I just cracked this one open. 1985 CDP. Silky, earthy, and gently complex. Let it breathe in the bottle then in the glass. Decant only if you have to.

Purchased from a super cool 125-year-old wine shop on a trip to San Sebastián this past May.

Fill and color, fabulous. Bottom 1/4 of cork crumbled in the ah-so.

On the nose, leather, smoke, oak, damp musty basement, tar, some floral notes, rose petal, eventually banana.

Similar on the palate, though it lost quite a bit of the musty funk and some surprisingly bright fruit began to shine though. Ultimately leather, tobacco and banana were the standouts.

Super clean, lightweight and the finished with the beautifully sour acidity I love so much from classic Rioja.

This wine was super dynamic, and quick. Initially the finish was close zero, but it filled out nicely and even began to linger over the course of an hour.

At 57 years old, this crianza had no business being this good. Super fun to experiment with a wine that predates modern technique. Though it’s not a Lopez de Heredia, the aroma, taste and experience of consuming this bottle from the past put me squarely back in their cellars :)

This was unexpectedly sensational. Better even that a 1996 Bin 707 I opened last month.

Cherries, cedar and leather on the nose with a hint of truffle. The palate is juicy and opulent, dominated by blackcurrant and liquorice. Long lingering finish of coffee and dark chocolate with fine tannin.

This is peak Australian shiraz.

Notes in post below.

Enjoyed by the bottle at Compagnie Flatiron.

This received a decant and was enjoyed over about half an hour between the group.

Had this after the 1995 Staglin, but in retrospect, I wish I swapped the order.

This is still in a good spot, appropriate given the Howell Mountain pedigree and 1994 being a strong vintage in Napa.

This was pretty velvety with fully-integrated tannins.

Got some dried cherry and blueberry on the palate.

Nice acidity with a solid finish.

Enjoyed this a lot, although I will say the 90s Duckhorn Cabs I've had seem to age a little more elegantly.

91 points.

I really, really want to like all sorts of wine. I really do. I love the complexity and the passion with which wine-enthusiasts talk about wine, and it really made me want to get into it myself.

However, I’m finding that I only enjoy very sweet, very bubbly wines.

I’m talking like, cheap stuff. Barefoot fruitscato type shit. My most recent bottle was from the Apple Barn in pigeon forge, and it’s a sweet wine Apple/Peach. I love it, but I feel very childish and immature for preferring sweet wines. I really wanted to get into the complex dry red wines but I just completely dislike the taste and feeling of them.

Does anyone have any advice? For the record I’m 25F and my experience with wine is EXTREMELY limited.

I'm in need of some advice, y'all. My economic situation has recently upgraded, which means I finally have some discretionary income to throw at grape juice, and my wife's permission to proceed with gusto. The catch is that I’ve spent the last 20 years with a hard $20 per bottle price cap.

Back in the $20 biome, blind risk was easy to handle. If I picked up an oaky vanilla bomb or a flawed, flabby bottle that tasted like disappointment, whatever. I was only out twenty bucks. It was cheap to explore random producers, obscure appellations, and mid-tier table wines without sweating the bill.

Now that I’m looking at stepping into the $100+ realm, my brain is short-circuiting. While gambling $20 on something new used to be fun, tossing $100+ at a bottle that turns out to be overly oaked, overly extracted, or a complete miss just feels like a personal offense. I will probably mourn it for a week.

For those who have done it, how did you strategically transition into higher-tier wine without burning money on bad picks? Should I be looking at high-end offerings from the same regions/varietals I already know that I like, or starting completely from scratch? My favorite 'budget' producers don't even make single-vineyard or cuvée-level bottles. Do I need to blindly trust my independent wine shop's recommendations? Do I just unclamp my wallet and embrace the new reality? Am I simply suffering from financial muscle memory or are $100+ bottles genuinely a minefield for the uninitiated?

Thanks for the help!

​

Went to Napa about a week ago and am back in the rat race. Will post about Napa later, which unfortunately is not detailed. This posting will also not be detailed, i.e. horrible. Took the old and new teams out, interesting times,... looks like I will have to work harder to integrate the new team. Dinner at an Italian restaurant, I brought 8 bottles, but we could only finish 6. Yes, all C/C+. 2nd pic is from the back.

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Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand, Cote de Nuits Villages, Chardonnay, 2020, 13% abv.

Popped 30 minutes before first sips. Nose was typical cheap white, different types of citrus and a hint of petrol jelly or plastic. Light bodied, tasted like it's Nose, but with air time there seemed to be light notes I would relate to malo and/or new oak. short finish. Personally disappointing. I personally find it hard to believe this got 1 star from Le Guide Hachette des Vins. Got this bottle for KRW₩65K in Seoul, South Korea. 

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Philippe Pacalet, Ladoix Blanc, Chardonnay, 2022, 13% abv.

P&P. Nose was similarly citrus with grape juice, lighter compared to the Desertaux-Ferrand, CdN Blanc, not much going on, pretty neutral stuff. Light to medium body, just typical chardonnay, no malo or new oak suggestions, no tropical or intense fruit, not even special matchsticks. Muted finish. Super disappointing. Should I have left it out for 2 hours to get air? My sommelier friend (Korean guy from France) recommended this to me, although it might have been a different vintage. I continue to strikeout with ldx. That 2022 Pacalet Monthelie Gauthey is looking better and better. Got this for KRW₩180K in Seoul, South Korea.

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Chantereves, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Dessus de Montchenevoy, Pinot Noir, 2022, 12% abv. 

P&P. Nose was light fruit, nothing special. Light to medium bodied, flavors were an improvement over everything so far, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, no "wood", no "malo" or new oak, good and basic. Short finish. Compared to both whites and the Cornelissen P1, this was the better offering. Got this for KRW₩169K in Busan, South Korea.

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Frank Cornelissen, Munjebel P1, Perpetuum, Nerello Mascalese. 

Apparently a blend of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 with about 2500 bottles. Popped 30 minutes before first pours. The nose was the best of everything tonight with juicy and slightly candied red fruit, hints of blue and black, floral, perfumed, quite good. However, the palate was more "woman's armpit hair", earthy flavors taking the front but doesn't drown out the red fruit. Some complexity here, but conversations started getting serious and this one disappeared relatively quickly, along with the Chantereves. Guess this needed several more years. Got this for KRW₩200K in Busan, South Korea. 

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Turley, Estate, Zinfandel, 2022, 15.5% abv.

P&P. Nose was showing hints of red fruit, oily wood, ... and did I detect some vanilla? Light to medium bodied but closer to medium, a savory palate with vanilla and red and bramble fruit, some orchard fruit in there as well... very good relative to what I remembered these tasting like. Medium finish. Wondering if this was better than what I remembered because of the meal, or just bottle/storage variation? The fruitiest of all 6 wines opened tonight. Got this for KRW₩122K in Seoul, South Korea. 

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Viberti Giovanni, Barolo, 'Bricco delle Viole' Riserva, Nebbiolo, 2017, 14.5% abv.

Popped about 2-3 hours before first pours. Nose was fruity, but closer to "tart-like" aromatics than the juiciness of the previous zinfandel. The palate was quite good though. Great flavors, balanced, overall ripe fruit, red fruity leaves, raspberry oil, no malo elements, abv was in check. Medium finish that waa similar to the palate. A young Barolo and already showing quite well... not sure if it was the food or the air time, but quite good. WOTN for me, but not strong competition. this for KRW₩150K in Busan, South Korea. 

30something bottles. Temp sensor is just ambient inside the fridge, not a bottle probe.

Bonus Q: what under counter fridges do people like?

Upon recommendation from Reddit yesterday.

Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée La Colombiere

Quite a perfumed burgy. Red fruits, subtle dark fruits, rose petals, and spice.

The palate reflected the nose quite well. Texture was velvety like a flower petal.

If I had to describe this wine in one word it would be “ethereal”.

My unit is only 5 years old, cost almost $7000 and I have already had to replace at a cost of over $4000: 1. The original Tecumseh compressor in its entirety (new condenser fan motor, new pressure switch, and new head pressure control valve) 2. The remote interface controller and thermostat 3. The Control Board 4. The in-unit Contactor 5. The Remote Sensor

Of course, I complained to the company and they told me to "pound sand" as my measly one year warranty had expired. They clearly make inferior products and don't stand behind them and don't care. Terrible company !

With the beginning of whitetail season, I’m always looking for new wine pairing suggestions for venison. Some of my current favorites are Blaufränkisch/Lemberger (Austria or Finger Lakes), Shiraz from Margaret River, sometimes Dolcetto or Toroldego. Usually I’ll go for something low tannin with a bit of earthy spice, unless I’m doing a venison chili with some ground beef too, in which case I can Cab Franc comfortably.
For those who hunt and/or enjoy venison and other wild game, what are your favorite or most surprising pairings?

Hey all, I have some friends coming over for a wine tasting tomorrow. They aren’t dry wine drinkers but are interested in trying some. Do yall have any recommendations for a nice beginner Pinot noir other than Meiomi?

Hey everyone! I work as a wine laboratory technician in Napa Valley and will be visiting Reims and Épernay this December.

I’m really eager to learn more about Champagne production and the region as a whole. Back home, industry courtesies/trade tastings are pretty common, but I wasn't sure how that usually works with French producers.

Has anyone in the industry had success arranging trade visits or technical tastings over there? If so, what’s the best way to reach outdirect email, bringing business cards, or going through specific distributors/reps? Any tips or house recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Brooklyn tends to drink more niche natural smaller name wines. The argument is whether a wine bar would be more successful to have (by-the-glass) classics/recognizable varietals as well as niche OR if it should be mostly “discovery” (niche) driven. Thoughts?

13 Oct 2026 (transcript and video at link) Record high temperatures this year forced European wine producers to harvest grapes much earlier than usual. French wineries fear it will lead to the worst season in 30 years. But Nordic newcomers to the world of wine are toasting what they believe will be a vintage harvest, thanks, in no small part, to climate change. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Sweden.

Has anybody been to the new Gaja winery for a tasting? It is their white wine production facility but they say the tastings are the same, its just the location/history that is different. Price wise there is a big gap so trying to understand if anybody has been!

Notes in post below.

This was a gift from a friend. A very nice red with acidity and thick body. On the nose there is smoke, mushrooms, molasses , blackberries, and oak. On the palate there is plum, oak, vanillas, earthy undertone and smooth tannins. The finish is long and sharp. Very well balanced and enjoyable.