Gauge Wines

Bogle Family Vineyards

Phantom Old Vine California Zinfandel Blend 2021

#1 last night in the 4 bottle blind tasting. We brought this and won with 4 1st place votes. A lesson relearned; gauge your audience, some will bring cheap stuff and luckily win, some go high and it’s too sophisticated for the audience. Generally, if you wanna scope this go for the most popular that sells around $15 — 10 months ago

Domaine de L'Arlot

Clos des Forêts St. Georges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2014

Just opened and will need time air/time to properly evaluate. Trying to gauge the 2014’s to help get a read on the 2017’s. Lovely so far, with more of that cherried-meatiness I typically associate with the vineyard. — 5 years ago

Matt and Robin liked this

Sasaiwai

Junmai Ginjo

Tough to gauge if this one or the Chalter X were my favorite of the evening. This one, right from the start, reminded me of Prosecco. Third course. Sake Drinker dinner. — 7 years ago

Domaine des Pierres Seches

St. Joseph Sainte-Epine Roussanne Marsanne 2015

Lyle Fass
9.3

@Antonio Galloni @Delectable Wine this wine is called

Saint Joseph "Sainte-Epine" Blanc Roussanne/Marsanne

Thanks.

Now this my note from Day 2. It got opened at the end of the night so I didn't get a good gauge on it and it was almost freezing cold. It's a bit shy on the nose with yellow fruits, tropical fries and huge minerals. Ample yet focused and precise. The wine is beautiful. Silky and long with the requisite fat of the North but also terrific balancing acidity. It is super balanced and fresh. At once shows terrific opulence but finishes with nice cleansing acids that fan out the unique minerality. Long and structured. Very deep wine. Has 10-15 years ahead of it. It's delicious but I think it needs 3-5 years. I love it now but it will slay in 3-5 years.
— 7 years ago

Tom, LM and 3 others liked this

Viña Casablanca

Nimbus Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2020

N: does not make me regret my decision every time I take a drink. Briefly feels like marines army crawling down my throat but then they hit a river. Mostly pleasant. Tastes like the skin of a white grape. Appealing but not really. Still wine but underperforms my sadness gauge. 9.6
J: light and a bit tart. Not overly dry. Very smooth on the tongue. Light white grape and citrus flavors. 9.4
— 3 years ago

Petree Cellars

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Giant and velvet, very well integrated. Aromas of black fig, cherry cordial, ripe blackberry, and blackberry blossoms. Rich and generous on the palate. Plush fruits with a suggestion of green gauge and hyssop. Final note of deep black plum reduction and raisin stem. Very nice. — 6 years ago

Madsen Family Cellars

Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Good all around wine. Hard to gauge after Insignia and a great 1999 Brunello. Cabernet $40 red mountain 2006 — 7 years ago

Croix Estate

Narrow Gauge Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Has become our favorite Chardonnay — 4 years ago

Testalonga

Baby Bandito Keep On Punching Swartland Chenin Blanc

Big ole fresh tin of tuna 🎣. Green gauge fizz bomb 🍏🍐🧃🦜 — 5 years ago

Valdivieso

Caballo Loco Number Fifteen Red Blend

A wine we brought back from a wine bistro called Boconariz in Santiago a couple of years ago, this is absolutely terrific. Beautiful, intense red-purple color, the tannins are sweet and rich with a great hint of camphor on the nose. Well-integrated tannins with a rich mouthfeel, that camphor component is a bit more amplified on the palate, but not overwhelming by any means. Lingering, balanced finish. Hard to gauge how much longer this will continue to develop, but my guess is that’s it’s peaking right now. Terrific example of a carmenere! — 6 years ago

Vanessa McCaffrey
with Vanessa
Jeffrey, Mark and 7 others liked this