Comments on my notes

Red

2018 Kirkland Signature Malbec Mendoza

5/24/2020 - Irienet wrote:

84 points

Decent with pizza but nothing to write home about. It's not the 91 points Costco puts on the bottle. But I don't trust Suckling ratings anyway. The malbec is subtle. Lots of fruit. Actually, not bad for $7!!!

WineDr. commented:

6/19/20, 7:27 AM - I totally agree with you on Suckling and his ratings. Almost always, his seem to be the highest ratings. I wouldn’t be surprised if he charges money to allow his ratings to be placed on the bottles. Another wine rating “inflater” is Halliday of Australia; seems like just about anything he rates is at least 90 points.

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Red

2015 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection Napa Valley

12/25/2019 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine:

94 points

I have to rate this wine for what it is. You would not rate a Bordeaux low for not tasting like a Napa Cab. And Caymus is in it's own class for what it is trying to be. Over the top, hedonistic, syrupy, chocolate flavored goodness in a glass. I can't help it - I enjoy this wine every so often. But, for the same reason I cannot drink a MollyDooker Shiraz all the time, is the same relationship I have with this wine. It is great when you are in the mood, but know what you are getting yourself into. One thing is undeniable, Caymus is always consistent. So rating this for what it is. Always a crowd-pleaser.

WineDr. commented:

2/2/20, 4:38 PM - Very well stated. Different people have different tastes. Two wines of a given varietal can be vastly different in style and taste, yet equally good (or bad). I hate reviews in which someone downgrades a wine just because it doesn’t match his/her personal preference.

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Red

2015 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Signature Napa Valley

12/24/2018 - seijaro Likes this wine:

91 points

Yes, the community average of 91 is pretty accurate, maybe a little generous. It's a decent Cab with a nice nose and color, but it's still young so has some hard edges and a bit of alcoholic hotness. I expect it will smooth out in three or four years, but at the moment it's not worth the $60 price tag (discounted from $70).
A clear sign that it needs a few years is the fact that it was quite a bit better after three hours, maybe 92-93. Air time is usually a stand-in for bottle age (although certainly imperfect). This will probably be pretty good juice in 2022 and later, but I will stand by my opinion that there are better ways to spend $60.

WineDr. commented:

10/25/19, 7:21 AM - I tend to agree with your views on cabs and also look for good bang for the buck. What are your favorite 2015-2017 cabs in the $50-75 (list price) range?

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Red

2016 Silver Ghost Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

7/25/2019 - seijaro wrote:

85 points

We didn't like it nearly as much as the community. It was a tryer based on a rec by the salesman at Total Wine, but I will not buy any more. For us it was an ordinary Cab without any distinguishing feature except that it was a bit tart.

WineDr. commented:

10/23/19, 4:49 PM - I haven’t tried this wine, so I can‘t comment on it. However, regarding it having been recommended to you by a rep at Total Wine, it is a “Winery Direct” wine. They are pushed heavily by Total Wine and probably have higher profit margins than the other wines (I’ve read that Total Wine employees get bigger discounts on “Winery Direct” wines than others).

Personally, I have had more lousy recommendations than good ones from reps at Total Wine.

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Red

2016 Château Deyrem Valentin Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend

4/29/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote:

91 points

Floral and tobacco with zesty, sugared, dark red berries all over the place, this wine has softness, polished tannins and an ample amount of silky plum notes in the finish. Value hunters seeking a wine from Margaux should be all over this one.

WineDr. commented:

10/13/19, 1:47 PM - Was this supposed to be a review for some other wine? The 2016 CHATEAU DEYREM VALENTIN wasn’t available in April, 2017.

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Red

2015 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese

4/5/2019 - WineDr. Does not like this wine:

82 points

I agree with KEND707’s assessment. I must say at the outset that, in general, I love Italian food but don’t care for Italian wine. This Chianti Classico Riserva is no exception, despite its high professional reviews. Sorry, but a barnyard bouquet that persists 4 hours after opening the bottle and decanting it is unacceptable to me. More importantly, while the palate is clean and crisp, it is austere, simple, and has a very short finish that is more in line with a simple $10 wine. Not for me.

WineDr. commented:

9/25/19, 4:42 AM - Esteve63 is entitled to his taste preferences and I am entitled to mine. To me, an austere wine with a barnyard smell even after 4 hours is unacceptable.

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Red

2016 Grand Napa Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

6/8/2019 - BadOyster wrote:

93 points

Drank wonderfully - precisely that Rutherford dust style with a good balance of fruit and fine-grain tannins. Great offering at sale price of $50 at K&L. I'd be disappointed at the original price of $135. It'd be "average" at around $80-90.

WineDr. commented:

7/15/19, 8:17 AM - Thanks for the QPR evaluation — i.e. great value at $50, average value at $80-90, and way overpriced at winery retail price of $135. It seems that wineries usually overprice wines for sale at the winery itself unless you belong to their “club”. Even so, $135 seems way too much of a stretch. I see that this wine is available now at Wine Access for $50.

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Red

2013 Mueller Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain

10/29/2018 - kevrob822 wrote:

87 points

I believe this may have been my first Diamond Mountain Cabernet and I was expecting more. Much, Much More. I know I got a great deal on this, but even for the price paid, I thought it was way overpriced. And to clarify, I’m a Huge Fan of Mountain Cabernets. Maybe I should stick to Howell and Spring, but Diamond is so famous. WTH am I missing? Please reply with feedback, I’m serious... I’m looking for answers.

Poured and decanted for about 60 minutes. Color was nice and dark, but the aroma was lacking, almost non-existent. The tast was very one dimensional, flat and really not even appealing. I can see why earlier vintages of this wine were so low. Sorry, hate to be so tough, but it is what it is... especially when you pay $50. And I’m NOT a wine snob, but I do like good value for the $$$ I paid. Am I bummed? Without A Doubt!

WineDr. commented:

7/5/19, 6:02 PM - I saw a glowing review today on WTSO, which is selling it for $49.99/bottle, but I wanted to see what real consumers think of it, so I checked CellarTracker and saw your reviews. Thanks for same. Sounds like this is an over-rated/over-priced wine and I will avoid it. Like you, I want value for my money. For $50 I expect something pretty good.

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Red

2007 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve Napa Valley

11/5/2017 - easttide Likes this wine:

91 points

Not as austere as the 2012, very nice. This is one of the most classy sub $20 cabs out there, imo. Elegant. If I want something a little more Caymus or Hestan Meyer Vineyard-esque at the sub $20 I reach for the Sterling Napa Cab, if I want something more elegant I reach for this.

WineDr. commented:

11/14/17, 7:23 PM - Is Eastsde reviewing the wrong wine? This wine retailed for about $60 or so. Hard to believe he got it for under $20. If he did, he was very fortunate.

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