Professional wine monkey. Goofball.
Blend of Cab Sauv, Malbec & Malbec. Young but accessible and forgiving as it breathes. — 10 months ago
Already drinking beautifully after a brief decant. We had it with lamb chops, pierogies & pesto. No doubt that didn’t hurt. Bright and lovely boysenberry just blooms out of the glass. Even for a 2019 the Fulcrum can be easily be coaxed into expressing itself in a lush and delightful way. Hints of smoke are calmly revealed and the deeper flavors make themselves apparent as you go.
@gorgeousandjuicy — 2 years ago
2020 vintage, which it seems was a little uneven in Argentina (???). Very bright & light cherry in color. As mentioned in another (insightful) review regarding it, this is a high-altitude, light, bright, and earthy example of the grape. Expressive on the nose with great acidity on the palate. For its price (all-in with a $15 corkage we paid $46) we enjoyed all it brought to a wonderful meal @FatCanary, in Williamsburg. — 9 months ago
The 2020 “Vicarious” Pinot Noir is now officially an enigma to me. I’ve had three bottles of it over the past month. Each bottle has grown progressively in expression as well as character. We’re talking about three different wines in that short span of time. The best news being: every time I open a bottle it gets better.
2020 was a difficult vintage for, well all of us really, Sonoma Coast and County included, which is where the Vicarious was sourced. That said, there’s a very real resilience to this Pinot and I’m becoming more aware of it each time I pop a fresh bottle.
It’s a bit green in both its nose and palate- but there’s life there. Life, so to say, if not maturity.
By the time you read this it will have likely changed again.
To me, more than any other measure like ‘points’ or ramblings of bramble berries found on a forrest floor- the 2020 Vicarious Pinot Noir is proof that wine is very much a living thing.
As well as a delightful example. — a year ago
I may be more partial to Thai (‘18) blend than most, because I am grooving on it. For the price in particular, the ‘18 Leese-Fitch brings a ton to the table. For being labeled simply as a general ‘red’ from the broad area of all of California- this brings it. Smoky plum and cedar notes then reveal a surprisingly rich and palate coating attack. Well composed tannins and a delightfully balanced finish makes this a find, if you can find it. Good juice! — 8 months ago
The 2019 Ox-Eye, Shenandoah Valley Pinot Noir is truly a diamond in the rough. This is in no way a Pinot from Oregon, California, or Burgundy, so set your expectations accordingly. This Pinot reminds me MUCH more of the kinds of elegant red wines of the variety that we get from smaller vineyards in Germany or even Austria. The nose is a simple-yet-gorgeous revolving door of bramble berry, minced plum and stewed cherries. The approach on the mouthfeel is balanced and lush; coating the pallet with supple tannins and leaving a remarkably balanced finish. I never would have guessed this wine to hail from Virginia... Get it while you can. — a year ago
Chris Zitzman
2019 Modus Operandi ‘Napa Valley’, is what this is. The nose, as it breathes continues to offer notes of mixed bury, intense cassis and deeper paths of a striking evolution. The palate, as well, reveals deep cherry, cassis, a refreshing and intense feel that coats the palate with more chapters as it breathes. I’m finding it as to be one of the quiet knock-outs that very few of the Napa Cabs can be. This is a statement. — a month ago