Concerto Winery
Marchesi Mazzei
Concerto di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico SuperTuscan Blend 2015
Earthy minerals bright berry fruit. Some vanilla. Great! — 6 years ago
Jean Foillard
Cuvée 3.14 Morgon Gamay 2016
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading GERSHWIN (Piano Concerto in F), GERSHWIN (Variations on “I Got Rhythm,” for piano and orchestra) and STRAVINSKY (Petrushka) with the amazing Jean-Yves Thibaude as the piano soloist on the two first works presented today. Jean-Yves is by far among our favorite pianists to grace the Koussevitzky Shed stage, so graceful, yet poignant!
Hot days call for cool wines, today there are some fun ones planned for sharing.
Nose has blackberry jam on toasted brioche, violet,
bruised Tai basil, blueberry seeds and crushed ripe black currant.
Palate has peppered black raspberry, black cherry, tomato leaf and well concentrated blueberry jam.
@Carla Hine Thanks for sharing, top candidate for wine of the afternoon, along with the Minges Scheurebe!!! — 6 years ago
Taittinger
La Francaise Brut Champagne Blend
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. For Opening Night our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading MOZART (Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat) with one of our local treasures, Emanuel (Manny!) Ax on piano and then MAHLER (Symphony No. 5), a complex master work for which the BSO happens to be quite well practiced.
Prior notes still apply.
Baked apple, green melon, light citrus & fresh raspberry spread on toasted sourdough. — 6 years ago
Ameztoi
Rubentis Getariako Txakolina Hondarrabi Beltza Hondarrabi Zuri Rosé Blend 2017
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading MENDELSSOHN (Symphony No. 4, Italian), BEETHOVEN (Piano Concerto No. 1) with Yuja Wang on piano and BERNSTEIN (Chichester Psalms) accompanied by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
Lime-Cherry-Strawberry, Cherry-Lime-Strawberry, Strawberry-Cherry-Lime... Take your pick all notes apply to nose and palate. Good, but still not as good as '16. Plenty more to go, so maybe in a year this will be better? See my prior notes. — 7 years ago
Brice
Brut Rosé Champagne Pinot Noir
On the Lawn at Tanglewood tonight with the Boston Symphony Orchestra opening the summer season. Tonight we'll have our conductor Andris Nelsons leading two pieces by MOZART (Overture to The Magic Flute and Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor with Lang Lang as piano soloist, a dynamic but controversial artist) and we'll conclude with TCHAIKOVSKY (Symphony No. 5).
The champagne is a beautiful salmon/light orange color. Acidity is bright, Pinot fruits are singing, chalky minerals, citrus and light trend towards red berries. A wonderful wine for the evening. Our heat wave of nearly a week dropped out today, breezy and mid 70°'s right now. — 7 years ago
Charles Ellner
Seduction Brut Champagne Blend 2006
Prior notes still apply, delicious bottle.
Nose has toasted brioche, grilled lemon, warm lemon creme, lemon zest, oxidized pear slice and fresh, rising bread dough. Palate has lemon pound cake, cold toast, limestone chips, dried lemon slice and (light) candied orange.
Great mid-palate, a restrained richness is all elegance, acid balance is perfect and not pulling you one way or another. At 15 years past vintage, a great example of finesse in Champagne.
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On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our Conductors Andris Nelsons and John Williams will be leading a very engaging program of Jessie MONTGOMERY (Starburst), John WILLIAMS (Violin Concerto No. 2, world premiere featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter!), COPLAND (Quiet City) and STRAVINSKY (Suite from The Firebird, 1919 version). We're getting the luxury of enjoying Mr. Williams two nights in a row...what a great weekend of Contemporary music! — 4 years ago
Enderle & Moll
Liaison Pinot Noir 2019
Tasting E&M since 2009 & visited a couple of times. 10 years later they are still at the top.
Challenging to taste and evaluate. This wine needs hours/days of air. Classic E&M perfume,
red currants, pine tree sap, white pepper on the nose. Looks like a light weight- Well? Underripe strawberries, later dark 🍒 , crushed marble, hint bitter, orange zest, prune skins, My suggestion pop drink for hours and listen to Vivaldi’s Spring Concerto in E-Minor - it is that good. — 4 years ago
Weingut Berger
Gelber Muskateller 2016
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading GERSHWIN (Piano Concerto in F), GERSHWIN (Variations on “I Got Rhythm,” for piano and orchestra) and STRAVINSKY (Petrushka) with the amazing Jean-Yves Thibaude as the piano soloist on the two first works presented today. Jean-Yves is by far among our favorite pianists to grace the Koussevitzky Shed stage, so graceful, yet poignant!
Hot days call for cool wines, today there are some fun ones planned for sharing.
Nose has crazy apricot flesh, orange blossom, grapefruit zest and pineapple.
Palate has pleasurable acidity with citrus bias, sweet impressions but dry finish, glass coating viscosity. — 6 years ago
Ravines Wine Cellars
Dry Rosé Pinot Noir 2017
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading BEETHOVEN (Symphony No. 4), HK GRUBER (Aerial, Concerto for trumpet and orchestra) with the amazing Håkan Hardenberger as the trumpet soloist and then STRAUSS (“Dance of the Seven Veils” from Salome). Andris and Håkan happen to be friends, and both are trumpet players, I expect to see some playful nature to their interaction this afternoon. Mr. Hardenberger is a world renowned and virtuousic player, we're always glad to hear him, this will be his 4th Tanglewood appearance in 5 years. We expect various mutes to be employed over the work, a cow horn (yes it is want you think) and then finishing with piccolo trumpet, exciting to have a soloist work multiple instruments over his appearance
Nose has strawberry-banana smoothie, light crushed red raspberry and freshly washed cherry.
Palate has red currant, red raspberry, slight grassy note and faint wet sandstone.
Exciting to get back to this bottle. Our last experience was directly off tank (Fall '18) which was tapped by Morten for us, very cloudy then, but flavors were beginning to come together. 100% Pinot Noir. — 6 years ago
Kitchak Cellars
To-Kalon Concerto Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Maybe the best cab I’ve ever had — 7 years ago
Sven Klundt
Kastanienbusch Riesling 2016
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest conductor Moritz Gnann is leading WAGNER (Siegfried Idyll), MOZART (Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat) with the outstanding Paul Lewis on piano and SCHUMANN (Symphony No. 3, Rhenish).
Peach juice, Lemon zest, wow Lemon oil like I've never tasted before, white flowers crushed in a limestone mortar with a granite pestle, aromas of late Spring rain on new flowers growing in the midst of a granite scree slope whilst someone had been running around squeezing Lemons beforehand, crazy. Looking forward to seeing how this develops in the coming days, too interesting to finish tonight.
24hr Update: Very tropical fruit-ish on the nose, still with lemon, lemon, lemon. The lemon oil notes have backed down on the palate. My wife thinks it's limes, it's definitely lemons, she's crazy.
48hr Update: Acidity and lemon oil characteristics are beginning to subside, probably 30% less than day one, just a stellar bottle! — 7 years ago
Domaine Henri Boillot
Bourgogne Chardonnay 2019
Nose has fresh lemon slice, cut green & yellow apples, Italian bread, vanilla cremé and wet slate.
Palate has fresh pineapple, cold yellow apple, white flowers, sandstone and mild vanilla notes. Great acidity (as expected in the most youthful of stages, current vintage) with some drying, chalky aspects.
Decanted 90m. Another great Boillot Bourgogne Blanc to stock the cellar with for enjoyment 2023-29.
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On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our Conductors Andris Nelsons and John Williams will be leading a very engaging program of Jessie MONTGOMERY (Starburst), John WILLIAMS (Violin Concerto No. 2, world premiere featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter!), COPLAND (Quiet City) and STRAVINSKY (Suite from The Firebird, 1919 version). We're getting the luxury of enjoying Mr. Williams two nights in a row...what a great weekend of Contemporary music! — 4 years ago
Lucien Le Moine
Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2017
Although often decent - I found that little red village Burgundies possess the unique elements of their superstar siblings. This one did - albeit in subtle hints, like the silent yet essential intro to a full blown concerto. This was very very good, yet most of all it made me long for a “normal” New Year’s Eve. — 5 years ago
Omero Cellars
Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2017
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest conductor, and violin soloist, Leonidas Kavakos is leading an BEETHOVEN (Violin Concerto in D, Opus 61) and then concluding with DVOŘÁK (Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Opus 70). It is a rare treat to have a combination conductor/soloist leading the Orchestra, only the second time I can recall in about 12 years of attendance. The other instance was with Anne-Sophie Mutter, also a violinist, a few years ago now.
Nose has cut yellow apple, bag full of lemons, light vanilla, light oak and limestone paste.
Palate has cold butter, sugared lemon, lemon pith, quince, yellow cherry and creamy oak lingers on the medium-long finish.
Quite Chablis-like, except the touch of wood notes are a little heavier, but the caveat, this wine is very young, likely drinking great 2021-23.
24 Hour Update: Oak has subsided, just a great bottle today. — 6 years ago
Tenuta di Fessina
A' Puddara Etna Bianco Carricante 2013
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading GERSHWIN (Piano Concerto in F), GERSHWIN (Variations on “I Got Rhythm,” for piano and orchestra) and STRAVINSKY (Petrushka) with the amazing Jean-Yves Thibaude as the piano soloist on the two first works presented today. Jean-Yves is by far among our favorite pianists to grace the Koussevitzky Shed stage, so graceful, yet poignant!
Hot days call for cool wines, today there are some fun ones planned for sharing.
Similar notes from our last bottle.
Savory herbs, beeswax, citrus pith. So wonderful! — 6 years ago
Robert Renzoni Vineyards
Concerto California Red Blend 2015
Oh yum...gotta get some!!!! — 7 years ago
Crooked Stave
Origins Burgundy Sour Ale
On our sofa for Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest conductor Juanjo Mena is leading BRITTEN (Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes), MOZART (Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat) with the talented Garrick Ohlsson on piano and then concluding with BRAHMS (Symphony No. 3).
We're experiencing intense thunderstorms coming through the area tonight and generally the BSO staff prevents people from gathering on the Lawn ever since a patron was struck by lightning in 2008... So for safety, we're at home enjoying beer tonight! Thank goodness for radio simulcasts!
Color is red-purple-brown, still translucent but dark. Mostly a still beer, no notable bubbles at all. Sour/cherry/oak aspects on the nose. Palate is mild-sour, which is good if you're new at these styles of beer, it's more welcoming. Palate is distinctly tart cherry, with a lingering of oak in the finish. Nice accomplishment by the brewmaster in blending of barrel-aged stocks, smooth and enjoyable! — 7 years ago
Domaine Henry Pellé
Menetou-Salon Morogues Pinot Noir Rosé 2017
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading BRAHMS (Piano Concerto No. 1) with Rudolf Buchbinder on piano and then the wonderful SHOSTAKOVICH (Symphony No. 5).
A fully Loire afternoon 😀!
A beautiful Kimmeridgian soiled Pinot Noir! Very round and beautiful on the palate, all stainless in the process so very clean fruits. Cherry skin, minor orange zest, green melon, light tannins, medium-short but very enjoyable strawberry finish, great value as a neighbor to Sancerre for under $15. Really improving as it warms and gains air time. — 7 years ago
Severn G
No notes, a quiet celebration for my wife and me as I have successfully ticked another box in the years-on-planet category today. Feeling older...I think.
Cailleze-Lemaire Eclats, Lot No. 0514; A newer bottle than what was previously in the cellar. I'll capture notes on a future bottle. Palate seems a little subdued from prior lot, perhaps more time in bottle is deserved.
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On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our Conductor Anna Rakitina (BSO’s Assistant Conductor) is leading Elena LANGER (Figaro Gets a Divorce, Orchestral Suite), RAVEL (Piano Concerto in G) and ELGAR (Opus 36, Enigma Theme). The soloist for the piano concerto tonight is none other than Jean-Yves Thibaudet, our absolute favorite pianist (or piano-player as Emanuel Ax has been noted to say because he thinks the traditional term sounds funny when spoken), a never-to-be-missed event for us whenever he plays these hallowed grounds. (In 2004 Jean-Yves served as president of the Hospices de Beaune, factoid for any wine nerds who are also classical music nerds.) — 4 years ago