Member #615,098 signed up 11/8/2018 and last accessed 5/26/2024
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Locale: Olympia, Washington, USA
Favorite region: or regions : Piemonte / Oregon / Horse Heaven Hills / Hunter Valley
Dream wine: ~~~1971 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva Speciale~~~
He got this right:
“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”
… Ernest Hemingway, circa 1932
My lifelong infatuation with wine began in student days in 1970 when I (just shy of the legal drinking age) was indulged by the benevolent proprietors of a sweet little Fairhaven, Washington wine shop, who gave me a wink-n-nod as I nervously placed the fish-net wrapped Riojas on the counter and bathed in their largesse.
This passion was cemented in 1972 when climbing ( ok.. “ hard walking”) to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
I produced a 375 ml. bottle of Hugel Riesling from my backpack to celebrate with my fellow hikers.
It was holding nicely at sunrise in just above freezing temperatures.
Finally figured out that Alsace meant absolutely nothing to my fellow travelers and did the right thing…. dispatching it solo & savoring the view and the brisk quenched thirst all as one.
As for dream wines
I opened that ‘71 Monfortino back in 1987 when it was still so young. If I only knew~
ahh but it still
“blew my nose & then it blew my mind”
even though a crime of infanticide.
My tastes are far flung when it comes to wine.
Nice when a given bottle matches the moment,
Be it humble or profound.
2011 Vini Rari di Giulio Moriondo Vino Rosso Souches Mères
5/22/2024 - LetItRide wrote: 94 Points
Not a splashy wine but with air after an hours decant the nose reveals subtle forest floor and floral notes.
Loving the complexity on the palate. A chewy mix of brooding char, coffee, black pepper, saline minerality and licorice. The finish sails on for a good minute.
Memorable and rare indeed.
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2016 Gulfi Sicilia Nerobufaleffj
3/30/2024 - LetItRide wrote: 88 Points
I had not yet read the previous tasting note from FRACTALAGE when we opened this wine today & yes we detected the same exact faint (musty TCA like notes on nose & palate) but it couldn’t be that, as the cork smelled clean and the described offensive odor blew off after a few minutes.
It’s certainly drinking ok now with a medium plus acidity and diffuse red fruit on the palate along with a pedestrian finish. Makes me think Ian D’Agata’s critical palate must have been on a vacation the day he hung a generous 96+ rating on this wine or perhaps it is a result of bottle variation.
A final possibility is that the 5 years passage of time since his review has not been kind to this Nero D’Avola.
I don’t foresee much benefit in holding my remaining few bottles.
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2018 Hundred Suns Gamay Noir Tualatin Estate
2/23/2024 - LetItRide wrote: 93 Points
This is my last remaining bottle from a winery purchase in 2020 . Count me as a big fan.
The positive development is very impressive.
Loaded with floral stem inclusion spice, mulberries and kiwi fruit on a racy brisk mid palate carrying through to the seemless finish. I underestimated how great this wine would become and in hindsight wish we still had a few in the cellar.
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