Jay Kline

9.4

I always get excited when there’s a bottle of Calon-Ségur open. Classic Saint-Estèphe and, to my palate, these wines consistently deliver what I want from a Left Bank Bordeaux. I believe this bottle was double-decanted prior to service. The 1988 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with winsome notes of ripe, tart and dried fruits: cassis, mixed brambles, pencil shaving’s, tobacco, capsicum, a whiff of horse blanket, gravelly earth and a mix of herbs and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. I absolutely love it. This is the picture of Bordeaux in the dictionary. Drink now through 2048+. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several days and delicious throughout. The 2022 pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with blue fruits, spices, mixed flowers, old wood and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium. Whenever I drink Barbera like this, I’m reminded that I need more of this in my life. Drink now through 2032. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; no formal notes. The 2025 Watervale is a laser beam of minerals and acid that could cut solid steel. Bone dry. Austere. — 11 days ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; no formal notes. Loads of tropical fruit with just a touch of RS (just below what I would expect from Spätlese. Thoroughly modern and easy to like. — 11 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Celebrating my 4000th TN on Delectable!!

I opened this bottle of the 1982 about four hours prior to dinner. It was a little tight and old smelling so I poured it into a wide-bottomed ship’s decanter where I left it until I needed to head to the restaurant. I then poured it back into the bottle. By the time I poured the first glass, the wine had freshened up and it was positively singing! It’s a beautiful garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears and definitely quite a bit of sediment to watch out for. On the nose, after all of the air, the wine is vinous with gorgeous notes of ripe and dried, red fruits: Morello cherry, raspberry, dried roses, tar, truffle, cedar chest, leather, dried herbs and gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is such a lovely bottle of Pio Cesare Barolo annata and perhaps proving once again that the 1982 vintage was very special throughout Europe. Drink now through 2042+. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

8.9

Presented to me double-blind. The 2020 “Les Poulettes” pours a deep ruby/purple; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of dark brambles, black pepper, purple flowers, earth, leather and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. Hmmm…

Initial conclusions: this could be Syrah, Gamay, and GSM blend, a Zinfandel blend, a Tempranillo blend, or Bordeaux-style blend from France, the USA or Spain. But to me, this was giving Northern Rhône vibes so I’m going Syrah, from France, from the Rhône, Saint-Joseph 2020. Wut? Yikes. Not familiar with this producer but Kermit Lynch?! I’m surprised this didn’t show more sense of place. Drink now if you want to melt your mind. — 8 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Double-decanted prior to service. The 1988 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of cassis, brambles, tobacco, capsicum, leather, inorganic earth and a mix of herbs and fine spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. The label is beat to hell but the condition of the wine inside the bottle was perfect. Classic, old school Bordeaux from a classified growth. Drink now through 2043. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of brunch. The 2019 pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of peach, pear, white flowers, lanolin and brioche. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Flipping delicious stuff and value off the charts. Drink now through 2039. — 6 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured and served double-blind; no formal notes. The 2025 “Bull Swamp” is made in a style inspired by white Burgundy and its convincing. The nose showed some diacetyl that seemed to blow off with time. Lovely fruit and structure. Good stuff.
— 10 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

The Giovanni Sordo holdings in the Gabutti MGA are directly west and northwest of Cappellano’s. They have been bottling a single-vineyard expression of Gabutti since 1982.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2021 “Gabutti” pours a beautiful ruby color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of Morello cherry, orange peel, a room of freshly cut roses, talcum powder, some cedar and dry organic earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose though, it took about 30min of air to reflect that continuity. The finish is long. This is quite a lovely wine; I’m impressed! Silly value. Drink now with patience through 2046+. — 23 days ago