5/7/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

If wines are to be placed in cabernet-like and pinot-like buckets, then this easily tastes more like pinot. Ruby red, light body, high acidity. The flavor is tart, like cranberries and strawberries. It’s somewhat floral, but not especially so. There isn’t much to get excited about here. Unless you’re a somm…. I’d be excited about this as a somm because of the clean, tangy red fruit.

5/7/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Agiorgitiko is a fun word to say. G’s are hard, stress is on gi. Greek pronunciation is similar to Japanese.

That’s the most interesting thing about this wine for me. It’s not bad though. It tastes like an average bottle of Fleurie. Delicate, juicy red fruit with violet overtones.

5/7/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

I like cinsault and have yet to taste a bad example.

This wine reminds me of grenache due to its glycerin-rich red fruit. It’s very floral, and it has some murky, earthy complexity too. I know I have outlier tastes, but I would prefer this wine to be leaner (juicier, less glycerin-rich), so it doesn’t score that highly for me.

5/7/2024 - rmalloy wrote:

This is an assertive wine with inky, tangy red fruit and violet overtones. But it tastes one dimensional. I can’t say I find anything special about this varietal.

5/4/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

It’s delicious. Thick black cherries and blackberries with spice accents.

5/2/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Beautiful, easy drinking Brunello. Built to drink now.

5/1/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Nicely balanced wine. Citrus, cooked pear, crushed rocks, and tarragon.

4/30/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

It’s a nice wine. Aromatically it is like syrah but more floral. Violets, pepper, saddle, blackberry, oak. Texturally it is much more delicate, closer to Beaujolais. It tastes tired at this age, lacking brightness. It is not an ageworthy wine.

4/30/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Lots of complexity. More floral and zesty notes (think lime zest and even a hint of white pepper) than I usually taste in Chardonnay.

4/29/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

I like the complexity here. Grapefruit, white flowers, and herbs — all rather pronounced. Reminiscent of white Bordeaux on the palate. Impressive.

4/29/2024 - rmalloy wrote:

For me, this wine shows off the principal weaknesses of grenache. Low acidity, low tannins, low complexity. I do appreciate the richness and purity of the red fruit. It’s just not my kind of wine. But it doesn’t surprise me at all to see WA 95.

4/20/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Great. Sweet cherries, roses, herbs, and black tea.

3/18/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Finger Lakes riesling. Every bottle I’ve tasted has been very good. This bottle here is intensely lime-y though, so it’s not going to be to everyone’s tastes.

3/12/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Dense and tangy, similar to barbera but more dried / raisiny. The origin of the name “negroamaro” is unclear, but the wine has black spice flavors reminiscent of an Italian amaro. At 12 years old, this wine tastes rather youthful to me.

3/10/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

I try and try to understand verdicchio. But I haven’t been able to pin it down. This wine tastes like quince, honeyed marzipan, and lime. I love the combination and the balance.

3/10/2024 - rmalloy wrote:

My wife is somewhat new to wine. I gave her this wine and a verdicchio de matelica blind and asked which she preferred. I predicted the answer, knowing her tastes: this wine. What I didn’t anticipate is that she immediately continued: new world, old world. Indeed! It’s that obvious.

This wine is made in a new world style. I’m not a fan. It lacks acidity / vibrance. It tastes like cooked apples and peaches. Boring.

3/10/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

I found it pretty ordinary. Very grapefruity.

3/8/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasty, interesting wine. Intriguing mix of tangy red fruit and exotic spices. But $64? Not a good value I’d say. Tastes like it should cost half that.

3/8/2024 - rmalloy wrote:

Boring and overpriced. Sometimes I think the supposed “elegance” of Burgundy is really just hype and lack of character. I’ll take the average dolcetto instead. An overgeneralization to be sure, but this particular wine has no business scoring 92 on CT. It’s like people are giving it points for being bland and boring because that’s what Volnay is supposed to be.

3/8/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Melon, peach, lime, a hint of grass. Balanced

3/6/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Similar to mid-range left-bank Bordeaux, but without the plushness that merlot provides. Lean cassis and plum with Bordeaux-like pyrazines. There is also a touch of black spice that you wouldn’t find in Bordeaux. Moderate tannins, moderate acidity.

3/5/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Unexceptional but tasty Fleurie. I guessed Beaujolais tasting blind.

3/4/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

It’s a good wine with decent concentration of black and red fruits and a cooling mintiness. But it’s no steal at $54.

3/4/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

It’s really good. White flowers and lychees in a lean but slightly sweet style. Tasting blind I guessed moscato without much confidence.

2/28/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

I think sagrantino is Italy’s third best native grape after nebbiolo and sangiovese and worthy of being labeled a “noble” varietal.* This wine is exemplary. It has dense, tangy, lip-smacking, raspberry-ish fruit and serious tannins. That’s sagrantino in a nutshell. I like the narrow focus.

* I would rank aglianico 4. I find that aglianico, while typically profound, is often disagreeably bitter and harsh.

2/28/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

I tasted a lot of black spice here. Didn’t pick up the Frappato strawberry element but did taste the dried fruit of Nero d’avola.

2/26/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Good wine. A lot like shiraz due to concentrated dark fruit and black pepper. Additional notes of vanilla and violets. Tasting blind, my wife guessed syrah. I guessed Douro or shiraz. What it lacks that syrah usually has is animal flavor. But it has black pepper in spades.

2/26/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Good, especially for the price. Intense guava and grapefruit. My wife and I both guessed sauvignon blanc blind.

2/23/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Generally, the negroamaro wines from Apulia that I’ve tasted are quite good. I enjoy this wine’s concentrated flavor of prunes and dark spices. I guessed nero d’avola tasting blind due to the dried fruit character.

2/23/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

I’ve never had grolleau before. Tasting blind, I was impressed but couldn’t identify it (obviously). I guessed Priorat made from carignan. My thinking was that it is a rich, concentrated, savory wine with strong green herbaceousness and quite a lot of funk. I hesitate to call it Brett, but I think that’s a component here. Whatever the case, it’s a big, interesting, balanced wine.

2/22/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Dark jammy with oaky vanilla. Hints of black pepper and meat. Concentrated (or bloated, from another perspective). I liked the wine despite my Old World leanings. I guessed shiraz blind.

2/19/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Excellent. Great producer.

2/18/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

This wine is really good. Eye opening. It has a solid backbone of citrus and stone and ample flesh of mango and peach, with honey overtones. There is a subtle smokiness. It tastes ever so lightly spritzy; maybe it’s my imagination, but no doubt it’s lively. The finish is so long. Great wine. Maybe I’m underrating it at 93.

2/18/2024 - rmalloy wrote:

Tasted blind. Purplish red, opaque, thin. Tangy blue-ish fruit with gritty tannins. Flowers and leather. I unlocked the wine. Flowers and leather. But what is it? I have to think Syrah, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, Mencia. I’m going Mourvèdre / Monastrell. Rating: 89.

2/13/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Very floral. Tasting blind, I guessed moscato. Nice, clear pear flavor. Maintains the searing acidity of riesling despite coming from Napa. Slightly off dry. Good wine. Impressive even.

2/13/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

See-through strawberry color. Cherry and black spices. Gamey. Reduction (or call it sulfuric volcanic ash if you prefer). Big tannins.

2/11/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Rich, sweet, fruity. Light tannins. Not as “serious” as I prefer — a chocolate covered cherry personality — but good concentration and obviously very good wine. This bottle had a touch of VA. Guessed brunello at Osteria Mozza.

2/10/2024 - rmalloy wrote:

Boring

2/7/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. Lightly golden. This wine has a saline and (lightly) honeyed almond nose. More than anything, it’s characterized by the absence of fruit in the nose. On the palate it shows citrus and pear, and still a lot of almond. I should know to guess verdicchio when the saline character is so striking. I will guess verdicchio di matelica. 91.

2/6/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. Super floral and tropical, yet lean and lemony. Delicious, I like this a lot. Gewürtztraminer is a possibility, but I’ve never had one this lean and tangy. I’ll guess timorasso. Other possibilities for completeness: moscatel, torrontes, and riesling. 91.

2/5/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. A dark ruby, slightly purple, pinot-like wine with sweet red berry fruit and some indistinct spice. I think it’s probably pure grenache. Maybe Navarra? Other possibilities are cinsault and dolcetto, or most obviously pinot. 89.

2/4/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. Ruby-red. Sweet raspberry and strawberry with pronounced black spices. Pinot-like body. I’ve tasted three wines with these black spices: dolcetto, negroamaro, and xinomavro. I guess xinomavro. 90.

2/4/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. Serious, interesting wine. Nose of flowers, cherries, black spices, and turned soil. Medium body, medium tannins. I’m going to guess montepulciano d’abruzzo or aglianico. 92.

2/3/2024 - rmalloy wrote:

Tasted blind. This is a silly, fruity wine with tangy red berry fruit. It’s a lot like I remember Jolly Rancher candies tasting. My guess is valdiguié. 87.

2/3/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. A lime-y, riesling-like wine. Fruity, agreeable. I’ll guess etna bianco. 89.

2/2/2024 - rmalloy Does not like this wine:

Tasted blind. Oak and black cherry. A frustrating wine with too much oaky vanilla flavor. It has to be new world? Root beer spice. Tongue-coating with tannic grip. It would be decent wine but for the oak. I could see this being tannat or bonarda. 88

2/2/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. Dense black and red berry fruit with pepper. Solid tannins. Good concentration. Thoughts that come to mind are GSM or barbera. I’m going to guess Gigondas. 90.

1/29/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Sweet black cherries with a touch of pepper.

1/28/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. Lots of stone fruit, especially quince. A pleasant sweetness. Some citrus. Saline. When I taste quince, I think chenin blanc. But I’m going to guess godello due to the citrus. Rating: 90.

1/23/2024 - rmalloy Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. This is a wild-tasting wine that tastes as much of herbs as it does fruit. The finish is like beer hops. The fruit is a refreshing mix of lime and white stonefruit. Golden color. Lots of flavor. I’ll guess vermentino. Rating: 90.