5/14/2024 - melzar wrote:

A little young, and displaying some green notes. This bottling from Cristom is always a winner. Almost as good as the "four sisters" at half the price. Cellar Trackers, if you have not had Cristom's wines, you need to try them.

5/14/2024 - melzar wrote:

Very ready to drink. Nebbiolo is not my favorite wine grape, but this is an excellent expression. Will hold on it's plane of maturity for many more years, and likely improve.

5/13/2024 - melzar wrote:

May merit a higher score in a few years. Highly reductive at the present; it reminds me of a white Burgundy. Very un-California like. Personally, I find reduction at this level to be a fault, but many will find a great wine here. Cristom remains my favorite new world producer of Pinot Noir.

5/8/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto previous notes. Drinks exceedingly well for such a young Burgundy.

5/7/2024 - melzar wrote:

Earlier Cellar Tracker ratings are, perhaps a little harsh, but I admit to finding difficulty finding positive things to say about this wine. It has seen better days. Fruit is still present, but I doubt it will outlive the tannin. Drinkable but not memorable in any positive way.

5/4/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto previous notes. Southern Rhone red as it should be!

5/4/2024 - melzar wrote:

Crisp, dry and mineral driven. Chablis style with no oak.

5/2/2024 - melzar wrote:

Perhaps a little young, but drinking well. Has some tannin to shed, but the fruit is there for an extended life. Decent, every day red wine and a good value. Good producer.

4/30/2024 - melzar wrote:

On a recent post, I extolled the virtues of the 2020 Nathan K Chardonnay, and asked: How well will they do in a poor vintage such as 2021? The answer is: I may like this better! I slightly prefer the under ripe fruit of 2021. Well balanced wine with an endless finish. Can they make money and stay in business?

4/30/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto previous notes.

4/28/2024 - melzar wrote:

Another attempt to remove the dead wood from my cellar. I'm amazed at how long Bordeaux lives. Cork crumbled. Use a Durand if you have one. I would never serve this humble wine to guests, but it's more than good enough for me to drink. Tannin has resolved, and good fruit remains. Will likely never improve, but it still has a long life ahead.

4/26/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto recent notes.Drinks well.

4/23/2024 - melzar wrote:

Traditional Chablis. No oak treatment, austere and acidic. If you like this style of wine as I do, this village level wine overachieves. Good value.

4/23/2024 - melzar wrote:

Drinking at peak. Great nose, well balanced palate and great finish. Good

4/21/2024 - melzar wrote:

Nice aged red Burgundy.Nice nose, and light red in color with ample fruit and some tannin remaining after 15 plus years. Drinking at peak but will hold on it's plane of drinkability for several more years. '06 is a decent, but not a great vintage in Burgundy. Joseph Drouin is a great producer.

4/19/2024 - melzar wrote:

Well aged old Bordeaux of humble pedigree. Pleasant to drink, but nothing special. Hard not to make a drinkable wine in 2000.

4/18/2024 - melzar wrote:

Perhaps the best Chardonnay I've had yet from the Finger Lakes of NY. Tasted blind, I would have guessed White Burgundy. 2020 was a ripe year in the Finger Lakes. This well extracted ripe wine exhibits great fruit and malolactic notes. Oak hard to detect or absent. It will be interesting to see what they can do in 2021; an unripe year.

4/18/2024 - melzar wrote:

This wine showed well in my wine club's recent 2000 Bordeaux tasting. Initially quite dumb, it blossomed with time in the glass. Given more time, I think it would have surpassed my favorite of the evening, 2000 Figeac, which I rated a 95. I would describe this wine simply as "understated elegance". Suggest a long decant for this wine if consumed at this time.

4/18/2024 - melzar wrote:

Obscure right bank Bordeaux (St Emillion). High percentage of Merlot, and very open for business. Great value!

4/18/2024 - melzar wrote:

Still alive and well. An excellent value.

4/18/2024 - melzar wrote:

My favorite of my wine club's recent tasting of 2000 Bordeaux. Beat out the likes of Palmer and Leoville Las Cases. Wonderful forthcoming nose. Cab Franc perhaps a little obvious with it's vegetal character. Drinking at peak and open for business.

4/18/2024 - melzar wrote:

This bottle did not perform as well as the one I had last July. Bottle variation or taster variation? Nose seemed more muted than I remember.

4/16/2024 - melzar wrote:

Quinteseial red Burgundy, drinking at prime. Loved this upon release, but it needed more time. You can see through the red in the glass. Endless finish

4/14/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto notes of 12-11. '23

4/13/2024 - melzar wrote:

Excellent NV Champagne. Just a little yeasty for my personal taste. Good fruit, acidity, and bubbles.

4/11/2024 - melzar wrote:

Slightly over extracted for my taste, but lacking in the overt Syrah character that I dislike. This well balanced young Syrah comes across as a great, ready to drink young red wine. Well balanced. No single element stands out.

4/11/2024 - melzar wrote:

Acidity makes this wine hold together. I'm on a mission to remove the dead wood from my cellar and I expected to feed the drain with this one, but I will probably finish the bottle. I would never serve this to a guest, but the Scotsman in me whispers: "finish it". Fruit still present, but fading.

4/9/2024 - melzar wrote:

Wonderful aged claret, providing almost as much pleasure as the '82 La Mission Haut Brion that I recently had. Do we pay too much for our wine experience? My net worth certainly declined less today. Iron on the nose.Great fruit remains on the palate, and there is an endless finish. Drinking at peak, but will hold for several more years.

4/8/2024 - melzar wrote:

Excellent White Burgundy, perhaps a little young. Oak needs further integration, so I'll take a chance that the premox bug doesn't bite, and hold my remaining bottle for a few years. I may have served this wine a little too cold, as it improved as it warmed in the glass, verging on a 93. I love high end white Burgundy, but it's hard to justify the price, considering the number of inexpensive good Mâcons available.

4/8/2024 - melzar wrote:

Long cork, soaked halfway up, removed in two pieces with Durand opener. Very little sediment thrown. Excellent old Bordeaux, but not a memorable bottle. Guess I was expecting more. I prefer the 2003 Pape Clement over this Graves. Perhaps I just don't "get" '82 Bordeaux, or I expect too much

4/6/2024 - melzar wrote:

Surprise! I have been disappointed in the '07 Chateneuf du Pape wines. This blows away my perennial favorite, Beaucastel, and is my current favorite producer in this region. Like this slightly better than the '15 that I had yesterday. In it's prime drinking window and open for business.

4/6/2024 - melzar wrote:

Prime drinking window. Well balanced and not over extracted. Excellent fruit and fully resolved tannins.

4/2/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto previous notes. A Kermit Lynch selection.

4/2/2024 - melzar wrote:

Southern Rhone blend. Primarily Grenache. This well balanced wine avoids the over extraction so common these days in warm climate wines. A Kermit Lynch selection.

3/31/2024 - melzar wrote:

All one could ask for in a Bordeaux. Love the nose, palate and finish. Ditto previous notes.

3/29/2024 - melzar wrote:

Dead ringer for a Sancerre (It's almost next door). Emphasizes the fruitier nature over the grassy component of Sauvignon Blanc, as does good Sancerre. Telltale licorice notes point to the location.

3/25/2024 - melzar wrote:

Village level wine that over performs. I still have not had the Nebbiolo epiphany, but this comes close. Burgundy lovers such as I, are supposed to like Nebbiolo. I just don't get it. Nebbiolo to me, has a much more tannic structure than Burgundy. None the less, I like this wine. Pay no attention to the Cellar Tracker drinking window. This wine has years ahead. Addendum: Holding strong on day three.Telltale licorice notes front and center.

3/24/2024 - melzar wrote:

In the old days, one only drank Sancerre Rouge in the ripe vintages. Climate change has changed all this. This '19 is on the verge of over extraction and losing it's Pinot Noir character. Dense and verging on a California style, this big wine is still well balanced and should be looked at by Burgundy lovers who hate the Burgundy price tag.

3/24/2024 - melzar wrote:

From 375: Good acidity and slight touch of well integrated neutral oak. Noted, for the first time, a slight saline character as well. Good Chardonnay fruit present as well. Drinking at peak.

3/21/2024 - melzar wrote:

Highly extracted, bone dry white wine. Rich and elegant. Suspect extended skin contact during vinification. Good accompaniment for a rich Italian fish dish?

3/19/2024 - melzar wrote:

From 375: This bottle performed well. No indication of premox. Ditto previous good notes.

3/18/2024 - melzar wrote:

Very traditional, classic, right bank Bordeaux. Acidity stands out, tannin is tamed and the fruit may be on the downswing. Low alcohol. I like this style, although many will not.

3/16/2024 - melzar wrote:

Not as good as the 2016, this still merits your attention. Tannin and acidity dominate the flavor profile. I suspect an attempt was made to downplay the copious fruit that California provides, perhaps by early harvest? Very old world in style, and I like it. Addendum: Still holding on day three. Stored since release at 55 degrees and showing a lot of sediment.

3/13/2024 - melzar wrote:

Highly extracted Chardonnay. A little clumsy and in need of more acidity. Although I believe that oak is not warranted in most Mâcon, it might help here to balance the copious fruit. addendum: Beginning to taste old by day three.

3/12/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto previous notes.

3/12/2024 - melzar wrote:

Accidentally called this the 2003 Brune et Blonde. Since corrected. I found two bottles of this in my highly disorganized cellar. Against all odds, this wine is still alive and pleasant to drink. Bought a case at auction years ago, and I thought it was all gone. Better years ago, if you own this wine, I suggest you drink up! Addendum: On day three, stored at 65 degrees, this wine is still drinkable, but has acquired a balsamic character. Fruit is hard to find. Will have my remaining bottle soon.

3/9/2024 - melzar wrote:

Slight reductive notes that do not interfere with enjoyment. One of my favorite Brunello producers. Well balanced fruity wine with a great finish.

3/8/2024 - melzar wrote:

Black olives on the nose. Palate reveals the main show. Unmistakable Graves with it's burnt earth character. Gobs of fruit add to the complexity. One forgets how satisfying a high end Bordeaux can be.

3/8/2024 - melzar wrote:

I'm usually not a fan of southern Rhone whites as I usually find them over-extracted and ponderous. My wine merchant insisted that I try this, and I'm glad I did. A mixture of Marsanne/Grenache Blanc/Roussanne/Viognier/Bourboulenc/Clairette (Is there more?) ,this inexpensive wine delivers. Un-oaked and fruit driven with a long finish.(This is À Fleur Blanc)

3/5/2024 - melzar wrote:

Easy to call southern Rhone here. Not over-extracted but brutally tannic.If you own this obscure wine, I suggest you give it time.