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Comments on my notes

(9 comments on 8 notes)

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Red
2018 de Négoce Syrah OG N.74 Walla Walla Valley
2/17/2021 - CheapAndBest Likes this wine:
90 points
Lots of blue fruit. Pretty smooth. Medium+ weight

Best of all..did brilliantly with spicy food (scotch bonnet laced Caribbean fare)
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    2/26/21, 3:42 PM - Nice to know that this pairs well with scotch bonnet peppers - - I use them all the time!

Red
2014 Shafer Relentless Napa Valley Syrah Blend, Syrah
12/29/2020 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine:
92 points
Solid wine as usual, but other vintages were stronger for sure. (Dec. 24, 2020 @ Mason, OH)
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    12/30/20, 4:19 PM - Hi SRH - - My notes were written a few days after tasting the wine, which is why they lack specifics and detail. To answer your question, I did not decant the bottle (which probably would have been a good idea) but I drank the wine over a period of 2-3 hours. I am a big fan of Shafer wines, and Relentless in particular (my favorite was the 2002 vintage), although I have not been as thrilled with Relentless vintages starting in 2012. Not sure why, such as whether the winemaking has changed.

  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    12/30/20, 7:53 PM - I am no expert food pairer, but suspect that Relentless would go well with the "usual suspects" (lamb, beef, pork) - - although on the night that I had this wine, it went pretty well with leftover meatballs and honey-baked ham.

Red
2001 Château Latour Grand Vin Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
8/22/2020 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine:
95 points
Somewhat muted on nose at first, but amazing on palate. Drank neck & neck with a 2001 Ch. Haut Brion. Many years ahead for this wine, no rush. (Aug. 14, Gates Lodge)
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    8/22/20, 9:49 AM - Good question - - was actually a pop & pour (zero decant), and the wine continued to improve with time in glass. Drank over span of 2-3 hours.

Red
2007 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul Grenache
9/30/2019 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine:
95 points
A very solid wine with impressive fruit, although it had a prominent vanilla element on the palate. The wine is young and can easily age for many years. I rated this WOTN, slightly edging out an '02 Mouton, '00 Lynch Bages, and '07 Pegau. (Sept. 29, 2019 at West Branch Angler Resort)
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    10/1/19, 5:49 AM - Champussi made an excellent comment that since this CdP never sees any new oak, the vanilla notes I detected must have come from elsewhere. I have edited my tasting notes accordingly - - thanks!

Red
2015 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard Russian River Valley
7/9/2018 - jmcnewjersey wrote:
91 points
Somewhat underwhelming for a Carlisle Zin, but still very solid when compared to Zins in general. This bottle was closed and did not offer much on the nose or palate. Will write it off as an aberration, and suspect that the next bottle will be much better.
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    7/13/18, 4:39 AM - Not sure if time in the bottle was the issue here, as my experience with Carlisle Zins is that they are drinkable upon release or with very short aging. But you make a good point and perhaps that was the case.

Red
2013 Bedrock Wine Co. The Bedrock Heritage Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel
4/13/2018 - jmcnewjersey wrote:
flawed
Corked - - horribly corked! It especially sucks to cellar a bottle many years, and then get stuck with a clunker. No matter what the cork industry says, flawed bottles happen way too often. Bring on more screw-caps. I am very happy with the Bedrock Shebang screw-cap bottling, for example. UPDATE: winery is replacing the corked bottle - - so happy that they stand behind their product!
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    4/13/18, 8:07 PM - Thanks, Mootsie - - I had already thought of that!

Red
2014 Château Meyney St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
2/15/2018 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine:
93 points
Score is based on predicted potential after adequate aging. Wine now is an inky black monster, with thick and impenetrable tannins. 2 hour decant barely made a difference. I let bottle sit in cellar for 5 days after opening, and wine finally became drinkable. Dark cassis on the nose. Full-bodied and viscous on the palate, still with noticeable tannins, but also lovely smoky black fruit flavors. I would age unopened bottles for 3+ more years, and not be surprised if wine scored above 93 when it hit its peak. Reasonable price makes it a top value, too.
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    2/16/18, 3:10 PM - Yes, GAET, I agree - - not a good idea to open this wine for several more years. Way too young!

Red
2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau Red Rhone Blend
4/25/2016 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine:
93 points
Strawberry preserves on nose & palate. Light-Medium bodied, with smooth tannins. Slightly vegetal, in a good way.
  • jmcnewjersey commented:

    4/26/16, 5:02 PM - I previously mistakenly hit "do not like" - - trust me, I DID like this wine, and edited my entry accordingly. Thanks!

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