5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Petrol and tire. That reductive thing blows off. The bottle was just popped. Pretty with a strong note of honey. Lovely and powerful. Showing a clear note of botrytis. I don't think I've personally have a trocken that showed this sort of higher pradikat quality with the honey and botrytis. It really made this quite expressive.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Classic German Riesling nose with notes of diesel and mineral. Focused and fresh with a sweet quality. Again mineral here on the palate. Clearly vinified dry but one could be fooled by the sweet flavor. A solid classic Riesling.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Three weeks on skin at fermentation. This one is more strongly natty than the 'Baby Sandhose'. Juicy in the way those often are.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Heading more into natty territory but this one is quite friendly and tasty. Bright, pretty nose like a freshly cut fruit salad. Spicy with a strong pear note. Shows some of a skin quality from 7 days of contact at fermentation. Tasty.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Clearly darker and more extracted than the previous wine. Also more forward in fruit and wood. Very tannic and rich. Pure Pinot expression too. A more modern take on Pinot.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Earthy nose with a strong forest floor character. Lovely darker fruits. Good structure with noticeably balancing acidity and drying tannin. Lean bodied showing some stem inclusion. A good wine to sneak into a blind Burgundy lineup. Very classic Pinot.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Deep pink color. Herby strawberry nose. Very grippy palate. The wood is much more evident here than on the 2021. Again, a fun take on Pinot Gris aiming for relaxed party atmospheres.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Funky, reductive nose initially. Juicy with a strong cherry note. Very dry finish. The wood was evident in the background on this. A unique, fun, party friendly take on Pinot Gris.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Lots of color for a Pinot Blanc. Rich, complex nose showing banana and honey with a distinct mineral note. Complex on the palate especially for Pinot Blanc. Mature like qualities with richness and some grip from the three days of skin contact. A nicely surprising wine. Everyone took notice of this.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

The whole table noted how much like a Gewurztraminer this smelled like. Sweet nose with spicy lychee. Juicy yet oily in the midpalate. Lingering herb quality around the edges. Very secondary driven for a Muscat.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Nose is soft and Rhone like with pear and melon. Oily texture yet with a fresh, mineral finish. Clean and dry. Well balanced but not quite acid driven. Lingers on the palate. The balance was a nice surprise given expectations. Strong value.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

This shows like a mature Champagne with oxidative and mushroom notes on the nose. The palate too shows that golden aura of maturing fruit. Hints of coffee, baked lemon and nuts.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Nutty on the nose with notes of persimmon. Pretty and complex. More narrow on the palate with some sharpness and a dry finish. Intriguing nose though especially for a Pinot Blanc.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Toasty nose showing some yeasty notes. Lean bodied belying the lack of dosage. Pithy and very dry. Fresh and food friendly.

5/3/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Disg 12/20. Slight reductive umami kind of funk upon opening but that fades quickly. Quite fresh other than that, not showing much in the way of maturity. Elegant, light bodied which is somewhat surprising given the vintage. Pretty and food friendly. A very nice, tight little package. All that said this really lacks complexity and depth given the pedigree and vintage. I was really hoping for more. That said, its a very nice wine as it is. Just don't expect fireworks.

4/28/2024 - WetRock wrote:

This is already in a great place. Bright nose of mature cherry, pepper and wood. Balanced palate with refreshing acidity. Hints of leather and old house lend complexity to the perfectly mature fruit. The tannins are a bit drying but everything else says this wine is in its zone. A good one to drink while the deeper vintages age. This will certainly last a long while but I don't see the depth for added complexity in the future. Very nice.

5/1/2024 - WetRock wrote:

I can't find any info on the bottle for base vintage or disgorgement. Reserved nose but there is an interesting sort of salty thing. The palate is pure BdB with that lemon with a tinge of butter. Lots of chalk and some notes that come off like lees aged remnants. Narrow in expression but terrific balance. A classic dinner Champagne for the Burgheads. I was ready to give this a 'solid' but I see somehow I still paid only $30 for a Champagne in 2023. Excellent value here.

4/23/2024 - WetRock wrote:

This is real subdued still. Dark, forest floor sort of vibes with a strong raspberry thing coming alive on the second night. The palate shows a dark fruited skin quality. Strongly tannic yet. A more bitter citrus feel on the palate is very present. Hard choice between somewhat closed or just without the power to express itself fully. Again though, for the normale SC bottling this is quite dark, structured and shy. Not as generous as one might usually expect from this bottling but that could also mean its a step up in terms of depth. Time will tell.

4/21/2024 - WetRock wrote:

That taste from two months back was no lark. This is quite nice. Fresh and chalky. Very lively. Terrific balance. Even some sweet flavors on the low 1.1g/L dosage. 74% Pinot Meunier, 15% Chard and the rest from perpetual reserve going back to '98. This version is base 2020.Disgorged 11/22. A great dinner compantion.

4/19/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Elegance from CdP. I sometimes forget its possible here. This wine has it. Classic spicy cooked strawberry with touches of leather and garrigue. Hints of wood and stem. No over-ripeness here. Lowish extraction too. The tannin is quite strong for a Grenache based wine. Even a bit astringent. Quite good overall and in a good window. It will surely live for a long time but the fruit density isn't something for the ages. Have a nice rich stew type of dinner now. This was great with leftover Indian.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Served blind. First thing I put in my notes was ""Natural"". Those sorts of funky qualities that bring to mind unfinished wines. Herby nose with honey. Funky palate with plenty of tartness. Swirling seems to make the mousse disappear quickly. Later on this picked up some of that sweetness that makes you think of non-Champagnes. It also picks up more funkiness.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Bright, chalky nose. Very clean overall. A nice solid Blanc de Blancs. More chalk on the palate. This might gain half a notch with some more cellaring.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Served blind. Two mature wines in a row? Its just going to be one of those tastings. Compelling nose. Dense with integrated honey and apples. Showing in a mature way. Clean palate. Well integrated with tart acidity. Marguet wins this one. I don't think gambling on aging wines with sulfur adds is a winning bet, this one is doing fine. Very well in fact. Nice wine.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Served blind. Showing the clear oxidation of a mature wine. Apple in a riper, less fresh cut way. While this doesn't seem to have gained the complexity you hope from a maturing wine its drinking well right now showing the way a Champagne should mature rather than tire.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Served blind. I immediately thought I wasn't the only one that had brought a non-Champagne. But I've accused Astrid of this previously and been off the mark. Bright, sweet fruit on the nose. Sweet, raw fruit from something other than typical wine grapes. Very fruity on the palate. Falls off some at the finish. A tasty drink though.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Clean and fresh on the nose with young, cut apple qualities. Focused and stony with long acids. More cohesive than my last go. I do wish I knew more about the base vintage and disgorgement information. I know its from the 2021 release. I'm on the fence with this wine and would like to compare vintages for a better picture of what this producer does.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Picked this up to give it a try at home. Everyone else seemed to be bringing two bottles and this was cold. Nose of honey, apple sauce and pears. Light bodied with nice yeasty and chalky qualities. Certainly none of the power and body you want from a Champagne but a very nice sparkling wine in its own right. Strong value here.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Served blind. Wow. Its been 6 years since I had this. I struggled with this more than my comrades. I think this might have been a bit closed. I also should have made a point of taking some additional notes before we left. Reserved flinty nose. Very energetic palate though reserved in expression. Very powerful, hard acids. Definitely was getting prettier in my glass. Will let my bottle sleep at least a couple more years.

4/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Served blind. Pretty nose. Florals over lifted lemon. Very fresh. Mineral and lean young apple. Plenty of richness. Grippy though there is a touch of a bite on the finish. Very nice considering the lack of dose. Good fruit out of this site makes that decision more palatable than most. This wine will likely benefit from a couple more years rest.

4/14/2024 - WetRock wrote:

This has integrated nicely since my last go in 2019. Terrific complexity. Getting closer to a lean bodied feel. A bit rough at the finish but I'm starting to expect that with these wines. The expression trumps the build most often. This vintage doesn't quite have the heft for a real long sleep in my estimation. One to drink while the denser vintages age. These wines can be quite compelling.

4/7/2024 - WetRock wrote:

A very impressive debut for Ridge. This comes with a real strong sense of mountain fruit given its dark richness and understated expression. The oak is really spicy here. Focused, fine tannin. This really has the fruit to make it last and it really needs more integration time. That darker fruit character on a Zin with this sort of fruit depth is hard to dismiss. One to keep an eye on.

4/5/2024 - WetRock wrote:

The only other go I've had with the RM Platt was the 100 pointer which I found a bit rich, blocky and without grace. This one on the other hand is quite impressive. Terrific complexity while maintaining a balanced, cool character. Blind I might have guessing SLH or SC Mountains. There is a forest like coolness here that pulls me away from a warmer Sonoma character. Surprisingly stout yet fine tannin. Focused at the finish. Its got those hints of mineral among the core blackberry. Terrific wine. The structure doesn't want to be forgotten. Could be better in 2-5 years.

4/2/2024 - WetRock wrote:

The warmth of the vintage was evident with a lovely note of honey on the nose. Captivating expression with requisite mineral and citrus coming along at different moments. Clearly on the riper side for Chablis but it all works. Until night two when it pretty much falls apart. The tartness of the acidity just dominates the expression now. Air and warmth don't really improve things. So probably like the '15's I'll put this in the drink soon windows.

3/29/2024 - WetRock wrote:

The current vineyard selection for this bottling certainly gives a darker, richer wine than in many vintages. the '22 isn't brooding and tannic like last year's. Maybe a little brooding but also brightened up by some citrus intermingling with black cherry, rhubarb and hints of cola. Again more tannic than I would expect. This could use another 6-18 months of stretching but its got lots going on.

3/24/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Nice balance and character. Lighter build. Just a solidly good bottle. At the price paid this is a very good value given the post Covid price bumps from the region. A wine that would be a winner across many palates.

3/20/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Something of a strange mess. The up and down notes here make me think there is some variation with this wine. Definitely some advanced oxidation floating around. Not strong but it most made me think of the character of a 40 year old lower-middle end Cab from California that lived alright but is clearly showing its age. This '04 Bordeaux had a bit of that character. There is also a clear note of new wood floating over the less than concentrated fruit. Its much strong on night two and three. Solid green notes that are more weedy than leafy. Very frustrating wine that will see the balance of it go down the drain. Hoping my other bottle is more like the positive notes I'm seeing here.

3/21/2024 - WetRock wrote:

This is far from perfect but all the stuff going on in the glass is exciting. Those signs of the warm vintage haunt the outskirts. The hints of mineral, fresh cut citrus, juicy acids, florals and pith make you forget the riper fruit qualities hanging around. Or maybe they make them part of the greater good. In any case, I can't call this harmonious but all the notes are here and I don't care. Skill on display here in terms of harvest and winemaking.

3/19/2024 - WetRock wrote:

"Mostly 2020". Disg 10/22. A touch of minty herbiness. Otherwise the nice, solid Champagne I expect from this bottling. 4 g/L gives it the oomph to be inviting. Light touch of toastiness on the periphery. A solid disgorgement of this bottling. Its become something of a go-to for me in terms of reliable NV's.

3/17/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Aged not under the veil for 2 years. Shows some touches of natural funk with VA and bretty/mousy notes. Those are real light though and the fruit starts pushing them into the background with air. And I like what comes out. Touches of honey comb and citronella let you know its not Chard but you still might be fooled blind. Focused with flashes of mineral. Long acids behind lively, complex fruit. Quite nice. I can't help but think with a touch of SO2 this could have been stellar.

3/15/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Quite lively when first opened. Fresh acidity and light tannin really make this go. With time open, especially overnight, it becomes more candied and tart. A surprisingly translucent wine given how they treat others from the region. I wonder what the reasoning is for the lowish extraction. Even in the description they mention only a quarter was held with the cap under. Given how the carignan really picks this vineyard up I'm surprised they don't lean into it more and let it carry the Zin. All that said, this wine is always in between something better and something worse. This vintage is simpler than most.

3/12/2024 - WetRock wrote:

My note from almost exactly two years ago still serves this wine. These sorts of wines tend to have slow aging curves. Enjoy with dinner.

3/10/2024 - WetRock wrote:

As blue cool and young as any of these. A touch monolithic and wanting some more acid. Still quite tasty.

3/8/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Tough to evaluate given the specter of the fires and how Ridge has handled the Monte Bello. This fruit comes from that same place. They didn't put the pick date in the description but this did spend 14 months in barrel before being bottle in '22. Much more expressive on night one but also some funkiness towards the finish(which is how the MB showed when I had it). Balanced fruit to acid with low tannin. The second night it was more sullen which is how some of my other Ridges have shown from 2020. Overall without taking the possibility of smoke taint into account I'd have to say this is not a longer term Jimsomare but that it will also need some time to relax a bit. Crossing my fingers for something better in 2-3 years.

3/5/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Showing less richness than previous Boatmans but also with a high ABV. On night one this did show a classic Zin character and was balanced enough to be a nice dinner wine in spite of that high alc. Its a bit more deconstructed on night two with the pieces showing up less integrated. Light tannin and the lowish fruit level makes me think this one is a shorter term vintage. Still, 6 months to a year more rest would probably gives this a boost in expression.

3/2/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Zero dosage. On the lees 7 years and disg 08/21. So apparently the FBT13 code means its base or all 2013. 60/40 Pinot N/Chard. Precise and clean. Doesn't seem to have any oak or malo influence. Gives a classic sweet-tart quality. Not quite hard but you would still guess lower in the dosage range. Carries it well though. I caught more of the lees notes on night one. On night two its a bit more basic. Touches of pithy, chalky notes on the finish. This is a good buy for those that like that narrower, more "refined" build. Likely better served with food. Some nigiri with lighter colored fish would be a great foil for this.

2/27/2024 - WetRock wrote:

This seems to be cozying into a nicely mature spot. Shows redder cranberry towards the finish but up front its darker, richer with the classic leafy Cab like notes. Maybe a touch of oak in there. Somewhat smooth or polished but not overtly. Light tannin at this point. A very nice wine but without a lot of distinction.

2/23/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Like most of these, aging quite slowly. This shows a solid plummy dark chocolate note from the 49% Merlot. Its still rich but showing some maturity though not in the way of complexity. A nice hearty Bordeaux blend but not a lot more. At the price point and age is still a nice deal.

2/25/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Double Fisted Champagne at Frank's: Checking Recent Buys AND Something Drinking Great Now (Frank Murray's Casa): Loved the classic, mature Champagne note of buttered bread. The balance really lets the richness shine here. Somewhat sweet and fruity but altogether yummy. Fantastic punctuation to a terrific tasting.

2/25/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Double Fisted Champagne at Frank's: Checking Recent Buys AND Something Drinking Great Now (Frank Murray's Casa): Very green nose with asparagus and strawberry. Sweet and rich on the palate. Then it kinda falls off. There's acid but it doesn't seemed married to the fruit. Very notable showing given the reputation of the vintage. You'd think Vilmart might still get a note of that greenness but this seems to have gotten away from him.

2/25/2024 - WetRock wrote:

Double Fisted Champagne at Frank's: Checking Recent Buys AND Something Drinking Great Now (Frank Murray's Casa): The nose was all over. Oaky and spicy for certain and then weird. But somehow fun. Apples on the palate yet pretty bizarre overall. Notes of clove but finishes cleft. The experiments continue.