tjaehnigen

I had this with french garlic sausage last night. I opened it about 45 minutes prior to consuming, but did not decant it. It aired in the glass for about another 15 minutes prior to my first taste. (2/1/03)This wine has a deep red color, not black, but more a deep violet. The wine has no legs to speak of. The aromas were of macerated blackberries, other red fruits and molasses. It started off with a terrific mouthfeel, but this later gave way to a less rich structure, not watery as in really watery, but watery elements. The tannins are deceptive at first, they seem to be nowhere or perhaps amazingly integrated, but then they come out from under the stone they were hiding and introduce a less balanced wine, and yes, some stoney, pebbley notes. The tannins became more pronounced and evident. The finish, at first, had been nice and reasonably long. They became shorter and not quite as nice. My thought is that this wine needs a year or more to settle down. At that time, it could gain a point of two if things get better in check. Or, just drink it within a half an hour of opening with no decanting or airing time in the glass. TJ rating 86-87 points. Oh yes, the wine cost me like $17. -------------------------------------------------------------- I had this again tonight (5/12/03), this time a little before, a little during, but mostly after some Pasta Plus pizza. This wine got a bit better over the past three months or so. I still stand by my original TN, but for a few exceptions. The red fruits have transmorgified into cherries, especially near the end of the bottle. It was not decanted this time and it was consumed over about two hours, which definitely helped my experience this time. The wateriness had faded a little and the mid-palate was much better as a result. It'd pop it up to a solid 87 from 86/87. Maybe even an 87+.

I could definitely see this going with mussels. And, asparagus is probably one of the hardest foods to match from a wine perspective....Oy.

2000 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles Pretty good. Toasted smokiness blows off to reveal a pretty luscious blackberry zone interlaced with tobacco, sage and maybe even a hint of mint. Nice tannins and a fairly mouthpuckering decently long finish. TJ points = 87

2000 Pertimali Rosso di Montalcino Sassetti Livio TJ points = 87 Tasted these out of Spigelau Bordeaux stems. Paired it with Pasta Plus pizza. I did not decant this wine. It was bacsically a drink & pour. Medium violet dark color. No legs to speak of, well, REALLY slow tiny millipede like legs if you can call them that. Not too shabby. This wine had a really incredible nose at first. It blew off after about 20 minutes, but it really wowed me with macerated sour cherries and, I know this is gonna sound weird, but easter egg/food coloring. This later devolved to delectable cherries, some floral notes and allspice. This wine had a good mouth-coating feeling, but still has some good acidity to not make it cloying. Tannins are fine, but definitely there in the background. This wine evoked more of the cherries, balanced by some nice vanilla and spices. Nice finish.

This wine had a rather nice nose of chocolate, coffee and blackberries. It’s a really dark, though not inky black, wine. While being somewhat syrupy, I did possess enough acidity to balance it out to a nice finish. Tasted more of what I sensed on the nose, plus plenty more black fruits and some cream and toast. Not very tannic at all. Delicious wine. TJ points = 91

This was a bottle Dr. Tannin brought to dinner the other night. I consumed my portion while easting some really delicious mussels. This wine had a nice light but golden color. It smelled of lemony and honeysuckle. It tasted more of the same, but was sweeter than I expected. What at first seemed too sweet for my tastebuds transmogrified by inserting some slatiness to the mix which had the amazing effect of cleansing out any cloying bits of this wine and dovetailed into a nice finish. Delicious. TJ points = 88+ and I think this was like a $10 wine

1998 Saffredi Maremma Toscana (Fattoria le Pupille) Had this with my Laboratorio del Galileo gastronomic experience celebrating my 10th anniversary with Mrs. TJ. First glass was sipped a little too soon with the lamb ragu course, as the bottle had only been opened for about a half hour with no decanting. But it opened up well enough as the evening progressed. We had enough left to go with the cheese course near the end, even (Mrs. TJ and I have never tried two full bottles split between us in one sitting -- thankfully the waiter and Roberto Donna helped us taste it). Stems were good, but didn't check exactly what. My notes are slimmer here than the Kistler, mostly due to a bit more clouded judgement, the evening itself spending it with my wonderful wife, my decision to not bring my little pager and forgetting to jot notes down in our dining diary. BUT, we together wrote down A hint of mint, roasted met, cooper and loads of dark fruits. It was a very good bottle of wine that paired really well with the later course and also the cheeses. Noce balance, good acidity and a fine, fine finish. This bottle was a hint at what's to come in Italy, our real present to each other for our anniversary. I'd rate this with 91 TJ points .

Had this with my Laboratorio del Galileo gastronomic experience celebrating my 10th anniversary with Mrs. TJ. First small glass was a little too warm still, so we let it chill for a course and a half and tried to keep our hands off of it as we let it develop further. Stems were good, but didn't check exactly what. This wine had a nice deep golden color. A nose of doughnuts and pineapple drifted upward as I flooded my moth with this nectar. Holy crap this is good wine. More pineapple and doughnuts mixed with honey and what I originally described as nut-cream, but I think was better described by mountainman above as macedemia nuts. Superbly put together wine with a delectable finish. I am dying to get my hands on more of this wine. I will agree with jb's rating on this one -- TJ points = 94

This was tasted prior to the JohnnyB (VinoCellar) offline dinner and during the sushi course (June 2003). Tasted out of Riedel Sommelier stems (I really like the shape of these stems, nice). Malty dough, caramel, hazelnuts and more. I'm not great at writing up TNs for champagne, but this one was really quite good and it has developed some really complexity and character. It was great on its own especially, and paired well with the first part of my sushi. Also, my TN descriptors are an amalgam of all of us who drank the juice. I am not very good at assigning points to champagne, but this was darned good and I say it rates easily 93 points on the TJ-champagne scale.

This was tasted prior to the JohnnyB (Vinocellar) offline dinner and during the sushi course and the shrimp/avacado tower thingie Corkage made (paired very well, very well) . Tasted out of Riedel Sommelier stems (I really like the shape of these stems, nice). Now this champagne was more along the lines of what I more typically expect from a campagne (as opposed to the Taittinger we'd just had, which was more complex). This had a lot more effervescence (sp?) and was deliciously minerrally and popped into my head some more citrusiness along the lighter more crisp style. Yum. Also, my TN descriptors are an amalgam of all of us who drank the juice. I am not very good at assigning points to champagne, but this was really good and I say it rates easily 91-92 points on the TJ-champagne scale. Just a notch under the Taittinger, IMO.

This was tasted at the JohnnyB (Vinocellar) offline dinner during the Cassoulet course (June 2003). Tasted out of Riedel Sommelier stems. This was one heckuva wine. The nose was outrageous. Blueberries and plums. Plenty of that and more sweet fruits wrapped in well-integrated, but very there tannins. Some nice charcoal was there too. Great finish. I could have drunk this all night. Paired quite well with the cassoulet, too. The color was not as vibrant as a younger wine, but also showed no signs of fading really in the slightest. This wine will probably be very, very drinkable for years to come. Also, my TN descriptors are an amalgam of all of us who drank the juice. I forget what JohnnyB said this one rated, but I'd give it easily 94 points, and these are my newer & tougher TJ ratings points, supposedly.

This was tasted at the JohnnyB (Vinocellar) offline dinner during the Filet of the Gods With That Amazing Sauce course (June 2003). Tasted out of Riedel Sommelier stems. This was one amazing wine. The nose was filled with roasted meats and licorice. A bit more vibrantly-colored than the Cos d'Esturnel, this wine had some great long legs, too. The nose had properly revealed what to expect on the palate and it brought out more things like mushrooms (but we all couldn't agree on what kind of mushrooms), 'liquid' smoke and what could be sort of described as cherry syrup. Very long finish. This wine also made it to the cheese course for me and it actually paired the best with the funkiest cheese (the Cantal la Giuole (which smelled like feet if you smelled it from the wrong end!)). We dredged to the very bottom of this and the other bottle (the Cos d'Estournel). JohnnyB had particular fun artfully swirling the remaining lumpy, chunky wine to allow the bowl to 'catch the lumps so he could relish in the very last sip of this juice. Hey, we didn't have a dump bucket so what else could we do for fun? Also, my TN descriptors are an amalgam of all of us who drank the juice. I forget what JohnnyB said this one rated, but I'd give it easily 96+ points, and these are my newer & tougher TJ ratings points, supposedly. I think Corkage said he preferred the Cos d'Estournel, but he also said (and all the other stuff we drank), "Man that sh!t was good."

Tasted at a small Vinocellar offline in June 2003 This was tasted at the JohnnyB offline dinner during the chocolate cake course as well as before and after that. Tasted out of I think Sauvignon Blanc Riedel stems. Dessert wines are always everyone's downfall right? Well, it was ours since we couldn't finish the 750 that JohnnyB had opened (I think we polished off 1/2 to 3/4 of it)! Ack! But this was some great juice. After being warned we could not say 'honey' as a descriptor, we dove right in. I will use 'honey' as a color description though, because that is what it looked like. Lots of general notes here, but it was loaded with butterscotch, apricot, strawberries, gree apple (yeah), varnish, creamy chunks (maybe white chocolate?) with carmelized pineapple. This was great, definitely better than the 1998 vintage (whci I rated a 92, I think). Also, my TN descriptors are an amalgam of all of us who drank the juice. This sucker is worth 94+ points. Superb.I drank this prior to consuming the chocolate cake and the rest of what I had after a while after the cake.

Well, I can't keep my hands off the stuff. I was having dinner with Dr. T and I brought that as one of the possibilities for the red of the evening (the other was the 99 Coriole Mary Kathleen). Ah well. Pairing this wine with a proper meal made this wine even better, IMO. I will agree with my original notes, only to add that the pepperiness had subsided and that I got some more floral notes on the nose this time. It's gotten a bit more elegant as well. Maybe my last bottle hadn't rested enough before I opened it. I tried to get more today, but MacArthur's was closed (ARGH!). I think this tasting makes it worthy of a notch or two more. TJ points (now) = 90

Had this as one of two wines at Veritas in June 2003. Medium gold color with a rather restrained nose. It seemed to evoke a nice honeysuckle sense as it opened a bit, followed by some mineraliness and I think quince (?). It later showed notes of toffee and caramel. This was a pretty heady and full bodied wine, but not as big as I expected. Quite viscous, it felt great lolling it in my mouth as it revealed much of what I'd smelled, the mineraliness leading into chalkines while the fruits emerged and showed their character. The toffee/caramel seemed to come into the foreground a bit, especially on the finish, but this later evolved to show a superb orange zest flavor that was wonderful. Still, I think I expected more. When trying to choose between this and the other two vintages they had, the 98 and the 97, the sommelier suggested the 98, but when he went back to retrieve it, he'd discovered that the last 98 was gone. So I had the 99. Anyway, this was a great wine, well balanced, with a great finish and all that, but I like the 2000 Kistler Durrell better. I'd rate this with 92+ TJ points.

I had this wine the other night with a shrimp risotto (with lemon, mushrooms, goat cheese and more). One of the best pairings I've made. I'll agree with most of jb's notes, but I got a bit more lemon and other citrus notes along with the pear. A really good value. For me, it costs $12-$14, but I need to find a better source. Still, even at that price it's a great value. 90 TJ points

From the DC Coast & Toast WS offline (9/20/02)... Peppermint, licorice and other candies in the EXPLOSIVE nose of this sucker. Wow! After a while it calmed down a bit. Strong, thick legs. Nice candies still in your mouth followed by wonderful blueberry, plum and lead pencil. Super, super wine. TJ Rating = 93 ( a VERY close 2nd to my WOTN (which was the dessert wine)

2000 Kislter Cuvee Elizabeth Occidental Vineyard Pinot Noir I had this as my second wine of the evening while dining at Veritas in NYC with a business vendor of mine. I have to tell you, I was blown awayby this wine. Completely blown away. I had read Jones' notes on this, and despite his indications it was '...only a 95...', when I saw it on the list, I had to order it. I mean, when esle was I ever going to have a chance to experience this (besides, while the vendor rep was very willing to let me spend his money, I had to keep it sort of reasonable...). This wine was tasted out of what appeared to be Spiegelau Burgundy stems. This wine was not decanted, the sommelier pretty much just opened it and poured. We drank it over about two hours. This wine had a deeply rich dark color too it. The nose was one of the most incredible noses on a wine I have ever smelled. This wine had an even better nose than the 1997 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Grandi Annate Riserva that Dr. tannin shared at an offline in DC with Vino Me and Tannin Pig last September, which is saying something IMO. I got huge wafts of raspberry, strawberry buttercream, roses and cream and even a little cotton candy. I was in heaven. Upon imbibing this beautiful wine, the nose did not belie the taste. All of those flavors followed the nose onto my tastebuds. Astonishingly plush and lascious, this wine had, as Jones put it '...awesome concentration for a Pinot Noir...' There was loads of fruit that was propped up by gobs of spider-woven web of perfect tannins, The acidity that you would hope for in this wine was not completely there, perhaps hiding behind all of that fruit. I would agree with Jones' assessment that this wine might not last a really long time, but, as superbly as this wine is drinking now, who the hell cares?!! This wine wins 97+ TJ points

From a Vinocellar Offline at Tre Vigne on 6/28/03 1998 Kistler Durrell Chardonnay 91 points – I thought this wine was served too cold. And, taking a page from jb’s book, I let it warm up and sit in my glass. I drank it over the next 2-3 hours. While not up to some other Kistler experiences I have had, it was a nice wine with nutty (macademia?), heady dough and white flower notes on the nose, followed by more of that in the mouth with faint pineapple flvors and more acidity than I normally expect from a Kistler. What really made we go nuts was when we discovered as we were leaving that there was quite a bit left in some of the bottles at the side of the room. We could have had more! <>

From a Vinocellar Offline at Tre Vigne on 6/28/03 1996 Paradigm Oakville 89 points – I actually enjoyed this more than most of you. I found tastes and smells of eucalyptus and dusted currants. I found it somewhat plush initially, but this faded all too quickly. Decently put together it had a good finish.

1996 Seavey Napa Cab 88 points – I did not enjoy this wine as much as some others. I found that, while it may evolve into something really quite nice, it is a bit closed right now. I got quite abit of REALLY restrained red and dark red fruits with this and a nice minerality to it as well.

Not sure Hollywood. This was part of a decent sized trasting dinner and I am pretty sure this came from one of the participants personal cellars.

From a Vinocellar Offline at Tre Vigne on 6/28/03 1999 Numanthia Toro 92 points – This needs a lot more time in the bottle as it was still very tannic. I found loads of fruit hiding in all of the tannins though and this will be a stunning wine in a few more years. The only interesting descriptor I wrote down for this was ‘twinge-y’, whatever the heck that means!

From a Vinocellar Offline at Tre Vigne on 6/28/03 1999 Lafleur, Pomerol 91 points – I have not much experience with Bordeaux, but this was nice. Elegantly put together, this had a ‘heady’ nose and showed some realy nice dark fruits and spice with really well put together tannins. This needs plenty more time and will be a super wine in the future.

From a Vinocellar Offline at Tre Vigne on 6/28/03 1999 White Cottage Howell Mountain 91+ points – Rustic cab with heavy dark cherry chunkiness but a bit clunkily put together, nice finish though.