Wine biz in NYC in 80s. Sucked at sales. Since 1990, a lawyer. But still love wine!
I wish Barbarescos would come with a back label telling you how tannic the wine is, kind of like Alsace now does the sweetness bar. Many of the less expensive ‘19s are drinking well now, but this one is quite tannic. The nose has nice cherry fruit and a leathery note. It’s got nice flavor intensity and ripeness on the palate, but then the mouth-puckering tannins hit. Needs a few more years. — 8 days ago
Really good value in a lighter but spot-on Northern Rhône Syrah. Loads of higher-toned crushed stone leads on the nose, following by very pure mixed berry fruit and a little holiday spice. Soft and fresh in the mouth, on the leaner side, but with nice minerality and length. A nice honest weeknight dinner wine. — 15 days ago
All Grenache (no Shiraz). And delicious. Really finds the sweet spot between ponderous, massive global-warming CDP and those people trying to do light picnic Grenache that should be chilled like fruit punch. Nose has kirsch and raspberry ooze, along with dank minerality. Nice flavor intensity in the mouth, but with little flab. Rich fruit quickly turns savory. Nice length and the balance between acids and tannins is well-struck. Should have gotten more. — 2 days ago
Really fine annata. Very interesting nose shows fresh and macerated cherry, tomato leaf, powdered rock dust, and a wee bit of spice. Nice intensity in the mouth, with a big whack of dense, pure cherry and rock dust minerality, turning savory in the long finish, which has very nice acidity and a slight and pleasant bitter component in the tail end. Drinking wonderfully now, I think it will improve over the next year and hold for at least a couple more after that. — 11 days ago
Lotta oak in play here. Almost like 1980s Cali Chardonnay. Nose features melted butter and toasted vanilla, with nice underlying stony soil tones. Ripe pear fruit. In the mouth, there’s that oak again in the forefront, but behind it there is some nice fruit and decents acids for a wine that is 14%. Finish is long. — 14 days ago
Nose is classic Touriga National violets, cherry liqueur, and earthy crushed stone. Soft and mouthfilling, it’s intensely minerally on the palate, with enough dark cherry extract fruit to keep it from being too one-dimensional. Tannins are super-soft, and there is abundant acidity.
UPDATE. A few hours later interesting notes of cinnamon are emerging. — 6 days ago
Nose is fresh and bright, with tart(-ish) red berry fruit and clean stony minerals. I’m kind of surprised that a wine from a historically hot growing season is so fresh tasting. Not any great depth; it has sort of a horizontal feel, but very nice. — 10 days ago
Popped and poured. Nose is developing some complexity, showing brambly earth, macerated blackberry, tree bark, uncracked black peppercorn, and a savory note reminiscent of iodine. Intense but compact, there’s not an ounce of fat on this, it’s all lean muscle. The long finish shows some austerity, but the balance of acids and soft tannins is nice. I’d say these are peaking. Should go great with the porterhouse I’m about to grill.
UPDATE: On night 2, surprisingly, the Zin fruit was considerably more prominent. I guess that even at 9 years old this guy needs air. — 13 days ago
So drinkable and fresh. Red berry-skin fruit and herbal/iodiney garrigue scents. So soft and flavorful. Very little tannin, and the alcohol is in check. Finish is savory, clingy, and has some nice minerally freshness. — 17 days ago
Tom Casagrande
Delicious, pure, straightforward Grenache. Deep, pure, nice balance, soft-textured. Great value. — 3 hours ago