2/14/2011 - skwid wrote:

This wine was unfortunately corked.

12/17/2010 - skwid wrote:

This was quite a good bottle which was one of the hits of the night and better than either the 1977 Fonseca of the 1963 Fonseca. Still bold and with enough fruit but the mouthsearing tanin's were melted away.

5/8/2010 - skwid wrote:

This wine was over the hill

5/1/2010 - skwid wrote:

This was a lighter pinot, not at all one of the bombastic styled CA pinots. The color was a bit bricked but still had some red. Time to drink this up if you have it.

3/23/2010 - skwid wrote:

Seemed really muted initally out of the gate and possibly a bit oxidized. Letting it sit for awhile opened things up but it still seems pretyt oaky. I think these things need to be drunk young but I have some older ones I need to try and can comment on that at a later date.

3/6/2010 - skwid wrote:

This was really tight upon opening and not showing that well. After about an hour open it started to show a fair amount of fruit. The tanins are pretty big and overpowered things at first. I didn't really like the wine at first but then once it opened up it was pretty good.

3/5/2010 - skwid Likes this wine:

This was quite a good Chablis with solid acidity and still plenty of fruit. Wish I had a few more of these.

3/5/2010 - skwid wrote:

This wine was over the hill. Nothing wrong with the wine it just should have been drunk awhile ago.

3/5/2010 - skwid Likes this wine:

Still quite alot of up front fruit with the backing structure to hold things up. Lost some of the baby fat but still big and bold. I think this is a 2003 CDP which will stand the test of time.

2/20/2010 - skwid wrote:

This was very nice, everything you could ask for in a CC. Nice and fruity but with that sharp steely edge. A very good bottle.

2/7/2010 - skwid wrote:

This wine was very slightly corked. NR

1/24/2010 - skwid wrote:

Started out with a bit of funk (thought it might be oxidized) but this blew off to reveal a nice fruity Chablis. Not much acidity showing at first. Decidedly fruity and some acidity showed up later (possibly when the wine got a bit warmer).

1/22/2010 - skwid wrote:

This was quite good with a prime costco steak. Big and fruity with lots of in your face wham still after 7 years. For meals like with a big prime steak this wine is ideal.

1/21/2010 - skwid wrote:

This was quite good with a pork shoulder. Nice armomatics and good mouthfeel. Went very well with the food. I hope I have more

1/20/2010 - skwid wrote:

This is a really nice wine. no sharp edges and quite nice with food. Had is with chicken with a bacon and onion reduction. Had some dark fruit on the nose with little noticable alcohol. Quite a nice drink for the $20 or so I paid for it. Glad I have a few more.

12/29/2009 - skwid wrote:

A bit green at 1st but went very well with the flannery ribeye. Seemed to open up after 30 minutes or so. The nose was quite nice.

12/25/2009 - skwid wrote:

Yes it was a Yquem, but it didn't seem to have that extra omph. Seemed like a middle of the road Sauterne. Decent acidity but not lots of fruit to back it up and the boitritis seemed a bit lacking.

12/25/2009 - skwid wrote:

Wow this was still pretty good. Had that nicely aged rose character which is the reason one ages Rose's. Wish I had more but this was my last bottle out of a case.

12/1/2009 - skwid wrote:

Seemed a bit green at first but then opened up a bit and the greenness went away. A decent wine but definitely not great. Not as fruit forward as some of the pride cabs can be.

11/30/2009 - skwid wrote:

This was a pretty nice bottle. Lots of minerality and stonyness (last bottle was oxidized). definitely worth the $40 I paid for the half.

11/21/2009 - skwid wrote:

Quite a nice bottle of the 1990 Krug. A touch of age with that typical Krug toastiness. Still had lots of bubbles. Glad I have plenty of this.

11/17/2009 - skwid wrote:

This wine seemed to be a bit oxidized at first. Later the oxidation not seemed to go away a bit but not totally. Either way this was not a very good bottle. I'm going to dip into the 1/2's I got to check on those.

11/17/2009 - skwid wrote:

This wine really wasn't showing much when first opened. We didn't decant and the wine really didn't start showing anything till later. A decent bottle but nothing great. I'd definitely decant or open this early if I was to drink another one.

10/28/2009 - skwid wrote:

seemed over the hill. Very rasiny

7/14/2009 - skwid wrote:

This was actually really nice. If California wants a wine to tout this would be it. Not bordeaux but nice and very dirinkable. tasty and not overly complex but enough so you went "wow this is pretty nice, I could drink this".

7/10/2009 - skwid wrote:

The nose on this wine was extremely good. really "bordeaux like". The mouth feel was ore tanic than I would have expected from the nose. Still a very nice wine.

4/8/2009 - skwid wrote:

drank pretty well with the pepperoni pizza. Not so well by itself. Seemed to stand up well to the spiciness of the pizza.

2/23/2007 - skwid wrote:

Didn't start to really open up until near the end. Hold for another four or five years.

5/28/2006 - skwid wrote:

Pretty lively and tasty. Good acidity and fruit. Tough to beat for $20.

6/2/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk from Riedel Somm Bordeaux glasses. Decanted for about an hour.

Wow this wine is drinking really really well. Drinks like it is older than a 2002. Fine soft tannins with abundant fruit but not in your face wack you over the head.

5/5/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk from Riedel Sommelier Vintage Champagne glass. not decanted.

Much more mature than when I last had this last year. The hard acidic edge has really toned down and the Champagne is now quite nice.

5/24/2006 - skwid wrote:

Taken from the cellar and opened. Not decanted. Drunk from Riedel Sommelier Chardonnay glass

a good white burgundy. Lots of bright fruits and and a real long finish at the back of the palatte.

5/14/2006 - skwid wrote:

Very primary, needs lots of time. Opened and let sit for about an hour but still needed time. Probably should have decanted. Don't touch another one for at least three years.

4/15/2006 - skwid wrote:

Oxidized

4/16/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk from inexpensive restaurant wine glasses at Grasshopper restaurant in Oakland CA. Not decanted

This wine was showing very well with lots of fruit. Classic White Burgundy. Very good.

4/8/2006 - skwid wrote:

Opened and poured, not decanted. Drunk from Spiegelau Vino Grande Bordeaux glasses.

Very aromatic upon opening with notes of chocolate and cherries. Tannins are there but not obtrusive. Finish is decent but not super long.

3/2/2006 - skwid wrote:

Nice acidity but also lots of oak. The fruit really didn't start showing up until the wine had been in the glass for awhile. I think this needed a nice 45 minute decant.

2/26/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk from Riedel Somm. Bordeaux, not decanted.

Not alot on the nose but the palette was fantastic. Probably could have used a decant for 30 to 60 minutes.

2/18/2006 - skwid wrote:

This actually was a Rose, not the Brut. It was in a lighter style like the other Cristal Roses I've had. Very Yummy.

2/14/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drank from Spiegelau Vino Grande Chardonnay stems

Popped and poured. Initially pretty Burgundian but after it was open for a bit more of the oak started to come out. A nice chardonnay that I pair $30 for.

2/13/2006 - skwid wrote:

Did not decant, drunk from Riedel Somm Bordeaux glasses.

Wine opened with lots of sediment under the cork. Lots of chocolate on the palatte. Fiarly mouthfilling and a long finish. Pretty good wine.

1/13/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk from inexpensive restaurant glassware, not decanted.

Wow this wine was simply awesome. Lots of plush aromatics and tons of fruit. I gotta get some more of this.

1/20/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk form Spiegelau Vino Grande glassware. Not decanted

Nice nose of dark fruits, tastes like there is a fair amount of Cab Sauv (according to the website 13%). Tanins are unobtrusive and fairly sweet. I wonder if there is a bit of RS. This is a decent merlot for the price and time to drink up.

1/18/2006 - skwid wrote:

Lots of lemon upon opening. REally started to open up with time. Got better but was never really great.

1/15/2006 - skwid wrote:

This is a very fine Chablis. Good acidity but more fruit than normal in a Chablis. I'm glad I have six more of these.

1/6/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk out of Riedel Somm Bordeaux glasses. Not decanted but opened for about an hour before consuming.

This bottle is classic Montelena. Lots of dark fruits along with some of the secondary characteristics you get from a nicely aged wine. Kind of split between the CA fruit bomb style and the Bordeaux tar/leather/cigarbox style. This bottle was different than the last one I had which tasted very much like a good Bordeaux. This is why I purchase Montelena!

1/5/2006 - skwid wrote:

Drunk from Riedel Somm Bordeaux glasses. Wine was not decanted at first then about 45 minutes in we poured the wine into the decanter.

Seemed a bit muted at first with lots of oak showing. Giving the glass a good swirl opened things up some and showed some fruit. After pouring this into the decanter it really opened up but then at about the 3 hour mark just fell flat.

11/17/2005 - skwid wrote:

Drank at Grapeleaf cellars at final pressing of Ladd Cellars grapes. This was a pretty fine wine. The main problem was that the power went out as I was pouring the glasses so getting any notes was darn near impossible. It was pretty tasty though.

12/30/2005 - skwid wrote:

Simply stunning Champagne. The bubbles are there but not in excessive quantity and the nose is great, not overly carmelly, this bottle obviously was well taken care of. Lots of pears and apples that smoothly meld with the rest of the flavors int he Champagne. When Roederer hits with Cristal they can do really well and this was definitely a year Roederer did great.

12/25/2005 - skwid wrote:

Drunk after about an hour in the fridge. Out of Riedel Somm. Vintage Champagne glasses.

The cork came out and stayed pretty straight (did not mushroom out). The Champagne still had a decent amount of fizz. Lots of mushrooms and briocche. This was one of the better bottles of the 1985 Salon I've had. The last bottle was over the hill and was not finished.