todd10

Perrin & Fils Les Sinards Châteauneuf Du Pape 2020, A.C.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of my go-to wines, but this particular bottle left me underwhelmed. On the nose, it offered promising notes of licorice and cherry, which had me eager for the first sip. Unfortunately, the palate lacked the depth and complexity I’ve come to expect from this region.

To its credit, the wine did improve with time, so I’d recommend decanting to allow it to open up. Still, it never quite delivered the rich leather and earthy tones that I typically look for in a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Tasted June 2025

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Marlborough, South Island

I loved all the flavour and aromas popping from this wine. Mostly grapefruit, but some flint too. Perfect crispness that I would expect from a Sauvignon blanc. I enjoyed this wine a lot, would have loved it more on a warm day on the patio.
Tasted September 2023

Galerie Latro Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Knights Valley, Sonoma County

Very wonderful wine. The nose I was getting cherry, pepper, and a little leather.When I tasted it, I was in love. Flavors of dark fruit mixed with this very well balanced wine. About 45 minutes later I was tasting dark chocolate with this fruit. If these flavors held-up, I would even give a better score. After about hours, the flavors that I loved dissipated. But that does not mean it is not a great wine, just drink within 90 minutes to get the best of it.
Tasted Aug 2019

Urbina Reserva 1998, Doca Rioja

The was my first wine that I had that was over 20 years old. I realized right away that all the almost all the primary fruit flavors are gone. I was getting hints of tobacco and leather. At this point I was happy. As the night progressed, the wine did not get any better. The wine was good at the beginning, I loved the secondary notes of leather, tobacco and oak. But as the night progressed, the already very light tannin's seemed to get even light taking the balance out of wack. I would suggest do not decant this and the faster you can drink this (share with friends) the better.
Tasted Feb 2020

Two Sisters Cabernet Franc 2016, VQA Niagara River

I found the nose a little simple. I was getting some black pepper, a little oak and the usual dark fruit. But what I did enjoy was the nice flavors of this wine. Beautiful flavors of dark fruit with a hint of oak. A nice acidity, and the tannins in my opinion were perfect (not too heavy, not too light). Over the evening I did not find that this wine evolved so I see no reason to decant.
Tasted March 2021

Le Parvis Châteauneuf Du Pape 2017, Ac, Rhône

I found the aromas of this wine to be over powered by the alcohol. I was getting your typical dark fruit but not much more beyond that. However, where the aroma's lacked, the taste did not. I was getting a delicious taste of dark chocolate with cherry. Nice acidity. I enjoyed the grippy tannins. A little heat on the finish was a nice touch.
This wine did not evolve throughout the evening, so I see no reason to decant.
Tasted March 2022

Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah 2018, Napa Valley

I feel bad giving this at 89 when I see so many great scores. This is a nice tasting wine, but to me it was very typical of a nice red. Good dark, fruit, a little peppery, firm tannins but not too much. It was good. The 89 is because I did not get the complexity that many others did. The wine did not evolve throughout the evening either. I like when I can taste a wine evolve is it breaths.
Still good though.
Tasted June 2023

Tornatore Etna Rosso Trimarchisa 2016, D.O.C. Etna

This wine had an interesting nose. I was getting aromas of soya sauce and black tea leaves. I enjoy when wine have unusual character like this one.
This wines balance was good and pretty good length too with taste of cherries.
I like the back ground story of these grapes only growing on the slopes of Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.
Tasted August 2022

Tournon Shays Flat Vineyard Shiraz 2016, Pyrenees, Victoria

I was expecting mouth drying tannins, but I found them smooth. It was still a good amount to match with food.
As for aromas. I was getting plum and chocolate.
Throughout the evening, I did not notice this wine opening much more than at the beginning of the night so I see no reason to decant except to filter out the sediment. I poured the last glass slowly and that was enough to prevent the sediment from going into my glass.
Tasted Feb 2024.

Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf Du Pape 2015

This wine had one of the best aromas that I have had in a long time. Beautiful scents of cherry and plum were so easy to detect that even my wife that always tells me that all she smells is "alcohol", this is the first time she could smell the cherry. Taste of fruit with a nice balance. I loved the finish. The tasty wine seemed to linger on my tongue for a while. A little heat on the finish, but I enjoy a bit of heat so I am not complaining.

Tasted May 2020