4/20/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

My wife and I love this wine. It’s loaded with dark cherry fruit but is perfectly in balance. There’s also something to it’s texture- a velvety quality that I’m assuming is related to it’s aging in amphora. Regardless it’s a great wine and great value.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

I brought this to our 2019 Barolo tasting as a bit of curveball. Incredibly dark and brooding. There was a tremendous amount of black cherry fruit and a tannic structure to suggest decades of aging potential. I loved this, I think these are a very compelling addition to the cellar as a Nebbiolo change of pace.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Served as the lead in to our 2019 Barolo tasting. This was beautiful, with lots of limestone, chalk, a touch of brioche, and vibrant acidity. Very enjoyable.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This was the WOTN for many (the Baudana Ceretta took that place for me). I didn’t record much of my impression, but I recall the elegance and weightlessness of the wine. It was certainly a stand out.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

I’m not entirely sure what to think about Giacosa. I thought this wine was certainly enjoyable, and it exuded the Giacosa style I’ve become familiar with after tasting with devoted fans, but it didn’t blow me away at $200+. There was very pretty dark red fruit, and this was more elegant than one would expect from a 2019 Serralunga. I think my read on this would be, it doesn’t seem as bad as Galloni suggests these days, but it’s by no means a top Barolo.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Tasted next to the 2019 Einaudi Cannubi, I thought this was very good but not markedly different / distinguishable from the Cannubi. This exuded a lot of dark fruit, and I was a bit surprised how relatively open this and the Cannubi were.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Dark cherry, incredibly stern. This came during the middle of our 2019 Barolo tasting and I’d say that was similar to the impression it left on me. A great wine and value, like all of the 2019s this will require considerable time before it shows its hand.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Classically austere and tannic, the dark red fruit peeked through on the 2019 Gavarini Chiniera but, like the 2019 Bricco delle Viole this is all about potential. What I found most striking in this tasting was the nose, which was gorgeous. Hold.

2/3/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Not as immediately obvious as the 2016 version. This wine is packed with tension, and while enjoyable and carrying the Vajra BdV signature I love, this is really all about potential. Dark red, crunchy fruits. Hold.

2/2/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This might be the best of the ‘value’ 2019 Barolos I’ve tasted thus far. It was dark and powerful, with the rust and iron typical of this Serralunga site. The Serralunga character, though, seemed to be perfectly complemented by the airy, lifted style of Vajra. This is an amazing wine that’s built to age.

1/6/2024 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This was closed initially, but began to open with 30 minutes in the glass. Great translucence with bright red fruit and levels of acidity and tannin that show this is a Barolo which, while on the value end of the spectrum, is serious and in need of time. Plenty of fun to try now, but I’ll hold on opening another for 3+ years.

12/25/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

My experience with the 2016 Don Fiorino was consistent with Hugo Hilde’s note. A thoroughly enjoyable wine, it showed a lot of dark fruit, roundness, and had a very smooth and easy drinking finish. I was a but struck by the lack of structure relative to other recently tasted 2016 Nebbiolos, such as the Vajra Ravera and Oddero Rocche di Castiglione. I do think this wine is best for near to medium term enjoyment.

11/18/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Couldn’t resist opening another one of these. Our experience was consistent with my first tasting from the spring. I do think I’ll wait a couple years to open another as this wine’s best days are in the future.

12/10/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

We decided to revisit the 2019 Donjon, and it showed considerable better with thirty minutes of air than it did six months ago. Dark red and black fruits, garrigue, spice, and a smooth finish. This will absolutely improve with time, but it was drinking great.

12/31/2023 - JWS84 wrote:

The 2017 La Germine showed a tremendous amount of barnyard and earthy funkiness alongside tart fruit. The wine was enjoyable overall, but I wonder if this might have been a slightly off bottle.

12/31/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Dark gold, rich, and full of toastiness and brioche. This was a joy to drink, and is a remarkable value.

12/31/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Pale gold, super fresh and crisp, with great chalkiness and minerality. A classic Blanc de Blancs.

12/31/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This was very round compared to the Pierre Peters. Lots of orchard fruits and some toastiness. The last third of the bottle showed the best. An excellent value.

12/31/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

A fantastic Champagne. It seemed to have everything- chalkiness, bright orchard fruit, brioche, excellent acidity. I understand why this is a sought after producer and wine.

11/19/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Pulled one of these late night while throwing my previous recommendation on waiting to the wind. Holding for several years is definitely the best course of action.

11/10/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Vajra’s 2016 Ravera was a powerhouse in a great way. Dark red fruits, salinity, and lingering minerality on the finish. As much as we enjoyed it, I’d hold on opening another for several years. This wine will show much more as it enters the early end of its ideal drinking window.

11/10/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

The 2016 Rocche di Castiglione was a dark, dense Barolo. It was pretty formidable at this early stage, seemingly shut down and showing little beyond its structure. I’d hold on these for several years to get a better glimps at the wine’s full potential.

10/12/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

What a magnificent wine. Dark red fruits, tremendous depth and power, but a freshness and lift that made this graceful despite its brawn. This wine is only beginning to open for business, and has many, many years of life in front of it. I greatly preferred this to a Gaja Costa Russi opened alongside it.

10/12/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

The 2010 Costa Russo had a polished mix of dark red and blackish fruits backed up by fine Nebbiolo tannins. It was a beautiful wine, but felt extremely composed and polished next to the 2010 Conterno Francia (I preferred the latter).

10/12/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This had great orchard fruit undergirded by a persistent, chalky finish. I preferred it to the Montille Malconsorts consumed alongside it.

10/12/2023 - JWS84 wrote:

I’m very inexperienced when it comes to Burgundy, so it was difficult for me to assess this wine. Very enjoyable red fruits, great elegance, but it was a bit lost on me. I recall being most blown away by the price it currently fetches.

10/11/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

An absolute beast, but in a very enjoyable way. This was a brooding, powerful wine with lots of life left in it. Dark red and some black fruits, but great acidity and balance.

10/11/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Red fruited with lots of minerality. Very translucent, we tasted this alongside a range of other Etna Rossos and it cemented Terre Nere as my go to producer for the region. Very good.

10/14/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

We found the 2019 Einaudi Cannubi to be an open and generous Barolo. It didn’t exhibit the depth and complexity of the 16 Bricco delle Viole consumed before it, but was a very enjoyable wine in its own right.

10/14/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Remarkable depth of fruit for a young Barolo with super fine tannins. It was great to check in on this wine and it showed extraordinarily well, but it will of course only improve with time. For me the Bricco delle Viole was probably the single greatest value in the 16 vintage.

12/29/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

A good champagne from a brand that’s pretty broadly available in Atlanta. It’s got some good depth and bread, and having found this for about $50 I’d say it can be a great value.

12/29/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This was truly an exceptional wine. It brought California fruit but a sense of lift, freshness, and elegance that I don’t typically associate with Napa Cabs. It came off straddling the new and old world divide, but I’ll add that it felt relatively ready to drink now- this doesn’t seem to be a wine that will require a very long rest in the cellar.

9/2/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This was a magnificent wine. Noticeably darker than an Il Cocco we drank alongside it, there was dark cherry, leather, and classic Tuscan soil. I was a bit surprised how available this wine was at 8 years after tasting a very shutdown Fuligni in June, but I’m glad we tried one now. Despite the enjoyment we derived from the bottle, the best years are certainly ahead for this wine.

9/17/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Grabbed one despite my own prior acknowledgement that this needs time. This is probably my favorite producer in Tuscany, but in this vintage this wine might just be ok. Not approaching the heights of a 2016 I had a couple years ago.

8/19/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Consistent with my prior note. This is a great value single vineyard Napa cab, and I found a degree of freshness here that was really appealing. It struggled a bit to follow a 2019 Clos des Papes and 2008 Billecart Salmon Nicolas Francois, but on day two when we finished the last 2/3rds of the bottle it was showing really well. I’d say there are no issues with opening now, but give it a solid hour decant.

8/19/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

CdP may not be very popular with the wine cognoscenti, but when I need a break from the acidity and tannins of the Nebbiolo and Sangiovese I love it’s something I find myself reaching for. And what an unbelievable bottle this was.

We had this alongside our main courses at Marcel (NY Strip au poivre for me) and it was nothing short of excellent. Packed with garrigue, spice, and baked red cherries, we couldn’t stop talking about it. This was actually the third time we’ve had 19 Clos des Papes, with the other instances being in January and December of 2022, and the consistency of our experiences has made this our go to CdP.

Lastly, I’ll add that I bought a case of this a little over a year ago for $85 a bottle. The value here can’t be overstated.

8/19/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Drank this with a dozen PEI oysters (and also by itself) and it was superb. It was fresh, linear, and had a lot of fruit with just a slight hint of toasty bread. All that being said, this was mostly about potential. This wine is barely into its drinking window, and I’ll avoid opening another for 3 - 5 years.

8/16/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Fresh and crisp, this was delicious as expected but pretty tightly coiled. I’d say it needs several years to start to really shine.

8/12/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs Fruit at $45 a bottle. This has notes of green apple, some yeast, and is an all around excellent QPR. A Champagne staple in our house for before dinner or winding down the night.

8/12/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Ribera del Duero isn’t a mainstay for us, but when you’re grilling steaks and making patatas bravas and grilled asparagus Barolo isn’t necessarily the tool for the job. This is a dark wine, but not a fruit bomb. It’s velvety smooth with hints of cigar that side saddle the potent fruit. A beautiful wine, I’m thinking Ribera del Duero should feature more prominently during the summer months here in Georgia.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Super primary with dark fruits but also that sense of Italian herbs and nerve, this was great but it’s barely showing it’s stuff. Really an excellent wine and solid value in higher end Bordeaux blends.

8/6/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Translucent ruby, the color contrasted with the power is a thing of beauty. This is a wine that demands food at this age, and it’s still just emerging, but it will be exceptional in a handful of years. This is one of my favorite base Barolos, and an incredible value in the $45 range.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Just ahead of a 2016 Paleo for wine of the night, for me it was the elegance and lift of the wine which is quite remarkable given the oppressive heat of the vintage. Still, this was more about potential than anything.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Relative to some older wines from Bolgheri, this showed the reserve of its vintage and place. Linear and closed, it didn’t really show its stuff until day two when it gained depth. This wine has many years in front of it.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

This was ready to drink, but by no means over the hill. No detailed notes on this one, but it was impressive. Not sure, however, that I’d pay the Gaja premium for this wine.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Everyone spotted this as a merlot, but the verve of Italy pushed through. Smooth and ready to drink, this is a wine that showed some of the Bordeaux lovers the heights Italian Bordeaux-based wines can achieve.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

Spice, herbs, and earthy green pepper made this one of the most compelling wines of the evening. The dark fruits were quite closed off at the beginning, but it opened beautifully over the course of two hours.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

A wine to just sit with and relish, this was a bit richer and more on the Krug side of the Krug - Dom spectrum. It was chalky with apple and bread, we absolutely loved it.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 wrote:

Bright and citrusy, but powerful at the same time. This is a beautiful champagne in the making, but the consensus was that it’s a bit tight and closed up at the moment. Delicious all the same, it’s best days lie ahead.

8/5/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:

What a relief! After trying one of these and finding it to be an off bottle last month, I decided to check in and see if the rest of the group was in the same condition. On the contrary, this was dark and rich but with plenty of acidity to keep it fresh. At ten years, the tannins on the finish still have tons of grip and I’d say this is just entering a very long drinking window. Really excellent.