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Comments on my notes

(10 comments on 9 notes)

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Red
2017 Lumen Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley
8/25/2021 - Elizim Likes this wine:
90 points
A good food wine because it has good acidity and is dry without a cheap cough drop flavor. But the fruit is one dimensional and there are not a lot of spices. I thought the finish was unfinished but it was better the second day and that’s a good sign as well. I would describe the tannins as tea tannins.
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    4/30/22, 9:44 AM - Interesting note. I don’t think you’ll ever find a lot of “spice” flavors in Santa Maria Valley Pinots because they are cold climate and “spice” notes aren’t a typical or desireable expression of the PN grape and usually indicate that the grapes were grown in a too warm climate, like the RRV PNs. I always tend to compare PN to Burgundian style, which is not fruity or spicey, but earthy and expressive of the terroir. If you look at Lumen PNs from that perpesctive they are probably one of the closest to a good Burgundy you will find in California. Lane Tanner, the winemaker, tends to pick early to maximize the acidity. This particular PN has some great earthy notes and excellent acidity. Their best example in my opinion is their Presqu’ile Vinyard PN. Pretty much every PN I’ve had from the Presqu’ile Vinyard has been very good, very lean, and earthy more than fruity.

White
2019 Dragonette Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Grimm's Bluff Vineyard Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
Dragonette Sauvignon Blanc Grimm’s Bluff

Light straw color, thick, slow legs

On the nose there is apple, pear, spice,

On the palate fresh apple, caramel apple, spice, butter, citrus on the end

Very balanced in its acidity and alcohol. Very low to Low tannin.

Really nice French oak aged Sauvignon Blanc. This is my first of this style. It was impressive on the tasting room, but really knocked my socks off here at home where I could really savor it and enjoy it with a meal (turkey, quinoa, and feta stuffed peppers, it was a fantastic pairing).

So glad I got a few of these. Can’t wait to try it with other pairings. Would be wonderful with preserved lemon and Moroccan spiced chicken or fish as well.

I definitely would buy this wine again and recommend it.

UPDATE 2/4/22: I made a Moroccan spiced sea bass with preserved lemon, 7 spice grains, sautéed green beans and spinach. Phenomenal pairing with this particular SB. I think it’s the “spiciness” the oak gives the bright and acidic SB.
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    12/8/21, 6:10 PM - Sounds great! I’ll keep that in mind for next year! I bought three bottles of this and a few others from Dragonette during our trip to Santa Barbara County. And no doubt I will re-order in the future.

Red
2018 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz Cliff Edge Grampians
4/2/2021 - jordanj Likes this wine:
92 points
Huge lastbottle win. This is going to be exceptional in about 10 years but still very accessible today. Well made. Purple! Young! Still a vibrant huge nose of fruit, herbs, earth. Class wrestling with youth. Well made! Enjoyable today but will only mellow and open up!
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    8/25/21, 12:36 PM - This makes me so sad… I got a bottle in a birthday special mixed 1/2 case from last bottle. August in Florida, should’ve had them hold it, but I went with the “ice pack” options. I’ve opened 3/6 bottles and they were all spoiled. So, I’m guessing this one may be as well. Two of the bottles that were closest to the “ice pack” were not as warm to the touch, but I’m not holding out hope that this one made it. The good news is they did give me a credit.

Red
2017 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor Puente Alto
Deep ruby, almost purple in color.
Dark red and black fruits, tobacco, vanilla, baking spice, and some floral notes on the nose.
Cherry, blackberry, vanilla, cocoa, tobacco.
Relaxes tannins, very smooth, medium long finish. Tad bit of alcohol on the nose, but overall a really good Cab and my first Chilean Cab. Excellent.
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    5/19/21, 6:46 AM - From what I recall it was pretty well balanced. Tannins we’re present, but not mouth puckering/drying, but enough to add structure.

    Not as tannic as a Ribera Del Duero style Tempranillo, but on par with a most calirfornia cabs. If that makes sense.

    I’m not particularly sensitive to tannins, but I do prefer a well-balanced wine. However, it will be best if you pair it with a meal that has plenty of fat and savory notes, like steak with mushrooms or beef roast.

    I would think it still has enough tannin to age for a few years, if you’d like to see what tertiary aromas and flavors might develop, but it is drinking pretty well right now.

    Hope that helps.

Red
2017 Quentin Jeannot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Pinot Noir
4/10/2020 - Luigi di Abruzzi Likes this wine:
94 points
Maybe a bit early to drink, but hey it's a global viral pandemic and I'm locked inside. Nose of apple blossom, fallen leaves, wildflower honey, tobacco, smoke, soil. Giving this 2+ hours time really opened it up as young as the bottle is. Taste of strawberry, red fruit, soil, thin but present tannin and a great long finish. Had with filet mignon, spring potato, asparagus. Paired well with the lighter cut of meat. Extremely yummy.
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    11/24/20, 10:16 AM - We had it with a mushroom dish and Duck breast as a main course and it was wonderful.

Red
2010 Ardal Tradicion Ribera del Duero Reserva Selección Especial Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
5/9/2020 - Endodr Likes this wine:
91 points
This was a Costco purchase, as I was looking for everyday drinking wines with some bottle age. It’s 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet. This wine is medium bodied and very fruity, with aromas and tastes of black cherry, plum, and cedar. It’s still very tannic and neds a lot of time. As an everyday drinker, priced under $15 a bottle, I give it a thumbs up. Decant or cellar longer.
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    10/8/20, 2:36 PM - Same here. purchased at Costco. What a find! Went back to see if they had a few more to lay down. No such luck! Now, I'm only seeing it for $30/bottle. Still worth it, but darn!

  • Julie Lampe commented:

    10/8/20, 5:04 PM - Haven’t seen any at mine, but yes Muga is good. I’d grab a reserva for $30 if I saw it!

Red
2006 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium Oakville
Haven't tasted this since just after its release. That said, after ~90 minutes in a wide bottom decanter, this is showing as/better than I might have expected, or wished for. Good structure, fully mature, and in no fear of imminent decline. Gentle black fruits, fresh, lifting acidity, and very fine, gently sweet tannins. A joy, and one to take one's time with at this stage of its life. Easily highly recommended
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    10/8/20, 2:26 PM - Good to know on the "no fear of imminent decline". I bought a bottle of this as an anniversary gift this year to drink on our 15th anniversary next year. We were in Napa in spring 2006, so I thought something from that year would be a nice celebration for us. Did a lot of reading up before I purchased, but hadn't thought to look here for recent ratings.

Red
2016 Izadi Rioja Crianza Tempranillo
9/23/2020 - Julie Lampe wrote:
Pretty unremarkable. I opened it to use in a recipe, had a glass, but didn't finish the bottle.
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    9/23/20, 5:51 PM - paid $12 and bought at Costco

Red
2015 Bodegas Muga Rioja Selección Especial Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
Deep ruby in color, somewhat opaque. Opened and decanted for about an hour before tasting.
Aroma: dark fruit, black cherry, spice, vanilla
Body: medium
Flavors: FRESH fruit flavors: dark cherry, fresh plum, blackberry, mineral, faint leather, vanilla
Finish: chalky, not a super long finish, a little tanginess on the back end
Overall a very bright, balanced wine. I can see that it might need to mature a little. Bought 3 bottles, 1 for now and two to lay down. A very good wine, can't wait to see what some age does for it.
The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.
  • Julie Lampe commented:

    8/28/20, 7:01 PM - I’m planning for 2025 for one bottle and 2028 for the other.

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