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Wine Notes
74 full articles, rewriting my log from the oldest bottle forward.
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Tenimenti Ca' Bianca, Moscato d'Asti 2018
Ca' Bianca opened in 1952 in Alice Bel Colle, in Piemonte's Alessandria area, and is now part of Italy's largest wine group, Gruppo Italiano Vini. Daniel's note: bought casually, on a whim, and turned out to be a real pleasure. Vivino: 524 ratings averaging 3.9. My score: 4.0.
San Marzano, Talò Primitivo di Manduria 2017
Cantine San Marzano started in 1962 when 19 Puglian growers pooled their vineyards; today the cooperative has over 1,200 members. Primitivo is the grape that DNA testing at UC Davis proved, in 2001, to be genetically identical to American Zinfandel. Vivino: 5,142 ratings averaging 4.1. My score: 4.0.
Antinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
A Super Tuscan named for the "sunniest" plot of the Tignanello hillside. This is the same wine whose 1997 vintage was named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 2000. Vivino: 2,125 ratings averaging 4.6. My score was 5.0 — the fifth wine on this site to earn a perfect score.
Domaine Saint-Damien, Gigondas Vieilles Vignes 'La Louisiane' 2014
The Saurel family has farmed this land since 1821 and formally founded the domaine in 1979. Among several Gigondas plots planted with old-vine Grenache from the 1940s, La Louisiane gets its own separate bottling. Vivino: 143 ratings averaging 4.1. My score was 3.5 — the middle of five bottles I drank that day.
Vieux Château Gaubert, Graves Rouge 1999
A small Graves château that Dominique Haverlan bought as a ruin in 1988 and rebuilt from the ground up. I opened a 21-year-old bottle from Bordeaux's oldest wine region and my note read "oak, wood, cedar, cigar" — and my score, 2.5, was the lowest of five bottles I drank that night.
Arnaud Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 2017
Arnaud Mortet inherited the family domaine at 24 after his father Denis Mortet's sudden death in 2006, then in 2016 started a separate négociant label with his sister Clémence. This is that label's village-level cuvée. Vivino: 229 ratings averaging 4.3. I drank it from a double magnum and scored it 4.
Louis Roederer, Brut Premier (NV)
The everyday non-vintage cuvée from the house that made a clear glass "Cristal" bottle for Tsar Alexander II in 1876. Discontinued in 2021 and replaced by Collection 242. Vivino: 56,223 ratings averaging 4.2. I drank it as a welcome drink at a party and gave it 4.
Martelet de Cherisey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'Hameau de Blagny' 2016
Laurent and Hélène Martelet inherited a ruined 1811 estate in 1998 and rebuilt it from nothing; they're now the sixth generation farming the hamlet of Blagny. This 2016 vintage came from a frost year that gutted yields across Burgundy. Vivino: 150 ratings averaging 4.4. I drank it from a double magnum and scored it 4.5.
Kracher, Noble Reserve Trockenbeerenauslese (NV)
An entry-level cuvée from the house that made Alois Kracher's name internationally, built on the noble rot (botrytis) that forms in the fog off Lake Neusiedl in Austria's Burgenland. Vivino: 1,339 ratings averaging 4.2. I scored it 4 — my first Trocken after drinking only Beerenauslese before, and it felt closer to ice wine than I expected.
Torre Raone, San Zopito Terre dei Vestini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2012
An organic estate in Loreto Aprutino, Abruzzo names this cuvée after the village's patron saint, San Zopito. Vivino: 117 ratings averaging 4.3. I scored it 4 — I worried a 12-year-old Montepulciano, usually a young-drinking grape, might be past its prime, but it turned out light-medium bodied and full of aroma.
Château Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval 2004
On the estate Jean-Jacques Ducasse bought in 1832, his son-in-law Jean Laussac-Fourcaud settled on an unconventional half-Merlot, half-Cabernet Franc blend, and since 1988 that same house has made this second wine, Le Petit Cheval. Vivino: 188 ratings averaging 4.2. I gave it a perfect 5.0 — "this is exactly why you drink old vintages."
Delamotte, Brut Champagne Grand Cru 'Le Mesnil-sur-Oger' (NV)
Founded in Reims in 1760, the sixth-oldest house in Champagne. Since 1988 it has shared a roof with Salon as the "younger sibling" house — grapes Salon declares not vintage-worthy flow into Delamotte instead. Vivino: 14,308 ratings averaging 3.9. I gave it 4.5 — "the crisp, crackling toast feel in the mouth makes for a really pleasant Champagne."
Tasca d'Almerita, Tenuta Regaleali Bianco 2016
An eighth-generation family wine from the 1,200-hectare estate the Mastrogiovanni Tasca brothers bought deep in inland Sicily in 1830. Vivino: 1,471 ratings averaging 3.7. I gave it 3.0 — and called it a "Chardonnay" in my note, when in fact Catarratto, Inzolia and Grecanico lead the blend, with Chardonnay at just 6%.
Tommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015
A family winery that Giacomo Tommasi started on the hills of Valpolicella in 1902 bottled its first Amarone in 1959, opening export routes to 85-plus countries. Vivino: 19,112 ratings averaging 4.3. This was my first Amarone ever, and I gave it 4.5 — "like eating thick berry jam."
Château Mont-Pérat, Bordeaux Rouge 2016
An obscure plot in Capian bought by the Despagne family in 1998, whose 2001 vintage was compared to a Queen concert in volume 1 of the manga Drops of God. Vivino: 3,109 ratings averaging 3.6. My own score is 3.0 — my note called it "playful and funky," a different mood from the manga's comparison.
Montes, Alpha M 2015
Montes' icon-tier Bordeaux blend, from the house Aurelio Montes and partners founded in 1988; Alpha M launched in 1996 as Chile's first "icon wine." Vivino: 1,251 ratings averaging 4.3. I gave it 3.5, noting it felt "exactly premium-line, not more." I opened a Château Mont-Pérat 2016 (3 stars) the same night.
Ridge Vineyards, Lytton Springs 2016
An old-vine field-blend vineyard discovered in 1972 and fully acquired in 1991 by Paul Draper — the same winemaker whose Monte Bello beat top Bordeaux at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Vivino: 2,388 ratings averaging 4.2. I closed out the year with it on 31 December, giving it 4.5 stars — "tastes like someone I love."
Natale Verga, Moscato d'Asti (NV)
A non-vintage Moscato d'Asti built on more than 2,000 years of Piedmont Muscat viticulture and the low-temperature tank method Federico Martinotti developed in 1898. Bottled from Asti-grown grapes by Lombardy-based Casa Vinicola Natale Verga. Vivino: 643 ratings averaging 4.0. I drank it twice, giving it 4.5 stars both times.
Casillero del Diablo, Devil's Collection Red (Reserva) 2017
A Concha y Toro mass-market label named after the legend of Don Melchor Concha y Toro, who — around 1883 — spread a rumor that the devil lived in his cellar to keep thieves out. Vivino: 13,780 ratings averaging 3.9. I gave it 4 stars the same night as a Prunotto Barolo — "like walking through a pool of thick chocolate."
Prunotto, Barolo Bussia 2014
A Barolo house that changed hands three times — a Serralunga co-op in 1904, Alfredo Prunotto in 1922, technician Beppe Colla in 1956, and the Antinori family from 1994. Vivino: 556 ratings averaging 4.2. I opened it the same night as a Casillero del Diablo and gave it 4 stars, noting it reminded me of Burgundy Pinot Noir.
Château La Pierrière, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2016
A vineyard handed over as a dowry in 1607, a château built from limestone the family quarried themselves. I scored it 3.0 — but the note is the interesting part: this is the one where I cut the tannin with ice wine.
Krug, Grande Cuvée (NV)
A house founded in 1843 in Reims by a butcher's son from Mainz, Germany. Every year it reblends ten-odd vintages and 120-odd individual wines to make not "the taste of that year" but "the taste of Krug." Vivino: 39,670 ratings averaging 4.6. My own score is 5.0 — I've drunk it six times, and never below 4.5.
Moillard, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1997
The Corton hill got the name "Charlemagne" from a legend: the emperor's wife hated red wine staining his white beard. This 22-year-old white Burgundy greeted me with a half-stained cork and a texture like butter and mayonnaise. 4.5 stars.
Tenuta Luce, Luce 2012 (Toscana)
A Sangiovese-Merlot blend from Montalcino, first made in 1995 by the 700-year-old Florentine house Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi together. The sun motif on the label comes from a 15th-century Florentine altarpiece. I re-read my own 2019 note — "Merlot tannins keep annoying me" — through the lens of the blend itself. 3.5 stars.
E. Guigal, Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc 2016
The Guigal family started in 1946 in Ampuis and now owns 21 perfect Parker scores across their "La La La" trio. This bottle is their entry-level white, and I gave it 4.0 — half a point higher than the Condrieu I'd drunk two weeks earlier.
Château Rieussec, Sauternes 2010
A 1855 first growth separated from Château d'Yquem by a single wall to the west. It began in 1790 as a monk's land sold at auction, and Lafite Rothschild bought it in 1984. I gave it 4.5 — and wrote in my note that I liked it better than d'Yquem.
Antinori (Tenuta Montenisa), 'Marchese Antinori' Cuvée Royale Franciacorta NV
A vineyard with records going back to 1158, acquired by the Antinori family in 1999. The community gave it an average of 3.9 from 9,967 ratings — I gave it 1.5, the second-lowest score on this site.
Kendall-Jackson, Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
My note called the balance "Napa Valley-like" — but the label reads Sonoma County. I gave this red 4.0, a full point above the 3.0 I gave its sibling label, the Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay 2014.
Leonard Kreusch, Beerenauslese 2014
I drank this label twice, two different vintages, and gave both 4.5 stars. "Gasoline" showed up both times — except the grape isn't Riesling, it's Huxelrebe, and one other reviewer made exactly the same mistake.
Beringer, Chardonnay (California, NV)
Beringer, founded 1876 and Napa Valley's oldest continuously operating winery, makes this entry-level California Chardonnay. "Pretty good with California pizza, crisp chardonnay" — a short note.
Clos du Val, Pinot Noir 2016 (Los Carneros)
The most systematic note from this stretch of my log — color, then nose, then palate, then finish. Checked line by line against the Vivino community's keywords, it matches almost point for point. 4.0 stars.
André Perret, Condrieu 2014
My note says "Viognier should be drunk within 2 to 3 years" — then gives a 5-to-6-year-old bottle 3.5 stars. I put that claim next to André Perret, one of Condrieu's leading producers, and the Vivino record.
Vivid, Mosto (NV)
"It's not riesling's kungfu girl, but it's not bad for this moscato." A short, honest entry on a cheap Italian moscato-style wine.
Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
The flagship grape of Korea's best-selling wine brand. Vivino 3.9, I gave it the exact same 3.5 as the Limited Selection I drank the same day, and wrote 'Good balanced, vanilla.' Half a point above what I gave the Montes Alpha Merlot 2015.
Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon–Carmenère 2017
A Chilean Carmenère blend from Montes's value tier below Alpha. Vivino 3.8, critic score 87 (Natalie MacLean), I gave it 3.5 and wrote 'Good balanced.' Part of a day that also included Montes Alpha Merlot and Alpha Cabernet.
Napa by N.A.P.A., Michael's Red 2015
Named for the youngest of the fifth-generation Scotto siblings, in a brand initialed after the older four. Vivino 4.0, I gave it 4 and wrote 'Real Cherry'. The same day I logged Artemis at 4.5 and two Montes bottles at 3.5.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
The entry label from the winery that beat Bordeaux at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Vivino 4.4, I gave it 4.5 and wrote 'Vanilla good.' — the top score of the four bottles I logged that day.
Château d'Yquem 2008
The pinnacle of Sauternes — Parker 96, Vivino 4.7. I gave the 2008 a 4, and a year later gave the 1988 vintage a 5. Same château, two vintages, two scores.
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2019
The king of Nouveau, opened ten days after release. Vivino 3.5, I gave it 3 and wrote 'Strawberry ~'. The same day I gave 4 to a Canadian ice wine and Château d'Yquem 2008.
Magnotta Limited Edition Cabernet Franc Icewine 2016
A red icewine from Niagara, Canada. The same night I gave Château d'Yquem 2008 the identical score of 4 — icewine and Sauternes, side by side.
Château Beneyt Bordeaux Blanc 2017
The first 2-star wine in this magazine. Vivino averages 3.2 on this budget white Bordeaux — I wrote "Normal."
Moët & Chandon, Impérial Rosé Brut NV
The standard rosé from the world's largest Champagne house. Decanter 90, Vivino 4.1 (32,773 ratings) — I gave it 3.5. Against Veuve Clicquot (4.5), Dom Pérignon (5.0) and Charles Dauteuil (4.5) from the same month, this is the lowest-scored Champagne in this magazine.
Louis Jadot (Domaine Gagey), Bouzeron 2017
Bouzeron is the only village in Burgundy with an AOC dedicated solely to the Aligoté grape. My note called it 'Chardonnay without features' — it was Aligoté. Vivino 4.0 (524 ratings); I gave it 1.0, the second 1-star in this magazine.
Tenuta San Leonardo, Terre di San Leonardo 2014
The second wine of the Guerrieri Gonzaga family in Trentino. Wine Spectator 91, Vivino 3.6 for this vintage — I gave it 3.0. The same evening's Avignonesi 50&50 got nearly identical tasting notes but a full point more.
Château Mouton Rothschild 2005
In 2005 Mouton kept only 64% of its crop and raised it for 20 months in new oak. Parker 97, Wine Spectator 98, Decanter 99, Jeb Dunnuck 100, Vivino 4.7 from 3,272 ratings. The label is by Giuseppe Penone of Arte Povera. I have not opened this bottle — so I write it with the scores I have given Mouton's other vintages instead.
Pascal Cotat Sancerre 'Les Monts Damnés' 2022
The vineyard they call the damned hills — Sancerre's unofficial grand cru. A 45-degree slope, Kimmeridgian marl, and a cult grower with 2.3 to 2.5 hectares to his name. Wild yeast, old wood, no filtration. Vivino 4.3 from 138 ratings; no critic score I could verify. I have not opened this bottle, so I write it with the only two Sancerres in my 733 ratings.
![[yellow tail] Shiraz (far left) with Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 bottles — Wikimedia Commons](/img/yellow-tail-shiraz.jpg)
[yellow tail] Shiraz 2023
The kangaroo label that has sold 10 million bottles in Korea. A name on every supermarket and convenience-store shelf, Vivino 3.7 (2023) and 3.5 across all vintages. Why a wine I have not yet tasted is in this magazine, and what a first-time buyer should expect.
Weingut Ziereisen 'Rhini' 2019
100% Spätburgunder from Markgräflerland, Germany's southernmost corner. Hanspeter Ziereisen ignores both the Prädikat ladder and the VDP, and bottles almost everything as Landwein — the lowest tier German law offers. Falstaff 94 (Ulrich Sautter, 2022); Vivino 4.0 from 68 ratings. And every one of the 18 German wines in my 733 ratings is white — this bottle, when I open it, will be my first German red.
Avignonesi & Capannelle '50 & 50' Toscana IGT 2011
Merlot from Montepulciano and Sangiovese from Gaiole in Chianti, blended half and half — one of Italian wine's earliest joint ventures. The Vivino community gives it 4.4 from 797 ratings; I gave it 4.0 and ended my note with "The last taste was vanilla."
d'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2016
James Suckling 92, Vivino community 3.6. I gave it 4 — and ended my note with "I did aeration with a machine and the acidity was better than I thought." I went and checked what that line actually changes.
Ruhlmann Cuvée Jean-Charles Riesling, Alsace 2018
The entry-level Riesling from Ruhlmann-Schutz in Alsace. No critic score, Vivino 3.5 from 532 people — and I gave it 4. Three days earlier the same family's crémant got a 3 from me. Two bottles from one house, and the gap between them.
Argiano Rosso di Montalcino 2017
Cherry, strawberry, plum — and good acidity. The single line I wrote on November 15, 2019 turns out to match, almost word for word, the terms 353 Vivino members most often use for this wine. The story of my first real Sangiovese note.
1865 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley 2015
The white from Korea's '18 holes in 65 strokes' golf wine. Wine Enthusiast 91 and Editors' Choice, Vivino 3.7 — I gave it 4. The least-known bottle from the Chilean brand Korea drinks more of than anyone else on earth.
Alta Vista Single Vineyard Serenade Malbec 2015
Argentina's first single-vineyard Malbec, made by the French count's family that sold Piper-Heidsieck and moved to Mendoza. The note is one word, "Good." — my 4.5 against the community's 4.2, the log and the data side by side.
Charles Dauteuil Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru NV
400 Vivino ratings, no critic scores, no producer website — and I gave it the same 4.5 as Veuve Clicquot. 'Pear honey great.' I went looking for who is actually behind this label.
W. & J. Graham's 'Six Grapes' Reserve Port NV
Vivino 3.9 (13,524 ratings), 20% alcohol, US$21–24 at overseas retail. Graham's flagship ruby reserve from one of Port's great houses — and I gave it 1 star, 'Sweet.' My 1 against the community's 3.9: a 2.9-point gap, the widest in my 733 ratings.
Montes Alpha Merlot Colchagua Valley 2015
The Merlot from the best-selling wine brand in Korea. Vivino 3.8; I gave it 3 and wrote 'Typical merlot'. I have logged Montes five more times since, and the scores have gone from 3 to 4.
Mrva & Stanko Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Slovakia)
A Cabernet Sauvignon from Mrva & Stanko in Trnava, Slovakia. Vivino 3.8 (84 ratings), no critic scores, essentially no distribution abroad. The only Slovak wine among my 759 entries: 3.5 stars, 'Good.'
Two Hands 'Samantha's Garden' Shiraz Clare Valley 2014
Wine Advocate 93, Wine Spectator 93, Vivino 4.2. The coolest-climate bottle of Two Hands' six-region Garden Series, and I gave it 4.5 stars with two words: 'Chocolate plum.' The first Australian Shiraz I ever logged, three weeks into keeping records.
Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label (Carte Jaune) NV
150,000 Vivino ratings, average 4.3. I gave one of the world's best-selling Champagnes 4.5 — six days after giving Dom Pérignon 2008 a 5.
Santero Pinot-Chardonnay Spumante Brut NV
On the very day I gave Dom Pérignon 2008 my first 5 stars, I opened a cheap Italian spumante and wrote 'Low grade Dom Pérignon.' 3.5 stars against a community 3.4. A second look at Korea's supermarket sparkling of the people.
Casa Rojo 'MMM Macho Man Monastrell' Jumilla 2017
October 25, 2019: the very first wine I ever logged on Vivino. My entire note was one word — 'Dark'. My 3 stars against the community's 4.0 for a 14.5% Jumilla Monastrell.
Canti Prosecco Millesimato 2018
The old reliable of the E-Mart sparkling aisle. I gave one of the cheapest Proseccos on the shelf 4 stars, with a one-line note: 'lightly enjoyed spumante.' My 4 against the community's 3.7.
Juan Gil Blue Label '18 Meses' Jumilla 2017
Wine Spectator 94, Vivino 4.2, 15.5% alcohol. A Spanish monster the community adores — and I gave it 3 stars and wrote 'Not bad.' My 3 against the community's 4.2, the log and the data side by side.
Ruhlmann Crémant d'Alsace Rosé Brut 'Harmonie de Rosé'
A 100% Pinot Noir crémant rosé from an Alsace family domaine that has grown vines since 1688. My 3 against the community's 3.9 — and three days later I gave the same domaine's Riesling a 4.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay 2014
America's best-selling Chardonnay for more than 30 years. I logged the same label twice, four years apart: 3 stars for the 2014, 4 for the 2021. My 3 against the community's 3.8.
Mouton Cadet Rouge Bordeaux 2016
The best-selling Bordeaux in the world. The community gives it 3.6; I gave it 3 and wrote "Ordinary Bordeaux." My 3 against the community's 3.6, at US$10–14 retail.
Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
An old Maipo name, in business since 1874. James Suckling 93, Vivino 3.9, and US$15–18 at overseas retail. My note was one word — 'Good.' — and I gave it 3.5.
Almaviva 2016
Chile's own 'first growth', made jointly by Rothschild and Concha y Toro. James Suckling 97, Wine Spectator 95. I've drunk it three times in six years, and my first note was exactly two words: 'Strong pepper.'
Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2017
I found 'gasoline' in a cheap Riesling from Costco. Evergreen Vineyard in Washington State, 12% alcohol, and a wine built from the ground up for spicy food.
Villa Antinori Rosso Toscana IGT 2016
The Antinori family's 'face' wine, made since 1928. The community gives it 3.8; I gave it 4.5, for one reason — with fried chicken, its aromatics and balance were as perfect as a Burgundy Pinot.
Dom Pérignon Vintage 2008
The vintage Richard Geoffroy called a 'miracle year' — the first 50:50 Chardonnay–Pinot Noir blend since 1990. My first five-star Champagne. Twenty-two critics average 96 points; the world average price is about ₩720,000.
William Hill Central Coast Chardonnay 2015
The community gives it 3.6; I gave it 5. A US$13 California Chardonnay where pear, apple, peach, banana and honey all burst at once.
Domaine Antonin Guyon Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2013
Grand cru Pinot Noir from the mid-slope of the Corton hill. Critics give it 91, Vivino 4.1, but I gave it 3 stars. A wine you shortchange by serving too cold, and one that gets better the next day.