Tom Casagrande

8.8

If memory serves—which it sometimes doesn’t—this was an inexpensive Garagiste “mystery” wine. And it’s not bad. Very light color with some ambering of the edges. Nose is Nebbiolo all the way, with macerated wild cherry fruit, lots of old barrel/mahogany scents, a a little gravelly hillside note. In the mouth, it’s a rather lean and austere style, good intensity, but a little angular, and the tannins are a bit scratchy. Needs food, which, luckily, I happen to be eating. — 20 hours ago

Tom Casagrande

8.9

Had a bottle of this cheap white Graves a year ago and liked it a lot (my notes are listed as being for this chateau’s red because the app misidentified it). Still quite fresh. Love the sweetly grassy Sauvignon nose, with just enough ripe gooseberry and some gravel and lanolin. Soft and fruity in the mouth. Not a lot of acid, but more than enough to keep it fresh. Textbook. And a great value. — 7 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

2022 Laurent Martray Cote de Brouilly Les Feuillees - Love the nose. So much crumbly wet granite and earth, and deep dark cherry underneath. The palate is rich but a little loose-jointed, flavors lurching all over the mouth. Dark cherry and loads of clingy, stony minerals. A little bitterish note in the finish, together with decent acids, is perky. The tannins are a little scratchy but not unpleasantly so. This needs a couple of years to settle down but is energetic and fun right now too. — 14 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

I’d almost forgotten I had this lying in a forgotten corner of the cellar. It’s a blend of 35% Semillon 28% Roussanne, 16% Chardonnay 15% Chenin Blanc 6% Clairette. It’s delicious and has lots of character. Deep greenish gold color is striking. I love the nose: lanolin, pear, candle wax, a wee bit of honey, crushed rock. Deeply flavored. It’s got the weighty texture of the Semillon and Roussanne components in the fore. Lovely fruit up front transitions into a minerally finish with a nice bitterish note. Pretty decent acids. Love it! — 2 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

This is just so bright and zingy and friendly. Juicy crisp cherries on the nose with a wee bit of crushed stone. Fresh and fruity and zesty in the mouth. A little chalky tannin and a nice slight bitter note in the finish. How they got this sort of freshness in such a hot year is beyond me. Just a great weeknight dinner wine with just about anything. — 9 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Domaine Amelie and Charles Sparr “Revelation” Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg. Deep brassy gold color. Big nose has loads of ripe, lightly-spiced apple fruit, cracked stone, a bit of petrol, and torn tarragon leaves. Surprisingly soft and fat textured in the mouth, but totally dry. Ripe appley fruit and some stony minerality. Acids seem low at first but sneak in later to keep it fresh. Delicious now, this will keep a few years but doesn’t seem to be a long ager. — 13 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Popped and poured. No sediment. Gorgeous nose of earthy, sappy cherry, cola syrup, shards of quartz, and subtle spice. More reserved and austere on the palate than the nose suggests. A tight coil of fruit initially, then morphing into savory, mineral notes that cling. Bone dry

UPDATE: After an hour of air, the palate is softer and a bit more expansive and friendly. The back label has a Ridge-like lists of the ingredients. It lists “Tannin” as an ingredient. I had no idea that one could add tannin to a wine like adding a pinch of salt to a dish. I thought it was solely a matter of skin/juice contact and time. — 19 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

My friend @Dave had this recently and said it was drinking well so I pulled one of my bottles. I struggle to find food that good Bordeaux shines with. Maybe our cooking wheelhouse doesn’t click with it. In any event, AFTER dinner this wine seemed really good. Nose is developing some nice complexity, with dark cassis, roasted Persian spices, cedar, moist gray clay, a bit of sweet wafty smoke. Rich and softening nicely in the mouth, with cigar box and cassis/plummy flavors, and some flinty minerality in the finish. I almost always like wine with food better than just wine, but not this. This is really fine to sip and contemplate. Great value. — 5 days ago

Tom Casagrande

8.7

This is not the Classico Superiore. It’s the plain ol’ Classico.

And it’s exactly what you want in a cheap, basic Valpo Classico: bright, hard cherry candy fruit, and a nice note of bitter almond extract on the nose. Bright and crisp in the mouth. Cleansing. This is not for you if you’re looking for depth, concentration, and complexity, but with ground beef tacos? Perfection. Cheap perfection. — 12 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Elegant and balanced beautifully, but way too young. Enjoyed this at St. Elmo Steakhouse in Indy. Beautiful just-ripe cherry fruit, a floral note, stony minerality. Very nice acids. Tannins very soft. This started to open up nicely by the end of the dinner. — 16 days ago