4/20/2024 - slye Likes this wine:

Drinking perfectly now. Still lively but maturity is settling in, giving it a plush quality. I'm not sure there's much to be gained by waiting any more on this one.

4/16/2024 - slye Likes this wine:

Great old-school character in this medium-bodied Italian red. It has that certain dusty texture that for me is inextricable from Tuscany, balanced with tart berry flavors. It held up for a couple days after opening, and is a consummate food wine, as it should be.

12/19/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

A great Tuscan red wine, straight down the middle. This one is still on the young side and opened up nicely into the second day.

11/23/2023 - slye wrote:

As a friend of mine would say, “It’s grapey good.” My bottle had virtually no effervescence, so it lacked a bit of what we expect in Lambrusco. Still, it was quite quaffable and it worked fairly well with our Thanksgiving food.

11/17/2023 - slye wrote:

Fine and drinkable, but lacking the depth of better Brunellos.

11/17/2023 - slye wrote:

We opened a magnum. Certainly past its prime at this point, but holding up well enough, and is still pleasant and interesting to drink. Decent backbone. Dense and fruity, with the dusty texture and complexity you’d expect from a good Brunello. Probably a little thin in the middle, but not distractingly so. There were some funky notes on the finish that seemed to dissipate within an hour or so.

10/13/2023 - slye wrote:

Already showing a brick color and tasting mature — but pleasant for now. Nice acid backbone and spicy flavor profile. Seems on the verge of losing its fruit balance. Drink soon.

9/9/2023 - slye wrote:

Very good as one expects from Dehlinger, but lacking some of the depth and complexity of their better releases. It might develop more over the next couple years.

9/3/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

Very well balanced, with texture, structure and fruit in harmony.

9/1/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

This is such a beautiful, well-balanced white. I wish I had more of it. Nice layers of fruit, but with a solid backbone and some weight to it. Everything is knitted together into a wine that “just works” rather than seeming deliberately crafted.

8/28/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

Thoroughly enjoyed without much deep thought, but I noticed orange peel and a subtle (and pleasant) umami quality, along with the usual Dehlinger fruit profile and silky texture. Balanced, with youthful qualities that are more low-key and integrated than overt.

8/7/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

I bought two bottles of this a while ago. My first bottle, opened four years ago, was unremarkable and disappointing — which led me to sit on my second bottle until now. Today, it’s excellent! Everything has knit together nicely, with soft fruit supported by a backbone of pleasant tannins and a touch of acidity. It’s also held up for a few days after opening. As underwhelmed as I was initially, I wish I had another bottle or two of this now.

7/11/2023 - slye wrote:

Corked. Seemed like it might be interesting otherwise.

7/3/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

An exceedingly smooth, luxurious wine. Deep garnet color. It has a kind of glycerine sweetness on entry, with a solid fruit core — almost like Jell-O. There is a fine acid edge which gives it backbone but also emphasizes its glassy quality. Rhubarb and cherry flavors dominate and echo in the finish. there’s a pleasant, subtle tannic presence on the back of the tongue. Hard to imagine this improving with more time, but it’s well-built and will last a while.

5/16/2023 - slye wrote:

Quite a lot of tropical fruit and butterscotch on this one. It’s a rich and distinctive profile, but still balanced and not over-oaked. I prefer less aggressive, but it’s good and will please those who like this style of Chardonnay.

5/16/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

One of my favorite wines. Still very young and closed-up, even the next day. I’ll be waiting a few years on my remaining bottles.

5/14/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

This has a very pleasant, medium-bodied profile. Smooth, berry and sour cherry flavors with tea-like notes on the nose and palate. Despite its character leaning a little to the mature side, fine tannins keep it lively. I wouldn’t wait much longer to drink this.

4/13/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

I bought a lot of this affordable wine and I have just one bottle left now, but this latest one was excellent, and possibly the best yet. More rich and harmonious than one would expect for the price (it's equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese), it might not sear itself into your memory but it checks all the boxes and exceeds expectations, by itself or with a meal.

4/9/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

Yikes, this one is very tight and closed-up. After decanting and then a few hours in the glass, it was full of promise but still not particularly generous. Even on the second day it’s still restrained. I think there is a great wine waiting in there, but I have one more bottle and I will probably wait at least another 4 years. As it is, it’s a New World style with pronounced oak and very rich fruit. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed drinking this, but I can’t recommend opening it just now.

4/7/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

This was one of the oldest bottles in my cellar and, despite it being an Amarone, I was certain it was far over the hill based on my memory of the previous bottle I had opened years ago. When I saw the cork was weeping, I thought, “Oh no, I guess I had better just open this thing.”

I was wrong! Immediately I was struck by its solid acid backbone and fruit core. It’s not a super-dense Amarone style, so I was a bit surprised by its heft at this age. It showed a visible brick color, but not extremely so. My initial sips left a peculiar aftertaste (burnt rubber?) that gave me pause, but that faded away as everything knit together with a mature but very pleasant, balanced profile. I was enjoying this for hours into the evening as it revealed shades of bitter chocolate and spice. The following day, it had lost some of its punch but was still holding up nicely.

3/14/2023 - slye Likes this wine:

Drinking like liquid velvet right now, and for my taste it’s probably peaked. It has the quality to last a while I’m sure, but I don’t know that it will improve. One thing I love about it is that it’s rich, but not so much that it’s out of bounds for Pinot Noir — which can be a problem with some Pinots in my experience. Just a very classy wine.

1/12/2023 - slye wrote:

It’s a wine I typically love, but it’s not yet showing those qualities. Right now it’s a solid, young Pinot Noir that covers the bases very well, but it doesn’t distinguish itself. Nothing wrong with drinking it now, but with a little more time it might come around to something better and more memorable.

1/5/2023 - slye wrote:

Enjoyable enough, but strangely over the hill for the vintage. Drink now.

12/25/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully now. Starting to shed some of its youthful charms, but gracefully transitioning toward maturity. Warm chocolate notes emerging on the finish, which still has fruit, but now more balanced with acid and tannins. If I had more of this, I’d probably be drinking it within the next year.

12/22/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

Somewhat sedate carbonation, but otherwise extremely pleasant and balanced. Very toasty nose, and a clear, sophisticated profile overall.

11/24/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

A very clean and silky wine right now, almost too polished, but in any case it’s a pleasure to drink for the purity of its fruit and smooth texture. Hard to imagine it improving, unless one prefers a wine like this on the mature side.

10/22/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

It has taken me a while to warm up to Dehlinger’s Champ de Mars bottling, but this one might be hitting its sweet spot now. Previous bottles have seemed a little rough and unfocused, but perhaps they just needed time. The 2015 seems like it’s now ready to drink (and regrettably it was my last bottle of this vintage). It’s very different from Dehlinger’s Pinot Noir profile, and I’d say more New World than Old World. It has a darker, kirsch-y character and a pleasant, gritty texture. It’s delicious for what it is, and now a nice diversion from the rest of Dehlinger’s Pinot Noir lineup. I am now more enthusiastic about later Champ de Mars vintages.

8/20/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

Started off with a lovely aroma and nice finish, but a bit thin in the middle. It filled out over a few hours and was a pleasure to drink. Nice tannins, fruit was probably fading. Not sure this one will be improving from here.

8/16/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

Captures what I like about Soave; it has substance, depth and balance, and offers a very nice alternative to Burgundy or California Chardonnay. This one is fruit-forward, but really sophisticated and interesting.

7/11/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

It did better on the second day, and was more interesting as it warmed up. Its best quality is its slight tannic grip that gives it above-average support for what is otherwise a fairly light touch. The central characteristic is lemon, but there are secondary qualities (savory, mineral notes) that keep it interesting.

6/24/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

The last of a few bottles of this (which I bought from a discount bin in the grocery store). Absolutely lovely; I wish I had more of it. It has always been great, but this last bottle had such a perfect balance of warm caramel, crisp apricot and apple, and acidic structure. It was a joy to drink into the second day — on its own and with the apricot cake that prompted my opening it.

6/4/2022 - slye wrote:

Fully mature with red-brown color. On opening, this had an oxidized, sherry-like aroma and taste along with the expected raisiny notes, and was fairly austere. Most of it was vacuum-sealed and set aside for a day, after which it seemed rounder and more open. Still well over the hill, but drinkable and interesting.

6/2/2022 - slye wrote:

Bottle was corked.

5/27/2022 - slye wrote:

I bought three bottles of this. The first two were not very interesting — seemingly closed-up. This third bottle, though, is now quite nice. More expressive with nice fruit. The label says “Dense, dark berry flavors; a hint of spice and sandalwood,” which is about right. Drink this now.

5/8/2022 - slye wrote:

I suspect this has peaked. Drinking well, but also lacking a bit of harmony. There’s an intriguing Sauternes-like flavor, and it might be on the threshold of a worthwhile maturation, but I’d wager it’s better to drink this now.

4/29/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

Such a harmonious, balanced wine right now. It has richness and complexity, but in a very graceful way. It will certainly last a while, but I don’t think it needs more time to improve.

3/21/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

Rich and tannic — in a good way. For those who drink both new- and old-world wines, this is packed with Italian character and is exactly what I hoped for when I opened this bottle. The remainder tasted aged on the second and third days, which isn’t surprising, but it tells me this might be getting near its peak, or is at least transitioning from young to mature. In any case, there is plenty of heft to keep it viable for years to come.

3/18/2022 - slye wrote:

Seems to be right in the sweet spot now. Deeply colored. Fruit still pleasantly evident but now beautifully integrated with more complexity and structure. Held up well into the third day. This was a relative bargain on release and I’ll be sorry when I drink my last bottle.

3/12/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

One thing I love about Andy Pestoni’s reds is they always have more backbone than average for this region. This one is rich and plush, but with nice tannins and a touch of acid to keep everything in balance. The first thing that hits me is chocolate, with a hint of toasted coconut and vanilla, but it all sits on top of nice berry fruit and that overall structure, even on the second day. Really, really enjoyable to drink right now.

3/5/2022 - slye Likes this wine:

I have been through a few bottles in the last couple years, and this was my last one. It’s holding up nicely and still has nice structure, although my sense is the fruit core has faded a bit. It became a bit softer and rounder after opening up, which was welcome. Noticeable mushroom and cedar notes up front, but the lingering impression is more harmonious. It might have quite a few years left, but for my taste I’m not sure it will improve.

3/1/2022 - slye wrote:

Corked.

1/23/2022 - slye wrote:

Loved this wine when we tasted it at the winery, years ago. We might have waited too long to open it, but it doesn’t taste over the hill — just less compelling than I remember. It’s somewhat ethereal, with a sweet, Riesling-esque thread running through it. Floral and citrus notes.

1/14/2022 - slye wrote:

Undoubtedly well made and sophisticated, but strangely unengaging for me. It might be in a dumb phase right now. It is rich and balanced, but almost too much so, as nothing leapt forward to catch my attention. Not much change in the second half of the bottle over a day or two. I’ll open another in a year or so and hope for better luck (with either the wine or my own senses).

11/21/2021 - slye Likes this wine:

Still a classy wine, although I suspect it’s now on the decline. Red-purple color and tasteful, balanced berry aromas with hints of herbs, leather and bacon. The fruit is subdued on tasting, deferring to fine tannins now.

11/9/2021 - slye Likes this wine:

Drinking perfectly right now. Still has a lively, rich fruit core, but a very classic Sonoma cabernet profile with notable bell pepper and mushroom aromas, and nice acidity and fine tannins. No particular oak character, which lets everything else shine through. I would drink it now — although I imagine it will hold up nicely for many years.

11/3/2021 - slye Likes this wine:

Amazing harmony, purity and balance. It’s drinking very well right now, but it’s still on the young side with lots of fruit and substantial (but pleasant) tannins. Holds up very well on the second day. There are all kinds of subtle, secondary characteristics, from anise to bitter chocolate to cedar. There’s nothing exotic about it, it’s just very well made and completely enjoyable.

10/24/2021 - slye Likes this wine:

Drinking very nicely right now. Still a youthful character, but not “too young,” and probably just right for a California cab. There’s a very pleasant, high-toned fruitiness to it, but well balanced with warm spiciness and cedar notes on the finish. In harmony with acid and tannins now. It tilts toward medium body, but that’s not a flaw, and probably makes it more food-friendly.

8/28/2021 - slye wrote:

A distinctive white that is likely to appeal to many, but it’s not quite my cup of tea. Not that it’s bad at all. It has a round, silky character with... honeysuckle, honeydew? Something in that neighborhood. The aromas are intriguing and inviting. Drinking well now, but lacks the structure to last much longer, I think.

8/21/2021 - slye Likes this wine:

I would say drink this now. Very nice. It has Elizabeth Spencer’s characteristic tasteful balance, while still hewing to the general plush Napa style. Leather and spruce notes.

8/14/2021 - slye Likes this wine:

A delicious wine with a clean, streamlined quality. A bit of Barolo character with its medium color and tannic profile, but this is balanced with bright cherry and cranberry fruit notes and drinking nicely now, especially with a bit of aeration. (And it might have improved on the second day.) Certainly it will be as good, possibly better, in a few years to come.