wrote:
I don't get it. I wait 30 years and this is what I get? I mean, it's good and everything, but why? So many better wines, so much younger and for so much less. Sorry I don't have any more. I'd sell the lot for $500 each (Benchmark price) any day. Someone please explain this to me.
  • levinml commented:

    10/9/23, 9:00 AM - I was wondering if my rant would generate any responses. :)

    I agree with both of the responses and didn't mean to insult anyone. It's clearly me. I am aware that the general trend as we age is away from highly tannic cabs to softer pinots. I'm 66 and going that way. I also agree it's good news that I don't like high priced, highly extracted cabs anymore. Will save me lots of money moving forward.

    Thanks for responding.

  • levinml commented:

    10/10/23, 7:23 AM - To be honest I don't know what I'm talking about. Perhaps I'm conflating highly tannic with highly extracted.

Red
2014 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Napa Valley
7/8/2023 - levinml wrote:
94 points
Middle of the road Beringer PR and why I like it. Just good flavors, balance and depth. Nice drinking over two nights and will be good for a while.
  • levinml commented:

    8/24/23, 11:03 AM - I can't say I remember for sure, but typically when I open a big time cab I either decant what I'm going to drink (2/3 of the bottle if I'm drinking alone on Saturday night) for at least an hour (but not 3 or 4 hours) or pour a large pour into a Riedel Grand Cru for at least an hour.

    Hope that helps.

Red
2010 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul Grenache
12/29/2021 - levinml Likes this wine:
93 points
Drank Christmas night with Beef Wellington. Excellent match, although the Wellington stood out more than the wine. Nice overall balance and flavors, complemented by the mushrooms. Drink anytime.
  • levinml commented:

    12/29/21, 5:08 PM - Thanks for pointing that out. Clearly clicked that by mistake.

Red
2013 Turley Zinfandel Salvador Vineyard Contra Costa County
11/4/2020 - levinml wrote:
flawed
Agree with someone's note earlier. Vinegar and fizzy. Threw out.
  • levinml commented:

    3/4/21, 6:32 PM - Hi. I’m confused. If somebody thought a wine was bad and threw it out, that’s exactly the sort of thing I would want to know. Please help me understand your comment.

Red
2003 Château Courtin Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
10/11/2020 - Spar Likes this wine:
90 points
Pleasantly surprised after reading the recent reviews. Nice fruit, very balanced right out of the bottle. I don’t think it needs anymore aging. We do keep our wines at 61-62 degrees so maybe that is why we are getting better mileage.
  • levinml commented:

    11/21/20, 7:18 PM - Hope you're right, man. I'm going to try one of my other bottles soon. Maybe my taste buds were off that night (been known to happen).

Red
2008 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley
6/26/2016 - levinml wrote:
90 points
I don't know, this didn't do a whole lot for me. Drank over three nights, under pump, and just doesn't have a great flavor. Also a bit hot or tannic. Not sure which component is coating my tongue, but seems to do all the heavy stuff without the flavor and finish.
  • levinml commented:

    6/28/16, 4:59 PM - Yondan, you make a good point. Could be grade inflation or reputation. Certainly was not a blind tasting, and with me almost anything that's drinkable is 90 points. But you're right, upon further review, this should have been probably 87 or so, which by today's standards is darn near swill.

Red
2013 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Dijon 115 Freedom Hill Vineyard Willamette Valley
6/15/2016 - levinml wrote:
90 points
Good pinot, well made, but nothing in particular stands out. May get better, but not sure.
  • levinml commented:

    6/21/16, 7:53 PM - You may be right. I'll wait for the next one. I have around a dozen assorted P. Greens from '13 and '14, so not really sure what the right window is. Thanks for the comment.

Red
1997 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select Stags Leap District
3/5/2016 - levinml wrote:
94 points
Maybe my expectations for Shafer Hillside have just gotten too high, and when you add in almost 20 years old from stellar vintage, drinking in Riedel Grand Crus and decanting a couple hours, I was expecting fireworks. While it's clearly a great, elite wine, I think it was still so dense I couldn't find flavors to enjoy. Maybe just too much. Not sure, but I'm disappointed. High class problem, I guess.
  • levinml commented:

    3/13/16, 9:36 PM - It certainly didn't seem flabby or over the hill, more tight and dense, so my sense is it will get better. I have two more bottles and think I'll wait at least three, maybe 5 years before I try another. Have you had any recently?

Red
2010 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
12/28/2013 - levinml wrote:
90 points
Hard to judge, as this came at the end of the evening after 2010 Martinelli Moonshine and Williams Selyem Flax. Definitely a step below, but who could tell at that hour?
  • levinml commented:

    3/7/14, 8:04 PM - As a reminder that I drank it and under what conditions. I admit it's not a great note, but does at a minimum put it in an ordinal place. I've seen far worse notes with far less information on Cellartracker.

Red
2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
3/2/2013 - levinml wrote:
Don't know how to rate this right now. I'm on the side of those that think this needs more time. Big, dark, massive stuff, but honestly not that much fun to drink because it seemed so big. This will undoubtedly get better with age, but to what level is unclear to an amateur like me.
  • levinml commented:

    3/10/13, 8:01 PM - PRISM, thanks for the comments. I agree with your approach. I'm fortunate enough to have 9 bottles of the Insignia, and even though the drink dates said 2014, enough people seemed to be opening and raving that I thought it was worth a try. In this case, patience would clearly have been rewarded, but it was fun to try.

    Keep in touch.

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