5/19/24, 5:39 AM - If you and I say so it must be!
1/30/24, 7:05 PM - Thanks for the comment and recommendation Tim. I just learned they will be opening the first Eataly in NJ about 10 minutes from my house so the odds of uncovering (relatively) unknown gems like these should be increasing.
12/26/23, 1:35 PM - KJ-Beetroot wine from Wyoming? With all due respect that's a hard pass. Here's to good friends and good wine in the New Year. B
12/9/23, 7:22 PM - I was shocked when I saw the ABV TBH. You’d never guess. Hope it’s not the new normal but probably wishful thinking.
12/9/23, 7:18 PM - Man I tell you it was corked, not cooked. There was a hint of bright fruit but it turned ugly fast. Like hitting bankrupt on Wheel of Fortune.
2/2/20, 6:18 AM - KJ-I used to write these tasting notes just to amuse myself. If I occasionally make you laugh, I'm doubling the impact. I'm glad for the company. I will probably pump the brakes on my investigation into vitovska, but by all means, avanti!-B
9/8/23, 12:41 PM - Hi winebunch. I admit I took a lot of gratuitous shots at what I regarded as a bad wine. I’m sure you’re right about vitovska, the flavor profile you describe is definitely in my sweet spot. And since this was.a blend, clearly vitovska can’t take all the blame. Best, B
8/26/23, 3:47 PM - Kj-good to hear from you. Thanks as always. Heard great things about the young lady making the wines, perhaps much more to come. As usual you’ve been there done that bought the t-shirt
7/3/23, 5:48 AM - Yeah, I do think I had a bad bottle on that occasion but you never know. Let’s catch up soon. Did you see The Met Golfer article?
6/26/23, 4:48 AM - Carlo-thanks for the kind comment. It's hard to believe an obscure note like this would still have currency 11 years later! Hope you enjoy yours as much as I did. -B
11/21/22, 9:44 AM - Thanks Patrick. I've heard NBA stars are big into wine. Means a lot to me:-)
5/2/23, 4:09 PM - Thanks SS. It’s probably an oversimplification but that’s true for most of what passes as my wine knowledge
3/10/23, 5:22 AM - Thanks for the comment and insights, John. Always good to "put a place to the name"
12/18/22, 11:16 AM - KJ-Two thoughts. One, I don't know enough about the wine to say what's changed since 2011 chez Buffet. Possibly a lot, or nothing! No one could possibly label this wine thin or medicinal unless they had COVID-induced anosmia. Two, about drinking now I'll speak for myself and say I'm not getting any younger!
1/25/23, 8:54 AM - Thanks, Brad. We're in sync on this one. I have no long-term perspective on Buffet since this was my first exposure. In my short experience as a customer, Lyle is hyperbolically over-the-top about everything he sells but he nailed it here. I agree that no matter what your experience with wine, if you don't like this as it presents right now you should maybe stick to beer or cider.
1/14/23, 6:32 PM - Thanks KJ. Yes acid, just the way we like it!
12/25/22, 3:06 PM - Thanks Marc. I admit I haven’t lost any sleep over it!
9/25/22, 2:47 PM - Julian-thanks for the comment. I suspected as much about the producer making the error, but it's nice to see it confirmed. You think they might have done a little quality control on the outside of the bottle as well as on what's inside.-B
9/2/22, 2:53 PM - Thanks KJ. The statute of limitation had pretty much run out when I wrote this so it could be helpful to read the note from 2015 if you want any clarity, which as you know is not generally my strong suit.
9/7/22, 5:57 AM - LOL John. Thanks for synthesizing my Pacalet rambling into a pocket-sized sound bite. I wouldn't call it by its appellation though. Maybe a Pacalet Pommard Joint?
7/8/22, 9:25 AM - KJ-you are an indefatigable historian I’m confident no one else in the world would be unearthing a CellarTracker note on an obscure SNdB from 11 years ago. Do let me know if you try some.
6/10/22, 10:34 AM - Thanks, live and learn is the mantra in this game
6/9/22, 5:07 PM - Thanks, KJ. Would like to be drinking in London now too if that's what they have on sale in a grocery store!!
3/30/22, 6:04 PM - Kj-one word: Jan D’Amore. Ok that’s two but if his name is on the back label authenticity and purity are guaranteed. 😇
3/31/22, 3:03 PM - Have a greet interview in the can with Rex Pickett, author of Sideways the novel, now a trilogy. Need to edit it a bit since we kinda just kept talking for 2 hours!! Fascinating guy and IMO does not get the respect he deserves for his impact on the entire world of wine, which truth be told over the past 30 years may only be rivaled by Parker. Aim to post on swigcoach.com in April. Stay tuned...
3/8/22, 4:58 PM - Marshall-thanks, I can't remember but I think I've had several at this point, all interesting and authentic. -B
2/28/22, 7:06 AM - I agree and apparently so do the Bordelais since they've approved the planting of six new grapes to battle climate change. It doesn't mean I can't wax nostalgic about the good old days. My first real Bordeaux was a '64 Talbot and Michael Broadbent my earliest influence so I'm afraid I'm a lost cause.
1/23/22, 3:57 PM - Hu, Carlo. Thanks for reaching out. It's somehow reassuring that old tasting notes here have some staying power! I have not had the specific wine you're asking about but did have a great experience with an '05 Volnay Villages about 10 years ago, so I see no reason to assume problems given the reputation of the producer. However, I glanced at the reviews you were mentioning and the one that really concerned me was from Neal Martin last August. He seemed to feel exactly like I did about the Auxey. Something is up with these wines in the vintage. Hopefully it's just widespread bottle variation and yours will be fine. My fingers are crossed. Let us know. -B
2/25/22, 7:09 AM - Great to hear. Like I said sometimes there is unexplainable bottle variation in certain vintages even with otherwise excellent producers and you are playing roulette. Looks like you came up a winner.
2/1/22, 4:31 PM - John-Jeez you could have saved me about 175 words if you told me that upfront.
2/1/22, 4:37 AM - V-thanks for the comment. I try to keep an open mind if possible
1/29/22, 11:14 AM - Thanks, CW. If you have any other suggestions in this vein bring ‘em on. Definitely not my “stomping” ground. -B
1/30/22, 6:19 AM - KJ-thanks as always. It's going to cause me all kind of problems (in a good way) if I have to expand my horizons to include the "New California." The photo on their website of the team in a hot tub was enough to convince me even if the wine itself wasn't so pleasurable. Stay tuned on the blog front. It won't necessarily be what you expect but it does focus on wine. I hope to have something live by the end of February. -B
12/18/21, 8:49 AM - John-I thought of you actually when I was trying to figure out if it could be flawed in some strange way that only you could identify. For me at least the impression was so strong that it was borderline undrinkable on day 1. I could easily have dumped it as given it a second chance, which I probably only did because it came from CSW!
12/11/21, 8:12 PM - KJ-Are you sure you're not thinking of their Passetoutgrain?
11/20/21, 1:16 PM - Hi, Bacchus. Don't know how to coordinate something like that but Chris' new place is open or at least partially open so it should be possible. Best,-B
10/31/21, 7:36 AM - Sman-thanks for the comment. I'm glad to hear of your positive experience with these wines-it's certainly what I was hoping for. And unfortunately, while I don't have any more '05 D'Angerville, I have a few cases of miscellaneous '05's left to remove the bad taste. And truth be told, I've had so many great wines from the vintage it almost doesn't owe me anything anymore. I understand burly but I'd call it "heroic." :-)
7/6/21, 9:49 AM - KJ-There appears to be no reference I make, be it wine-oriented or general culture, which you can't parse. Very impressive! -B
9/9/21, 11:14 AM - Hey, Hiker. Thanks, this made my day. It was never my intent to make tasting notes a substitute for Ambien but I'll take what I can get! Best, B
9/6/21, 8:45 AM - John-thanks, your explanation makes a lot of sense. I tend to forget TCA expression isn't always just about mold and mildew. So if I don't sense it from the cork or the nose (and I'm very good at detecting it) I assume it's not a factor. I have one more bottle and it should enable me to confirm/deny the theory.
9/6/21, 12:35 PM - That’s a triple Stein if I’m counting right. Like you just posited that Oakland never existed 😀 By the way thank you for your help with my retirement dinner. Loved everything but apologize no details given how much I consumed that night. We didn’t get the the ‘88 Il Greppone so will make up for it then!
9/6/21, 1:38 PM - Again apologize for not being more detailed but I was really impressed with it. Out of magnum I was a little concerned that given other festivities/courses "in flight" I didn't get around to opening it sooner and it was essentially popped and poured. But it was showing beautiful red fruit and Volnay texture from the get-go (would have been disappointed not to come close blind) and it was one of the rare wines that despite its pedigree and youth you could happily chug and keep coming back to for new impressions at the same time. And with the duck breast, sublime. So it was a great choice even at the tender age of 5 but I suspect you already knew that...
9/6/21, 2:12 PM - Definitely not shut down now: soft, fragrant fresh and feminine. If that’s what the vintage gave him he did well indeed.
9/3/21, 4:40 AM - Tim-thanks for the good wishes. It's always an honor to hear from you about my notes.
9/3/21, 3:57 PM - Thanks 99glasses. I clearly need to know more about Lyle’s portfolio. -B
6/22/21, 5:25 PM - RichH-if you can afford to drink 2000 Bordeaux in 2021 do yourself a favor and ditch that thing. Tom H-thanks, glad you liked the note.
4/30/13, 4:51 PM - Thank you. It means a lot since I admire the breadth and depth of your tasting experience and commentary.
6/22/21, 9:27 AM - EMichels- Thank you so much for this blast from the past. What time definitely does kill, in combination with much wine, is brain cells. As I reflect on it, I was perhaps a bit harsh in some of my earlier notes. Yet if I provided a moment or two of amusement along the way to a (very) few kindred souls, I can take solace from that. -B
4/6/21, 6:00 AM - Hi, John. Don't know if you saw my comment on your Instagram post. This woodsy thing, could you talk a little more about it? I've experienced something I would have called "weedy" and I wonder if it's the same thing?I know it's not TCA whatever it is. I have a funny story to tell you once I know what I'm talking about here. Thanks, Tom
4/6/21, 7:59 AM - Ok here goes. A few years ago my brother and I ordered a relatively recent bottle of Jamet Collines Rhodaniennes (I think) at Aldo Sohm's wine bar. It had an offensive level of what tasted to me like weeds, but could it have been woodsy or bruleed? Maybe. In any event I did not like the wine because of this quality and tried to send it back. The great man himself came over to my table and couldn't have been a bigger dick about it. I wish he had explained what you did, assuming he knows, but neither he nor his servers would admit there was something weird about the wine. I know I'm not crazy but it's bothered me ever since and at least now you've given me a theory to work with.
4/1/21, 7:15 PM - WK-I just read your profile and the description of your scoring system. Would that I had the logical framework and discipline to approach it like that! Thanks for your comment, we should all be required to state upfront how it works if we're going to put a rating on it. Otherwise it's effectively meaningless. You may not agree witht the assessment but at least you know where it's coming from -B
2/19/21, 7:54 PM - KJ-I swear I posted a note on the white version of this wine within seconds of your comment. Millenial all the way! B
2/12/21, 2:40 PM - KJ-I get what you mean about Shiraz, that's a funny way to think of it. Buy a bottle if you can find it and let someone serve it to you blind. That's the best way to put it in context.
1/24/21, 7:47 AM - Hautlea-thanks for the blast from the past. It always amazes me when someone finds an ancient tasting note of mine and it resonates with them. Not uncommon in Bordeaux or Burgundy, but for an otherwise unknown Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, it makes me glad to know there are kindred "spirits" out there. Best, B
12/29/20, 5:01 AM - You nailed it. Score a little harsh but warranted. It would have scared and scarred me if you liked it. Bin voyage du vin!
10/24/19, 6:57 AM - Thanks for the warning, that’s very disappointing in this day and age.
12/24/20, 12:49 PM - When bad things happen to good bottles. Thanks for adding the note, sounds like what I would have hoped for
12/13/20, 5:11 AM - KJ-when you dropped the Santenay hint I had to go look-spot on as usual, they are based there and it's the source of the majority of the holdings. It's an organically farmed, non-interventionalist approach per the importer. This cuvee is a blend from Santenay, lower Chassagne, and the Hautes Cotes de Beaune. The vines for this wine average 70 (?!) years old. I'll posit the terroir and vine age are what give it the light but punchy profile. Apparently, the family domaine has been around since 1645, so they've been hiding in plain sight, at least mine. Yeats goes with yeast I always say...
11/25/20, 5:45 PM - KJ-if I wrote a note on an Indian wine you’d tell me about the terroir. You’re amazing. I need to know more about carricante so will look for Contessa at your suggestion. Drink in good health, B.
10/25/20, 7:06 PM - Thanks for the support KJ, but it’s hard not to bet on D’Agata and “give the points”. Maybe a bad bottle but something tells me otherwise.
10/16/20, 7:08 PM - Ha, KJ I'll see your cappuccio and raise it a nocera. I paired it with an omelet of all things (my wife is out of town). It was great. No argument on the PN association though I haven't found one yet grown on lava I can compare it to. I've got a long way to go however before I'm ready to unravel the many Etna contradadictions (sic)
10/7/20, 6:51 PM - kJ-I saw some oblique reference to family squabbles that led Samuel to go out on his own. Lucky for us, but you probably know the whole backstory.
9/5/20, 10:19 AM - Thanks, KJ. More proof of how my attention wanders in the summer, a nice way of saying I'm "losing my senses"
9/14/20, 12:32 PM - WK-definitely on the same page!
9/14/20, 12:17 PM - KJ-Thanks as usual for the extra color. Family intrigue in Burgundy-a tale as old as time?
8/30/20, 6:23 AM - KJ it evoked Poggio di Sotto in the elegance if not intensity. I have one bottle of Il Decenniale left. We’ll drink it together if you ever get to NJ. I remember being told it got rejected for Riserva status by the Conzorzio because the color was too light! The 17th century poet Robert Herrick drank so much he had to give it up altogether. He wrote: “when our drinking has no stint/there is no one pleasure in’it.” I’m beginning to get the message.
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