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Comments on my notes

(37 comments on 31 notes)

1 - 31 of 31 Sort order
White
2021 Weingut Günther Steinmetz Neumagener Rosengärtchen Riesling Von den Terrassen Mosel Saar Ruwer
Uncorking this is like breaking the seal on a pharoah's tomb, releasing a haunting rush of aromas seeming to emanate from some deep, dark place. But before long the howl subsides and the wine settles into the mold of a tight, pale-fruited riesling that needs time to unwind, with a low rumbling bass line from the stony realm.
  • guillermo- commented:

    5/28/23, 4:34 PM - Stuart Pigott’s note on the Kabi from this vineyard says it turns really evil and charges your palate into the darkness. What’s with this vineyard in this vintage and darkness?

White
2021 Goodfellow Family Cellars Chardonnay Temperance Hill Eola - Amity Hills
11/13/2022 - cct wrote:
Barrel tasting with Megan and Marcus

"Mexican Radio" Barrel
Stony and flinty with citrus, unripe pear, and beautiful florals. Steely and detailed on the palate with excellent lift and a sense of focus. Beautiful balance 93-4

"Psycho Killer" Barrel
More floral with a toothsome crunchy even of extract, fantastic depth yet a sense of weightlessness and fleeting beauty. Terrific freshness, mouthwatering floral stony. Complete. Wow. 95+
  • guillermo- commented:

    5/6/23, 9:35 AM - Marcus just told me that this bottling will be made from Mexican Radio and Blitzkreig Bop.

    Psycho Killer will be a separate one-off bottling. I just added the wine.

White - Sparkling
2020 Aufricht Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Baden Chardonnay
4/1/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:
90 points
A private dinner with friends (Restaurant Rijsel, Amsterdam, NL): Lots of minerally energy, bright and crisp and yeasty, very dry, tight and borderline austere, direct and angular, not all that easy to love.
  • guillermo- commented:

    4/2/23, 9:15 AM - Do you think it might be too young?

Red
2018 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colledila Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese
The nose is herbal and earthy with a touch of caramel. Though still relatively oak-forward at this young age, that roughness is decently balanced by plum, violet, cherry, and juicy red fruit. The acid is glorious and the tannins noticeable but not overwhelming. Of the 3 single vineyards, this one appears that it will provide the most immediate pleasure, and thus should likely be consumed over the next 5 years or so.
  • guillermo- commented:

    4/1/23, 8:35 AM - Thank you for the note. I'm a bit confused as to why you said it'll be over the hill after around 2027 ("should likely be consumed over the next 5 years or so").

    Although it's not among the 3 single vineyards, your note on the Castello di Brolio reads very similarly (oak there is "a bit aggressive" vs "relatively forward" here; and it was "drinking pretty darn well" vs "providing the most immediate pleasure among the three single vineyards" here), except that you do not mention tannins on that one but you do here. Yet, you say the Castello di Brolio will evolve nicely over two decades. I would expect the same or longer for the Colledila, not starting to go downhill 4 years from now. Any reason for the difference?

  • guillermo- commented:

    4/1/23, 7:58 PM - Thank you!

Red
2021 Carlisle Zinfandel Mancini Ranch Russian River Valley
3/26/2023 - brigcampbell wrote:
Tasted alongside the 2020 and for me this one just doesn't show the complexity and sophistication of the 2020. The fruit profile is very nice but it's missing a little bit of structure compared to its brethren. Tannans are fine and rounded out, very approachable at this point.
  • guillermo- commented:

    3/28/23, 6:23 PM - I think you may have switched the notes with the 2020 or misspelled 2020 here where you wrote 2021.

White
2020 Weingut Günther Steinmetz Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett Mosel Saar Ruwer
Very shut down. Some vague notes of lemon/lime spritz and apricot on the nose and palate, but not much else right now. Won't open my other bottles for awhile.
  • guillermo- commented:

    9/18/22, 9:01 AM - Now I don't feel so alone in my finding my 2020s shut down.

Fruit/Vegetable Wine
2020 Eric Bordelet Poiré Granit Normandy Pear
9/14/2022 - Curtis Chen Likes this wine:
92 points
I enjoy the honey notes and the persistence of the old pears. This was a touch hot for me at 6% (compared to prior years at 4%ish), but still tasty.
  • guillermo- commented:

    9/15/22, 4:46 PM - I had never noticed the change in ABV. Thanks!

    I have a 2020 and some from other years and may do a side-by-side.

White - Sparkling
N.V. M. Brugnon Champagne Brut Sélection Champagne Blend
This is my second bottle of the Wine Access version.

Bright light yellow color. Ok bubbles with fleeting mousse.

A nose of strong marzipan with hints of golden raisins.

Flavors of raw sourdough with high acidity that provokes a long finish.

As the prior poster said, I’d rather have Cava too.

(At this point I don’t know if either or both of my bottles were flawed or if this was the bottle that went on long hot walk, or if it’s just not that good at all. If this was the walked bottle, the other was not good either so it makes little difference to me. Never again.)
  • guillermo- commented:

    9/13/22, 4:32 PM - Let us know

Fruit/Vegetable Wine
2019 Eric Bordelet Poiré Granit Normandy Pear
Still fresh at 3 years. Unmistakable pear aromas; fruity on the palate but dry and crisp; balanced. I love Bordelet's ciders.
  • guillermo- commented:

    8/28/22, 8:54 PM - I recently ordered a bottle of the 2015 that he released to a retailer to show how well they age.

White
2020 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Atalier a cruz das ánimas Albariño
8/14/2022 - DoubleMagnum wrote:
90 points
Interesting white with quite a mineral nose. Acid is very pronounced on the palate however. This needs some time in the cellar to come together. The structure needs some polishing which some rest time should provide. No doubt this will shine a year or two from now.
  • guillermo- commented:

    8/20/22, 6:51 PM - Yes. That's the typical progression for this bottling. Year 3 after the vintage is usually when it starts singing and, when it does, it's like another wine.

  • guillermo- commented:

    8/21/22, 8:31 AM - Hahaha
    Thank you! Cheers

Red
2019 Halcon Vineyards Petite Sirah Tierra Theopolis Vineyard Yorkville Highlands
4/12/2022 - grafstrb wrote:
-- TN from Day 4 --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: inky red/purple berries; wet stones; moderately expressive; hint of ballpoint pen ink.

BODY: fine particulate matter present; garnet-violet color of great depth; medium bodied.

TASTE: concentrated plum; medium-fine tannins are drying; some drying oak flavor; 13.8% alc. well-hidden; drinks fine now, but hoping some time in the cellar absorbs some of the oak.
  • guillermo- commented:

    7/14/22, 6:59 AM - I had my one bottle of this set to a drinking window starting this year. Based on your oak comment I’m thinking of postponing that. Where do you recommend?

  • guillermo- commented:

    7/14/22, 9:07 PM - I should have actually known that. Still stems need to integrate too. I’ll give it some time.

Red
2019 Bruma Plan B Tinto Valle de Guadalupe Red Blend
5/21/2022 - The Rooster wrote:
87 points
Needed something good tonight to help recooperate after running 12mi today. Chose this crazy, but well-rated Mexican GSM blend (made with Mourvedre, Granache, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot AND Montipulciano!). Med+ ruby color. Blackberry, black olive, cherry, oregano, band-aid, camphor, and clove. Medium-body. Med+ tannins. Black fruits, pepper, earthy. Long finish that ends with a hint of sweetness.
  • guillermo- commented:

    6/28/22, 8:41 AM - Are you sure about the year on your bottle?

    The 2019 blend was Grenache/Garnacha (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Mourvèdre/Monastrell (10%), Merlot (10%) and Malbec (10%).

    As I understand it, the blend you described is the 2020 blend.

  • guillermo- commented:

    7/2/22, 8:36 AM - Good to know! That sounds like a completely different wine from the 2019, which stands to reason given the new blend. My experience with the 2019 was really good. Of course, YMMV even with that one because it's pretty unique.

Red
2005 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
6/18/2022 - nywine68 wrote:
93 points
Drank with dinner at the Inn at Little Washington. Showing beautiful notes of secondary development (already) with smoke, grilled meat and dark brooding blackberry fruit. Tannins are still very assertive, however, and will take at least another decade to melt away. The question will be if the flavors and tannins will mature at the same pace?
  • guillermo- commented:

    6/21/22, 12:31 PM - Thank you for posting. How confident are you of that decade on the tannins?

White
2019 Kelley Fox Wines Chardonnay Lark Block Durant Vineyard Dundee Hills
5/31/2022 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine:
91 points
This is a nice chardonnay with a unique style. I figured it would be tight an auto decanted for a few hours before serving. While certainly serviceable, I far prefer Kelley's efforts with pinot.
  • guillermo- commented:

    6/1/22, 8:59 AM - Having had a bottle a few weeks ago, I think I know where you're coming from. Even after an hour+ it was just ok. But after 24 hours it was elevated.

White
2019 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg Chenin Blanc
5/14/2022 - guillermo- Likes this wine:
92 points
Everything in balance. Probably outstanding if I hadn’t had the 2019 Le Haut-Lieu Sec which I know everyone says is the poorer sibling but for me is noticeably better. I wish I had bought more of that instead of of these. Will attempt to remedy that.
  • guillermo- commented:

    5/16/22, 2:34 PM - I will wait a while thanks Bob. I have several bottles left. I just wanted to get a feel for these now.

White - Sparkling
2014 Marie Courtin Champagne Efflorescence Extra Brut Pinot Noir
Bubbleclub--April 2022 (all wines served blind) (Opah in Aliso Viejo, CA): Served last night side by side (blind and bagged) with the 2015 Efflorescence. And, the 2014 was from the December 2018 disgorgement. This is bottle #11 of the 2014 since release, and it's an iconic wine for my Champagne experience because it was the wine that very early on led me to the appreciation and respect I have for Dominique Moreau's winemaking skill. Last night's bottle was again beautiful. Stony, with concentrated red fruit, with the pedigree of length and balance. And as I have remarked so many times now, don't drink these wines too cold, and instead let them warm up and go still. Then, the beauty is revealed. I tell you, the 2014 is aging wonderfully and continues to reflect and bring a joy that is remarkable for me.
  • guillermo- commented:

    4/17/22, 4:24 PM - Isn't her name Dominique Moreau?

    (Just going to post my own review and ran into this latest one from you)

Red
2012 Il Paradiso (Manfredi) Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese
12/21/2019 - bartgab Likes this wine:
90 points
Rosso rubino scuro, al naso esprime note di tabacco dolce, di liquirizia, di iodio. Tutte sensazioni ben amalgamate ad un frutto di rara generosità: visciole, ciliegie, marasche in confettura aprono ad un assaggio avvolgente, fresco, lunghissimo. Struggente. Di corpo, ogni elemento è perfettamente integrato all'altro e porta ad un finale indimenticabile per persistenza e gusto.
  • guillermo- commented:

    2/20/22, 5:50 AM - Il contenuto della tua nota non sembra corrispondere a un punteggio così basso.

Red
2019 Ridge Geyserville Alexander Valley Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel
12/2/2021 - B&PBaker wrote:
88 points
Underwhelming for something that's been fabulous in the past and is currently on Spectator's top 100 list.
I'm going to let my remaining bottles rest a while.
This was ok but lacking in all phases.
  • guillermo- commented:

    12/3/21, 8:58 AM - When you say "in the past," how long ago do you mean?

    I ask because you have never posted a favorable note on any Ridge Geyserville, so I'm wondering if you mean in the 90's.

Red
2018 Joseph Castan Corbières Chateau Croix d’Aumèdes Cuvee Reserve Red Blend
10/17/2021 - guillermo- Likes this wine:
90 points
Agree with most prior notes. Really good QPR here. Drink in the next 2 years.
  • guillermo- commented:

    11/27/21, 11:21 AM - I had this with two other people at dinner (thus no detailed tasting note but the prior notes seemed correct) and, while it is a modest, unremarkable wine, everyone thought it was fine. Thus my note that it had good QPR. I probably gave it a couple of points extra for the QPR. But I wouldn't go below an 88 which is still fine.

    I will say I think I had opened it about an hour early but i could be wrong about that.

    I think, even while focused on the conversation, I would have noticed a disagreeably bitter taste. (I certainly did just two days ago on Thanksgiving, when somebody opened a fourth different wine, and I took one taste, said "ugh this is cooked like it was sitting under somebody's sink for a few years" and had a couple of people look at me like I was a bad guest.)

    I don't think your issue would be VA because that's normally a problem at the winery, not a particular bottle (I think). And it would have been remarked upon earlier. There are too many good or OK notes here for that to have gone unnoticed.

    There is a note below that mentions Tar Creosote... that could be your issue. To me that's a Nebbiolo note, not a GSM note, but I wouldn't turn down a GSM wine for having a bit of a Nebbiolo note.

    I don't think this is so tannic that it would be disagreeably bitter to anyone but maybe it depends on what you were eating?

    Another possibility... did you have a fever that you didn't notice?

  • guillermo- commented:

    11/27/21, 11:48 AM - Maybe it had to do with the progression?

    The other day I had a NV Charles Heidsieck that I usually like right after the 2013 Brugnon (that I expected to hate as much as I hate their NV but grudgingly admit is quite nice), and I dinged the Charlie for not showing well. It was probably the same as always but some flavors I dislike were more apparent in comparison.

    Maybe on its own this would have been fine. Knowing you, the Champagne and the Pinot Noir were probably the good stuff and then you throw this poor $15 wine behind them and it's like making that band that shines in the talent show sing after Tony Bennett.

White
2018 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Chenin Blanc
Had it because I wanted to explore the stylistic differences between Vouvray sec (which I love) and Savennières, which I’ve read is traditionally differentiated (other than climat) by a more oxidative style of winemaking vis a vis traditional Vouvray’s more reductive style.

Whatever its other nuances, based on the prior notes and my sourcing, this wine seems stylistically a good example of Savennières.

If that’s true then, in short, for my palate, the oxidative style does Chenin Blanc no favors, inserting Gewürztraminer-like and Sauvignon Blanc-like flavors which I dislike. I’ll stick to Vouvray.
  • guillermo- commented:

    11/22/21, 3:36 PM - Thanks! I might give it another chance.

Red
2003 Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Mann Vineyard Napa Valley
10/30/2021 - PIntag wrote:
13.5% abv. Recent auction purchase.
Interesting Napa Cab. There's a little bit of a roasted note that points to the hot vintage, but it's not too bad. Seems kind of tight and wound up still, even on the second evening (stoppered overnight). Acid was pretty high and stuck out a bit. Not the most attractive flavor profile but an interesting drink for the $22 I paid for it.
  • guillermo- commented:

    11/22/21, 7:12 AM - Ebert liked The English Patient. That movie sucked.

White - Sparkling
N.V. Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve Champagne Blend
11/9/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote:
92 points
I turned a wine snob friend on to this. He is appalled at the thought of drinking anything that is NV. His go to wines, get this: Dom, Cristal, Comtes de Champagne. I talked him into trying this, so he pinched his nose and bought 4 bottles. Last week he had an offer to buy Cristal 08 at an attractive price, he offered it to me, I graciously declined. His following sentence was a mind blowing sentence that I thought that I would never hear from his mouth. He said "Yeah you're right, who needs Cristal when you can find NV like this for under 50 bucks!" WOW!!!! My job is done here...This is straight up delicious and slightly serious. Corks are flying...Drink!
  • guillermo- commented:

    11/13/21, 6:11 PM - LOL great note!
    Did you note the disgorgement and mis en cave dates from the back label?

White
2019 Skouras Moschofilero Salto Nemea
4/24/2021 - guillermo- Likes this wine:
94 points
This is my first moschofilero and I am a convert. This wine transported me to Greece. A nose of briny lemon and with some flowers, like having margaritas in a garden by the beach. And a pleasant tarty saltiness on the mouth, as if the grapes had been watered directly from the Ionian sea, with acidic hints of lime and passion fruit. It would be perfect if it had a bit more complexity. The finish is so long and salty, it’s almost sexual. A revelation.
  • guillermo- commented:

    11/6/21, 6:38 PM - Thanks!

Red
2020 Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel California
10/20/2021 - Mootsie wrote:
88 points
Plum and pepper. Different than prior years, more purple fruits.

Edit: day 3 now, best since the bottle was opened. Still purple fruited. Not as good as the last few years. A little disappointed.
  • guillermo- commented:

    10/25/21, 4:46 PM - They did say it has a lot more Esola than any other year so the profile would be different.

Red
2020 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Esola Vineyard Amador County
drinking well on the second day. so much joy in the glass here!

intoxicating nose... like a bowl of prickly blackberries macerated with chartreuse, benedictine and grand marnier. drinks similarly for me. powerful, but not a bit of flab
  • guillermo- commented:

    10/25/21, 4:38 PM - Sounds delicious. Glad I grabbed a few.

White - Sparkling
N.V. Francis Boulard Champagne Les Murgiers Extra Brut Champagne Blend
12/22/2019 - GrapeScott wrote:
90 points
Disgorged in September, 2015, from 2012 base with 30% 2010/11. Boulard is one of my favorite houses, along with Prevost, Collin, Vilmart, Chartogne-Tailllet, Suenen and Savart. While current vintages of this cuvée are now brut nature, this bottling was an extra brut. Not sure of the dosage, but I would guess it is pretty close to zero. I have a soft spot for Meunier, and this is a lovely expression of the grape. Dry and crisp, with some marzipan and poached pear on the nose, and a citrusy midpalate. Not the most complex, but still lovely.
  • guillermo- commented:

    9/7/21, 6:01 AM - Thank you for the note. Regarding your comment that current disgorgements are now Brut Nature, I just want to note that Phil Trotter reported on the Wine Berserkers board that he reached out to Mme Delphine Richard (a.k.a Delphine Boulard) about this in August of last year. She was nice enough to confirm that since 2001 there have always been 2 dosages for the Les Murgiers cuvée. Her dad, Francis, always wanted to produce an Extra-Brut and a Brut Nature of Les Murgiers with the Brut Nature being a smaller production. However, cellar management became a little too complex so Mme Richard made the call to restrict this to a single dosage in 2015. But, that single dosage could vary from Brut Nature to Extra-Brut depending on the vintage and her mood. So your confusion, mine, and everyone else’s is understandable, but we can presume that there will always be “current” disgorgements/releases of both types, just from different years.

  • guillermo- commented:

    9/7/21, 7:34 AM - My pleasure. Looking forward to it.

Red
2018 Girard Artistry Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
7/17/2021 - bcahlbrandt Likes this wine:
92 points
Really happy with this. I always approach a Meritage with trepidation because Bordeaux is my wine of choice, and CA rarely lives up. While this still doesn't hit the complexity I love about Bordeaux, it was much more elegant that typical blends in the same price range. Dark fruit, dark chocolate, cedar and vanilla, with a mild herbaceous note on the back end. The fruit was restrained just enough to let some of the other flavors shine.
  • guillermo- commented:

    9/5/21, 2:58 PM - Picked this wine at a restaurant based on your note when faced with a wall of cab sameness on the wine list. Glad I did. Thanks.

White
2019 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu Chenin Blanc
9/1/2021 - guillermo- Likes this wine:
95 points
Rarely have I tasted a wine that all concerned were wowed by. This is one of them. “Buy more of this,” I was told by someone whose first love is Riesling.

This wine is not about complexity. It is about purity. It’s linear, yes. But it is like drinking pureness. Acidity is very well balanced by fruit. No hard edges. No off notes. Everything as it should be.

After the first glass, the rest served as accompaniment to a pasta dish in which goat cheese featured prominently. In that role, it did the job well. Not surprising, since goat cheese is a classic pairing. The dish also had asparagus which is notoriously hard to pair, so I won’t ditch any point for not standing up to it. Still very good.

I have a few more bottles and I’m getting more if I can find them.

Edit: I should have noted, I splash-decanted the wine about 2 hours before serving, poured it back into the bottle, recorked and put it back in the fridge until the time came.
  • guillermo- commented:

    9/2/21, 4:22 AM - Thank you!

Red
2019 Scherrer Winery Zinfandel Scherrer Shale Terrace Alexander Valley
4/16/2021 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine:
93 points
So penetrating and complex for a wine this young. Also delicious!
  • guillermo- commented:

    4/24/21, 9:32 AM - How does it compare to the 2018?

White
2018 Carl Loewen Longuicher Maximin Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett Mosel Saar Ruwer
2018: Litt kjedelig, men typeriktig mosel kabinett. Fruktdrevet, avdempet mineralitet. Behagelig halvtørr, men kunne hatt mer strålende syre. Til f eks krabbe
  • guillermo- commented:

    4/19/21, 4:23 PM - Is this about the 2018 as the text says or about the 2019 vintage where it's posted?

Red
2012 Meyer Family Cellars Syrah Yorkville Highlands
3/22/2021 - Gr8penut Does not like this wine:
51 points
A 2012 Syrah from Meyer Cellars, previously of Silver Oak fame. I thought with a name and heritage like that, this one would last a little longer, but I was wrong. One sip and it was down the kitchen sink. A real disappointment, but I guess I only have myself to blame for letting it get too old. ☹️🍷👎👎
  • guillermo- commented:

    3/26/21, 6:21 PM - Don’t feel bad. Last Bottle is selling this vintage right now in the marathon.

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