3/22/2022 - forceberry wrote:

The first vintage of Abadía Retuerta, a 100% Tinto Fino from Sardón de Duero - a region immediately west of Ribera del Duero. 13% alcohol.

Luminous and rather translucent black cherry color. Evolved, somewhat tertiary nose with sweetish aromas of blackcurrant juice and ripe bilberry, some cherry tones, a little bit of mushroomy funk, light pruney notes, a hint of old leather and a touch of blackberry marmalade. The wine feels dense, savory and quite tertiary on the palate with a full body and layered, aged flavors of earth and meaty umami, some pruney tones, a little bit of mushroomy funk, light crunchy notes of tart cranberries, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of gravelly minerality. The structure relies mostly on the high acidity, as the ripe, resolved tannins mainly contribute to the silky texture, not to the structure. The finish is long and savory with quite tertiary flavors of meaty umami and mushroomy funk, some wizened forest fruits, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of blackcurrant jam.

A balanced, fully evolved Spanish red at its plateau of maturity. The wine is starting to feel very tertiary and there is nothing particularly youthful here anymore. However, despite its aged overall character, the wine doesn't feel like it is falling apart on in a decline yet - it might feel too old for people who prefer more youthful fruit expression, but for palates more attuned to the tertiary flavors, this is in a quite wonderful spot: there are no obvious oxidative off-notes and the fruit department hasn't completely transformed into that dull, raisiny quality. Most likely the wine has reached this plateau of maturity some years ago and probably will stay there for some years longer; the wine can be kept, but it doesn't benefit from any further cellaring, so drinking sooner rather than later is advised.

1/21/2022 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

Understated and elegant nose - black cherry and cherry, some violets a little bubblegum and savory, herbal green. Bit of stones. shows some sweeter candied strawberry with time. With a bit of air the nose really comes together as the fruit and savory elements create a wonderful near crystalline alloy. Palate is lithe and pure and shows silky red and blue fruits, with some spice, a nice savory horsey element comes out in the middle palate and carries through to the long and precise finish - lots of funk and tart fruits, minerals. This is reference point Bojo. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.

10/2/2019 - hprphf wrote:

Zachy's 2019/10 (Zuma): GC weight, almost rotten fruit balanced with nice florals. 94

3/20/2022 - afields wrote:

A pretty light bodied (and also modest in concentration) Pinot with cherry pomegranate fruit and aromatic red florals, some earthy funk, and a spicy finish with decent length. M+ acid, low tannins. A pretty wine worthy of single vineyard designation, but not a very structured one. Probably not much upside left. 7.4/10

3/15/2022 - acorelli Likes this wine:

Delicious wine, fully mature (unsurprisingly) with loads of fruit and power. A rich mouthfeel. Wish I had more than this one bottle.

11/4/2022 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine:

Retail $40. I have been a fan of Gary Farrell for so many years that it is perhaps embarrassing to admit. Sadly, several years ago, the very kind folks at Gary Farrell decided to stop producing fruit from Carneros (thank you global warming) and that is a shame on so many levels. Great red and black fruit on the nose with a tangy richness and a spice note that is quite remarkable (clove, basil, whoa). The palate is equally impressive, if not more so, with fruit, yes, but also a ton of verve and near impeccable balance. Whoa. This was in the running for wine of the night, and fared well, but the lineup was impressive.

www.thedrunkencyclist.com

11/5/2022 - WineAggregate Likes this wine:

2003-2008 vertical. My favorite, but only slightly. The whole lineup was impressive.

11/16/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote:

I liked this. Probably opened too young, Riesling ages well, but this was for sure interesting. Complex, but bracing and vibrant. White flowers, light apple nose. Light to medium bodied, crisp and bracing, apple and unripe pear, little hints of cream. Long finish.

2/11/2022 - OaktownRush Likes this wine:

Ripe raspberry, eucalyptus, vanilla, clove, some wood and bark — the nose wasn’t super expressive and took some time to open up. The palate to me seems near its peak, some fleshy texture, but mainly integrated tannins and medium acid. It’s not unstructured, but it doesn’t feel firmly structured either. The palate ends with more clove cinnamon stick.

I liked it more than others did, but did notice the oak as others commented. That said, I didn’t like it as much as the 14 or 15.

9/26/2020 - Aparritz Likes this wine:

I love this more and more each year. The spritz is awesome but it fades after a day or two and there’s a beautiful rich oily sipper left after its gone. How can anything at this price point possibly be better?

4/4/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Floral start with black fruit and woodsy spice, followed by a hint of braised meat. Elegant and pure with old school style that avoids any rugged tannins. Not powerful, but good+ length and weight and even better balance. So good now, but this is the first of three bottles bought on release and I'm in no rush to drink the other two. This was an amazing $30 bargain at release c/o Garagiste, kudos to Jon et al!

9/21/2020 - forceberry wrote:

100% Sangiovese from younger vines. Fermented in stainless steel, aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Annual production 15,000 bottles. 14% alcohol.

Evolved, slightly translucent blackish cherry color with a somewhat brick-orange hue and a wide, pale rim. The nose feels wonderfully rustic and quite fragrant with attractive aromas of dried flowers, bretty notes of stable floor, a little bit of ripe black cherries, light sooty notes of charred game, a lifted hint of sweet, ethery VA and a touch of savory wood spice. The wine is silky-textured, supple and moderately full-bodied on the palate with evolved and enjoyably complex flavors of wizened black cherries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of sweet leathery funk, light jammy notes reminding me of Vintage Port, a bretty hint of barnyard and a touch of pipe tobacco. The overall feel is impressively structured with the high acidity and still surprisingly ample and assertive tannins that contribute both to the structure and to the chewy texture. The persistent finish is rich, textural and quite grippy with rustic and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of tobacco, dried figs, some bretty notes of leather and barnyard, a little bit of meaty umami, light bitter notes of sour cherries and juicy hints of wild strawberries and dark plums.

An impressively muscular, concentrated and beautifully textural Rosso di Montalcino that is still going strong at the age of 20 years. Although feeling a bit more evolved than the 2006 vintage that was tasted alongside, this offered way more depth, power and complexity. I'm not sure how much further the wine will improve from here - if at all - but seeing how the wine doesn't show any signs of going downhill, I can imagine this will continue drink well for many years more. Easily among the best RdM wines I've had. Highly recommended.

10/19/2019 - OenoEd Does not like this wine:

If I’m a glass half full taster, I can imagine a day 20 years from now when a bottle of this lost in the cellar is opened, and reveals mysterious secondary flavors of swamp cedar, tobacco leaves, and bitter chocolate covered cherry pits. Or something. Tonight, even after an hour, this is concentrated but lean, a bit acrid, unripe, and harsh. More like barrel must than sexy syrah. It’s an odd duck; distressing to see the Guigal name on this black, stemmy, mostly unpleasant Hermitage.

8/27/2012 - wormfarmer wrote:

This was a tough call for me -- bad bottle? Severely in decline? Corked? No evidence of corkage, but a verging-on-unpleasant heat and general sense of rot that made this a real bummer. Based on winecharmer's recent notes, and the way the notes have evolved generally, it could be that this wine is just heading downhill fast....

6/2/2018 - Hansvo Likes this wine:

Do not agree with the assessment of the drinkability of this wine. Think it will greatly benefit from at least another three years of cellaring.

5/13/2017 - mdvino63 wrote:

This is, to me, not nearly as interesting as the 2007 Peters I drank recently. This has rich, ripe California pinot fruit....and, that is kind of the problem. It is very rich and ripe, with fairly hefty alcohol and just doesn't have nearly the complexity or elegance of the Peters, which is much more Burgundian. Don't get me wrong - I like this fine. It is a really nice Cali pinot, but a bit to ripe and over-the-top to be excellent, for my palate, and not what I want when I want a pinot. Too heavy. Fans of Martinelli and Marcassin pinots will find a lot to like here. By the way - not at all over-the-hill; this is still very fresh, at least from my cellar.

11/1/2013 - brooklynwine wrote:

Outstanding food wine. When served by itself a solid 88 that loses a bit from midpalate to finish. With food......excellent!
Color: straw (pee) yellow Nose: Powerful and complex nose. Fruit explodes from the glass. Grapefruit peel, pear, and pineapple mixed with fresh flowers, nutmeg, and vanilla......yum. Viongier meets Chenin Blanc mix on the nose. Palate: WITHOUT FOOD: the flavors become somewhat muted due to the lack of acidity. The flavors are clean but could be more expressive. And again the midpalate - transition - finish are just ok. WITH FOOD: I had it with sushi and it was perfect. The sushi really brought out and even developed the flavors in the glass. It accentuated the acidity and brightened the flavors. The wine really helped make the sushi shine as well. A perfect compliment. 90+

11/17/2016 - duchamp Likes this wine:

Dark, deep crimson in color, complex nose of garrigue, blackberry, black pepper, cassis and coriander with hints of vanilla bean and wood, big and ripe on the attack followed by spiced black and red fruit, gripping tannins, juicy acidity and mineral streaks, finish is long and also complex with layers of bright fruits such as plum, blackberry, black cherry and on and on, wow

Note: Just another outstanding 2005 CdP, still standby my rant about the overrated 2007s, sell your '07s and buy more of these

3/16/2015 - Spencer wrote:

indiscriminatepalate clearly has no clue. This is what the underground wine elite in Paris drinks, and we should all thank Jon Rimmerman for broadening our shallow American wine tastes.

Actually, to be honest I kind of like this wine. Not something I would buy again, but I've had bigger disappointments from Garagiste, most of which cost a lot more than 10 bucks. High acid and a bit shrill, but there's enough bright fruit and minerality to keep it interesting. This wine would be better without the nasty Pineau d'Aunis component. I've never seen any redeeming features in that grape...

7/1/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote:

Acker wines - a fortnight of culling crap from the cellar; 6/29/2016-7/13/2016: I have had many bottles of this wine, and 100s of bottles of Lytton, and I have just one question:

What the Hell does Acker do to wines before releasing them? Seriously, does anybody there actually taste any of the wines? The ONLY two bottles of 95 Lytton I ever had that were bad were both Acker auction purchases.

For those keeping track at home, I'm zero for my last six Acker purchases that I opened. Zero.

2/5/2016 - pbaek wrote:

From half bottle. Still in a very good place. A bit more smooth and relax around the edges with creamy notes but still classic Chablis marks of sea shells and lemon.

6/23/2016 - ricknat1 wrote:

This wine did not show well. Not sure if it was the bottle or what. It did not show the vibrancy and richness one expects from LT

2/28/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote:

Part of adulthood is admitting your mistakes and moving past them. In my case, this means ridding my cellar of Dettori. After a day's air, CO2 settles out, leaving a nose of nail polish remover (sorry...err... "lifted fruit") and bacillus sourness (sorry...err... "tart cherry") that speaks of a intentionally-bacterially-innoculated lambic rather than wine. Wine enthusiasts looking for a "wine fault kit" can substitute this for most of them.

2/9/2016 - ricknat1 Likes this wine:

As always, i love this wine. it was opened about 2.5 hours before service and 4 would have been better, but its intensity, elegance, bright fruits were outstanding and I thought it was the of the night last night. The 82 Haut Brion was typically gorgeous, the Lafite was typically soft, elegant but still not ready and the Latour was gorgeous but even younger than the Mouton. These wines will last for a long time and are all top of the line. None of them are at their peak although the HB is in its peak window.

9/2/2015 - mdvino63 wrote:

Medium ruby, very youthful looking purple at the edge. Young, very pure fruit still - way too early to reach any final conclusions on this wine. Hint of bacon, some minerality. After 20 minutes in glass, clearly N. Rhone, not hard and not difficult to drink. Juicy salinity, good acidity and balance. Certainly not stunning, but I suspect this is going to improve with more time. I am encouraged.

7/3/2015 - ricknat1 wrote:

absolutely terrific CDP drinking at the top of its game

4/30/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

Greet Adira and small BYO at our place, round 2 (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NYC): Purchased by my dad on release. Showing really well tonight. Exotic and perfumed - meaty, plummy, some tomato, spices, a little bit of sweetness left over from the oak, which is well integrated now. Some cedar or tobacco. Palate shows plummy fruit, spice, tomato, sweet cedar. A touch of VA but 'in a good way'. A little BDX-like but much more interesting. Lots of sweet fruit and spice on finish. This is mature, supple, not huge. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.

4/5/2015 - mdvino63 wrote:

This is simply fabulous juice! My bottles were bought on release and have been well-stored since. Medium deep color with no bricking. This is great right from the get-go. Hard for me to describe the flavors. This is a gorgeous bordeaux-like cali cab. Every note attached to a 93+ score rings somewhat true. Lush, dk red fruit, leather, some iron, juicy acidity. Utterly enjoyable from first whiff right through the long finish.
(94-95)

2/22/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

PnP. The nose has sweet, almost candied fruit - plummy, macerated strawberries and sweet black cherry, a creamy marzipan note, spices - baking spices and fruitcake, and a pretty herbal component with alpine herbs. At times shows just a hint of raisins, but this is not hot or overripe on the nose, maybe just a touch of heat. The nose is so perfumed that I would probably guess Red Burg, but it's not quite right - it's like a Red Burg from a nearby dimension. The palate is very silky with fine tannins and deep and sweet red and blue fruits. The acid is good and it shows some herbal qualities and some stony minerality on the midpalate. The finish shows the sweet candied fruit, the herbs and creamy marzipan and ends with the fine tannins. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16.5-17.5/20.

2/19/2015 - ricknat1 Likes this wine:

I hate to repeat myself, but this is a total knockout of a wine. i love it, drinking perfectly with an hour decant, which surprised me, i usually decant more. Opulent and silky,dark red cherry color; umami and berry nose; red fruit, berry palate that is perfectly balanced and long. always leaves me wanting a glass. my second favorite 82, after Le Fleur. apples and oranges in comparison with the Musigny but so luscious. none of the other Moutons compared

12/23/2013 - Ted Fuller Likes this wine:

Just tasted the Ca di Pesa Chianti. Profound nose of black fruits and even a touch of violets. Excellent depth and structure, marked by soft tannins. An outstanding wine. Will age effortlessly for 5 to 7 years. Wonder where to find this?

10/9/2014 - mdvino63 wrote:

This wine was singing tonight. Beautifully complex nose of soft cherry/red fruits, floral, cedar. Showing the complexity of some age but still very fresh. Pomegranite as well as cherry/red fruits.Very burgundian tonight. Great acidity to the fruit. Palate staining yet light. Terrific balance. This is beautiful. Head and shoulders over the 2004 at this (93-95 points.)

7/11/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:

Faded red. Exaggerated pickle barrel, dill wood. Better in the mouth with medium weight and some cherry fruit. Dry finish. I'd have to hold my nose if I were drinking this-that is how offputting the pine-laden wood is at this level.

9/20/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

HDH Auction (Restaurant Tru, Chicago, IL): John ordered this of the list at Tru. This hits you like a freight train when you stick your nose in - massive, golden brown, toast and spice, and chalk and minerals. Like a mile-high monolith (made of chalk, Adrian said). Broad and energetic. Brutally powerful and focused on the palate - chalky but also deep toned. Chalk minerals, toast - malt. Long and laser-like. This has a vibrancy and vigor that 99% of wines can't even begin to approach. I really have no idea how to rate this, but it was awesome, so I'll try. 18+/20, probably will be closer to 19/20 when it matures. God knows when that will be.

9/18/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

Dinner in Chicago with new friends (Browntrout (Chicago, Il)): I picked up a bottle of this at Binny's to try - my first 2010 Barolo. PnP a bit and it was really nice - some red and dark fruit, spice, dusty tannins, leather, minerals. We decanted it and came back to it some hours later. Nose: dusty, cherry, tart, stones - really poised. a touch of heat. Palate shows tart berry and strawberry, spice, heat. This was better, to me, PnPed. Coffee. Still a really nice showing and bodes well for 2010. Probably 15.5-16/20.

9/3/2014 - Robert Pavlovich wrote:

Shows strong minerality and chalkiness as advertised. Well balanced fruit and acid, with good tension. Also showed some sea salt, and fish oil which I'm averse to. While I could intellectually appreciate this wine, there was no joy in drinking it. Curious to try a few more and see if this is a regional theme.

4/19/2014 - guitarguy wrote:

I returned my remaining three to Garagiste for refund. These were flawed with some type of lactic spoilage organism.

7/30/2013 - mrosse Likes this wine:

In true Rayas style Light brick in color with clear edges and almost no sediment (half the color than the other 3), VG+ mouthfeel with raspberries, spices, and notes of leather. VG+ focused, sweet sappy finish

#2 out of 4 older CdR (01 Brunel Villages cuvee Sabrine #3,
01 Gramenon Laurentides #1, 00 Aphillanthes Villages VV #4)

1/21/2012 - Neurowine1 wrote:

Pulled out of the back of the cellar. Wow! A very beautiful, well-structured, layered, and nuanced CdR. Held up remarkably well to 10 years of aging. Drinking far above its humble terroir. Loved it!

8/13/2013 - mdvino63 wrote:

What TGOOD said. Even my btl condition was the same. Base neck fill, bubbled capsule and cork soaked all the way through. This is terrific stuff. Good match with my grilled lamb, but I think would be even better with a good rib-eye or with some good cheese. It is pretty yummy on its own, though, and has improved with 2 hours of air. Nice balance of fruit, earthy secondary characteristics, some juicy acidity and a slight undertone of bitter chocolate or espresso bean. Yum. 93-95pts.

3/21/2014 - twoamps Likes this wine:

A bit of TCA at opening, gone an hour later. Old oak, a little cherry, a lot of cassis and chocolate and earth and espresso. Fruit faded to background after another hour. Lots of acid and decent tannins. Seems younger than it is. My one and only bottle that I didn't dare keep longer.

1/10/2014 - Chainthroer wrote:

A medium reddish-ruby color; yellowish and almost to the point of browning on the rim. I've tasted this wine 3 or 4 times, a few years ago, and none of these tastings were even close to how appealing and pleasurable the wine tastes now (an obvious transformation, time-wise). Complex aromas of blackberry, cassis, raspberry, bacon fat, saddle leather, roasted beef, spices and cigar box. Flavors of blackberry, cassis, pepper, olive, leather and spice. While the tannins may not seem totally resolved, the wine is pretty much soft and velvety in the mouth. Big, powerful, rich and intense fruit (almost jammy). Great structure, as well as balance. A long and extended finish. Just beginning to reach its plateau of maturity, and has many years left for appreciation. An exemplary and classic example for a Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage. [Note: cellar stored from inception].

1/4/2014 - amateurwino wrote:

A delicious wine, and the group's WOTD. Fruity with well integrated oak, this has matured into a perfumed, smooth wine of medium to medium plus body. Not tremendously complex or particularly a model of the varietal characteristics of its component grapes (garnacha and carinena, I believe), but very pleasing. 93-94

11/28/2013 - mdvino63 wrote:

With Thanksgiving dinner. Really liked by everyone, but I thought a bit soft and lacking zing and focus. Very good to be sure, but not outstanding. Definitely a ringer for a German Riesling, which is good. I guess this btl was in the same ilk as the lesser of Seth's btls (mine came from the same purchase).

11/1/2013 - ricknat1 wrote:

intensely ripe and concentrated, yet silky and deliciously smooth, this wine has reached its apex with no sign of slowing down. its time for another 90 versus 90 showdown and the 89 will be a contender

7/26/2013 - ricknat1 wrote:

1983 tasting. All wines opened immediately before serving. This should be one of the top Yquems ever. buy and drink more

7/26/2013 - ricknat1 wrote:

1983 tasting. All wines opened immediately before serving. Wow. This shocked me. Better than the 89. Probably needs to be drunk, but thats a pleasure.

5/7/2013 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:

Mike's bottle. Very Mourvedre. Dark and sauvage - animal fur, brambles, deep plummy fruit, smoke. Really chunky on the palate with similar flavors. Good acid. Some tomato and spice. Great verve with a driven finish with excellent acid. Really singing tonight - dead on. Nose - 6/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 18/20.

1/29/2013 - BradKNYC wrote:

The supper club meets at Sarah's. Champagne, Burgundy, Loire Chenin and CDP are served. (Sarah's.): Quite a bretty bottle, but with a sufficient amount of air it eventually subsided enough so the raspberry, earth, garrigue, olive, game and spice flavors and aromas could shine through. That said, the brett never left, but I'm not brett averse. This is drinking beautifully now and is probably at peak, though has a long life yet. There's richness, but balance and depth. Nice sweetness to the raspberry fruit, but it's not roasted. Always one of my favorites. A.

12/26/2012 - amateurwino wrote:

Mature, and a bit burg-like. Lovely without being massive, this is my kind of Rhone.