5/15/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

My second-ever Corsican in as many days. Just about the same flavor profile as last night’s bottle; in-your-face peach and melon with a strong vein of acidity running through it. However, the color could not be more different. This wine is a very deep, dark Rose color. Maybe a bit more blood-orange in this one, too. 5-11-17-8: 91/00.

5/14/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Really quite nice. Strong ruby, fine balance and structure, and pure, piquant cherry. Wish I had bought more, as I paid $25 for this years ago. 5-11-17-8: 91/100.

5/14/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

For such a lightly-colored Rosé—if you can call it that, it’s actually golden yellow—this packs quite a fruit punch. Citrus, peach and melon linger a long time on the palate, and the nose is quite fresh, too. Good acid backbone keeps the fruit reigned in. My first Corsican I believe and, I hope, not my last. 5-11-16-8: 90/100.

5/13/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped/poured. Good strong rich Syrah fruit. Big boned but not alcoholic. Fine acid backbone. Excellent California Syrah. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.

5/13/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured this. Excellent with a pizza. Pure Sangiovese fruit goodness, with fine balance. 5-2-16-8: 91/100.

5/12/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

I like this, but to me fails to live up to expectations—at least on PnP. Strong color, identifiable Nebbiolo nose, and decent enough red fruit flavors. I will save my last bottle awhile longer to see if this improves. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.

Nearly 20 hours later, this had softened somewhat (definitely more fruit flavor) but I’ll give my remaining bottle more time.

5/11/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Good, but not nearly as good as a bottle enjoyed 6 years ago. This has had 24 hours in an open bottle. Looks very young. Appears to have gone into a shell. Clearly there is much to this, it just is not showing much at this stage of its development. Judgment reserved for now.

5/11/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped this after a long day. And it brought me joy right off the bat. I will drink one glass tonight because I am sure it will unfold into a more impressive wine than it already is on PnP. That’s exciting, because it already shows enough to rate in the low to mid-90s.

About 16 hours later: gorgeous ruby magenta, not even close to looking its age. Beautiful floral bouquet is all elegance and warmth, with a nice lead pencil note as well. Excellent ripe, round fruit in the mouth. Rich. Feminine. Clearly drinking at its peak, I would opt to drink this sooner rather than later, while it is still fresh and vibrant. Excellent combination of primary and secondary elements. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.

5/10/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Another good showing; perhaps a point higher than last bottle.

5/10/2024 - MicklethePickle wrote:

This producer’s wines always please me. Great burnished color, and beautiful delineation of fruit and minerals, including chalk and limestone. Finishes long and lush. In fine shape at ten years of age. 5-3-17-9: 94/100.

5/9/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Opened yesterday. Good then, good now. This is big purple Cabernet with pretty fruit in nose and mouth. Big, but not over extracted. Good wine for the money. 5-13-17-8: 93/100.

5/9/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. I like the restraint here. Ripe fruit is balanced by nice structure, acid and tannin. Finishes long and elegant, velvety. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.

5/8/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and pored; paired with Salisbury Steak. Nice purple color, and viscous. Nice Syrah fruit in the nose, nothing overpowering but very pure. Excellent palate, with acid perfectly playing foil to the rich fruit. Amazing how this producer makes such stellar wine from non-classified-area fruit. Yes they are more expensive than other wines from the same environs, but the quality in the bottle makes it a bargain. To me, Clape stands alone. Marvelous! 5-12-17-8: 92/100.

5/8/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Another stellar bottle, no decanting required. This qualifies as one of my favorite Chiantis—reliably impressive every time. Beautiful, viscous ruby, lovely spice-laden cherry nose, and ripe cherry palate. This is the whole package. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.

5/7/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is rounding into shape beautifully. Rich, full blackberry fruit in nose and mouth, with excellent balance, structure, and tannic backbone. Glad I loaded up on this, as it was a tremendous bargain on release (and probably still is at what must currently be a higher tariff today). Great future ahead, but already coming around. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.

5/6/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

This is one heck of an impressive Rosé. Looks more like a red than a Rosé, but has all the acid and freshness one could want. Beautiful fresh, wild berries. Bravo! I love it! 5-12-16-9: 92/100.

5/5/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped/poured. Better than my last bottle two months ago. Good color and nose, palate could be better. 5-12-15-7: 89/100.

5/5/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Opened last night. Noted today, it is everything I had hoped it would be. I used to visit this winery regularly in the 1980s and 1990s, but haven’t had the PR for years now. Happily this bottle and another vintage tasted recently remind me of how much I liked these wines back in the day. Glass-staining deep, dark purple-ruby. Pure ripe Cabernet aroma. Has characteristic California ripeness but enough structure and acid to keep it in check. I have a more European palate these days, but still appreciate a nice change of pace like this once in awhile. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.

5/4/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Very nice on PnP. Dark crimson color is very strong. Fresh, ripe fruit in the nose. Crisp palate impression with good fruit. This is aging nicely, and has years ahead. Don’t know how much it might improve, if at all, but it is certainly enjoyable now. 5-12-16-9: 92/100

5/4/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Opened last night, noted today. Strikes me as a pretty good example of this varietal. Opaque purple-ruby. Pretty, harmonious cherry-berry fruit in both nose and mouth. Good stuff. 5-12-15-8: 90/100.

5/3/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Quite youthful for a 46-year-old wine; ruby all the way to the rim. Seems to have quite an herbal component to it, including dill. Still, it is impressive given how old it is. Amazing how well Riojas age. 5-11-15-8: 89/100.

Next day, a little less herbal, a bit more caramel. Score still seems about right.

5/3/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Excellent stuff; ripe, rich and juicy. Went well with Sicilian-style swordfish. More purple than red, this has a very regal appearance. Viscous and leggy, too. Gorgeous floral nose, and oodles of ripe fruit in the mouth. Not picking up a ton of bell pepper, but so what? I sure wish I could get my hands on more of this. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.

5/3/2024 - MicklethePickle wrote:

I have never aged a Martinelli Pinot Noir for anywhere near this long. So I was interested to see how it developed. The color is certainly suggestive of a young wine as is the nose. It is only on the palate where the forward fruit has been tamed somewhat. I am not really sensing a whole lot of secondary characteristics which bodes well for a long future ahead. This tends to prove to me that wines that are rich and alcoholic in their youth can indeed age. However, I’m not sure I’m enjoying this more than I would have in it’s youth. I wish I had another bottle to age another 10 years to compare. 5-13-16-8: 92/100

5/2/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Alas, I let this go too long, it’s on the other side of its peak. Still decent but oh, what might have been. Note to self: even Premier Cru White Burgundies seldom take ten years for ideal drinking. 4-11-16-7: 88/100.

5/1/2024 - MicklethePickle wrote:

Popped and poured. Solid, translucent ruby. At the moment, faint cherry aroma and earthy, gritty fruit in the mouth. As others have noted, very dry, but I find that to be less of an impediment than some seem to have. Withholding scoring pending further development in the glass (if any).

Next day. The nose has gotten fractionally more expressive, and there is mostly sour cherry in the mouth. Overall though, pretty austere, and a disappointment. The color suggests youth, butI don’t think further aging will help. 5-11-12-5: 83/100.

5/1/2024 - MicklethePickle wrote:

Popped and poured. Looks prematurely old, with an orange cast. Some grilled nuts in the nose are characteristic, but unfortunately are at least matched if not overshadowed by oxidative noes. Too bad. Palate surrenders to the latter. Not rated.

5/1/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Note is from today; the wine was opened last night. This is a decently ripe pretty Sangiovese that would pair with pizza and red-sauced pasta dishes. It’s not especially complex but it has nice acid to balance the fruit. For more near-term drinking, say, in the next 3-4 years or so. Decent value. 4-2-15-8: 89/100.

4/30/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

This is really nice. Gorgeous purple-ruby, big-time stains stick to the bowl of the glass. Super viscous!! Really rich wine in the mouth, with big-time purple fruit, crème de cassis, and little if any sign of bell pepper. Ripe but not sweet. Literally stuffed with fruit. Texturally, super supple, smooth, and sleek. This is impressive stuff. A real deal at Costco’s $19.99. Wow. 5-12-17-9: 93/100.

4/29/2024 - MicklethePickle wrote:

Popped and poured and quite excellent, everything one could ever want from a Chablis, and a tremendous bargain to boot at Rare Wine Co.’s $25 sale price; I only wish I had bought more. Textbook. Complex. 5-12-17-9: 93/100.

4/29/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Much better showing this time around. Solid garnet, with classic Burgundy nose of soil, light cherry, roses. This bottle has that additional "it' factor in the nose that elevates it to at least Village-level quality, even rivaling more than a few 1er Crus. Good grip and earth in the mouth, with a decently long finish. This bottle lives up to the accolades it received from others that prompted me to buy it at its price point north of $40. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.

4/28/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Better than my last bottle, but not as good as the bottle noted previous to that bottle. This time, there is a bit of bell pepper and less pure Merlot. Pretty nice for a $20 twenty-six year-old wine. 5-12-15-8: 90/100.

4/27/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Pale pink. Leggy. Lovely delicate aroma of roses in bloom. Less delicate in the mouth, a tad acidic, but still attractive in a somewhat earthy, rustic way. Good, not great. 5-12-15-7: 89/100.

4/27/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Great out of the gate on PnP. Deep burnished Goldenrod; viscous. Nose filled with orchard fruit. Rich, toasty varietal fruit in the mouth, a bit creamy, full and long with excellent balancing acidity. Excellent stuff. 5-13-17-8: 93/100.

4/27/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

I am surprised this has a still dark if faded ruby color. Still has legs—literally. Nose starting to emerge after a few minutes for some funk to blow off. Bell pepper and faint floral note. Silky smooth texture, yet good grip. Good fruit. My initial impression after 1/2 hour is that this might blossom with more air into a very interesting and enjoyable wine. Will revisit later. . . . Well now, I am certainly no expert when it comes to Chinons of this age, but I can say that this is very much alive, drinking beautifully after sitting in the bottle in the cellar for a couple of hours, and tasting as good and as varietal as I’d hoped. Hides its 35 years well, but still I assume it has gotten as good as it can, no reason to wait on this any longer. A fine beauty indeed. 5-13-17-9: 94/100. (Adding this to note that the wine fully blossomed the next day. Really an awesome wine and quite an educational experience. For less than $100, this was well worth the price of admission.)

4/27/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Excellent for the money. Real Tuscan structure and character. Red candy nose. Earthy finish. 5-12-16-8: 91/100.

4/25/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Not sure I have much more I can say about this than Vinorsk’s most recent note, which describes my experience with this wine to a T. I’d rate it a tad higher, though: 5-13-17-9: 94/100.

4/24/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

This actually is not the Celestins—no reserve was produced in 2013. But not to worry. After only a few minutes, this is already showing very well. Gorgeous leggy ruby, pretty and abundant fruit aromas in the nose (strawberry and raspberry), and a palate that seems much less Grenache-centric than most CdPs. Palate is a little drying (but not dying), and lacks the richness, alcohol and overt ripeness of much CdP. What it lacks in garrigue is easily compensated by very pretty fruit flavors. This wasn’t cheap, but definitely comes across as a very classy and elegant wine. It’s like candy for oenophiles. 5-14-17-9: 95/100.

4/23/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Way too young, but I had to try, and glad I did. This is gigantic, rich, exotic Cote Rotie that is just awesome. Where to start? Game? Yup. Bacon fat, meaty? Yup. Fabulous balance? Yup. What a gorgeous wine, extracted but with excellent balance. My first wine from this producer, and I am already a huge fan. Not cheap, yet still a great QPR for the money. 5-13-18-9: 95/100.

4/22/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Grabbed the Riserva bottling by mistake. Too young? Nice enough fruit in the nose, a bit too acidic in the mouth for my taste. 5-12-15-7: 89/100.

4/21/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Pure Nebbiolo fruit with good acidity. Plenty of time to go, in fact it still seems young and primary. Nose a bit faint. 5-11-16-8: 90/100.

4/21/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, and once again displaying the purity, clarity and class of my last bottle. What a steal this was!

4/21/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped/poured. Glass-staining purple-ruby. Young, but clearly showing its class and quality. Loads of fruit, tannin and alcohol and little finesse now, but showing real potential for greatness. In ten years this should be magnificent. 5-13-16-9: 93/100. Room for a higher mark with more bottle age. Great value.

4/20/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Pretty good for a second((?) label--good color, fruit and richness. On the young side, but already drinkable. 5-12-16-8: 91/100..

4/19/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Had this with spaghetti and clams. Very nice, rich, and I like the oak treatment, which adds another element to the tasty fruit. 4-12-16-8: 90/100.

4/18/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is nice, and a pleasant surprise. Full dark red, with good viscosity and no visible signs of age. Really nice dark fruit, with a lovely crème de cassis component as well. Drinking at peak right now, with no sign of imminent decline. Still, no reason to wait as it is great right now. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.

4/17/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Had this with smoked sausage tonight. Very nice fruit, complimented the sausage very well. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.

4/17/2024 - MicklethePickle wrote:

Opened last night and still drinking beautifully today. In fact, I appreciate it even more today. Not great complexity here, just pure unadulterated rich, round, sweet varietal fruit. Voluptuous. 5-12-16-8: 91/100.

4/16/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Got this for roughly 1/2 off at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. Wasn’t sure how it might be, but I needn’t have worried; it’s good. Softly fruity, sweet, maybe a tad on the fat side, but with sufficient firmness and structure for decent enjoyment. Not sure I’d buy at full retail. 5-12-15-7: 89/100.

4/15/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Went well with Crab and Pasta Genovese. Fine balance of acid and fruit. Still a baby. Lemon citrus. 4-12-16-8: 90/100.

4/14/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

For my money, one of the best California Chardonnays in the marketplace, regardless of price. The perfect toastiness to the rich fruit. Great fruit, great length, great finish. When you throw in price as a factor, in my mind this is at the pinnacle. Great Chardonnay at a more than fair price. Worth searching for far and wide. 5-13-18-9: 95/100.