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Comments on my notes

(17 comments on 14 notes)

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White
2018 Bodegas Bianchi Chardonnay Elsa San Rafael
12/17/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:
92 points
Drank over two days. Tropical (pineapple) and stone fruit, lemon zest, white flowers, chalk. Also getting a hint of butyric acid, which I am pretty sensitive to, but subtle enough that it doesn't overall detract from the nose.

Palate has a full-bodied, waxy texture, yet puckering acidity (no or partial MLF?). A hint of a leesy quality.

This is a very pleasant wine. Not a typical chardonnay, but showing well nonetheless. I think this will hold for a couple years still, but not necessarily going to improve.
  • deetz commented:

    12/22/23, 3:40 PM - Thanks for your comment and looking forward to seeing your notes. But yes, you’re exactly right…a touch of baby vomit and also some pineapple. I just avoid calling out that descriptor except when it’s really overt :) Not surprising those aromatics are sometimes found together if you have a little hydrolysis of ethyl butryrate to the acid. Hope you enjoy it tonight, cheers!

Red
2018 No Girls Tempranillo Walla Walla Valley
1/3/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:
95 points
Opened this to celebrate submitting my phd dissertation, and to help decide whether to purchase this years allocation.

Upon first opening had a barnyard/animalistic quality (although not brett) that morphed into a nose of exotic spices and flowers, gamey meat, raspberries, blueberries, iodine, tobacco, and crushed rock. Almost a subtle bubble gum quality that I would typically associate with semi-carbonic maceration.

First time I recall having WA Tempranillo, but aromatically, there is some remarkable similarities between this and some higher end WA syrahs that I’ve had, indicating some combination of terroir and stylistic tendencies in winemaking.

Palate matches the nose, especially with some of the more savory elements really coming through. Vibrant and lifted acidity, medium ultra-fine tannins, picked up weight and drank fleshier on the second day.

Not sure what I expected, but I’ve certainly enjoyed this bottle and will be purchasing my next allocation. Aromatic complexity really kept me coming back to the glass and the palate was just so elegant and well balanced. This is fantastic now, but I suspect it will develop nicely and hold well for at least a decade+.
  • deetz commented:

    1/5/23, 6:21 AM - I was only offered the tempranillo again this year. I put the syrah on my wish list, though, which is really the reason I joined in the first place. Only second year receiving an allocation so hopefully next year.

    I was happy to pick this up though because I don’t have a ton of tempranillo in my cellar and this was a lovely bottle!

Red
2017 Kirkland Signature Rioja Reserva Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
8/2/2022 - P4V Likes this wine:
89 points
I think the reviewers are being very hard on this product because of the great price. They have low expectations. This is a delicious Rioja with a great QPV. Buy it. Don’t overthink it. Just enjoy
  • deetz commented:

    8/16/22, 7:21 PM - Thanks for your note, I completely agree. I suppose it depends how you score wines, but this would easily be 89+ from Suckling. Is this world class Rioja? Absolutely not. Is this a good example of Rioja at an exceptional price? Absolutely.

Red
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo Langhe DOC
3/28/2018 - deetz Likes this wine:
88 points
Fun, simple, easy drinking. Didn’t strike me as particularly Nebbiolo like, probably because of the age and little oak.
  • deetz commented:

    12/30/21, 11:29 PM - Yes, this was the Langhe Nebbiolo that I was commenting on.

Red
2014 Tether Red Wine Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
9/24/2017 - deetz Likes this wine:
92 points
At this price, this is phenomenal for Napa Valley. I would pick this over Benoit's "basic" wine from Realm, The Bard, 9 out of 10 times.
  • deetz commented:

    2/14/18, 2:54 PM - Thanks for the correction. Do you know if Benoit was only the winemaker for the 2013 vintage then? I just assumed Benoit was still making this since him and Kimberly are so close.

  • deetz commented:

    2/14/18, 6:04 PM - I actually was under the impression that 2014 was the inaugural year as well, although WineSearcher and CellarTracker both list a 2013 Tether (albeit with very little traction so it could have been mis-entered). However, when I first bought this wine back in late 2016 (and it was the 2014 vintage for sure, I still have the bottle) all the press material touted Benoit as the winemaker (and many retails still state this online). I suspect that Benoit turned over the helm to Ana at some point while 2014 may have still been in barrel. After all, winemaking doesn't happen overnight, right? ;-)

Red
2014 K Vintners Syrah Cattle King Upland Vineyard Yakima Valley Snipes Mountain
1/9/2018 - deetz Likes this wine:
97 points
I am a huge fan of Charles Smith's wines, and this is definitely my favorite yet!

Gorgeous aromas of black raspberry, blackberry compote, white flowers, baking spice, and an electrifying slate rock backbone to the nose. Revisited on day 3 and aromas of white pepper, green peppercorn, and graphite started to develop.

Slate rock, almost chalky minerality carries through to the palate with flavors of black raspberry and blueberry. Lots of great structure...tannins are firm but still plush and well integrated.

My biggest critique of this wine is the alcohol...I could really feel the heat on the back of the palate. If this wasn't so pronounced, I would honestly be scoring this 99-100. Because of this, I would strongly recommend serving this wine a little bit cooler than you might otherwise. I threw it in the fridge for 15 minutes before pouring again and it was showing gorgeously (at about 59°F)...the aromatics were still very expressive at this temperature but the alcohol was subdued a bit.

This wine is definitely worth seeking out.
  • deetz commented:

    1/16/18, 7:14 PM - Thanks for the note, jdponfil! That's a great question, and I am eager to see what time will do. I haven't been drinking K Vintners wines for long enough to know what more than a couple years of bottle age tends to do with these in particular, but in my (albeit fairly limited) experience drinking syrah from full-throttle Northern Rhone producers, alcohol definitely tends to integrate itself and mellow out with time in bottle. Hoping we find the same in this exceptional effort! Cheers!

Red
2004 Peter Michael Les Pavots Knights Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
11/7/2016 - walkerjfw wrote:
93 points
In Boston at Stella with Todd/Brad/Mirela and Helgo. Brought to drink alongside a 99 Sandrone Barolo. From a magnum, splash decanted and drank over 2 hours.

Dark purple color, no signs of age on this bottle. Expressive Bordeaux styled nose that revealed dark berries, blackberry, graphite, and some smoke. Rich, sweet palate of blackberry, mocha, cassis, blackcurrant, floral notes and mild oak. Tannins are nicely integrated and chewy, long and layered finish.

This was surprisingly ready out of the bottle, not sure if the magnum format has kept it fresher...but it clearly improved over the time we drank it. The wine would benefit from a couple hours of air if logistics permit. Interesting to see some range in taster experience, this particular bottle was absolutely gorgeous....our crowd loved it, WOTN for some. In a great spot now and should hold at this level for at least a few more years.
  • deetz commented:

    12/18/17, 9:09 PM - Jim,

    Just had the 05 Peter Michael Les Pavots (also in magnum format) a few weeks ago at our post harvest dinner with the Amici crew. Always fun to see when our notes cross paths :-)

Red
2011 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese
9/1/2017 - Neecies wrote:
83 points
A merely decent light red wine with no sense of place, and very disappointing for a Brunello. Doesn't earn the name or Costco's price. Can't imagine who thought it had a future to 2027--it won't improve from here.
  • deetz commented:

    12/17/17, 7:21 PM - I couldn’t agree more. Such a bummer

Red
2012 Amici Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District
6/22/2017 - deetz Likes this wine:
93 points
In my opinion, this wine is in a somewhat awkward stage right now straight out of the bottle so I highly recommend giving it an hour or so to open up in a decanter (even longer in the bottle). However, once this wine gets to its sweet spot, it shows remarkably well right now.

Dark crimson with reflections of purple of brown.Aromas of burning embers, graphite, boysenberry and black raspberry, blackcurrants, charred meat, herbs, and a touch of white flowers. The nose is somewhat restrained (at least right now) but very well delineated. Palate is densely structured with a chewy, medium plus finish. I would also strongly suggest serving this wine just above cellar temperature (say, 60°F/16°C) for the best display of this wine's aromatics...as this wine approaches room temperature, especially in these summer months, the alcohol can come through in a way that definitely takes away from its expression.

(Disclaimer: I am a harvest intern at Amici Cellars)
  • deetz commented:

    7/12/17, 9:41 PM - Sorry for the belated reply. I would be lying to say this doesn't have distinctively Californian character to it, but I think its fair to say that this wine is well balanced, especially compared to the overtly ripe and alcoholic bottles from some wineries and vineyards in Napa. This wine does clock in at 14.7% alcohol, but I think this is a fair and representative value, not a generously rounded down number like some (within the allowed margin of error). The acid on this gives really good balance in my opinion, especially in contrast to much of the valley floor.

  • deetz commented:

    7/18/17, 6:49 PM - Oh, don't worry this is NOTHING like Orin Swift. Amici Cabernets are full-bodied for sure, but they aren't like syrup...

Red
2012 Incanto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Sangiovese
10/9/2016 - deetz Likes this wine:
85 points
Aromas of potting soil, rose, camphor, and grapes. A bit riper than I normally expect for a Vino Nobile. Palate is pleasant but simple, and flavors feel slightly cooked. Tannins are somewhat angular but short lived. Definitely not as intriguing as many Vino Nobiles that I have had, but at this price, this wine is an absolute steal.
  • deetz commented:

    6/15/17, 9:44 PM - Ah, yes I suppose that's not a particularly useful descriptor for most. (I am a chemist by training so I sometimes find myself referring to smells of specific molecules I have encountered rather than more useful and common descriptors, my apologies!) The best I can describe it is something like rosemary or sage but a bit mintier (but not to the extreme of eucalyptus or menthol).

    In reality, camphor is almost certainly one of the many terpenoids that contribute to the aroma of rosemary and many other herbs, so it would probably be more accurate to describe it as rosemary minus other contributing aromatic molecules, but my palate (or nose) is no where near refined enough to be able to do that :-)

Red
2014 Turley Zinfandel Duarte Contra Costa County
2/6/2017 - deetz Likes this wine:
90 points
Aromas of bacon fat, swamp, cherry cola, black tar, charred tobacco, and fire pit. Quite metallic, herbaceous, and swampy. Can feel the heat on this wine!
  • deetz commented:

    4/19/17, 6:08 PM - Yep, I totally agree with you! I have had a variety of Turleys before and have been on their mailing list for about 2 years now so I thought I had fully grasped their style until I encountered this bottle. Not necessarily my favorite, but I enjoyed the surprise and love seeing how much terroir can have an impact :-)

Red
2014 K Vintners The Boy Washington Grenache
11/29/2016 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine:
95 points
K Vintners' 2014 iteration of "The Boy" describes the wine as being 100% Grenache on the back label. It is actually a blend of 88% Grenache and 12% Syrah, co-fermented using fruit from the Northridge (54%) and Powerline (46%) vineyards. Deep ruby and intensely aromatic, it flaunts a bouquet of black cherries, smoked meat, tapenade and loamy earth. Full-bodied, fresh, seamlessly alcoholic (15%) and with plentiful silky tannins, it delivers flavors mirroring the nose. Gaining traction in the middle and closing with a long smooth finish, this is a supple-textured wine which belies its extraction and power. Classic in quality, it can be enjoyed now or any time over the next 12+ years. Bravo! Drink now-2028.
  • deetz commented:

    12/25/16, 6:38 PM - Interesting that they claim it as 100% grenache when it's really a blend, especially since they do have other Rhone-style blends in their line-up, such as Charlotte...any clue why they did this? May I ask how you found out this actually has syrah in the blend? Thanks so much for your helpful reviews!

  • deetz commented:

    12/28/16, 7:41 PM - Interesting, thanks so much for your diligent research! :-)

Red
2014 La Posta Malbec Angel Paulucci Vineyard Lujan de Cuyo
1/26/2016 - WineMedic Likes this wine:
89 points
Clear, ruby color. Clean nose, Aromas of red cherries, red berries. Dry full bodied, high acidity, high tannins, high alcohol. Flavors of red fruits, cedar and pronounced oak. Long finish Very different. Not your typical Malbec. Could pass for a grenacha or syrah
  • deetz commented:

    2/22/16, 4:00 PM - I'm happy to see that you said this wine could pass as a grenache or syrah. My girlfriend picked up this bottle and had me blind taste it to guess/deduce the varietal and origin (just a game we like to play) and I was convinced it was a grenache/syrah blend most likely from the new world but possibly from Rhone. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Red
2013 Ridge Zinfandel East Bench Dry Creek Valley
4/22/2015 - JM_IS wrote:
tasted at winery 4/22/15. Least favorite of the 3 shipping spring 15 (favorite: 13 Paso, next 13 Geyserville) - so I disagree with most of the reviews to date. Flat, unstructured and our notes don't have anything else to say beyond "ok," as no flavors stood out. Did not strike as high in alcohol.
  • deetz commented:

    1/12/16, 8:21 AM - I completely agree, I was very disappointed with this wine--despite typically being a big fan of Ridge--and am very curious why my experience with this wine was so different than the vast majority of other reviewers.

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