11/16/2010 - mdlazar wrote:

fantastic - amazingly fresh, rich and toasty without losing the bdb verve

11/4/2010 - mdlazar wrote:

Wow..this was a great surprise. tasted next to the 66 and the 86, so pretty famous company. much much better than expected. well stored clearly, and had a beautiful crystalline clarity!

more importantly, congrats eric on the facebook integration!!!

12/11/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Oaky! Whoa...having a hard time finding the lush fruit in this one. a bit tangy and short on the finish, even after an hour in the decanter.

11/19/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

whoa. dark, viscous. big plush nose of violet and (of course) eucalyptus. the classic MV nose emerges after about 15 minutes in the decanter. Drinks at least 10 yrs younger than it is, and has a long road ahead. but why wait? delicious

9/18/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

great bottle! Soaring aromatics, lead pencil, leather. the cab franc really stood out on this. violet and plush tannins on the finish....

9/18/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

horrible showing for this wine. Very little going on aromatically, prickly tannins and a muted finish. Im wondering if this was an affected bottle or if we have entered a funky phase. Revisit in 5 yrs.

9/18/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

thought this was insignia. not as rich, and with a shorter finish, but the nose shows the violet, mocha and big oak. I thought this was holding up quite well as compared to other 97s Ive tried recently.

9/13/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

The girlfriend says " Im confused why you didnt bring 2 bottles of this tonite." To her credit, we drank the first very quickly. At this stage, the wine is light on its feet, with classic if muted aromatics and good acidity, and a moderate finish. Not terribly complex, but delicious.

9/7/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

A wonderful surprise. Best Sancerre Ive had recently. Nose is melon, flinty mineral and honey. Very nervy acidity, but with a smooth finish and a delightful lingering mango and apple edge. Good weight, structure and just a slight grassiness, not enough to be obtrusive. Dont see this getting any better, but should hold for a few more years.

9/7/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Opaque, with brooding aromas of bacon and pepper...wait, are we talking about a rhone wine here? With time in the glass, the pepper subsides a bit and pure exuberant black cherry emerges. Still very big and almost sweet, but the pinot silkiness does eventually pop through. I'd let this sit a good 5 years to settle down a bit!

9/7/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Dark as night. The nose is almost more grenache than syrah, with prominent notes of blueberry giving way to super sweet, almost nutty cherry. The fruit is a bit more resolved than I would have thought, but thats almost a good thing. Finish is still long and haunting, just like the young SQNs Ive tried lately, just a tad less bruising!

9/7/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Rich raspberry nose, rich and round on the pallate. A bit short, but clean on the finish. Great everyday sipper....

9/5/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

yum. Walks the fine line between honey and nerve. No flab, a lean precise viogier...

9/5/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

My contribution, and sheer infanticide. Soaring nose....and completely premature to drink. Lots and lots of acid on the mid-palate. Nose will put on wait and acid should melt...the musigny muscle is definately in there...give it time, duh......

9/5/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Will this wine ever age? Seems like a time capsule. Tannin wrapped in crushed rock and more tannin. I loved the nose, but it tricks you into thinking there is fruit. Clearly a well made wine, with the stuffing to go the distance, but tighter than a barrel sample. If things soften, my score could go way up, but so far, the delas 98's are showing no charm...

9/5/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

My best american pinot to date. Ok, I didnt get the WS thing until this bottle.... A theoretic blend of morey and pommard....rich, classic black cherry framed in smoke and iron. Leather melds with subtle earth and a core of sweet finish...an amazing surprise. I see no reason why this is going anywhere soon.

9/5/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Right bank silk, pure and simple. Sous Bois in a textbook fashion yields to candied cherry and almost piedmontese aromatics. Drink up in the next year or so....

9/5/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Advanced to say the least. Color is deceptive, a pale straw. Lurking beneath the tranquil robe is a stew of almond paste, lemon zest and over-steeped herb tea. Feet and tortilla chips were mentioned among the group. Acidity is resolved, fruit nearly so....drink up. This is novel, and I cant say there are any more "authentic" regions than the Loire, but my god....what a wierdo.

9/5/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Big blast of violet and mocha. A touch less velvety than I expected and a bit light on the extract and sweetness for 03. This reminds me of the young 98, before it shut down, at least on the nose. On the palate, tannins are fine, but acidity seems a bit hollow. Eager to see where this goes, but have to wonder if secondary fruit will have any structure left to hang on. Tasty as can be tonite...for the fatailist, this is a wine to enjoy now.

8/29/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

A distillation of all the goodness of syrah. I couldnt take my nose out of the glass. We only decanted for 1 hour and I was a bit nervous, but plesantly surprised to say the least! Much more approachable than the bottle I had in april, but certainly still a monster! Gobs of lead, bitter chocolate, and grilled meat exploded from the glass. Peppe, bacon and sweet blueberry linger on the palate for a hauntingly long, smooth finish.

8/29/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Whoa- a big nose of leathery root beer and rhubarb. The structure on this was surprising, definately needs time, as the acidity is a bit angular still. Cant wait to see what else is underneath.

8/29/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

In three outings, this was the best showing for this wine. I was really shocked with the integration of tannins since last tasting. A much more balanced wine than I remember, and a nose of crushed violet that just drew me in. sweet currant is still singing too!

8/21/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

drank with dvg and manlin, very advanced, likely stored in extreme conditions. hard to assess the acidity or tanning because there was none. have a hunch that well stored bottles have alot to offer!

8/21/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Pound for pound my favorite macon every year. A perpetual bargain too. The 04 is much better than the 03, with crisp apple on the nose and a silky midpalate. Actually a tad creamy on the finish, but without the sweet/flabby oak components. This embarasses most domestic chards...and plenty of burgs too

4/3/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Golden, borderline amber color. Freshess beyond what I would expect on the color. Slightly maderized, a touch nutty, but with white flower and citrus notes popping through. Broad, almost exotic midpalate and a touch of refreshing acidity on the finish. Lacking a bit of structure and clearly on the decline, but this is a seminal terroir winie that all burghounds should try.

3/15/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Huge yeasty, hazelnut nose. Vibrant orange peel and spice. Lively acidity on the palate with a dense core of fruit still remaining. Delicious stuff!

2/22/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Very tropical, almost sweet nose. Missing the linear mineral spice that Ive loved so much in previous vintages, namely the 02. Big sweet and oaky at this point. Lets hope it comes together

2/21/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

wow...stunning balance...and this is an off vintage?

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Quite a surprising nose. Viognier has to be in this blend, although I cant say for sure. The aroma is all flowers and tropical, almost honeyed acidity. Really well balanced, light on its feet and peppery. Very cote rotie ala Jamet perhaps. Wish we had this wine earlier in the night, as I was well on my way....

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Whoa! First sniff is all extract and heat. That gives way to a broad aromatic profile, with herbs, flowers, stonefruit and chocolate with anise suggestions. Orange peel and amazing acid profile on the palate. Much much more balanced that I expected...Id wait a few years to try again, just to see if that extract opens even more. Best Spinetta Ive had to date!

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

witholding judgement. Apparently decanted for quite a while, but still just massive, hot, closed and gooey. Liquor of liqour of cabernet to me. I hope it drops the fat with some time....

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

This wine was the sleeper of the night in my recent tasting. Sleek, subtle, delicate nose...alcohol very well integrated and the wine had a subtlety and delicacy that was quite refreshing at this point in the night. Eager to try again in different context!

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Layers and layers of complex fruit and smoke on the nose. Captivating stuff. Rich round and harmonious on the palate, with an awesome lingering finish. A complete wine and a stellar example of the 95 balance between extract and length!

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

What a treat to try this innagural release. Apparently only 15 cases of the Howell Mtn were made, and 95 has been a favorite vintage for me across Napa. Nose is expressive cedar, cassis, leather. palate a bit less rich than the nose, but great harmony of fruit and tannin. Dusty, spiced tannin, well integrated and unobtrusive. Drink up, but this is not falling apart by any means!

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Deep color, dense fruit on the nose. Meaty, iron and beef blood aromas. Rich, glycerin on the palate and a touch of heat on the finish. A great drink with legs to go for quite a while. I think with decanting this would have been even more expressive.

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

floral, evolved on the nose. Good balace on the palate, lacking a bit of depth and complexity. Tasted in flight with 89 Pichon Lalande, and the LLC was quite a bit farther along in maturity. I liked it, didnt love it

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

buttery, flabby nose. acidity and focus lacking on the palate. finish is short too...not the best showing for this wine.

2/16/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

mango, exotic tropical nose. Silky balanced palate, with some viscosity. Finish is a bit shorter than the palate extraction would suggest. Acidity is hiding under a lot of the 03 baby fat, and may never be in complete balance. That said, an enjoyable wine, probably best in a year or so

2/14/2006 - mdlazar wrote:

Loved it. Really impressive concentration and flinty nose. Fat and rich on the palate. Given the stainless elevage, I would have expected more austerity. The acidity is well balanced, keeping the wine from any sense of flabbyness. Served with shrimp scampi and a fried endive salad. An accidental but excellent pairing!