4/13/2024 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

This is so good, and such a treat to drink 15 year old Chardonnay. Green apple and bits of lemon and butter. Everything is so well integrated, with no hard edges at all. Drank two bottles, and no sign of oxidation or age on either. Excellent now, but undoubtedly fun to try again in a few years.

8/12/2023 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Background: Group of 5 Family members tasted 5 young 2020 Bordeaux, all from different AOCs. Wines Tasted: Clos Fourtet, Château Clinet, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Brane-Cantenac.

The Brane-Cantenac got one first place vote, and I believe this was everyone else’s second favorite choice (regardless of their first choice). When the notably lower price point was revealed, everyone was impressed. Bright blackberry fruits, with smokey and tobacco flavors, and deep earthy flavors. “Just yummy.”

8/12/2023 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Background: Group of 5 Family members tasted 5 young 2020 Bordeaux, all from different AOCs. Wines Tasted: Clos Fourtet, Château Clinet, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Brane-Cantenac.

The Pontet-Canet was appreciated by everyone, but not a favorite. The consensus fourth choice. Very rich, dark fruits and tobacco. One described it as being almost like drinking a stout beer. Some sweetness and chalk.

8/12/2023 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Background: Group of 5 Family members tasted 5 young 2020 Bordeaux, all from different AOCs. Wines Tasted: Clos Fourtet, Château Clinet, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Brane-Cantenac.

Such a unique wine, which was appreciated by some of the tasters, and less so by others. Top pick from one (me), number two from another, and number three for the other three. What made it unique for me were the strong umami and soy-like flavors, complemented by beautiful red fruits and tobacco.

8/12/2023 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Background: Group of 5 Family members tasted 5 young 2020 Bordeaux, all from different AOCs. Wines Tasted: Clos Fourtet, Château Clinet, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Brane-Cantenac.

The Clinet was the favorite of three tasters, and a top three pick of all of the others. Beautiful flavors of mint, herbs and tobacco, complemented by an oddly pleasing damp concrete profile.

8/12/2023 - MaineMark wrote:

Background: Group of 5 Family members tasted 5 young 2020 Bordeaux, all from different AOCs. Wines Tasted: Clos Fourtet, Château Clinet, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Brane-Cantenac.

The Clour Fourtet was the universal least-favorite of the night, agreed without hesitation by all of us. Nothing wrong with it per se, and we would have been fine if served the wine, but compared to the others the flavors were incredibly muted and light. Tannins were harsh, and it came across as very acidic. None of us were able to call out any particular flavors. Given the pro reviews/scores one must assume this was shut down already and/or will improve significantly with age.

6/25/2023 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

This is only starting to come around. Really nice depth and fruit, but the tannin structure remains a little harsh. I am guessing this will be even better in 5+ years.

2/4/2023 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Decanted for sediment, waited about 10 minutes and drank over 2 hours. Deep red and no signs of bricking. Beautiful nose of earth floor and fruit. Garrigue and black and some blue fruits. The finish might be a little short, but this delivers a huge amount of pleasure, and has benefitted tremendously from the extra 5 years in the cellar. Originally paid $<20 bottle, my wife noted: this tastes like an $85 bottle. She is right. Huge value here.

12/29/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Wow, I get what all of the fuss is about. This was fantastic. Red fruits and earthy undertones with great acidity and still lots of tannin. This is wonderful now, and I am sure has 5++ years left of evolution.

12/25/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Double decanted for 2+ hours, which I would highly recommend. This continued to improve throughout the evening. It may be a "down" vintage, but this proves the old adage: by the producer, not the vintage. Incredible depth and integration. Are there better Aubert's? Probably. But this is no slouch.

12/25/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Drank Christmas Eve as a back-up bottle after consuming two bottles of 2020 Aubert Russian River (thought to be Eastside declassified). The dN was excellent, but certainly showed it was not the equal of the Aubert (even with the weaker Aubert vintage). Great texture and well integrated, but lacking the depth of the Aubert.

10/1/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Upon opening, there was a good amount of barnyard and bandaid on the nose, with some yogurt and bacon fat notes. We left it in the decanter for 45 minutes, and it was at its best about 1.5 hours after opening. The Brett notes were largely gone, and we were left with chocolate, tobacco and mushrooms. Super-smooth mouthfeel, and still very nice fruit.

9/24/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

I don't know what a perfect wine tastes like, but it is hard to imagine a chardonnay tasting a whole lot better than this. I am not great with descriptors, but more than anything, what struck me was there was just nothing wrong with this at all. Nothing that made you say, "this is really good, but..." Beautiful not not overpowering nose, butterscotch and fruits, a wonderful mouthfeel and a long finish. This is drinking great now, but in the interest or science we will hold our remaining bottle for the 10 year mark. Can this get any better?

9/11/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Best after the bottle was open for a couple of hours, this was excellent. The rich fruit and sligh sweetness (not at all over extracted) steal the show right now. This is really nice now with a little air, and I imagine will be even better in a few years.

9/11/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Dark, rich and deep, this exceeded expectations and is drinking well now. But, in the name of science we will wait a few years before trying the remaining bottles.

9/10/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Beautiful soft tannins, decent fruit, and great tertiary flavors starting to emerge. This certainly seems open for business and in a very nice drinking window now.

8/20/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

I am not usually a fan of wines that are described as "jammy" but Ridge does this well, with great balance. Jammy and sweet (words that would usually make me give a wine a low 80s score) combined with nice structure and acidity make this lip smacking delicious. Drinking very well now, and no sign of deterioration. Drink now, or hold several more years.

6/26/2022 - MaineMark wrote:

Dark garnet color, and wonderful olive tree aroma rich (but not ripe) red and blue fruits, with tannins still somewhat noticeable. This is drinking so well now but does appear to be anywhere near the end of its life. I wish it was easier to find in the US!

5/20/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Peaches, grapefruit, even a hit of Spearmint and butter. Wonderful, drinking very well now, and no sign of decline. Drink or hold.

5/20/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Tart and delicious with very nice fruit. Not a lot of depth or complexity, but paired surprisingly well with spicy chili.

4/3/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

I continue to think the Monteti is an extremely under appreciated (and undervalued) wine. This bottle was drinking great, with everything well integrated now, giving a wonderful smoothness and adding tertiary flavors. Garrigue-like flavors with earth and perhaps some mushroom to go with red fruit and cherry cola. Excellent.

3/25/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Our first bottle of the Pilcrow Ghost Block, this was outstanding. As others have described, a somewhat more nuanced style of Napa cab, but absolutely packed with flavor and depth. Last fall we visited Napa and tasted many of the hottest "cult" cabs. This is right up there with all of them. Wonderful.

2/13/2022 - MaineMark wrote:

Very nice flavors of fig and plum with cocoa, but occasionally trending toward prunes. This certainly appears to be on the downward trajectory, so would recommend drinking what you have now. Given the flavor profile, we preferred this slightly chilled.

2/12/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

A beautiful bottle. Color showed almost no signs of aging. The nose was incredible, with lots of earthy and olive tones. The taste was very nice, but honestly a bit of let down given the amazing nose. Overall, drinking great now, but certainly has years ahead of it as well. (Drank at The Modern in NYC).

12/15/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Really interesting evolution over a couple of hours. On PnP, it was crisp cranberries with a bit of earth. Over time, the sour/crisp fruit subsided somewhat and became (still somewhat sour) cherries and lots of earth and barnyard (in a good way). So different than N.101, another dN Cab Franc.

Looking forward to following this over a few years.

12/5/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Tasting this very early in its life to see what we have. Decanted for about an hour, and then enjoyed over the next two hours. Initially beautiful dark fruits like fig, black currant, and blackberry. As it opened up, we got sweet cherry, and even some strawberry jam.

The texture is particularly remarkable in the delmas, so soft in the mouth. My wife noted that the strawberry jam tasted like it was mixed with butter giving a very luxurious feel.

Wonderful now, it was be fascinating to see where this goes over the next 5-10 years.

11/26/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Tasted next to the 2016. A fascinating difference, that was easy for inexperienced tasters to pick out. The 2017 was the lighter of the two, with beautiful floral notes complementing the tart acidity.

11/26/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Tasted next to the 2017. A fascinating difference, that was easy for inexperienced tasters to pick out. The 2016 was the bigger of the two wines, with tart pomegranate and and spices the dominant flavors. Delicious.

11/16/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

From our Anniversary Wine stash. We brought this back to the mothership, and had them open it at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa. We had low expectations that it would still be drinkable, but were extremely impressed. The cork was near-perfect. The color was rich and dark, with almost no signs of bricking. The nose was full of tertiary flavors like mushrooms and dark earth, but the on the palate, it was bursting with red fruits, and silky smooth tannins. Excellent now. Looking forward to our next one in 5 years!

11/5/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Super bright, sweet cherries backed with an earthy undertone and lots of acid and tannin structure. Alcohol level is a little high (14.9%), but I did not notice it as much as others. A fantastic value, drinking really well on pop-and-pour, and likely will evolve with more time.

11/1/2021 - MaineMark wrote:

This has gotten a lot of praise, and I certainly agree the wine is drinking well now and seems very well made. Plenty of dark fruits, especially plums, along with deeper chocolate and mocha flavors. But, for me, this is a little sweet, and seems a bit cloying.

Many others seem to enjoy it more (including my wife), but I have a harder time with this one than many of the dN cabs I have tried.

11/1/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Wow. Really impressed with this. So much depth and at a great price. Plenty of dark fruits, but really well balanced by more savory flavors. Drinking very well now.

10/18/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Purchased from a library release, direct from Frog's Leap. About a one hour decant. Great flavors of dark cherries and lavender. We loved it.

9/27/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Seems like this might be in its peak drinking window. Tannins are very well integrated and still plenty of fruit. Very easy and enjoyable, and great with homemade italian tomato soup.

9/7/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Recently bought a case of this (the 2018), based partly on the Vinous review of the 2019. Opened one bottle, and was not disappointed. Lots of acidity and and tanin at this early stage, but great cherry fruit, and wonderful with food. I will cellar the rest of the case for a couple of more years. A really great value.

8/1/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable and pretty unique wine. Easy to drink, there are plenty of bright fruits (mostly red), nice acidity, and not a lot of tannin. The alcohol level is a modest 13.1%, and as they see in their materials, the wine disappeared quickly from my glass. There is not much of a finish, and it does not leave you contemplating things, but fun to drink. (At a little lower price, this would be a killer party wine.)

7/18/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Last tasted 2 years, ago, and this has come a long way. Tannins have smoothed considerably and lots of really nice dark berry fruit. It is drinking really well now, but we will also leave another bottle or two in the cellar for a couple of years to see how it further develops.

6/16/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

This was a little harsh on initial opening, so we ran it through an aerator and the first glass was pretty good, if nothing special. Put the cork back in, and tried again the next night. Then... really good. Bright cherries, some plum, and a little cassis. By the second night, alcohol and tannins all very well integrated.

Recommend a long decant, or hold for another year or two if you can. But this is definitely a good one.

6/10/2021 - MaineMark wrote:

This bottle was a disappointment, with a lot of the citrus and honey flavors I like totally dominated by strong acidity. Odd, as I would have expected more honey and better integration give then few years of age on this. Not sure if it was just a bad bottle, or if this how these age...

6/3/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

As others have noted, pretty remarkable that this is a 14 year-old wine. Bright and clean, it is incredibly well balanced: it is hard to find any flaws here or anything that makes you say, "that was good, but..." That said, my only "but" would be (as others have previously noted) the finish is a bit on the shorter side. I have a few more bottles, and plan to try them over the coming years. Looking forward to trying this at age 20 (!!). A really good value too.

5/19/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Dark fruits, with cassis and perhaps a bit of olive, which I really enjoy. A tiny bit of barnyard quickly blows off with some air. Tannins, alcohol and fruit all seem to working well together right now. I would put this ahead of a handful of other $15-$20 2016 Bordeauxs I have had. Not much information out there on this wine, but this was a very pleasant Garagiste Mystery surprise.

5/1/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Black and blue fruits and a very soft mouth feel. Everythings seems to have come together really nicely, this is drinking very well now, and likely has several years ahead.

5/1/2021 - MaineMark wrote:

Blackberries, menthol, charcoal. Decanted for about an hour. This was quite enjoyable, but alcohol and tannins did not seem fully integrated, leaving the finish a bit harsh.

4/24/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

First, I don't have a lot of experience with Rioja. Opened in the morning and sampled: translucent deep red color, with some orange/brick mixed in, dark fruit flavor, with mouth puckering acidity.

Then, slow-oxed for 10+ hours. Everything came together very well. Plum and blackberry with some cocoa powder and smoke. The tannins were still teeth-staining when swirled around in the mouth, but everything was really nicely integrated.

Drinking nicely now with a long slow-ox, but I will tuck anotehr bottle away in the cellar for 5-10 years to see what develops.

4/16/2021 - MaineMark wrote:

Big and ripe. Blackberries and prune (in a good way). Not too much complexity beyond that. Fun and easy to drink, but lacking in depth.

4/10/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Decanted for about an hour. Rich, deep purple like a velvet robe. Bright blackberries dominate the start, then menthol and herbs on the finish. Drinking well now with a decant, looking forward to following remaining bottles over another 5-10 years.

4/3/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

What a fun and interesting wine! The surprising (to me) and overwhelming sense here is that you are drinking a high-quality champagne, but without the fizz (or the brioche). I guess that should not be a surprise given the white pinor noior (blanc de noir, anyone?).
Color is very light pale yellow, but also looks like it has just a tiny drop of strawberry-blonde. Plenty of acid and lots of delicious fruit, this makes for a perfect summer sipper.

4/1/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

Very light bodied, with nice cherry and floral notes. Easy drinking and enjoyable, but not sure I appreciated it as much as some of the critics who score this much higher. Very nice now, but will save two remaining bottles to try again in five years.

3/6/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

I set out to buy a case of the '16 Monsanto, but after my purchase the on-line retailer notified me they only had the '17 in stock, and asked if the vintage substitution was OK. I almost said no. Thank goodness I didn't!

On opening the tannins were a little tight, but after a 12 hour slow-ox, this was delicious. Lots of sweet cherry juice and subtle secondary flavors. This is great now with air, and I can't wait to try it again in a few years with more age.

2/27/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine:

These are so good, at the price offered, it is almost silly. A really well aged chardonnay, that drinks so smoothly with so much balance. Bright yellow color, muted stone fruits, and very soft, almost white chocolate finish. Great stuff.