Higher Ground

Adelsheim

Breaking Ground Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir 2015

Capitol Region Wine Collectors Club (WCC), USA West Coast Pinot Noir; 26 October 2023 at Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY

Group scoring, No. 3 bottle of the night.
— 6 months ago

Jay, Mark and 16 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

I️ love this bottle - wish I’d let it air out more. Second glass was better than first with a higher vanilla compliment. — 8 months ago

Domaine Guion

Cuvée Domaine Bourgueil Cabernet Franc 2017

Get to Know Cab Franc Class. Green and vegetal (but not straight up bell pepper), not much fruit, crunchy leaves. Lots of vegetal flavors and higher tannin. #gotm2020 — 4 years ago

Paul liked this

Lucchetti

Guardengo Lacrima di Morro d'Alba Lacrima 2017

Deep purple and an amazing floral nose. tv14%, higher in alcohol than I’ve seen with Lacrima, but u can’t taste it. This wine is so unusual- no other grape that I know of ( my brother will correct me?) has a nose and taste like this. Tannins are there but in check. Went great with pappadelle and pancetta/ tomato sauce. — 4 years ago

Chris, Severn and 2 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

You’re right. Very unique.

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

Way too early. I have a few 375mL bottles and was curious to learn how a wine like this might be even though it was well before it’s suggested drinking window. The bones and structure are evident and this should grow into a monster. It was still a very pleasant wine it was just holding back the whole time. Unfocused fruit and a bit too sweet but I think this score will be significantly higher for round 2. — 7 months ago

David, Shay and 19 others liked this

Poggio Antico

Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2012

Tonight, we’re sipping a delicious Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (2012).

The vineyards of Poggio Antico are situated on some of Montalcino’s highest hills (>1,500 ft elevation), overlooking the beautiful, sun-soaked landscape of Tuscany.

In a warm climate, high altitude sites like this benefit from a comparatively lower air temperature, greater diurnal range (warm days, cool nights), and enhanced solar intensity, particularly when vines are planted on hillsides, angled towards the sun.

These conditions (among others) are important for quality winemaking, for example, the intense sunshine promotes grape ripening (sugar accumulation; development of flavors, tannins, color), while the cooling influences help retain acidity and more delicate aromas in the grapes; they also enable a longer ripening period overall, setting the stage for a well-balanced, concentrated wine.

It was interesting to learn that Poggio Antico vinifies and matures its Sangiovese according to detailed soil units, leveraging what it calls a “geological symphony,” as a significant part of the terroir expression. It later blends (or “harmonizes”) these units with the aim of creating balance and complexity.

As a Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, this wine must be 100% Sangiovese and could not be released from Poggio for at least 5 years from the harvest, during which time it aged for at least 2 years in oak. Poggio exceeded these legal minimums by aging this wine for 4 years, including 3 years in traditional Slavonian oak barrels and one year in bottle.

We paired this wine with a homemade Bolognese. The spices of the sauce lent symmetry to the spice (nutmeg, clove) notes in the wine, which didn’t compete, but, rather, complemented each other. Also, the fat in the ground sirloin (along with the salty parmesan and decade+ of maturing) helped smooth the high tannins of the Sangiovese, enhancing our palates’ experience of other delicious dimensions.

It was molto bene! Cheers!
— 10 months ago

Deked1
with Deked1
Deked1, Laura and 14 others liked this
Vanessa

Vanessa

@leon egozi We hope to do that sometime in the next year or two! It’s at the top of our list. We may need to pick your brain on other must-sees! 🥂🥂
leon egozi

leon egozi

We went before the pandemic and I have bought a case of wine from them ever since. We are actually going to casanova di neri and biondi santi next week so I’ll let u know 😊
Vanessa

Vanessa

@leon egozi Incredible! 🤩 I’ll be keeping an eye out for your posts! Enjoy!! 🥂🥂

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2000

Medium plus Ruby in colour - when swirled a tawny note shows. Dusty berry derived aromas - cassis/blackcurrant on the medium weight palate; cedar/cigar box with a touch of capsicum. A very good mature left bank Bordeaux from an excellent vintage. I had a bottle of this 3 years ago and received some commentary from other Delectable users that I was drinking this too early. It does have a longer life than I said 3 years ago but I am more than happy to drink it now. As LM Segal said about this wine on Delectable, “If you’ve got em drink em”. As always with Lynch Bages it deserves a higher rating than 5th Growth - but in summary not overly complex. — 8 months ago

Ira, Severn and 28 others liked this
LM Segal

LM Segal Influencer Badge

The ‘00 L-B was a tough nut to crack…

Michele Chiarlo

Cerequio Barolo Nebbiolo 2010

Dark Ruby with aromas of black fruits and complex notes of spice, herb and earth. It was a cooler season in 2010, resulting in higher acidity that made this wine big and needed a lot more time in the bottle, than the last time I tried in order to soften the massive tannin structure. On the palate plum and blackberry flavors with some nutty notes, wet stone and earthy herbs show harmoniously on the palate. Full body, fine tannins with a deep rich long finish. A Gem! Tasting well now! — 3 years ago

Juan, Alex and 4 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Nice barolo, got to try the 2000 vintage many years back it ingrained in my brain 🧠

Epoch Estate Wines

Paderewski Vineyard Sensibility Red Rhone Blend 2017

@Epoch Estate Wines nails it. Singing Grenache. Big florals on the nose. Crushed raspberries. The mouthfeel drives a long finish with higher acidity. Macerated raspberries and hints of eucalyptus. Just awesome juice — 4 years ago

David, Joseph and 9 others liked this

The Four Graces

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2018

Really good, smooth and enjoyable Pinot, higher price for me at $23 for the 2018 vintage but I’d buy it again at that price! — 4 years ago

Jennifer liked this