Well to say I am the leading expert in the world on sampling wines over 3 days would be an understatement. Many prior to me and some after but no one delivers at this level. Here are several improvements over the last 2 months.
CellarTracker! 3 Day Improvements
- 2021 Reininger Syrah XM – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (4/25/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Universal. Natural cork. A bit tight on the pop and pour. This will need some time but showing promise to being a great wine. Will revisit later today.
Day 1.5: Still a bit tight buy promising. I don’t put this up there with the top wines from PAXSA, Cayuse or Reynvaan but a few days might change that opinion. Green olives, tar, ash, floral, lighter red currants and stone. Medium finish. A bit astringent. 88 points
Day 2: Well improving in the right direction. Much smoother on day 2 with green olives, tar, minerals, earth, flint, dust, dried meats and white pepper. A very elegant style for sure. What a great improvement. 92 points
Day 3: Even better and a lengthy finish with some exotics spices, perfume and floral notes. Blueberries, green olives, tar, white pepper and dust as well. Medium plus finish and what a great improvement over 3 days. This could be a stunner in 4 to 5 years. 93+
Recommendation: Buy and hold until 2030 and beyond. Not ready to drink on day 1 even with a good decant. (93 pts.) - 2022 The Walls Vineyards Syrah Gaspard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (4/27/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Universal. Diam 5. This is right there with the 19 and maybe even better. Big and bold and I like it. Black pepper, spices, dark currants, floral, iodine, earth, tar, roasted meats and stone. Wow is this good on a pop and pour and just arrived on Saturday. More please. 94 points
Day 2: Wow! This is intense and flavorful. A top wine of the year candidate for the price. Crushed rocks, black pepper, spices, roasted meats, iodine, menthol, floral, tar, stone and exotic spices. Long finish and concentrated. Back up the truck on a six pack. 96 points
Day 3: Big style Syrah even on day 3. Black pepper, spices, roasted meats, tar, stone, floral, crushed rocks and earth. Loving this wine and for sure highly recommended. 96 points
Recommendation: Put this in a blind tasting against anything in Washington. (96 pts.) - 2021 The Walls Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Curiositas – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (5/7/2026)
Day 1: Really tight and needs some decanting time. Too much wood and really not enjoyable. Tasted similar to the 21 Quilceda Creek which I did not enjoy at all. 83 points
Day 2: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. Big style with too much oak for me. Dark chocolate, spices, vanilla, earth, dark fruits and coffee beans. I find these to be a bit much and someone mentioned Quilceda and agree. Medium plus finish. 90 points
Day 3: So much smoother and not as harsh. Blueberries, spices, coffee beans, wood, minerals, dust, earth and floral notes. Picking up some dark chocolate on the medium plus finish. This needs time!!! 93 points
Recommendation: Like some of their Syrah’s and Grenache wines they can be good on pop and pour but this Cab needs 8 to 10 years. (93 pts.) - 1998 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve – Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (5/6/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork and Durand to the rescue. Cork came out perfect. Great showing with minerals, black pepper, earth, spices, floral, menthol and dust. Medium plus finish. Excellent showing. 94 points
Day 2: Still showing well. Menthol, spices, dried flowers, dark currants, black pepper and earth. Medium plus finish. Wonderful effort and a few more years left. 94 points
Day 3: Left the cork out all night and this is still really good. Black pepper, spices, dark fruits, menthol, minerals, funk, earth, coffee beans and charcoal. This wine rocks! 95 points
Recommendation: Amazing wine and yes on auction but you will always be bidding against me. (95 pts.) - 2023 Thurston Wolfe Grenache Spice Cabinet Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills (5/9/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. On the lighter side. Minerals, rose petals, earth, spice and cranberries. Short finish. Will see how this evolves but mid 80s right now. 85 points
Day 2: Well this is why I do 3 Day Wine Review. Going from a bland experience on day 1 to way more intensity on day 2. White pepper, spices, raspberries, rose petals, cranberries and minerals. Medium plus finish. Very enjoyable on day 2. 90 points
Day 3: These young wines just improve with time. Some wines on a pop and pour show well but this is not one of them. Really open for business on day 3. Cranberries, strawberries, rose petals, minerals, white pepper, peppercorns and spice. This has a nice bit to it. Very good wine and value. 91 points
Recommendation: Very well made wine that will age for a decade plus. Decant 2 to 3 hours if consuming on day 1. (91 pts.) - 2023 Pášxa Syrah Rockgarden Vineyard – USA, Oregon, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater (5/13/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Universal. Natural cork. This wine will really rock on day 3 in my opinion. First of all a cool bottle shape. Stone, mild funk, tar, white pepper, dust, spices, red currants, floral and black licorice. Medium to long finish. This is very elegant but packs a ton of wonderful flavors. Love it! 95+
Day 2: Beautiful with iodine, blue currants, smoke, tar, stone, graphite, spices, floral, dried meat and white pepper. Elegant wine and very lengthy finish. Delicious. 95.5 points
Day 3: Wow and just wow!!! 3 Day Transformation works again! This is better which is hard to believe as I don’t like giving out many scores over 95. More savory and showing off some black olives, exotics spices, white pepper and stone. Fruits feature blue currants and raspberries along with minerals, dust, underbrush and violets. Long finish. Balanced wine for sure. 97 points
Recommendation: This wine needs some time and trust me you will be rewarded for sure. (97 pts.) - 2022 Thurston Wolfe Petite Sirah Zephyr Ridge Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills (5/13/2026)
Day 1: Similar to the Grenache not very enjoyable on the pop and pour. Getting a lot of oak on this up front. Spices, red hots, floral, earth, blue currants and wood/vanilla. A bit much and needs some serious air time. 85 points
Day 2: Similar to day 1 and will decant over night to try on day 3 with a group of wine geeks.
Day 3: Poured this blind to my wine club and they liked this better the 04 Amon Ra and 2023 Pasxa I poured for them. I liked this a lot better on day 3 but not quite at the level of the 2021. Still very good featuring floral, earth, blueberries, wood, a touch of vanilla and spices. Picks up some black pepper on the medium plus finish. 90 points
Recommendation: Needs about 3 plus years in the cellar. (90 pts.) - 2013 Betz Family Syrah La Côte Patriarche – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley (5/14/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. Durand opener. A bit tight and somewhat boring. Earth, pepper, dust, dried flowers and lighter fruit. Medium finish. 89 points
Day 3: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork and Durand Opener. Classic Betz needs time and this is rocking on day 3. Day 1 probably 87 and day 2 90 but day 3 yes sir! Smoked meats, minerals, iron, black pepper, earth, blueberries and floral notes. Medium plus finish. 93 points
Day 4: Still solid with black pepper, blackberries, spices, floral, blueberries and earth. Medium finish. 93 points
Recommendation: Auction value alert. (93 pts.) - 2016 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus – USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley (5/10/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Durand opener. Wolves win!!! This is one of the best blends from California for the money. Menthol, funk, blueberries, iodine, spices, wood and minerals. Amazing wine and one of the best values out there. 94 points
Day 2: This is the best bottle I have ever had from Alexander Valley. The 16 Cyrus is a serious wine and put this in a blind tasting and it will rock the competition. Ink, blueberries, funk, menthol, spices, cherry, wood, minerals and floral notes. Can’t believe how good these are!!! 96 points
Day 3: Rockstar wine! The best I have tasted this year that I paid around $45 for. Top 10 wine of the year candidate. 96 points
Recommendation: Seek and find this vintage and hope it is under $50.00. (96 pts.) - 2023 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah In the Hills – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (5/15/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. Fitting I am the first to try this wine on Tracker. Green olives, white pepper, spices, blueberries, smoke, stone, dust, graphite and tar. Complex and In the Hills is one of my favorite Reynvann wines. Amazing. 94 points
Day 2: Big style wine with boysenberries, smoke, white pepper, green olives, dust, tar and stone. Medium plus finish. Nice effort and recommended. 94 points
Day 3: Perfume, white pepper, smoke, green olives, tar, exotic spices and violets. A fun and expressive wine. 95 points
Recommendation: Highly recommended. Will drink well 20 years from vintage date. (95 pts.) - 2022 Obelisco Estate Electrum – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (5/19/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. Good out of the gate with spices, oak, plum, cherry, cassis, minerals and baking chocolate. No flaws on this and very balanced. Like it! 92 points
Day 2: Very good on day 1 but even better on day 2. Nice use of oak with spices, cherry, plum, rose petals, baking chocolate and minerals. Balanced and nice acidity. This will age for 15 plus from vintage date. 93 points
Day 3: Very smooth overall but packed with nice fruit. Red currants, cassis and cherry. Spices, wood, rose petals, sawdust, baking chocolate and minerals. Very complex offering and love it. 94 points
Recommendation: This is a very good wine from Red Mountain and improved over 3 days. Good overall value. (94 pts.) - 2022 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape – France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/19/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. Young but showing great promise. Garrigue, spices, red currants, dust, tar and minerals. Excellent. 92 points
Day 2: Opening up for business with Garrigue, minerals, raspberries, strawberries, dust, tar, minerals and stone. Medium plus finish. 93 points
Day 3: Even better today with more fruit showing with raspberries, strawberries and red currants. Tar, minerals, stone, pepper, black licorice and floral notes. Medium plus finish. Bargain at $80.00. 94 points
Recommendation: Great wine and at $80 locally a great deal. (94 pts.) - 2020 Obelisco Estate Malbec Obelisco Estate Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (5/22/2026)
2020 Obelisco Estate Malbec Obelisco Estate Vineyard (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain)
Day 1: Some fruit showing but the dominant oak/vanilla on this is over bearing. Malbec should not have any new oak in my opinion as I want to taste the fruit.
Day 2: Almost undrinkable. Tastes like one of those cheap bourbon barrel grocery store wines. Vanilla overload with oak, dark chocolate and some ash on the finish. Might be smoke tainted but since there is such a heavy wood influence hard to tell.
Day 3: I can’t even drink this and it is over the top on the oak/vanilla and ashy finish.
Day 6: Well never really rated this wine on first 3 days but honestly probably low 70s. Well On day 6 a completely different wine that is very drinkable and shows how patients can pay off. Blueberries, menthol, dried flowers, minerals, dried cherries, floral and dust. Medium plus finish and maybe the greatest transformation in the history of 3 Day Wine Review. 92 points (92 pts.) - 2020 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco – Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (5/23/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Obsession. This will be a wine that needs 3 days. Tight after a few hours of air with cranberry, dust, minerals, strawberries and floral notes. Quite uninteresting a the moment so will just wait. 85 points
Day 2: Still tight but more promising. Red currants, iron, leather, cranberries and floral notes. 88 points
Day 3: Left the cork out all night and way more open for business. Iron, leather, earth, minerals, tar, strawberries, raspberries, dried twigs and dust. Medium plus finish and another be patience success story. 92 points
Recommendation: Age another 5 to 8 years. (92 pts.)
Great job as always on being patient. The Twin Cities Thanks you JG.