Modicum
Château Beychevelle
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1982
1982 vintage. Last had on 3.1.23 from a magnum (9.4). Top shoulder fill and 100% saturated cork. Subtle nose. Not decanted. Tasted after one hour and two hours open. Color more vibrant than expected. Lean and Beychevelle thin as always. Dusty. Earthy. A modicum of plummy/kirsch flavors. Fading sense of harmony and descending from the top of the bell curve at an alarming rate. If ya got ‘em, drink ‘em. In maggie or even larger format, it wouldn’t be improving so hit in the next handful of years. 11.01.24. — 9 months ago
Château Le Tertre Rôteboeuf
Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1998
1998 vintage. Top-notch fill (almost too good) and perfect cork with very little lower-level saturation. Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Appropriate, chunky sediment. Last tasted 12.17.23 (9.2). Had some nice older leather, dry summer earth and ripe plum in the nose throughout with only a modicum of "funk" that blew off quickly. Medium body. Still vibrant color. Initially, the experience was front-loaded but, after 30 minutes or so, the fruit and structure began to fill in/slide back and balance out the mid-palate and finish. More consistent specimen than the one tasted almost 3 months ago. Don't feel it needs more time to knit/resolve affairs but can likely hold in this phase for 4-5 years without degradation. 3.10.24. — a year ago
Mainerdo
Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba Nebbiolo 2019
2019 vintage. Light-medium/medium body. Surprisingly approachable for a 2019 Barolo. Big spice box finish at $35.10 USD resto cost. Feel like this will add a modicum of body in the next year or two. Always nice to find substantial Barolo under $45. Picked up a case. 04.30.25. — 3 months ago
Modicum
Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay 2020
Collaboration between Thomas Keller and Schramsberg. Bone dry. Crushed stones and yeast. Ripping acidity. — 9 months ago
Realm Cellars
The Bard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019
2019 vintage. From a 375 ml format. Amongst what passes for the ne plus ultra in Napa cabbage these days. Rich. Overtly sumptuous. Modicum of umami on the finish. Restrained/polite company version of a fruit bomb. Too extracted/manipulated without representative tannins for this old-school Dunn/Diamond Creek/Mayacamas/Montelena guy but still verry nice for this style. Dunno where this settles in twenty years but that's someone else's problem down the road. 7.7.24. — a year ago
François Villard
Les Terrasses du Palat Condrieu Viognier 2017
Needs 30 minutes for the modicum of oak to blow off.
Nose: white flowers. Hint of elegant richness.
Palate: white nectarines. Light for a viognier. As it opens juicy. Almost a silkiness. — 2 years ago
Loren Crossing
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
2023 vintage. Medium body. Dark fruit mated with grip. Good balance with a modicum of richness at the start. Resto cost $15 a bottle on 3 cases. This is easily the most ridiculous, cheap chicken, Napa Cab offer I've come across in a decade. Word in the barrel room is that this is declassified juice from a major Cabernet player/participant that can't be tied into this effort. Tasted their Sauvignon Blanc (and I intently dislike SB) as well and it rocked for a similar price. Approx 5k cases of this Cab made so you might actually come across it. if you do, grab a case. 03.21.25. — 5 months ago
Sea Smoke
Southing Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2012 vintage. Nearly perfect fill and cork. Decanted with infinitesimal sed. Aggro rhubarb and cranberry nose. Tasted 30 mins, 1 hour and 3 hours post-decant. Medium body. Excellent focus/concentration. The rhubarb and cranberry still chilling along with a modicum of lemongrass (?!?!) and dark cherry. Lengthy finish redolent of artificial strawberry/strawberry Jolly Rancher candy. Bit of a bucking bronco versus finesse and souplesse. 08.01.25. — 9 days ago