I think that the whites have been less successful for me - I loved #16 SB, and #10 Rose while I disliked
#37 viogner, and
#63 Reisling.
134 SB,
N.83 Columbia Valley White Blend (Semillon/Chenin)… maybe they need more time but these are not my like.
I don’t love 27, 28,29 series - they initially were not my tastes at all, but over time, have improved although there are so many others that I really enjoyed more.
What’s micro/ox 24 hr decant? Is that opening and resealing? I plan to serve 10-12 DN reds tomorrow night. My plan was to just open them in the morning and give them 10 or so hours open in bottle. Is it worth decanting and pouring right back into the bottle? Likely candidates are 119, 123, 136, and 303.
24 hour decant is decanting 1-2 hours, pouring back in the bottle, recorking, and serving 24 hours later.
The 142 is as close to a no-brainer as I’ve seen lately… ordered my third case, great for drinking now and awesome unique gifts as well. Superb vino at a killer price…
Very dark garnet with a touch of purple. Medium intensity earthy nose with blueberries, savory mushrooms, light touch of vanilla and a hint of crushed black pepper. I think this is pretty high in Syrah, it has a lot of what I can only call “Syracity”, can’t really describe it better. Palate is fresh and fruity with medium body and low to medium acidity, slightly tart red fruits, raspberries, unripe strawberries, lots of floral stuff in there too, like lavender, some citrus notes, touch of leather and some crushed soil minerality. Finishes somewhat simple but surprisingly long with just a hint of tannins. Sort of leaves a taste of raspberry jelly in your mouth. Easy drinker, could be a good gateway drug for a non-wine drinker.
Recommend decanting for a few hours, pop-n-pour this tastes like raspberry juice. It opens up a new layer of complexity with air.
I really enjoyed it, however, just know there is a lot of wood on this. Be prepared for a multi-hour decant, or just hold it for another year or two. Either way, during a family outing with food, on PnP people loved it, so while I think it is better with decant and age, it was a people pleaser on PnP.
Totally agree !! #142 Malbec is just a wine that is such an easy drinker. I am into my 3rd buy as well!
Marjie, it’s so interesting how different our experiences & purchases have been. I’ve bought none of the wines you listed. However, I’ve been very pleased with my Chardonnay purchases (& I’ve never considered myself a big Chardonnay drinker.) My favorite has been 133. Others I have thoroughly enjoyed include 77, 185, 207, 167, & 247. I’m also a fan of the 226 Sauvignon blanc.
I’m sorry you have been disappointed with the whites, but then there are so many good reds to enjoy!
211 and 274 on back to back nights. Both enjoyable. 274 with smoked brisket and mac and cheese last night with about a 30 min decant. Was the only red in a primarily whiskey drinking group. Paired well with vinegar based bbq sauce. Still a bit sweet but not as much as the time about 6 months ago where it was jam. Was enjoyed by the group before people moved on to whiskey and pipes so we didn’t really get to see if it evolved with some time open.
Tonight the 13 yr old son wanted wings and fries. So it was mild spicy and lemon pepper wings . Paired 211 with this and I stand by my statement from previous post that this wine is as solid as most of the Napa cabs. Complex layers of cherry and raspberry with a bit of the smell of last nights pipe tobacco. I just sipped it next to 315 (2019 France cab) that I’ve been sipping over the last few days as an experiment in If I like old world vs new world cabs. I like 211 way better. For me there is just more complexity and depth of flavor. And I do think I’ve been trained to like my cab abv at 14.5-15.0 so that drives me to the new world option.
I’ve been thinking about Mikko’s recent post about how a French GSM was a “gateway wine” and I’ve wondered bout the 239 split of opinions. I enjoyed 239 ( finished all 12 to rave reviews of friends at parties) and have 12 bottles in storage they I plan to get shipped soon and I do wonder if a year later I’ll enjoy as much as I did last year as I’ve become a bit more particular about wine… all part of the process of understanding my own palate.
N.16 Viognier was excellent tonight. Used it in my Bolognese for the dry white component, and even better that I didn’t have to drink the wine. Sauce turned out fantastic!
I was a huge #239 fanboy originally, but these days the alcohol does bother me somewhat. I still like it because I can accept high levels of alc, and the QPR was bonkers. #303 is like a #239 just turned down a few notches, try them side by side and you’ll see a very similar flavor profile, just turned down a lot.
Thank you and no need to feel sorry for me as I have LOADS of other dN wines that I really like & enjoy ! And now that the Italians, Australians, & French wines have arrived, I am set.
I don’t drink a lot of Chardonnay but did buy a couple of bottles of #77 and agree that it was very tasty. Although that original #16 Sauvignon Blanc was perhaps a bit better to me !
Drank #53 merlot over the weekend, which was superb after 3 hours decant and nearly unchanged for 3 days corked in the fridge. Very elegant old world style that I really enjoyed, and in my opinion is ready to drink. It was a nice break from my other dN purchases which tend to be bold, ripe, and heavily oak-influenced. I think this one is ready to go, and am now really looking forward to #s 52 and 54 from the same producer
I thoroughly enjoyed #52 Cab Franc recently. With its lithe structure and low alcohol we polished the bottle in one sitting which is very rarely the case. An enlightening style for NoCal.
Popped a 230 last night and it was delicious. Dark almost inky like color. The nose was a combination of powdery red fruits and black currants. The finnish was med/long, and overall a Very very very smooth wine with well balanced acidity and tannins. I really like this juice.
I believe Sonoma Mountain to be a hidden gem…
Had N.43 CS last night and it was as good as I remembered. Big tannins, not overly sweet, nice cedar and spice notes and a long finish.
Also PnP N.258 Chardonnay a couple nights back. Apple, melon and just a hint on vanilla. Really nice and will be well enjoyed in the summer months. Crowd pleaser and steal of a deal.
I’ve been waiting for a review on this as my case sits in LTS… sounds like it’s ready to drink upon arrival. Thanks for the review!
I love 43. It was my first dN. But not my last. First bottle was disjointed (2years ago!) but I could tell the juice was top quality. It quickly settled into a smooth, elegant wine that has inspired me to purchase more. And more.
Thank you, Cam!