Comments on my notes

Red

2010 Vietti Barolo Castiglione Nebbiolo

4/7/2019 - dssmith wrote:

89 points

This wine needs decanting and a significant period of being opened before its glorious barolo flavor will be manifest. Even with an hour post decanting the wine was drinkable but not interesting. After two days under vacuum its character had completely changed. It was bright, vivacious with a very fruit forward flavor. The color was dark red. The bouquet on opening the bottle was noticeable. It did not taste particularly tannic. I would suggest opening and decanting about a day before drinking. Our goal was not to let it sit for two days but that just happened. I would think that a day would be enough to let it open up.

dssmith commented:

2/7/20, 10:55 AM - There are commercial systems that claim that by creating a slight vacuum they can reduce the rate of change in wine exposed to oxygen. Many dispute this claim -- there are extensive on-line discussions that can be found via Google. My experience is that by using one of these systems the wine stays drinkable longer than just replacing a cork and leaving the wine at room temperature. For many wines, at 24 hours after opening much of any harshness has dissipated and the wine seems more harmonious. My wife and I drink wine with dinner almost every night. Typically we will each have a glass (10 oz total) so that a bottle of wine will last for two nights. Typically the wine on day two is more enjoyable than the same wine on day one (this mostly refers to reds). Perhaps if I took the time to decant and aerate (which usually do with my aged Barolos) there would be less difference between day one and two.

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Red

2000 Château Lafon-Rochet St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend

1/18/2020 - dssmith wrote:

80 points

I am not sure how long one needs to wait for a wine to mature. At 19 years this vintage 2000 Saint Estephe is still very tannic and not very pleasant to drink to the point that my wife said to not buy anymore. The color was dark red. There was no bouquet. The dominant flavor was tannin with very subdued fruit.

dssmith commented:

2/7/20, 10:35 AM - There can be considerable bottle to bottle variation. I have opened a wine that I liked very much and a different bottle 6 months or so later tastes very different.

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White

2011 Marqués de Riscal Verdejo Rueda

7/23/2013 - dssmith wrote:

79 points

Very dry. Some fruit. Not very interesting

dssmith commented:

7/27/13, 3:46 AM - I am not sure I would ever consider buying an eight dollar wine and then opening it so it can "evolve over 2 or 3 days." As far as I am concerned these types of wines should be drinkable when opened.

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Red

2007 La Ca' Növa Barbaresco Vigna Bric Mentina Montefico Nebbiolo

3/20/2013 - dssmith wrote:

95 points

The color was dark red. There was no bouquet. The wine was fruit forward with a nice tanin backbone. Oak was present but not obtrusive I thought that the wine had good balance. At 6 years old this wine is very drinkable

dssmith commented:

3/21/13, 7:22 AM - Bouquet is not part of my wine rating. I only rate flavor elements.

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Red

2007 Méo-Camuzet Frère et Sœurs Marsannay Pinot Noir

12/6/2011 - dssmith wrote:

96 points

This is a wonderful wine. It seems to be at its peak. I was nicely balanced with fruit, oak and acid. It was a lovely wine to sip by itself.

dssmith commented:

2/3/13, 6:31 AM - I have never tasted a Richebourg 2005 so I cannot comment. In looking the wine up on Wine Searcher, the price of that wine in the United States is above what I can spend. In any event I do not "taste" wines as in "taste and spit". Any wine that I have is drunk as part of a larger evening of food, friends, etc. Also it would be rare or me to sit down to directly compare wines as the "tasters" do. So any wine comment that I write is based on that wine in isolation and is against my personal standard not some abstract "absolute." However I am not a neophyte -- my wine log has about 1100 entries (many are the same wines from different years, or the same year at different times).

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