Excellent — delicious hints of melon — 4 years ago
Tasting group. My 1st, group 1st. Stones. Stone fruit, canned peaches. Hay. Full feel, tart balance. — 6 years ago
A standout that got better with every sip. Rich and velvety. Bacon fat and smoked meats. Seamless. For most of the group this edged out a punching-above-its-weight ‘04 Pegau. Perfect extraction and pronounced woodsy tannins suggest 10-20 more years of evolution. — 7 years ago
100% primitivo — 7 years ago
Wonderful evening at the City Club courtesy of Jeff’s hosting at the Friday group. Cellar guessing Jeff is a dangerous game as he’s the type who plans to throw curveballs! All wines served blind.
Ageless. Based on color, I immediately thought Napa but the palate had me second guessing. Some rose petal, spice and tart cherry. Cedar. This tastes so much younger than the ‘88 I opened a few months back. Wonderful wines. — 8 years ago
Diego Conterno’s 2020 Barolo is, once again, a terrific wine in its peer group. Deep, fleshy and super-expressive, the 2020 is ready to go. Crushed rose petal, spice, blood orange, menthol and cedar are front and center. Vibrant, fleshy and terrifically balanced, the 2020 is an absolute delight. I loved it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, September 2024)
— 2 years ago
A Collection of great Australian Reds - Christmas Break up of the Tennis Group. Always a consistent Cuvée in the Penfolds stable but let down a little by the so so 2007 vintage in the Barossa. More savoury than fruit driven with liquorice and dark chocolate. — 4 years ago
Monthly WTF wine group night. Our theme was American oak vs French oak. All wines tasted blind. We started off with two bottles of bubbly and finished with two non-themed reds.
I’ve had the AV ‘07 a few times over the last year and notes are consistent. Classic American oak notes of dill and coconut, with tobacco leaves and dusty blackberries. Balanced. Palate showed cocoa dusted dates, fig, and blackberries. I called this Cali cab with American oak. Thanks @Benjamin Keator — 7 years ago
Monthly WTF guys blind tasting group. This month was our annual, and famed, Left Bank vs Right Bank theme. All wines served blind as usual. Started off with a Rosé and a champagne. Great night.
Painfully young. Underripe raspberries, black cherries, charcoal, black tea on the nose. Graphite, blackberries, and underbrush on the palate with a monster tannic finish. Needs so much time. I called this ‘12 Left Bank. — 7 years ago
Light, fruity, simple. — 8 years ago
Tasty for a cheap Trader Joe’s bottle! — 3 years ago
Crisp green apple. Easy! — 3 years ago
Hosted my wine group (SJOS) and this was part of my Cab-ish theme tasting. — 4 years ago
Yummy, Bold & smooth — 6 years ago
Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.
The 96 is a nice surprise add from Clyde’s cellar. Thank you Clyde.
This 96 is beautifully floral. The evolution is right around its peak. The body is medium full and the tannins soft. It’s an elegant beauty.
The fruits are ripe and delicious. Leaner blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries and shades of raspberries. Soft earth; dry top soil, dry rock, limestone minerals, old tobacco, soft leather, cedar with dry and withering red & dark florals. The acidity is like a waterfall. The long finish is well balanced fruit & earth and in a sweet spot.
Photos of; our dinner group, tasting room at Pontet Canet, the horse plows they still use in the fields and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 7 years ago
Monthly WTF wine group. Special event this month as Ben provided all ‘80s Napa cabs. A few of us chipped in and provided some whites/bubbly.
Toasted Graham cracker, cassis, and even some old cedar wood. Structure was still in tact and young tasting. — 8 years ago
Austin Hohnke
First time having the pleasure. Ok, I get it. Unctuous and thicc. Searching every corner of my palate for one more ethereal drop of elixir. Grilled peach and apricot drizzled with vanilla extract. Is that sugar I’m chewing on?
The money though? — 9 months ago