4/21/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Shared with friends, the least enthusiastic response was “oh wow!” This really was an amazing bottle that had completely integrated despite its youth. Still showing all the original fruit, but slimmed down just enough to show the facets rather than just the rough form. I never even got around to dissecting it for a fruit salad description, as it was just enthralling to bask in its charms. I suspect this could age effortlessly for decades, but I might drink up my other bottles in an effort to capture the magic again.

4/19/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

From my late father’s cellar, this had been carefully stored since release, and was still vibrant and full bodied. What hit me was a clear aroma/taste of bittersweet chocolate covered cherry. It was unmistakable. The oak added a touch of vanilla, but the chocolate and cherry was always front and center. Tannins were downright gentle, so no reason to think this is going to get better, but it was sure good tonight. Another instance where the Alexander Valley bottling overperforms.

4/18/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Not so different from the 500 ml bottle I opened in 2023, except that it opened up a little quicker, and did develop some loamy/earthy character on the finish that I really enjoyed. It’s definitely a California wine, but the story is about the dirt.

4/17/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Last minute replacement for a flawed bottle, this was instantly happy to be opened, with bright lemon and ripe apple fruit, as well as a pleasing dash of spice. It reminded me more than a little of the Ramey Fort Ross Seaview (aka Sonoma Coast) Chardonnay, and that’s a really good thing.

4/16/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Not much evolution from a year ago, but still a delicious wine.

4/14/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

From a bottle disgorged way back in November 2018, this was spectacular from the very first sip. Still vibrant, fresh and longer than a Phish concert. I thought I had grabbed a 2020 disgorgement, and got a little shock when I saw the back label. Laura and I like our NVs to get time time in the cellar, and this was a very happy result.

4/13/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

From my late father’s cellar - he bought a solid six pack as a club member, but never drank one. Opened this at about 4 PM, and at 7:30 PM it’s textbook classical Napa Cabernet. One foot is stepping ever so lightly into Bordeaux, while the California sunshine exerts its inescapable influence. What impresses me the most about this particular rendition is the foundation of the wine, all pencil shavings and mineral. The fruit and oak are clearly present, but they are tethered, held in check. It’s still early for a strong vintage of Montelena like this one, but I’m glad I opened one while watching The Masters. Cheers Dad!

4/12/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Nine years old? Feels more like two. Still has not settled down from its exuberant youth, though perhaps that's just what it will always be. It's just this side of over-the-top, and while in the cocktail style of Napa Cabernet it's an enjoyable cocktail.

4/11/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

From my late father’s cellar, this is not really my style of Syrah, but I can certainly see where it could have it’s fans. The first word that popped into my head was sexy. It’s supple, easy on the palate, and more than a little juicy. Still lip-smacking fresh nine years from the vintage, and not showing any signs of a bite. It’s a play date rather than a book club.

4/10/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

I was thinking about Tempranillo, and decided to check in on this. Wow - it has aged really well. Still plenty of runway to get to a mature state, but it’s starting to pick up those warm, worn leather and trail dust nuances of “older” Tempranillo, while still showing a surprising amount of dusty, tannic fruit. John did a “gran reserva” version of his 2014, but I am looking forward to opening my last bottle of this 2012 a very long time from now.

4/9/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Last minute pop and pour, this burst out of the bottle with red cherry fruit and herbal/brushy accents that evoked the bright springtime weather we had today. On the palate the red fruit freshness lifted my spirits, not unlike the way Hardy’s YEAH! wines bring the energy to an otherwise generic weekday. If served blind I might have guessed this was a Hardy wine. It has that life-affirming quality.

4/7/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Not sure how I managed to do this…again. Opening a bottle on the anniversary of the last time I opened the same wine. The bottle on Friday was just thrown off 1 day due to leap year. This one hit the mark, exactly six years to the day from the prior bottle. I swear I don’t check.

Anyway, this is approaching maturity. There is still plenty of dark berry and cassis fruit, but also an earthy/smoky overtone that is developing on the nose. Tannins are softening, such that another 3-5 years might have this in a prime drinking window. That said it’s not so bad tonight, and I may not be able to wait until April 7, 2030.

4/6/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Labeled as Auslese, but if served blind I might have guessed it to be labeled as Spätlese, this was incredibly easy to drink - just pure Riesling, with virtually no evidence of botrytis. Ripe apple, a hint of peach, brisk acidity, and the sweetness just melts away on the finish. Made a delicious match for our sweet potato and goat cheese quesadillas with caramelized onions.

4/3/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Decanted for four hours, this is classic Bordeaux - mid-weight, fruit in a supporting role, cedar and yes oak, but where it should be, at the end, adding just a dash of spice. The palate is nuanced, each piece properly fitted to the next. It’s not a profound Bordeaux, but rather a perfectly correct one. That’s enough to make me happy.

4/1/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Hard to believe this is a 2003. Maybe it’s the effect of later, climate changed wines, but this does not feel so outsized or “solar.” There is definitely a lot of runway left, as the fruit is still prominent, and there’s a finishing dash of tannin that does more than just provide structure. Some developed character is creeping in around the edges, with hints of leather and cedar, but overall this still feels youthful, which is hard to believe for a 21 year old wine. Glad I have more.

3/30/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

My gosh this could have been good. It’s ripe, but not over the top. But the oak treatment is enough for three wines. Build a dining room table, and there would still be oak left for the chairs. Three hours after opening it was still unbalanced and overly woody, so likely no resolution for the future, just grapes processed in a lumber yard instead of a winery.

3/29/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Sealed under a DIAM10 cork!

Maybe it's just the youth of the wine, but this was incredibly tight, showing mostly deep, stony power, and not a lot of fruit or even the classic Grüner Veltliner cress/pea notes. Ultimately it felt much more like some uber-stony Riesling than anything in the Grüner family. A powerful and imposing wine for sure, but not what I was looking for on this particular night. I will let my other bottles sleep for a long time.

3/28/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Merkelbach is one of the small handful of wineries that made me a Riesling lover. Another is Selbach-Oster, who have now taken on the production of the Merkelbach wines. Now that the transition is complete it’s interesting to taste the wines and consider how or if they have changed. Perhaps a year like 2021 is not the best for that assessment, as higher acid vintages tended to make the best Merkelbach wines even when the brothers were making them, so less potential variation to see.

Anyway, long story short, this tastes like a Merkelbach wine. It’s correct in scale, rather than being super-sized. Sweetness is appropriate to its pradikat, and best of all it tastes like it comes from the Wurzgarten, with all the stones, strawberry fruit and spice that signals the site. It’s comforting to see the results of a new regime be as familiar as the old.

3/23/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

I brought this in order to test drive a bottle. Holy cow is it good! Still quite yeasty/primary, but also showing lovely fruit, and bright acids. I really didn’t want to move on from this, but then the bottle was empty, and I had no choice!

3/27/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

"Modern old school" Spatlese. I know that doesn't make sense, but this wine shows the richness of the modern era that seems to have since shifted, so that's where the old school comes in. There's a lot of fruit here, as well as a fair dose of the 2021 vintage acidity, but it's not a lightning bolt like some 2021 wines. I think this may very well have a long aging window.

3/27/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Happy retirement Steve!

This wine will outlive both of us, and I am a lot younger than you. It’s only now starting to maybe consider thinking about possibly, perhaps at some point turning the corner toward potentially maturing. There’s still so much dark fruit, but it’s not thick or glossy. Instead it’s dryly sweet, and showing just a touch of a creamy edge that creates a mid-palate richness that maybe, sort of, might just remind me of some of those Durell Syrahs that had so much depth and character. This wine isn’t there yet, and zi have no idea if or when it ever will be, but there’s a ton of potential that I can only hope I live long enough to see fulfilled.

3/22/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

A unicorn from my cellar, this was decanted shortly before we served it, and continued to evolve until much later in the evening. Not as powerful as I might have expected, it was still the big dog in terms of weight compared to the next wine served alongside it. Where it truly excelled was the intricate way that the classic Syrah elements (meat, smoke, dark fruit, floral) were woven into a seamless whole. After being open for a while, it gained in savory while the fruit slid to the background. Wonderful match with the succulent roasted goat that was prepared for our main. Sad to see this one go, but it was a fitting end.

3/26/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

What an interesting bottle of Beaujolais. If I was served it blind I might have guessed Loire Cabernet Franc, as it had a distinct green tobacco leaf note that bordered on bell pepper. There was still abundant red berry fruit, fresh acidity, and a smidge of finishing tannin, but that tobacco stayed present over the three hours I followed the wine. It might be off putting to some, but I really enjoyed it, and I think I know a few other who would as well.

3/25/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Step one: Remove cork

Step two: Pour wine

Step three: Stare at translucent purple color in disbelief. It’s a dark liquid amethyst.

Step four: Search ReListen for a version of the Grateful Dead playing the Mind Left Body Jam

Step five: Take a sip, and let the music and wine flow. It’s velvety, a more elegant version of Mourvèdre, with each note effortlessly leading into the next. The bass line is quieter, but still provides a foundation that allows the rest of the notes to hover effortlessly over the top.

Step six: RePour.

3/24/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

From my late father’s cellar, this was a “find” that was not in the (incomplete) printed copy of the inventory, and was in fact never taken out of the shipping box it came in years prior. The original packing tape was still in place. Well stored all that time, the wine is in a good spot right now, though it needs a little time to shake off the rust. When it does the California roots are evident, with bright, ripe red fruit. There’s also a notable but not out of balance oak spice note. Medium bodied, and carrying fruit sweetness through the palate, this is definitely the KB/modern California (as opposed to “new California”) style without going over the top. I certainly enjoy it enough to drink it, though I would not seek it out. Problem is about 50 bottles of KB sought me out.

3/16/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Back in January 2024 I opened the bottle of 1999 Clos Ste. Hune that I had bought on release and cellared with care for 20+ years. It was completely oxidized. Yes 20 years is a long time, but Clos Ste. Hune is capable of extremely long aging. Anne Trimbach reached out to me and offered to replace the bottle. We had a pleasant back and forth regarding the potential causes of poor showings of late-1990s Trimbach wines, and we agreed that lack of care by the importer or distributor could have been a contributing factor. My few bottles of 1998 Trimbach, purchased in France, have to date been perfect.

In mid-February the replacement arrived, triple boxed and swaddled in bubble wrap. I put it in the cellar for a few weeks of rest, until an obvious opportunity to open it arrived with a dinner alongside long and new friends at southern New Jersey restaurant Two Fish. The wine did not disappoint.

Not surprisingly for a middling vintage, this Hune is mature, but the bottles showed zero traces of oxidation, and floated alongside the excellent food, lifting the heavier courses, and singing harmony to the lighter ones. Seashell, lemon zest, and a compelling smoky note, more harmonious than could be termed petrol, infused the aromatics, and echoed on the palate, lingering longer than I had the patience to calculate. The next sip called, and there were also other wines.

The cause of the premature oxidation in the prior bottle is hard to know, but Anne’s effort to show the true quality of 1999 Clos Ste. Hune certainly paid off.

3/15/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Six bottles listed in CellarTracker. It’s almost a unicorn. Even in the glass it’s imaginary, ethereal. It recalls a deeper, darker youth, while still persisting in an urgent whisper. Worn leather, dusty fruit, brush along the side of a dirt road, and a warm breeze that makes me bow my head to keep the dust from getting in my eyes. It’s a poignant memory, obscured by the haze of time, but still brings a smile to my face.

3/14/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Troubling showing that continues a trend for 2005s. This was purchased on release and carefully cellared, but the wine was notably advanced, and basically flat/lifeless. I've had similar issues with 2005s from several other Mosel Riesling producers, and am left dreading most (not all) of my 2005s.

3/14/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Last had this two years ago, and it was very youthful. Last night it was very youthful. It's a rich, but not excessively sweet Kabinett, and there's ample underlying acidity. Served blind I might have guessed someone's Spatlese Feinherb. Beyond the structure/form, this needs several more years, as it still seems a bit closed. Lots of depth, but not translated into outward character. That's consistent with most of my 2012 experiences - the wines are evolving very slowly.

3/7/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Every time I open a bottle of wine from the Evangelho Vineyard I am transported to a different plane of existence. It's a place where grapes can reach to the depths of the soul, eliciting emotions normally reserved for significant personal events or perhaps great art. Maybe that's what it is - Evangelho provides the winemakers with the elements of great art - form, texture, and depth, that they just have to coax into place. A wine of 90% Carignan and 10% Mourvedre, this has the brightness and firm structure of its primary component, but that dash of Mourvedre provides a bass note as strong as anything John Entwistle ever played for The Who. It's a canvas upon which the rest of the wine is built, and will sustain it for years, maybe decades to come. If I had a dozen more bottles (rather than one) it would still not be enough.

3/6/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Five years ago I said that I would err on the side of drinking my bottles sooner rather than later. Well the wine always has the last word! This is still youthful, red-fruited and refreshing, but it has also developed the most enthralling aroma of roses and dusty red cherries. I kept going back to it, and it stayed vivid and clear no matter how many times I went back. It’s also quite tasty, but really there’s no need to drink it. Just inhale and be transported to a place where the flowers never fade, and the fruit is picked ripe from the tree.

3/5/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

From my dad’s Virginia cellar, he bought this on release in Massachusetts. It accompanied my parents moving to a Virginia, and last year back north to Connecticut to my cellar. Well traveled, but the wine is excellent. Hard to believe it’s almost 30 years old. It’s in a zone where the lingering fruit and aged bottle sweetness come together and amplify the wine. Ninety minutes after opening it’s even fresher than it was on opening, making me very glad to have another bottle. What is surprising is that there’s not a lot of aged character at this age. It’s not a full-fruited on release bruiser, but it hasn’t settled into retirement either. Probably another ten years or more to enjoy its evolution.

3/2/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

There's a dish I make every once in a while of braised pork shoulder with hoisin sauce, garlic, chilies and dried cherries. With sauce slathered on the pork it's a really difficult food match, but the pork itself is perfect with Zinfandel. There's enough flavor infused into the pork, but it doesn't have the significant sweetness that the sauce adds to the dish. So to go along with the pork I opened this, and it was essentially a perfect match. The fresh acidity in the Zin played off the richness of the pork, and the brambly, red fruit notes were a fine accompaniment to the flavors of the food - even if a bit of sauce got involved! On its own the wine is fantastic, and similar to the Once & Future editions from this vineyard. It's more transparent than the Bedrock versions (at least young), and for that reason I prefer it.

3/2/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

When you have a dear friend who loves Chardonnay it's always an easy choice to break out a bottle of Ramey. As expected, this was excellent, and typically Ramey with that hit of baking spices up front, crisp tree fruit flavors (apple, maybe veering into peach), fresh acidity, and a clear, crisp finish. Delicious to drink now and probably for ten more years. Bottled under DIAM cork.

2/29/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

When the hell should I open this? Oh, it’s leap day, so why not tonight?!

Dark as a moonless night. Initially it was a raspberry milkshake, but that resolved after about an hour, revealing more detail in the aromas, and brightness in the flavors. It’s definitely not Loire Cab Franc (at least not for another 30 years of climate change), but it had red fruit, and a dash of green around the edges that functions more as refreshing icing on the cake than as a central ingredient. Where this really shines is the intense depth. It lingers on the palate, with dark cherry, tobacco and milk chocolate flavors. Luscious is a good word, but I didn’t get tired of drinking it. One bottle left, and no hurry to get back to it, as this has concentration for a long run.

2/27/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

I don’t have a ton of experience with Stony Hill Chardonnay, so not sure what to expect, but this was delicious in just about every way possible. Saline, fruity, slightly spicy, rich yet vibrant, and very long, it hit pretty much every note I could want. There’s plenty of freshness and depth for several more years of age, so my other bottle may sit a while just to see what happens with significant time. Glad to have a small stash of Stony Hill.

2/26/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

My history with Enfield goes all the way back to the first wine John released DTC, his 2010 Syrah. It’s been a fascinating ride through John’s development as a winemaker, and he has demonstrated an ability to adapt to different grapes and different sites. Such is the life of a winemaker with ever changing vineyard sources.

Anyway…

The other night I was initially going to have a Beaujolais. I wanted bright red fruit but also a bit of structure. Looking at my inventory there wasn’t really a wine that fit the bill. All the Beaujolais seemed like it needed time or was in a later phase, just not quite what I was looking for. As I was thinking about options, I heard Hardy Wallace mention Enfield Wine Co. in a podcast zi was listening to. A bottle of Pretty Horses seemed like just the ticket. Quick trip to the cellar, and I was pouring this wine into my glass. Fresh, young, and vibrant, but with a clear structural form, it was exactly what I wanted. Then I tasted it alongside my white bean soup (adapted from a Kenji Lopez-Alt recipe) and the match was an amplifier for both wine and food. The herbal elements of the soup (rosemary, thyme, and parsley…sorry no sage) brought out the herbal and leathery qualities of the Tempranillo in the wine, and the underlying sweetness from the carrots amplified the wine’s fruit. I was hard pressed to not finish the wine while I was filling our bowls for dinner!

Long story, but it was fascinating how a long history with a winery, and a chance reference led to a selection that resulted in such a fantastic wine/food pairing.

2/21/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Decanted for two hours prior to first pour, I thought for a moment that I had been transported to a mystical land where Merlot smells like orange zest and flowers. The brightness eventually integrated, yet I was still left thinking that this was Merlot crafted in the Loire, and I loved it! Deep down the Merlot roots took hold, and transported some darker fruit to lay a foundation, but the framework of the home remained as before - brightly colored, showing a touch of green on the edges, and long on finishing touches. This is a different, exciting way to experience Merlot.

2/20/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Last minute replacement for a Pinot Gris from a different producer that I was not enjoying, this stepped up and added sunshine and brightness to a cold winter day. Not surprisingly for a wine made with 80% Muscat, there was a lot of honeysuckle and orange on the nose, backed up with a slight tinge of freshly mown grass contributed by the 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Light to medium bodied on the palate, and also bone dry (yay!) the flavors were all in the citrus and melon range, with bright acidity that kept everything very fresh. Not something I would normally drink during February in New England, but it lifted both my mood and the food.

2/19/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Pop and pour, and from the first moment this was a "wow" wine. Red fruit, a touch of spice, but not quite oak spice, and a mineral depth that carried from the entry through the finish made this one of the more enticing young Pinot Noirs I have ever had the pleasure to drink. It was interesting that I kept expecting the wine to gain more richness, but it always kept a level of tension that was like the wine was holding back. Even with that it was delicious for the three hours I followed it, and kept telling me that it has a lot more in store for the future, as it perfectly balanced fruit and tannic structure. Falstaff has always been my favorite Kutch wine, and is right there for favorite U.S. Pinot Noir.

2/17/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Still not sure how to write a sherry-style wine tasting note, but this certainly fits the genre, with the almond aromas and salty tang. This bottle was from the second release in fall of 2023, and showed an extra degree of mid-palate depth compared to the initial release in 2022. I like the trajectory this is on, and very much look forward to the third release this year.

2/17/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

This wine may be heading for a quiet period. It needed two hours in a decanter to open up and fill out. When it did finally come together it was lovely, if a bit less sappy than some prior editions of Evangelho from Bedrock and others. This might even be an elegant wine, which is not a descriptor I usually associate with this site. There's more than enough depth and flavor, it just comes from a gentler place than I am used to. Once I got my head around that I loved it, and spent a lot of time thinking about all the different ways this particular rendition could be used with various foods. While this isn't the most exuberant Evangelho Heritage Wine, it may be the most flexible.

2/16/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

For most of the last 20 years, this probably would have been called Spätlese by many producers, but it is an absolute classic Auslese that has immense depth yet never overpowers the drinker or well chosen food. Sleek like a cheetah, the acidity charges the wine, while the fruit dances like sprites around a magical fire. It’s still moderately sweet, but nothing the acidity can’t tame. It’s still not really mature, and won’t be for five or ten more years, with decades of life beyond that.

2/15/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Early, early, early! Dark fruit, more oak than I was expecting but not out of balance. Strong tannin and a deep, dark finish that hangs on the palate like a bat at midnight. Wait at least ten years before opening another one…maybe 20. I hope I live long enough to enjoy it at its apogee.

2/13/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Bittersweet experience, as Sean Thackrey left us in 2022, and this bottle came from my dad’s cellar, and he departed in 2023.

That said, this was, much like Sean, a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, that took two hours to show itself, then started revealing the mysteries of the universe as told through the lens of an inscrutable blend of myriad grapes. Certainly powerful, the wine also had immense complexity, supported by California sunshine that sustained dark fruit with more than enough depth to carry through for another 18 years. Hiding behind that black fruit curtain was a roaring wood fire, and a dripping haunch of wild game, basted with bacon drippings, and infused with wild herbs and hillside brush. All I needed was a cabin in the woods, and a good book. Magic.

2/10/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Twelve years old and still not even close to maturity. It’s still more of a Spätlese, but perhaps it’s slimming down just a bit. Needs at least ten more years to capture its full potential, but definitely a joy to drink now with ripe fruit and bright acidity. Ultimately this wine will outlive me.

2/8/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Sooner or later you have to open one. I had been staring at the 2014 Hillsides for a while, and entering its tenth year from the vintage seemed like a good time to check in. Better that I had put it in a decanter for a couple of hours, as it stated simple, but two hours later blossomed. When I got to my second glass the earthy depths created a foundation for the still fresh, dark red fruit. The savory, earthy elements were even more apparent on the palate, alongside brighter fruit and balanced tannins. Very enjoyable to drink after some air, but also seems poised for more a lot more development over the next 5-10 years.

2/5/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

The only reason I opened this is because I really wanted a Goodfellow Pinot Noir, and this was the first one I ran across. Don't be fooled by the color, as it's barely darker than a Rosé. It's still painfully young, but it's also an aromatically interesting wine. "Chew" on it a little and the structure comes out, and air brings depth the to the mid-palate while retaining lightness. There is also a lingering, ethereal finish that signals even more enjoyment is in store for the future. I should not have opened yet another bottle of this so soon, but I don't regret the Experience!

2/4/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

2011 does not get a lot of love from German Riesling fans, but it’s a fantastic dry wine vintage. This Dönnhoff GG is just another example of the warmth of 2011 bringing an extra dash of mid-palate depth to what is always a delicious wine. From the first sip it was the weight, the presence that drew me in. Certainly the fruit and acidity were present and in harmony, but the way the wine held the stage with its gravitas kept me coming back for another encore. My only regret was this was my last bottle.

2/3/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Been through several bottles of the 2021 vintage of what was once my favorite California “red wine” blend. It has calmed down from its overly spiky youth, but it has no depth. I don’t know the blend of this vintage, but it seems as though the Barbera has taken a back seat, and with it so has the fruit and depth. This is thin on flavor, high on acid, and just no fun to drink. There was no wine I drank more of than this one from 2014-2020, but I’m done. They have taken this wine in a direction I don’t want to follow.