Modern Craft Winery
Shacksbury
Arlo Craft Cider
Yum yum gimme some. A perfectly crisp and slightly funky cider. You bet yer sweet tuchas I’d buy it again. — 5 years ago
Craft wine Co.
Minimus RedWhitePink Willamette Valley Rosé Blend
This is amazing. Unlike any sort of Rose I’ve seen. Not dry. Rich I color. — 6 years ago
Château Lilian Ladouys
Saint Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2009
Drinking window now in play. Tight as a drum on opening....strongly suggest a two to three hour decant. Held firm twenty-four hours later. It’s the kind of modern Bordeaux that a Sonoma red fan could appreciate. — 4 years ago
Pepper Tree Wines
Venus Block Orange Chardonnay 2014
See previous notes. They still apply. All the hallmarks of modern Australian Chardonnay. Nutty leesy aromas with rock melon notes - from the cool climate district near the city of Orange. A light to medium weight palate. Proving that the Orange/Tumbaramba district is a great area for cool climate Chardonnay with Penfolds sourcing fruit from here for their top Chardonnays like Yattarna. Also Phillip Shaw (former winemaker for Rosemount when they were famous) has set up a winery here under his own name. — 4 years ago
La Rioja Alta
Reserva Viña Ardanza Rioja Tempranillo Garnacha 2009
First time drinking Viña Ardanza. Chose this 2009 to try before the highly anticipated 2010 Reserva Especial. This is so youthful at the moment and will doutbless improve with age (and plenty of it). There’s a prominence of oak & tannin now that sets it up well for the long haul. Medium bodied with plenty of acidity and a lasting finish. Was brilliant with a fatty sirloin. A great example of modern Rioja that should age well - and a promising forerunner to the 2010. — 6 years ago
Jay Kline
This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it! — 2 years ago