3/1/2023 - Zinslut Does not like this wine:

Went to Smart & Final of all places.. the “Cutrer” was discounted from $35 to $17.99…. Hmmm… what a deal…. Well NOT so much. This is similar to the same characteristic as their regular bottling with this being a Russian River Appelation. Not close to the SC bottlings I revered early in my career… to the point I don’t recognize It. Fruit if Any.. maybe caramelized pear is muddled with course tight grain toasted Oak with again a watery non existent finish. Those that called it Balanced are delusional .. elegant .. maybe in a Car Crash…and scoring it in the the 90’s is a 1990 Fantasy.
Please avoid this and don’t be fooled by the Name or the previous incarnations. A’s Pacino said in Scent of a woman “ All honor is Deeeaaad” Drinkable for a watery puckering glass … but I usually curse fruitless Wine. Good luck SC

3/2/2022 - richshoes Likes this wine:

Had a bunch of these and couldn't stop drinking the case over two weeks...rounded, medium bodied, pop and pour...soft, supple, good mouth feel...cherry, blackberry and blueberry....

2/9/2021 - Rudolph Schmidt wrote:

Rated 93 points by James Suckling? Oh wow!

A bit of hot pepper spice on those nose mixed with berry & tobacco. Blackberry, tobacco and I want to say black licorice (I could be wrong, I'm only human) on the tongue.

5/25/2022 - Zinslut wrote:

Ferrari Carano is one of the highest visited wineries in Sonoma county. This 2021 fume’ version is a complete disappointment to me. Buying Sauvignon Blanc in Alexander valley for years and 100’s of cases, I found out there was another clone of Sauvignon Blanc called Musque’ that was highly planted and not distinguished. When you have training making a peticular varietal and the results of flavor profiles , then another is mysteriously substituted , it tough to get the flavor results you desire. This FC Fume I’m confident is mostly Sauvignon Musque… melon on cantelope melon on orange flesh melon on honeydew melon…. Have I said Melon. Other than a hand full of spearmint, this is what your looking at in a wine experience. For me HELL No! The additional flavors of orange blossoms remind me of my Alex Vly SB vinefyed incorrectly because it was Sauvignon Musque … a totally different vinification process. I guess know what you buy. FC you may want to go back into the vineyard and deal with Musque differently than it’s cousin . This wine is well technically made, but the fruit is ALL MELON … so sorry but it is what it is.Melon fans in SB add 7 points. Cheers.

7/7/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine:

blind
I guessed first old world and after knowing I was wrong I had the idea of an elegant SB from NZL. Not too fleshy and crying I'm a SB. Reluctant and with a clean precise finish. 92-93

5/16/2022 - tomoem wrote:

I reiterate my notes once again. Minus the question mark at the end of my posting from that note.

9/10/2021 - Baxterna Likes this wine:

Sweet, fruity, smooth and delicious. No taste of vinegar that turns me off to some white wines. Loved it!

2/1/2022 - tomoem Does not like this wine:

Tonino Cigar Store event.

The wine is weak and honestly light in body and mouthfeel. Mostly unripened lemon, unripened kiwi fruit and slight citrus. Seems like it's bottled with too much speed as the 2020 is mainly unripe and underdeveloped. Sharp and unbalanced the wine may just need more time to soften. Avoid opening for 1-2 years.

3/26/2022 - Zinslut Likes this wine:

A beautiful , intense, but elegant and round nose of blackberries, dried currants, blueberries , black licorice, dried ancho Chile, & crushed Vietnamese black pepper. Additional citrus notes, coco & coffee bean… I could just enjoy the aroma of this wine for hours and be satisfied but I have to force myself to go in for a taste. It is 100% Tempranillo, macerated for 23 days ( just like I would do) and you can smell all the phenomenal items above. Ok I must taste…more of the similar described flavors, a chalky mouthfeel from full extraction, more dominate citrus notes , just less intense or complex experience in the mouth with further time the taste comes close. Notes of tar and crush dark spices with above modest tannins. The leather mentioned in other reviews reveal itself beyond the 2 hour decanted and aeration point yet not as dominate as others described, but only adds to the complexity. This is where your nose and mouth need to be in unison for maximum sexuality. The length of the finish is a crescendo to a wonderfully made wine from a terrific 25 year old low yielding vineyard. I had no food available to pair but I can only see this as an enhancement rather than a distraction. At this price point, $28 , 2018 was an excellent vintage , if Covid didn’t make me workless, I might consider buying every bottle I could steal. Oh Ribera Del Duero, I will never cheat on you again with a Rioja. Enough said

3/28/2022 - Zinslut wrote:

Bevmo with competition from places like Total wine have been recently offering some interesting, and good discounts on some very good labels. I’ve never been a fan of their 5 cent sale promotion as it’s a gimmick to get average wine for a deal. I’ve been drinking Talley Wines for over 35 years so I know what their Chardonnay tastes like. With all these great reviews and seeing an unbelievable deal for this wine for + 5 cents = $15 / bottle… no brainer right. Well I have not had a corked wine from purchases in the past 3 years… suddenly I’m returning 4 wines to Bevmo on highly discounted wines. Sound suspicious ? Right detective.. now I purchase 2 bottles of this highly discounted Talley … oh guess what 2 bottles both corked. Could it be the identified a bad Lot … and dumped it on Bevmo, but Bevmo would be stupid if not suspicious because Talley never discounts … they must of tasted it ? Well I can’t arrest anyone on “who done it” it makes me not want to trust either the producer or the retailer. Embarrassing for me as I have to run to the store to get more wines for my guests , plus the time taken to gass and return these wines for “store credit” but what about my $200/hr price for my time? What seems to be too good to be true often is. Just putting these guys on notice.