• 2001 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro - Italy, Campania, Roccamonfina IGT (1/9/2024)
  [Double decanted for 2 hours at around 4pm.] Lovely nose of black fruit and minerals. In the mouth, flat and tannic. Missing fruit. People more sensitive to TCA than I am say it's corked. They must be right. Too bad. (NR)
• 2016 Villa Raiano Taurasi - Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG (1/9/2024)
  [Pop and pour.] Big, juicy nose of wet earth and red fruit. Tannic, young, but tasty. Drink over the next 10 years or so. (91 points)
• 1979 Fanetti Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Tenuta San Agnese Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (1/9/2024)
  [Pop and pour.] Onion skin edge, red center looks promising. Somewhat unpleasant nose blows off in 10 minutes, leaving lovely red fruit and forest floor. Fully mature in the mouth, but still plenty of red fruit and mulch in a complex and expansively long finish. Wow! Certainly the surprise of the evening. (94 points)

• 2007 Shinn Estate Vineyards Petit Verdot Estate - USA, New York, Long Island, North Fork (1/9/2024)
  [Pop and pour.] Lovely nose of black fruit and spice. Bright red fruit in the mouth. Long finish. Impressive! One of the best LI wines I've had. (92 points)
• 1977 Monterey Peninsula Winery Petite Sirah Shell Creek Vineyards - USA, California, Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County (1/9/2024)
  [Pop and pour.] Slightly dirty red berry nose. Rich and full bodied in the mouth with soft tannins and lots of red and black fruit. I ❤ aged PS! (93 points)

• 1989 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (1/9/2024)
  [375ml. Pop and pour.] Nose of thick honey and botrytis. Rich in the mouth. Delicious but doesn't have the brightness, depth, or complexity of the bottle on 11/21/2023. Still worth drinking, and very good with Salil's fabulous Canelés de Bordeaux. (92 points)
2nd photo by Mikhail Lipyanskiy.

All original content © Ken Vastola