Wine biz in NYC in 80s. Sucked at sales. Since 1990, a lawyer. But still love wine!
A Benjamin Button wine. When I opened it last night, it initially was quite disappointing. Old, browning color, nose showing little fruit and mostly dried underbrush. But it began to perk up with an hour or so of air, so I saved the rest for tonight. And it’s pretty nice tonight! Strangely, the color has gotten more youthful looking. The nose shows dark macerated cherry with a significant iron note to the earthiness. A lifted menthol/ camphor thing. In the mouth, it’s got a nice freshness, and hits more like a Chianti Classico Riserva from Castelnuovo Berardenga than a typical Brunello. Dark cherry and lots of savory minerality. A little, nice bitter note in the close. Not super deep or lengthy, but a tasty wine nonetheless. Be sure to decant and give this wine lots of air. — 6 days ago
“Pinot Nero”? Really @Delectable Wine ? Need a geography lesson? This is deeply fruity. But the fruit/acid/tannin balance is spot-on. Delicious! — 11 days ago
This wine is aging beautifully. Color just starting to brick at the outer rim. Laid-back nose shows warm, smoky gravel, smoked meat, rich plummy berry fruit, braised collard greens. Subtle and showing secondary flavors in the mouth, some fruit but mostly stoney, minerally notes. Soft texture, with acidity still keeping this fresh. Only 13.7%. Delicious. — a day ago
Bright, medium-saturation color. Exuberant nose leaps out of the glass with bright ripe cherry and crushed granite. The palate, too, is bright, with loads of acids and clingy minerality along with high-toned cherry. There’s not a lot of density or length, but it’s fun as hell! — 5 days ago
Nose throws off scents of pungent purple mountain berries, licorice, and crushed rock. Bone dry, with bitterish berry skin fruit. Kind of cleansing in a way, but not a particularly friendly wine. Food tempers the bitter component. 8.5 on its own, 8.7 with my pasta with speck (ok, ok, it was just bacon), parmigiano, and haricot verts. — 9 days ago
Tom had this 13 days ago
It’s impossible to find this retail, so we got this from Zachys, which had obtained it via auction. Paid a pretty penny, but it’s the wine my wife and I had on our first date in 1987 (we had the ‘83 then, which I think set me back $25, which was a lot back then). So it’s a sentimental favorite. Unfortunately, though the cork and the fill were perfect, this wine has seen better days. Color is seriously browning. Autumnal, port-like nose with some stewed prune-infused fruit remaining. Some nice library furniture notes. On the palate, the texture is sumptuous, with all tannins resolved. Tastes a bit more youthful than the nose suggests. Air is helping (we decanted about an hour ago into a broad decanter). I’ll update if this gets better. For now, it’s an 8.8. , — 2 days ago
Nose shows jammy fruit and lots of American oak. On the palate, it’s varietally correct, but there’s too much oak and some RS. I detect a note of oxidation creeping in. Meh. — 7 days ago
(Again, @Delectable Wine , this is not the Reserva). Quite different than my last bottle a year ago. Not sure it’s anything other than bottle variation. The nose is incredibly STANKY, with a minerality so intense it’s almost biological. Fruity verges on pruney. On the mouth it’s concentrated, with the fruit having a slightly pulpy texture. This doesn’t skimp on character. The palate is a bit more composed and less “out there” than the stanky nose. I like it, but it took some getting used to. — 12 days ago
Tom Casagrande
This winery’s Zins age beautifully. Color is still youthful. Complex nose shows earthy dark berry fruit, spice, sandalwood. Almost Bordeaux-like in the mouth. Dry, savory, some spicy blackberry fruit, and a minerally finish. Dry, with nice acids. — a day ago