Tom Casagrande

8.8

Haven’t had a Tannat from Madiran in literally decades. I’d forgotten just how dense and tannic these can be. This one’s leaning in that direction but has been tamed a bit. Nose has dark ripe berries, tree bark, smoke, and a tiny bit of gravel. Low-toned flavors show nice ripeness and boatloads of tannin, though it’s a bit restrained for Tannat. Very mouthcoating. A little thing of bitterness on the tenacious finish. Needs food, unless you’re just aiming for purple teeth. — 2 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Very solid inexpensive Left Banker. 50/50 Cab Merlot. Nose has rich plummy fruit, warm gravel, a little cigar box, a little twiggy underbrush. In the mouth it’s full but tight. Zingy acids for a 14.5 wine. A fair amount of tannin. Flavors feature loads of gravelly earth and bright cherry/berry fruit in a bone-dry package. Nice job! — 8 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Yeasty and very apple-y. Intense apple and stone flavors are forceful and dry. My brother said it’s reminiscent of apple sauce and he’s right. Nice balance and crispness. — 12 days ago

with Rebecca and Angelo

Tom Casagrande

8.6

Seems almost carbonic its immediate crunchy fruit. Crisp and fruity in the mouth. A bit of what seems likes limestoney minerality. Backyard cookout wine. — 3 days ago

Tom Casagrande

8.9

Good, solid Bojo. Lots of granite-laced plummy fruit. A little cherry and spice too. Good flavor intensity. Acids a bit low. But nice crunch from the minerality. A noticeable amount of tannin too. — 5 days ago

with Rebecca

Tom Casagrande

8.6

Not really my style, but well-made in the big, extracted “international style.” Big chocolatey nose has some oozingly-ripe dark berry fruit. Palate is also a bit chocolatey and extracted, but there’s a bit of stony minerality underneath the sumo force of the chocolate that keeps it from sucking. Lots of tannin but acids quite low. Bottom line is this: it’s not my style, but some people will adore this. — 11 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Drinking really well. Sweet cherry, rose petals, crushed limestone minerality (not sure where that came from). Pure and on the leaner side, with nice flavor concentration and nice bright acids. Lengthy finish with some assertive but soft tannins. Nice wine to cut through rich food. — 12 days ago

with Rebecca and Angelo

Tom Casagrande

8.7

I don’t usually seek out Muscat, but since this was from the Alps, I thought I’d give it a shot. Nose has lots of telltale Muscat indicators: musky florals, grapey fruit. But there’s a fair amount of crushed stone minerality. In the mouth, the initial whack is the fruit, but then there’s a wave of minerality and alcoholic pepperiness (it’s 14%). Finishes dry with a bitter note and some heat. Interesting. Because of my unfamiliarity with Muscat from here, not sure if this massive body is typical. If it is, I’m not sure I see the point. — 3 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.4

I’ve been a little bit on a Bordeaux thing recently, and wanted to pop this for a weekend dinner. It’s really nice. Inviting nose draws you in with sweet dark berry fruit, a bit of graphite and gravel, and some sweet vanillin. So soft, mouthfilling, yet not heavy. Flavors are clingy and have a dense savory streak, but there is nice fruit still underneath. Still some tannin present. No rush on this but it’s really nice now. — 6 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Wow this is nice. Apricot, orange marmalade, honey on the nose. Flavors are rich but have decent acids and and nice minerality to balance. Lengthy finish has a slight smoky note at the tail end. — 12 days ago

with Rebecca and Angelo