Primarius
Oregon Pinot Noir 2021
Château d'Issan
Blason d'Issan Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
This wine is helping me stain a table for my kiddo who's heading off to school 😢
But, it is an excellent wine! Good Lord it's very well made. Perfect today and will be perfect in 5 years. Ripe fruit, bit of leather, smooth tannins. A man's gotta believe in something, and I believe I'll buy more of this.
Listening to Tom Petty. It's good to be king 🎶 — 12 days ago
G.D. Vajra
Barbera d'Alba 2023
Barista Wines
Pinotage 2023
I've been *trying* to lower my wine budget this year, and it's led me to some fun finds. This pinotage being a prime example, at under $20.
The nose is a massive smoke show with coffee, mint, and scorched earth. On the palette we have coffee, bacon, green herbs, orange peel, bubblegum (!), and tea leaves. There is so much going on here, I don't fully get it, but it's a fun ride. Would be best with food, although a steak would drown out a lot of these wild flavors.
Enjoying my Sunday afternoon and listening to Guy Lombardo.
Cheers, friends! — 6 days ago
Michel Rolland
Clos de los Siete Valle de Uco Malbec Blend 2020
A fairly ambitious Malbec blend with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Dry on the palette with flavors of plum, blackberry, licorice, bitter tobacco, earth, coffee, with raisins and cherry Ludens on the finish. With each sip I can pick out every grape, if I try real hard. Quite tannic, and my 2nd glass will be in an hour or more, after it catches its breath.
A very enjoyable bargain!
Listening to Oasis. — 4 days ago
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Eagle Rare Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This is actually the new Eagle Rare 12 year, which is really dumb because a lot of Eagle Rare is released at 12 years. Marketing? Tarrifs? Either way, I had to buy it to maintain one of my contacts. I also scored a cool tequila aged in Elmer barrels, which I shall review this week.
This bourbon is great, as ER always is. It's my desert island, everyday sipper.
Listening to the Cure. — 12 days ago
Dave
Well, this was a home run.
I bought this for a song, and fully expected a bottle of vinegar. Not so! The cork was slightly elevated with signs of some seepage. It was blown upon opening, which was no surprise. However, I was very pleased that my first sniff showed signs of life!
The color is a murky brick, very opaque, with a wide, clear rim. A tiny bit of sediment.
On the nose, this wine displays age.. but it smells like 25 or 30 years of age, not 57 years! Dark cherries, cranberry, and faint rose petals.
On the palette.. this was really cool.. Initially it tastes like tart cherry juice. Still very vibrant fruit! Cherries and cranberries; it's very tart. A slight medicinal quality, but it is not off putting in the least. Orange soda pop. Dusty flowers. If there are any tertiary flavors, it's truffle, and a bit of tobacco. There is still enough acidity to make me gleek. Very slight and fine tannins. This must have been a beast when it was young.
It finishes long with the flavor of orange peel with cloves pushed into them, like grandma did at Christmas. I wish I would have saved this for Christmas, but I am not a patient man.
Speaking of patience, this wine is not fading quickly in the glass. It's still holding up after 20 minutes of sniffing and sipping.
I think I did very well with my $60!
Listening to The Three Tenors 🇮🇹 — a day ago