This was hopping on Saturday. Good to see all the people in the store and having to wait to try wines. People were buying as well so good to see that. Well at any of these in store events you get a mixed bag of wines and this one was no different. Orin Swift continues to make wine that are not varietal correct and it was good to educate many who sampled this wine. The standouts were the Moet-Imperial Champagne, 2021 Podere Roseto, Frog’s Leap Jeremiah Cab and the Whitehall Lane Cab.
The notes:
- N.V. Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial – France, Champagne
Ok big step up from previous NV’s. Apple, dough, spice, lemon, floral and chalk. Medium plus finish and nice acidity. (91 pts.) - 2023 Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi – Italy, Piedmont, Gavi
Ok this is a fun wine with floral, lemon, spice and lime. Fragrant nice and medium finish. Nice acidity. Good value under $20. (88 pts.) - 2024 I Veroni Vermentino Achillea – Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Light and shows grapefruit, minerals and mild spice. Short finish. Very drinkable for the price. (84 pts.) - 2024 Domaine Gayda Vin de Pays d’Oc La Minuette – France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d’Oc
Watermelon, mild spice, floral and earth. Medium finish. Very nice Rose. (84 pts.) - 2023 I Veroni Chianti Rùfina I Dōmi – Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Rùfina
What a pleasant surprise with red currants, funk, wood, spice, floral notes and earth. Very nice value. $15 (88 pts.) - 2023 Podere Roseto Bolgheri Principe – Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri
Nice wine overall with tobacco, spice, earth, rose petals and red currants. Smooth finish and good on a the pop and pour. (88 pts.) - 2021 Podere Roseto Syrah Toscana IGT – Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Very nice wine with tar, perfume, cigar, earth, minerals, dark currants and wood. Complex offering and solid value overall. (92 pts.) - 2023 Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Jeremiah – USA, California, Napa Valley
Ok this is a really good wine for $30. Dill, oak, earth, cherry, floral and blue currants. Very fun wine and so much better than a majority of Napa under $50. Crazy community average is $50 and getting this at $30. (91 pts.) - 2022 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo Toscana IGT – Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Ok these are always good and good values. Balanced with red currants, spice, earth, floral and minerals. Great value at $22. (91 pts.) - 2021 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape – France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Ok will start off by saying declassification should have happened here. This wine is terrible for $50 and any critic giving this over 85 needs to check their palate. I tried this 3 separate times over 3 hours and not one time would I pay over $10 for this wine. Weak on the fruit and water downed. Some pepper and spice but not much going on here. Top 10 worst wines of the year for sure. (75 pts.) - N.V. Alain Robert Vouvray Brut – Méthode traditionnelle Vignoble Alain Robert – France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Low end stuff with floral, apple and spice. Short finish. Not recommended. (80 pts.) - 2023 Château de Maligny Chablis – France, Burgundy, Chablis
Solid overall with shells, spice, minerals and apple. Medium finish and good acidity. (88 pts.) - 2023 Château d’Aigueville Côtes du Rhône Villages – France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages
Terrible Cotes du Rhone. No substance with little fruit, pepper and spice. NO. (80 pts.) - 2022 Our Cellars Pinot Noir Vintner’s Collection Inara – USA, California
Is this terrible or what. Why do people make Pinot this bad. Dirt, thin, artificial sweetener and mild spice. (70 pts.) - 2022 Love and Squalor Pinot Noir Garageland – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Another really bad Pinot at this tasting. Who the hell buys this crap? Earth, floral and some mild fruit. Short finish. NO. (73 pts.) - 2022 Jasper James Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Another crap sandwich Cab from Paso Robles. Who actually drinks their Cabs? Anyway this is terrible with sweet fruits, spice and floral notes. Short and not inspiring finish. Hard to believe corporate wanted to add this to the tasting today. (74 pts.) - 2022 Château Bel-Air Bordeaux – France, Bordeaux
What a poorly made wine. Water downed with spice, some fruit and gravel. This is so bad I can’t believe they made this. (75 pts.) - 2020 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
So much better showing than on Wednesday. My friend new this needed a five hour decant so a lot of the dill/oak blew off. Still dill and oak but also blue currants, chocolate, dust and earth. (89 pts.) - 2021 Andre Goichot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Guettes – France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
Can’t believe anyone would pay $30 for this when you can get J Cristopher from Willamette for the same price. Spice, floral, earth and red currants. Short finish. Pass. (80 pts.) - 2021 Our Lady of Guadalupe Pinot Noir – USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Ok another complete disaster Orin Swift wine. They don’t make any good wines and that is not an opinion it is a fact. I am sure some lame critic gave this 92 plus without looking. Doesn’t taste like pinot and really not that sweet for an Orin Swift wine. Dirt, muted fruits, spice and twigs. Top 10 worst of the year 3 Day Wine Review. Can’t believe tracker users are in the 90s on this one and one 97. Haskell’s in MN is dumping this junk at $42 a bottle. (69 pts.) - 2024 Helenental Kellerei Grüner Veltliner #GVLTAT – Austria, Niederösterreich
In Liter format. These are well made and for the masses. Nothing special but better than a lot more expensive. Light with floral, lemon, dust and minerals. Short finish. (84 pts.) - 2023 AVERÆN Pinot Noir – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Not very good at $25. Floral, earth and red currants. So many better for $5 more. (83 pts.) - 2020 Requiem Red Blend – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Trying to mask the smoke taint but it is there. At $15 still overpriced with smoke, ash and muted red currants. Drinkable but no for me. (74 pts.) - 2019 Château Caronne Ste. Gemme – France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Ok this was a really good wine at this tasting. Gravel, spice, perfume, floral and earth. Very solid wine for $25. (91 pts.) - 2021 One Stone Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Ok another …. sandwich (see spinal tap) from Paso in the Cab category. They do not make good Cabs. Smoke, ripe fruit and spices. Short finish. Garbage wine. (70 pts.) - 2024 The Hess Collection Chardonnay Hess Select California – USA, California
This is terrible. Hard to believe anyone would drink this. Chemical taste with sweeter fruit and flowers. Short finish and lacks acid. (70 pts.) - 2022 Landmark Pinot Noir Overlook – USA, California
Another garbage Pinot Noir. Ripe fruits, smoke, floral and cherry. Short to medium finish. Easy pass. (81 pts.) - 2022 Justin Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Hey the annual 3 Day Wine Review Worst wines of the Year candidate. This is terrible. Dill and oak and distributor did say they use American oak. NO one else asked that at this tasting. Anyway this is terrible wine with ripe fruit and spice. Nothing much going on here. Justin does not make good wine. (74 pts.) - 2022 Stel + Mar Sauvignon Blanc California – USA, California
What crap this is. Light fruit, chemicals and water. What in the world did someone think when making this wine? (60 pts.) - 2020 Stel + Mar Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
Already a bad wine and smoke tainted. Ash, muted fruit and spice. Short finish. Crap. (60 pts.) - 2023 Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc – USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Ok liked this at the tasting today. Someone said Villa Maria was better but no it is not. Grapefruit, minerals, dust, lemon and apple. Medium finish and good acidity. (90 pts.) - 2018 Dow Porto Late Bottled Vintage – Portugal, Douro, Porto
Good overall with molasses, spice, dark chocolate and fruits. Fun overall. (88 pts.) - 2021 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley
Ok one of the better wines at this tasting. Dark fruits, oak, spice, floral and chocolate. Medium finish. Much better than one year ago for sure!!! (91 pts.) - 2021 Bodegas Ateca Calatayud Atteca Old Vines – Spain, Aragón, Calatayud
Good overall with floral, spice, red currants and earth. Always liked this wine for the money. (87 pts.)