2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé

Still hands down the best rosé around. Too bad the prices have gone through the roof! Full eview to come!

2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Rosé

Awesome! Full review to come!

2004 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Generation Red

Nice blend from HP. Full review to come!

2005 Melville Pinot Noir Estate

Another delicious bottle! Full review to come!

2002 Château Puy Arnaud Maureze

A cheap Bordeaux with a bit of age on it. Nice QPR. Full review to come....

2003 Columbia Crest Merlot Grand Estates

I can't believe we still have some of these '03's around the house. Still drinking really nice. Full review to come!

2000 Domaine de Cabasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret Cuvée Garnacho

This was a bottle that I bought for a grenache tasting some months back, and I bough an extra to have on-hand just in case we liked it.

Some nice plum, herb, and slate on the nose, with the slightest hints of brett. One the palate, this wine still seems a little tannic, with hints of brett. The fruit is a bit subdued, but hints of plum and black cherry shine through, with other hints of dark fruits and spice. More slate and mineral come through on the palate, but this is a good thing, and is a nice representative of a Côtes du Rhône with some age on it. Nice lingering finish make this wine a pleasure to drink. Drink now. 90 points!

2007 Don Miguel Gascon Malbec

At less than $10, this is a hell of a QPR. Very inky and dark purple in the glass. Absolutely great color for a wine at this price range. Tons of dark fruits on the nose...plum, black cherry, and blackberry, with a weird hint of Goodyear Tire? Goodyear Tire? What the heck? On the palate, a lot of the same minus the rubber...dark plums, black cherry, chocolate, earth, and creamy vanilla...maybe from the barrel, but who knows for sure. This wine would definitely benefit from decanting as it is young, but for the money, this is a hell of a wine, and I look forward to many more. 88 points. Cheers!

2002 Copain Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard

Not your typical pinot from Copain, but who knows, may have had poor storage conditions prior to my purchase. This wine was definitely lacking in the typical California fruit parade. The nose was definitely muted, with the faintest hints of red fruits. Nothing at all stood out. On the palate, tiny hints of cherry and strawberry, with a short, bitter finish. I thought maybe this just needed to open up with time, but it didn't seem to get any better. Maybe this was just a bad bottle, or maybe the '02 is over the hill now. 84 points. Cheers!

2006 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

Another outstanding bottle enjoyed at Oliver - A Bistro tonight in Bordentown. It's just a matter of time and this will be a 93 point wine in my opinion. Popped and poured with more of the same on the nose from past bottles: blackcherry, blackberry, blueberry, and plum, with some subtle hints of spice. Another creamy explosion on the palate with cherry, blueberry, and vanilla, with a nice lingering finish. It's hard to imagine that this wine is going to get better with time, but I am sure it will. It's also hard to believe that we have already blown through 3 bottles. Yikes! But have no fear, 6 still in the cellar, and 6 more on the way! 92 points, heading to 93 soon! Cheers!

Lonfellow Restaurant - Saratoga, NY

Great restaurant with an amazing menu and good wine list. Full review to come!

Chef Brad's Macaroni & CheeseA new twist on our favorite comfort food. Tender cavatappi pasta and shaved black truffles tossed in a cognac cream sauce baked golden, then finished with a black truffle infused oil. $21.99 Add Lobster $29.99

Choice Filet MignonTenderloin of beef crusted with fresh garlic and black peppercorns served with grilled peppers

Longfellows Hotel, Restaurant, and Conference Center 500 Union Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Phone (518) 587-0108 Fax (518) 587-6649

2006 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard

Unfortuantely, I think that this was a case of infantcide, and this bottle would benefit from another couple of years in the cellar. Lacking on the nose, with some hints of dark fruits, but nothing really stood out. On the palate, the slightest hints of sour cherry, and a sour finish that was short. This wine would definitely benefit from a couple of splash decants, and I would recommend splash decanting for at least 3 hours. Definitely hold for a few years. 85 points. Cheers

2004 Peachy Canyon Jester

Love this blend! Another fun bottle! Full review to come.

2005 Château Clos Chaumont Premières Côtes de Bordeaux

An end of night bottle here, this is what you get for a $13 Bordeaux. Decent fruit on the nose with some black currants and blackberry. On the palate, this wine was watery thin, and actually a bit on the sour side, with some sour cherry and black cherry. The finish was a bit on the tannic side, and showing it's young age, but wasn't offensive in the least. Another bottle that would befefit from a splash decant and a few hours in the decanter. Overall, a decent QPR. 84 points. Cheers!

2006 Sanford Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

This was the 3 month re-visit for Sanford, and you can definitely taste a difference between the 2006 with the new regime at Sanford. Definitely young, and in need of a 3-4 hour decant. Young nose of cherry, raspberry, plum, cola, some floral notes, and that Santa Rita Hills soil. On the palate, some dark cherries and spice. It also has some creaminess, with I am assuming is coming from some French oak barrels, but I do not know that for fact. A little tannic finish and some sour notes as well, but I can expect this from such a young pinot. Regardless, it's going to be a good bottle with some time, and I was a little hesitant about Sanford with Richard and his gang leaving. Can't wait to do a side by side comparison with the 2006 Alma Rosa. 88 points now. Cheers!

2005 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône Parallele “45”

Similar to many of these we've had, and we've burned through nearly 2 cases if not more. I don't think this wine is going to get any better in time, but for the price, who would expect that anyway. Regardless, it was a joy to drink. Nice hints of raspberry, plum, cherry, spice and oak on the nose. On the palate, notes of plum were dominant, with other hints of red berries and some spice. A short and sweet finish make this wine a pleasure to drink. Drink over the next 12 months. 87 points. Cheers

2006 Cloudline Pinot Noir

Full review to come!

El Meson - Freehold, NJ

Full review to come!

2006 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

Full review to come!

2006 Château Laulerie Bergerac Sec

Full review to come!

2004 Sanford Pinot Noir

Another great bottle of this lovely 2004, so I won't bore you with more of the same tasting notes. Drinking very well now, and I don't see this wine getting any better. Thankfully, we still have a few more as this is getting hard to find. Great wine, highly recommend. Second to last vintage from Richard Sanford and his old crew. From 2006 on, buy the Alma Rosa insead of the Sanford as it is more like this wine.