4/18/2024 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Brief recollection from lunch:

(Decanted for 90 minutes prior to consumption).

Plummy, fruity nose of a more stewed nature. Stewed, black fruits on the palate, with a mineral undertone. Oak tones are present, but integrated.

Guests tasted this blind. Consensus: aged Loire Cabernet Franc.

Quite delicious with a grilled bavette and a cheese-less potato/onion gratin.

4/2/2024 - Deaddeadwine Does not like this wine:

Ripe. No sense of varietal or place. I made a friend (a seasoned wine/food aficionado) taste this blind and he completely guessed incorrectly the varietal, continent, EVERYTHING about the wine. And I don't fault him - I would have gotten it wrong, as well.

3/30/2024 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

A mild whiff of roses upon opening, which quickly dissipated. This is really a very simple wine - tart cherry juice. I would have guessed a high-altitude, undistinguished Sangiovese if tasted blind. I expected otherwise, obviously.

2/28/2024 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Absolutely classic Chablis. Austere. Mineral. Couldn't be from anywhere else.

Drinking beautifully now. It'll go longer, but why risk it?

2/2/2024 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Earthy, minty, a touch of charcoal. Very serious, but not brooding. Decanted briefly before consuming - it didn't change much when exposed to air. More savory than fruity. It'll go longer, it'll probably develop more nuances, yet really enjoyable now.

Pair with substantive cuisine.

2/2/2024 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Pretty, delightful. She's a lovely wine. Balanced.

I wish more Chianti was so charming.

Maybe it'll become a bit more complex with age, but who cares? Really delicious right now.

I only have one remaining. Bummer.

9/8/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

From memory, accompanied lunch earlier. Perfectly decent, balanced Chardonnay. Paired with roast chicken - worked well. This is MOR stuff, though, nothing particularly notable regardless of the established Dundee Hills origin. I doubt it'll improve much, I don't see much need to age further.

Little interest shown by others at table, as well.

8/17/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Quite pleased with this, fantastic qpr at $20. Very well made, excellent balance between ripe fruit and underlying acids. No sense of place really, but a high quality WV Chardonnay nonetheless.

8/8/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Modern, extracted, and..........Bordeaux. Leathery, meaty notes, yet still rich with bramble fruits. Pretty delicious 14 years on, particularly for a basic Bordeaux. Drink up, it probably won't improve much.

7/28/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Really delicious, a hit with all at table. Everyone was amazed that one could purchase this now for $35.

Quite savory with mostly tertiary elements present. Not a ton of fruit remaining, but enough. Only 12.5% alcohol, so quite light-bodied. Old-school wine. THIS IS NOT A WINE FOR THE BIG-FRUIT CROWD OR NEOPHYTES.

In a word - excellent. Great accompaniment to grilled pork tenderloin with grilled polenta.

7/28/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

My second bottle consumed, of two purchased.

Delicious village Chablis, with obvious typicity. Much less oak influence than the bottle previously consumed. Time in bottle, or bottle variation? I have no idea, but this was truly appreciated by all at table.

Ready to go, but could be aged further....but why?

Really good. I wish I had more.

7/21/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

I really have little to say of this wine. I forced myself to write something, rather than merely cop out and say nothing.

It has good Oregon pinot fruit,with typical red fruit characteristics. A touch of VA. And that's about it.

It cost me over $30. I DON'T consider that good qpr, as there are COUNTLESS wines I really enjoy I'd rather consume at that price level.

7/17/2023 - Deaddeadwine Does not like this wine:

From magnum. Lovely CA fruit - a cross between blackberry and blueberry........BUT........stems. Stems, stems, and more stems. Green, unripe stems.
Supposedly 40% whole cluster. They override nearly any enjoyable characteristics this wine may have. Sad.

7/13/2023 - Deaddeadwine Does not like this wine:

From memory, drank with lunch a few hours prior.

This wine was barely touched by the four people at table.
It possesses a strong diesel vibe, tons of sponti. It is quite aggressive, unusual in my experience with Selbach-Oster. I have two more, I'll let them sit for a few more years. We'll see.

7/13/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

From memory from lunch a few hours prior. No notes taken, we were enjoying lunch!

A complete panoply of exotic fruit scents and flavors, both orchard AND tropical. A quixotic combination of bombast and precision. Riotous in scope, yet totally balanced. Uh......wow!

Utterly alive, tons of life left.

Sweet, yet with a solid backbone of acidity. I wouldn't recommend desserts of assertive sugars.

6/23/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

White stone fruit, scents of citrus blossom and straw, nice acid balance. Don't overthink it - it's good.

Paired with trofie and pesto, alfresco dining. What's not to like?

6/19/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Very well made Sangiovese, with true varietal character. Spicy , ripe fruit with ample acidity. None of the earthen attributes of CC or Montalcino. More of a simple pleasure but good, nonetheless. Good qpr.

6/11/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Disappointed with the RS/acid balance in this wine. The lack of acidity makes it flabby and, frankly, pretty boring.
I seriously doubt it'll make old bones. Disappointed 😞.

Paired with a lovely Indian meal. Everything at table sung with lively contrast. Not this Riesling.

4/28/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Very much alive and kicking. Total crowd pleaser, a Chardonnay with obvious stuffing yet generous and giving. Would please francophiles and CA fans alike.

Served with grilled rockfish, grilled calamari and braised fennel, white beans, avocado and oranges. Total CA meal, very French wine = absolute hit!

4/21/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Fantastic. Light gold in color. Lemon/lime citrus galore with a touch of petrol and plenty of slate minerality. Perfect balance of RS and searing acidity. In a great place now and certain to remain there for years to come.
Perfect companion to pork and a grouping of banchan.

4/20/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

From memory. Drank over two nights.

No longer a purple fruit bomb, this has matured into a darker red wine. Very little fruit remaining, it now shows savory, stemmy, spicy notes and not much else.
Unremarkable.

3/19/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

A wine of breed and class. Light gold. Somewhat muted nose of citrus and marine notes. Lemon and minerals on the acidic palate, although balanced by a lightly oaky presence. This is a very balanced wine, judiciously well made, albeit one that is more Chablis in temperament than in typicity. I have two more, and I'm in no hurry to consume them.

3/19/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Light ruby red. Promising nose of roses, mild sous bois. Light red fruits on palate, with ample acidity. But the palate doesn't blossom as the nose does, it has no middle and no finish. This, at 10 years of age, is much simpler than I'd hoped.

2/16/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Dry, balanced riesling, strongly leaning towards citrus fruits - as noted by others, predominantly grapefruit. I found this to be enjoyable, albeit more simple than I'd hoped. Definitely can be aged further, in hopes it may develop more complexities. I have two more, I'll wait a few years until i open the next one.

2/13/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Really savory, really bitter I love both of these characteristics in Italian wines, but this is pushing my limits. MUST be accompanied with strong cuisine. Not a crowd-pleaser, but might enthrall the Italophiles out there.

2/9/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Subtle citrus notes on the nose and palate; moderate stony elements are evident, yet this doesn't present as obviously Chablis. Altogether, this is an elegant, balanced and fresh chardonnay, very pleasurable now and most likely for 2-3 more years.

1/27/2023 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Good Chablis typicity . Nice balance.

My beef? There's an oak influence present, which I think adds an oddly cloying note to the palate. With fruit so pure, and with such character, I simply wish it wasn't there.

1/21/2023 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Silly good. Just now beginning to show it's class and breed. Light gold. Bright lemon and stony aromas, with just a smidgen of petrol. A hint of sugar is perceptible, but is forcefully kept in check by quite ample acidity. Lovely!

And.......it's just now entering prime territory. I have one remaining, I'll wait another three years or so for further development.

12/30/2022 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Dark fruited, ripe. Resolved tannins. Perfectly enjoyable, but I had hoped for more expression of place. Any volcanic characteristics it may have are quite muted.

12/25/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Serious Barolo. Strawberries, roses. And tannins. Feminine vs masculine. Everything's there. Delightful.

From the Arborina Vineyard. Why the hell they call this La Foia instead of the great vineyard name is a real mystery. I had no idea of that when I bought this, I figured it was a commune wine. Definitely not. It's much better.

Delicious juice.

12/5/2022 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Flat-out not ready to drink. Big wine, with strong mineral character. But it just ain't ready, it is closed , tight, and a bit mean. Open 2030?

12/5/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Upon opening, tasted of stewed red fruits. Decided to decant, and did so 3 hours prior to dinner in a flat-bottomed decanter. The stewed character went away, and the wine became much more pleasurable. However, it really blossomed about 4 hours in, displaying soft, autumnal Cabernet Franc notes of blond tobacco and light cedar. Lots of life left, I'm keeping my hands off my remaining bottles for at least a few more years.

11/28/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Medium gold in color. Ripe flavors of green apple, citrus. On the more iodine side, rather than tidal pool.

Clearly shows the hot vintage side of Chablis (2018), yet still speaks of place. I wouldn't recommend aging particularly long, perhaps 3 years or so? It did pick up nuances as dinner progressed; however, I'd be concerned it would lose freshness relatively quickly as it is such a ripe Chablis.

We drank this with a scallop dish and a yellowfin tuna dish. The richness of these proteins happily complimented the richness of the wine.

11/25/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Advanced color, more brown than ruby. This fooled me into believing the wine did not require decanting - that's a mistake, as evidenced by the last glass of the evening which showed both more nuance and more fruit.

This doesn't have many of nebbiolo's quirky traits - no tar, no roses, no mint - but it is nonetheless balanced and delicious.

Served with polenta and a pork ragu, which worked well.

The advanced color of the wine concerns me somewhat, as it looks like a 20+ yo nebbiolo. However, I suspect it has many years left, evidenced by the wines stronger performance as the evening wore on. Also, the track record of so many Alto Piemontese wines proves their longevity.

11/10/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

From memory: ripe, spicy, ample acids, quite savory and ever-so-slightly feral. Delicious! Fantastic CA meets Southern France wine!

Accompanied porter-braised short ribs. Terrific.

Had a glass at lunch, finished the bottle with dinner. No major changes when introduced to air.

11/3/2022 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Ripe. Mostly lacking in Chablis character and attributes. Noticeable oak. Tasted blind, it could be from anywhere.
I'm sad that I have two more.

10/9/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Ripe, rich, extracted. More modern in style, yet it still possesses true Chianti elements of bitter notes and strong acids and tannins. More black cherry than Morello cherry.

Very young. It's got a long life ahead, and will certainly gain nuances with more cellar time.

10/1/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Deep, dark, brooding. Not a fruit bomb. Many savory, stemmy notes.

Decanted all day long prior to dinner, and it needed it!

One left, and I'm not touching it for 5 years, at least.

Drank in conjunction with a WA syrah. It was fun to compare and contrast.

10/1/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Very much alive and kicking. Served alongside a younger St Cosme Saint Joseph, it clearly showed a more gregarious, fruity side of Syrah. However, it also clearly displayed the savory side so redolent in the Rhone counterpart. Altogether, quite good.

PnP -it didn't need decanting.

10/1/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

For Chablis lovers. Solid fruit, with strong acidity. Galloni went nuts for this thing - that's a bit hyperbolic. However, it's pretty damned good, KL charged $20 (!!!).
Spectacular qpr.

9/28/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

I would not guess that this is New World chardonnay. Very solid acid backbone, citrus tones - all in a restrained, elegant style.

Arterberry Maresh is, without question, one of my favorite Oregon producers.

9/26/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Got the pairing correct this time - this was really good with rosemary-marinated grilled short ribs.

I have one remaining. I wish I had purchased more.

9/11/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Simple, delicious red wine with an abundance of light red fruits, good acidity, and tannins

Goes well with damned-near anything Italian. Stood up well with a spicy, salty pepperoni pizza, but it would easily complement much lighter cuisine as well.

9/7/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

From an Inocente bottled in March 2019. I purchased a case, this is the 8th bottle consumed.

On a tip from Brooklynguy's magnificent defunct blog, I decided to go long on this terrific fino and note how this wine evolves. And evolve it does! It is rounder, smoother, more aromatic, and more integrated with three years bottle age. Is it better than when freshly bottled? My partner thinks so. Me?-not so sure. But I love it both ways, fresh and aged. I think fresh might be better with salty snacks and fresh seafood. Aged might be better with rounder flavors - this accompanied a Spanish tortilla. Delicious!

Inocente, to me, is the greatest qpr wine in the world. It's ageability attests to that.

9/4/2022 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Green apples galore.

I preferred this when it was younger. It is still good, but the riotous fruitiness has become more one-note.

8/28/2022 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Heavy extraction. Absolutely opaque, pure purple color - zero variation at rim. Nose of dark black fruit, coupled with camphor, mint and creosote. Flavors of blackberry, not jammy..

Massive wine. TONS of life ahead - perhaps it will evolve?

Would be good with bbq., like a heavily barked Texas brisket.

8/27/2022 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Very enjoyable gamay. Solid fruit, good acid balance.

I went through a case of the '14, which i LOVED - it had more nuance, more verve, more earth tones (cooler vintage). This is bolder, fruitier and, to me, less interesting.

It has softened a bit, yet hasn't evolved much since I've purchased this.

8/26/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

The first bottle I've tried of a case purchased. Ebullient fruit! Ample sugar, perfectly balanced by acids underneath. Resolutely built for aging - I can hardly wait to see what this is like in 2030 (or 2040, for that matter).

Terry Theise's wine of the vintage - I can see why.

8/14/2022 - Deaddeadwine wrote:

Recollection from 2 days ago.......big fruit, with stem tones underneath, more fruity than savory. I'd hoped for more expression of terroir. Hold for 3-5 years more, imo

8/14/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:

Recollection from 2 nights ago:. light, lean, lovely. Clearly Nebbiolo,, but very much on the savory side.
Paired with grilled salmon and a light poblano crema. Good match.