2/8/2023 - eporres wrote:

Knockout. Every bit of Puligny at 30% of the cost. Drink now.

6/11/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

Eminently drinkable and outstanding QPR @ $16/bottle. Straw and flint

5/10/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

Needs more time, a lot more time. Day and night difference out of the bottle (almost astringent) vs. 1 hour later (tannic yet even dark fruit, leather, and spice).

4/16/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

Frikkin delicious, would have this compete with any of the great Malbecs from South America. Plum and blueberry, long finish, just really outstanding winemaking. As winemaker Jeff Gaffner says, "the 2016 Stephanie Malbec is one of the best Malbecs I’ve ever made or have tasted and I’ve made Malbec for over 30 years." He's right.

Drink now (or hold).

3/30/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

Consistent with RICH S and RLOVE notes below, I thought this wine might already be on the decline but it feels like it has plenty of life left.

3/20/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

First experienced Etna Bianco during a trip to the Amalfi Coast during the summer of 2021. Would echo flavor profile reference of WINEWONDERER1992 below. If you're not familiar with the salinity/minerality of this region's white wines, you may not like it (to each his or her own). For me, it's a natural expression of the 'sea, air, and terroir' of the region. If you DO like this wine, then their Superiore is a real treat.

3/9/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

2006 RidgeVineyards Lytton Springs. There’s still zome zing in this #zinfandel. Cherry dominates, cola, black licorice, vanilla, white pepper, tannins completely smooth. A treat. #92points.

3/6/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

Perfectly OK Pomerol with some age (if not depth) - tobacco, spice, olive, black fruit.

3/1/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

Oustanding aged Barolo, no bottle variation in my bottle, all tasting notes below corroborate, time to drink now. The ideal decant seems to be 1-2 hours, and remember the serving temperature! If you leave it out at room temp while you decant or otherwise, it will warm up (too much)

2/9/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

How I love CellarTracker. Based on the reviews below I decanted the wine for 3 hours, then rebottled and chilled the wine in the fridge for an hour prior to consumption to bring it down to 62 (reminder that red wines are almost always served too warm at restaurants and decanting a cellared wine for more than 90 minutes will raise the temp to room temp).

Smoked meat, stewed plums (aka port-like), black fruit, a mature shiraz (95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier) with a super long finish.

Served with a truffle burger and skirt steak, I would not hold onto your bottles much longer. Drink up!

1/11/2022 - eporres Likes this wine:

Delicious. Echoing notes from NYWINE68 below, prunes (that you want to eat!) and figs on the nose, chocolate, cassis, stewed plums and olive tapenade. Medium acidity, long finish. Tannins still have good grip. Recommend decanting for a minimum of one hour, still drinking young, has another 8-10 years left. Consumed with a beef bourguignon sandwich at Nice Matin in NYC. They did a great job decanting a tough cork.

12/29/2021 - eporres wrote:

Soft, plum, currant, cedar and light spice. Drink now, nothing special but nothing flawed.

12/24/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

The Certan maintains its youth despite having 26 years in the bottle, offering up plum, graphite, camphor, black tea and finessed tannins - definitely recommend decanting and opened up after 2+ hours. I don’t think this will age more and it’s a wonderful relative value from Pomerol. Lovely. #94points. Maybe there’s more bottle variation in this vintage as I can’t understand the ‘blah’ from some of the reviews below.

12/22/2021 - eporres wrote:

Floats like a feather, stings like a slap in the face from an infant. Very light, barnyard and medicinal. Past its prime.

12/21/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

We will travel to the ends of the earth for a perfect Pinot and pizza pairing. Tonight, a 2011 Belle Glos Clarke & Telephone with 1943 Pizza Bar’s New Haven pizza (white pizza with garlic mashed potatoes and bacon) with caramelized onions and their special white pizza with fontina, artichoke, Fresno chili, pesto and roasted mushrooms. It was an outdoor aprés ski vibe (certainly felt that way with 35°F temps! Belle Glos is a ‘controversial’ Pinot producer, with some calling it an over-extracted fruit bomb. I instead like to remind people that the Pinot grape has more genome variety than humans, so there’s plenty of room to explore. The 2011 Clarke & Telephone has mellowed out from the cherry bomb that it once was, with cherry, strawberry, cedar and spice box, mellow tannins but retains its balanced acidity. #92points.

12/20/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

It's difficult to find good, old vintages of California Cabernet. The 2001 Beringer Quarry Vineyard (only 200 cases produced) did not disappoint, offering a beautiful nose, mellow tannins, and a flavor profile of tobacco, currant, mushroom and black pepper. Acquired from JJ Buckley in 2010 and decanted for an hour. Paired very well with grilled NY Strip, garlic smashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.

12/19/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

Crisp, definitely serve cold, paired very well with pan seared chorizo and squid. A lot to like and great grape expression

12/13/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

There are BIG pinots and there are small pinots. They are each different, with one style not any better or worse than the other. This is a BIG pinot, unmistakably from the Russian River Valley, with a BIG nose, and flavors of muddled cherries, herbs, cedar, licorice, and spice, and a lingering finish. I didn't find it to be over-extracted but it's definitely not delicate (more like Belle Glos).

I served it with a simply prepared cast iron duck breast and the pairing was sublime. I'm not sure where I picked this bottle up and regrettably I don't have anymore, but it was a treat and I will look for Hartford/Arrendell in the future. It drinks well now and will reward your taste buds. #94points.

12/7/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

Reviews from ERIC, CSIMM116, DBKITC below nail the profile. Back in the day, Wine Spectator noted that this wine had 'buried garrigue' in it, but that burial took 15 years to be rebirthed as an explosion of garrigue, muddy barnyard funk, with pine, tar, fig, and black currant. Maybe it will get better, but a very unique flavor profile that drinks well right now.

11/29/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

Decanted for 1+ hours, could last a few more years but again, why wait? Great drinking now. Complex nose (earth, mushroom, tar, licorice) and gives way to a palate that includes dark cherry, tar, licorice, a hint of sherry (age) and chocolate, and finishes long with soft tannins. The family who owns Rocche dei Manzoni acquired this vineyard in the late 90s…could it be because of the deliciousness of this wine? A great cellaring selection from my friend Gabrio Tosti di Valminuta (of De-Vino) many years ago. #95points (served with ribeye)

11/26/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

In its peak drinking window, best decanted for 2 hours, and show red and dark fruit (black cherry), earth, mushrooms (the 'balsamic profile), and a long and delicious finish. Maybe it could last a few more years but why wait? Served with roasted rack of lamb.

7/9/2021 - eporres wrote:

Quality producer, very cabby (not flabby), dark fruit, currant, leather. 30 second finish. Paired with roasted rack of lamb

5/20/2021 - eporres wrote:

Consistent with previous. Stellar QPR

5/10/2021 - eporres wrote:

Monster QPR (acquired via LastBottle for < $24). Smooth tannins, cassis, tobacco and black pepper. Drink now.

5/3/2021 - eporres wrote:

One of the best QPRs for a crisp spring/summer Burgundy

5/1/2021 - eporres wrote:

Unremarkable

1/1/2021 - eporres Likes this wine:

Crisp and the best QPR I've found for a well-produced Burgundian chardonnay in 2020

12/16/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Sad to see the last bottle go :-(

Paired well with roasted bone marrow and seared scallops

11/26/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

A great pairing with our savory Thanksgiving dinner. Sangiovese doesn't get enough respect! Tobacco, plum, leather and earth, sad to see it go, but after 21 years, it was time.

11/21/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

So much potential, such little will power to hold them. I experienced this same feeling when I first had Dominus many years ago, and that is, the gift of time. You will be rewarded now by decanting this wine for at least 5 hours (or holding it for 5 years).

Black cherries, black tea, forest floor, delicate spice, integrated oak, with dashes of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot giving it a Bordeaux-like feel. Velvety smooth, like a French glove. I have no doubt that this will improve with age (and grace).

11/16/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Consistent with previous tasting notes, and served with almond-crusted halibut (and lemon garlic butter), making for a great flavor combination.

11/11/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Consistent with previous note

11/5/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Expressive chardonnay from Thomas Rivers Brown, hay, lemon, gravel and caramel. I found this one to be more (too much) acidic than in previous vintages. Enjoyable but not on the same level as older vintages of this Chardonnay.

11/1/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Newton makes great wine, and their easy-drinking chardonnay is no exception. Suckling says grapefruit, vanilla and butter, and I'd agree, although mind you it's not a overly vanilla chardonnay as is the case with many CA producers, it's closer to caramel. Bright minerality

11/1/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

A delicious and well-kept bottle. Classic California Cab, dark cherries, long finish. Hestan is growing on me

10/30/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Blackberries, cherry, currant, mushrooms and classic CDP spice. Garrigue is a good term to use for the aroma, Drinkable now, helpful as always to decant for an hour. Medium finish. Discovered via Last Bottle so a screamer of a QPR.

11/29/2019 - eporres Likes this wine:

Consistent with previous tastings and one of my favorite wines of 2019

11/21/2019 - eporres wrote:

Past its prime for sure, browning, still fun to drink wine that's older than me.

4/15/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Everyday drinking wine, nothing too special, but required during COVID

11/5/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Very disappointed that I didn't order more, especially for the price (found on LastBottle). New world style cabernet blend, excellent pairing for a strip or ribeye steak. Cab, cab franc and merlot

11/5/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Like all young Brunellos, this one needs a decant to fully appreciate it. Juicy plums, cherries, and light spice

10/28/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

A non-brooding syrah with a great expression of the region. Red fruits, pepper, savory and a little 'meaty' on the palate, similar to a Cornas.

9/7/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Apples and honey, has that essence of brioche, nice minerality but not overwhelmingly so, finishes clean, serve with roasted chicken and you will not be disappointed. Wish we had more.

9/5/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Savory, delicious, cherries, chocolate, and forest floor, served with old stinky cheese and prime rib, a delicious bottle that's drinking well right now.

9/7/2020 - eporres wrote:

OK, not great, other values to be found in Cornas at this price point.

9/7/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Best wine discovery of 2018, every case we purchase we wish we purchased another

6/11/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Wine of the summer, 2020. Fresh, crisp, and bonkers QPR.

5/16/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Big flavor, dark fruit, almost cola-like from the new oak. Enjoyable, but there are better QPR wines to be had out there (Napanook comes to mind)

4/14/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Deep, dark cab, dark fruit, a Jeff Gaffner creation. Pleasant on the palate, but an astringent finish. I wouldn't rush to drink this right now.

3/18/2020 - eporres Likes this wine:

Coronavirus "happy" hour