The General

Woodhaven

California Zinfandel

cheapo general cali zin.
nice structure.... nothing bad to say about it.
a quaffable.
— 2 months ago

Neil liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

An exceptional value and probably my favorite bottling of their Langhe Nebbiolo to date. So typical - could certainly have mistaken for the general produttori barbaresco. At $23 just ridiculous- should have bought a couple cases. Interesting to see this is the clearly highest rated vintage of this wine on Delectable. — 3 years ago

Andrew, Alex and 11 others liked this

Paul Lato

"Seabiscuit" Zotovich Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018

Took about an hour but then started to drink well. In general most of his Pinots are approachable early. Nice effort. — 4 years ago

Matthew Goldenberg
with Matthew
Tom, Shay and 9 others liked this

Bass Phillip

Premium Gippsland Pinot Noir 2010

Catching up with old wine notes now that I’m spending more time at home. Aromas of earth, mushrooms, beetroot, root vegetables in general. Afterwards - dried rose petals. Easily Premier Cru standard. The palate is intense, fluid, long and very Burgundian - the most of any Australian Pinot although I am hearing wonderful things about By Farr Serre. A sooty tarry earthy element developed after a while. A brilliant Pinot Noir. — 5 years ago

Paul, Severn and 17 others liked this
Ron R

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Arguably the best pinot from Australia. Your thoughts?
Bob McDonald

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@Ron R I think so Ron. Perhaps bettered by Bass Phillip’s Reserve if you can find it. The 2017 last year released at $625 per bottle. All relative I guess - cheap compared to a Grand Cru. Rob Geddes MW said that Bass Phillip has produced some of the best Pinot he has drunk from anywhere worldwide which is a big call. Tassie is producing some great Pinot like Tolpuddle, Chatto and Home Hill. Also By Farr from Geelong.
Bob McDonald

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Not forgetting Bindi Block 5 and Yabby Lake but if you had to pick one it would be Bass Phillip IMO.

Château Talbot

Saint-Julien Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2020

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. This estate owes its name to Connetable Talbot, the English general & governor of the province of Guyenne who was defeated at the famous Battle of Castillon in 1453. Deep Ruby, purple hues, with aromas of black fruits, herb, tobacco and earthy notes. On the palate flavors of plums and black currants with cacao and tobacco spice, on a well balanced frame. Fine tight tannins, long finish ending with fruit, earthy spice and cedar character. Nice! — 9 months ago

Martin, Ericsson and 12 others liked this

Marchesi Mazzei

Siepi Castello di Fonterutoli Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2013

Nice wine but not quite all together at this point. Decanted for 4 hours. But too much sweet oak for my taste. With Marcella Hazan’s bolognese it’s a nice pairing. Deep fruited and the merlot certainly comes through. Good acid, tannins still very there. With even more air probably gets to 9.0. But overall still a bit skeptical of super Tuscans in general. — 4 years ago

Severn, Jason and 2 others liked this

Giotto Bini

Serragghia Bianco Secco Zibibbo 2017

One of the most fascinating wines I move had in recent memory. Smoke and citrus fruit on the nose. The power on those aromatics defies description. Tropical fruit and fresh, bright acid across the palate. This is the best I can do to describe it. This defies descriptors. All I can say is if you have preconceived notions about wine in general, get a bottle of this to change them. Absolutely amazing. — 5 years ago

Bryan, Jonathan and 44 others liked this
Bob McDonald

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@Anthony Lombardi I believe Zibibbo is another name for Muscat of Alexandria is it not? I tried it on Sicily a few years ago. Will have to go back through my Delectable Notes.
Bob McDonald

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@Anthony Lombardi Yes found the note. It makes a dessert style made by Donnafugatta called Ben Rye. Grown on the Isle of Pantellaria in the Mediterranean - actually closer to Africa than Europe. Ben Rye is a stunning dessert style made from Zibibbo.
Anthony Lombardi

Anthony Lombardi

@Bob McDonald - I’ve seen Ben Rye, but never tasted. Will grab one someday.

Château Cantemerle

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2020

2020 vintage. General manager Laure Canu states that Cantemerle has never followed trends and will always be a wine of elegance, never showy. And that is exactly what it is. After 15 minutes in the glass, it displays bright cassis fruit, mixed with flowers and cedar wood. Medium-bodied, fresh, and elegant, with more complexity and more refined tannins, compared to the 2018. Very good length too.This is the finest Cantemerle I have ever tasted. Incredible value too. Abv. 13,5 %. — a year ago

Ruud, Andrew and 1 other liked this

Talisker

Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Enjoyed this, though it does comes off a little harsh, which can perhaps be attributed to its youth. A NAS, but as I understand, the blend is at least as old as the standard 10 year old. It definitely has a pretty similar profile - pepper, brine, peat smoke, and citrus. Would be good to taste them side-by-side given the general consensus that the Storm's essentially the 10 taken up a notch. There's a really "sweet" inner core that pushes through to peaty, somewhat-medicinal finish. Medium length. Really liking this profile (particularly the saline character) so I'm definitely going to be checking out the rest of the range. — 4 years ago

Ceccherini, Keith and 6 others liked this
Aaron Tan

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@Severn Goodwin Haha. I can see that. The older bottlings not worth the premium?
Severn Goodwin

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@Aaron Tan They certainly are, but this particular bottle (Storm) does showcase their style with much greater affordability.
Aaron Tan

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@Severn Goodwin Great to know. Very keen to try more bottlings and when possible, aged examples... Particular the precursor to the 10.

August Briggs

Old Vines Calistoga Zinfandel 2014

Well-executed example of the more modern, super-ripe, plush Zin style. Not a style I am crazy about in general, but this one is not over-the-top. Nose has juicy blackberry, a bit of maple syrup, and some sandestony gravel. Plush and deeply fruity, but within bounds, keeping some balance throughout the long finish. Not super complex, but very nice. — 5 years ago

MaJ, Ron and 9 others liked this