1/15/2023 - redhead6971 Likes this wine:

Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes
Winery: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Varietal: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Area/Appellation:France/Bordeaux/Saint-Julien Vintage: 2014
Price: $130/Gary’s Wine and Spirits New Jersey circa 2017
Color: dark ruby with purple Legs: very slow
Nose: nice blackberries, black cherries, cassis, currant, loam, earthy, wet stone, cedar,
Palate: rich luscious a real showcase of dark black fruits (blackberries , cassis, black cherries, currant) with overtones of cedar, oak, licorice coffee, vanilla. There is a whole heck of a lot going on here, very multi dimensional.
Finish: rich with cedar and cassis, currant, black licorice, coffee.
The finish is nice, but it’s not real lengthy but it’s still very nice. It reflects the vintage.
Comments: Great example of Saint Julien and a very interesting wildcard year. Despite the threat of mildew and rot with a very warm, very humid summer, created by spring rains, an Indian summer in September really paid off and created very ripe conditions.
Pairing Suggestions: goat cheese, chateaubriand, homemade pot roast, beef Wellington, etc.
Score in terms of Vintage: 93
Score for the Wine: 94
Value for the Money: Highly Recommended 😍
Date Tasted: 01/14/2023
Tasted by: ACK

11/21/2022 - redhead6971 Likes this wine:

Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes
Winery: Produttori del Barbaresco
Varietal: Nebbiolo
Area/Appellation: Italy/Piedmont/Langhe/ Barbaresco Vintage: 2016
Price: $47 Jacob East
Color: pale ruby very slight orange tinge. Legs: slow
Nose: red licorice, dried bing cherries, rich prune, truffle, fennel
Palate: dried cherries and prunes, hints of fennel, black licorice,
Finish: absorptive, the dried cherries, prunes, licorice blend together nicely tannins weigh in nicely but are not overbearing.
Comments: popped and poured, well made from a very warm vintage.
Pairing Suggestions: rich bold roasted meats
Score in terms of Vintage: 89
Score for the Wine: 90
Value for the Money: Very Good
Date Tasted: 11/21/2022
Tasted by: ACK

2/24/2022 - ohne_musik wrote:

A bit too heavy on the oak. Underneath, this is quite attractive, darker in profile, with violets, ripe but restrained black fruit, tar, gravel and cassis. Tannins are present but starting to soften. It’s a shame about the oak - this would be a 91+ without the heavy oak.

4/11/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

Won’t change the long winded top part for each Tynan, only the specific wine. Feels like I just gave away the ending… good news if you are part of the CRAFT club like I am apparently a new member, you can read the entire thing each time and act surprised.

Damn Tynan makes great juice. Looking at the two lonely barrels we almost felt bad watching him thief that glorious juice out… almost but at the same time I was like a fat kid in a candy store hopping from one foot to the other waiting for the Closed sign to flip to Open. This was one of four barrel samples and while Inwould like to say nah, it’s not very good to don’t buy it, only for me to be able to buy more, that would be a flat out lie. These were my first peak into 2021 following the horrific fires so I went in a bit tepid, curious and a realist (for Promontory 2020 I can’t say I went in with an open mind, more on that later if I ever get to it… although not good odds with a stupid amount of 2021 EP samples headed my way in near hours.)

This is a generic Tynan wine comment- are there better wines Year after Year at this price point that no one knows of? Not to my knowledge. Note as others have said, Tynan builds his wine for depth, complexity and agining however his one offs are typically more ready to go earlier on. This doesn’t mean his wines aren’t good young- all great wines need to be good young and older, it’s just they blossom into something even greater once they get some bottle age. Suggested not to open MGs before their 8-10th birthday and that’s really just the beginning (and I appreciate both young and - 30 year old wines with exceptions of course).

All wines were PnP with little time in the glass. I can confirm the last sips were the best but we all marveled about just how damn great these wines are.

Will try and only update my notes on the wine it is linked to in order to avoid a war and peace novel.

4 Tynan barrel samples all 2021
1) Meleagris Gallopavo
2) Judge Syrah
3) Old Game Farm
4) Ch La Paz JH
18 C. Corbet Hillside Blocks
18 Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo- now how does this compare to the 2021? Three years older, duh. This wine explodes with potential, not in the right at people say like is she/he good looking and their response is “well they are really nice, funny, [add adjective here]. This wine is impressive on first inhale/sip and only gets better by the last drop. The group I brought had limited knowledge to this wizard and upon tasting the barrel samples was a look into bewilderment and curiosity like a child trying to open the cookie jar at midnight while precariously standing on a one legged stool trying to gain torque and leverage from a near by counter… nods went around the room saying I get it now… little did they know they were not even close… yet. The wine is just delicious and will be absolutely incredible in another 5-8 years. Be a hoarder. Don’t be bashful your friends will love you for it. 96+
12 Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo
11 Judge Family Vinyeards Syrah
13 Judge Family Vinyeards Syrah

2/27/2021 - redhead6971 Does not like this wine:

Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes
Winery: Viñalba
Varietal: 80% Malbec 20% Touriga Nacional Area/Appellation: Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina
Vintage: 2019 Price: $13.00 Kansas market Color:ruby with purple tinges Legs: really slow
Nose: raspberry, mull berry, pomegranate, raisin, ash
Palate: mull berries, raspberry, plum, ash, bitter root,
black tea, coffee grounds, bittersweet cocoa,
Finish: mull berries and plum and ash again more bitterroot,
black tea and coffee grounds bittersweet cocoa,
Comments: 1 hour glass decant and I do not think this particular blend of Touriga Nacional and Malbec is a marriage made in heaven. It comes in as somewhat off and aberrant. The traditional flavors of Malbec seem buried and the flavors of the Touriga Nacional seem soured and rustic.
24 hours under PP., the nose has softened into sage and black cherry. The palate seems more blended and better amount of fruit and the black tea and coffee grounds on the finish have mellowed. Would recommend a good 2 hour decant on this first. Something fun to play around with but once again, I do not see the advantage of the blends of Touriga Nacional and Malbec together.
Pairing Suggestions: Steak carnitas, grilled pork or chicken with seasonings, steak fajitas,
Score in terms of Vintage: 84
Score for the Wine: 83, PNP- 84/85 after 24 hours under Private Preserve.
Value for the Money: Fair
Date Tasted: 02/26/2021
Tasted by: ACK

12/10/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine:

This 11-year-old Aglianico is still an inky, opaque crimson in color. Intensely aromatic, it flaunts a bouquet of blackberry and dark currant fruit, accented with tar, licorice, clove, savory herbs and white pepper. Full-bodied, energetic and without alcoholic heat (14.5%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, wrapped with abundant rustic tannins and oak that has still not fully assimilated. Dense on the mid-palate, it moves on to a lengthy finish that carries a fair amount of tannic grip. This will benefit from additional cellaring. There is plenty of fruit and structure to ensure substantial longevity for this well-crafted wine. I suspect that it will merit a higher score as it fleshes out. This particular bottle was uncorked at a holiday luncheon and received 1-2 hours of aeration prior to my tasting. If you choose to pop the cork at this stage, decantation and at least a couple of hours of air will be beneficial. Drink 2025-2035.

12/23/2021 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine:

Drank from Magnum. I considered this suprisingly 'green'. It felt like a lean wine from a less ripe year. The colour was still dark and clearly in good condition for its age.

Could this be a fake? Someone rebottling a weaker year like 1978/79/87 etc as a 1982? Do fakers do that for a 2nd growth?

4/28/2021 - Snag One Likes this wine:

Essence of lemon grass, melon, honeysuckle, grapefruit and minerals. Nice mouthfeel with layers of Meyers lemon, honeydew melon, pears and green apples. Wonderful wine we enjoyed so much, we ordered more.

4/30/2021 - csimm wrote:

3 days in Napa: Arkenstone, Memento Mori, Maxem, The French Laundry, Christopher Tynan, Kinsman, Harlan, Vice Versa, Accendo, Fairchild, Macdonald, and a truckload of others (Napa): My second time trying this wine (since 12/07/2019), the 2017 MG carries interesting plum and muddled blackberry flavors complimented by red/purple licorice, vanillin black cherry, and some dark spice notes. On the final sips, an herbal tinge added interest. This is a notably complex 2017 in the making that needs (like all MGs) time in bottle to fully come together. Displaying a more red/purple fruit profile (compared to previous vintages), the 2017 maintains its freshness with poise and channeled penetration. This is one of the few 2017s coming out of Napa that I will actually be looking forward to adding to my cellar. 95+ points. A wine to lay down for another 7-10+ years, though it does show an approachable side to it with some extended swirling in the glass. An especially worthy food wine indeed.

4/6/2021 - birdeaux Likes this wine:

As the years go by, I’m less impressed by the “standard” KB bottlings. Generally I do prefer the RRV to Sonoma Coast; yet it seems the quality of the boutique single appellation wines that they launched with the 2016 vintage are the current focus. The last couple of standard vintages have been less remarkable than they were 5+ years ago, possibly due to the change in winemaking style or change in ownership, or my preferences and palate. In any case, I think I’ll reduce the volume of my purchases from KB going forward and pickup a little Cerise, Treehouse, and Bootleggers here and there.

3/3/2021 - Alex Brogan wrote:

Pronounced Sauvignon Gris on the nose. Juicy tropical flavours but needs the acidity to settle over the next few years. At least 10 colourats

2/28/2021 - heythatslife wrote:

The brett is strong with this one. No stranger to brett yet am I. Much force and darkness there is lurking. Bottle variation it may be. Rate I will not.

2/6/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

98 points is a joke. Suckling is the bigger joke.

But I guess the jokes on me since I bought this wine.

Very good? Yes. About 91 points. And maybe $40 if I’m being really honest.

5/26/2019 - acyso wrote:

MDW BBQ (Chicago, IL): I'm pretty sure I'm never going to ever understand white Rhone. What possible meal could one want to eat with this wine? What's the use case? Why does it exist? It's not heavy-handed winemaking, but the wine is just so heavy, blowsy, low-acid, oily, and bitter...

1/11/2020 - mkribar Likes this wine:

Saturday Bordeaux Tasting at K&L: This was actually my favorite bottle of the tasting. On the nose, cassis and plum, with herbs and shaved pencil lead on the background. On the palate, more pencil lead, dark fruit, just a hint of baking spices/woodiness. Mouthfilling velvety tannins, medium plus acidity. Super now, will probably get better with time.

1/2/2020 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted more like a good chianti than 2010 brunello. Juicy and tart; I would have liked bigger mouthfeel and more ripeness. Aromatics were good: lots of dried oregano, balsamic vinegar, and leather.

It's strange that 74 CT reviewers have given this wine a 90 point average whereas WA gave it 95.

6/1/2019 - fotomill wrote:

Quite in the middle of everything. It could be a Bordeaux, an Italian somewhere, a Rhone, or a Chilean. No tint of purple. Medium plus bodied, a bit oily. Notes of cherry, dark berries without blueberry, old used barrel, and some kind of disinfectant. But the elements are not well calibrated, thus quite disjointed with hot alcohol and bitterness. Neither young, nor old, but an oxidated hint on finish. Soon drops under 86/100. On days 2 & 3, it is a little better. Cooked tomato sauce with basil on the nose. But still 87/100.

7/28/2018 - DrTuckles Does not like this wine:

Too sweet for my pallet. Made a nice spritzer with some grapefruit la Croix.

10/28/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine:

This is a very well made wine, but tonight it was overshadowed by several of the CdPs we had tonight. Seemed to lack vibrancy compared to some of the others.

2/20/2017 - Nutty08 wrote:

Surprisingly with a little bricking on the edges. Has some dullness to the palate with mixed cedar notes and roasted plums. Seems past prime to me given the lack of vibrancy.
Spending more time with it, there's the typical brown sugar taste of a heat damaged wine. Purchased from auction.

8/8/2016 - melzar wrote:

Bought ex chateau this past spring. Not as evolved (or as good) as my bottles cellared since release. Fill high neck and cork pristine with only slight red staining at the wine end. Very little sediment. Could this wine have been reconditioned at the chateau, or even late bottled? Wines this old don't have a cork that looks like this. That being said, beautiful fragrant nose typical of the great wines of the '85 vintage. Vibrant fruit and acidity on the palate and a lingering finish. Well balanced and tasting young.