4/16/2024 - WineGuyX wrote:

With only 30 minutes of air, this isn't showing much in the way of fruit. Nose of black cherries, dried pine needles, underbrush and spice. Medium-bodied, this has light flavors of black cherry, pine, pressed flowers and autumn leaves. Will revisit after more air.

Later: This is still dry and lacking much charm, but moderately complex and correct. Drink now-2026 90

3/11/2024 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Really interesting aroma, but its hard to describe. Some mint and aromatic scrub brush (distinct from but not dissimilar from some aspects of garrigue), roasting meat and black fruits. Med-full bodied, this is round with bright acid and decent tannin structure. Bordeaux-esque in its size and shape. There's a definite, smoky/phenolic and rosemary character. Drink now-2029 91

1/29/2024 - KingsleyZissou Likes this wine:

Very good at the price point! Barolos at this tier tend to feel sort of risky but this out performs its price tag I think.

The nose shows maraschino cherry, tomato leaf, olive, violet, new leather, savory herbs and a faint wet clay note.

Fairly brawny tannins on the palate meet a bright moderate-plus acidity that works very well with tomato-based dishes.

Needs a long decant but genuinely very happy with it!

6/24/2023 - dthompson Does not like this wine:

I have a case of this wine which I purchased about a year ago. The first 2 bottles were quite good but this one was off. Drinkable but not what it should be. It had a bit of unpleasant animal shed aroma. The wine also had a very heavy sediment. I have to see how the rest of the case turns out. The provenance was described as direct from the chateau cellar. Hmmmm.

11/20/2023 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

This time it took quite awhile in the decanter being quite dumb at first. Deep, brooding black fruits of blackberries and boysenberries as well as obvious violets. Super sweet palate that builds on its layered tannic frame. Quite delicious, this can be drunk now but will last to age 15. That said, perhaps this is shedding its baby fat and should be consumed now or after a stay in the cellar. Drink now- 2032. 94.

10/23/2023 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Beautiful nose of dried rose petals, leather, pine forest sous bois and fragrant, sweet black cherries. Medium-full bodied, this is round and moderately dense with seamless tannins. Flavors echo the nose with sandalwood incense adding an exotic dimension. Good now, this will probably improve with another year or 2 in the bottle. Drink 2024-2029 92

10/29/2023 - mreinitz wrote:

I don’t often drink Mencia and every time I do my first impression is that something is wrong with it, perhaps mildly corked. But onc3 I get the flavor profile I warm to it. This bottle had plenty of dark berry flavors along with pleasant flowery flavors. This will never be my favorite kind of wine but fun to drink now and then.

10/3/2022 - Velobici Likes this wine:

Decanted for afternoon and it was needed. At it’s peak. Double magnum at a dinner party. Consensus was that it was delicious

1/9/2023 - WineGuyX Does not like this wine:

As always, almost no sediment. The color has obviously oranged and is very light garnet color. The nose is "singed" as Michael Broadbent used to say and is lightly aromatic of cooked black cherries and spice. Light bodied with light tannins and good acid. This is thin and washed out. What a disappointment. Just a decent glass of wine at best. Drink up.
86

11/19/2021 - WeeDz wrote:

I'm really surprised. This wine has been part of my cellar every year. This vintage 2019, is flat. Little fruit. No nose. Strong tannines, acidity is there. But no dark fruit, as with other vintages. Actually there's no fruit at all. As if running into a defective bottle. I tried three bottles. All were quite uninteresting.

2/2/2023 - pdxwinefan wrote:

Dark, sweet, blueberry pie. Strong blueberry fruit on both the nose and the palate. It’s fairly high alcohol but not terribly noticeable given the power of the fruit and sugars.

This wine undeniably tastes good. It’s easy to drink and quite a crowd pleaser. And while it’s really sweet (have I mentioned that?), it did have some emerging tobacco and chocolate notes after a while.

But it’s not my style. I found myself craving more structure, something to grab hold of to help balance the fruit and sweetness. But my girlfriend loved it for all the reasons I didn’t, and you know what? Isn’t that why we enjoy wine in the first place?

4/27/2023 - Screwcaps Likes this wine:

A great bottle after a few bad corks.

The only downside to this bargain wine.

Like others who stand by corks (thinking Rockford, Penfolds) vendor has kindly excepted the bottles back.

3/15/2023 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Rich black fruits, chocolate Christmas cake and spice. This is rich and dense with a layered feel and a lot of tannin. Not as focused as the Paraje Altamira, this is more of a brute with a lot going on. 95

6/13/2022 - short and confused wrote:

Just lovely - resolved tannins- almost floral on the nose. stunningly good. I think I paid under 30 dollars for this on release. Last bottle. Sigh

2/15/2023 - short and confused wrote:

Last note from 2012 and not much has changed! Wow. Straw yellow. Vanilla, wet stone nose. Satiny in the mouth but not at the expense of lively acidity. Tropical fruit, apricots, melon, slate and apple with an impressively long finish. A special wine- at the price an absolute steal.

1/27/2023 - short and confused wrote:

This was a great bottle. CNP was a gateway drug for me but over the years I have found lots of it to be a bit too much. This was one of the very first bottles I purchased on my wine journey- 24.99 with 20% off for the case- $20. Wow. Had a 95 Pegau a few nights ago and it was pretty stewed. This one - not at all. Tart berries, stones, garrigue. A little sweeetness. Excellent stuff.

10/14/2022 - gabrowns wrote:

Served 2 magnums and 2 single bottles at our daughter’s rehearsal dinner. We knew we were taking a risk with 10-year-old white wine, but we needn’t have worried. Antique gold in color, with a slight greenish tinge. On the nose, still full with white flowers, honey and lemon, and a nice whiff of minerality in the background. On the palate, also rather full-bodied, with good acidity to round out the oak and slate. A couple of our guests commented they’d never had an aged white wine and really enjoyed it. A delightful surprise and a delicious pairing with fresh trout.

11/14/2022 - aagrawal wrote:

Stood up and decanted off substantial sediment. Deep ruby, clear; aromatic, blackberry, black fruited, some figs; palate is rich, full bodied, still quite a bit of youthful sweetness, primary black fruited, high alcohol (20%) showing slight sweet heat but not too much, fades a bit through the midpalate; finish is medium length. Just opened, showing a bit simple but balanced for now and this may need some air to open more. 91+ for now.
Decanted 4 hours: Showing a bit more spice, a touch of red fruit on the nose; palate is well integrated, midpalate fleshed out a touch but still relatively straightforward in complexity. Easily has another 2 decades of growth ahead of it as it still seems young.
8 hours: largely unchanged
Day 2: Well balanced, perhaps a bit better integrated, perhaps a tad more complex overall. I think this will develop nicely with another decade of age.

10/29/2022 - uncorked.fr Likes this wine:

Base from the 2015 harvest, 30% reserve wines. Partial malolactic fermentation. Dosage 7 g/l, disgorged in April 2021.
The quality/price/enjoyment ratio is really excellent here. That being said, I personally would have likely preferred this with less or no dosage. The palate is very well-balanced though and the dosage doesn't stick out whatsoever.

APPEARANCE:
Color & intensity: pale gold

NOSE:
Intensity: medium (+)
Aromas: white peach, toast, brioche, quince, toasted almond, white flowers, wet chalk, hints of smoke and baking spices
Development: developing

PALATE:
Sweetness: dry
Acidity: medium (+)
Alcohol: medium
Body: medium
Mousse: delicate
Intensity: medium (+)
Flavors: white peach, toast, yellow apple, lemon, crushed chalk, lemon zest, toasted almond, hint of salt
Finish: medium (+)

CONCLUSIONS:
Quality level: very good
Potential for ageing: can drink now, but has good potential for further ageing

10/13/2021 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Splash decant. Nearly opaque ruby color. Fig, fennel, and black currant on the fruit forward , modestly brooding nose. Very smooth and very dry palate, with satiny acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish. 65% Kratosija and 35% Vranec

Drinks a bit like a Napa Syrah, but not savory at all. You cannot do much better for the price. Tikves is the key wine region in North Macedonia and also the name of the largest winery.

4/10/2022 - WineGuyX wrote:

This bottle was accidentally stored upright since purchase. Nascent aromas of dark fruits are peeking out behind a wall of dry biscuit dough. Black currant, a bit of bell pepper and charred oak. The palate is austere with just the rudiments of fruit poking through. Best guess, this is in a dumb phase as it is showing very little. That said, the palate structure is elegant and there's a refreshing salinity in the finish. 90+

3/12/2022 - WineGuyX wrote:

A lightly-scented, but interesting nose. Flinty with a bit of lemon/lime zest. I find the nose intriguing and very pleasant, but difficult to describe. (Tatiana says the nose is amazing of butter cream frosting, honeysuckle and pound cake with a hint of wet popsicles stick!) Wow, what an interesting palate. Explosively flavored with lemon lime, star fruit and pear. This is bright and intense and very young. I'd love to taste a bottle in another year or two! Given its lack of developed character,this is definitely a candidate for the cellar. I'm having a hard time describing and rating this. Dosage is quite high. 89+

1/10/2022 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine:

Starting to try the Napa 2018s, and so far they’re quite promising, this bottle included. As an entry level wine, this Cab delivers great value, with a hidden complexity that suggests aging this bottle will be worthwhile. Displays a nice dark purple red in the glass. Soft fruity notes of black currant, ripe plum, dark cherry on the nose with some softer tobacco leaf in the mix. Tannins are medium - I actually would’ve preferred them a bit harder. Very present use of oak but not in an obnoxious way, it will mellow nicely. I’d say 5 years will improve this, but not more than 10 given the lack of tannic structure. But it bodes well for some of their single vineyards they occasionally release, eager to try those when available. Drank after two hour decant.

1/23/2022 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Disgorged 10-2018. Medium-light yellowish-gold. Big, toasty nose. Roasted almonds and chestnuts with hints of yellow cling peaches. This is rich and substantial on the palate. Loads of baked peach cobbler, citrus oils and Meyer lemon on the palate. This is mature, but with loads of life left! Really wish I had more than 2 bottles left. Drink now-2028+. 94

Two nights later: this has continued to develop rich, oxidative characters. So much marzipan! What this lacks in elegance, it more than makes up for with brash richness!

7/11/2018 - SINOPTICUS Likes this wine:

Bottle brought to a dinner party by a guest 11 years previously, it ended up in the oddments section of the cellar. With the very same guest in attendance at a dinner party recently, decided it was appropriate and fun to open....

Cork broke in two. Carefully eased the rest of the cork out. It was still wine, with only a slight bouquet. Then decanted and it opened up magnificently. Fabulous bouquet, what a great wine! Quite like a really good Rhone from the Cote Rotie? Beginning to brown a bit at the edges, lovely structure, magnificent red fruits, cough sweets, no hint of oak, slight garrigue herbs. A real treat: my only bottle. If I did have more (a) I would be very happy, but (b) it is really ready to drink now, and I wouldn't want to keep it say another 5 years...... but strong proof that some of these wines really do benefit from ageing.

Served with a chicken casserole, assorted roast vegetables. the 389 went fantastically well with the dinner.

1/30/2022 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Big nose of pine forest floor, tilled earth and potpourri. Not much fruit showing yet. Full-bodied, dense and very rich! There's baked black cherries, black plums and prunes on the palate as well as the aforementioned pine forest floor and earth. This is structured with a long, lingering finish that just goes on and on and reveals a very interesting Graves-like iodine note. This can be drunk now with sufficient air, but really needs another two plus years or so to be at its best. If this evolves the way I expect, this could be the greatest wine I've tasted from Alessandria (and I've tasted most vintages back to 1996). Drink 2024-2030+ 95+

6/19/2021 - OmiyaDrinker wrote:

Tar, roses, smoked meat, black olive, liqorice - sophisticated and stylish nose. Lovely balance of sweet fruit and savory complexity on the palate. The sweetness is certainly surprising driven by ripe fruits of the forest. This is all balanced by a spine of acidity. Robust structure with ripe, velvety tannin. This wine has just softened into its drinking window but it’s right at the very start of that curve. I think this will be fantastic in 10 years and well beyond.

1/6/2022 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

This really shows the typical house style here. Very concentrated and tannic. A nose of grilled meat, black cherries and spring flowers. Full-bodied and quite tannic. Loads of spice, tilled earth, Szechuan peppercorn and black fruits on the palate. I was hoping this would be closer to maturity, but given the fact the 2007 Les Claux didn't reach maturity until 3 years ago and 2010 is a much more structured vintage it was fantasy! An incredibly intense salty umami character wells up on the finish, somewhat reminiscent of the best Rioja. This can be drunk now, but I'd opt for at least another 2 years in the cellar. This could eventually merit a higher score. Drink 2024-2030+ 94+

12/16/2021 - jarfman wrote:

Unfortunately, while checking inventory I noticed this bottle had a drip forming around the foil top. Touching the top of the foil caused the wine to flow out. Cork had contracted and fallen into the bottle. The foil seal was the only thing preventing the bottle from pouring out. Disappointed. Anyone ever experience anything like that?

10/15/2021 - swade wrote:

My 1,000th tasting note and a special bottle to commemorate it. This one deals in black. Dark fruit melange and spice on the nose. Abundant blackberry flavors. Huge core of fruit. Fruit forward, but still some grip on the back. Excellent. 91

8/15/2020 - forceberry wrote:

An older bottling, most likely from the 1970's or early 1980's. The label does not bear any information on the alcoholic content, so I guess this must be quite old, since labeling the alc% has been mandatory for quite a while now.

The cork comes off quite easily, but - surprisingly - with a small "pssshh", so apparently there is still some CO2 in the wine! I was expecting this bottle to be completely flat. Deep burnished golden color with a subtly coppery core. Very evolved and quite tertiary nose with aromas of robust nuttiness, some browned butter, a little bit of bruised apple, light red apple tones, a hint of creamy white-rind cheese and a touch of prosciutto. The wine is developed, very complex and surprisingly fresh on the palate with layered flavors of crema catalana, stony minerality, some chalky bitterness, a little bit of tangy salinity, light crunchy notes of green apples, a tart hint of key lime and a touch of peanut butter. The mousse feels very light, gentle and silky, whereas the bracing acidity comes across as very high, but not unbalanced - partly thanks to the dosage that shows a bit. The finish is very long, quite crisp and pretty tertiary with a little bit of dosage sweetness and quite intense flavors of tart green apples, some bruised apple, light mineral notes of tangy salinity and wet stones, a little bit of syrupy richness, a hint of oxidative nuttiness and a touch of toasted bread.

A beautifully evolved NV Brut that is in a remarkably wonderful condition even after 40-50 years. I was expecting this to be completely flat and oxidized, but the wine turned out to be not only alive, but also in a terrific shape. Most likely the wine has been at its plateau of maturity for a good deal of years now and perhaps will stay there for some time more. All in all, an outstanding effort. I never cease to be thrilled by these older entry-level NVs when they've managed to kept their composure after multiple decades.

2/27/2021 - Badmonkey wrote:

Purple fruit - blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and a little blueberry. Smooth mid-palate with a nice purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, and cocoa. Fairly long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time. Quite enjoyable at this stage but I believe another year or so will be beneficial to let it soften/open-up some more. I believe the 96 rating from WA makes sense with a little more time. Drank next to the 2015 vintage and I thought the 2016 vintage was a couple points better (bigger/fuller fruit and more expressive/flavorful) but surprisingly also at a better drinking point. 100% cab.

5/23/2018 - WineGuyX Does not like this wine:

Rich, very ripe (maybe a tad overripe) nose of prunes, creosote and old wood. Very ripe and seemingly disjointed. This is definitly not to my liking, but those who prefer large-scaled, extremely ripe wines should love this. Despite the overripe/shoe-polishy flavors, this does have an excellent texture, so perhaps this will come together with a few more years in bottle. I've already purchased 2 more bottles, so we'll see how they develop over the next 5-8 years. 85+

8/14/2021 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Still Ruby/garnet in color with no signs of bricking. Fascinating nose of roasting espresso beans, wood smoke and road tar. Medium-bodied but still quite tannic, this has that unmistakable So African flavor/aroma but I don’t find it objectionable. Tannins are a bit astringent combined with some high acidity. This is very interesting and enjoyable but too far outside the realm of typical for a 100 point scale rating. That said, it is undeniably a serious and persistent, if not completely amicable wine.

7/27/2021 - fingers Does not like this wine:

Otra vez, es no bueno.
This was a gift from a friend. I must now reevaluate that relationship.

6/15/2021 - shafer1994 Likes this wine:

A muscular, fabulous wine. Still young. Surprisingly tannic. Dark red color. Well balanced, concentrated, Rich, Creme de cassis, Developed, but still many years ahead. A pleasure and a guarantee for a wonderful evening.

4/15/2021 - WineGuyX wrote:

This is very much in the La Rioja Alta house style. Aroma of red cherry, old spice box, old, dusty wooden shelves filled with equally dusty old books. Medium-bodied with dry but very fine tannin. This is low on fruit and sweetness, but high on elegance, fine tannic structure and good acidity. Just not my style, but this is undeniably good. I'd opt to give this another year or two to see if it opens up a bit more. Drink 2022-2029 92

7/8/2021 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

The 2008's from Azelia are now fully mature but require time in decanter to blow off some considerable earthy funk. After sufficient time, this has a huge aroma filled with sous-bois, rosemary, red cherry, oak and cola. The palate is medium-bodied with great structure still. Bright acids and tannin to stand up to a ribeye drizzled in olive oil. On the palate there is roasted meat stuffed with black cherries and thyme, blood orange, oak, composted pine needles and spice. Start pulling bottles, but expect a long decant. Drink now-2026+ 94

3/14/2020 - burgundybrooks wrote:

I know it has been a while since I posted as I have been recovering from a multi-year health issue that is now under control. Forgive my plebeian or pedestrian initial first attempt back. Very lemony and undertones of a savoriness my wife and I could not identify; which is shocking considering she is a gourmand chef (of our home). Refreshing and completely different than most extra Brutes we have. In some ways, I am happy I tried tried this, but also happy I only bought three bottles (from Toni Deluca now at Provisions in Northampton - stop by, excellent wine selection). Will be curious to see what I think of it next.

5/2/2020 - rogerr Likes this wine:

Maturing beautifully. Still good fruit presence. Great balance and length. Great bargain from Garagiste after a long hold.

2/9/2021 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine:

Intense and alluring nose of roses, earthy spice, lavender and red fruit. Palate still youthful in fruit and structure but certainly entering a period of very fine drinking. The beautiful floral nose speaks well of Verduno but the structure and depth I think reflect the vintage as well. Nicely balanced, delicious, a great complement to food. Classic Barolo, will be excellent for decades.

12/28/2020 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Nice nose of baked cherries, spice, pine needles, pressed flowers and sous bois. Medium-bodied, this is really showing its age and has lost a lot of fruit and body. That said, this is still drinking well with flavors that perfectly echo the aroma. Still bright and hasn't started to oxidize. Drink now. 91

10/29/2020 - vino vidi vici Likes this wine:

Exceptional - tropical sweetness matched with mouthwatering acid. Really delicious, wish I had more!

1/17/2021 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

A bit murky, but still a very saturated brickish/ruby with hints of purple. BIG nose, loaded with all sorts of things, such as black currant (reminiscent of very old Bordeaux). creosote, charred new oak and mint. Maybe even a bit of pine forest floor (terroir over varietal?). There's also a bit of dried flowers/pot-pourri. Medium-bodied and silky. Some oxidation is evident on the palate and nose and this is definitely past its prime, but still an absolute delight! Drink now. 91

12/13/2020 - lowereastscott Likes this wine:

Purchased at a charity auction in 2016. Bottle came from Chambers St. Wines in NYC, who presumably bought an old Italian cellar, but I have no provenance information.

Fill was insanely high for a 93-year-old wine. The cork had been covered with what looked like black wax, but it also had been mostly rubbed off. I chipped away and then opened it with a Durand. The cork came out completely intact. I carefully decanted it off of the sediment and took a whiff...

It was...just ok. It smelled like tar, but not in the good, mature red wine way -- more like an old crusty rooftop. The color was gorgeous, though, and I swirled it a bit and then left it alone.

By the time we were ready to eat, it had been in the decanter about an hour or so. The wine was fully alive. Still showing dark red fruit. Super refreshing, indicating it must have been a high acid vintage. Not much tannin to speak of. Slight hint of sweetness that I get with a lot of old wines. The nose switched from unpleasant tar to something more like truffled salami. The finish was still quite long. If I had been served it blind, I would have guessed something from the sixties or seventies.

This was, by far, the best experience I've had with any "old" wine (over, say 55 years old).

12/13/2020 - WineGuyX wrote:

Stinky nose of stewed fruits and soy sauce. Medium-bodied and tannic. These wines are an enigma. They age beautifully and gracefully then suddenly, seemingly overnight, fall apart.

5/30/2020 - wineshaman wrote:

Decanted for sediment which was considerable, WOW, this was incredible, this is my second bottle, the first tasted was way back in May of 2010. This second and last bottle was well worth the wait, full cassis, currants, plums,, outstanding balance wit peppery notes, the finish went on and on, in fact I could taste the fruit for ten minutes after the last taste. Bravo to this vintage of Laurel glen!

7/15/2020 - paulst Likes this wine:

Leather, earth and berry nose; balanced; smooth tannins and sweet light licorice finish.

6/26/2020 - WineGuyX Does not like this wine:

Stinky nose. Old barrel. Medium-full bodied and somewhat rich. Dense and tannic. This may need another year or two to reach full maturity. Grilled herbs and cherries. This screams for a ribeye. Not for me. 90

3/12/2020 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

After initially being quite sharp and unrepentant, after more than a week open (but gassed) in my fridge, this has finally come around. Perhaps the stock market route combined with a 2 day fast (broken this afternoon) has made me overly fond of alcohol, but this is now absolutely delicious! The nose is loaded with ripe, dark fruits, spices and cedary oak. The palate is medium-full bodied and rich, but very well behaved. This is supple, never overripe and with very high quality tannin. This should develop very well in the cellar. I won't touch another bottle until 8 years old. Drink: 2024-2031+ 94+