A historic opportunity last night to try a 1965 Chateau Brane-Cantenac in Singapore. This is our independence year.

It is hard to express just how rare any bottle of 1965 Bordeaux is, let alone a bottle such as this, unmoved from the Château cellars and from the private collection of Henri Lurton, the Chateau owner. There are under 10 bottles left! I can find no tasting notes for 1965 Brane-Cantenac from any critic. Michael Broadbent says of the vintage “don’t bother”, and Château Margaux infamously did not produce a wine for 1965, instead choosing to blend the meagre crop with barrels from previous years to make “Château Margaux non-millésimé”. This will be one of the rarest wines I have ever tasted.

And how did it taste? My benchmark was 1972 Margaux (perhaps the second-worst vintage and a bottle bought at auction with unknown provenance) which was every flavour of leaf you could imagine with no fruit.

This surpassed all expectations. My tasting note: Remarkably aromatic nose with a pomegranate hint. Very light colour. Incredibly, it still shows fruit; some rhubarb, ponmmegranate, light cherry, touch of raspberry even. People around the table semi-jokingly remarking it has a pinot nose..! Surprisingly fresh and vibrant. Just on the right side of concentrated and flavoursome enough to balance the acidity. Given the dire reputation this was absolutely remarkable. Far surpassed all expectations and was frankly very enjoyable as a mature Bordeaux. Notably the second of the two bottles was the better of the two - everything ramped up 20% in terms of fruit, flavour, aromatics and balance.

Cheers and Majulah Singapura!

I'm not a huge wine person, trying to find things I love. I've fallen in love with this Moscato. Currently sailing through the Mediterranean, hoping to bring some bottles of other wines back.

Tasting Notes: Pale golden, tropical, candied pineapple scent. Taste over ripe pear, butterscotch, melon, and sweet peach.

Notable intensity of dark cherry, tomato, tomato leaf, black tea, oregano, coffee grounds, green olive, , white pepper, ash, secondary of tobacco, toasted oak, and tertiary of mushroom.

Intensity is matched by high acid/high fine  tannins, silky texture. Long finish. Will develop another 10 + years

Notes in post below.

TL;DR: We traded the obsession with oak, extraction, and Parker points for an obsession with zero sulfur and zero intervention. Different dogma, same bullshit.

I’ve been drinking natural wine for years. It’s what got me excited about wine in the first place. Freshness, energy, acidity, wines that feel alive and make you want another glass.

But I think parts of the natural wine movement have completely lost the plot.

Look at Napa Cabernet. Somewhere along the way, bigger, riper, more extracted, and more expensive became synonymous with better. A $200 bottle with massive concentration and a bunch of expensive oak is supposed to represent greatness. Personally, I find most of those wines boring as hell.

Natural wine was supposed to be an alternative to that mentality. Better farming, less manipulation, wines with some actual character.

But now we’ve got another set of rules. Zero sulfur, zero filtration, zero intervention. And some people have become so obsessed with following those rules that they’ve forgotten the wine actually needs to taste good.

I’m not talking about unusual or interesting wines. I’m talking about bottles dominated by mouse, excessive VA, and other faults. And somehow these wines get defended as authentic.

If a Napa Cab is so heavily manipulated that you can’t taste where it comes from, that’s a problem. But when a natural wine is so fucked up that all you taste is microbial activity, we’re supposed to celebrate it?

What bothers me even more is the shops, bars, and restaurants championing these wines. Someone tries natural wine for the first time, gets handed something completely flawed, and walks away thinking natural wine tastes like shit.

I work in this industry, and I’ve spent years trying to get people excited about natural wine. These experiences make that job harder, and it’s a disservice to the producers making beautiful wines with minimal intervention.

And the zero sulfur obsession drives me nuts. Making great wine without sulfur takes skill and experience. Adding a little when necessary isn’t some moral failure. There’s a difference between choosing not to intervene and not knowing when you should.

The luxury Napa crowd worships extraction, scores, and prestige. The extreme natural wine crowd worships zero intervention and ideological purity.

Both have confused philosophy with quality.

I don’t care if a wine costs $28 or $200. I don’t care if it has zero sulfur or a small addition at bottling. I care whether it’s delicious and whether I want another glass.

Natural wine doesn’t need another religion. It needs people making good wine.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

Edit: Shortened this because apparently I wrote a dissertation the first time.

I'm a pretty frequent buyer of Quilceda Creek and got an email about a limited release of a white wine this week. I think I'm going to buy it just because I'm sad that I missed the 2020 releases -- did anybody buy those and enjoy it?

How do you go about purchasing a nice bottle for yourself, and have you ever visited a dedicated merchant? If so, what would make you want to return?

Didn’t think I would go this direction since I’m mostly favor old world,, but the other night a friend opened a 1997 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet and I was blown away. I would guess this one might’ve been about $8-$10 upon release. The tannins had not fully faded, and it had some very pleasing tertiary notes. I know this producer for making half decent bargain priced wines so this experience had me wondering what have I been missing out on? I’m totally fine buying a producer above this price level, but wondering what some of them are that I should look for. Budget $150 max.

And this also made me wonder if this is a very different winery today than it was then in the sense it has maybe changed ownership or added additional acreage that would have affected the quality going forward

My brother decided to open this one today because Messi was retiring. First taste was straight from the bottle. Muted notes of black currant, dark black berries, blueberries. Hints of leather , cedar, coal. Decided to pour the rest of the bottle into a decanter and checked every 30 minutes give or take to see how it was developing. After 2 hours it was starting to show why this wine stands the test of time. Can easily be held inside a cellar for another 10 years if possible. The ending notes were ripe juniper berries, blackberries

Recently found out about this pub “Old Mates Pub” near seaport in Manhattan and figured I would give it a try after glancing at the menu. I know next to nothing about Australian wine and I hadn’t realized just how extensive their list is until I sat down. Really amazing food from down under too but that’s not what we are here for.

Their list is big for a pub! Especially one out here, most usually have one or two of each as options but we have a decent variety here it seems. The wine is affordably priced and they even let you purchase by the glass some bigger swingers like Patrick Sullivan and Tim Smith.

I tried a few wines with my partner at the bar, we ended up trying both the Patrick and the Tim Smith, as well as the Ben Haines and Pikes. I don’t know much about the typicality of Australian wine but I do know I enjoyed all of the wine.

Ben Haines Amber 2022
Clean orange wine with subtle honey and floral aromatics and citrus/orange/lemon notes on the tongue , very simple on the palate but very refreshing and completely uncomplicated.

Pikes Traditonale Riesling 2022
Wow. First smell took me to Christmas time, it feels like what most people might imagine a retsina wine to be. Super light and refreshing pine elements in the wine that beautifully surrounded the petrol and mineral notes, very well integrated wine and very much enjoyed the pine element.

Tim Smith BUGALUG 2023
Lovely Grenache, light cherry and floral/dried floral notes and delicious mouthfeel all the way down, my palette was starting to burn out a little bit as they poured really large glasses and this was one of the later I tasted but I thought it was a really elegant textbook Grenache especially for its price point.

Patrick Sullivan Chardonnay 2024

Wooof. My favorite of the night, delicious Chardonnay that immediately took me back to some of the better cuvees that au bon Climat produces, really lovely kiss of oak and caramel with citrus flavors layering underneath. It was zippy and zesty while simultaneous being decadent, one of my favorite styles of Chardonnay and I felt it was a very fair BTG price point too.

I also tried the penfolds maxs cab and the clover hill brut rose but these were just digestifs post meal, neither really caught my attention though both were very good I thought for your average pub wine in Manhattan. The brut rose was allegedly an interesting mix of grapes too, easy drinking sparkling wine.

Really I just wanted to make this post to highlight Old Mates Pub, it’s a great Australian Bar with a hell of a menu both food and drink. I don’t think nyc has had such a definitive ~Australian Wine Bar~ before so this is amazing to add to the list of regionally focused wine bars like Kaia and Stafilli and etc.

After Oakville, went to Sonoma downtown for tastings at Bedrock and Three Sticks. I heard Bedrock has good zins and was always curious... and also because Bryant, Colgin, Pahlmeyer, and Realm were busy. Bad timing to not be on their allocation lists. So.... Bedrock is in an old house, General Joseph Hooker House, which you have to go through an alleyway to get to. There was literally no parking in the area... Quick notes as my friend was with me, gotta socialize. From memory, all C+, except for the last Monte Rosso CS, which I thought was very good.

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Bedrock, Santa Maria Valley, Solomon Hills Vineyard, Under the Wire, Pinot Noir, 2022, disgorged 2026, 12.5% abv.

Started off our tasting with some sparkling. As usual, the nose was a bit gasey and plastic-like, I typically can't get much aroma-wise for the bubblies. Light body, cherry soda, effervescent texture although I am not seeing many bubbles, quite sweet though, good amount of lemonade in here. Finish is surprisingly long, like lemon-y sprite. 

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Bedrock, Cuvee Katusas, Bordeaux White Blend, 2025, 13.8% abv.

Savory aromatics, more dessert-like than anything, bits of caramel dressing on desserts that have been left out, bit of clothes. Full body, not so "dry", entry is medium body though, offers both lighter colored fruits with some dessert dressing. A bit underwhelming. Medium finish, typical Bordeaux blanc style ending, savory. Time to hit the zins! 

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Bedrock, Lodi, Katusha's Vineyard, Mokelumne River, Zinfandel, 2024, 14.5% abv.

Aromas of metallic strawberries but quite moderate, not aromatically jammy nor spicey. Light body, fruity and sweet but not jammy, red fruits galore, bits of copper, hint of earth, bits of dust. Medium length finish, drying, cupric bramble fruit, getting hints of brown sugar. Overall mild. Argh. 

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Bedrock, Dry Creek Valley, Beeson Ranch, Zinfandel, 2023, 14.5% abv.

Mild aromas of bramble fruit, again not aromatically jammy nor spicey, ... but different from the previous Lodi zin and the upcoming RR zin. My drinking buddy is getting red already. Light body, light on the fruit, not very sweet and not jammy, closer to spiced dehydrated fruit, slightly more mysterious than the previous Lodi zin and the next RR zin, but still a bit underwhelming. Short to medium finish. These are quite well made as I wasn't get much alcohol on these pours. Truth be told, although all three zins were more on the easy drinking side, an my initial favorite was the 2023 Belloni (next), after some time I enjoyed this Beeson more.

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Bedrock, Russian River Valley, Belloni Vineyard, Zinfandel, 2023, 14.5% abv.

Again mild aromas of bramble fruit, again not aromatically jammy but dabs of spice. Light body, the most fruit of the three zins tried in this tasting, accentuated by some cooking spices, am I detecting some special wood? Distracted by friends condition. Short finish. I initially thought this was the better of the three zins I tried, but have to admit I finally preferred the Beeson zin after some time. These are quite well made as I wasn't get much alcohol on these pours. 

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Bedrock, Sonoma Valley, Bedrock Vineyard Heritage, Zinfandel Blend, 2025, 13.8% abv.

A special pour on a special tasting. Really appreciate everything! Back label says this is 63% zinfandel, 14% Carignan, 10% Grenache, 9% Mataro, and 4% Alicante Bouschet. 2025 zin blend in 2026? Aromas showing moderate levels of black fruit,  light on spices and mature vine. Medium body, similar to the nose, simple pour to be honest, getting some dry chalk, or others might refer to as "rocks", surprisingly the fruit is not dominating. Medium finish, again can't really feel the alcohol. I guess I expected too much, it's honestly a good pour, but thats about it. Friend is dying. One more before he pukes?

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Bedrock, Sonoma County, Monte Rosso, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022, 14.5% abv.

Nose is quite fruity, aromatically sweet and savory, a collection of cooking herbs, most notably a light bay leaf. Medium to full bodied although closer to medium bodied, on entry this was already great! Reflective of nose, very sweet fruit forward, major tatt bramble and then red fruits, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, currants, the whole works. Also accompanying spices like white peppers with fine tannins. Long finish and no real abv. This is quite balanced CS at 2022, not overwhelming but intense, and I cannot imagine how good it will be with some years on it. I think the hostess mentioned there were 112 cases of this (12 bottle cases)... out of all the pours I tried on this trip, I regret not gettinga bottle or two of this, especiallyat USD$95/bottle. Solid B-level for me and reminds me of Eisele. My friend is about to collapse me thinks... argh.

Two weeks later and I am still thinking of this pour... argh.

THANK YOU BEDROCK!!!

I APOLOGIZE IF MY FRIEND DID ANYTHING UNGENTLEMANLY IN THE BATHROOM!

Enjoyed this bottle to celebrate some friends visiting, both who are 1985 born.

Stood the bottle up ahead of time and brought to Casaro Osteria in SF.

Opened and started to drink right away.

This is a nicely mature wine that is still drinking well.

Tannins are fully settled.

Still lots of fruit, but I also got fresh leather, slight tobacco, rosemary, and cloves.

Somewhat savory on the palate.

This can still hold on a while.

92 points.

Saar Riesling is just perfect for this kind of pairing. The 2021 vintage in the Saar was cool and produced wines with excellent acidity, precision, and a tight structure. That razor-sharp acidity cuts right through umami-rich broths and soy-glazed dishes. The residual sugar, just enough to soften the edges, helps balance chili heat without making the wine taste overly sweet. And that classic Saar slate character complements the savory depth of the food rather than competing with it.
The Mosel and Saar are probably two of the most underrated wine regions when it comes to pairing with Asian cuisine. Low alcohol makes these wines particularly enjoyable over a long meal, while the fresh fruit profile of green apple, lime zest, and white peach works beautifully with Japanese citrus flavors like yuzu. With virtually no tannin, there’s also little risk of clashing with delicate or umami-rich dishes.
The 2021 vintage is drinking beautifully right now. The primary fruit remains fresh and vibrant, while the first hints of waxy, petrol-like complexity are beginning to emerge. There’s still plenty of life ahead, but it’s a wonderful time to open a bottle.

For an upcoming date night, my spouse and I were wanting to spend the evening tasting various wines and learning about their history, how they're made, what they pair with, etc. Are there any good creators out there who put out these types of videos that we could make a playlist of? We have three kids and a newborn so a trip to Napa or Europe is off the table for a while, but we'd love to build up more of a taste and knowledge of wine as well as having more stuff on hand than a couple bottles of the main Two Buck Chuck varieties. Thank you in advance!

Tried this one tonight to some pork. Really nice spicy nose, black fruit in the palate, good acidity and medium tannins. Kinda expected harsher tannings from a young bordeaux but don’t have a lot of experience in Bordeaux. Got 6 og these for veeeery cheap a while back so I thought I might as well try one. Alright but nothing spectacular.

Very good, very refreshing Patagonian Pinot Noir. The name of this line refers to the roaring winds that dominate the area where the winery is located, on the 45th parallel south.

Translucent garnet color. On the nose there's plenty of mint and eucalyptus with some mushrooms and petrichor. On the mouth the tannins are silky and gentle, with violet, Autumn foliage, salted caramel and a hint of black olive tapenade on the finish.

Bang for your buck, this is far superior to other, more expensive PNs from the area like Chacra's Barda. Easy 93 points.

II heard about their wine and spice pairings. Anyone here tried it? opinions?

Mayacamas did their member dinner this weekend and celebrated the judgement of Paris with some unforgettable wines. Forgive the shortened notes as it's not always easy at events like this. Apologies in advance I was so over taken by the Cabernet I didn't take a photo of the bottle but you can see it in the glass in #3.

2024 Sauvignon Blanc - More tropical and salinity than previous vintages. Going to want to age this

2024 Chardonnay - Fruit leather, Caramel light. Creme brulee, Bright citrus lemon meringue, Lemon grass, Melon rind.

2024 Sunset Barrel tasting - Floral and big fruit, Big black Berry, Mineral driven, Surprisingly drinking well

2011 Sauvignon Blanc - High Mineralty, walnut, creamy, high acid fruit, still bright. Drinking great

1995 Chardonnay - A Powerhouse white, slight creme brulee, chalky, crisp green apple. Not past its prime and not overly oxidized

1971 Cabernet Sauvignon - Leather, basement cellar, old Napa nose, Fruit leather but still some light red fruit, Tertiary green pepper, Bramble Berry, graphite, slightly eucalyptus, Not oxidized but fully resolved. It was like the perfect cab IMO. This must have been a huge powerhouse back in the day

1986 Cabernet Sauvignon magnum - Really threw me, would have guessed mid to late 90s. Lots of top block feel. A huge Napa cab. Lots of black fruit and floral. Cassis and black berry, lots of Bell peppers, leather, huge finish.

1975 chateau d'Yquem - Dried flower fruit, honeycomb, apricot, lemon candy. This was brought by another guest actually, super generous. Interesting surprise

1974 late harvest zinfandel - leather, nutty, cloves, some fennel on the nose. Earthy and herbal, not for everyone

Should I decant a 2020 Chianti Classico Reserva?

Also taking recommendations for sweet red wines. Thanks in advance

Been going back and forth on a few and would love any experiences, thoughts or recs. Choosing between Vinebox, WSJ or In Good Taste. Looking for enjoyable wine more than amount. Open to any other recs that you’ve tried and loved as well. TIA!