2/9/2024 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Young but quite nice with Korean food at GAHM By Mokbar in Brooklyn

2/9/2024 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Nice wine, still primary but tannins are resolved enough to be smooth.

2/9/2024 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Typical nose of tar, cherries, violets. Nice perfume. Primary tannins resolved but still plenty of grip. The fruit is supple in the mouth. Great now but can probably drink well for another 5-7 years at least.

12/6/2021 - bigwineguy420 Likes this wine:

Bright, zippy, a lot of acid at first. Developed well over the next couple of days. Lots of plum fruit and very well balanced.

3/19/2021 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Beautifully resolved. Opaque ruby color and still looking youthful. Amazing tart red cherry fruit on the palate with hints of oak and spice. Lots of lively acid, a bit of tannin balance out the lengthy finish.

12/7/2020 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Loved this blend of Malvasia and Semillon. I love what they are doing in reviving this historic estate. Crisp, nice citrus notes, balanced.

12/2/2020 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Really nice. A bit on the modern side. Deep opaque ruby color. Lots of kirsch but followed with hints of earth, leather and spice.

3/26/2014 - bigwineguy420 Likes this wine:

Fresh off the truck! Pale salmon pink in color. Nose is a bit muted, but some vague floral and mineral notes. On the palate, bright yellow peach and melon fruit notes really jump out and the fruit lingers on the palate. Balanced acidity and a soft, lingering finish. Very nice. 95% Mourvedre & 5% Grenache.

6/28/2013 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Lovely early mature Bordeaux. Explosive nose of graphite, pencil, and red fruits. On the palate, the tannins are resolved and layers of cassis, black currant and dark red currant abound. There is a subtle oak presence on the palate and a long dark finish bounded by supple tannins and drying tobacco/earth notes. Drink now or over the next 2-6 years.

6/27/2013 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Cool stuff. Medium bodied, gamey, mint, ecualyptus notes on the nose. Nice cherry/raspberry fruit on the palate. The finish has lots of dirt and mineral.

5/19/2013 - bigwineguy420 Likes this wine:

I've had this bottle standing up in the 'drink soon' pile so I finally got around to it. Still, the wine is flat upon pop and pour, it really needs 15-20 minutes to get going. This really hasn't changed much since I last tried it. Opaque purple/black color. Notes of blueberry/blackberry compote on the nose. A touch more alcohol is noticable both on the nose and palate. Juicy black fruits on the palate, creamy and round with some finer tannins and a bit of acidity on the finish. Very nice. I'm not sure if I should keep holding it or drink up what I have, but it's in a good place now.

9/30/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Opaque inky black in color. At first, hints of blackberry and earth on the nose. The palate has rich, deep black fruit notes and bold fruit. However, after about 30min there was a note of acetone on the nose that never really went away although it could be ignored as it was mostly on the nose. Decent with some steak but the funky nose disappointed me.

9/30/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

After nearly 40 years this fantastic dessert wine is finally coming around! Opaque dark chocolate brown in color, like dirty motor oil. It still possesses aromas of dark brown sugar and cinnamon spice. The palate has mellowed out a bit. It no longer tastes like viscous liquid brown sugar. While still rich and thick, it's lost some of the weight it once possessed and now has a smoother, more fluid feel in the mouth and displays more notes of ripe figs and raisins on the finish. It was great with some soft stinky cheese. Enjoy in moderation.

9/30/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

2011 Disgorgement. 2007 Vintage fruit. 100% Chardonnay. A single vineyard, single parcel wine. Pale straw gold in color. Lots of tiny, fine bubbles. Notes of lemon and white chalk on the nose. On the palate, elegant but tightly wound, with fleeting hints of lemon custard. The wine is lean and tight, and does not reveal much. Chalky mineral notes and some green on the finish. It almost reminds me of a sparkling Chablis at this stage. This wine needs time.

9/30/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

This was a solid, excellent bottle. Opaque garnet color when decanted. Aromas of red fruits and sage on the nose. On the palate, lots of cassis and blackberry fruit notes followed by some volcanic earth, with bracing tannin and minerality. Great with some savory flap skirt steak. This is nice now but will continue to develop/maintan with this level of fruit for at least another 3-5 years.

7/31/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Purchased from the same source so I assume it's the same disgorgement, 2002. Deep golden in color. Intense nose of rich brioche toast. The attack is fresh but layers of creamy white fruits follow the crispy nose and notes of hazelnut follow on the finish. Very nice now, but still plenty of life left.

7/31/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

The color has a deep pink salmon hue. Light toasty red fruit notes on the nose. Persistent, rich light red fruits throughout the palate. A hint of toast/brioche. Red currant, strawberries, cranberries on the palate. The finish is long and lingers with a hint of rhubarb and toast. Very nice.

7/4/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Wow, in this case I think I have spotted a points whore in our esteemed barrister Mr. Levenberg. This is awesome stuff, pale straw in color with explosive aromas of shore brine, stinky cave cheese, and vidalia onion but on a hard chill is as sharp as a knife and amazingly refreshing. I scored a great deal on a couple of halves from a discounter and couldn't pass this up. It's a great refresher for a 90 degree midnight in NYC.

7/4/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

I had an Argentine woman in the store tonight lecturing me on the finer points of Torrontes from Cafayate so it was nice to find this at home tonight. Light pale straw/gold in color. Aromatic bouquet of acacia and lily flowers. On the palate ripe rich white peach fruit that is creamy and round with a hint of spicy pit bite. The finish is long and lingering. Very nice. I feel that my note under delivers and the wine is still impressing me.

6/20/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

I found this under a pile... Bottle #68 of 1239. Smoky black cherry/berry fruit on the nose followed by searing acid on the palate and granite-hewn tannins on the finish. Very nice but a bit rough around the edges with rudimentary food. Try it with cassoulet.

6/10/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

This was purchased on DI in 2011 based upon the wine buyers' experience at VinItaly. Unfortunately it didn't reach us until spring 2012. Golden straw in color, with a closed nose of green stems and muted red flowers. On the palate, acidic, lean fruit with a hint of ripe lychee in the background. The finish is short with lots of acid. I'm not sure what to make of this, perhaps it will expand more with time but usually non-Rhone Viognier has a 3yr window and it falls off the cliff...

6/10/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Wow what an interesting and refreshing surprise on a hot and humid day in Manhattan. This wine is orange/salmon in color and shows a subdued nose of strawberry and rhubarb. On the palate, more tart light red fruits almost like unripe cherries. The wine is crisp and clean with lively acidity and a nice orange/citrus note on the finish. Now sold out with the supplier and the last bottle I could get my hands on in the store, so I had to try it. it did not disappoint.

6/5/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Dark/opaque ruby in color; white at the rim. A bit lean at opening. The cork was soaked up to the neck and some schmutz under the foil. It smelled a bit maderized/acetic on the nose. However, some nice red Zin fruit popped out followed by a touch of toasty/popcorny American oak. The wine really oscillated the whole night between glasses/tastes on both ends of the scale, one minute VA/nailpolish, the next minute red/black fruits and oak. On the good sniffs, one could also detect secondary notes of coffee, spices, grilled meat, ripe blackberries, and salty bacon. One of the last of a half dozen or so I've consumed, this was definitely on the worse end of them. Judging by the color I would think a clean bottle should have another decade or two of life ahead of it.

5/25/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Intense opaque bronze/brown in color. Definitely south of oxidized, but not in a bad way. Lean and acidic at first, but opened up with honeyed and sweet caramel/apricot/butterscotch notes. The finish was a bit clipped. However for a classic vintage and the price still holding up fine. Drink over the next 5 years.

5/25/2012 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Popped and poured tonight to celebrate the Devils win over the Rangers. Opaque ruby in color. A bit lean and acidic to start, but considering the P&P not too bad. After an hour or so of air, it's really expanding. Nice sous-bois note on the nose that follows through with red cherry fruit. A bit acetic in the middle with throws your palate off, but it recovers nicely with that black licorice/road tar note of chunky Merlot on the finish. Not a superlative wine but solid and in its midpoint of life with plenty of good years left.

11/18/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

A wonderful, still a bit young old school Bordeaux. This bottle was a leaker and we opened it in th interest of science. There was wine leaking out the top of the cork. Upon opening, the cork was not soaked through but rather was pretty solid. Poured out a glass. It smelled fine if a bit flat at first and continued to open up with time. A colleague had recently had a good bottle that was better on the second day so I had faith. It opened up over the next couple of hours revealing notes of cedar, cigar box, spices, red earth, mineral and red currant fruit. A fantastic bottle even in its poor condition and came from a solid source at a great price.

10/13/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

This was an interesting closeout pickup. I believe the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Malbec. Deep ruby color in the glass and creamy mousse. A bit of earth/mushroom on the nose. Nice mature Cab notes of cassis, cedar, sage, and mint. A pleasant treat!

10/4/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

This is my second bottle, I guess I never posted a note from the first tasting this spring. A loud 'pop' on the opening, this wine had a denser mousse and more bubbles than the bottle I popped with Peter Consonants. Intense nose of bread and brioche, pale straw color, but lots of red fruits and currant on the palate. Long finish with lots of mineral. This is shaping up well, very excited to see where it goes.

10/4/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

w/Mike Grammer, Soul Flavors, Jersey City. Thanks again to Gil Bauer for bringing this. I have to tell the story that he opened this based on Jay's ( bestjetsfan) note about no oak and that couldn't be the opposite. The wine is light straw in color, with an intense nose of toast, popcorn, and sweetness associated with oak but it's not so heavy handed that it feels like biting on a 2x4. However the color is so light, the fruit is so primary, there is so much green and acid present that I think with 5-10 years this wine will settle in and become a deep, dense, complex Mersualt Charmes along the lines of both something like Lafon and some of the other Hospice wines from this area that I've become familiar with over time.

10/4/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

w/Mike Grammer@Soul Flavors, Jersey City. Well this is quite a treat for a number of reasons. Certainly one of the better 2007's I've had. This was more or less popped and poured. Dense black cherry fruits, spice, tar/earth and some stems. There is definitely some oak to it but it really wasn't present early and only came out with the last sips I'm taking now after being open 5 hrs. It's a deep, rich, complex, layered, abundant wine that should hold well for at least a decade and all the uproar over these wines about spoilage before time of delivery should be cast aside if all the wines came from this source. Thanks to Gil Bauer for taking the plunge with the HAG and hanging in there to receive some good wines!

9/26/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Champagne Lallier Lunch A Voce Time Warner Center--Bright salmon pink color. Fresh, fruity nose of strawberries. Creamy and rich on the palate, with bright red fruit notes and a long, delicate finish. This was a last minute taste and quite a surprise!

9/26/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Champagne Lallier lunch, Time Warner Center NYC. Light straw in color. Intense nose of lemon citrus and spice. Tart citrus on the palate. Toasty and rich on the finish but tight, this wine should be very interesting in another 5-10 years if anyone cellars it.

9/26/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Champagne Lallier lunch, A Voce Time Warner Center--Medium straw gold in color. Bright nose of citrus and a touch of brioche. Softer, forward fruit on the palate and a long, creamy finish. Very nice.

9/26/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Champagne Lallier Lunch, A Voce, Time Warner Center--Bright pale straw in color. Tart nose of citrus and spice. Bright and clean on the palate, with great acidity on the finish. 70% Pinot Noir from Ay, 30% Chardonnay from Avize.

9/11/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Decanted for 4 hours. Opaque garnet color. Somewhat muted, medicinal nose with notes of cedar and spice. Reticent on the palate but showing some nice notes of chocolate, spice and red currants. Bracing tannin and drying mineral notes on the finish. It's nice on the palate, but sadly I think it's a VA problem. Not rated.

8/24/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Intense opaque black/blue in color. Popped and poured, consumed over 6hrs. At first, a reticent nose of blackberry and white pepper. The wine was tight and very primary. On the palate, short blue fruit tight and tannic on the finish. The wine opened up with time and revealed a broader, rich velvety mid palate of currant and blackberry fruit, along with hints of sage and eucalyptus. It showed great structure with plenty of tannin and balanced acidity and should age and evolve for another decade or so.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Popped and poured this evening. Dark ruby color, dense nose of red cherry fruit and drinking just fine thank you! Very nice and at its peak.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Nice, simple, straightforward fizzy red a-la Brachettto. Great alternative to a rose at brunch, just understand it for what it is.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage PDH. Another Rocking bottle! Intense deep golden in color. Dense nose of mineral, petrol, and pineapple. On the palate, really crisp clean lemon/pineapple fruit notes with a long midpalate and a soft, creamy finish. Great stuff.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage PDH Oh, how I wanted to love this wine. Out of the gate it was phenomenal. Opaque ruby in color, looking dense and viscous, with intense deep red cherry, licorice, cola and spice notes. It was so good at first I wanted to go back to it; that was the wine's undoing with the wine's second taste following after lean, acidic Red Burgundy. Yet was it just me? The wine had changed markedly; not just to me but to several tasters who both liked and disliked it intially...it really fell apart before our eyes. Sorry Dain!

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage PDH Uggh. Intense, opaque black/ruby in color. Not much on the nose, just the typical cherry/cola/wood thing going on. Muted, monolithic, ham-handed high alcohol, extracted Pinot Noir. Not for me.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage PDH Popped and decanted; consumed over 2+hrs. Dark ruby but translucent in color seeming to lighten with time. Smoky oak but tight crisp acids at first, fleshed out with time. Tart red cherry, maybe it was the New World Pinot company but this showed weak and lean in the mouth in spite of the superior aromatics and nuances vs. the competition.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage PDH Intense golden in color. Ready to go on opening. Bright nose of apricots and stone pit spice, creamy and rich on the palate. Medium bodied, intense note of spice and burnt orange peel on the midpalate and a soft, creamy vanilla/creme brulee finish. Very nice.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage PDH NR Corked! FML.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage PDH--NR Flawed. Secondary fermentation going on in this bottle. Sparkling Chardonnay, but more like a Moscato d'Asti than an Ambonnay!

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage-- Wow! A simply phenomenally balanced wine. Translucent light ruby in color. Completely pristine condition. Creamy red fruit on the palate with hints of cranberries, black tea, tar, and spices. Complex and layered, but again served early and consumed too quickly. What a treat!

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Very tight at first; lean, straw yellow in color, hot on the finish. The wine took on a more golden color with oxygen and began to reveal the typical honeycomb-lemon citrus-lemon oil notes but was pretty forward and one-dimensional. It was really nice but didn't have the extra depth of some other vintages.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

PDH Michael Whitehead Bon Voyage-- Opaque ruby in color. Restrained nose of black cherry, tar, licorice. On the palate, tannic to start with dark red cherry fruit. Some black cherry and tart currant fruit but the wine didn't really come out of its shell. This was another one that was poured out too quickly and showed better at the end of the night for those who waited.

8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

PDH--Michael Whitehead sendoff. Opaque ruby purple in color. Typical nose of graphite, pencil shavings, pure cassis fruit, eucalyptus. Finishes with notes of wood and malo, some structure and tannin at the core, just not as expressive as some of the 'great' vintages. This was a fantastic treat and consumed too quickly by the group.

7/2/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote:

Popped & poured. Dark ruby in color. Reticent nose that reveals a bit of cherry and raspberry. On the palate, the candied cherry/kirsch and raspberry fruit notes are more expansive but bounded by tight tannins. The tannins continue to clamp down on the finish and a hit of alcohol pops up. I would expect this to continue to develop for 5-7 years, it should evolve nicely.