2/8/2024 - guillermo- wrote:

Not bad but very advanced for a 2012

1/27/2024 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

This is very different and very good. Glossy grayish yellow in color. On the nose almonds, pineapple and maybe bergamot announce the oxidative style. Mouthwatering acidity on the tongue perfectly balanced by a strong but somehow refreshing flavor with notes of papaya, Meyer lemon, lime and hints of toasted walnuts and hazelnuts. Long, nutty finish. Considering it's almost 10 years old, it can likely go a further 6 years or more, but that's more of a guess.

I rarely would rate an oxidative white highly, but here we are.

12/21/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Much more open for business than in September of last year. Still not at peak but much more enjoyable.

12/18/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Red fruits, good acidity, 13.5% ABV. Complex enough to be interesting. A baseline for very good Anderson Valley PN.

11/18/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Drinkable now but also likely to improve and gain nuance for another decade. Sour cherries and tar with aromas of dried flowers. Medium to light body. Very elegant and old-school. Outstanding balance at 13% ABV. If only more Nebbiolo wines could say the same.

(Note to self: Next bottle in late 2028.)

9/22/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

My first 2021 Zin, this blend beautifully showcases what I expected to be and clearly was an outstanding vintage for Zin in this section of the RRV. Up there with the 2018s. Classic Carlisle profile. This was my only bottle but as many have said it is approachable now and will also keep (Mike O is always on point with his opening drink dates). I can’t wait for the single vineyards to enter their window.

9/6/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Compared to my last note, seems shut down

9/5/2023 - guillermo- Does not like this wine:

Ok but kinda bland and flavorless.

8/5/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

No hint of the Albariño bite means this is ready. Excellent balance. I would like a but more depth of flavor but all in all very good stuff.

7/8/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Agree with Bob. Would add it was a bit bretty.

6/21/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

From memory: Still firing on all cylinders.

6/2/2023 - guillermo- Does not like this wine:

I love both Bordelet pear ciders but this aged apple one struck me as almost beer-like. Not a fan. YMMV

6/4/2023 - guillermo- Does not like this wine:

From memory too much of a taste reminiscent of stewed plums or prunes. Not my thing.

It has great reviews so YMMV.

5/23/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

No formal note but much better than the basic 2013

5/20/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Simply impeccable balance.

4/9/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Ikkaariainen and The Drunken Cyclist have it right.

This is, to me, the benchmark Sonoma Cab, even as somewhat of a meritage. Certainly not a great vintage as everyone knows, but still classic stuff.

4/9/2023 - guillermo- Does not like this wine:

I had forgotten to add a note. Drank with friends back-to-back with two other chards from very different terroirs. This was the WOTD for most of the group, though not for me. The consensus middle was a 2019 Whitcraft La Rinconada Sta. Rita Hills. My preferred wine was a 2019 Pattes Loup Chablis Vent d’Agne Mise Tardive. I thought this lacked some concentration in comparison. Bumping a point because others loved it. Maybe it would have benefitted from more time open.

4/9/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

I had forgotten to add a note. From memory DSamuel has it right. Drank with friends back-to-back with two other chards from very different terroirs. This was the consensus middle finisher, though people alternated 1 and 3 which were a 2019 Evening Land Seven Springs Eola-Amity Hills (#1 for most of the group) and a 2019 Pattes Loup Chablis Vent d’Agne Mise Tardive (#1 for me). Maybe it would have benefitted from more time open.

5/19/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

An outstanding Chianti Classico. 13.5% ABV. Medium to full bodied yet the first impressions are light as air. Cherries, flowers and spices on the nose and palate. Vibrant acidity provides a refreshing vehicle for smooth, truly silky tannins. Remarkable purity and weightless depth of fruit. Dare I say Burgundian? Yeah sure, why not. The medium finish is a tad shorter than expected and keeps this a few points from perfection.

Standard cork (which broke in half). Very good QPR.

5/16/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Excellent. Lemon, spicy and nutty nose with bright acidity, a strong midpalate with the same notes along with some endives (maybe?) and a medium to long finish. Concentrated yet refreshing. A winner.

5/14/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Almost every Kabinett I've ever had has been enjoyable, barring flawed bottles. So it should come as no surprise that this one was as well. I think the issue here is that there is a noticeable stylistic change from my recollections of the 2019 which was my last vintage. That one had some sponti funkiness that is totally absent here. This is a more linear citrusy creature with none of the rounding notes (I had noted pear) of that vintage.

From the MFW notes, the 2019 was picked at 85° Oechsle and this was picked at 79° Oechsle in a vintage that already was more acidic to begin with, and that choice may be the culprit.

Some have noted the acid is too high here. I don't necessarily think that, in the abstract. I had most of it with food and the acid was fine. I think the problem is that the higher acid of the vintage combined with the reduced ripeness at picking makes this come across as a Kabinett from someone other than Andreas Adam; a different balance point. Whether that's good or bad or just something to be aware of is up to each drinker.

I'll gladly drink it if someone serves it, but I won't be seeking out more.

5/12/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Same as before. Beautiful.

5/12/2023 - guillermo- Does not like this wine:

Flavorless

5/10/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

As I speculated at the end of my last note, it seems it was in fact transitioning, but sadly not for the better. While it still a delicious and perfectly enjoyable wine and no longer has any has perception on opening, it has also become more linear and less beautifully nuanced; a wine to not think about while enjoying it. The good news is that anyone who has yet to try it will not miss those old layers and will likely enjoy it more than I.

5/3/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Some lemon, a bit of apple and some river rocks. A step up from the 2013s I recently had but no fireworks. Still, a good effort and fine QPR.

5/7/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Too bretty for me. I don’t know if this is on purpose so I’m marking it flawed.

4/9/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

I did not take detailed notes because I had guests but from memory I think Bagwhat has the flavor profile right.

My note to my supplier the next day was “whoa! what an amazing bottle of wine, simply outstanding balance and integration. It was my WOTD.” My guests however thought it was good but too intensely flavored. Oh well. Let them give out their own scores.

5/2/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

12.3% ABV. 3.20 pH.
DIAM 10 cork (kudos).

From the Lower Block of Royer Vineyard.
Harvested 9/9/21 and another pass 10 days apart. 10 months in French oak and unstirred lees. Full malolactic.

On the nose, Meyer lemon, oyster shell, dried herbs and some reductive notes that I want to call smoke over ice. High acid in the mouth with flavorful notes of grapefruit, green apple, a hint of almond and a long salty finish.

While good now, I think this needs several years to tame the acidity a bit and show its best. There is much upside here. So, I’d recommend setting the drinking window to start in 2025.

4/30/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Disgorged 10/21.
Classic light young Champagne color. Light but persistent mousse. A nose of brioche, white flowers and a hint of citrus. In the mouth, the balance is simply outstanding. Medium bodied. Nothing is out of place. Acidity, effervescence, depth of flavor with remarkable fruit, all the parts play in harmony. I’m sure it can age more but this is very open and ready to go. I keep looking at the empty bottle because I want more. Not cheap but still an outstanding value.

4/8/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Standard cork. 13% ABV. Aromas of roasted coffee beans, cocoa powder and plums. On the palate, medium bodied with notes of dark chocolate, black fruits and spices.

It’s unlikely I would have guessed Burgundy if blinded. It was much more delicious as a whole than it sounds but the notes were unexpected.

4/3/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

As CPSchoeff says it was fun and fresh. It was also the only drinkable European wine in a lineup of mostly American Carignane (something I had not realized at the time). I don’t think this is a showstopper wine by any stretch but considering its price, it’s home-run QPR

4/6/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

A backfill purchase taken to a tasting. Good but lacking the usual Lulu fireworks. Could be a storage issue.

4/5/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Screwcap. 9% ABV. I had to check the vintage 3 times on this wine. Citrus and a hint of rocks and salty spices on the nose. Pineapple and citrus on the palate. It's delicious and crushable and, paradoxically, that's the issue. The balance of the sugar and the acidity recalls the declassified-Spatlese Kabinetts of 2019 and 2020, but in 2021 that seems to be a failure to transmit the ripe acids of the vintage. And in failing to do so, becomes less interesting. Still, to be fair, I love those 2020 and 2019 Kabis and deliciousness matters. Lovers of 2020 and 2019 Kabis who don't care about vintage correctness will find much to love here. Good QPR at $27.

4/1/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Standard cork. Pale yellow color. Kabinett style with 39 g/L of residual sugar. My first experience with this 10 year old wine.

A somewhat muted nose of grapefruit, diesel and stones. When cold, this comes across as highly acidic to the point of being unbalanced with notes of barely-candied lime. It makes me question if these grapes were perhaps picked a bit too early. As it warms, the lime morphs into a much more pleasant candied grapefruit or even orange and the acid integrates better, but never fully, keeping a bit of an edge.

Still, all things considered, a pleasant wine at the right temperature and considerably better than its dry reserve stablemate of the same vintage (which is priced the same). Glad I tried this. I'd recommend drinking sooner rather than later.

3/26/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

From memory as part of a multi wine paella lunch. When served closed to 65 F, on the palate ripe banana flavors with enough weight and intensity to suggest that this is better served very cold. Once colder it becomes a much more balanced.

3/26/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

This was really good in a paella dinner. From memory a bit cloudy, some effervescence, citrus, well balanced.

3/26/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Delicious my guests called it. Red fruited. Same notes as before. But remarkably so because this seems not to have aged in a year. Really remarkably good. I wish they had kept this blend year to year.

3/25/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

High pressure bottle at fridge temp (or maybe a bit hard to grab cork) made uncorking more than a hiss though not quite a pop. Standard cork. 12.68% ABV. No malolactic. Eight years sur lie before disgorgement (despite the label misprint). No oak. No dosage.

Ephemeral mousse but persistent bubbles. An initial whiff of sweet brioche on PNP gives way to a smell that reminds me first of Jolly Rancher and then of Strawberry Starburst candies, later returning to a deeper brioche with some citrus.

In the mouth, an acid attack of green apple and bitter orange. Tons of foamy, salivating action in the midpalate. The long finish at first reminds me of “dry,” chalky Orange Julius in a good way, but somehow separates into brioche and apples; and lingers on with a multi-mineral saltiness.

There is no way I would have guessed this was non dose if I had been blinded. And I’m fairly convinced that dosage would not have helped here.

My score of 93 reflects my view that drinking this brings twice the pleasure of drinking Laherte Frères BdB BN, which I use as benchmark for BdB BN. I’d put this at the same level as LF Grandes Crayères or vintage Roederer BdB (though those are both dosed).

3/23/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Red and purple fruits, flowers and earth on the slightly hot nose. Dusty savory spices, red and black fruits and rustic tannin and coffee bean overtones on the palate. On day 3 the tannins finally integrate a bit and let the fruit shine more.

I’ve never had Gaglioppo before. This seems like it was hot vintage and my feeling is a cooler vintage might help it be a bit less heavy. Still a good value at $16 and under.

14% ABV.

3/20/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Brioche and apples and flowers on the nose. Ephemeral mousse but plenty of effervescence on the palate. Plenty of acidity and chalk envelop a core of fruit. Much more approachable than the 2014 Roederer Vintage Brut. The finish goes on and on.

Disgorged April 2021

3/17/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Powerful aromatics upon popping the cork. Medium yellow color.

On PNP:
Tons of diesel and rocks and some petrichor on the nose. Bone dry. Notes of lime-adjacent citrus on the attack with some rubber. Noticeably acidic taste profile but barely any salivary response from the tongue. Almost empty midpalate. I can feel that the finish wants to be long but has little to hang on to.

Day 3:
The diesel aromatics toned down and a pleasant hint of white flowers emerged to join them. The acidic profile also rounded out and the midpalate gained some weight, with mainly some nondescript citrus, but the finish shortened. So much more drinkable now but also less memorable. Ok for an entry level wine.

3/13/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Flawed. A sort of plastic/rubbery smell inconsistent with my last bottle. I can't quite place the particular flaw though.

3/15/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Every once in a while I drink a Rioja to remember why I'm not generally a fan. In this case, too much wood for my taste. To be fair however, it was much better on day 3 so maybe if you wait 5 more years this turns out well.

3/5/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

13.5% ABV. Standard cork.

Drank over two days, this is delicious. Lumber, incense(?) and forest floor on the nose. Black fruits, moss and half the spice cabinet in the mouth. Medium bodied. The tannins are there but so well balanced it’s hard to describe them. Medium finish.

There’s certainly fruit and tannins to age here. And since there are whole clusters the aging curve should be longer than otherwise. I’m guessing this can go 15 years from the vintage (maybe more) with upside. I only have one other bottle but I’ll try to save it till at least the 10th anniversary. Good stuff. I should buy more as vintages get released.

Excellent QPR at $25

3/1/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Agree with David that this is drinking younger than its age. In fact I hadn’t even noticed the age until I saw his review. No formal notes but drank over three nights during the week and probably improved with air. That said it wasn’t anything remarkable, just a solid wine.

2/24/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

After a rough week this hit the spot. White flowers and river stones on the nose. Lime and salt and minerals on the palate. High but beautiful acidity. Long finish.

2/20/2023 - guillermo- Does not like this wine:

Syrah, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon make up the blend in this over the top beast. 15.1% ABV. Tons of sediment encrusted in the bottle. In the glass, dark as Putin's heart. Potent aromas of dark chocolate with notes of prunes and an overburnt smokiness. The same notes on the palate fight with chalky ripe tannins. Somewhat counterintuitively, it is neither hot nor jammy. Medium and unnuanced finish; something that can also be said of the fate that will befall the rest of the bottle.

2016 was a banner year in Napa. Why anyone would make such a wine from 2016 fruit is beyond me.

2/18/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Opened for science. Ethereal and filigreed with bracing but precise acidity. Almost colorless. The nose is reticent and really only opens up at cool room temperature with hints of diesel, white peach, white flowers, chironja and ice. On the salivation-demanding palate, citrus, stones and white peach. 92 points today but this might be legendary juice in a decade. Locking up my other bottles till then.

2/17/2023 - guillermo- wrote:

Remarkably cloudy dark garnet. Reticent nose of very overripe black and red fruits, not reaching but close to dried fruits. Coarse and tannic on PNP. The coarseness softens after a few minutes. Flavor and weight (medium) are much lighter than the nose would suggest. Tar, earthy notes, leather, roses. Rustic. Likely better accompanied with lamb. Went well with a semi soft goat cheese (Drunken goat).

On a better known wine, I’d say wait. But, having had no prior experience, I’m unsure if there’s any tied up fruit to be revealed.

Will update if there are any significant changes as it airs.

2/12/2023 - guillermo- Likes this wine:

Disgorged 01/2020
Started drinking at close to fridge temp and followed until it was closer to the mid 60s F and topped off again with fridge temp.

Mousse is fine. This isn’t especially bubbly. Upon first pour, the brioche almost overwhelms the nose but then suddenly blows off. When cooler it is driven by salty lemon flavors with some chalky notes, presumably from the terroir, and some spicy undertones, maybe from the barrel. As it warms, brioche returns and gradually takes over until it primes over the lemon.

As last time, best for me when served at close to 50 F.