Comments on my notes

White

2018 Crescere Sauvignon Blanc Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley

11/8/2021 - cortoncharlie wrote:

88 points

I have to confess I am not much of of a Sauv Blanc drinker due to the acidity. Sure I enjoy the occasional Haut Brion Blanc but most Sancerre give me reflux and have me reaching for my antacid. This is lower in acidity but my stomach can still feel the 14.8pct alc. Probably better than most American SBs but that is quite a low bar. I understand one of the critics gave this 98ptss. I wonder where he would rate a HBB then?

cortoncharlie commented:

2/10/24, 8:30 PM - If you read my note I did not compare this to a HBB. For me, there is no comparison. What I did was take issue with a critic's numerical score which is all relative. All bottles cost less than US$30 to produce and what the market pays for it is a matter of supply and demand. Wine appreciation is subjective at the end of the day and people should just buy the wines they enjoy based on their budget. As a drinker, I want to be able to discern why I like one bottle over another. The useless comparison is from one of the critics who gave this a numerical score higher than a 2018 HBB. For me, that is insane even though there will be a few people who may prefer this to a HBB 18 or who could never afford one.

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White

2021 Walter Scott Chardonnay X-Novo Vineyard Eola - Amity Hills

4/28/2023 - geoffreychambertin wrote:

87 points

Starts with a wall of reduction.... That actually blows off this year! Whatever maligned the 2019 vintage has been dialed in, and I look forward to continued progress in future years.

That said, once the reduction blows off, you're left with a good but not incredible Oregon chardonnay. A good wine but does not merit the hype or the price point, and was easier to justify at the previous $60 price point.

cortoncharlie commented:

7/7/23, 9:06 PM - I do fancy the reductive style of which WS is a disciple, but I appreciate your observation that other than the "style," WS chards lack some of the magic offered by the best white burgundies. That said, I have yet to find better Chardonnays from the new world than WS so please let me know what else I should try.

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Red

2005 Pierre Damoy Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Pinot Noir

5/21/2021 - Collector1855 wrote:

87 points

Not a Damoy fan and this bottle confirms it. If you have the largest plot, you should make the best wine, DRC will tell you because you are the only one that can discard sub-par barrels/plots to Negoce. However, if your farming or your wine making is crap, not much hope!. Vogue‘s Musigny and Damoy‘s Chambertins are two sad examples. Let's hope French inheritance law will help to transfer ownership... All the Burgundy lovers at the table were thoroughly disappointed with this wine. Alcoholic heat, dark fruit, extraction, are we in Languedoc? Even 1h decanting did not help. The alc. finish just got hotter, complex aromas anyone? A shame what they bottled in such a vintage and vineyard.

cortoncharlie commented:

6/30/21, 6:38 AM - You can put Groffier Amoureuses in that unholy trinity

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Red

1978 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Napa Valley

12/25/2020 - cortoncharlie wrote:

corked

cortoncharlie commented:

12/26/20, 10:30 AM - Both! Merry Xmas. Recall we had a lovely dinner many years ago with Jean Paul and Benoit and others.

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Red

2013 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle Syrah

12/30/2018 - cortoncharlie wrote:

This is a young wine so I am writing mostly about the underlying material and future potential. Popped without decanting and allowed to air for 4 hours and then slowly consumed over 2 hours. Let me just say this is a very polished and well made wine. It is not a bomb. It has the profile of cool fruit but it did not taste green or unripe. I was most impressed by the lovely balance, structure and freshness and also the round tannins. But I have to wonder is this wine too polished now that it has lost a bit of its soul? Would a young La Chapelle from the 70s or 80s taste like this? Does the wine now reflect more the image of its new Bordelais owners (in many ways they have improved the wine) than to its origin? I guess only time will tell.

cortoncharlie commented:

12/31/18, 8:37 AM - You can try to approach it now with a long decant. Old La Chapelles typical need 20 years in my opinion but with the change in style this may require less time.

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Red - Fortified

1999 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage Nacional Port Blend

8/16/2013 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Black as the ace of spades. This was absolutely delicious but certainly a notch below the very best vintages of this wine. It was loaded with liquorice and blood plum and just had a hint of vanilla and coconut. It was a tad raw on the finish.

cortoncharlie commented:

1/4/17, 5:51 AM - are you sure this was a nacional you tasted? according to the producer's website the only nacional declared in the 90s are 91, 94, 96, 97 and 98.

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