4/23/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Light golden. Somewhat closed nose but shows Chardonnay fruit with just the right touch of oak. Good acidity in the entry with refined, still undeveloped flavors — almost like a young ballerina. Lots of length. A 91 now, but this wine has several years to go before it reaches its full potential. Graceful and lovely!

4/22/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

A bit of a disappointment from what I was expecting having tasted other Mary Taylor wines. Light golden yellow. Not much in the nose to define it as Chenin Blanc, only a bit of plantain. Rather soft entry for a Loire wine with round, rather neutral flavors — again plantain — and some bitterness in the finish. Lacks freshness, as if the fermentation was on the warm side. The 2022 vintage was rated very good, so ripeness or rot should not have been an issue. Though the label indicates there is a hint of sweetness, the wine definitely finishes on the dry side. Yet… despite all this, the wine grows on you the longer it is opened.

4/20/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow. Typical fleshiness and stone fruit with a touch of herbs in the nose. These flavors carry forward into the taste, particularly the fleshiness. It's hard to get excited about most Pinot Bianco/Pinot Blancs unless they're grown in certain areas and have the strength to survive barrel fermentation and/or aging (though they make a great sparkling wine base). It is rumored that there still may be some Pinot Blanc in certain Corton Charlemagne vineyards. My favorite all-time Pinot Blancs came from Chalone Vineyard in California from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Nevertheless, this one is very well-made and a good value for spring and summer sipping.

4/19/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Very obviously a warmer climate Pinot Noir, even tho it's from the Anderson Valley. Not sure of the clones, but it tastes a lot like the Wente clone. Medium color. Quite soft yet plenty of character. More plum than raspberry. Appealing but certainly more California than Burgundy. Good value on wtso.com.

4/18/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Very pale straw-gray color. Subtle nose with a hint of grape pips. Fruit apparent but difficult to describe. Hard to believe this is from Malbec. Very young. Plenty of acidity. Gives more the 2nd day. I suspect it will gain roundness and complexity with another year or two in the bottle. Interesting! Good value.

4/17/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Nearly 100% Marsanne with just a touch of Roussanne. Straw yellow. Nose of herbs, maybe apricot. Mineral entry with dried herbs and maybe a hint of platanos. You can taste the limestone from the soil. Good acidity, medium length. Aged mostly in older (neutral) barrels. Unlike Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, this is a wine that is less obvious and requires some time to get used to. A thinking person's white.

4/15/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Light straw color. Effusive herbal nose and flavors, no doubt from the Roussanne. Shows just a touch of salt. If I had tasted it blind, I would have pegged it as coming from southern France. Really intriguing stuff, especially from the Tuscan coast. Medium acid, unlike many coastal Italian whites, which tend to be quite tart. On the 2nd day, melon character from the Semillon starts to come thru. A wonderful surprise and an excellent value! 50% Roussanne, 50% Semillon.

4/14/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Brooding red. Syrah dominates in the nose. Young wine entry with supple mouthfeel. Some salt from the Grenache. No indication of oak but plenty of youthful power. 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault. Subtle tannins yet good acidity. Should continue to soften and improve for 5+ years.

4/14/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Light yellow. Nose of lemon and almond. Zippy with lots of citrus, even lemon peel, plus a touch of bitterness and salinity in the finish. I'm not a big Verdicchio fan and haven't had one for a while, but this one seems more serious than the ones I've tasted in the past. I remember when some used to come in a fish-shaped bottle. Theoretically, Verdicchios are supposed to age well. Terrific with seafood!

4/13/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Yellow-gold hue. Sauvignon Blanc is apparent in nose and taste but not overly aggressive or grassy. Rather restrained, unlike, for example, the over-the-top style from New Zealand. Excellent value. More info about the winery here: https://www.wineterroirs.com/2011/04/troterau_quincy_pierre_ragon.html

4/10/2024 - oakville72 wrote:

Disappointing. Not bad but just unbalanced. Color is appropriate for the new clones grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands. A bit cloudy. Nose a touch vegetal combined with expected raspberry. I suspect it comes from the lower slopes and mechanically harvested. Relatively high acidity, which is good, but fruit somewhat muted. Incomplete malolactic? Little evidence of oak.

4/8/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Rich dark color. In nose and taste, excellent interplay between vanilla from oak and Grenache Mediterranean orange plus salt. Good acidity and enough tannins (but not overwhelming) to push this wine for another decade, perhaps more. Great balance. Still young, of course. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre.

4/7/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Yellow-green in color. Riesling character is muted in both nose and taste, as compared to German, Austrian and Alsatian Rieslings, for example. Due to its acidity, it may gain complexity with age. For now, a nice spring/summer sipper.

4/6/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Medium color. Straightforward, obvious Grenache nose. Low intensity entry. Typical orange peel and salt Grenache flavors. Good acidity. No evidence of wood. I suspect this is a co-op or large producer wine made for Duvernay. 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. Good value for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but there are better values from Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes de Venice, Vinsobres and even Côtes du Rhône from excellent producers.

4/5/2024 - oakville72 wrote:

This Amarone will no doubt develop more complexity in the bottle, but at this point it's very angular and simple. What would you expect from an inexpensive Amarone? Well-made with some dried grape character in the nose. Flavors are straightforward and tart. Hopefully, it's just going thru an awkward phase. Wait for 2 more years to try again.

4/5/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow. Muted Riesling nose. Low varietal character. Lots of grapefruit-apple acidity. Almost like a Muscadet. I liked the 2021 Manni Nössing Müller-Thurgau much better. Could be as a result of a cooler vintage?

4/4/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

I have scored previous vintages of this wine 91-92. I don't know if my slightly lower rating here reflects the vintage, my changing tastes or my growing curmudgeonliness. Anyway, it's still a very enjoyable wine with great fruit, round mouthfeel and a definitely sweet finish. I only wish it had a little more acidity as a counterpoint. A blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner.

4/2/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Medium dark, blueberry ruby red. Pencil lead hits the nose, making one think of Pauillac — indeed, the vineyards are just south of St. Julien. Dark berry fruit starts in the nose and continues through to the finish. Rather lean with appropriate tannins. New oak is apparent throughout. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Needs a few more years to even out. Good value for Médoc.

3/31/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Very light yellow-green. Nose slightly of new-mown grass plus grapefruit and unripe peach. Entry is both tart yet round. Long thought to be a cross of Riesling + Sylvaner, DNA analysis has concluded that Müller-Thurgau is a cross of Riesling + (the less well-known) Madeleine Royale. A zippy spring and summer patio wine.

3/29/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

I have had one other vintage of this wine, and in both cases I've been pleased. Garganega is the primary grape of Soave, and if you compare this wine with many Soaves, it will exceed them. A terrific antipasti and seafood accompaniment.

3/28/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

As would be expected from a hot climate Moscato di Noto, dandelion yellow in color. Just a touch hazy and a bit of stink over the Muscat character in the nose. Yet the wine has great acidity, strong varietal character and a lengthy, dry, zippy finish. Still very fresh and a super value!

3/27/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

I'm not a Syrah fan, but this one checks all the right boxes — color: opaque red; nose: Syrah fresh plum fruit; taste: great boysenberry entry; finish: correct acids plus a touch of tannins. According to the importer, Kermit Lynch: 74% Syrah, 6% Grenache, 4% Cinsault, 6% Mourvèdre, 10% Carignan. Great now but will improve for another 8 years. Very fair price.

3/26/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

In need of integration with bottle age, this Chardonnay shows subtle fruit with a cedary expression of oak. Tulocay has been making Chardonnay from the Haynes Vineyard for many years. In the early 2020s, the vineyard was purchased by the new owners of Heitz Cellars. Due to the change of ownership, the '22 is the last vintage of Tulocay Haynes Chardonnay. In many ways, these Chardonnays are quite Burgundian in that they tend to improve for several years after their release. I expect the same of this vintage. Buy now but set it aside for 3-4 years to really enjoy what it offers.

3/26/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

My favorite of the '22 Sangouard-Guyot Pouilly-Fuissés is the Terroirs. The Ancestral, at this point, falls a bit short. While pleasant and well-made, it seems to come up a bit short compared to previous vintages. Yet still a great value among Pouilly-Fuissés and will develop with more time in the bottle.

3/25/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Light golden color. Reticent nose at first. A nice Pouilly-Fuissé with proper flavors and appley acidity. Will improve with age. At this point, I like the Terroirs cuvée better. From the winery website: "Origin: This Pouilly-Fuissé is made from grapes harvested from old vines (45 years on average). Vinification: In new barrels (less than 3 years old)."

3/24/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Light golden color. Reticent nose at first that eventually opens showing coconut and vanilla cream. Very soft entry with round, unctuous mouthfeel and a bit of ripe melon. A touch of bitterness in the finish. If this wine has a fault, is its lack of acidity. All stainless steel fermentation and storage.

3/23/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Straightforward Champagne with good mousse and nice acidity. Clean and refreshing.

3/23/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Great color and intensity for a Pinot Noir. The first Patricia Green I've tried, and I was not disappointed. Drinkable now but will stand the test of time.

3/22/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

A pleasant, if unremarkable, Mâcon. All the proper flavors — e.g., Chardonnay, malolactic — are there but much less concentrated than the better wines of the Mâcon AOP. A nice summer quaffer.

3/21/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

I confess I am partial to Mâcon wines for their quality and fair price. However, many Mâcon-Villages, especially shipper bottled ones, are "meh". This wine shows a light gold color, appropriate nose and taste of lemon curd with a pleasing fruit-driven finish. While just a Mâcon-Villages, it could compete with more well-known Pouilly-Fuissés at twice the price.

3/18/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

At this point, very young and undeveloped. Medium color. Nose of cinnamon and raspberry. Entry is quite brusque with fruit, acidity and tannins all competing for tongue attention. Due its relatively low alcohol (by California standards) of 12.9% and high acidity, it emerges as quite Burgundian. Needs several years to fully integrate. Be patient with this one!

3/18/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Pale gold. Nose of honey, toast and vanilla. Tart, appley entry. Lots of acidity, almost like a still Champagne. Nose gains complexity and acidity softens the 2nd day opened. Needs time to come together. Be patient with this one.

3/18/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Light Pinot color. Plenty of acidity and mild fruit. In the Alsatian style. 12% alcohol. Drinkable now. Will develop for a couple of years.

3/18/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Medium rosé color. Good mousse. Nice acidity. Dry and refreshing.

3/17/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Intense color, some smoke in the nose. A typical young Yves Chéron Gigondas: jammy blueberry fruit, little or no oak, lots of power, no subtlety, alcoholic afterburner, some tannins. 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 15% alcohol.

3/16/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Had I tasted this blind, I would have guessed Pouilly-Fuissé. And it's better than many. Has all the right markings: Chardonnay fruit, cream from the malolactic, just enough acidity. An excellent Mâcon!

3/15/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

On the lighter side — I would guess because of the vintage. Well-made and enjoyable now, yet with a bright future.

3/15/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Interestingly, the color of bosc pear coupled with the flavors of bosc pear. The acidity is good, and there is plenty of viscosity with just a touch of bitterness in the finish. 100% Godello. Super value for spring and summer sipping!

3/12/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Medium ruby-red. Nose shows the musky influence of wood plus Sangiovese Grosso fruit. Excellent balance on the entry but a little watery in flavor. Enjoyable now but needs time to integrate further.

3/12/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

I am suspect of big shippers like Jean-Claude Boisset, particularly since he has picked up a number of properties in California, which smacks of commercialism. However, this wine exceeds my expectations, especially for the very friendly price of $30/btl. Made in a modern style, it shows deep color for Burgundy, lots of blueberry on the nose, great acidity and fruit in the taste, plus just the right amount of tannins. Enjoyable now but no doubt will develop a roundness and complexity in the future. For those who like American Pinot Noirs, this is more Oregonian than Californian. I have ordered more and recommended it to other budget-conscious Burgundy fans.

3/12/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

A really nice, varietal, truly dry white Muscat. Still very fresh. Unfortunately, dry Muscats don't get the attention they deserve. This one is a good example at a great price!

3/10/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Great cherry+pomegranate nose. Lip-smacking entry due to pronounced sour cherry acidity. Quite drinkable now but more like a top-quality Chianti Classico than a traditional Brunello. Good stuff!

3/10/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Pale color. Light Riesling nose and dry flavors but well-made and refreshing. Great acidity. Perfect for summer patio sipping. Excellent value.

3/7/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Very bright red. Slightly musky, raspberry-cherry nose. Tart cherry entry. Very well made. Needs time to develop, integrate and shuck off its acids. Good value.

3/6/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Quite light but a true-to-form 60% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc blend. Good acidity. Refreshing. Dry. A definite grapefruit component comes out on the 2nd day. Tasted against a well-known New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I much prefer this. Fine value for summer sipping.

3/5/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Super value as compared to Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas, altho they are all different, yet from nearby areas and made from some of the same grapes. This is from 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah with rich fruit and spice. There's a bacon-like chewiness to it. Aged in older barrels.

3/5/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Wow! Watch out, Champagne! This is a great sparkler from the Piedmont with the crispness, brioche and flinty acidity that one would expect from a good Champagne. A lot of foam despite 30 months on the secondary yeast, as the Contratto website indicates. While the bubbles fall off as the wine remains opened, the answer is to drink it quickly and open another. Capisce? https://www.contratto.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millesimato-2019-english.pdf

3/5/2024 - oakville72 wrote:

I was once a fan of this Sauvignon Blanc in the early days when it came to the U.S., but not so much since the brand was bought by Constellation. A lot of grass and "cat pee" — too much for me. At least it still possesses acidity and has not been sweetened, like so many other corporate-owned NZ Sauvignon Blancs.

3/5/2024 - oakville72 wrote:

A bit on the sweet side and overpriced in a restaurant where I bought it. Okay, but there are better sparklers in the same price range. Produced in Healdsburg, not Napa Valley.

3/4/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Very well made but still angular and showing its components — fruit and oak — rather than an integrated whole. Medium bodied. Needs time to develop further.