10/5/2023 - corka Likes this wine:

Very floral nose combined with notes of honey and orange blossom, highly viscus, and a bit of heat on the back. This is a very interesting wine that is extremely aromatic and quite unique. A fun wine to add to a tasting lineup. First bottle of a case I purchased nearly 2 yrs ago. I hope to space them out over the next decade to see how they evolve.

5/27/2023 - corka Likes this wine:

Outstanding bottle hitting all cylinders yet remains rather youthful as well. This wine clearly has many years ahead. In some ways I wish I would have held off a bit longer since it's my only bottle, but it was a special night, so no regrets!

5/25/2023 - corka Likes this wine:

This might be my first bottle of Albillo Real, which I found to be a rather pleasant variety. It was one of a half dozens bottles I picked up from Lavinia, an outstanding wine store not far from my hotel in Madrid. An easy drinking wine that while light on the acidity side, still showed balance and great versatility. Glad I tried it and will look to explore more in the future.

5/17/2023 - corka Likes this wine:

2nd bottle (1st red) to pop in Madrid, w/ my new favorite Kevin Bacon Burger from Goiko.

3/17/2023 - corka Likes this wine:

BIG fruit, lots of flavor, an enjoyable wine with a great nose to boot. Well worth it for a sub $40 wine!

3/11/2023 - corka Likes this wine:

Very dry and certainly capable for aging for many more. Grabbed this one out of the cellar when I was in a bit of hurry and without consulting w/ CT as I normally do. Had I noticed the 2032 Drink by, I might have held off a while longer and chosen a different bottle. Additionally, given the cold temps of my cellar during the month of Feb here in NH, I needed to warm it up a bit in short time and reverted to my old standby...setting it on top of a trivet on our wood stove for a couple of minutes and then holding the bottle by its neck and slowly rotating it over the top of the stove to bring the temp up a few more degrees. I know it sounds frightening but no worries, it always takes place in under 5 minutes, and IMO, has yet to adversely affect the wine! Sorry, but I would rather enjoy a glass a bit closer to room temp than drink it far too cold, even if that means going through what some might consider to be extreme measures to get it there. ;)

A deep dark red that is very dry on the pallet, black cherry, clear remnants of fig, pepper, and long mouth puckering finish. A splendid wine, to be frank. Had I the patience to put the cork back in and drink the second half tomorrow, I have little doubt that it would have aged splendidly. I love this wine and give huge props to Ryme Cellars for producing another winner! ...just wished they continued to distribute their wines in NH :(

11/21/2022 - corka Likes this wine:

I really liked and enjoyed this wine. it was viscous and well balanced. I drink so much high-acid whites that it was probably a nice change. This was my first Sémillon from Argentina, one of several I brought home from an excellent wine shop in Buenos Aires a year ago, and I was pleasantly surprised!

10/22/2022 - corka Likes this wine:

Held up nicely. The whole "natural" aspect of this wine was quite prevalent on the nose...a bit stanky, but it still sings on the pallet. I love Trousseau and this was no exception. I would guess this wine probably does not have a whole lot of life left and in all likelihood has gone a little beyond its peek, but given all factors I was quite pleased.

9/14/2022 - corka Likes this wine:

Clearly an ALL-NATURAL wine, which is prevalent on both the nose and pallet. Showing an ever so slight bit of frizz-ante but not enough to be annoying. A nice and easy-drinking blend of light varietals that have become oh-so-popular. An enjoyable quaffer that keeps going down and down, and before your know it there's nothing left!

9/7/2022 - corka Likes this wine:

Solid Pinot for the money. How often does one come across a good Pinot for $15; therefore, a very decent QPA. Certainly a true Pinot in body but not so much on the pallet and nose. Not saying it's bad, just not exactly the same typicity you find when it comes to the aromas and flavor profile I associate with a prototypical Pinot. Remained as good on day 2 as when it was opened. Certainly worth purchasing again.

7/2/2022 - corka wrote:

Unfortunately this was underwhelming for a $60 bottle. Not much going on, both the nose and pallet were rather muted and time in the glass did not change anything. I store all my wine in appropriate conditions and did not think time would have passed this one by considering I've had plenty of other 2013s from this region that are still drinking beautifully. One of my problems with Hirsch is the inconsistency I have found in their wines over the years. They are a great producer and I appreciate vintage variation but this particular wine was no different than many "off the shelf" pinots you find for less than half the price of this bottle. I've had exceptional wines from Hirsch's Reserve and Block 8 bottlings in the past and was hoping this one would measure up. The lackluster found in this wine was confirmed by wife, who is a great barometer for me. So often I want a bottle to show well and at times I have a tendency to pump them up a bit more than I probably should, only to hear the brutal honesty she's faithful to share!

6/10/2022 - corka Likes this wine:

Stellar bottle for around $45.00, still drinking beautifully and sad that it's my last one. I love this consistent style of pinot White Rose puts out, always so true to the varietal, very delicate yet full of flavor and great acidity. Makes me think that I need to get back involved in their wine club!

4/8/2022 - corka Likes this wine:

Love this wine. Every time I drink Tegan's Mataro I find myself asking, why didn't I buy more of this? So much flavor, great acidity, an enjoyable wine on all levels.

3/21/2022 - corka Likes this wine:

This beauty is still alive!

12/31/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

I was considering holding off on this one, assuming it would be much better with some more age considering the style but was glad I opened it and was pleasantly surprised. While it certainly will continue to evolve in a good way with time, it's also drinking very well at the moment. It displays a level of juiciness I was not anticipating and the tannins were quite reasonable. It continues to show much freshness in its youth, which makes me happy to know that I still have 6 remaining in the cellar.

12/13/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

A pleasant surprise given my experience with other bottles of Mission have not been overly positive. While the bouquet is rather muted, everything else was quite impressive. This bottle showed balance, nice acidity and red cherry flavors that are pleasing to the pallet. This bottle works with a variety of dishes. We enjoyed it with grilled salmon, which made for a perfect substitute to the traditional choice of pinot noir. Another great effort by Teagan!

11/13/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Lighter in body than I was expecting, nice freshness, good aromas, a bit of oak showing, very pleasant overall; a solid wine.

9/22/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

I cannot remember the last time I purchased a cab for $15.00 but wanted to try this one and was glad I did. It's not easy to find cab worth drinking at this price point but this one works, excellent QPA.

9/18/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

This was sadly the last of 6 bottles and truly the best of the bunch. Unfortunately, so many look at at 2011 as a poor vintage in CA, which may be the case when it comes to Cabernet but not so for Pinot. I have had so many outstanding Pinots from 2011. Only 149 cases produced of this Sonoma Coast bottling of Forét, which displays true typicity. A beautiful and delicate wine that looks, smells and taste exactly what one would come to expect from this varietal.

9/14/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Drank w/ Quesadillas; Golden, rather muted on the nose, medium body, easy drinking, balanced, soft, a little viscus w/ some nice acidity, good QPA. Unfortunately there was a little bit seepage from the screw cap that leaked onto the label of another bottle in my cellar. It was also growing mold from the side of the cap, so I figured I better crack it now before it got any worse.

9/11/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Pretty much what you would expect from this type of wine; big, ripe, voluptuous, full flavor, yet it was a bit more rustic and Rhone like on the nose than I was expecting (especially on day 2) with some true smokey characteristics. I didn't look at the alcohol but based on the flavor and thick legs running down the glass, it has to be pretty high. It is flavorful, easy drinking wine with mild tannins and appears to be doing very well right now.

9/1/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Not bad considering it's a $12/btl.

8/25/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Drinking very nicely and even better than the first. The extra year in bottle seems to have benefited this one.

8/14/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Love this style of Riesling, high acid yet not out of balance. Drinks excellent now but could also age for many years to come.

7/29/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Killer QPA at $20.00. This wine paired very nicely with the homemade raviolis in a bolognese sauce we had. It's in a great place right now but clearly has plenty of life ahead of it as well. Deep and rich with pleasant tannins and enough acidity to stand up to most dishes.

7/27/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Classic Northern Rhone Syrah in all its facets, still drinking very nicely.

7/23/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Taking the first sip of this wine was like biting into a beautifully ripe cherry the size of a baseball. A very nice wine that carried enough acidity to support the juiciness that was apparent throughout.

7/20/2021 - corka Does not like this wine:

I've had good bottles of Morphos in the past but not this one, bitter w/ zero RS; the only thing going for it was the bubbles and acidity.

4/23/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Good...Anthill pretty much never disappoints, but not quite at the level of many other Anthill wines I've had in the past. The fruit in this wine is declining, which is not a surprise and not a bad thing but for some reason it just did not all come together, a little disjointed. Tina Marie has always been very solid.

4/20/2021 - corka Does not like this wine:

I know this grape has made somewhat of a comeback and is gaining a bit of a following but I'm not sure that I understand why. This is my 3rd bottle of this same wine and I'm just not at all impressed. The nicest thing I can say about it is the beautiful color but beyond that it's just meh. No real aromatics, out of balance with too much alcohol coming though (& it's only 12.5%), it does show some decent acidity but as much as I wanted to like it, I'm really having a difficult time doing so. I'm thinking they moved on from this varietal years ago for reason. :(

4/4/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Much better on day 2...give it some air and time!

3/20/2021 - corka Likes this wine:

Opened a few hours early and it was well worth it, still showing very nicely with plenty of life ahead!

12/25/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

Benefited from about 2-3 hours of decanting and was an excellent accompaniment w/ our beef tenderloin that was grilled to perfection!

12/26/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

Still very young...obviously and showing green notes that will dissipate w/ age. Needs some time to develop but should evolve nicely in the coming years.

12/24/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

A beautiful wine that remains alive and drinking wonderfully. Decanted for 2-3 hours before serving w/ fully homemade spaghetti dinner on Christmas Eve. The wine had good aromas coming from the glass, showed balance and the acidity remained very apparent. I was concerned that it might have gone passed its peak but that did not seem to be the case.

8/23/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

Killer QPA, hard to beat the quality at this price point if you're into this style of Riesling.

3/20/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

An excellent bottle, still showing great structure, balance and texture!

3/13/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

This had everything going on from the start, beautiful aromatics, balance, complete flavor profile featuring ripe fruit, structure, body and a lengthy finish. Drinking excellent right now!

3/13/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

This bottle is in a very good place right now. Just picked up the 2018 vintage and wanted to see how the 2016 was drinking. Still super fresh, great acidity, lots of vibrant red fruit and juicy notes.

3/5/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

Crazy how this bottle reeks of red delicious apple!

1/28/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

This wine is in a very good place right now. This was far in away the best of 6 bottles purchased, only sad now that it's my last!

1/25/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle, still drinking very nicely, classic aromas and typicity on the pallet, no need to rush if you still have these in the cellar.

1/13/2020 - corka Likes this wine:

Drinking very nicely, a bit of air helped it to open up, lots of complexity, balance, length, quality wine!

12/31/2019 - corka Likes this wine:

Brought this one home from a visit to Gatinois a few years back and with 10 years of age it's still drinking just beautifully!!!

12/6/2019 - corka Likes this wine:

Killer Chard, one of the best I've had from Broc, lean and crisp with nice acidity and completely balanced, still drinking beautifully!

11/22/2019 - corka Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle, drinking mighty fine right about now!

11/13/2019 - corka Likes this wine:

A bit harsh when it was first popped but improves after beeing opened for 2-3 hours and even better on day 2.

11/11/2019 - corka Likes this wine:

Love this stuff...

11/9/2019 - corka Likes this wine:

Good but that was about it. I expected more from Kistler, even if it is just their RRV. It came across a bit underripe, not all that complex and the nose was rather bland and uneventful...2-3 hours of air didn't seem to change much either. At this price point ($55.00) I feel there is better wine out there.

10/18/2019 - corka Likes this wine:

Enjoyable, medium body, quite expressive. Had not looked at the blend prior to drinking but the suav blanc was very apparent, so when I checked the label afterwards I was a little surprised to see that SB only made up 24%; the remaining consisted of Muscat (60%) and Chardonnay (16%). A nice wine and an even better QPA at only $20!