Here's notes about all the great wine I had during the holidays.
Beringer Knights Valley 2010
**** As usual, dark fruits, integrated oak, earthy touch. a good entrylevel wine that gives a peek at what good wine is, without costing a fortune.Beringer Quantum 2011
***** Opened the day before and put on caraffe 5h before serving. Revisited this for the Yule meal. This time it was an even better experience (last time wa s at a 14 wine tasting as the last one). I tasted it a bit while it opened up and the night before, I worried as it was a bit acidic and boring, befor e putting in carafe it was still closed, and after the carafe it was just p erfect, making me go MMmm at each sip. Good body and texture, dark fruit, b lackberry, integrated oak, chocolate, licorice, earth, cedar, leather, vani lla, long finish.Sequoia Grove Reserve 2001
***** Very good Napa cab from one of my favorite wineries. This was still going s trong when I had it, but definitely was integrated and the fruits were tran scended to glory. Rutherford is my favorite region for napa cabs, and this one was a typical interpretation of that style. Textured blackcurrants, dur t, chocolate, cedar, lingering finish.Churchhills lbv 2005
**** A good typical LBV thats not too alcoholic - like Grahams - or thin.Graham Malvedos Vintage 1988
**** The last time I drank this was in 2001. So I was intrigued to taste how the 13 extra years worked on it. To my memory, nothing has changed whatsoever! In the beginning it had some tannins to cut the finish short (that surpris ed me). It is amber-red in the glass, dark red fruits and raisins in the fl avour, long finish, after having aired it for a couple of hours. This was a 375ml bottle.Waterbrook melange 2010
*** Found this on sale (20$) so why not give it a go. Im not used to Washington wines - I've lived near Napa Valley, so thats my preference for good wine. The store clerks told that washington is a better climate for wine, as it is colder and drier, like France. Such sentences (the kind that carries the presumption that French wine is best) always makes me skeptical, as I thin k Napa makes better Bordeaux wines than Bordeaux does. And my skeptism was right. Its a lighter, more acidic, and thinbodied wine. It has some oak cha racter to give it texture that I like. My FIL liked this more than Beringer Quantum that I served for chistmas, which he found too sweet. Lucky him as this costs 1/3 of the Quantum which I thought was amazing. I think that I will go straight for Dunn's "Feather", to give Washington another chance ne xt time.Franco Conterni Pugnane Barolo 2009
** Had with a food pairing with some veal salumi with barolo sauce. Barolo is one of those "Big" wines I do not get. Im usually disappointed. Some people call them "powerful" while I find them thin and boring, but I have had som e that are good. This one is the first type. Typical barolo, mild acids, ba rely any tannins, no fruits, no finish. With the food served some distant s mooth berry and earth came out to peak. I'd pay 8-10E for this, but it is m ore like 25-30E.Glera, Ca Del Doge, Frizzante (semi dry)
*** Glera is a local grape around Trieste, sweat pear, refreshing.Balsion, Ribera Del Duero 2003
**** Had it again and it is still a really good wine for the money. Hard to beat . Had it over 3 days and the third day was best, when the oak really integr ated with the fruit. So if drinking the same day, use decanter.Faro Palari 2007
**** This is considered a cult wine it seems. Tight at first, with leather and b arolo like mouthfeel and amber colour. Had it with horse tartar and ham pas ticchio, and more fruits, cherry, came out, reminding more of brunello with a rough tannin texture. Very surprising for the hot sicilian climate. Seco nd day it is closer to brunello, still with chewy tannins, and sweet sour c herry, on top of earthy leather.Andrea Oberto Barolo 2003
***** I've had trouble understanding why barolo is so popular and expensive, as t hey are usually watery , sour, and flavourless. I bought this one from an I talian premium winestore for a last attempt at concluding that Barolo is no t for me. The store owner said that this was the only one he had that was m ature for me to fully understand what Barolo is. He certainly knows what he is talking about. Because I love it. Before decanting I pulled the cork an d it smelled of premium Tuscany cigar. The wine sniffing the bottle has the same cigar with some red fruits. The colour is amber and transparent, and I had a sip. Reminded me of a much older Vina Tondonia Grand Reserva. Earth y, woody, distant red tart fruits. Into the decanter it went for 5 hours. T hen I had it with barolo reduced mushrooms and small onions, rosemary tater s and pork leg . Taste was the same tuscany cigar, then earth, mushroom, ri pe cherries, and bark. Like taking a stroll in an old forest. Certainly Ton donia is the closest wine I can think of. But after dinner I pulled out som e Jamon Iberico. Then the wine changed character. Reminded me of well aged older Beringer Private reserve and 1987 BV G. Latour. Darker more apparent fruits emerged, and eucalyptus, with a rough texture from "chewy" tannins t hat I love. Really impressive wine that you can shape as you want (except i f you want fresh and fruity).Bersano Barolo 2009
* 22E wine vinegar for cooking.Brda Vinska Klet in Slovenia next to Collio region. This is the largest pro ducer in Slovenia. All handmade due to steep slopes. The Baqueri and A+ lin es are their top series.
Baqueri Pinot Grigio 2012
- Even though it had 6 months in oak it is just another "boring white".
Baqueri Sauvignon Blanc 2011
** Has some passion fruit and dry finish.Baqueri Rebula 2011
**(*) 1 year in oak makes it a bit buttery like a good cahrdonnay.Baqueri Chardonnay 2009
*** Creamy scent, butter in front, fresh apple finish.A+ Belo 2008
*** Mix of Rebula, Chardonnay, and pikolit. butter, melon, peach, smooth finish . Not bad for a white.Baqueri Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
*** Currants with custard and licorice root. A bit too fresh at the moment.Baqueri Merlot 2008
*** Darker and more herbal, sweeter, blackberry, a lightly bitter finish.Baqueri Brut Zero Dosage
*** A very dry champagne style sparkly, wiht notes of yeast and bread. 14E comp ares to 30E champagne (M.C.), but lesser body than 40+E champagnes (e.g. He nriot)A+ Rdece 2009
**** A good bourdeaux style wine. Merlot, Cab Sauv, Franc. These are fresh red b erries with more acid and brighter fruits. Its a bit rough at the moment, w ith a bitter finish. They recommend saving for 3 years. They had no older v intages to sell.Special Bottling Merlot 2009
**** A smaller production special edition of the merlot. Sweeter, fuller, and ca ress the mouth like candy. A good sipper. But they had no more to sell.Another Slovenian winemaker:
Princic Mihael 2010
**** Also a good bourdeaux blend from Brda Goriska region like A+ Rdece but a bi t more approachable now.