5/4/2024 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Thought it was visually light and transparent for a RRV Pinot. Nose had a big punch of red fruit to it. Grippy and fresh on the palate with lots of red cherry, raspberry, bubble gum, and light herbal notes. Detectable oak but far in the background and integrated well. Plenty of acid to drive a nice long finish. Alcohol at 14% is well hidden.

The style is much more Sonoma Coast than RRV in that it’s quite delicate and not overbearing, yet still delivers a load of fresh fruit. Something almost Sangiovese like to it, especially on the tangy finish. Structured to age at least 5 more years if you want.

Love it. Will buy retail if I can find under roughly $60.

3/3/2024 - BaroloBucky wrote:

1 hr decant. Anise on the nose. Sour cherry, anise, forest floor on the palate. Lacks pop on the mid-palate. Complex but missing intensity and finish.
No hurry to drink it up, but I also don’t see this getting a whole lot better either.

3/2/2024 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Beautiful tangerine, apricot, lemon, and orange zest on the nose and palate. Mouth-coating acidity, actually quite a bit of body, and great persistence. A wonderful and direct expression of the clearly high quality fruit.

2/29/2024 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Another 2019 stunner. Is this the best Willamette Valley vintage ever? I think so. Vibrant red berry, mushroom and earth on the nose. Same on the palate with loads of lively fresh cherry and cranberry, and some light herbal accent. Lots of acid and enough tannin to lay it down at least 5 more years and let those earthy notes come out more. Everything is in harmony bringing together the pop of new world fruit with the grace of old world restraint. The finish is long. It’s lean, elegant, and very classy. Drink now - roughly 2029.

2/22/2024 - BaroloBucky wrote:

Still too early to open I think. After one hour decant still quite tannic. The color is a beautiful transparent ruby with some light browning. Nose evolved to violets and kirsch after some time in the glass. Palate has lively sour cherry, kirsch, marzipan, and earth. The tannins still have a lot of grip and pull at the finish a bit.
Overall, the wine is lovely and still quite youthful. The tannins need to subside more to open up that beautiful fruit. Give it 2-3 more years in my book.

2/18/2024 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Bought for cooking some braised short ribs. Half the bottle left to drink. For $10, this over-delivers. I’d happily pay $15 for this and I dare to say it’s impossible to find a US produced dry red wine this good at this price. Just a generic fruity nose but the palate has some nice purple fruit, baking spice, and minerality. Has complexity not found in most wines at this price. Short finish and a little grape-y. Still has everything and more you could ask for in a $10 wine. Would happily drink this at a casual backyard barbecue. Well done Penfolds. Impressive.

1/21/2024 - BaroloBucky Does not like this wine:

Pop and pour. Transparent red ruby in the glass. No visual signs of age.

Florals and tar on the nose. Similar on the palate plus some earthy elements. A total lack of fruit. Hollow and sharp with a lot of tannin and acid. Short finish.

Let sit an hour in the glass - no improvement.

Conclusion: Reminiscent of cheap Nebbiolo. Not good and a terrible value at $45 paid. Couldn’t finish the bottle. Maybe more fruit and vibrant when it was young, but for a premier cru this amount of age shouldn’t be a problem.

12/12/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

In decline in my opinion. Bought 4 of these back in 2020. Last of the bunch. Fruit feels completely faded and hollow with some VA. Just tastes like leather and burnt earth at this point.

Good wine when young. Etna Rosso seems to fade quickly with age in my experience. I don’t understand why this is.

12/3/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

I don’t know what to make of this. As a wine it’s tasty. As WV Pinot, not so sure. Honestly blinded I’m not sure I’d even call it Pinot, especially Willamette Valley. More reminiscent of new world Grenache. Huge for Pinot, very fruit forward with dense red and black fruits and some oak. Very clean and pure. Missing acid and structure. Color is a dense ruby-purple, barely transparent.

Maybe if you like big Pinot like some RRV’s can be, go for it. The style here is too much a departure from WV Pinot for me personally. It’s round and lacks the precision I look for.

11/30/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

This is exceptional. Classic Fleurie. Light transparent ruby. Nose pops out of the glass with red fruit, blood orange, and tea. Similar on the palate. Crunchy and fresh with beautiful tension. Light body. Crushable but complex and with med+ length. Enough tannin to it you could lay this down 5 years if you want, but so good now.

11/28/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Starting to hit its stride. Earthy, fruity nose. Blackcurrant, ripe raspberry, and scorched earth on the palate. Nice acid providing some length on the finish. Tannins are fine and manageable. Light on its feet and everything is in balance. I find it somewhere between rustic and modern for my taste.

This could go another decade if you want, but I think it drinks great now. I decanted it 30 minutes. Good value around $30-35.

11/20/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

30 min decant. Translucent garnet ruby in the glass.

Not much on the nose, just a little floral. On the palate is shows fresh red fruits, blood orange, tar, and anise. On entry it’s a little bit green but I kind of dig it. Very nice acidity and tannins are integrated just enough to not get in the way. Finish is a little on the short side.

Nice wine in line with past vintages. Maybe more approachable in its youth. Wish it was offering more on the nose and finish. A fair value around $25. Drink now - roughly 2028.

11/7/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

30 min decant. Big plummy nose. Drinks like a good Valpolicella. Ripe red berries, ripe dark plum, and milk chocolate. Noticeable oak but not a distraction. Ripe style with high alcohol, but not flabby. Med-low tannin. Med-long finish with good intensity.

Not my cup of tea but of good quality and good value at $16. Give it a go if you like riper styles. Not suitable for aging. Drink by 2025.

10/31/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

UPDATE: a very long time in the glass did the trick. Brett blew off finally after 1hr decant and 1hr in the glass. Red cherry, cedar, herbs. Good acid creating med-long finish. Good as always, this one just had some funk to air out. Not sure if decant is needed or this was just a funky outlier bottle.
—————-
6th bottle of a case. Showing some age visibly with a slight orange tinge to it and some bricking at the rim. Nose is off - smells like a dirty sock. Palate is loaded with brett. There are some nondescript red fruit and cedar notes, but the brett is getting in the way. Flawed I guess?

Put in the decanter for an hour and the brett did blow off somewhat on the palate. The nose is still unpleasant though. Toss this off to an off bottle - all previous from this case have been 90-91 pt wines. My last one a few months ago was great and didn’t seem at peak yet.

10/20/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Pale transparent light yellow with a green tinge. Nose is not very forthcoming- maybe some lemon zest. Palate jumps out with citrus fruits, apricot and white flowers. Med-long finish. Med body, high acid, and minimal oak influence are reminiscent of a high quality Macon. Quite good but a little pricy here in the USA (I paid $35). Fair value but certainly not a bargain.

10/10/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

I don’t know what to make of this. Totally flat even after 2 hours in the glass. No fruit at all. Completely muted on both nose and palate. The only Nebbiolo trait I pick up is tar. The color is quite brown for its young age. I think it’s overly oxidized.

10/3/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Beautiful dark translucent ruby. Don’t get much on the nose- maybe some earth and toasted bread? On the palate, it really jumps out on entry with a lot of red fruit and oak spice. Bright, racy, and fresh. A little spritz to it. Clean, medium length finish. I think I like it, although a little simple. As Pinot, it’s well made. No score from me as I don’t know this region well enough to be a good judge.

9/29/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Reviewers below have already covered this wine very well. I was surprised by the roundness of it- and honestly a litte bit too round for my personal taste. I like my SB higher acid and lighter body. However, trying to be impartial, I dig the wet rock note others have also found. Quite complex for a relatively low cost wine. Medium length finish. Everything in balance. I think I paid around $20 for this. Pretty good for the money but not a rebuy for me because it’s not to my palate.

9/25/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Bought to go with cheap pizza. $15 retail. Composite cork, opened and poured right in the glass.

Dark opaque purple. Nose of tobacco, cigar box, and bay leaf. Palate similar to the nose with dark fruits as well. Medium body wet clay mouthfeel. Has a lot of character to it for a value wine. Med acid, med(+) tannin, med alcohol. Finish is med in length. Old world rusticity but some fruit freshness with its youth.

For the price, very good. The tobacco and bay leaf note is pronounced here so if you are a fan of old world wines with that aroma and flavor then you might enjoy this (think Bordeaux). Drink soon, probably by 2025.

9/18/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

New producer to me. Hits all the notes of classic German Riesling. Very pale yellow in the glass. Citrus and petrol nose - quite pronounced. Lemon-lime, petrol, and beeswax on the palate. Mouth watering acidity creating a med length finish. Racy and fresh. Would consider this mostly dry- there must be a little RS in here but it fits in well. Missing complexity and length to merit a higher score, but quite nice for the money.

9/14/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

Transparent violet ruby. Nose is quite fragrant - red fruits, vegetal, and Pinot funk. Strawberry rhubarb on the palate. Well balanced and clearly Pinot Noir but the finish is short and lacks complexity. Nothing much to get excited about. Med(-) body, med(+) acid, med tannin, med alcohol. Very drinkable but I am not convinced it’s worth the $28 I paid.

9/8/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Needed a lot of air. Tight until 90 min in the decanter. On the darker modern side of Chianti. Intense nose of sweet fruit and cedar. The cherry on the palate is a mix of sour and maraschino. Cedar, Tuscan herbs, and earth also on the palate. Med body, high tannin, high alcohol, high acid, med+ finish. Hold until at least 2026 or decant a couple hours prior. At the moment I like the regular riserva of the same vintage more but I see the potential here.

8/21/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

30 min decant. Dark opaque purple in the glass. Getting a little vanilla, graphite, and VA on the nose. Palate has red and black fruits, more red than I expected given the color. There are some balsamic notes and some VA that bother me. Tannin is there but not getting in the way given it’s youth. Medium+ body, med acid, high alcohol but not overbearing. Very round. Medium finish. Lacks palate authority and intensity. Just another generic entry level Napa cab to me. Drinks fine but nothing to get excited about.

8/19/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Very well executed modern style Chianti that retains just enough rustic charm. Dark transparent ruby. That Tuscan herb and earthy thing on the nose. Big aromatics. Dark cherry and sour cherry on the palate, along with licorice, Tuscan herbs, and a faint touch of spicy oak. Has that back of the tongue crunch creating a long finish that I associate with top class Chianti. Med+ tannin, med alcohol, high acid, med+ body. Continual evolution in the glass. Structure to age 7-10 more years easy. This could certainly evolve further with time from excellent now to a world-class level wine in 5+ years.

8/13/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

No formal notes on this one due to hosting a bbq. Zesty lemon and lime, petrol. Beautiful acid, long finish. Another reviewer below mentioned angularity and I agree that is a minus here, however still very nice and enjoyable. I wonder if this will continue to improve. Have one more bottle i’ll hold a while.

8/5/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Medium transparent ruby. Pronounced typical Pinot funky nose. Red sour cherry, earth, and clove on the palate. Good grip with medium+ length finish. Got better with an hour of air. Has the stuffing to last 4-5 more years if inclined.

8/4/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

Acceptable but weak by Muga high standards. Oak is more pronounced than I remember from past vintages. Maybe over time the fruit will come out, but right now even after an hour in the glass it’s buried. I love this producer - I’ve been drinking this, the special selection, and the roses for years. Not thrilled about this one right now.

8/3/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Just reviewed and scored this wine about 3 weeks ago. Will not score it this time as I don’t want my ratings to inflate the average. That said, spectacular once again. Ladd chards are the real deal. I can’t keep my hands off them.

8/3/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Barbera from top producer Pio Cesare’s portfolio. Always a winner. Most notes below have already covered the wine well. Med- body, high acid, med+ tannin, med alcohol with dark red fruit profile. Somewhere between rustic and modern. Food wine. $55 at restaurant, if you can find at retail under $25 this is a good buy.

7/16/2023 - BaroloBucky Does not like this wine:

Meh. Seems simple and overtly modern in style. Dark semi transparent ruby. Not much of a nose. Palate is a mix of red and dark fruits and some cedar. A little overripe and slightly astringent for me. Borderline raisin-y. Lacking in acid. Too flabby. Short finish. Easily forgettable. Not a rebuy.

7/12/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Clear transparent honey yellow. Lemon zest nose. Quite aromatic. On the palate- lemon, lemon zest, green apple, brioche, slate, salinity, some yogurt creaminess. Not at all buttery. Lot of acid creating nice freshness and very long finish. 3rd white wine now from Ladd and loved them all.

7/4/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Dark mostly opaque ruby. Bricking at the rim. Violets and garrique on the nose. Palate has ripe cherry, sour cherry, red licorice, cedar, violets, and asphalt. Nice intensity to it. Med-high acid, med alcohol, med-high tannin. Can do with food or hold it’s own. Nice wine. Capable of further aging. Maybe another 5-8 years if you’re inclined, but great now. For mass produced sub 20 dollar Chianti this is excellent.

7/1/2023 - BaroloBucky Does not like this wine:

I don’t think this wine is evolving in a positive way. 4th bottle of a sixer. Transparent golden yellow in the glass. Tropical fruit, meringue, oak and coconut on the nose. Similar on the palate. Coconut taste is not pleasant, it’s lotion-like. Body is heavy. I can’t help but feel I’m drinking a kind of artificial tasting pina colata here. Finish is fairly long but not very pleasant. Fruit is fading and the flavors coming in are not desirable in my book. This was a 91-92 pt wine previously. Drink fast, I see this as in decline.

Update: finished the bottle on 3rd day of being open. This got worse. Something very wrong with this wine. 2 years ago it was solid but now it’s terrible. Over the hill I think. Anticipated it aging better. Possible premox I think. Considering it flawed.

7/1/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

1 hr decant served around 60 degrees F. Dark opaque purple. Sweet non descript fruit and crushed rock on the nose. Palate has red and dark fruit flavors- some cherry, blackberry, cassis. Some earthy and umami elements too. Med-high tannin, med-high alcohol, med-high acid. Great balance. Intensity and fruit purity is there. Feels like a mountain fruit profile made in a BDX style. Finish is long. Classy and well done. Nose is a little lacking but palate is stellar.

6/28/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

Got this nasty resin-y bitterness some other reviewers have described. Hardly any fruit, just sappy, tarry taste. Seems to be a flawed wine. Is this premox? Looks 30 years old, not 10.

6/26/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

BVAL nailed it in his or her review below. What a bargain at $15. Rueda is one of the greatest qpr regions in the world. The wines are consistently excellent and this is right there with them.

6/24/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Very acceptable 20 dollar Brouilly. Chilled slightly. Transparent ruby. Funky fruity dense nose. Cherry, strawberry rhubarb, and baking soda, and a tiny bit of green-ness on the palate. Light body, low-med tannin, low alcohol, med-short finish. Like the nose more than the palate. It’s a porch pounder summer red with a little class and elegance to it.

6/16/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Straw and white flowers on the nose. Apple, lime, straw, some floral elements, and minerals on the palate. Medium body, high acid, moderate alcohol. Well balanced. Maybe a little bitter, but totally not a distraction. Finish is quite long and layered. Nice and refreshing with some complexity to it. Got better the longer it was in the glass. My only complaint with this wine is the big aromatics are not really there for a Fiano.

6/9/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Atypical for Pommard but a great wine. Very light ruby. Earthy fruity nose. Red currant, cherry, earth, mineral, Pinot funk, and bubble gum on the palate. Med-long finish. A little heat but fine. Not as dense and darker fruit in profile like one would expect for Pommard. Blinded I would have thought Volnay, which is compliment to the quality here. Rebuy.

6/7/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

Inoffensive but nothing special. Transparent ruby in color. Nose is some non descript Pinot funk. Some spice, red fruit, animal on the palate. Bitter. Not a whole lot going on. It’s ok for the money. Weak representation of the village but understandable given the low price.

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

Ok wine, poor value. Retail $50. 30 min decant. Dark opaque purple in the glass. Sweet fruit, oak, and garrique on the nose. On the palate - ripe dark fruits, leather, dried herbs, A whole lot of astringency. On entry there is a metallic unpleasant taste which is off putting. Full body, medium acid, medium-low tannin, very high alcohol. No complexity to speak of. Finish is medium length but again highly astringent, so not that pleasant. It’s drinkable but a terrible value. There is great zin in California I’d rather drink for half the price - base bottlings of Ridge, Segoshio, and Bedrock come to mind.

6/1/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Good for entry level Napa cab. Opaque purple color. Mostly muted nose. On the palate- black plum, cassis, blackberry, leather, herbs, just a touch of oak. May be the most Bordeaux styled entry level (sub $50) Napa cab I’ve had. It’s not all fruit and oak here. Quite different than its peer group, but nice. Lighter body than most entry level Napa. Medium-high acid, medium tannin, medium-high alcohol. Balanced. Lacks in intensity and aromatics.

5/28/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

Dark purple, just a touch transparent. Vanilla, dark fruit, and a little VA on the nose. Similar on the palate. There is a touch of minerality here which is nice. The VA for my taste is present but not too much. Medium to heavy body, low tannin, moderate acid. A touch extracted. The cab franc in it keeps it fresh though. Ok but nondescript.

5/25/2023 - BaroloBucky Does not like this wine:

This is pretty disappointing honestly. For $27 retail sauv blanc, I expect much more. Very pale light yellow. A little grapefruit, lime, gooseberry, and straw on the nose. Similar on the palate. Fresh but lacks intensity. Acid seems low for the varietal. Finish is medium-short in length. Poor qpr when there are so many good sub $20 sauv blancs out there. 88 pts minus 2 pts for the lack of value here.

5/18/2023 - BaroloBucky Does not like this wine:

Dark opaque brilliant ruby. Color already raising alarm bells of some chemical concoction going on here. Something looks weird around the rim. Just doesn’t look real.
Nose is faux oak and overripe red fruits. There is a ton of VA emitting from this gem as well.
Palate is just like the nose. It’s big but boring and again tastes concocted. Finish is short and overtly sweet and raisiny.
This to me is the classic marketing driven plunk that gives CA wine a bad name. Would love to see an ingredient list on this wine. Too much money at any price.

5/18/2023 - BaroloBucky Does not like this wine:

1 hr decant. Dark opaque purple in the glass. Vanilla and tutty-fruity on the nose. Palate is overpowered by heavy handed oak use. Vanilla bomb covering up whatever fruit is in here. There is some black fruit and garrique in there but it’s way in the background. Body feels a little oily. Low acid, low to moderate tannin. On the finish again dominated by oak. A little bret too. Not pleasant. Tastes like cheap nondescript red wine with the oak hiding some underlying problems.

5/12/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Pale light pink. Nice fine bubbles, not much mouse. From a champagne flute so can’t get much on the nose. Strawberries, sour cherry, unripe apple on the palate. Nice freshness and intensity. Medium length finish. Good cava here. Not complex, but fun and fresh.

5/5/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Looks transparent ruby. Visually looks like a lighter style Chianti.

Nose: cherry cola, licorice
Palate: sour cherry, candied red fruits, licorice, crushed stones

Medium body, good acid, high tannin but manageable right now. You could age this several years.

Stellar Sangiovese. Hangs on the back tongue. Good crunch to it.

This is from a magnum decanted 1 hour. Would recommend more time.

4/28/2023 - BaroloBucky wrote:

2 hr decant. Nose is nice with red fruits, tobacco, a little animal/brett. Palate is similar but a little lacking in intensity. Will toss that up to the vintage. Medium-light body, saline. Missing some of that gamy-ness taste expected from the appellation. It’s ok as a LB BDX, but doesn’t scream classic St. Estephe like it’s namesake big brother if that is what you are expecting. It is still a decent wine but nothing really stands out. Ok value at roughly $35-40.

4/23/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine:

Checking in on this for the first time in about 2 years. Wow this has evolved nicely. Went very deep by my standards on 2016 Toscana and happy I did. Color is a nice semi transparent ruby with orange tinge and bricking at the rim. Nose took a while in the glass to come around but it’s now showing red fruits, tar and earth. I can smell it from like 3 feet away it’s that good. Palate is similar. It’s gained complexity with a little mushroom in there. That said, still feels crunchy and fresh. So nice with Italian and really any Mediterranean food. Have two more bottles. So good right now not sure it’s worth continuing to age.