Tom Casagrande

9.0

Bone dry, this wine gives up scents of green apple skin, citrus pith, a light honeyed scent, and wet stone minerality. Weighty, but a little austere nonetheless on the palate. This will appeal to those who are chasing geology rather than fruit. I like it! — a day ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

This is better than I expected (not sure why I had modest expectations). Gorgeous old school greenish tinge to the color. Boisterous nose has tons of sea shelly limestone and super bright green apple, citrusy fruit. A bit of that Chablis brothiness in the background. Lively, crisp, and intense in the mouth. Very linear. No fat at all. Just a beam of energy. — 5 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

A second great bottle of this. Never had this producer before this wine, but definitely will be on my radar going forward. Everything you want in a BoJo: fruit, granite, energy, depth, drinkability, balance. — 10 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Classic old-style lighter Valpo. Cherry, almond, bitter herbs, and gravel on the nose. Bright and almost ethereally textured on the flowing palate. Nice acids, and a slightly bitterish cleansing close. Imperfect? No, perfect. (The 9.3 doesn’t reflect that this is as complex or complete a wine as, say, a Burgundy or Napa Cab to which I might give the same rating, but that it is exactly what it is supposed to be and I’m enjoying it for that.) — 3 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

A surprisingly gorgeous evening in DC tonight at a favorite classic bistro. This Giggie has loads of ripe fruit, but is drinking really well already. Very soft, decent acids. Some savory notes. The alcohol (15%) pooks through on the back half of the palate. But it was served a little warmer than I’d like, so that probably amplified it. — 6 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Another delicious rendition of the “Chateau Lagrange Blanc.” Beautiful fragrance seemingly melds a little herbal, gooseberryish SB with characteristic lanolin and orchard fruit Semillon notes (I have no idea what the blend is here.) Deep, lovely, soft minerality too. Impeccable balance in the mouth. Nice but gentle acids keep the deep, long, dry palate fresh. Such a great value too. — 12 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Popped and double decanted to remove sediment (there’s quite a bit). Deeply fruity nose. Loads of dark berries, with deep cracked stone minerals. A bit of cured meat. The palate is much more savory than the nose. Liquid rock leads, but some crisp, dark berry fruit. Surprisingly nice acids. A fair amount of soft tannin. Long, clingy finish. Drinking very nicely now. Might be solid for a few more years, though I’m not sure it will improve much from here. Another really good wine from this top notch co-op. — 4 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Terrific value in a balanced and versatile Garnacha. Nose shows very pure, ripe, zesty raspberry and kirsch fruit. A bit of warm, dry gravel. In the mouth there’s a bit more structure than the fruity nose suggests, with bright acids, some very fine grained tannin, and a mineral texture I normally associate with reds grown on limestoney soil. The fruit is augmented with a prominent salinity. Not the most elegant (it’s a little elbowy), but it’s a value weeknight red that will work with lots of foods. — 8 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Last bottle of this. So delicious on the deck accompanying slow roasted pork shoulder with ratatouille. Soft and deep. Sorry for the short notes but I’m hungry.

UPDATE: Ok, I’ve eaten enough to write more. This wine has the tree bark earthiness but really has loads of deep fruit. I’d like the alcohol to be a bit lower (it’s 15%), but it’s delicious so there’s that. — 11 days ago

with Rebecca

Tom Casagrande

9.1

This is the 2023 Once & Future Belloni Vineyard Russian River Valley Zinfandel. I opened this way too young. It’s hasn’t settled down at all yet. Peppery nose shows seems like a barrel sample but pristine, creamy deep blackberry fruit trying to get out. Some nice stony mineral notes. In the mouth. It’s angular, peppery, and intense. Clenches up on the finish. I feel like the tannins and angularity showing now need a little more time to calm down. Let’s revisit tomorrow. For now, a 9.0.

UPDATE: Night 2, the wine is still a little disjointed and elbowy, but showing more depth than last night. Upping score from 9.0 to 9.1. — 13 days ago