Tom Casagrande

9.2

A relatively complex Bojo, with the nose displaying deep, vibrant cherry fruit, a slight barnyard/sauvage note, and lots of crushed granite. In the mouth it’s dense but lean and more minerally than fruity. Great acids and a long finish. Seems a little youthfully disjointed as yet, so a little more bottle age should assist. — 2 days ago

Tom Casagrande

8.9

I like this a little better than the ‘21. Nose has classic Pinot Blanc orchard fruit and wet straw scents, along with wet river stone and limestone earthiness. Dry and lean in the mouth, seemingly not quite integrated yet. Zingy, aggressive acids and lots of stony minerals are the dominant palate impression. A moderate bitter component on the finish. I think this will come together in the next 1-2 years, but its angularity makes it nice on a warm summer night on the deck right now. — 8 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Four-seam fastball down the middle of the plate. Very emblematic. — 12 days ago

with Dan, Douglas and 1 other

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Truncated party notes: very nice Sylvaner. Lots of nice herbal notes, not a lot of fruit, very nice balance. — 13 days ago

with Dan, Douglas and 1 other

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Brought a bottle of this to a backyard cookout 2 weeks ago but there was so much lighter fluid and charcoal smoke I have zero idea what it smelled or tasted like. Luckily, I have another bottle and no smoke tonight! A fairly saturated color for a Loire Pinot, and the nose is deeply fruity. Loads of smoky, flinty, underbrushy, slightly resinous notes too. Lovely! On the palate, it’s fairly low-toned, with bass-note dark cherry and berry fruit. Lots of limestoney minerality. Acids a tad on the lower side for this AOC, but delicious and deep. — 4 days ago

Tom Casagrande

8.9

Biodynamic Southern Rhone blend from a favorite producer. Smells, tastes, and feels like a mature CDP. Earthy nose, slight pruney-tinged fruit. Full-framed and still lots of tannin in the mouth, but it’s soft. Acids on the low side. 14.5% alcohol. Nice. — 9 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Very light color, but so spot-on in Sangiovese aromas and taste. Delicious. Purchased at the winery in Aug. 2024. — 12 days ago

with Dan, Douglas and 1 other

Tom Casagrande

9.3

This is the Andis Wines Friedlander Block Old Vine Zin from the Shenandoah Valley AVA in Amador County. Picked it up on our trip there last August. It’s a big boi. Intense brambly fruit on the nose. A bit of oak. Rich but balanced in the mouth. Packing plenty of finely-grained tannins and decent acids. Only 14.2%. Really nice. — 7 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.0

Extremely truncated petty [sic, “party”] notes: pretty good. — 12 days ago

with Dan, Douglas and 1 other

Tom Casagrande

8.9

This is NOT the Auslese. It’s bone dry. Intensely minerally with almost a feral, animal note in the nose. Unusual for a white. Fairly intense and lively on the palate. Very interesting — 13 days ago

with Douglas, Dan and 1 other