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Tasting Notes for Dan L

(407 notes on 335 wines)

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Red
2006 Eagles Trace Latitude 38 Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
6/1/2023 - Dan L Likes this wine:
94 points
Happy birthday to me! This was fantastic, and well worth the wait. It actually still had plenty of life left in it, but it was ready to drink with a bit of aeration. It's ridiculous that I only paid $33 for this. Even more ridiculous was that I only purchased one bottle. If I had only known. I only have six bottles left of the '09, '10, and '11. Certainly a wine for special occasions. Anyone can buy a supper expensive bottle of wine and have a good experience with it, but to find a realistically-priced wine made with passion provides a great experience. Thank you Gus Anderson. We wish we had an endless supply of your wines.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/17/2022 - Dan L wrote:
flawed
Both of my 2011s were flawed. They weren't "corked," but they drank as if they were already 25 years old. They were both a little better on days two and three, but they were still far past prime drinking. Has anyone else experienced this with their 2011s? These were purchased at the same time from the same vendor. We have not experienced this with other vintages.
Red
12/14/2022 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Fantastic! This was in a wonderful place when we opened it. The balance was fantastic. It has life left in it, of course, but we likely won't wait too long on the next bottle. Yum!
Beer
10/9/2022 - Dan L wrote:
95 points
Fantastic! This aged really well.
Red
9/10/2022 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Fantastic! It was our last bottle and it will be missed. At nearly 12 years old, this $27 bargain drank like a much more expensive wine.
Red
9/5/2022 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
A fantastic wine on day three. I wish I had waited another five years before I opened this. It needs decanting and a lot of aeration at this point. In the end, this was a joy to taste.
Red
4/2/2022 - Dan L wrote:
92 points
Time was good to this one. Unfortunately, it was our last one. It turned out to be a fantastic bargain at $18. 100٪ Pinot Noir.
Red
12/10/2021 - Dan L Likes this wine:
91 points
Wonderful! This is really beginning to open up. Eagles Trace always takes time to come around. They are always worth the wait.
White
12/4/2021 - Dan L wrote:
94 points
Fantastic! Double decanted and let it aerate for about two hours. It's in a really good place right now, but it certainly has more life left in it.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Beer
5/30/2021 - Dan L wrote:
98 points
This is drinking so nicely right now.
Red
12/20/2020 - Dan L Likes this wine:
91 points
What a difference a few years in the cellar makes. This is drinking rather nicely right now. It still requires aeration, but not much.
Red
12/19/2020 - Dan L wrote:
flawed
like the others, I've never seen another cork like this one. I haven't done the research yet, but it was likely an experiment gone wrong. Our bottle was extremely oxidized. Now I know why I was able to purchase it for what would have been a bargain price.
Red
3/9/2019 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Fantastic! Wonderful nose. Short in the mid palate at first, but it opened back up after a few hours in a decanter.
Beer
12/25/2018 - Dan L wrote:
99 points
Fantastic! After 25 years this is finally in balance and is harmonious. We'll likely drink our last bottle in the next year or two. I'm just not sure how much life is left in it as I have nothing to compare it to. A great experience now, though.
Red
First taste upon opening was like a punch in the mouth with the high alcohol and acidity. After a couple of hours in a decanter it began to mellow out. Dark in color, mouth drying tannins, red and some blue fruit. I won't touch the next bottle for at least three years. Given the structure, it should improve greatly in aroma and balance. It's really good now, but this is one that really needs more time in the cellar.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2005 Eagles Trace Latitude 38 Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
10/26/2018 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Absolutely Fantastic. I only wish I had waited longer before opening it since I only had one bottle. Despite the other reviews, this wine has plenty of life left and would benefit from additional cellar time. That's not to say the others were wrong, as every bottle matures differently. We also enjoy fully mature wines while others prefer theirs youthful. Either way, this is wonderful now.
2 people found this helpful Comment
White
10/7/2018 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Wonderful! As good as it was, I wish I had another to open two years from now. My bottle was nowhere near its peak and had room for further development. It's certainly drinking well, though.
Red
2005 Château Pontet-Fumet St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
7/8/2018 - Dan L wrote:
94 points
Fantastic! I am so happy that I practiced some patience with this one. Bordeaux usually takes time and this one was no exception. It is drinking wonderfully now, but it still has plenty of life left in it (if stored properly, of course). A fantastic bargain, by the way. This drank like far more expensive wine. 81% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Red
4/20/2018 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
I was concerned that we would be opening this too soon, but it was wonderful. I did pour it through an aerator into a decanter and let it sit for around an hour before drinking. That surely helped. Only wish we had more...
Beer
4/20/2018 - Dan L wrote:
Actual drink date unknown
White - Sweet/Dessert
4/8/2018 - Dan L Likes this wine:
90 points
Drank over several days. Beginning to build a little complexity as it ages and breathes a little air. Good stuff and a good bargain. Plenty of life left in it, of course. Wish I could find more.
White
3/17/2018 - Dan L Likes this wine:
90 points
Really good, but we'll wait at least one more year before we open the next bottle.
Red
3/18/2018 - Dan L wrote:
87 points
PnP to satisfy our curiosity as we've never had a sub-$10 Barolo. At 11a.m. it was a real surprise. We found nice color, fruit, and aromas, but it was lacking the typical body and tannic structure of a young Barolo. I will certainly buy more at this price, though. I will save the actual score for later in the day after it has had a chance to open up a bit more.

Okay, after finishing the bottle the same day, I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised, and we'll be buying more. It's very light for a Barolo, but if you can get past that it's actually tasty. It didn't come across as watered down, but think of it as a cross between a proper Barolo and a rosé of Nebbiolo. In the end, it's certainly a bargain at $7.50.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1/28/2018 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Fantastic. This is one you had to wait for; both for time in the cellar and time in the decanter. Once it opened up it was a real joy to experience.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/25/2017 - Dan L wrote:
94 points
Stole the show.
Red
10/8/2017 - Dan L Likes this wine:
92 points
I had decided that I sat on this long enough and opened one. It was well worth the wait. Decanted through an aerator and began drinking immediately. It had a wonderful nose that opened up quickly. The tannins smoothed out rather quickly. The flavors were very bright with red fruit. Drink or hold, but it's drinking wonderfully right now.
White
10/6/2017 - Dan L Likes this wine:
91 points
This was best bottle we've had recently. Deep gold in color with deep, broad flavors to match. With one bottle left I'm not sure if I want to drink it soon or wait to see what it develops into.
White
6/24/2017 - Dan L Likes this wine:
91 points
Very nice. Much bigger than I thought it would be.
White
6/18/2017 - Dan L wrote:
90 points
What a great bargain this turned out to be. It really mellowed with the additional age and drank like a far more expensive wine. Wish I had more.
Red
2013 RdV Vineyards Lost Mountain Fauquier County Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
5/21/2017 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
My first thought when I read the first two reviews of this vintage was that I was glad I was not a Master of Wine. Apparently they become so spoiled on super high-end wines that that really nice bottles like this are inferior to them. I'm very happy that I can drink and appreciate wines "for the rest of us." That's not a hit on Masters of Wine, though, as it's more a statement of my lack of experience with truly nice wines. I thought this was a fantastic wine with strong potential. We tasted it at the winery alongside three vintages of the Rendezvous, which were also a fantastic wines. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Merlot.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
3/15/2017 - Dan L wrote:
88 points
This exceeded my expectations for a wine at $10. Lots of blackberry upon opening. Good tannic structure. Potential to age well a couple of years more. Great for mid-week meals.
White
3/13/2017 - Dan L wrote:
90 points
Fantastic! Lots of life left in it. More details to follow.
Red
2/26/2017 - Dan L wrote:
91 points
Absolutely wonderful. I've tasted this twice now and I really like it. I'll go out on a limb and say that it is not fined nor filtered. That adds a lot of complexity to the wine, in my opinion. That also means that it must be decanted, and care must be taken while pouring. The sediment was so fine in thus last bottle that it clogged my mesh strainer. It's drinking quite nicely now and should for a few more years if stored properly. On clearance at my local store for less than $21. BARGAIN!!
Red
2/18/2017 - Dan L Likes this wine:
90 points
It was quite nice on day 3. Like all of their other wines that I've tasted thus far, it needed a good bit of air before it opened up. It began a little on the tart and bitter side, but that that was gone on the third day.
Beer
1/5/2017 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Wow, that was good. Five years in the basement made for a very smooth and balanced beer. It still has plenty of gas left in the tank, but it's really nice right now.
Red
2006 Château La Couspaude St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
12/25/2016 - Dan L Likes this wine:
92 points
Wonderful! I was somewhat worried about this one given its journey from the Château through parts of Africa and then several different homes here in the States. It certainly made it just fine and it was definitely worth the wait. It made for a great pairing with prime rib for Christmas dinner. 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Red
12/17/2016 - Dan L wrote:
92 points
An absolute surprise this time around. This is fully mature and drinking superbly right now. Our first words after our first sips were, "Very soft." Soft as in elegant, though. A fantastic bargain at $12. If you bought this and didn't hold onto it then you really missed out. If you still have some, it's ready to go. It also has life left in it. Wish I had more.
Red
11/23/2016 - Dan L wrote:
94 points
For those of you who did not have the patience to wait on this one, you really missed out. This is in such a wonderful place right now. It reminded me of a cross between an aged Brunello and a quality red Burgundy, but at a fraction of the cost. The color, the aromas, the smooth (but yet still persistent) tannins, the finish... it all finally came together. A couple of years ago this wine was so dry and tannic that it impossible to imagine that it could as delightful as it is now. I only have one '10 left and look forward to seeing if it has evolved as well as the '09.
Red
2011 Eagles Trace Latitude 38 Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
10/29/2016 - Dan L Likes this wine:
This has wonderful potential, but obviously not ready yet. I have more, so I sacrificed this one early to satisfy my curiosity. I have these going back to 2005 that I'm really looking forward to tasting one day.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
10/19/2016 - Dan L wrote:
90 points
Tasted twice now. Certainly a bargain at $14. It's really beginning to come around, but it still aeration or another year in the bottle.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
10/16/2016 - Dan L wrote:
88 points
Much improved with the additional cellar time, as expected. Even these cheap Bordeaux from 2009 needed time to come around, but I imagine that few people purchased the cheap ones with the intent to age them. It's too bad, though, as there were some bargains to be had in this vintage. I wish I had bought a lot more of this while I had the opportunity. Aeration is its friend, but another year in the cellar wouldn't hurt, either.
White - Sweet/Dessert
9/28/2016 - Dan L wrote:
91 points
So much better now that it's had a another year in the bottle. Very nice now, but it has a couple of good years left in it.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
9/18/2016 - Dan L Likes this wine:
91 points
A real nice surprise, especially for only $17.
White
9/17/2016 - Dan L wrote:
93 points
Fantastic! It's really beginning to become a great Chardonnay. Unfortunately, it's our last bottle.
Red
9/13/2016 - Dan L wrote:
90 points
Drinking very nicely right now. I'll consume my last two bottles within the next two years.
Red
8/3/2016 - Dan L wrote:
This is showing fantastically already, but I agree with the previous notes about the wine's youth. This really needs time to reach its full potential, and one should consider their commitment to their investment when deciding whether or not to open this in the near term. Three bottles were opened at this particular tasting event and all were consistent, not to mention delicious. I was surprised to find very little sediment, but I'm sure that will change by the time we open the bottle we purchased.
Red
7/14/2016 - Dan L Likes this wine:
91 points
Detailed notes pending, but this is nice. A solid bargain at $17. Drink now or cellar through 2019.
White
6/1/2016 - Dan L Likes this wine:
89 points
This is beginning to open up and is drinking nicely now. I believe it needs another year, at least, to reach its overall potential. I rate it at 89 for current consumption.
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  • Tasting Notes: 407 notes on 335 wines
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