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Comments on my notes

(31 comments on 27 notes)

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Red
1996 Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
4/13/2024 - buckeye76 wrote:
flawed
The biggest disappointment of the night was clearly a counterfeit version of 1996 Mouton Rothschild which was purchased in the aftermarket well after release. Past the slightly stained label and soft Mouton cork was a suspiciously good fill. The most obvious clue was the lack of any sediment in the bottle when decanting though it did have an earthy Bordeaux nose. However, when poured there was zero resemblance to a Mouton Rothschild. The wine was poured down the drain and replaced with a 2008 Kapcsandy Grand Vin and a 2007 Bryant Family both of which were excellent.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    4/17/24, 7:43 AM - Yes, it was a bummer! I’ve had this wine before in 2021 and that bottle was excellent!

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Red - Sweet/Dessert
1974 Mayacamas Vineyards Zinfandel Late Harvest Napa Valley
3/6/2024 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
93 points
Still a nice ruby red color after 50 years. A great match with an assortment of hard and soft cheeses.. Incredibly smooth through the mid palate and finish. Rich berry fruit in the nose and flavor, mostly raspberries and cherries, well balanced and a medium to long finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    3/8/24, 3:49 AM - I know exactly what you mean. Mayacamas wines age so beautifully. I still have several old Cabernets and one bottle of the 1968 Late Harvest Zin which we’ll open when it turns 60…

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Red
1993 Dunn Vineyards Petite Sirah Howell Mountain
11/25/2019 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine:
95 points
This is one of those bottles that you may never see again and because of that, expectations are crazy high...thankfully, this delivered. When I had the opportunity to purchase one of these (provenance perfect, as the purchaser acquired directly from Dunn), I was very intrigued. My understanding is this wine was made during ‘92, ‘93, ‘94 and ‘95.

Upon opening, I was shocked (though I shouldn’t of been) that it seemed to need a lot of air. Undoubtedly purple core in the glass, with a fading rim. It leapt from the glass revealing a very floral profile of potpourri, violets and sage, along with cassis, underripe blackberries and cedar. On the palate, the tannins have integrated smoothly and acidity keeps it afloat with an energetic vibe. There are notes of leather, herbs, plum, crunchy black cranberries with a finish showing cracked black pepper, dusty graphite, iron and a touch of dark cocoa. Continuously evolved over two hours. If I was served this blind, there is no way I could even consider this was Petite Sirah. Maybe a late ‘80s right bank cab franc blend would be my guess or an older Barolo from a top producer. A truly magical profile and experience, one I hope to be fortunate to be a part of again!

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/25/19, 1:17 PM - Exactly my experience when opening these Dunn Petite Sirahs. They are wonderful. I feel fortunate to still have one '92 and two '93s still resting comfortably in the cellar....

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/4/22, 6:34 AM - Yup, these were and still are fantastic. Dunn's step son is still making Petite Sirah (Retro), but I'm not sure if the grapes are coming from the same vineyard as these early 1990 Petites. I still have one 1992 which I've marked to drink next year and one 1993 which I have marked to drink in 2024. I'm sure I will publish notes when we finish our last two bottles.

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Red
1983 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon Rutherford Red Bordeaux Blend
8/8/2000 - buckeye76 wrote:
87 points
BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH HINTS OF CHOCOLATE. PLEASANT FOOD WINE, BUT CLEARLY LACKS THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY EXPECTED FROM REGULAR RUBICON BOTTLING. MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    2/6/21, 10:54 AM - Quite frankly, this note was written 20 years ago and I do not recall what I was referring to

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Red
1981 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon Rutherford Red Bordeaux Blend
9/21/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
92 points
Out of a magnum signed by Coppola and the winemaker. This bottle has been sitting in my cellar for 30+ years untouched. We last tasted a 750 in 2003. Ok, so you never know what to expect with a 38 year old wine, but when I pulled the bottle, it was in perfect condition, and the fill was well up the neck just below the bottom of the foil so I had high hopes. Paired with prime rib, this bottle was wonderful! it still had a great color in the bowl and an orange brown rim. Amazingly, there was still plenty of fruit in the nose which actually opened up more after pouring, and in the flavor. Black cherries, blackberries, earthiness, and leather notes. An elegant wine and well balanced with a very nice smooth as silk finish. Wow, this is why I love wine, and why a very cool wine cellar is worth every penny... Everyone at the table thoroughly enjoyed this wine.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/19/19, 12:55 PM - Happy Birthday! Here's to your bottle being as good as this one was... Cheers!

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Red
2005 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
9/6/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
96 points
This wine was way too young even after a three hour decant. However, the way it kept improving over the course of dinner provided a sneak peak as to what it could be in the future. A lot going on here, black currants, blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, black raspberries, plums, licorice, tobacco, earthiness, and minerals. Full-bodied, complex, very well balanced, and a very long lingering finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    9/15/19, 5:32 PM - It's still enjoyable, but I would definitely decant 3-4 hours minimum... and grill some nice steaks to have with it!

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White - Sparkling
2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut Champagne Blend
12/22/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
96 points
I'm not the best person to rate Champagne, especially young Champagne, but this was delicious! Peaches, citrus, minerals, and some nuttiness with floral notes. Complex, well balanced, and a very long finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    8/12/19, 2:22 PM - I only wish I had the funds to buy anything I wanted!!! Wouldn't that be fun... I'd be drinking old first growths and DRC!!! But we do have something in common. My wife and I are retired. As such, we can enjoy the benefits of having a cellar of aged wines to enjoy as our everyday drinking wines... so yes, life is good. I prefer older wines, but I admit to not being the best judge of Champagne. I like it but I have a difficult time rating it. Personally, if I had one bottle, I'd definitely wait. If I had four bottles, I'd go for it and try a bottle of the Cristal with an appropriate food pairing and something to celebrate.

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Red
2016 Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée Tench Vineyard Oakville Red Bordeaux Blend
3/22/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
98 points
Tasted with Bevan at Brasswood. We had many great wines at Bevan and none that were not outstanding. The EE Cuvee was again my favorite just as it was WOTN at a holiday party we attended in December. Very similar notes as that bottle. This is a delicious wine which might warrant a higher score as it ages.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    8/12/19, 11:34 AM - Since most of my Bevan is younger, I'm holding them for future consumption. However, based on my notes for the bottles I have tried plus the ones I've had at the winery, I think the ones that most match your flavor profile are the Sentinel Ridge, Harbison, and EE Tench.

    Granted, that is based on a relatively small sample, but based on that sample I have not had a Bevan I didn't enjoy...

  • buckeye76 commented:

    8/12/19, 12:36 PM - Actually, i did taste the 2015 Wildfoote at the winery, and it too may fit your flavor profile, lots of dark fruits. I also have quite a few bottles of Carter in the cellar. They make a bunch of Cabernets from various Beckstoffer vineyards. I suspect you would like their cabernets as well

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White
2017 Aubert Chardonnay Powder House Vineyard Sonoma Coast
4/9/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
96 points
Tasted at the winery, the inaugural vintage of Powder House was delicious even from young vines. Rich fruit. peaches, citrus, apples, and hints of spice. Long finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    4/10/19, 7:47 AM - No, we didn't. Occidental is on the Sonoma Coast. From St Helena, where we were staying, we left an hour and a half to get there just in case. We stayed in Sonoma the rest of the day. So we did Aubert (Calistoga) on a Friday and Occidental on Saturday morning.

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Red
2016 Realm Cellars Moonracer Stags Leap District Red Bordeaux Blend
3/22/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
95 points
Tasted at Realm. Elegant wine with black cherries, blueberries, plums, chocolate, and licorice with some earthiness and hints of floral. Full bodied wine with a long finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    4/7/19, 7:48 AM - I have a biased opinion. Generally, we like to drink mature wines. That said, I'd wait at least a couple of years on the Moonracer, and then decant minimum 90 minutes. Personally, I won't open our first bottle until 2025 at the earliest

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Red
2013 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon The Ark Vineyard Napa Valley
11/30/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
95 points
Blackberries, black currants, chocolate, and licorice in the nose with hints of earthiness. Blackberries, black cherries, plums, licorice, and a touch of spice in the flavor. Full bodied, nice complexity, and a long finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    12/3/18, 1:17 PM - I decanted two hours and it kept improving during dinner. I do not plan to open another bottle for at least five to seven years minimum.

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Red
2004 Macauley Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Oakville
11/20/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
94 points
Deep berry fruit in the nose with black cherries, licorice, coffee, and chocolate. Black cherries, currants, black raspberries, black cherries, and a hint of earthiness in the flavor. Elegant, full bodied wine, with a long lingering finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    7/20/18, 6:19 AM - If I was opening another bottle now, I'd decant at least one hour before dinner. I have no doubt this wine has several years in it. My notes tell me to drink my last two bottles in 2021 and 2024 based on my storage conditions (54 degrees)

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Red
2013 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
3/27/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
99 points
OMG! Decanted six hours and consumed over another hour or two, this was a fantastic wine. Deep rich black fruits, currants, black cherries, blackberries, chocolate, licorice, and lead pencil. Perfectly balanced, and so elegant at this young age, yet such big fruit. Long, lingering smooth finish. First time I've ever opened a Scarecrow this early, but I can't wait to open the rest of the bottles over the next 20-25 years!

  • buckeye76 commented:

    4/2/18, 6:25 AM - I very seldom open Napa Cabs this young, but what really impressed me was how elegant it was while at the same time showing so much big, rich deep fruit, and while certainly tannic, finished with a very long smooth finish. Of course, the 7-8 hour decant didn't hurt...

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Red
2000 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch Napa Valley
2/3/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
93 points
Notes similar to previous tastings.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    2/12/18, 7:10 PM - I purchased the 2000 Madrona in August 2004 on release from the winery for $225 a bottle and it has been sitting in my cellar undisturbed at 54 degrees since then. I wish I could have bought it for $159! This was not the best Abreu I've ever had, but an excellent expression of what Abreu can do in an "off" vintage, clearly a 93/94 point wine, and a great food wine. Would I pay $160 today for it for a special occasion as the only wine, maybe not. But if you're drinking several wines, and have not had the opportunity to taste Abreu, and don't want to pay $500+ for one of their 100 point wines, absolutely...

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Red
2015 Hartford / Hartford Court Old Vine Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard Russian River Valley
7/23/2017 - seijaro Likes this wine:
91 points
Nice, maybe a bit of a thick mouth feel but lots of Zin flavor. Kind of routine, nothing special but fun to drink.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/27/17, 2:19 PM - Haven't opened any, but based on the average Cellar Tracker value and notes, it appears people are rating (and entering) the Hartford Russian River Old Vine (a $35 wine), not the single vineyard Hartford Vyd offering recently released (a $60 retail wine) which received high ratings from "The Pros".

Comment
Red
2010 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
10/13/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
95 points
Still young, but nevertheless, a great bottle. Lots of fruit in the nose and flavor, blueberries, blackberries, currants, black cherries, and hints of chocolate. Long finish, smooth tannins, and nice complexity. I look forward to future bottles from my cellar. This was purchased at The Oven (Cellar) in Lincoln, NE for about retail price along with a 2010 K Vintners The Beautiful. Great wine list with excellent prices!

  • buckeye76 commented:

    10/23/17, 8:16 PM - So even better, The Oven is a restaurant in Lincoln where we were to watch Ohio State (hence my ID) play Nebraska. The basement of the restaurant is called the Cellar. It has a great wine list, and prices ranged from current retail to maybe 1.5x, once of the best priced lists I've seen. If I'm ever back in Lincoln, I'm going back to this restaurant! And no, I'm originally from New York, not Ohio, but I am an Ohio State alum...

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Red
1993 Dunn Vineyards Petite Sirah Howell Mountain
5/1/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
94 points
Have had several bottles of this, but had not tasted for five years, so we picked up some more while at the winery, and it continues to be very impressive. It seems to have not aged a bit since our last tasting. Rich, deep berry fruits in the nose and flavor, nice complexity, and a long finish. This is a great Petite Sirah for drinking now and I'm guessing another five to eight years.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    5/15/17, 5:48 AM - Yes, I purchased both 1992 and 1993 while at the winery last June. We visited and tasted through several wines with Mike, and also tasted his Retro Petite which is also quite nice. Those old Dunn Petites though, are still drinking great!

  • buckeye76 commented:

    5/18/17, 6:37 AM - The 1993 is still worth buying. Looking back in my notes, I actually gave 1992 and 1994 the highest scores, but all four vuntages ('92-'95) originally offered are clustered in the mid 90s, and will live on for a while... I wish Randy had offered more vintages to the public!

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Red
2008 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
3/18/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
92 points
Should have read my own 2013 review. It wasn't ready then and isn't ready now. This needs at least five more years. Deep berry fruit along with coffee and earthiness are clearly present and it's well balanced with a nice finish, but it's closed and not showing it's best in 2017. Be patient!

  • buckeye76 commented:

    3/21/17, 5:32 AM - I don't disagree and that's why in 2013 when it was decanted for four hours and wasn't ready, I still gave it 95. In 2017, it was decanted for nearly the same time and though I still think it will be much better in five plus years, it was still very closed and didn't show well compared to a 2007 Hundred Acre Ark and a 2012 Realm The Bard, (both also decanted for several hours) that were also poured at this dinner. Thus, the 92 rating. I'll try the next bottle around 2025. I look for ward to that tasting....

  • buckeye76 commented:

    3/22/17, 5:10 AM - That goes for the both of us!!!

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Red
1995 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale Sonoma County
12/25/2016 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
Showed very well at 21 years old out of magnum. Jammy fruit in the nose with hints of tobacco and floral. Currants, black cherries, and blackberries in the flavor. Very smooth medium to long finish. Impressive.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    1/1/17, 6:11 AM - Sorry about that typo, but yes, would not be surprised to see this wine performing very well at 31, especially out of magnum...

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Red
2007 Carlisle Zinfandel Papera Ranch Russian River Valley
12/19/2016 - buckeye76 Likes this wine:
94 points
Blueberries, currants, black raspberries and some floral in the nose. Cherries, raspberries, and deep berry fruit in the flavor with a touch of spice. Nice acidity, well balanced, and a long finish.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    12/21/16, 12:01 PM - It's worth the effort to cellar! Carlisle, Turley, Ridge, Linne Calodo, Martinelli, and Storybook Reserve are probably my favorite Zins, and I find them to be perfect food wines at around 7-12 years old, not that I don't open some earlier than that... but for that matter, I've had some amazing 20+ year old Ridge zins!!

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Red
1991 Cosentino Winery Zinfandel The Zin Lodi
3/15/1995 - buckeye76 wrote:
88 points
DEEP FRUIT, DRIED FRUIT, RASPBERRY, AND CHOCOLATE IN THE NOSE. SPICE, DEEP BERRY, AND CHERRY FLAVORS. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/24/16, 12:08 PM - I recently joined Cellar Tracker and moved thousands of tasting records over from my old inventory program (That's why this is a March 1995 tasting). According to my original notes, this was a 1991 Cosentino Zinfandel from Napa. It was purchased at the end of 1992 from a Calistoga retailer, and my original Napa notation was probably from the winery location, so I cannot confirm where the actual vineyard was. However, the reference of "1991 The Zin from Lodi", came from the cellar tracker mapping process. Either I missed correcting it when we did the bulk import or in the process of mapping 8,000+ wines, I decided to accept the cellar tracker mapping for this bottle. I can't say for sure at this point what was on the actual label.

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Red - Fortified
N.V. V. Sattui Winery Madeira California Red Blend
8/27/1989 - buckeye76 wrote:
84 points
PORT LIKE IN ITS AROMA AND TASTE...A DESSERT IN ITSELF.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/8/16, 5:31 AM - No, not drinking that much.. New to Cellar Tracker and just bulk imported data from my old application where I had over 8000 wines either in my cellar or in tasting notes. In that program everything was caps no matter how you put it in

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Red
1982 Château Léoville Barton St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
7/20/2005 - buckeye76 wrote:
94 points
FIRST TASTING 4/87. NOW ORANGE ON THE EDGE. OVER TIME WINE HAS SOFTENED AND IS MORE TOGETHER WITH A LONG SMOOTH FINISH. BLACK CHERRY, OAK, LEATHER & CHOCOLATE NOSE. DEEP FRUIT TASTE. COMPLEX

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/4/16, 7:00 AM - Yup, I'm new to Cellar Tracker and am still in the process of bulk importing over 8,000 inventory records and tasting notes... That does mean a lot of old tasting notes are included

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Red
1982 Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
11/11/2006 - buckeye76 wrote:
92 points
A BIT DISAPPOINTING, NICE FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR, CURRANTS AND BLACKBERRIES WITH A TOUCH OF EARTHINESS AND MINT, BUT DID NOT SHOW THE COMPLEXITY AND ELEGANCE EXPECTED. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/3/16, 5:08 PM - I sure hope so. Had it twice, disappointed both times, Fortunately, there are a few more in the cellar. Not that it has tasted bad, just not what I'm expecting out of a "Churchill of a wine"

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Red
2010 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro Roccamonfina IGT Aglianico
5/21/2016 - buckeye76 wrote:
93 points
DEEP FRUIT, BLACKBERRIES, AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE WITH PLUMS, BLACKBERRIES, AND EARTHINESS IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/3/16, 3:18 PM - Ok, I've already received a half dozen comments on all CAPS. Sorry about that, but I'm a new member and am just now bulk importing over 8,000 inventory and tasting note records. Since my old program made everything caps, I had little choice, but I hear you... going forward, my notes will not be in caps, I promise!

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Red
1997 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow Diamond Mountain
6/29/2010 - buckeye76 wrote:
95 points
BORDEAUX LIKE WITH DEEP BERRY FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH TOUCHES OF EARTHINESS AND LEATHER. ELEGANT WINE WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/3/16, 11:07 AM - Thanks, I'm new to Cellar Tracker and still not finished importing the data from my old program, hopefully soon...

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Red
2000 Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
3/8/2008 - buckeye76 wrote:
91 points
NEEDS TIME, STILL A BIT STIFF, HERBAL NOSE WITH BLACK CURRANTS. FLAVOR LIKE THE NOSE. NICE, BUT NOT BORDEAUX LIKE. SHOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS EVOLVES. LONG FINISH.

  • buckeye76 commented:

    11/3/16, 10:56 AM - Sorry about that. I'm brand new to Cellar Tracker and we are still in the process of moving over 8,000 records. My old program only did capitals, but my new notes going forward will be lower case...

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