Tom Casagrande

9.3

2017 Ravine White Springs Vineyard Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes). Nine years old and still seems youthful. Great nose of zesty Granny Smith and slightly unripe Cortland apples and lots of high-toned stony minerality. Palate is concentrated and intense, lots of crisp acid to balance the deep fruit and intense stones. Lipsmackingly delicious. 9.3 (This is a re-post because @Delectable Wine deep-sixed the original) — 6 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of dinner. The 2017 Caravina pours a deep garnet/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of black currants, blackberries, black cherry, Poblano pepper, tobacco, some red and purple flowers, cocoa, dried green herbs and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. One of my favorite vintages of Caravina in the last 20 years. Delicious with rib roast. Drink now through 2037. — 18 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2023 pours a deep ruby/garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose the wine is developing with heady notes of tart cherry, mixed brambles, spearmint, red and purple flowers, old school permanent marker, licorice, tomato, green herbs, clove and stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the body is, ooof…very nice. Another delicious vintage of Cuvée Réservée. Drink now through 2043. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2006 pours a deep straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of slightly bruised apple, white flowers, lemon curd, brioche, slivered almond and a mix of chalk and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and creamy. I wish I could drink this all night long. Alas, only a single 750mL and not a Methuselah. Drinking well now and will only be taking on more secondary and tertiary character. But if that’s your thing (and I can get down), this will deliver well past 2036. — 5 months ago

Garen Staglin

9.5

Terrior driven. Acid and fruit with power and finesse. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 1998 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and loads of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with heady notes of dark cherry, mixed brambles, mixed flowers, mushroom, a touch of funk, pine sap, forest floor, a little VA, and a mix of cool and warm spices for good measure. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin medium+ and acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. F***ing awesome. One of the greatest experiences with Zinfandel that I’ve ever had. Drink now through 2038. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Poured into a decanter to remove sediment prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 1986 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, green bell pepper, tobacco, dried purple flowers, earth and fine cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium (integrated) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. A solid but somewhat demure showing, particularly in the midpalate. Drink now. — 13 days ago

Pooneet K

9.4

In perfect condition and drinking much more youthful than nearly 40 years!! Paired with grilled chicken thighs which went very well given the tannin structure has mostly receded. Acid still very much keeping things together and in check. Nice balance - still some good fruit, great earth, long finish. Hard to argue! — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 1999 Chianti Classico pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and some light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with lovely notes of ripe and some dried red fruits: Bing cherry, raspberry, red flowers, Pu-erh tea, porchini, dried green herbs, a whiff of varnish (letting you know it’s Italian), old leather and wood and gravelly, iron rich earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. This 27 year old CC is sensational and further proof that Sangiovese rewards the patient. Drink now through 2039. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2023 (S) pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe strawberry, Bing cherry, red and purple flowers, red rope licorice, rocky earth and cool spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This vintage of Lapierre shows the warmth of the vintage and oozes generosity. In some ways, this reminds me of the 2015 vintage. Drink now through 2033+. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Opened several hours prior to service, the 2007 pours a deep, ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated bramble berries, strawberry, dried red flowers, garrigue, anise, leather, dried herbs and stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is anything but tired and far from overblown. I’ve been surprised by a number of 2007 CdP’s lately. They have showed better balance than I expected and this one is wonderfully balanced. Drink now through 2037. — 5 months ago

Jack Krawczyk

9.6

Still high acid, rich ripe red fruits with a hint of mushroom. Silky. — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Presented double-blind. The wine appears straw in color with medium viscosity and, apparently, there lots of tiny bubbles so there are signs of gas, LOL. On the nose, the wine is developing with heady notes of ripe orchard fruit, red forest berries, marzipan, lemon curd, fresh brioche. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acidity. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish lasts for an eternity. The texture is ever so creamy. Wow…well, I was drinking something special. Had to be Champagne. Maybe vintage? Maybe a tête de cuvée? The style was similar to Krug. Called Champagne from a producer like Krug. OMG…the 1996 Vintage Brut?! Sheesh…someone was feeling generous! Admitted, I don’t often get to drink vintage Krug (for many hundreds of reasons!) so my experience is obviously limited. However, there’s clearly no question in this being true to house style and, now that I know the vintage, this is showing why 1996 is so special. As others have noted, this is fresher than the 1995 I had some months ago (though, that was very special too) and had greater acid. I would like to think this provides a crystal ball for the 2008 vintage that is sure to follow a similar trajectory. Drinking very fine indeed, right now and should continue to do so through 2046…depending on how you like to drink your Champagne. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.2

From magnum. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2012 pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with punchy notes of Morello cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, orange rind, red flowers, and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and the texture is almost chewy. The 2012 is still an awesome value; really tasty stuff. Drink now through 2042. — 13 days ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2023 pours a bright garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of raspberries, pomegranate, rose bushes in bloom, licorice, gravelly earth 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. This was a perfect red for duck confit outside on a warm day. Drink now through 2033. — 21 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Opened prior to dinner; enjoyed over several hours. The 2012 pours a light ruby with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of red brambles, red rope licorice, leather, red flowers and purple flowers, and stony minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose the finish is medium+. Textbook, Grenache forward CdP that’s showing quite beautifully. Drink now through 2032. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2006 Comtes de Champagne pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of white peach, lemon curd, white flowers, lightly toasted brioche with chalk and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and creamy. This is delicious and fabulously balanced CdC. Drink now through 2036. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Best on Day 2. The 2023 Amador County pours a bright, deep straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart orchard fruit: peach, lemon, tangerine, white flowers, lanolin, and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is waxy. Obviously young but I can’t help but feel that these Chenin’s from Tegan just keep getting better and better. Drink now through 2039. — 5 months ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Thought we’d had our last bottle 4 years ago but then found this one. Probably better then, but still very nice. Definitely quite secondary, but the core of fruit and acid carries through. Wonderful pairing with dry aged strip steaks and wild mushroom risotto for our 10 year anniversary. — 8 months ago

Pooneet K

9.1

Very nice tonight with a pork schnitzel and excited to see how this develops. Opened 10 hours before dinner and decanted for 3 hours. I do think the air helped everything even out a bit. Nice restrained fruit, good linear core of minerality and acid, decently fresh with still some ever so slightly funky earth on the finish. — 2 years ago