1/26/2024 - suttonri wrote:

Still going strong at age 43. Fair mousse, especially for its age, with some large bubbles and not much persistence. Still , there is enough carbonation to make this lively enough on the palate.

Oxidative notes dominate, with breadiness and just enough citrusy acidity to keep it lively for its age. Think of a toasted almond sandwich on toasted brioche, with a smear of lemon curd. Paired great with paella. Worth your attention By no means over the hill. I would say it easily can go to 2030.

5/7/2022 - suttonri wrote:

Plums, chocolate, and a little bit of alcohol. Drinkable NOW, not a tough, tannic, leathery old school Amarone....

5/6/2022 - suttonri wrote:

Still a bit tart and tannic. Hold. I had one bottle of the 1997 make.it to 20 years and it was utterly magical.

11/26/2021 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Oxidizing but still very enjoyable. Almonds and this incredibly dense apple concentrate. like an apple marmalade. Drink sooner rather than later.

8/22/2021 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Drinking well now. Plum and cherry liqueur. Resolved tannins, pleasingly fresh and acidic. Light on the tarry and herbal notes. A bit new world with the sweetness, but definitely recognizable as Italian.

1/21/2021 - suttonri Likes this wine:

My bottle is actually the "Szepsy Dulo" version. Still drinkable at 32 years. Fully oxidized, mostly botrytis on the palate, but it's framed nicely with a bright apricot note.

1/2/2021 - suttonri Likes this wine:

A good drop with thst foral, pear note, but just a bit thin. Served with shrimp, lime, peanuts, spuces, & cilantro plus Chowhound's Spicy Thai Coconut Quinoa recipe.

12/31/2020 - suttonri Likes this wine:

When young this had a laser-like clarity than has now softened just a bit. What it lost in precision it has gained in this vanilla-brioche breadiness; however, it is still light on its feet with citrus and green apples dancing around. Just brilliant, the best 1996 I've had to date.

Served with sweet & sour pork ribs, stirfried broccoli in oyster sauce, and dougan with peppers.

Happy New Year!

9/27/2020 - suttonri wrote:

Bricked at rim. Very portlike. Raisins. Licorice Plums. High alcohol. Probably best with Stilton.

9/10/2020 - suttonri wrote:

Surpringly good st 27 years of age. Caramel and vanilla. Not overly cloying.

9/2/2020 - suttonri wrote:

Yes it's got that plum, cherry, rose, & tar profile:, but a shrill acid note just screams above it all, even after 3hrs decanting
Definitely needs something acidic in the food to tame that acid streak.

8/31/2020 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Found in a dark corner of my cellar. Surprisingly OK at 14yrs. Plum, black cherry, chocolate, heat, and alcohol. Exceeded (low) expectations. Really a pretty good Monday night wine with burgers and fries.

7/18/2020 - suttonri wrote:

decant 3 hrs if you must open one of these. Better still, wait 10 yrs. Served with duck smoked over alder wood, Brussel sprouts one rack below the duck to catch drippings, carrots sauteed with cinnamon, onions sauteed with tarragon, and porcini risotto.

5/17/2020 - suttonri wrote:

Cherry explosion when pouring into glass. A bit of bricking on the rim. Heavy fruit extract. Alcohol not too intrusive. Oak perhaps a little more disjoint than in the past. Still displaying the charm and grotesqueness of its youth. Drink or hold.

5/1/2020 - suttonri wrote:

Last bottle. No leak. Mold on top of cork but clean below the surface, saturated about lower 2/3. Color is deep yellow to light hold, entering maturity. Muted nose. On the palate a little honey on the attack, with peaches, apples, lime, and lemon on the palate. N9t do persistent on the finish.. Disappointing, especially considering the vintage. Drink or hold.

Served with pulled pork tostadas.

10/31/2019 - suttonri wrote:

Really started to sing 2 hrs after opening. I'll slow ox the next one. Served with Kobe A5 tenderloins.

11/30/2019 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Still going strong. By no means over the hill, or even super tertiary. Very port like. Served with deconstructed Waldorf egg rolls (Stilton, endive spears, and walnuts deep fried in an egg roll skin).

4/19/2020 - suttonri wrote:

Last bottle. Very youthful at age 23. Crumbly cork, required an Ah-so to salvage. Inky purple color, faded but not bricked at the rim. Explosive nose leaping from the glass. Herbaceous fruit with a medium finish and tamed tannins. Drink or hold another decade or two. Impressive.

Served with Kobe A5 ribeyes, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed broccoli rabe with pine nuts and fig vinegar, and Israeli cous cous.

4/5/2020 - suttonri wrote:

High-energy mousse. Bright&lively citrus notes with green apple. Secondary flavors present but subdued. Lovely foil to Ad Hoc fried chicken and herbed potato salad dressed with vinegar and olive oil.

12/28/2019 - suttonri wrote:

Perfect foil to yellowtail panseared in sesame oil with a furikake crust; carmelized asian dumplings with a black vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger dipping sauce; and stirfried green beans with fish ssuce, garlic, ginger, kecap manis, and red pepper flakes.

Floral with pears, a hint of toasted almonds, and enough acidity to kerp the wine from being cloying.

12/23/2019 - suttonri wrote:

This was quite nice. Pure, restrained strawberries, raspberries, and violets, with a little earthiness on the finish. Framed with enough acidity to be very food friendly, but by no means shrill.

Enjoyed with a raw milk, belegen Gouda.

12/1/2019 - suttonri wrote:

No leaking, but the cork was incompetent upon opening, with the top portion crumbling while the bottom fell into the bottle. Mid shoulder fill, with muted soft purple color well-bricked at the rim. Dusty red and black fruit on the nose, with a round, voluptuous mix of plums and licorice on the palate. Seamlessly integrated, good weight, and a moderately long finish.

Worth the price of admission as old Bordeaux goes, about 1/3 of our party called it wine of the night. In my opinion the Margaux was very good, while the 59 Haut Brion was borderline great.

Served with sauteed mushrooms, truffled mashed potatoes, carmelized onions with tarragon, duck fat roasted brussel sprouts, and pan seared Kobe A5 ribeyes.

11/30/2019 - suttonri wrote:

Tired wine. No signs of or leaking, but the cork sheared when I attempted to twist it out. Color was pale copper, with large, sparse, languid bubbles incapable of forming mousse. On the palate there was brioche, but all in all this was just old and tired. No sense of liveliness or energy to it.

Served with a flight of 3 Osetras, plus lobster & black winter truffle risotto .

11/29/2019 - suttonri wrote:

Hold hold hold, at least 10 years. Infantacide at this time. Lively acidity with a lemon note that gets a tad more citrus & tropical complexity over a few hours. It is not the symphony of citrus, tropical, and white orchard fruits I get from Spatlese & Auslese. I expect the real charm will emerge with tertiary flavors.

Nice foil to deep fried Iberian pork chops with sage batter, oven roasted rosemary potatoes, and sauteed cabbage with walnuts, garlic, and fig vinegar.

11/24/2019 - suttonri wrote:

I rather like this young. Tart grapefruit paired well with Halibut steaks braised in butter, onion, & Sauvignon Blanc. Oven roasted rosemary potatoes, oyster mushrooms with olive oil, fish sauce, & Ankerkraut pilzpfanne spice blend, and green beans (par micro'd, stirfried in evoo, dressed with Kecap Manis, pureed garlic&ginger, and red pepper flakes.)

It's like the Sauvignon Blanc of Chardonnays. Might morph into something more with decanting or bottle age, but I enjoy it for what it is right now.

11/19/2019 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Still admirably hanging in there. Dark, oxidized color. Think PX Sherry. Plenty of apricot-laden acidity, with musty brown sugar botrytis to match. What it lacks is viscosity and sweetness enough to balance. It is only 4 Puttonyos afterall. Not bad, exceeded expectations. Drink up.

11/13/2019 - suttonri wrote:

Consistent with 2017 note. Reminiscent of Burgundy upon opening, lots of acid and bright fruit. Fruit turns darker and herbs come out with food. Served with leftover seared duck breast and mushroom grits. (Came up with this on a whim on a Wednesday night. Cook your grits with Better than Bouillon Mushroom base, and stir in leftover sauteed mushrooms the last 5 minutes or so.)

11/14/2019 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Just pumps out this black cherry liquer with an herbal undertone. Drink or hold. Enjoyed with carryout pizza & wings, plus Thursday Night Football. Time well spent.

11/3/2019 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Have to disagree with that "consume by 2019" mark. Drink or hold easily another 5 yrs. Black & red cherries, , morphed to blueberries, cassis, mocha, and graphite on the 20+ second finish. Enough acidity and resolved tannins with nicely integrated oak.

Served with local Roseda Farms waygu hybrid ribeyes, sauteed mushrooms, Israeli cous cous cookedin mushroom bouillon, and stirfried broccoli in oyster sauce.

9/18/2019 - suttonri Likes this wine:

No leak or bulge at the capsule, mold at the top face of the cork, which was saturated about 3/4 up. Medium gold color, neither young nor old with a bit of effervescence. Light citrus nose. On the palate, a 50-50 mix of syrupy weight and that JJ Prum ethereal lightness and minerality. Oranges, marmalade, pineapple, lemons, and a kiss of brown sugar with lychees coming out on the 20 second finish.

1/17/2017 - suttonri wrote:

Almost Burgundian an at this time. High acid, modest tannins, pure high-toned fruit. Opened with some hint of power after 2 hours, but by no means big. I would drink this with fowl, pork, or meaty fish such as grilled salmon or swordfish. Enjoyed this Tuesday night with Royal Farms fried chicken, Crystal hot sauce, and a garden salad.

Hold a few years.

1/10/2017 - suttonri wrote:

Herbal bramble fruit. Drink or hold.

1/4/2017 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Flawless cork. Solid purple color with no bricking. Nothing tertiary on the palate but age has tamed the shrillness and tannins. Enjoyable without food. Tart cherries, some chocolate, and a bit of tannic dust on the back end. Served with De Cecco bow ties, Cento jarred sauce, meatballs, sausage and reg parm. AWESOME weekday wine, and would certainly dress-up with a special Italian dinner.

1/3/2017 - suttonri wrote:

Oxidized color, dark and brown. Brown sugar and Apricots on nose and palate. Good enough but certainly not for a special occasion. Drink up.

1/3/2017 - suttonri wrote:

Dry cork. Oxidized color, dark and brown. Apricots and brown sugar on the nose and palate. Good enough but certainly not for a special occasion. Drink up.

11/26/2016 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Sweet fruit, creamy oak, a some pepper on the finish. Port like but not offensively so. Cocktail wine.

11/16/2016 - suttonri wrote:

Intact cork, not leaking, crumbling, or moldy. Gold color indicating some age. Not much botrytis. Good, but definitely a step down from my favorites, JJ Peum, Fritz Haag, and Donnhoff.

11/15/2016 - suttonri wrote:

Dry cork, no mold. Oxidized, brown color. Simple honey, brown sugar, and a bit of granny smith apples. Drink up.

11/12/2016 - suttonri wrote:

No leaking or mold at cork. Pale yellow color turning a bit golden, adolescent at this point. Orchard fruits and citrus on the nose and palate, with the slightest hint of spritz. Mostly pear, honey, and pineapple with a little apple in the background. Drink or hold.

Served with chicken enchiladas in red sauce, refritos, guacamole, and deep fried polenta.

11/10/2016 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Young gold color. Yeasty citrusy nose. Medium-grained mousse with brioche, lemon curd, and cream on the palate. Really good but less so than past years.

Served with popcorn seasoned with truffle butter & truffle salt, plus Thursday night football.

11/9/2016 - suttonri Likes this wine:

Color more young & pale than old & gold. Apples on the nose. Seamless pears & apples on the palate, perhaps a bit closed. Wonderfully persistent finish with a nutty, almond note kicking in. Really fine. Good now, better down the road. Drink or hold.

Served with swordfish steaks pan seared in olive oil, bok choy, and one of those grocery store polenta tubes, sliced & deep fried. White pepper & Salish alder-smoked salt for seasonings.

3/18/2014 - suttonri wrote:

Having this with truffle risotto at the moment. No decant shows elegant rose and cherries. Really quite lovely.

After about 15 min in the glass the pizza came out. Pepperoni, sausage, and prosciutto bring out what tannins are left. The tomato sauce adds a little power to the fruit.

All in all really good. Should pair well with a variety of dishes.

12/3/2013 - suttonri wrote:

Fabulous. No petrol yet, lots of tropical and orchard fruit. The more you pay attention the more layers it reveals. Riveting minerality. Served with Bobby Flay's faux bbq shrimp recipe:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/peel-and-eat-shrimp-with-barbecue-spices. That's a fine pairing and a great recipe, especially if you have no access to an outdoor grill.

12/1/2013 - suttonri wrote:

Disappointingly young. Green apples with slumbering toast-yeast-brioche. This giant needs to sleep some more. Served with Marcella Hazen's crespelle recipe, a crepe stuffed with spinach, ham, onion, béchamel, reg parm, and nutmeg. Really a food pairing you must try with your favorite champagne.

12/1/2013 - suttonri wrote:

Apricots, brown sugar, honey, and oranges on the palate. Not brilliant but it certainly wowed some dessert-wine-naïve guests. Served with crème brulee.

12/1/2013 - suttonri Likes this wine:

No decant. Smooth cherry with resolved tannins. Very primary but really enjoyable with pasta and red sauce. Drink or hold.

11/28/2013 - suttonri wrote:

Really liked this. Cassis, graphite, and a chocolate note. Mouthfilling and seamless from start to finish. Drink or hold, no decant needed

11/8/2013 - suttonri wrote:

Best on day 2 after sitting uncorked on the counter. It seemed a bit thin and green on day 1 but yielded suave graphite, cassis, chocolate, and cherry a day later. I would double decant overnight if you were trying to get one en pointe for a special dinner. Drink, with some decanting, or hold.

3/18/2013 - suttonri wrote:

Friut is fading. The balance between fruit and 2ndary & tertiary flavors is on the downhill side for my bottles. Still very worthwhile but best drunk sooner rather than later.

3/11/2013 - suttonri wrote:

I