12/27/2023 - pford wrote:

Dark essence of raisins.Delicious.

12/27/2023 - pford wrote:

Well past prime. Initial taste was thin and dried out. But opened up in the glass. Ended up being a good enough accompaniment to the Christmas tenderloin.

12/24/2023 - pford wrote:

Showing beautifully. W/ Christmas Eve herb and hazlenut crusted salmon, morel risotto.

12/4/2023 - pford Likes this wine:

Last Staglin Chard of this era (2009) had gone bad in my cellar, opened about a month ago. This one has held up beautifully. Whew! Nonetheless, time to drink up.

11/5/2023 - pford wrote:

shot. oxidized. going into the vinegar pot. Opened a 2008 Hanzell which is showing beautifully. Have a few more bottles. Hope this flawed bottle is a one-off. We'll see.

1/8/2022 - pford wrote:

Showing its age a bit.

1/8/2022 - pford wrote:

Worth the wait.

1/8/2022 - pford wrote:

Still showing nice fruit and color at 33.

12/25/2020 - pford wrote:

Wow!

10/18/2020 - pford wrote:

Fantastic.

5/17/2020 - pford wrote:

Extraordinary.

5/17/2020 - pford wrote:

Way too old. Opened one bottle, cork fell apart, oxidized, sent to the vinegar jar. Tried a second bottle, cork in better shape, drinkable but very mature.

5/14/2020 - pford wrote:

Extremely nice. Nice depth and earthiness.

5/9/2020 - pford wrote:

27 years old. Half bottle. Regrettably, but unsurprisingly, undrinkable. Heavily oxidized. Headed for the vinegar vat.

5/9/2020 - pford Likes this wine:

Impressive. Elegant with subtle depth. Great choice for my wife's shelter-at-home birthday dinner. Pricier than our average dinner pour, but certainly worth it.

3/29/2020 - pford Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious. Lots of acidity. Accompanied a yellow curry of cauliflower garbanzo coconut & ginger.

3/22/2020 - pford wrote:

375 ml bottle. Bottom half of cork crumbled, but nothing a strainer and decanter couldn't fix. Holding up just fine. Maybe not peak, but none the worse for wear.

3/22/2020 - pford Likes this wine:

Accompanied coronavirus trivia night with friends over the interweb. Hard to tell that this 375ml bottle was 19.5 years old: lots of fruit balanced with bright acid.

2/22/2020 - pford wrote:

A little underwhelming for this price point. Lean and tight. Does it need more age? Should I have decanted and let it breath for an hour? We'll never know. It was my only bottle.

2/22/2020 - pford wrote:

Pretty special. Really nice balance of richness and fruit.

2/15/2020 - pford wrote:

nice balance, clean fruit, light on oak and malo-lactic

1/16/2020 - pford wrote:

A little tired.

1/11/2020 - pford Likes this wine:

Enjoyed with Christmas tenderloin. Holding up beautifully.

11/22/2019 - pford wrote:

thin and flat at first, opened up over course of dinner.

11/9/2019 - pford wrote:

Beautiful.

5/17/2019 - pford wrote:

My son's birth year wine. He just graduated from college. Enjoyed the wine with him in a simple family dinner of seared flat iron steak and roasted potatoes and beets. Absolutely marvelous.

2/2/2019 - pford wrote:

I've been sitting on a case for a few years, and went through 3 bottles this past month. Really good. Distinctive and delicious earthiness.

12/24/2018 - pford Likes this wine:

Robust and big. Drank after a 1988 Beaulieu Georges de la Tour. The BV was delicate and refined (and 20 years older) in comparison.

12/24/2018 - pford Likes this wine:

Delicate. A bit lean and acidic at first. But opened up. Graceful and elegant at the end. Drank a 2008 Staglin later which felt heavy and overstated in comparison.

12/16/2018 - pford wrote:

Sepia Chicago. Totally food friendly. Elegant. Nice tannins. Chose because Finger Lakes reds are not the norm. Not disappointed.

11/16/2018 - pford wrote:

Super. Bright. Nuanced and complex. Not overbearing.

10/24/2018 - pford Likes this wine:

Drank at Restaurant Digby overlooking the Douro River in Porto. Sommelier’s recommendation for a light red. Spot on. Elegant. Very nice with a rich fish soup, beef and pork. 50€.

3/10/2018 - pford wrote:

Drank a few older Austrians this week. A 2003 Knoll GV had distinct petrol, a bit unpleasant. The 2003 Prager Riesling and this 2004 Hirtzberger GV still showing fruit and vibrancy.

3/10/2018 - pford wrote:

Drank a few older Austrians this week. A 2003 Knoll GV had distinct petrol, a bit unpleasant. The 2003 Prager Riesling and a 2004 Hirtzberger GV still showing fruit and vibrancy.

2/24/2018 - pford wrote:

Showing its age. A bit of petrol, a bit unpleasant.
Drank a few other older Austrians this week. A 2003 Prager Riesling and a 2004 Hirtzberger GV still showing fruit and vibrancy.

9/19/2017 - pford Likes this wine:

Cork come out in pieces, the bottom 1/2 was weakened, but the top was still sound. Wine was fantastic. Perhaps even a little more vibrant than I was expecting. Celebrated 25th wedding anniversary with this 24 year old wine.

11/5/2017 - pford wrote:

Too old. Noticeable oxidation.

9/1/2017 - pford Likes this wine:

Fonab Castle Hotel, Pitlochry Scotland. Included in wine flight with tasting menu to accompany salmon course. Delightful. Still vibrant.

11/27/2016 - pford wrote:

A bit old, no surprise. Slight oxidation.

11/23/2016 - pford wrote:

Very nice. Holding up nicely at 22.

11/23/2016 - pford Likes this wine:

Solid. Nice fruit, nice balance.

11/21/2016 - pford wrote:

Very nice cab. Sipping right after opening. Still a little tight. Distinct tannins.

11/21/2016 - pford wrote:

True to type. Quite nice. Balanced and to my liking -- not too oaked, not too buttery.

11/19/2016 - pford wrote:

Balanced, just off dry, nice fruit. Quite nice, but for the money I'd look to Alsace or Germany for better value.

11/18/2016 - pford wrote:

Very nice. Balanced. Fruity.

11/17/2016 - pford wrote:

Quite grippy and tannic. Perhaps hoping for a little more mellowness with the age.

11/17/2016 - pford wrote:

Fine, but not exceptional. Perhaps biased by recent excellent, but much more delicate, Oregon Pinots.

11/17/2016 - pford wrote:

Very drinkable at 22.

11/13/2016 - pford wrote:

Delightful. Drank with a simple family dinner of braised chicken thighs and roasted vegetables.

11/22/2015 - pford wrote:

Forgotten bottle. Low shoulder ullage. Soft cork, couldn't extract, had to push into the bottle. I was prepared to pour it down the drain. But no oxidation! Despite being past its prime, quite drinkable