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Comments on my notes

(78 comments on 55 notes)

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Red
2010 Pian dell'Orino Brunello di Montalcino Vigneti del Versante Sangiovese
1/6/2023 - ddingley Likes this wine:
93 points
At a tasting with a two hour decant this was still restrained and almost tasted damaged. Or over the hill; tired. Took home with a quarter bottle and tried again the next night. Suddenly it had come to life with a bold Brunello palate with red fruit, leather, spice, more of what I expected to start with. Don’t give up on this one
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    1/10/23, 12:17 PM - Interesting how it got better on day 2. I had a similar experience 1.5 years ago where the wine seemed more advanced (e.g. tired, too plush) than it should have been. Didn't save any for next day to experiment. Good to know it got better cuz I have 6 bottles still.

Red
2016 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard Howell Mountain
4/27/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
96 points
No better than a 96 at this point.....and I mean from the pnp to 6-7 hours of air. It's very good, but it's no where near a 100 pt wine. Great mountain fruit, balanced acidity and tannins, but it's not 100 points. Maybe it gets there with another 3-5 years of waiting, but not right now. At 6 hours of air I thought it had a chance but it sort of stumbled and didn't go any further with more air. None left to try a 2nd day. Don't get me wrong, this is a very good wine, great mountain fruit and winemaking on display. I am not disappointed for opening. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. I just wish I knew WHEN it would be 100 points.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    5/3/22, 3:06 PM - Just had a '16 VHR and it too was shutdown and not very giving. That wine is also 100 pt (Galloni), but was no where near that the other night. I'm sure it was when he tasted it a couple years ago but as we all know, wines evolve... some for better, some for worse. However, the few '16s that I've had show the pedigree of great wines, so not concerned about if they will age well or not. I think lot of the '16s are in dumb phase and will be for few more years, but they'll get there again.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    5/5/22, 10:46 AM - I hear you Mark about the frustrations with these wines suddenly shutting down and coming back to life god-knows-when. It sucks popping a special and expensive bottle only to find it didn't provide the expected results. Just have to temper expectations (ours and friends) when it comes to these. I need to start drinking wines earlier in their life to enjoy the youthful aspect as well. I often wait until they're mature and have more tertiary notes, but sometime when they shutdown they go to sleep for years

Red
2016 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
This bottle was contributed by a generous friend for a birthday celebration @ Rare Society in San Diego. Was only decanted for 1 hour before consumption, which wasn't enough for the wine to fully open up. Super dark red and nearly opaque, I could tell this was going to be dense and sure enough, it was. Shy nose of crushed rocks, smoke, and some darker fruits (cassis and black raspberry). Palate similar as the nose with additional hints of tobacco, and dark chocolate. The wine was earthy and tightly wound with dry, chewy tannins.
Unfortunately the short decant didn't allow the wine's fruit to fully reveal itself, so I got more of the barrel influences. However the substance and density is there for a long life. As with some other '16s, this felt pretty shutdown still. I have a few bottles of the '16 and would either decant for +6 hours or better yet, wait a few years to try again.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    5/1/22, 6:57 PM - Hey Brian, we went to the Rare Society in Solana Beach (haven't been to Park Blvd location). Been there a few times and I do like the place a lot. As you said, its not Cowboy Star (one of my favs in SD) but not many places are ;) Either way, I do like the food and ambiance of RS in Solana Beach. Ambiance is similar of Born and Raised but I like the food better at Rare Society. The staff are great as well.

    I certainly agree its great to have a nice Steakhouse in north county as that is where we are as well. Side note, I heard of another place opening up soon in the Carmel Valley area called Steak 48 that is from the original proprietors of Mastro's.

Red
2009 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon Blueline Napa Valley
3/5/2022 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine:
92 points
Friends Birthday Dinner Lakeside CC

Out of a half bottle

PNP, this wine is very aromatic. In the glass a garnet and a palate very mature with tertiary flavors. Was a fun wine to contrast the 09 Hourglass with the 18 Blueline Merlot.

If you like a mature wine this one is pretty good.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/7/22, 1:48 PM - Hey MJP, I have 3 750ml bottles of this vintage still. How much longer do you feel she has? How was the structure of the wine? Thanks.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/7/22, 4:08 PM - Thanks for the info. Will try to check one out soon. Wish I had time to drink wine more often!

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/8/22, 10:03 AM - With 2 kids and work, I should be drinking more often! More power to you if you can do it man. Cheers.

Red
2008 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
10/9/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:
96 points
Amazing nose of peppercorn, eucalyptus, sundried tomato, smoked meats. Hits the palate with blackcurrants, dark chocolate, black olives, crushed rocks, and mint. Full-bodied and dense, with smooth, rounded tannins and good supporting acidity. Finishes long and dry. Decanted for 1 hour at Huntress Steakhouse in San Diego, but could have used more. This has shed any baby fat it might have had in its youth and has transitioned into a mature, elegant cabernet. Can easily go for a few more years in its current form.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    10/18/21, 6:41 PM - Hey MJP, thanks. Yeah the early-2K Napas are drinking great now. 2008 was a underrated vintage mainly due to the negative press about the weather and all, but often those challenging vintages produce some great wines, similar to 2010 which was a very cold year in Napa but the wines came out very Bordeaux-like. Speaking of weather, those early 2K vintages consisted of many cooler vintages... not sure how many of those we'll see again with global warming going on.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    10/19/21, 12:02 PM - Agreed on the dry farming... there is only so much of that you can do before the vines just shutdown or crash. In Napa though, many of the more high-end/high-tech vineyards have irrigation setup which helps. I'm more concerned about the hot weather like '14, '15 and '17 which can create some uneven wines (overripe or underripe if they pick too early to avoid the heat). Anyhow, something to keep an eye on.
    As for 2008 VHR, will be interested to see you take on it. Had a bottle a couple years ago and it was great and still young. Have a couple left in the cellar that I will try to get to in the next couple years. Those can go for a while!

Red
2010 Pian dell'Orino Brunello di Montalcino Vigneti del Versante Sangiovese
9/18/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:
92 points
Had at Mastro's Ocean Club. Decanted for 1 hour. Dark, almost opaque reddish, purple color foreshadowed a full-bodied and dense 2010. Nose not as perfumed or direct as was expecting. Plum, tar, tobacco, some heat. Silky smooth but full-bodied, this was a bit too plush and tasted more advance then expected, almost like an older CdP. Blackberry, black cherry, plum, tobacco, hint of licorice. Finishes moderately long and dry. Drinking great now but wouldn't let this go for too long as it lacks some structure.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    9/21/21, 12:03 PM - Hey Tim, yeah if you have a few definitely pop one soon. Lot of these 2010s are not going to die from a lack of fruit, that's for sure. I enjoy full-bodied and powerful Napa cabs, but in a Brunello, I want that brisk acidity, bite, and freshness that comes from the Sango. Love the 2006s and 2008s for that reason. These 2010s seem a bit overblown for my taste. The fruit will outlast the structure. I don't know, maybe if I wait another 3-5 years, the 2010s might get a bit leaner and balance out a bit. Fingers crossed.

Red
2010 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
9/6/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
94 points
Carol's 64th....eating in, with pan seared prime filet, mushrooms/onions and baked potato. Right from the pnp, rich dark cab fruit nose and palate....big mouth feel, dark tobacco and tons of black raspberry. Over the course of 2 hours it moves to deeper, silkier black fruit and by hour 3, things begin to fall apart slightly, with weakening fruit and some black turning to dark red fruit. Plenty of graphite on the nose and palate throughout. 94 in the first 2 hours, 91 the last hour. My experience with multiple vintages of this wine pre 2010 seems to favor early drinking from the pnp.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    9/7/21, 1:37 PM - Thanks for notes Mark. So was best without a decant? Have 3 bottles so probably should start drinking these sooner rather than later ;)

Red
2008 Blankiet Estate Proprietary Red Wine Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
5/20/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:
94 points
Amazing, complex nose of Herb de Provence, peppercorn, forest floor, cacao, blackcurrants. Similar notes on palate but not quite as expressive as the nose. Full-bodied with good balance of structure and fruit. Dry, medium+ finish. This is drinking great now. Reminds me a lot of Pichon-Laland. Blankiet never disappoints.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    7/27/21, 8:50 PM - Hey Mark, I just saw your notes as well. Looks like you a great experience with your '08 Blankiet as well! I would have likely rated this a few points higher if I was able to decant the sucker a bit more but I was only able to decant for 1 hour at the steakhouse before consuming. I thought it would have been ready on PnP given its age, but that wasn't the case. Like you mentioned, this has long time to go. As for the reference to PL, seems like your not as much of a fan of PL but the nose would have fooled me for PL with its herb, green, and peppercorn, not to mention it was pretty dry as well.
    P.S. Don't say I didn't warn you about drinking Blankiet... you might get hooked :) Get some of the '10s if you can... those are awesome as well.

Red
2018 Beau Vigne Cabernet Sauvignon Cult Napa Valley
3/17/2021 - HowellMountainCru Likes this wine:
93 points
Going to try and write an extensive note on this one as I follow it over several hours. Beau Vigne has always been a personal favorite but has now changed hands. Some of their wines were made by Dave Phinney, Kurk Venge and more recently by owner Ed Snider. They had a great vineyard with fantastic CS and CF fruit. They have received high 90s and even 100 point scores and I have often found them unique in profile. This Cult was made by the new regime after Ed left ( quite pissed it seemed) to start his own label - Cardano.

PNP room temperature - initial impression - Good nose showing some wood nuances a bit of a floral note and maybe some blackberry. The wine is dark with a slight red hue. Rim - dark red. Tastes of blackberry fruit overshadowed by youngish medium tannins. Ever so slightly tart to start.

45 min in - tannins smoothing out. Medium weight plus in the mouth. Much less weighty and primary than most of the 18s I have tried so far. Fruit just on the plum side of blackberry.

90 mins in - Definite aromas of vanilla and saddle leather emerging. blackberry and a hint of anise. Rough tannins barely noticeable.

2.5 hours in - wet stone and graphite emerges and over takes the vanillin. There is also a sweet note lifted by a whiff of alcohol. Mouthfeel is good but lacks any mouth coating smoothness or glycerin. This is definitely not a heavy wine like many past really young Cults. This feels more like the Family Reserve in weight.
Fruit has moved towards black raspberry.

Now 3 hours in and the glass is nearly gone. This wine is solid, drinking well for such a baby and only needs weight and guide and maybe a bluer fruit note for me to grade it higher. Age will probably help but I don't see this getting more than a couple points higher.

93 HMC = PS Cult is usually a 100 dollar plus wine. This was sub 29 bucks at Costco. Now that's QPR
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/18/21, 12:30 PM - Its likely Julien Fayard (Perlieu, Covert, etc), whom I respect a lot. In 2018 Napa, apparently the vineyards produces a lot more fruit then wine markers and facilities could handle so they're selling a lot of pretty high quality fruit to lesser labels, so keep a look out for those. Regardless of who owns it now, this is a crazy good QPR!

Red
2009 Blankiet Estate Proprietary Red Wine Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
2/20/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine:
97 points
Double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, dark fruit with some leather, med. tannins, long finish; the extra year since my last one has helped & now entering peak drinking, outstanding, drink or hold
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/23/21, 1:14 PM - Mark, since you like Bordeauxs, you will like Blankiet. My first encounter was '10 vintage I had a few years ago and that was awesome. House style balances power and elegance nicely. I have the '08 and '09 vintages in the cellar and looking to get some '10s as well.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/23/21, 7:33 PM - Yeah I hear you about wine and the budget. I keep kicking myself for buying more wines, but it feels so damn good too :) Wine is about the only discretionary spending I do these days. The wife has her luxury items she buys, and I have mines. We spoke about this before, but kids have a way of making money disappear from your account! You might have to start day-trading cryptos to keep the lifestyle going man!

Red
2008 Blankiet Estate Proprietary Red Wine Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
2/4/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine:
95 points
Slow Ox 3 hours. Full bodied, Deep dark fruits, dark chocolate, earth, meaty flavor. Very intriguing and unlike most. I liked the 09 a touch better, but this was a real treat.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/9/21, 1:42 PM - Hi ELKCIMS, how were the tannins and acidity? Its not going soft, is it? Had the '09 a while back and I really liked it as well. I felt that it could easily go another 6-8 years at a high-level (great structure and fruit). Thanks.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/10/21, 5:17 PM - Thank you for the response. Cheers.

Red
2011 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
1/2/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:
93 points
PnP was promising but a bit tight, so decanted for 1 hr, but was at it best after 90 minutes. A somewhat shy nose of dark fruits (blackberry, cassis) and mint. Palate adds fennel, mild spices, and hint of tobacco. Medium bodied with well integrated structure. Medium finish. Overall the wine had a restrained, cool climate, earthy profile. Classy stuff.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    1/6/21, 4:12 PM - Hey MJP, for the vintage this is definitely a success, but like most '11 Napas this is compact and restrained (i.e. lean) which is nice in its own right. Don't get me wrong its not that there was no fruit on this, but for Napa cab, it was mid-weight and lean.
    As for how long it has left, I would say depends on how you like them. If you like more fruit, then drink them now and over the next couple year. If you like more tertiary notes, then you can let this go for 5 years or so but risk losing the fruit aspects. I have a couple more of the '11s and will drink these over the next couple years. Cheers.

Red
2008 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
1/4/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
96 points
Last bottle of this well aged cab with Jaime and Melissa at our new fav Italian steakhouse. It is drinking exceptionally well with all components well integrated, playing nicely off eachother. Strong yet soft and supple Mt. Veeder fruit. No formal tasting notes that I can draw from....or remember?
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    1/5/21, 11:11 PM - Hey Mark, steaks and Napa mountain cabs... one my favorite pairings (along with Brunello)! I have a couple of the '08 Veeders, and was wondering if the structure is there for further aging?

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    1/6/21, 11:24 AM - Thanks Mark. I didn't word my question properly. What I really meant to ask was how much longer it can go from here, not necessarily for aging as its obviously has some already at 12 years old. Yeah, just want to make sure it has enough structure to go another couple years. So your 3-5 years sounds about right. I hate it when wines become too soft and flat, but these mountain wines typically have plenty of tannins and acid, which is great. Cheers!

Red
2010 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
12/30/2020 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:
92 points
A fun night, 2018 Magnificent 7, 2011 Dana Estates Hershey, 2010 VHR. Upon opening and 15 minutes in the decanter (open for 4 hours) order was Mag 7 and Dana with VHR far behind. By the end of the night, VHR was the clear winner with Mag 7 very far behind. I hate, yep used that word, the 2011 vintage to the point I refuse to drink it when offered but have a few left in the cellar so why not open? This was probably the best 2011 to date for whatever that’s worth.

VHR started out wild with an unwillingness to budge from a dry dusty acidic monolith until at least an hour plus in and then slowly crept up to the WOTN. With enough time to unravel, the wine fully integrated into a mix of primary and secondary characteristics with the primary still leading the way coated with dry yet pleasing tannins. Only having one bottle, I wondered if this would get better or was this the prime window for me... hard to tell as while the fruit is still there, it is a requirement to balance out the overall profile especially with the dusty chalky tannins and initial earthy components. While it doesn’t have another 10 years left in my sweet spot, it will drink nicely for a few years of having fruit still prominently in the profile. 92.5
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/31/20, 1:30 PM - Hey Lite, I'm a bit confused, did you mean this to go under the 2011 VHR or was this the 2010 VHR? I have both vintages (among others).

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/31/20, 3:48 PM - oh my bad, I overlooked the '11 DE Hershey in your group of wines! Thanks for the info.

Red
2007 Castello di Neive Barbaresco Albesani Santo Stefano Nebbiolo
12/7/2020 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine:
91 points
FANTASTIC WINE, drinking perfect right now
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/10/20, 12:20 PM - 71? Did you mean 91?

Red
2016 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
10/29/2020 - bsumoba Likes this wine:
99 points
OMG! I am going to buy every bottle I can find in the market.

Coravin'd the first glass. Going to bring it with me to work to share with another wine-o.

Deep purple in glass. Great color.

Dark fruit, cedar, some tobacco on the nose. As I was pouring the elixir into my glass I could smell the wine permeate the air around me as if it was getting me ready for a special moment, maybe even a transcendent moment.

After a couple more swirls and nose dives, I went in for a taste. I felt fine tannins coat my tongue, I sensed a balance that could only come from a great winemaker with grapes from a great vineyard. I got blackberries and mission fig. I got sweet wood and little earthy undertones.

This wine was sexy. It felt like a new fling, making me want more and nothing around me mattered. Every sip felt like an end of the night kiss on a first date that went spectacular. You didnt want it to end and as you walked away, you shamelessly ran back to her.

This is why we buy wine at this price point.

I left a point on the table because in 5-15 years, this thing is going to be spectacular and will undoubtedly achieve that magical 3 digit number.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    11/2/20, 12:38 PM - As for Stag's Leap AVA... I would second Bevan's Wildfoot (try the '13 vintage its great). Also, Cliff Lede's Poetry and "rock block" wines are real nice as well.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    11/2/20, 1:33 PM - No worries MJP. I would say that Poetry and Wildfoot are more on the expensive side similar in pricing to HSS. The Cliff Lede "rock block" series cost less and are pretty darn good QPR for what you get. Every year the names of the rock block series changes based on the vineyard lot they pull the fruit from. The vineyard lots are named after Cliff Lede's favorite songs LOL. So you have Stardust Heaven (made up of two blocks "Ziggy Stardust" and "Stairway to Heaven"), Moon Fantasy, Cinnamon Rhapsody, etc. Pretty interesting.

Red
2006 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Katrina Eileen Napa Valley
9/21/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:
95 points
True to its cult style, a massively extracted, pitch black KE with purple rim. Decanted for 2 hours and needed it as PnP was pretty tight.
Wonderful nose of bright cassis, slate, and smoked meats. Similar notes on the palate, with hints of dried herbs and black pepper. Full-bodied and dry with dense, powerful, but not sweet fruit. With supple but ever-present tannins and medium+ acidity, blind I would have guessed 2010 Pauillac (Lynch-Bage or Pichon Lalande). Still has a few years left.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    9/23/20, 11:32 AM - Hey Mark, on PnP it was accessible, but a bit austere. Strangely it shutdown after the 1 hour mark where the palate went mute. At 2 hour, the fruit had opened up for richer experience. Cheers!

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    9/23/20, 6:39 PM - Napa '06 is considered to a year with pretty high tannins. Haven't had a lot of the '06 Napa, but the few that I've had over the years (even now) were and still are tannic. '06 and '09 seem to be pretty similar in style (high tannin and acid), so it bodes will for longevity at least as far as structural support goes... the fruit is a different question.

Red
2012 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Ripe fruit followed by A LOT of green notes on the finish. Artificial/chemical tasting. I usually love Bevan wines and I don't remember this at all from the last time I tried this wine 2 years ago, so I am assuming this is a flawed bottle.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    8/6/20, 6:01 PM - Not sure it was flawed... see last couple of notes. Fingers crossed that its just a dumb phase, but not holding my breath. Was the fruit also a bit muted as well? That was my experience.

Red
2016 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard Howell Mountain
7/6/2020 - tomoem Likes this wine:
96 points
What an amazing wine. Starts with violets on the nose and a distinct black cherry fruit smell. On the palette the fruits are blackberry, strawberry, blueberry alongside oregano, green olive, tobacco leaf, and leather.

The wine is just so well balanced and presents itself with a backbone of vanilla bean creaminess, some fresh cedar wood, and a finish of fresh berry. So complex with layers of fruits and also layered in the complexities described above.

It also has a long finish of lingering dark berries. this wine may be worth waiting for (as in 10-15 years).
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    7/7/20, 2:06 PM - Waiting 10-15 years? Are you sure you're weren't trying a '16 Bdx LOL. But in all seriousness, I do think people underestimate how well Napa cabs can age. I have a few of the TV '16 but will wait on them...still have the '08 TVs to work through...

Red
2016 Château Léoville Poyferré St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
6/20/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
94 points
The great BDX Vino infanticide continues...inquiring minds want to know.

Coravin pour after dinner tonight. Moderate whiff of alcohol on the nose, no barnyard, maybe a little herbal quality and red fruit. The color in the glass is a dense extracted deep dark garnet/magenta. Glass coating colors. First sip open 5 min reveals a slightly chalky feel in the mouth, the red/black fruit is not sweet, but it is fairly dense. The acidity is very much subdued and very much in the back round. I'll check back in an hour and see where it's at......

One hour in.....most of the alcohol whiff is gone.....boysenberry appears on the nose, some of the chalky mouth feel is gone. The fruit has gained additional density, if that's possible, it was pretty dense to begin with.....some black licorice appears and the acidity picks up just a tick. There is some faint bittersweet dark chocolate on the end which is fairly long at this stage, maybe 20-30 seconds with a touch of astringency.

Two hours in......a little orange rind and violets on the nose. Fruit sweetens a bit, getting into that Cali cab drinker's place, still a mix of red/black. Chalk is all gone. The wine is more alive. A little tart cherry develops on the end as you swallow. Acidity is mouthwatering at this stage and lengthens the finish further.

Three hours in......blackberry nose when you swirl. The tart cherry from hour two builds and is now prevalent not only on the ending but in the mid palate, too, yet the wine takes on a little more earthiness, tilled soil, it settles out nicely. A little atringency remains on the end.

This wine drinks best at hour 2 for you Cali people. For the BDX crowd, I think hour 3 has the most to offer, but what really charges me up is the the feeling I get just thinking about what this wine is going to evolve into over the next 10-20 years.....94+ now......97-98 down the road?
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/24/20, 12:50 AM - Thanks for sacrificing in the name of science! A few weeks ago, a friend generously offered up a vertical tasting of '15 and '16 Pontet-Canet, Pichon-Baron, Montrose, and Leoville Poyferre. He mentioned the bottles were opened a few hours but forgot exactly how long (I think it was 10 hours). I really found the '16s to be lot more bold and intense, with the '15s being a few shades leaner and more rustic. I didn't bother writing reviews on them due to being inebriated a bit prior to my arrival and not taking notes either. The standout were '16 Montrose, PC, and LP.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/24/20, 12:41 PM - The gathering I speak of had somewhere like 5 people, so we got a pretty good pour of each producer for each vintage. Lucky for him, he is pretty well off and buys many cases.
    What a great idea Mark to have a button to freeze the wine in its current state... maybe just freeze it like cryogenics LOL. With the pace of life these days (work and kids), sometimes I miss out on drinking bottles in their best windows :-/ I guess what is considered optimal window is relative to each person anyhow...

    I completely agree with you that I too enjoy watching the wine evolve over the many hours of drinking the bottle. In fact, that is a quality I look for in great wines... they take you on a journey, not just over the course of many bottles and many years but also over the course of the few hours with a single bottle. If more winemakers would allow the vintage and terrior to come through in the wine, instead of over-manipulating it, then it would make it more of the journey we are talking about. I think with the modern techniques and technology involved in winemaking these days, we compromise some of the characteristics of the vintage/terrior for a better/optimal wine (which is relative to each winemaker).

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/24/20, 7:47 PM - Interesting, didn't know that about Galloni (who I respect and most closely listen too) and how he goes about doing the En Primeur reviews. Honestly, if I were a 'professional', I would want to approach it the same way. I would hate to put my name on a review not knowing factors such as how long the bottle had been open for, how it changed over the course of a couple hours (at least). This is especially true for very young wines that are tightly coiled up! Realistically though, I realize that on a given day, especially during En Primeur, the reviewers go through dozens and dozens of wines so there is a time factor to consider. Who knows, maybe they have some much experience tasting young wines that they can make a fairly accurate judgement in a short time period.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/25/20, 12:21 AM - I agree Mark. That is why I'm in CT and reading reviews from folks like yourself ;) A bottle of wine is constantly evolving and a review can becomes somewhat outdated after only a few months! Not to mention bottle variation, which means a lesser bottle could have been served to the reviewer.
    Regardless, a review is only a snapshot in time and gives you an idea of where the wine is at that time and possible glimpse into how the wine might evolve. Honestly, that is what I look for when reading professional reviews... some characteristics of the wine's fruit and structure profile to see if its something that interests me. Galloni's reviews are honest and pretty thorough and allows me to make a call on whether a wine might be worth a purchase.
    The experts can hopefully give a us that initial glimpse when the wine is released and the rest is up to us common folks to keep posting our reviews to paint a picture of how the wine is evolving over time.

Red
2012 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
6/19/2020 - csimm wrote:
Because I’ve reviewed this wine a ton of times, I’ll simply add that there were slight pyrazine and green peppercorn flavors that came from this bottle. Overall, a flavorful creature indeed, but in a more restrained and tame/controlled way (by Bevan standards, at least) due to some noticeable acid and slight chemical notes that surround the otherwise purple-red core. A kiss of heat on the finish also poked through. Save the next bottle for 2022+.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/19/20, 5:36 PM - Hey CSimm, sounds like its losing the baby fat (fruit) and transitioning to maturity. Recent TNs seem to reflect this. Not sure how well these Ontogenys will age.

Red
2016 Château Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
6/13/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
95 points
Coravin pour as I continue on my quest of trying these '16 BDX early in their adventures......dark, dark purple in the glass with a deep ruby rim that in the right light seems as if it has its own violet rim above it. Cool! I don't recall if I've ever seen that in a wine before. I'm sitting in the same chair and in the same light as I do most of my wines, so I don't think it's any sort of fake news...and this is the first sip of anything alcohol, I've had today....the thin violet meniscus on top of the ruby rim is just flat out cool! Nose is very muted for the first 20-30 minutes but then develops into loads of graphite and herbs, and faintly grilled meats....just beautiful. First taste is flat, linear dark red fruit but 30 min in and it begins to flesh out. Dark cherry/blackberry predominantly. The wine is well structured with matching strength of fruit, acidity and sweet round tannins. Very balanced and well put together! This, like the '16 Pontet Canet and unlike the '16 Canon, is open for business now for those out there who enjoy defiling a BDX in it's youth. You know who......you Cali cab people. Until the 3rd hour...then it tames and it won't suffice for the Cali people. But it's still some nice BDX ending to it all.....I like it.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/18/20, 12:46 AM - Thanks for info Mark. Haven't tried the Pape Clement, so on the fence about getting some.
    As a Napa fan, I look for more ripe vintages of Bdx to jump into and I think '16 might be it. Tried a small pours of few '15 Bdx like Pontet Canet, Pape Clement, and Montrose, and I thought (even after long decants), they were still a bit too 'classic' and rustic for me. Now the '16 on the other hand, those were right in my wheel house! Lot more power and fruit. Got a case of the '16 Montrose and looking to get the cases of Pontet Canet and Leoville Poyferre... my wallet (and wife) are gonna hate me for a while.
    Knowing you and HMC love Napa as well, I would suggest you guys try the '16 Leoville Poyferre... those are a beast! More Napa than Bdx, which is their house style.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/18/20, 10:01 AM - Should be interesting to get your thoughts on the '16 Leoville Poyferre.
    The '16 Cos I haven't tried but wish I could. From what I've read its more feminine/elegant than its neighbor '16 Montrose, which was pretty darn slutty and bold. Cheers.

Red
2006 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Katrina Eileen Napa Valley
5/16/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:
94 points
Decanted and served. This still has lots of youthful intensity in its thick body, now starting to show some secondary notes of mature acid. Like many cult wines, possibly better to drink young with all its youthful magic.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    5/18/20, 12:50 PM - Thanks for notes. How long did you decant for? Interesting, sounds like it might be becoming a better food wine as well. I have one left so will drink in 2020.

Red
2010 Fattoria La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese
Bad bottle
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/20/20, 11:53 AM - If its a bad bottle, just changed the rating to 'flawed'.

Red
2009 Blankiet Estate Proprietary Red Wine Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
12/31/2019 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:
95 points
An excellent bottle that took a good 3 hours for it to come around. Dark garnet color with slight browning at the edges. On PnP this was thin and boring, but progressively put on weight and complexity as it sat in the decanter. The nose never fully revealed itself, but the palate is where the wine shined. Enters with lovely mature roasted plum, and raspberry, and finishes with savory tomato, Asian spices, and hint of charcoal that provide a solid grip and a long finish. Wonderful concentration without getting jammy or cloyingly sweet. Definitely can drink now (with 3 decant) but can hold for many years. Would love to see how this develops in a few years. Paired wonderfully with a New York strip steak!
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/16/20, 12:23 PM - Hey Mark, cool glad to help. Have you had Blankiet before? If not, a close comparison would be Dominus. Not so surprisingly, they are located right next to each other, but their style is similar as well. Blankiet's house style is definitely Bordeaux-leaning with Napa fruit, if that makes sense. Especially in a cool/dry vintage such as 2009, Napa wines had a more earthy and rustic feel to them, which I really like. If drinking in the next year or so, definitely give it some air. Cheers.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/17/20, 12:48 PM - I notice you have an impressively large collection! Wish I could still splurge on wine but got a couple kids now that cause a large hole in my pocket and money just disappears :/
    Currently, I'm more like 14% Bordeaux (use to be closer to 40%) and 70% Napa! I used to drink more Bordeaux (all left bank) but found that 1) they were notoriously tight/closed and not so enjoyable anywhere near their youth 2) when they did come around they didn't 'wow' me as much as Napa... unless I was drinking the really good stuff (OLDER La Mission, Haut Brion, Las Cases, etc), which cost a small fortune. I still thoroughly enjoy the not so expensive left-bankers (Pichon Baron/Laland, Montrose, etc).
    With Napa I found the wines a lot more accessible throughout their life (even older Napas from later 90's are drinking really good still) and I didn't need to coax the hell out of them to get a great experience. Now, I'm not saying Napa wines are cheap by an stretch, but for the money, I can get a better bang for the buck ;)

Red
2016 Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
4/7/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
94 points
Very nice nose on opening.....very classic. The wine is best after 1 hour of air. It is deep, dark layered fruit, sweet soft tannins, tastes like some of the fruit comes from Las Piedras but don't know for sure. Drinks comparable to the '16 Carter La Verdad which is from Las Piedras Vineyard which HMC opened today. This is at a very nice pricepoint right now...great value.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/15/20, 1:02 PM - Hey Mark, I don't believe they have Las Piedras fruit in there, its good observations though because Sinegal Estate vineyards is literally right next to Las Piedras, so I would imagine they will have similar profile ;) According to AG, they did incorporate fruit from another nearby Beckstoffer vineyard, Georges III. Cheers.

Red
2013 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
3/22/2020 - TXRDW wrote:
96 points
Had my daughter and her boyfriend over for a wine & pizza night. Opened a 2016 Carter OG, 2013 Dunn Howell Mountain and a 2012 Shafer Hillside Select. It was very interesting as my daughter ranked them Carter/Shafer/Dunn, her BF had it Dunn/Shafer/Carter and I had them Shafer/Dunn/Carter. It primarily came down to a preference for sweetness, with Carter being substantially sweeter than Dunn. We slow ox’d all 3 bottles for 3 hours and drank over 3 more hours. The Carter lost a little sweetness at the very end and the HSS got very, very good at the 5 hour mark. I absolutely love the Dunn, and over time it might catch the HSS. Since I’m definitely not a Napa fruit bomb lover the Dunn was very good by comparison. The Dunn is such a unique Napa wine at 13.9% ABV that I’m excited to see how it will develop over the next decade.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/23/20, 12:27 PM - Great notes, but man that is some fine wine to kill for pizza night! It better have been some amazing Pizza ;)

Red
2016 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
3/21/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
97 points
Ok......the WOTN brought by HMC to the dinner tonight but it took a while to get there. Maybe 4 hours. Just a point better than the Fourmeaux. Got better over the 3-4 hours of air. The wood/tannins had to calm down a bit to reveal the fruit and acidity for what it was. There is a bit of shoe leather and shoe polish here on top of the fruit at the end. This is a big wine, but you can't just pnp. There is some prodigious sediment in the bottle so pour carefully. Curious to see what my lone bottle of this does over the next 2-3 years.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/23/20, 12:16 PM - Noticing that across the board, a lot of '16 Napas are starting to shutdown, well at least not have that 'wow this is massive' feel to them. These (and other noteworthy '16s) will be worth the wait in 3-5 years.

Red
2008 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Katrina Eileen Napa Valley
2/16/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote:
95 points
Its been a long time since I have ran across a blue and black wine, but here we are...Very dense, reminding me of a big Napa Cab like Maybach..Yet the nose speaks a bit of French, like a modern late harvest St. Emilion in the likes of Tetre Rotebeouf. Its definitely well crafted and very Merlot dominated with smoky raspberries and cured meat scents. You would expect lots of sweetness from the body and nose, but its quite dry for the style and packed with substantial mid throttle power. Its soft, yet still powerful with a very persistent finish and lots of exit tug...First 2/3 of bottle was best, making me think, this is at peak for the style. Will drink other 2 bottles over 2 years...Drink
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/6/20, 11:38 AM - Hi Purple Tooth. Was this decanted or PnP? I have few vintages of KE and they're really powerful, dense stuff. Was thinking of picking up some 2008s but it sounds like it might not be a long ager (you mentioned soft and dry). Don't like my wines to get flaccid with no bite left in them. As a whole, 2008 Napa vintage was one for my favorite recent vintages, including 2010, 2013, and of course 2016 ;) Cheers.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/6/20, 11:52 AM - Thanks for the info. Yeah pricey stuff but these days its so hard to find great Napa or Bordeaux without having to pay out a large sum for them :/
    As for comparison to a St. Emilion (Tetre Rotebeouf), I wouldn't know cuz I don't drink right bank. Left bank only... mainly Pauillac and St. Estephe ;) Cheers.

Red
2007 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Katrina Eileen Napa Valley
5/26/2019 - Millennial Drinkers wrote:
94 points
Deep and dark purplish ruby red. Dark and rich fruits with baking spices, bramble berries, blackberries, baking spices, and pencil shavings. Medium plus tannins (7/10) with balanced acidity and full bodied. Layered palate with black fruits, dark spices, gravel and dark cherries. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2024.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/15/20, 11:05 PM - Hi MDs, was wondering how you thought the 2007 KE drank compared to the 2010 KE. Based on ypur on rating alone it seemed the 2010 was much nettfer effort. Did you feel the 2007 lacked the punch that other vintages of KE typically have? I wonder about the longevity of the 2007 Napas as a whole.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/16/20, 12:28 AM - Sorry meant to say 2010 was a much better effort!

Red
2003 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
1/31/2020 - Whistler Whino Likes this wine:
93 points
Double decanted for 1 hour. I think this was too long, could have popped and poured. After some time in the glass the tannins has really fallen off. Nose was amazing, pallet fell a bit short if that.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/7/20, 11:59 AM - Honestly, anything from 2003 vintage is best served PnP. It was a such a warm vintage that even the likes of Las Cases and Barton who typically make pretty tannic wines are good to go on PnP for 2003.

Red
2016 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
1/1/2020 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine:
100 points
Decided to take notes for a minimum of 6 days on the same bottle. Each tasting would conclude by returning the bottle to the cellar for storage at 54 degrees.

PNP The evening of Friday Dec 27th. Lovely floral nose with dark chocolate covered cherry's on the palate. Restrained with underling finesse. With air the wine opens up within the glass for the first few hours and is very enjoyable. Sat through Wednesday was a evolution of high quality fruit with acids that ever so slightly melt away with each day. The garnet color stayed consistent in purity. You cannot go wrong enjoying this wine now with a long decant but I think the best window is years away as this showed no signs of falling off even after 6 days.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    1/2/20, 1:03 PM - Thanks for the experiment! Cheers.

Red
2013 Marchesi Mazzei Chianti Classico Castello di Fonterutoli Gran Selezione Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese
11/28/2019 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:
90 points
Solid Chianti with typical profile of bright cherries, raspberries, minerals and hint of tobacco. Lots of tannins and acidity, which made a nice food-friendly wine and paired well with Turkey and accompanying sides. Medium+ finish. Detected a fair amount of brett which blew off after couple of hours.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/2/19, 9:08 PM - Well, true to my name, I drink and collect reds and even in that spectrum, I really only have Napa, Bordeaux, and Brunello (and a couple of Chiantis). This was one of the more 'light' wines that I have, so I went with it. Anything else would have likely overwhelmed the Turkey ;) Anyhow, it was actually a good pairing. It was medium bodied and bright (unlike most of the Brunellos that I have which are full-bodied and dark), so it went well with lighter fair. I would imagine a Barbaresco or Pinot Noir would have gone with it as well. Cheers!

Red
2010 Poggiarellino Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese
10/18/2019 - Not647f wrote:
Cork looked a little weird and moldy, so I worried about TCA, then there was a note of VA. But the acronyms ran out, and the wine took some air, and then it was PDG (pretty darn good). But not my favorite Brunello. I remember thinking this was a pretty good value play when I bought it from K&L which I think had a direct import relationship, but looking at my list of 2010 Brunellos, almost all of which were bought as value plays, it's not my favorite nor the lowest in price. Pretty typical profile of bright, acidic cherries, some wood, will probably gain in secondaries over time. I don't see any current vintages on the K&L website, and I probably would not repurchase as there are other plays in this range that have impressed more.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    10/24/19, 11:48 AM - I agree, this was by the the weakest 2010 BdM that I have had or purchased. The style of this wine (bone dry, earthy, bright) will have its fans but not my cup of tea either.

Red
2012 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
8/3/2019 - ledwards wrote:
86 points
Rubber on nose. Some sour milk and wet cardboard which all settled down but would not drink or buy another bottle of this for a few years. Likely like an off bottle.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    8/15/19, 11:32 AM - This sounds like a flawed bottle for sure. Why rate or give a score?

Red
2012 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
2/15/2019 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine:
96 points
Decanted 90 min, drank best at 2.5 hr and after. Needed a decant as lots of sediment. Tannins have receded with faint complimentary oak notes. Dark black fruit (cherry, blackberry, faint raspberry), herbal sage notes, cedar, faint mineral/saline. Restrained for hedonistic Napa lovers, but over the top for BDX lovers. More Napa than BDX. This is really a great wine. This is a style right in AGs wheelhouse—can see why the ‘16 did so well.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    5/18/19, 1:15 AM - Hi Geaux, grest notes. Seems like this might be one of the most restrained vintages of VHR. Unlike the '08 or '10. Haven't tried the '16 yet but i would imgine it would be more rich then the '12 for sure, no?

Red
2013 Crocker & Starr Cabernet Sauvignon 1 Post St. Helena
3/6/2019 - gmat5497 wrote:
89 points
Disappointed. Rather harsh for a high end wine.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/26/19, 11:50 AM - Hi GMAT, Did you decant this? Either decant for 4-5 hours or wait a few more years.

Red
2008 Rubicon Estate Rubicon Rutherford Red Bordeaux Blend
1/11/2019 - WineRay05 Likes this wine:
100 points
Perfect!
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/25/19, 4:18 PM - Hi Corsair, did you decant this or was this pop and pour? Over how many hours did you drink this. Thanks.

Red
2013 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard Calistoga
2/22/2019 - csimm wrote:
97 points
Black, black, black fruit, with black wet burnt cedar, tar, scorched earth, and black rock. Extraordinarily complex, with the best of Venge's often flamboyant style perfectly harnessed by the best frame and grip of the 2013 vintage. Powerful without being overdone. Concentrated without being heavy. Driven and lively without being schizophrenic. An absolutely phenomenal mid-palate, with a huge finish that I'm still chewing on.

Coming into a great window. Drink now and over the next 5-7 years. A very intense experience in the best of ways...unless you have an aversion to black fruited Cabernets, in which case you should stick with your favorite Gamay spritzer...
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/11/19, 12:19 PM - Hi CSIMM. Thanks for the great notes. Would you say that the 2013 Bone Ash has lost some of its sweetness in the past couple of years? Saw your prior review on it and it seemed like it was on the sweeter/jammy side (which Venge wines exemplify). I love Napa cabs but don't enjoy overtly sweet/candid wines, either due to the warmer vintage (e.g. 2015) or the wine making style (e.g Caymus). Wondering if this has lost some of its baby fat while keeping its structure intact. Thanks.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/12/19, 12:23 PM - Thanks the detailed response. I completely agree with your assessment of the excellent 2013 vintage, in that it provided the vibrancy and freshness to the fruit that allowed the terroir to shine more so than in the hotter vintages, as long as the wine makers took advantage and didn't make an extracted fruit bomb. Sadly I did taste some 2013 Napa reds that were 'lush' (i.e. flabby) and would not have guessed 2013 if tasted blind, but that is more a testament to the wine maker's style than the vintage itself.
    You mentioned to drink over 5-7 years, which isn't particularly long-lived for a solid 2013. Do you think its going to lose structure/viberency or the fruit?

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/13/19, 12:21 PM - I agree that there are not many people in the world who can, with some degree of certainty, predict how a wine will evolve. Guys like Parker who have a ton of experience tasting young wines and doing retrospectives on them X number of years later have learned from their mistakes and have (hopefully) honed their forecasting skills. But its still just a guess ;)
    Even with Parker, I've seen him miss on more than a few wines that didn't last half as long as he had projected (even with near perfect providence on the bottles). In the case of the 2013 Bone Ash, he does say its 30 year wine, but we'll see as I've only seen a couple Napa producers be able to create wines that can remotely last 30 years, such as Dunn and Forman, and even then its largely based on the vintage too (recent vintages like 2010 and 2013 *should* be long-lived).

    Like you said, its based on preference as to when its best to consume the wine (young or aged), but its so difficult to find the peak unless your tasting the the wine regularly to get a sense of how its progressing. For me, I prefer them with some age where the fruit isn't so front-and-center.

    I have, on more than few occasions, waited too long and missed the peak drinking periods and sadly its happening more now after having 2 kids and having less time to open fine bottles of wine, which means some of the bottles will sit longer then I would like. Anyhow, thanks again for the info!

Red
2006 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso Sangiovese
6/11/2018 - winemaker wrote:
93 points
PnP. AG only gave this 88 pts, but I think this is better than the normale 2006 Ciacci Brunello. Has the color of a red burgundy. This has more tannic grip and acidity than the normale. This is a wine of breeding and class. Not showing overripe or pruney at all. Long finish.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    6/18/18, 11:30 AM - Yes, even the 'pros' have their off days, but in general WS is very stingy with their scores, similar to Tanzer.

Red
2010 La Dame de Montrose St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
5/6/2018 - Oechsle Likes this wine:
91 points
Decanted 2 hours, expressive nose lite and fresh with sous bois dominating, a thread of black- berry cassis ish fruit underneath. Medium bodied, with tannic frame and lively acidity. There is dark fruit but, its in the background. A bit austere, A food wine for sure needing a rich, creamy, fatty, meaty dish. I like it BUT, the hype is a little over done. Finish of tannins, black crunchy fruits smeared into gravel. For my palate, this was better a few years back and don’t see this improving unless you like dry fruited wine dominated by tannin and acidity. Purchased as futures and stored accordingly, enjoyed 60-70 with grilled ribeye…Drink over the next few years, no reason to hold… Na zdrowie
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    5/8/18, 12:00 PM - "don’t see this improving unless you like dry fruited wine dominated by tannin and acidity"

    Generally speaking, isn't that what Bordeaux is all about? ;-)

Red
1998 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Napa Valley
1/26/2018 - aerosol Likes this wine:
91 points
Opened at a restaurant for 20th anniversary. Cork cane out soft and this was stored in a vinotech at 54 F. The initial nose was earthy and a hint of must. The mouth was full of dark cranberry, cooked cherry, and soft silky tannins. The wine popped with steak and was enjoyable through the 2 hour window and opened up a little better at the end. I would have thought this to be a left bank Bordeaux and not at all from California. This is a wine going past its prime and should have been drunk a few years past. If you have this, then don't push it into a few more years!
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/4/18, 10:44 AM - Hi Oldwines, question for you. I have 1998 and 1999 Montelena Estate cabs in my cellar that I was thinking about drinking soon. How much long do you think they have? Do you think that in another year or two they will drink better with a shorter (1 hour) decant? I typically drink these older Napa cabs in restaurants (steakhouses) and as you mentioned, long decanting is tougher to do before hand unless I do it at home before going to restaurant.
    As side note, I really do like the 'cooler' Napa vintages (1998, 1999, 2010) because they typically have better potential for longevity and naunce development. I recently had a 1998 Sterling Reserve Cab (from Calistoga region, same as Montelena) and it was great. That too needed 30 min- 1hr decant before it opened up.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    4/5/18, 9:56 AM - Great, thanks for the info. Cheers.

Red
2008 Stormy Weather Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
3/26/2018 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:
97 points
I originally bought this wine based on CT scores, not really believing them, but I have to agree.. This is huge, brooding, excellent, was the WOTN. Were the grapes for this wine sourced from the same vineyards as their current releases??
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    3/26/18, 12:11 PM - I don't think the current (2014) release was sourced from the same vineyards, or for that fact, the same AVAs. From what I have read, the 2008 was a combo of Howell and Sugarloaf Mountains. The latest release says Calistoga. Cheers.

Red
2013 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese
Benvenuto Brunello 2018, Montalcino centro; 2/16/2018-2/19/2018 (Montalcino): (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Soil! iron, mushrooms, dried cherry and freshly picked strawberries. After a few minutes in the glass, dried herbs emerge; this is packing quite a lot, on the nose and palate. Acids are high, and consistent with the structure of many of the finer 2013 Brunello wines I've tasted this week. There's a unique flavor running through the middle - words escaped me, I just chose to enjoy it. The finish is long, the color a darker brick red, and the tannins are fine, and lightly sweet. Excellent. 2021-2037+ highly recommended

https://www.ItalianWine.blog
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    2/23/18, 6:50 PM - Hi Tim, I notifced you had very nice notes on both the 2013 Uccelliera and Voliero. They're both Cortonesi's projects but slightly differing in style I've noticed. I haven't tasted the 2013 Brunellos but I had the 2013 Voliero Rosso on several occasions and loved it. I think your notes on the 2013 Voliero was similar to my experience with the Rosso (i.e. more forward and international in style). I was wondering which you preferred more if you had to pick one, the 2013 Uccelliera or Voliero?

Red
2010 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
12/23/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine:
95 points
Big, bold & extracted. Decanted 90 min and drank over 2 hrs. Heavy acidic red fruit, luscious tannins, velvety dark chocolate. Oak has faded. Ripe, not overdone, but towing the line. Slight mineral streak from mid palate through long (30 sec) finish. Crane is dominating BTK.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/27/17, 3:14 PM - Hi Geaux, how long does she have left? I have 3 bottles in the cellar. Sounds like the CT 2020 date might be too early, right?

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/27/17, 3:50 PM - Thanks for the info. Yes, generally speaking the '10s are coming along slower than most vintages, mainly due to '10 being one of the coldest vintages ever in Napa. I personally love the '10 vintage but have to wait on some of them.

Red
2008 Stormy Weather Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
11/4/2017 - maitredgreg2 Likes this wine:
99 points
After breezing through taste of some rather nice wines, but they just didn't cut it for this special occasion, (LSU-BAMA GAME) I decided to pop my last 750ml. Extraordinary! You know the rest, 99pts.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    11/15/17, 1:51 PM - Sucks that its the last bottle :(
    I have 5 more left, but not looking forward to the day when I have to pop my last one. These are just awesome, especially for the price.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/18/17, 10:09 AM - Hi Darren, when I had the SW, I did a PnP in at a steakhouse and it was good to go. Being almost 10 years old, it probably shed most of its tannins already, but by no mean was it flabby. I could imagine how big it must of drank upon release.
    I drank over 2 hours and I didn't notice much of difference in either the nose or palate. It held out very well without losing any structure, although it didn't have an imposing structure to begin with. I don't think 2022 is too far off its ideal drinking window. Although you could drink it well into the late 2020s assuming it will be cellared well, if you let it go too long beyond early 2020s, it might lose its "Big Napa" profile.

Red
2013 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
12/7/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
94 points
Decided to give this a shot in light of the great vintage and professional reviews - 95 to 97 from Parker and 98 from James Suckling. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry, blackberry, and dark currants. Smooth mid-palate coupled with solid depth. Flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little mineral component. Nice finish but not overly long nor deep - it needs some more time to open-up on the back-end in my opinion. Decanted for two hours and drank over another two. Improved with time and enjoyable after the decant, however, once again this vintage needs some more time for the fruit to soften and open-up which is no surprise in light of the vintage and producer. According to Suckling, drink in 2020 which I can't argue.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/7/17, 11:34 AM - Dunn, especially the HM, always requires patience. You have to also understand that Dunn's style is more old school and NOT modern/in-your-face style of winemaking where the fruit hits you like a tank, hence, you don't see the big 96-99 scores from Parker. However, Galloni is a big Dunn fan because he tends to appreciate the more nuance style that Dunn delivers.

    For a more 'forward' (again relatively) Dunn HM, you should try the 2001 and 2003, which are drinking great right now. I'm actually a fan of in-you-face Napa style (e.g. Hundred Acres, Buccella, Bevan, Hobbs), but have quite a few Dunn HMs to balance things out ;)

Red
2013 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve Napa Valley
12/1/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
91 points
A bunch of bottles showed-up in the secondary market at a nice price so I decided to revisit hoping the last bottle was a little off. Unfortunately no such luck. Once again, the fruit came across fairly light in comparison to the bottles earlier in the year. In addition, the finish was a little tart. Slow ox for a couple hours but I didn't care for how it was drinking so I threw it in a decanter for a couple hours. Not much help. A shame because I loved how this was drinking earlier in the year especially at $50. Drank next to a 2012 Quivet Kenefick cab and the Quivet was quite a bit better.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    12/1/17, 11:14 AM - Interesting observations. I did a tasting at the winery a couple years ago and really liked the density and concentration of the fruit in the 2013 cabernet. When I tasted them, I felt that it represented the 2013 vintage very nicely so I purchased 4 bottles from them.
    I'm a bit surprised that the fruit might have disappeared so quickly. Wondering if its issue with provenance. You don't think its shutting down, do you?

Red
2013 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Katrina Eileen Napa Valley
8/17/2016 - Millennial Drinkers wrote:
97 points
Super dark and similar to the 2013 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon. More complexity on the Katrina Eileen with tons of tobacco, cigar box, toasty with some dark fruits. Heavy tannins (8/10) and full bodied. Tight and firm, needs time. Dark fruits, cassis, vanilla, dark cocoa and cinnamon. Super extracted and love the mouthfeel. Can only imagine how this will turn out. Super long finish. Drink from 2018 till 2040.
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    11/8/17, 7:42 PM - Hi MD, I noticed you had notes on both the 2010 and 2013 Katrina Eileen. I wanted to purchase 3 maybe 4 bottles of these. Wish I could do more but the budget and storage are both limited ;)
    I see that you had similar scores (slight edge to 2010) and tasting notes for both vintages. Sounds like the 2013 might be more fruit-forward than the 2010. As a whole, I personally love the Napa 2010 (along with 2008 and 2013) vintage because the cabs had nice structure and lots of depth.

    If you had to choose 3-4 bottles to purchase how many of each vintage would you do? Please note that I haven't had the Katrina Eileen before.

  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    11/10/17, 11:20 AM - Thanks for the suggestion. You had mentioned the getting the 2008, but did you mean the 2010? I noticed you had notes on the 2010 but not the 2008. Either way, I think I'll splurge and get 2 bottles each of the 2010 and 2013 vintages.

Red
2013 Quintessa Rutherford Red Bordeaux Blend
10/8/2017 - Beverly Joy wrote:
Bought in Napa July 3017
  • Eye Drink Reds commented:

    10/25/17, 11:34 AM - Not sure this going to be that good in the year 3017

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