What Would Mikey Drink

This is over the hill, like moldy books and wet cardboard. The longer it is open, the worse it gets. There’s a hint of burgundy, but not enough. This will only go downhill. Retail $30, grade: D www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

I got a few minutes with David Hamburger before the tasting. How do you decide on the tastings?Always interesting conversation between John Kapon and David. They look at horizontal (lots of wines from the same vintage) and vertical (same wine across multiple vintages). Sometimes they’ll do a study on a producers (like tonight) or a [...]

This is a tasty treat on an 80 degree day. Light straw. Oak dominated nose. At first also an oak dominated palate, but then it blossoms. After being opened about 15 minutes, now it is almost confectionery like cotton candy (yet completely dry), racing with vanilla bean laced guava, kiwi and almond butter. Nice balance [...]

Light straw. Interesting aromas of lime, lemon, and vanilla. Lots of oak on the palate, and more acids than sugars leave it off balance. Nice lingering finish. Drink now, the fruit is tired. Not available at retail. Grade: B. www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

There’s a lesson here about how I buy wine. I got this from one of the many mailing lists I get. This time, I got an email about a close out special from Wine Connection in Pound Ridge, NY. Lots of 97 and 98 burgundies were insanely inexpensive. This wine for example is not available [...]

This is a jammy, hedonistic, heavy alcohol shiraz. Teeth staining purple. Great smells of violets, charcoal, and tar. Then very ripe, jammy and thick on the palate. Like a sledge hammer. It will impress some people but to me there’s no poise, and no harmony. The alcohol is too much, and is really heavy. It [...]

2004 is a hyped high scoring vintage for wines from Piedmont. From this powerful year, we tasted barolo and barbaresco blind. While the wines are filled with promise, they are all about potential, and most need 10+ years of cellar time. If you are looking for another, similar vintage, 2001′s should be on your short [...]

Lush, hearty, sweet, full bodied red. For fans of the blockbuster, this is very big. Compelling aromas of tar and bacon. Rich palate bursting with jammy plums, blackberries, anise, and smoked gamy meats. Huge viscous finish. As with most of the Martinelli wine, despite its huge size, there’s a harmony and balance that is often [...]

Given the fantastic 2005 vintage in Burgundy, this is a relative let down. Simple pinot aromas of mushrooms and cherry juice. Then a tart and acidic body hide the barley ripe fruit. The finish has some excitement however, with a woodsy, earthy component. This certainly isn’t bad, and is actually easy to sip. At this [...]

I paid $8 for this bottle, and it is near the best I’ve had in this price range. Pretty Bordeaux red. Aromas of stewed plums and cigar box. Even though it is easy to drink, it has excellent structure and complexity on the palate. Rustic dark fruits and a calm balance. Great finish. Just delicious. [...]