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Comments on my notes

(95 comments on 69 notes)

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Red
2009 Château Féret-Lambert Bordeaux Supérieur Red Bordeaux Blend
12/14/2019 - Mandiyu Does not like this wine:
83 points
I love this wine. But the 2009 is dead. It tastes like Porto now.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/21/24, 9:43 AM - I opened one five years after your note. The wine is showing maturity with a little warmer tile color on the edge but the core is still deep. The wine shows mature complexity but not at all dead or soon going there. I have had this since release and in a cool cellar in Minnesota. Been keeping well.

Red
2009 Château Féret-Lambert Bordeaux Supérieur Red Bordeaux Blend
9/6/2019 - Mandiyu Likes this wine:
91 points
Amazing wine but it is dying. Need to be drank now
  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/21/24, 9:42 AM - I opened one five years after your note. The wine is showing maturity with a little warmer tile color on the edge but the core is still deep. The wine shows mature complexity but not at all dead or soon going there. I have had this since release and in a cool cellar in Minnesota. Been keeping well.

Red
1990 Château Lascombes Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
2/10/2024 - Wineteacher Likes this wine:
92 points
This wine was bought at release (not en premier) and has been in my cellar of cool and excellent condition ever since. The cork eased out very nicely. The wine had a wonderful scent when it was decanted. It is medium-light in body but very fragrant and showing just a light warmer color. I was able to get a brilliantly clear wine after the bottle had been standing up for a couple of day. In the palate the wine style shows bright but evolved fruit. Mostly red fruit. There is tannins but not harsh. The flavor profile is not completely dominated by mature flavors which are there but there is a back ground of acidity and freshness keeping it away from mature wine only flavor profile. It is a pretty style of Margaux, with a little flower, violet and lilac. It is a beautifully attractive wine for a classic sort of lamb course. Just lovely and no hint of being passed prime.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    2/10/24, 8:22 PM - The wine really displayed the characteristics of being a Margaux with the very pretty violet and lilac notes which were in the bouquet and very much the after taste. This was one wine I would have identified as a Margaux. My cellar enjoys deep into the ground condition in Minnesota. The wine last a very high fill just barely below the work. The cork was in pretty good shape for the age. All was going for it so it tasted healthy. Of course it is ready to drink but it was not at all frail. How it had been kept was probably a big part of it.

White - Sweet/Dessert
1985 Wente Vineyards Riesling December Harvest Arroyo Seco
4/13/2015 - mike l. Does not like this wine:
80 points
balanced and correct but to my taste still way to sweet to be of any interest.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/31/24, 4:50 AM - I have a few bottles of the wine that have been well cellared. It is a botrytis affected dessert wine so being sweet is how it should be. The botrytis fungus gives it that apricot and peach character. At times some honey and caramel also. It is very prized for those who enjoy dessert wines. Is yours in good drinking condition without oxidation? Is the color golden and amber? Just wondering as I haven’t had one for a while.

Red
1977 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
3/16/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote:
flawed
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Stewy, off balance, hopefully a flawed bottle, but quite possibly just well past its peak.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    11/12/23, 5:13 AM - I just opened my last one last night. You can see my comments. Fabulous and extremely youthful. Yours may be an off bottle. I have a very cold cellar which also helps. Take care.

Red
2018 Sattler Zweigelt Burgenland
8/19/2021 - pgb67 wrote:
90 points
Summer of 2021 Cornucopia of Wines (Dogwood Grove, Garezers, HHI): Outstanding value (the cheapest wine on this board), medium-bodied with clove and cinnamon notes surrounding plum and dark cherry flavors. Aromatic and expressive, with charming character.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/4/23, 4:05 PM - Glad to read your note. I am donating this wine for a symphony fundraiser to go with Viennese beef goulash and sour cream noodles. Based on your comments, I think this will be perfect. Now is my job to produce the Austrian dinner. 😆

White - Sparkling
N.V. L'Éclat de 1990 Blanc de Blancs Brut France White Blend
6/14/2022 - Wineteacher Likes this wine:
90 points
We opened 24 magnums of this wine for our daughter’s wedding. Also used it a few years ago for our son’s wedding. Forget about the negative comments here. As a wine educator, I can absolutely assure you that this wine is excellent. It is fresh, crisp and flavorful. It is of citrus and apple on a very light color. The bottle is also beautiful. Not only the guests liked it, it was a bit. I have also used it for an art museum event for a large groups and in a few days we will do another museum event pouring this wine I believe it is made by a cooperative in Alsace but the wine’s appellation is simply Blanc de Blancs of France. That means the grapes are from France but not enough of the blend is Alsatian to get tbe Alsace AOC. Excellent.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/2/23, 2:49 PM - Funny that you said about using it for a wedding. We used this magnum for our son’s wedding in 2019 and also for our daughter’s wedding in 2022. Both times the wines were bought the winter before it came out during the holidays. I have also used this wine for several years at an annual event in an art museum we support as a donation. In this case, we had some of the bottles for two years before using them because of Covid related cancellations. I have a wine cellar which has a pretty cool and steady temp with only very gradual seasonal rise and fall which is really only once per year, each. The cellar has never been warmer than 63. As a result of good storage condition, I have not worried about this wine being there for a year or two. Additionally, because of good acidity and pressure, sparkling wines are quite sturdy. Your plan to use in May shouldn’t be an issue as long as it is in cool temp or at least room temp or a little below. It is a very fine wine made by a winery in Alsace, using grapes grown in various French vineyards. It is worth a lot more than what we paid at TJ’s. I always buy this for the art museum. Great value and looks great at a wedding. Festive and grand poured out of a big bottle.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/4/23, 3:17 PM - Some earlier had commented that this wine was stale and flat. I sure didn’t find that to be true. Some of mine sat over two years in my cellar and still starting completely fresh and pale in color. Using it in May would be no issue at all. Most wine shops have wines on the shelf standing up at room temperature for much longer. Cheers and congratulations.

Red
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges Cabernet Franc
7/20/2012 - mflesh wrote:
90 points
Enjoyed tonight at the recommendation of the sommelier Brian Pack at Del Frisco's Double Eagle in Fort Worth TX. I'm not too sure if this bottle was ready to drink tonight, but it was probably the most unique experience we've had with a bottle of wine. The wine was uncorked to a nice dark cherry stain. 1-2 mm of bleed. Cork intact. Nose out of the bottle was all musty - - Fort Worth Stockyards and, with a long breath in, a cut rose and violet smell. The wine was decanted, and thankfully so! The wine poured a dark red, not much of a glycerine characteristic - probably medium to full bodied offering was the initial postulation. On the palate was a lot of smoke and leather, some chocolate, some dark berry, and a funky, earthy finish and some manure, oak barrel and a firm tart, yet floral semi-sweet note. Rest of the wine was decanted and enjoyed over 90 minutes. This wine really needs about 30 minutes of decanting time. Afterwards, the wine was rather predictable, but went through a few developments to get to its final presentation. This wine was at first musty, then violet/jasmine/rose floral, then a note of blackberry showed, then chocolate moving to oak barrel, then a nice black pepper spice, with a very earthy, gravely finish, then almost seems to repeat 1-2 more times as the wine sticks with your palate for a 10-15 second finish. Each sip seemed to vary somewhat, but never really deviated from the order above. This was by far the most interesting Loire Valley Cab Franc we have ever had. But, it's not one that you can go into blindly. We were warned that this wasn't your typical bottle, but TYPICAL isn't what you look for on a wine list that goes on and on. Went VERY well with the seared rare black and blue. I think you could probably keep this one another 10 years as it already did seem to be rather well integrated, but I feel that the best is yet to come.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    11/21/22, 9:15 PM - You said ten years and ten years is now. It is drinking beautifully now and not at all fail. It is nature and yet vibrant. Full of secondary flavors. I posted a review as of today. Baudry is a masterful producer.

White
2020 Lyrarakis Dafni Psarades Crete
11/27/2021 - J'agnes Likes this wine:
89 points
Very pale lemon. Slightly medicinal nose - almost laurel? Full palate, quite rich again quite herbal with a garrigue like rosemary element and a rich stone fruit and a hint of bitterness on the finish. Good value wine.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    11/5/22, 7:36 AM - Thanks for your note. I have been to the winery for tasting five times in the last seven years. Lyrarakis has made it a mission to save nearly extinct native Cretan varietals. The Dafni along with the Plyto are two white varieties they have brought back. Both are grown next to the road that leads to the winery. You mentioned herbs and laurel in your notes. I think along with some fruit aromas, herbal characteristics is part of the flavor profile of Dafni. In fact the word Dafni means laurel. You have nailed it.

Red
1989 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
11/28/2021 - brooklynguy wrote:
Decanted off the sediment at 4, and the nose was so lovely and open that I put it back in the bottle until 7, an hour before drinking. The wine is a perfectly lovely mature Bdx and it’s a pleasure to drink but it’s an average wine, at best. It shows a fundamental lack of balance in the spirity nose - alcohol listed at 12.7 but it shows higher. The nose shows some soil and leather and fruit, but without definition and pungency. Same on the palate, where although the wine is pleasant and mature, it is without pungency and articulation, and a bit weak on the finish.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    11/3/22, 7:43 PM - I had this wine last night. I generally agree with your comments. My impression was that the acidity stood out a bit high. While that can be a source of freshness and vibrancy for an older wine, I found that aspect taking away from lushness and fullness. It was a very good wine but I liked the 1989 Chasse-Spleen opened the same night a lot better.

White - Sparkling
N.V. L'Éclat de 1990 Blanc de Blancs Brut France White Blend
Rather soapy and fruity.
Borders on undrinkable.
Avoid
  • Wineteacher commented:

    6/14/22, 2:19 PM - Hello,
    I have served this wine many times at functions over a time frame of several years. It is made by a cooperative in Alsace. I have enjoyed it as quite an excellent wine and never detected characteristics you experienced. The guests that have tasted this wine have also been very positive about it. I wonder if your bottle was spoiled or somehow unsound. Just thought I would bring that up. Enjoy

Red
1993 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
6/21/2018 - Barbalax Likes this wine:
85 points
This bottle was quite tired to be honest. Classic Bordeaux profile but low on intensity and length. Bought second hand so I have no idea how it has been stored.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    6/8/22, 8:18 AM - I have open twice from my half case bought en premier. I have a very cold cellar. My two tries have been both excellent. Probably at the peak now but showing no sign of being tired. Under the same condition, the rest of the half case will be very good for the next decade. Just thought I would add this as your sample was less enjoyable. At this age, storage can make a big difference. Your was bought without clear provenance so storage May have made the difference. Didn’t mean to correct you. That isn’t why I am commenting. Cheers!

White
2013 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu Chenin Blanc
This was a legendarily difficult vintage in this part of the Loire, and it shows in the wine. All acid - even accounting for Chenin Blanc's normally high-acid nature - with just the faintest hints of any kind of primary or tertiary fruit. Noticeable oxidation. No length or complexity. Proof that even the best houses are going to struggle to make good wine in terrible vintages.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/30/22, 7:22 PM - My last taste of this wine was three plus years ago. By then, this wine was very golden and showing oxidation on the palate. It was really not enjoyable to drink. I have a very cold alcellar where wines typically evolve very slowly. This one did not make it.

Red
2009 Tertre du Moulin St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend
4/5/2022 - Wineteacher Likes this wine:
89 points
Very impressed at this price. Petit chateau wines of Bordeaux have improve hugely in the last 15 years. Warmer climate, better cellar practices and technology have all contributed. While the low end Bordeaux wines have added brawn and concentration, complexity is still the domain of the better crus. This Tertre du Moulin is actually a negoçiant bottling based on grapes grown in the St Emilion grand cru area, not to be confused with St Emilion grand cru classé. The level of grand cru of this wine is much lower in ranking than the grand cru classé wines. That said, this wine of medium body, garnet red and nice clarity gives an impressive combination of black fruits, leather, earth and tobacco. Albeit these complex elements are in lower doses than the great wines of Bordeaux but they are there, nicely earthy and spicy with enough interest to enjoy through a main course of good proteins. As with negoçiant bottling, a picture is allowed but it has to say what it is of so as to not create the impression that this wine comes from the property pictured. The wine is simply a blend of wine from designated grand cru land in St Emilion. Ranking or not, I like this wine.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/5/22, 12:15 PM - $16 at Trader Joe’s.

Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Cantina di Carpi Modena Piazza Grande Rosato Brut Lambrusco
7/12/2021 - BudgetMindedWino Likes this wine:
88 points
Definitey not your grandmother's Lambrusco, and gives a great first impression with a beautiful salmon color in the glass.  Cherry & watermelon on the nose with a hint of creme fraiche which presents itself on the pallate, and athough described as a Brut it still has a noticeable sweetness on the finish . Overall a simple yet refreshing and a delicious wine which was a wonderful pairing with pistachio pesto! ($10) [7/12/21]
  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/26/22, 3:52 AM - I too like this wine albeit not completely dry. I have especially liked it with the iconic fish if the region, the pasta with Bolognese sauce. It cuts through the richness of the meaty dish with the nice acidity and the refreshing bubbles.

Red
2017 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
9/21/2021 - Pvaddadi Does not like this wine:
84 points
Medium bodied, semi-dry with good acidity and sour plum, tart cherries and strawberries and finishes with typical cab tannins. Slightly disappointed with the notes on the mid-palate and expected it be a bit fuller bodied and complexity.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    11/24/21, 8:09 AM - We may enjoy this wine better in ten years.

Fruit/Vegetable Wine
N.V. Eric Bordelet Sidre Tendre Normandy Apple
9/18/2021 - Aravind Asok wrote:
This was a bit too sweet as a pairing for the caviar for all of our palates, so it got igored a bit...thus sweeter than the Veuve demi-sec or the molitor zeltinger sonnenuhr Kabinett gold cap.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    10/7/21, 12:28 PM - I just bought this cider also. I wasn’t thinking about caviar for this. Normandy being the land of crêpes, perhaps this would work with crêpes stiffed with ham and cheese or stuffed with mushroom and chicken. That would be my plan.

Red
2014 Viña Tridado Catalunya Puerta de Plata Reserva Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
2/19/2021 - BBTorCA wrote:
89 points
Dark translucent purple color. Black cherry and secondary earthy/cheese rind aromas. Medium acid, medium body, medium soft tannins. More black cherry on the palate with gravel/mineral notes on a medium finish. Give this a good decant of 30 minutes or more, the fruit will show more.

This is wine pretty mellow for a Tempranillo and doesn’t have the structure to keep a long time. Drink now.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    6/11/21, 11:41 AM - Where did you buy this wine? Catalan wines aren’t widely available. How much?

White - Sweet/Dessert
1975 Château de Rayne-Vigneau Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend
4/20/2014 - Wineteacher Likes this wine:
90 points
Parker gave this wine 65 points in 1984. I tasted it last night. Ullage was at low neck. The long cork was in ok shape although the Teflon coated spiral was starting to rip the cork so I backed out the screw and I used the two-pronged extractor. It took the cork out successfully. The wine was rich and deep golden but without any hint of brown. The bouquet was crème brulée all the way. The taste was of a fully sweet dessert wine. The taste was consistent with the bouquet, of caramelized sugar, cream and with a viscous texture. The botrytis aspect was very light. The wine does not have the apricot and peach notes that is part of botrytis. Rather, the fruit was mango with a honeyed under layer. The wine was completely in great shape and without the slightest hint of oxidation. The condition of this wine is overall excellent. It is pretty amazing at age 39. I bought this wine about 10 years ago at a discount. There was only one bottle. I probably paid $40 or less. It is worth double that. The reason for its affordability was probably because Parker gave it a ridiculously low score of 65 points. He tasted this wine when it was only 9 years old. A Sauternes would not show its full flavor until it became golden/amber in color. After over 40 years of collecting and opening mature Sauternes (my oldest was a 1953 at age 60), one learns when to catch these nectars at peak performance. Parker missed this one completely. I didn't taste this wine at age 9 but I have a difficult time accepting that he tasted a wine worth only 65 points. The sweetness and the body would have been there even then. What would have been there was the fruit that evolved much later to what I drank 30 years after he wrote his notes. Parker tends to drink wines too young. Too early a negative judgment was a big mistake. I do understand that this wine could use more botrytis but it was compensation by that fully mature taste of toast, caramel and complexity of spices. Despite lacking in botrytis and the apricot-like taste, this wine was still a big winner. There were some weak vintages Rayne-Vigneau in the 1970's. It was not a great decade for them but this one grew up very well.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/31/21, 7:21 AM - I am out of this wine now but I have no difficulty believing it is pleasure giving. My guess is that the wine now is more golden, may even be amber but probably not browning at all. Foie gras and Sauternes are heavenly together. I usually choose the less sweet Sauternes for the savory courses, saving the sweetest ones for dessert, but when the best is available and maturing, what the heck? Might as well drink them. You are lucky to have this and it makes me very envious. I can taste it with the richness of foie gras. Thanks for letting me know.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/31/21, 8:19 AM - You are a lucky guy. You should save them for your own enjoyment. Thanks.

Red
2009 Château Meric Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
9/6/2019 - LopedeAguirre Likes this wine:
92 points
Very surprising, has developed beautifully, and will continue to do so. Tons of integrated fruit but huge backbone. Amazing value!!
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/21/21, 5:45 PM - I too was surprised how deep and delicious this wine is at this stage. This is the best I have tasted it. Just a tiny edge of warmer color but very dark, concentrated and quite interesting for an unknown petit chateau wine but the vintage was a great one. It isn’t a great wine but a very good one.

Red
1991 Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
10/3/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine:
94 points
CC Bday Wine Dinner 2020!: Black fruits, tobacco, dark chocolate. Silky, well rounded and powerful. Tannins fully resolved. I enjoyed this a lot tonight. Was surprised when it was revealed to be a Mouton 1991. This must be one of the best of the vintage! This ties in at no. 3 tonight, alongside the Les Forts de Latour 1990.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/22/21, 4:56 AM - We had this wine last night. I agree with your tasting impression. Bought a half case as wine future and still one left. 1991 was a weak Bordeaux vintage but I bought it only because it was the year our daughter was born. Paid $40. Very nice wine albeit being a lighter vintage. Still in excellent shape. It will hold and it is tasting as good as I remember it from a few years back. I have one left. Of this weaker year, the Latour is actually a better wine. I also bought the Latour at $40 as wine future. The Latour is a bigger bodied wine and tasting less like a wine from the weak vintage that 1991 was. Both are attractive but the Latour has the upper hand. The Mouton was very enjoyable, like a mature Bordeaux would always be, but in a lighter package. I did leave a tasting note from the bottle last night. One thing impressive is how these great houses managed making a good wine lasting 30 years from generally such a poor year. This bottle of Mouton had very little sediments. I do have a very cold cellar so wines do keep well there and age slowly. Thanks for your note and your attention.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/22/21, 7:36 AM - Somehow many petit chateau wines often get highly rated but they don’t show the class, breed and flavor profile anything like the classified growth wines. Nothing working w out buying them but they don’t promise the same experience. Even weak years of the better estates make better wines. If you have the 1991 Latour, it is probably time to try it. I haven’t had it for quite a few years but it is now at age 30. Not too early to sample. I still have quite a few of that. Enjoy.

White - Off-dry
2009 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Spätlese Rheingau
10/23/2020 - matlee89 Likes this wine:
92 points
Secondary petrol notes at the fore. Rich mouthfeel balanced with good acidity. Fruit of lime and tropical pineapples and ripe pears starting to fade. Long finish. Great QPR.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/3/21, 3:49 PM - I love this wine too. Great future still ahead of it.

White - Off-dry
2009 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Spätlese Rheingau
12/11/2020 - pbaek wrote:
This hasn’t changed much since my last bottle in 2011, this is somewhat sweet, perhaps a bit more relaxed but still with good cut and grip. Bright acidity, lime and stones. Is nowhere near maturity.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/3/21, 3:47 PM - Drinking it now. Completely agree with your notes.

Rosé
N.V. Gazela Vinho Verde Rosé Rosé Blend
9/12/2016 - MBusk Likes this wine:
93 points
People! Sometimes we need to just toss out our taste-thesaurus of descriptors and state the obvious: this wine is frickin' delicious! And it costs less than a value meal at Wendy's. When the haters hate, and say things like "One dimensional," they're missing the glorious child-like pleasures offered by vinho verde rose. This wine is not trying to be Domaine Tempier. It is luscious, slightly off-dry, beautifully spritzy, full of peach and strawberry flavors that are as charming as a Labrador puppy. This will go with everything from burgers to lox. Drink it. Love it. Save the money you would've spent on that case of middling Chateauneuf/Napa Cab/Second Growth Bordeaux and put your kids through college instead. And when they turn 21, drink a bottle of this with them.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/29/18, 6:30 PM - I liked the way you approached this simple but fun wine. No need for a lot of words but just enjoy the simple pleasure of bright fruit and spritz. Although I have cellared wines for nearly 40 years and have over 2,000 bottles but I have never forgotten the simple and obvious pleasure of a fun rosé.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/6/20, 9:36 AM - I also enjoy Mateus Rosé which I knew and drank more than 50 years ago. It is another wine requiring only your thirst and not needing any intellectualizing. Simple pleasures are even more appreciated these days. Don’t need to worry about pairing.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/7/20, 9:33 AM - I don’t remember Mateus being pricy as it was quite ubitquotous on college campuses in the 1970s. I had them earlier than that at home when I grew up. Talking about Lambrusco, there are now some of the dryer ones showing up. Not as low priced as the more common sweet ones but the dry or off-dry ones are quite nice and refreshing. Often they are in the low teens price range. Perhaps with the next pizza.

Red
1998 La Petite Eglise Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend
7/25/2017 - Wineteacher Likes this wine:
92 points
This is a wonderful wine at full maturity. There is virtually no sediment and the color is still very much red and hasn't gone much to the tile end at all. The color is medium red and the body is of medium weight. The wine has cedar bouquet with pencil, pipe tobacco and dried fruit. It is balanced with the right acidity for its body. Not at all a huge wine but a beautifully balanced medium-bodied beauty. I particularly like the mature flavors of the earth and dead leaf aspects of this wine. It is a great wine for a red meat roast or lamb chops. Cheeses too. It is fairly similar to the taste a year ago but a tiny bit more subdued. No need to aerate this wine much. Not decanting may also work as I saw virtually nothing when I did decant. As to its maturity, I see that some reviewers have said about this wine is slightly passed it prime or that it had lost fruit. My cellar is quite cold and consistent, which may explain the holding quality of this wine. I don't think it is passed its prime at all. I think it is at the plateau. As to fruit, one has to expect that one part of maturity is to trade the brighter fruit for the wonderful spectrum of the complex taste of a mature wine. The fruit, at this stage, is the evolved kind, more vinous and less that of fresh fruit. This is a pleasure giver at this stage. I still have six and I am quite happy with it.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/5/20, 7:32 AM - I bought this wine as a wine future more then 20 years ago. I ended up with 8 bottles of the full case, sharing four bottles with my brother. Yes, the 1998 vintage was a good one for the Right Bank of Bordeaux. I have only sampled this wine 3 times. Still have 5 bottles left. It is excellent and should be drinking well. I just checked wine-searcher and it is still available at $45. I paid around half of that. Should be good if stored well. I have a deep Minnesota wine cellar. Very cool condition. Enjoy.

Red
2017 Vinos La Higuera Utiel-Requena La Pinada Bobal
3/14/2020 - WineCenturyAZ Likes this wine:
88 points
Medium ruby in the glass, nose is earthy bit dusty with green notes, palate is dry, fruits tend tart, morello cherry, dried berries, cacao, hint of coffee, note of forest floor, baking spice, tannins are medium, acidity is high, body and finish are medium+. Very nice.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/19/20, 12:43 PM - Just got a case of this wine. We had recently visited the Utiel-Requena area for wine tasting. When this wine became available, I decided to get a case. This wasn’t one of the wineries we visited but we drank lots of Bobal wines as that is the dominant variety there. Nice deep wines of dry cherry and deep color and extraction. I haven’t tried this one yet but have appreciated your note.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/22/20, 7:54 PM - Yes. I toured the Utiel-Requena area a couple of months ago. Came to know Bobal. Excellent and not seen in the US a lot. Thanks.

Red
2008 Bodegas Ateca Calatayud Atteca Old Vines Garnacha, Grenache
8/18/2016 - guribh wrote:
85 points
Drinks well now. Dark, dense, bramble, vanilla hints. For some reason, I am growing tired of what appears to me as "designer" projects like this. A country wine, amped up with wood for a "new world" appeal, put in a heavy bottle (adding a few dimes to the cost), nice label and voila - we can charge more (as we're sure to get someone to pronounce "hedonistic fruit bomb" or similar...). I seem to recall conversations with winemakers I respect a lot in CdP that said that Grenache does not take well to wood. I can see here why that was said. Tastes like a shotgun wedding. My rant above notwithstanding, it is not a bad wine, just not me type tonight....
  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/5/20, 3:52 PM - Just opened one. I also made a note. I have to agree with you that this wine has a commercial aspect to it to appeal. Would much rather have a more honest country wine. Designer wine maybe harsh but I think it is apt.

Red
2015 Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana Penedès
I've been a fan of Mas La Plana since I tried my first vintage, a 1981, at about 15-16 years of age and it was memorable. In Canada, the wine was selling for about $50, twenty years ago...and it's now selling for $60-65 (versus 82euros at the winery!). Still a very reasonable price for this quality level, especially when you compare to the price increases we got from Bordeaux/Burgundy/California/Chile (7-10X).

The 2015 is extremely well balanced and focused. Lots of blackcurrant aromas, mixed with meat and eucalyptus. Refined and polished tannins. Decant for 2 hours if you want to enjoy now. Drink before 2030.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/3/20, 7:45 AM - I just tasted this wine at the winery in Penedès, Spain. I have enjoyed this Torres top wine since the vintages of the 70s. It wasn’t called Mas La Plana then. I think it was just Gran Corona Reserve not known in the US as the “black label”. The 2015 is rich and balanced with fruit and spices in place and with excellent body and lushness. I completely agree with your notes. Their facility is wonderful as is their tasting experiences. I had a wonderful two hour visit and tasting.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/5/20, 2:58 PM - I have to agree with you also. The older vintages had a bit more rusticity that was appealing to me. The oak was also more integrated. It was American oak then, I think. I also remember them as being fatter and lush. They were long lasting times. The fill was always a bit low then even when new.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/5/20, 3:15 PM - My experiences were of vintages of the late 70s and early 80s. I don’t know the 1971. I think the Torres Black Label has always been a wine to age. I would guess that the 1971 is still fine.

Red
1983 Château d'Issan Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
1/5/2018 - Cellarmaster Likes this wine:
93 points
On release, rated an average wine from a great Margaux vintage. This wine after 34 years was remarkable. Wonderfully elegant, Burgundian like, it gained some weight in the glass abd held up well through an hour+ of drinking. Lucky to have 5 more bottles in the cellar. No real hurry on this one.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    2/16/20, 1:57 AM - I have always loved this wine from a great Margaux vintage. You are indeed lucky with a few left. I ran out of this one. The 1985 is also lovely.

White - Off-dry
2005 Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive Alsace Gewürztraminer
8/16/2012 - bendid wrote:
91 points
Great aromatics, super balance of fruit and acidity, sweetness shows more as fruit richness rather than sugar. Solid wine.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    9/9/19, 7:06 AM - Wonder if this wine is sweet enough as a dessert wine ?

White
2013 Sigalas Assyrtiko Nychteri Santorini
6/29/2018 - pavel_p wrote:
Off restaurant list. This had a surprisingly dark golden color for a barely 5 year old wine. Complex on the palate with honeysuckle, yellow fruit but also a clearly oxidative touch making me wonder whether this had been stored too warm or if It was meant to be like this. Closer to a 20 year old Sauternes in terms of flavor profile than to a regular Assyrtiko. NR
  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/27/19, 6:27 AM - Nychteri meaning harvested at night (not necessarily still done today) is the most traditional style of Assyrtiko on Santorini. It is usually based on riper grapes from older vines. Different houses do it differently today. At Hatzidakis, it is done almost like a big time Napa Valley Chardonnay with a combination of sur-lie aging, batônnage and French barrels. The result is an intense wine of scale and some toasty oak. At Sigalas, Paris Sigalas likes going back further in time for a style that is slightly sweet and oxidative. He deliberately allows the ullage in the barrels to grow by not topping up the barrels with wine. The air space allows for a small degree of sherry-like oxidation. That is probably what you have recorded in your notes. This is courageous winemaking as the “rancio” style of the oxidative taste isn’t of the modern preference. I have visited Sigalas four times in the last three years. We have had this discussion there. Sigalas makes about ten different bottlings of Assyrtiko and their Nychteri is of an unusual style by today’s standard. When you have that many versions, why not cover the range. This is a house which loves to experiment and be on the cutting edge. This is an edition that goes back in time.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    4/27/19, 8:22 AM - I do completely understand. I drink sherry routinely so that taste isn’t an offense but it has limited appeal and occasion to use it. However, the Nykteri by Hadzidakis is of a different style which you may enjoy, if running into it. It is pricey for w white wine at over $35. Worth trying at the winery or on the island. As a retirement avocation, I take people to Santorini for wine tours.

Red
1977 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
1/22/2017 - ledwards wrote:
93 points
Amazingly youthful. Brief notes of attic dust dissapate after 15 mins. Packed with ripe strawberry. Predictable mature notes of iron. Resembles a 15 year old sangiovese. Acid streak. Great with food. 1+ hour decant advised.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/21/19, 7:35 AM - Great to hear this recent good report on this oldie. Thanks. I have one bottle of left. Been in our cellar of excellent storage condition. I began with three bottles and this one is the last. My previous tastings of this wine were all excellent. Lighter due to maturity and consistent with your notes. How was the cork? I may have to use the two-prong extractor. Conn Creek was once a cult wine. Still making wine but probably a completely different house now. Don’t know for sure though. Thanks.

Red
2008 Louis Latour Marsannay Pinot Noir
11/23/2017 - Wineteacher wrote:
88 points
With all the negative recent notes, i decided to try one which I bought from Haskell's in Minneapolis on sale at $12.50. The wine shows a slightly warmer red color, very light and transparent with a slight sour cherry nose. On the palate the wine ahows cherry note and with a good backbone of tannins. It is a very light wine and needing to be drunk. It is not distinquished but ok as a light red. Pretty even but nothing to grab your throat with. My bottle has no issue with being gone or spoil. Not a bad Thanskgiving wine. The flavor interest and boldness appears to increase a couple of hours after opening.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    8/17/18, 12:32 PM - At this price, it is still a pleasure giving wine. Lighter wines can be enjoyable with lighter fares and for warmer weather use. This is a competent wine, especially after opening for a few hours. I know the producer and the AOC quite well and I have traveled to Marsannay so I had some comfort about this wine. I often take comments about a wine being too light with some caution as nowadays, so many only prefer fuller and deeper wines. The enjoyment of a lighter red isn’t for everyone.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    8/17/18, 5:50 PM - Thanks for the generous comment about my wine philosophy. I wouldn’t go that far that I had to work to get pleasure out of this little Marsannay. The AOC is well-known for lighter style Burgundy and it is also the only rosé appellation in the Côte d’Or. It is just south of Dijon. Today, it is practically a suburb of Dijon with urban encroachment being an issue. Someone once said “a day without wine is like a day without sunshine”. But not everyday needs to have a blazing sun. It is an enjoyable wine at $12.50. The acid is bit high, probably due to less ripeness. It is a wine to pair with the right meal (but most wines are that way). A roast chicken comes to mind. Thanksgiving comes to mind. A cheese platter at the end of a meal would also work. The Pinot notes are genuine. A lot of things are right about this wine. A lot more of those things would improve it. Again, I am back to $12.50, which encourages one to be less critical. It is a pretty low price for a wine from the Côte d’Or. One doesn’t drink AOC. Whatever quality one weeks, it has to be in the bottle. The price is right for what is there. My cellar is fairly cold so this wine will hold well for a while.

Red
1975 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
6/5/2018 - Dvogt wrote:
95 points
Lovely red and powerful black fruit, cassis, black olive, gravel, cigar box, leather, and a very dry finish. No bricking on this high fill bottle. Showing better now than before?
  • Wineteacher commented:

    6/5/18, 9:12 PM - I have not had this wine for several years. It is good to hear from someone on it. Hard edged vintage that has taken many years to soften. Many thought the fruit of the 1975 Montrose would not survive the time that the wines needs to soften. I happen to disagree. I have had this wine at least four times and it is holding just fine and providing great pleasure. Your very positive note is a good sign that this wine is drinking just fine after 42 years.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    6/6/18, 10:22 AM - I just have one of the 1975 left. Of the older Montrose, I also just have one each left of the 1964, 1967, 1976, 1978 and 1979. Saving for a vertical. These were all pretty good when tasted various times of the last ten years.

Red
1990 Faiveley Mercurey La Framboisière Pinot Noir
With an age of 16 years I was a little bit nervous about the state of this wine but was delighted to find that this fear was completely unwarranted. Brick red with a brownish rim the wine showed some age but the bouquet was quite full - barnyardy and floral. It was astonishingly bursting with ripe fruit; true to it's name, the predominant berry was raspberry. Length, intensity and not a trace of harshness or tiredness. At a price of $18 it seems an incredible bargain now.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/29/18, 7:31 AM - I just had the last bottle of the 1989 of this wine. Very similar impression as your wine but it was the 1989 and a lot older than yours. It was kept in a cool cellar. There was no condition issue, light but still quite red. Very scented. Red fruit hints but full of mature flavors. A joy at almost 30 years old. More amazing is that it is only a Mercurey, not the main slope Côte d’Or Burgundy. They sure know what they are doing.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    6/3/18, 11:15 AM - Enjoy. I have been to Burgundy twice but many years ago. Fortunately, Savigny-Les-Beaune is not a pricy AOC, albeit everything is sort of pricey, as long as it is Burgundy. Do enjoy. I am envious.

White
1989 Stony Hill Chardonnay Napa Valley
5/31/2018 - acidqueen wrote:
90 points
Deep gold color, as usual. Almond, some gunflint, orchard fruit, earth. Plenty of acid still to underpin it. Good with food. We liked it. I would have preferred it 10 years earlier, but still good and interesting.

Note: this was from 750 ml
  • Wineteacher commented:

    6/1/18, 7:17 AM - I still have many Stony Hill Chardonnays of the 80s, including the 1989. Great to read a report on it. Generally they have aged well, long past the length of time a California Chardonnay is expected to live. Your description is typical of how old Stony Hill Chardonnays taste in ultra maturity. It is an unusual taste but not a surprising one. My experience is that they may carry those mature flavors that you described, but as long as they are not oxidation or maderization, then they are still enjoyable. Tasting old and very mature is not the same as spoiled. Interesting, as you said, is a good way to describe the overall experience. Still highly drinkable. A cold cellar helps a lot. Thanks for your insights. I agree with your notes on this.

Red
2009 Château Sénéjac Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
5/20/2018 - levinml wrote:
89 points
Didn't do much for me this time. Tannic, not great flavors, just kind of drank. Not really that bad, I was just remembering really liking an earlier bottle and this disapointed.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/27/18, 12:01 PM - I too have this wine but have never tried. It could very well just be in the dumb phase when complexity is still in the making while some of the fruit has receded.

White - Sparkling
N.V. Voirin-Jumel Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Pinot Noir
Formal notes not taken. Elegant, well balanced. Good toast, some gentle almond. Versatile and good QPR.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/27/18, 11:57 AM - I too loved this wine for its complexity and depth that goes beyond the typical crisp and clean wine. Thanks for your note.

Red
2000 Château Faizeau Sélection Vieilles Vignes Montagne-St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend
4/2/2018 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine:
90 points
Drinking very well now.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/24/18, 1:03 PM - I bought a case of this wine as wine future and shared four bottles. I have never tasted it. I gave away one so I still have seven. I liked your notes that it was drinking nicely recently. Would you have more comments to add? Mine have been in a very cool cellar all this time. Hope to hear from you as I am planning to use a few for an event. It is good to know more.

Red
1985 Château Cos d'Estournel St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
2/20/2018 - walkerjfw wrote:
3rd Annual PNV Kick Lunch this year with Jamie/Juan/Patrice/Zander/Tom/Steve/Jay...another epic event (Farmstead, St. Helena, CA): A generous contribution from Jay. Cos one of my favorites, reliable, ages beautifully. My first time with this vintage.

Color was a faded purple/garnet, bricking at the edge. Nose of dusted dark berries, minerals and floral notes.. Elegant, mature palate showing black cherry, cassis, mineral, cigar, forest floor and violet. Smooth texture, medium bodied and long (for this age) finish.

Really gorgeous, still an expressive wine even at this age. A classic old school Bdx, at a perfect spot right now. My WOT(Lunch)
  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/23/18, 9:18 PM - Began with half a case of this wine as future. Still have two left but have not tasted for about five years. I have always loved Cos and the 85 is one of my top favorites as it has been pleasure giving for the last dozen years. Mine grew up in a cool cellar so I am quite confident that they are in good shape. Thanks for the encouraging note.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/24/18, 6:10 AM - Thanks so much for “fanning” me. I like Cos and have more than a couple of cases in six vintages. I also have some Les Pagodes but they are younger and I have never tasted them. Hope to see more of your notes.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    3/25/18, 9:51 AM - I have 6 btls of the 1990 Cos. I also have the 85, 89, 89, 93 and 94 plus a few younger Les Pagodes. Thanks for the tip

Red
2010 Château Talbot St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
9/18/2017 - Bklyndude Likes this wine:
92 points
Had one of these a year ago, but too young and shut down to evaluate. This bottle was delicious - big and bold with bright red fruit and loads of leather and graphite. Still extremely tannic and undoubtedly too young for another 3-5 years but a nice preview of coming attractions. Could be a 97 pointer by its 15th birthday....
  • Wineteacher commented:

    12/10/17, 4:05 PM - Talbot is one of my favorites. I have had them since vintages of the 70s. Most vintages begin to enter the plateau of top drinking in about 15 plus years from the vintage. Your assessment, I think is a pretty good one. With 2010 being such a strong vintage, I think the peak for this wine is easily 20 plus years away.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/9/18, 8:09 AM - Had the 1976 about a dozen years ago. Lighter but so fragrant and gorgeous. It was a beautiful mature wine at age 30.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/9/18, 5:28 PM - Talbot has an interesting house style of being classic and brawny but does not forget to offer a goodly degree of earthiness. The name has such an interesting connection in medieval history to the end of English rule of Bordeaux. I teach wine courses and Talbot is a great teaching wine.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    1/10/18, 5:28 AM - Hello PSPatrick, First, England's history is intimately tied to France since the "Conquest" by William the Conqueror in 1066. William, the Duke of Normandy (whose clan originally came from Scandinavia), became the King of England. His granddaughter married into the Anjou dynasty and had a son by the name of Henry Plantagenet. When the English kingdom ran out of male heirs, the throne sought its way through the females of the family. Henry's mom's blood line would lead to Henry himself as the inheritor of the English throne. Henry also married Eleanor of Aquitaine whose domain included Bordeaux. Henry would eventually become Henry II of England bringing the territory of Anjou under the English throne. His wife Eleanor brought the region of southwestern France, including Bordeaux under the English throne. Eleanor was the rightful heir of the Aquitaine after the death of her father (no male heir). A large chunk of western France would be under English rule until the English lost it at the end of the Hundred Years Wars in 1453. For several hundred years, Bordelais was loyal to the English court. Bordeaux, the port, became the take-off point for wines of southwestern France to go to England. It was easier for wine to travel by boat then to Paris. The was the start of the English's taste for French wines from the region. Fast forward for 300 plus years. John Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury was the English general who lost the last battle of the Hundred Years War against the French. John Talbot was earlier captured by the French and released on the condition that he would never wear armors against the French. He honored the pledge when he went to battle in the Battle of Castillon against the French. He was brought down from his horse and hacked to death. That battle would lead to the ouster of the English from Bordeaux. Chateau Talbot was named after John Talbot but whether he actually lived there is still unclear. The story is a great one.

Red
1988 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Napa Valley
12/23/2017 - Wineteacher Likes this wine:
90 points
Scented, still bright color. Woodsy and earth with cedar. Pretty and elegant. Subdued but fine.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    12/25/17, 8:54 PM - 1988 was my son's birth year. This wine was opened and decanted for just over an hour before pouring. It did improve through the evening but we certainly did not have 4 or 5 hours. I still have just one more bottle. I was concerned about the age of nearly 30 years and how the wine may fade with too much air. The condition of my cellar is good so wines tend to mature well there and do so slowly. I should have been more confident to give it more time, it sounds like. Thanks again.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    12/26/17, 3:19 PM - The chemistry of an old bottle of wine and how it interacts with oxygen upon opening must be both complex and mysterious. About 18 months ago, I was lucky enough to be served several first growths and second labels of first growths Bordeaux of vintages of the 60s. They were a stash of wines found in the warehouse of a liquor wholesaler, not an ideal place but more like room temperature (but steady) and on the side. The ullage was substantial like close to 1/3 of the way down from the top of the bottle. The four bottles I tasted in two nights for two different dinners were all excellent. I was shocked that so much air space below the cork did not kill the wines. I am a stickler for careful storage and I was really surprised. That said, I will continue to be very careful with shipping temperature and storage temperature. I am not one to take this kind of risks. Yes, I have known plenty of old frail wines improve after opening. Some actually seem to gain color and weight. Some have been Burgundies.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    12/26/17, 5:27 PM - Thanks for communicating with me. I assume you can view my cellar. If not, please let me know.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    12/26/17, 7:38 PM - I accepted your friend request.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    12/26/17, 9:22 PM - Thanks for the Virginia recommendation. I have bought from Jefferson Vineyards (VA) because of its site being the plot that Jefferson attempted viticulture in 1775. I teach a course on Jefferson's interest in viticulture and wine. I like to serve one from Jefferson Vineyards plus other wines on which Jefferson had specifically commented. I also serve Madeira for that course. Barbourville is the only other Virginia winery that I have bought from but that was a long time ago. I will try your recommendation. I often buy wine from Calvert-Woodley and MacArthur, both in DC, so I have sure they would have it. You, indeed, have an eclectic collection. You have a very large collection but we have many common interests. I guess we more or less enjoy the same type of wines.

Red
2014 Sigalas Mμ Cyclades Red Blend
Wine tasting in Greece; 4/28/2017-5/6/2017 (Athens, Santorini and Porto Heli): This has an expressive nose of red fruits and earth - nice aromatics. Tastes of tart crunchy red fruits with a lot of earthy minerality on the finish. Quite nice and reminds me a bit of some Etta Rosso with its bright acidity, lighter body and minerality. Very good QPR and quite enjoyable. My first time with these grape varieties which we are sampling while on holiday in Santorini.

Also tried on tasting visit at Domaine Sigalas. Learned that they are experimenting and are the only winery on the island growing their red grapes using a trellis system. They found that the basket system was producing grapes that were too tannic. Interesting as this ended up being our favorite of the red wines sampled on the island. Mavrotagno is apparently a highly tannic grape with very thick skins, the trellis structure allows more sun exposure and breaks down some of the tannins in the skin.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    10/30/17, 11:00 AM - I have tasted the Mm at the winery a couple of times in the last two years plus at home also. I have found that this is one of the better reds made on the island because it has a little more lushness and the wine has less harsh tannins. The body is also more rounded, rather than the very lean reds made on the island of either Mavrotragano or Mandeleria. According to Panayiota at the winery, the trellising exposes the grape bundles to the sun better which gives it more ripening opportunities. Ripeness softens the juice and the tannins on the skin. It is a very good effort for Santorini reds.

Red
2007 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese
7/20/2017 - Eriksen Vejle wrote:
77 points
This wine was still drinkable but slightly over the top, did not turn bad yet but would have done within short time. Surprisingly as it was I opened another bottle which was exactly the same. Have now consumed all 2007 of this wine with a slight dissappointment.
The wine looks yellow brown colored. The legs are fast. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig. The body is light. The wine has bright texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    9/5/17, 1:28 PM - I bought half a case of this wine at release. My last taste was just over a year ago. It was actually quite good and not showing any sign of going off due to age and with very little sediment. I had given it 91 points and thought that it had plenty of time to go and may even improve. My cellar is impeccably cold so that may make some difference. Also, some wines have been mistreated before even reaching the final customers. Those wines may be ok drunk young but would be very questionable if it could maintain and improve through time. Of course, I don't know your bottles. I am happy with my half case with sill four left.

Red
1988 Château Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
8/10/2017 - Wineteacher Likes this wine:
90 points
The cork was long and completely intact as it exited. The wine was decanted although there was virtually no sediment, pretty rare for a 28-year wine. On the nose, there is leather and earth. 30pm the palate the wine is clean and firm. The color is still quite bright. There is a dominating flavor and nose of vanillin, almost too much as is most of what you will smell and taste. Complex but still very young. It can easily use another 10 years. It is a very excellent wine but I tthink we opened it too soon.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    9/3/17, 1:24 PM - Hello, I have a very cold cellar. Wine mature very slowly there. This wine came from the top wine and very large wine shop at release and I am 100% sure it is not a fake. The cork brand is impeccable also. My comments should be taken with some background on my taste for wine. I like high end Bordeaux to be very mature. I am just starting to drink wines from the middle 80s and late 80s. I have plenty of 1988s and many have still not turned the corner for the orange tint, cedar and complex dead leaf stage which I prefer. The 88 Cos d'Estournel is one that was very young two years ago. Sediment was also relatively low. The 88 Mouton is another wine that has be slow to come around as has the 88 Montrose. I think the vintage has been slow to come around. When the foil and the cork are both well marked and the source of the wine is from a top retailer, I know I am in good shape. It is the secondary market, with some time after the original release that one has to be more concerned. By the way, I have the wood box also with the tissue wrappers too. A cold cellar is a joy to have. We can do that here with deep Minnesota basements. By the way, I have owned this wine for about a quarter century so I at least know it is an old wine, despite the taste. Cold cellar.

White - Sweet/Dessert
1971 Bodegas Toro Albala Montilla-Moriles Don PX Gran Reserva Pedro Ximénez
6/11/2015 - Ombibulous wrote:
Friends, what do you think the end of the drinking window would be for the half bottle? Perhaps I should drink it now. The average drinking window of all vintages (1971 through 1985 have drinking windows specified) is 35 years, which would put it at 2006. The last time I drank this, also from the half bottle, was 2008. Your thoughts would be welcome. Thanks!
  • Wineteacher commented:

    5/8/17, 7:26 PM - PX is a very sturdy wine. It us added to dryer sherry to make cream sherry. As to drinking window, while nothing is eternal, PX comes pretty close. This wine hasn't shown any sign of age since the day it was bottled. Rich, sweet, dense and complex, this wine isn't likely going stale any time soon. It isn't eternal but could easily be held for another decade without issues. Not eternal but decades.

Red
1964 Château Latour Grand Vin Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
1/7/2017 - englishman's claret wrote:
96 points
What a great showing. I love Latour and this bore the typical aromatic profile with a somewhat lighter, more finessed profile than usual. Classic currant, cedar, biscuit, toffee, Latour spice nose. The aromatic oddity on this was a touch of dill, which is very uncommon for Latour, but thankfully this was very mild. A little more redcurrant than blackcurrant, as one sees in lighter years. Delicious wine; the 11% alcohol reminding you that great wine need not be 14%.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    2/7/17, 8:54 AM - I haven't had the 64 Latour for over 20 years. It was fabulous and still young then. It may be the best wine from the difficult vintage of heavy rain right around harvest that began on Oct 8, I think. Latour picked early and avoided the problem. Not many were so lucky. Montrose is another good 64 which I still have but not the Latour. You are very lucky to be able to drink it. Thanks. It looks like your taste is similar to mine. I have only used CellarTracker for a year or so. It took me a long time to get going with entering the inventory. I have cellared wine for nearly 40 years. Take care.

Red - Fortified
1994 Warre Porto Vintage Port Blend
My wooden case of this was soaked in a friends cellar flood. The soggy cardboard was thrown away, but months later the wooden case smells horribly of TCA. So do all of the bottles in the case. I washed them with soap and water but it is in the labels. Worried that these bottles might be influenced I opened one. The cork is perfect. Color is dark garnet with no sign of age. Nose has dark fruit and alcohol. Absolutely no signs of TCA here. Swishing shows this to be fresh and primary. Sipping shows great fruit balancing the alcohol, and there is no vestige of tannin....this is really lacking signs of age. Given its youth I regret opening, but given its composure I guess I don't. I will wait at least 10 yrs to open another.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    12/7/16, 7:36 PM - Congratulations that your flooded wine is in good shape. I would have suspected that it would be ok also. It takes a lot for the exterior elements to penetrate through the cork to foul the treasure within. I have only a couple of bottles of this wine but I have not and don't plan on touching them for a while. It is good to know that it is in good shape and there is no hurry.

Red
2007 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese
8/20/2016 - thomasvin wrote:
90 points
Puhh. Bottle was OK. Cork shows no sign of leacking. After reading several notes here, about bad bottles, i was affraid i was sitting on five bottles of bad wine... Bought eight in 2012, and have drunk about a bottle a year. Color is now turning quite brownish, and transparabel. Nose is nice with lots of spices, herbs, cedar wood, vanilla, and also some dark Fruits. Taste opens up over half an hour. Great sangiovese, like th smell, lots of spices, quite thin in the mouth. The fruit is turning into plums. Drank on its own, and with crackers, brie and blueberry jam. Think i will continue with a bottle a year the next four years. Do not think there is enough fruit for the longer run, but i do not have that long experience in picking wines for long time cellaring.
  • Wineteacher commented:

    8/20/16, 11:56 AM - I have had this wine recently. I still have five left. Bought it about this wine a little before you did. My experience of this wine is excellent. The color of my bottle was still very fresh and there was no brown or even brick-ish color at all. The taste was early maturity but I do not think there is any need to hurry. My cellar is very cold and I don't know if that makes a difference.

  • Wineteacher commented:

    8/20/16, 1:51 PM - That should be excellent condition for storage. Bottle variation is annoying. Altesino is an excellent estate which should be able to produce a uniform product. I have had excellent wines from them. This wine isn't that old for a Burnello. Hope our remaining bottles are good. Will report on cellartracker in due course. Thanks.

White - Sparkling
N.V. Baron Albert Champagne Tradition Brut Champagne Blend
6/25/2016 - TJ1967 Likes this wine:
90 points
A great example of a Pinot Meunier based champagne. yeasty brioche, orange peel, white peach, and a Meunier cave funk that I cant quite verblelize. please comment??? I want to say moss and mushroom but not sure??
  • Wineteacher commented:

    7/15/16, 12:15 PM - I thought this wine is attractive with nice apples and citrus. It is a crowd pleaser partly because it is slightly less dry than most bruts.

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