4/28/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

This has improved since my first tastings. My previous notes are generally consistent but things are just better all around this time. Tannins were smoother now and the overall balance of the wine is better. Cherry & plum, spice, notes of pepper and spices. Still a touch of mineral and some earthy quality. A quality wine.

4/28/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

I have not had much experience with Northern Rhone wines. This might easily be the best one I have had to date. The intensity of the wine with loads of cherry, wood, spice [vanilla & nutmeg] on the nose. Lots of savory character here as well, with bacon and a bit of saltiness [?] to it. Clearly a wine of much depth and much to enjoy. It was possibly a little early to drink this as well but at my age I don't plan on waiting until what the optimal age is. Drinking it now may just require waiting for it awhile after opening.

4/24/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

This is delicious. Brought it from home and had it opened and served to us at my favorite Italian restaurant in Portland, ME. Lots to cherry fruit in this. I picked up more earthy tones than my prior bottle, which I also like very much. I noted more savory character than my first try which was more fruit for me. The dryness of the tannins is still something I like a lot and this has a long finish to it.

4/20/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

No change in my thoughts about this wine. On the lighter side of Barolo. Lots of pleasant cherry notes [nose & palette].

4/19/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

A very nice bottle of CdP. Has many of the traditional notes in the aroma and on the palette. Not quite the winner for the night but not really a loser either. I liked the licorice notes in the aroma in particular and the spice on the nose and in the palette was very nice too. Bottles like this continue to make me lean more and more towards CdP as my favorite type of wine.

4/19/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

First time trying this wine. Very nice aromas - black cherry, plum, pepper and a savory character. On the palette the pepper and vanilla spice blends well with the fruit, more cherry, plums [cooked]. A nice long finish, good tannins...feels well balanced.

4/12/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

A consistently good bottle of Sauternes. Lots of tropical fruits on the nose, with honey and nice spices too. On the palette it is not too unctuous or overly sweet. The acidity level is high enough to provide a nice balance to this. Enjoyed with Crème Brulee.

4/12/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

My prior notes are consistent. I love this wine! The aromas are great and on the palette there is so much to enjoy. Lots of wet earth, forest floor, leather/tobacco and I also found I got some coffee notes along with vanilla.

4/12/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Opened this split and left it sitting for an hour before pouring into the glass. Nice deep color, but not opaque. I noted a smokiness in the aroma that I liked a lot. Cherry, tobacco and a definite earthy character are all quite good for my nose and palette. I found the tannins not overwhelming, but notable. I really enjoyed this wine. Drank accompanied with bistro steaks.

4/11/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Nice cherry on the nose. Picked up some notes of mint. The palette was enjoyable...smooth and balanced...more cherry and I got a touch of pepper as well. I thought this was on the lighter side of a Barolo but that does nothing to diminish the pleasure of the wine.

4/5/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

This is a tasty Rioja. I like the berry fruit notes [blueberry for me] and there is a nice oaky vanilla spice scent as well as on the palette. I picked up some nice earthy hints in the nose too. My experience with Rioja is minimal but I do like this one.

3/29/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Had this the same night as the Clos St Jean CdP. A nice Italian version of syrah. Cherries, vanilla spice and pepper all well represented in the aromas and on the palette the cherry and peppery finish stood out for me. This was a very nice wine and drinks quite well with not too much time after opening.

3/29/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Delicious cherry and black plum [stewed] notes hit pretty solidly on the nose and deliver similarly on the palette. Nice spicy pepper notes as well. A very rich, lush drink with tannins that started out more in front and smoothed out nicely with an hour or so in the glass. Drank this bottle over a couple of hours and it was thoroughly enjoyed.

3/22/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

I loved this port. Lots of life left in it but just delicious tonight. My last bottle, double decanted it. Wonderful aromas and flavors. Lots of cooking spice notes [cinnamon, nutmeg and Chinese spice], orange notes and nutty touches as well. There fruit on the palette was more present than in the aroma and there was just a touch of caramel, which I love as tawny ports are my favorite style of port. I do wish I had more of this!

3/22/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Felt a little lite for a Barolo, but still a nice wine. Aromas of cherries, earth and a touch of pepper. Developed an interesting petrol based aroma which dissipated fairly quickly. Didn't seem like a typical Barolo but it drank well enough.

3/8/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

The star of the nite. Great example of quality Aussie shiraz. So much going on in this wine. Black fruits abound, vanilla spice, menthol and some savory notes slipping in. Very long finish with a nice peppery touch to it. A fantastic wine.

3/8/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Delicious, initially felt quite sweet, with a bubble gum like feel to the aroma. This wore off quickly to reveal a nice medium body wine that has a nice combo of savory & fruit notes. A very good drinking wine and a great price for the quality.

2/8/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

My final bottle of this vintage and it was again special for me. I love this particular chateau and the wine here hasn't disappointed yet. Bittersweet cocoa and milk chocolate aromas stood out along with forest floor notes, a touch of spice/black pepper. Very smooth, silky tannins. Just a delicious experience that enhanced some very nice bistro steaks.

2/5/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Very nice showing on this Rioja, especially at the price. Nice fruit, notes of chocolate, some spice [vanilla] and a woody note as well. Medium body, nice balance of tannins and a nice finish that was medium length as well. Overall, a very enjoyable wine to drink.

10/1/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Very similar to the other bottles I have had. A really delicious wine in a great price range. Nice cherry notes and a savory feel with nice spice on the finish. Tannins are not big but very enjoyable. I enjoyed this right from the first pour and it lasted for two nights at a good level both nights.

1/27/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Notes are consistent with prior tasting. Great quality Brunello for a very good price, albeit purchased on sale. Works really well with good food, again Italian food in this instance. Not a big Brunello but has the cherry fruit in both the nose and on the palette. Relatively smooth and a nice finish, not too long. Another enjoyable bottle.

1/21/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

My notes are consistent from the first bottle, except I didn't notice any funk opening it up this time. Of course I opened it and left it sitting there for an hour and a half this time, so maybe I gave it more of a chance. I again picked up some tart fruit [perhaps cranberry?] and a lite touch of floral notes on the nose and the palette continues with the tartness of the fruit. I found something like a slight metallic note as well. The wine still feels medium bodied to me. I did quite enjoy this bottle.

1/19/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Decided to try my hand at drinking a white wine for a change. Picked up a few bottles of this Vouvray for no other reason than nostalgia as it this type of wine recalls one of my favorite memories of our trip to France 20+ years ago. So anyway, I found the wine quite nice with aromas of peach, pear and apricot along with some floral notes and a bit of mineral. It was smooth with a nice lingering finish and had sort of a creamy fruit feel, maybe a bit of sweetness. Overall a nice white wine and available at a very reasonable price.

1/18/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Didn't wait long to drink another bottle of this delicious entry level Amarone. The aromas presented were fruity and hints of coffee come through with some time. A nice mouthful of flavors and thoroughly enjoyed by all.

1/17/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Opened this for dinner and everyone really liked the wine. A great bargain for CdP. It is young but still drinks really nicely, with cherry fruit present in the aroma and palette, as well as, herbal/spice notes . Tannins were not too strong and there was a nice finish. Quite a nice wine at a very reasonable price point.

1/12/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Aroma loaded with fruit along with some herbal notes. Palette picks up spice and cracked pepper immediately with the fruit tagging along well. Medium tannic structure, fairly smoothed out now. Finish is nice, not long. A very nice wine for the price and it is the kind you can drink regularly rather than a special occasion wine. I think it has some life left even if it doesn't get any better, it is good enough to enjoy with dinner.

1/5/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Opened and let stand in the bottle for a couple of hours to soften up. The aromas on pouring were intense and wonderful. Cherry is the primary fruit picked up in the aroma. There are also some floral & mineral notes, as well as a touch or orange peel. On the palette the flavors were very nice. Again for me, cherry was dominating things. Tannins are strong, not overpowering though and there is a nice finish that lingers with a little spicy bit there too. A fantastic wine for the price.

1/1/2021 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Let this sit open for an hour or so first. Nice aromas developed, with notes of fruit, forest notes. Nice fruit on the palette. Had this one a year after trying the first bottle. It obviously still has a lot of life left and I didn't find a lot of difference after 1 year from the first bottle. I really enjoy the wine, even at this young stage. It just has to have some time to air out now. I know I won't be patient enough to wait 5 or 10 years to try the next one but I imagine it will be delicious then.

12/22/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

A very nice entry level Amarone. Intense aromas, a little sweet maybe, but still enjoyable. Had with family dinner and everyone else liked it. Not too complex but if you are not expecting anything crazy with this it delivers a nice experience. It is not a high level Amarone and I thought it delivered reasonably well. I finished this 2 days later and it was still drinking pleasantly. For the price I paid for this I believe it was totally worth it based on the return.

12/10/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

This was very consistent with my prior bottles. amazing nose with intense tropical fruits, tinged with honey and nice touches of spice and nutty notes on the palette. Man I wish I had more of this!

12/6/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Very youthful looking, deep purple color with lighter garnet tinges around the edges. Nice dark fruit aromas blended well with some floral notes and on the palette it was all cherries for me. Some earthiness came through after a little bit as the strong cherry character softened. The dryness of the tannins was very pleasant, unless you don't like that kind of thing [I do]. The finish was on the medium to long side. A very good wine and was excellent with our food.

11/29/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Opened this for family dinner and everyone loved it. This may be the first red wine I have opened that my white wine drinking family all liked. It is well matured now [and unfortunately my last bottle] with nice balanced tannins, gorgeous cherry fruit notes, even with just a touch of sweetness at the start that faded and made way for some nice savory notes. I don't know how much time this wine would have had left in it but it was still nice and enjoyable.

11/20/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Very nice red blend from Napa. Nice dark fruits in the aroma and on the palette. Strong tannins but not overpowering the other aspects of the wine and I like big tannic reds. This works on that note. As the wine evolves in the glass I picked up some herbal notes and maybe some tea. A wine that was very easy to enjoy.

11/14/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

A very nice entry level Barolo. I was able to purchase this at a really nice price and the quality for the price is excellent. Has lots of classic Barolo character, just not as big as some higher end versions. Nice cherry notes and floral tones in it as well. Each bottle I have had has been very nice.

11/11/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Another fruit bomb, for me this is just an amazing wine. The fruit is very much out front on this wine. Other very nice qualities do shine through though. Aromas of black current, blackberry and licorice root. We drank this over several hours and the wine just kept getting better with new qualities coming out. A very long and nice finish that lingers.

11/11/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Part of a wonderful evening of wine and food. This bottle shared the stage with a 2017 Beaucastel CdP. Both wines were excellent. The Clerc Milon started out as the better wine with classic characteristics of forest floor, earth, savory/leathery notes and some nice fruit sneaking through. Also picked up mineral and graphite notes in the nose. The taste was very nice right out of the bottle, well integrated tannins and a lovely finish for a excellent bottle of wine. Wish I had more than 1 bottle of this left.

11/3/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

My final bottle; after opening I was initially a little concerned it was not going to be a good bottle. A little while in the glass allowed it to open up a bit and I was getting a nice woodsy aroma and some fruit showed up. Day 2 was enlightening, now the wine was very nice with everything more intensely coming through, delicious dark fruit; tannins that were striking but smooth and a very enjoyable finish. This wine feels like it is fully mature and I don't know if it will get any better but given the day 2 results I have to believe it will drink well for a while still.

10/29/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Still drinking nicely, aromas: dark fruit and forest floor/earth with a slight note of mineral. The palette was nicely balanced with fruit, tannins and the finish was enjoyable and medium length.

10/25/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

This wine continues to be a favorite. I have found myself gravitating more and more towards Rhone, in particular CdP. These guys make some of the best for my money. This year is very fruit forward for me both on the nose and the palette. Earthy notes come in behind the fruit and are very pleasant. The spice on the palette is nicely mixed in with some herbal notes. It is still a bit tannic [how I like my wine] but it is really quite well balanced still for such a young powerful wine. Excellent all around for me.

10/18/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

A little funky for me on the first night when I first opened it. Got a little better with some air time but I put the cork back in and saved it for the next night. It was much better on the 2nd night and I was picking up some tart fruit and a lite touch of floral notes. The wine feels medium bodied to me. Actually turned out quite nicely. I am just dipping my toe into Beaujolais and this turned out to be a nice introduction. Looking forward to trying some more.

10/12/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Delicious right out of the bottle. Fantastic aromas of cherries and earth with some nice spice notes. The palette was nicely balanced with smooth tannins, nice cherry fruit and reasonably lengthy finish. This is not a big bold wine but a really great medium bodied wine and if you like the types of characteristics of a Vino Nobile you aren't likely to find one a whole lot better than this. Obviously, that's my opinion. Drink and enjoy.

10/4/2020 - vfccpa123 wrote:

Cork broke on opening, not a good start. The wine seems to taste fine and smells fine but clearly not as good the last one I opened. I wonder if this bottle might have been flawed. Drank the wine but it was not the experience I would have expected.

9/30/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Deep garnet/purple color, looks relatively young still. Cedar, damp earth and berries for the aromas. After a bit of time in the glass I felt the aroma had blueberry with a light floral note added. The palette was nicely balanced, a little tart pucker to it; good length in the finish, with tannins that didn't overpower you but were noticeably present. Excellent wine for my tastes.

9/16/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

This was my 2nd time trying this and I thought this was better than the first time around. Drank this next to a 2015 Chateau Clark Baron E Rothschild Bordeaux blend, which was very nice but not quite at the same level as the Grand Napa. The red fruit aromas are strong and there is some oak quality there as well. The fruitiness of this wine is the standout characteristic for me though. There is some of that note of graphite or pencil shaving that you find in many cab wines. For me this is a full bodied wine and I love the tannins mixed in with the depth of fruit. The feel in my mouth after the wine has coated it is intense and thoroughly enjoyed.

9/12/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

I have always liked Dead Arm. I found this bottle absolutely delicious over the 2 days I drank it. Deep plum and dark fruit aromas and flavor. I found notes of licorice as well. The tannins are probably too strong for many right now; they did soften some on day 2, but for me that is one character of wines I really enjoy. This bottle had that going for it from my viewpoint. It is clearly a powerful wine and I am sure as it softens over some years in the cellar more people will find it approachable and enjoyable. I don't know if it will rate as high as the professionals have reviewed it, but it is good enough for me.

9/2/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

This bottle was consistently good compared to the other bottles I have had. Just based on the shear volume of tasting notes for this it would appear to be quite a popular wine. And why not, given the price and the comparatively excellent quality for that price it makes a lot of sense. I like the cherry fruit mixed with the touches of pepper that are present. There is a slight hint of smoke [maybe smoked meat?] that I get in this as well. A very enjoyable wine.

8/28/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

CdP is one of my favorite styles of wine and this a really nice example of well priced, nice quality CdP. It may not compare with the bigger hitters in the region, which I love, but for a very good price this for me is a great every day type of CdP that drinks easily. I like the aroma of fruit [cherry and some plum?] and I find a bit of herbal notes. The palette seems to be mostly fruit with some savory notes. There is nothing that stands out in and of itself for me, but I do think it is a nice drinking wine that you can really enjoy with a nice dinner.

8/23/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

A very entry level Barolo. Good quality for a good price. It has some of your typically Barolo qualities with cherry, tobacco/leather and an earthy quality. Medium length finish and medium tannins. Enjoyable with a good meal.

8/16/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Nice enjoyable wine. I like the fruit notes of cherry mixed with fig and there is a good earthy quality in the wine. With a little time in the glass it smoothed out well. Enjoyed with pasta and sausage.

8/9/2020 - vfccpa123 Likes this wine:

Light and young looking, nice nose of fruit [cherry and pomegranate] with a bit of leather and wood noted as well. Very nice on the palette, dry tannins, more of the nice fruit and nice acidity. A touch of spice came through on the palette as well. A good finish, not super long. The tannins left a pleasant dry coated feeling in my mouth.