Ever cringe at your old TNs?

I got into this fun hobby several years ago. When looking through my CT to recall what I thought of some of the Bedrock wines, to plan purchasing in the release next week, I came across some old notes from early in my wine journey from when I was still learning to taste and finding my palate. For example, found this gem from my 2012 Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel tasting note, circa 2015:

“Very solid wine, though for zin blends I prefer those with a higher percentage of zin grapes (I think this is only 40%?) that pack a little more punch.”

Anyone else have embarrassing or cringe-worthy TNs to share?

The only thing cringeworthy about that note is you got the zin percentage wrong.

I’m realizing that now while reading it again

It is 40% zinfandel sourced from Bedrock vineyard.

I’m sure some folks on this board can dig up some old Caymus notes.

Why is that an embarrassing note?

• 2008 Laird Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Mast Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville (3/10/2013)
  As Ashford & Simpson sang, this wine is “solid as a rock!” Hints of deliciousness with berry goodness topped by a solid finish with mild tannins. Giddy up! VERY GOOD. (92 pts.)

Giddy up? Was the wine brett affected?

Hanging my head in shame…

I got the mood of the note.
Not as cringeworthy as you would think

I don’t think anyone should be embarrassed about anything they wrote. It’s what you felt at the time.

I know it’s weird, but I was actually a little nervous to share my first tasting notes on here (I have only done one). I know it’s just what I think of the wine and you really can’t get it “wrong”, but it was still my first time sharing any notes. I am not a “super taster” so my notes tend to be more about finish, mouthfeel, and general flavor rather than multiple specific flavors I taste in the wine. I could definitely see myself being a bit embarrassed at my first try after a bit more practice.

Fun thread!

It caused me to go scroll back to my very first TN on this forum from 10 years ago, probably about 20 posts after I had joined, on what has become one of my favorite Loire Cab Francs of all time: Domaine Charles Joguet Les Varennes du Grand Clos Franc de Pied.

I love Joguet Chinons. I really do. Cut my teeth on them during my honeymoon in Loire-Bordeaux during the mid-90s. Have since bought Joguets from many vintages, some good, some not so good. The '05s deliver almost across the board, from the yummy QPR Les Petites Roches (a gamey little gem) to the pure, brooding Clos de la Dioterie. My success, however, with the Les Varennes du Grand Clos Franc de Pied – an experiment in non-grafted Cab Franc designed, I guess, to resemble pre-phylloxera vines – has been an abysmal failure. The last 3 bottles sourced from WineEx have been bretty messes. Either due to my grinding, cyclist (some might say stubborn) nature, or the praise bestowed on this wine by some WB tasters whose palates I respect, I sourced more, but from another place.

My pursuit has yielded fruit, literally. A wine worthy of praise. A beautiful dark, red-to-purple core color elixir displaying a range aromas from smoldering cigarette ash, to violet petals, to crunchy red currants and a slight hint of eucalyptus. Medium weight on the palate with lean, tight, tangy red fruits. Currants, red raspberries, green tea leaves. Chewy fruit and chewy tannins, if not slightly drying tannins. Deep mineral streak. As much mineral as fruit. Medium length, chalky finish. An intoxicatingly deep nose that keeps drawing you back in more for the smell than the taste.

A very decent 91-point wine. Would rate higher but have some concern about the sharply dry tannins.

Think my first ever tasting notebook is still in a box in London somewhere, will have to dig it out next time I’m in the UK…

Fun stuff !
My first ‘TN’ anywhere was here a couple of years ago in the “What bottle of wine did you open today” thread. . I posted several tasting notes in that same thread before I was comfortable enough to post a TN of mine in its own thread.

Gerard Boulay Sancerre “Chavignol” 2014. Mute at first, faint nose, a bit of lime-lemon flavor, a little sharpness. As temperature eased, nose like rain on rocks, more potent lime-lemon, plus some tart fruit I could not put a name on. Developed a potent late taste/aftertaste of something puckery and almost bitter, but pleasing to my taste. Lingering aftertaste seems to last minutes.

I tried to sound like a knowledgable critic and ended up sounding more like a pretentious poseur.

OK… I’ll admit I laughed.

I don’t have access to my early notes because I’m old enough that they are all on paper somewhere and not easily accessible. I do remember a cringeworthy comment though from my early days. I distinctly remember noting that a wine had sent me to “vinous heaven.” Yikes!

. . . there’s a fine line between the two.

I had some pretty funny/weird notes from back in the day. All of my old AOL notes were lost when they shut that board down, but I have so many old notepads full of notes that have never been transcribed. Here’s one from 1999 (probably originally on WCWN?) that I liked:

1997 Karly, Marsanne - Just to show you that not everything I find in the bargain bin is worth the money.
This bottle was $9.99, and the best way for me to review this wine is to quote the back label, and add my
own comments, in parentheses:

This wine is a blend of 83% Marsanne and 17% Roussanne (unfortunately, it’s indistinguishable from
Chardonnay, because of all the tropical fruit, vanilla and wood). Grown in our Amador County vineyard,
the climate and rocky granite soils are similar to the Rhone Valley of Southern France (too bad your
heavy-handed winemaking isn’t) where these grape varieties originate (I’m sure these grapes would
have been happier if they had stayed there). This not-main-stream wine (why, because it’s in a weird
bottle?) is very substantial (so’s my deck, because it’s got lots of 2x4s, too), so put it in your largest glass
(to give the overdone oak a chance to dissipate), and pair it with your most sturdy chicken and seafood
favorites (as long as they’re plank grilled and you use toothpicks for seasoning). (Approx…79-80).

Looking back, I’m embarrassed because I probably scored the wine too high.

Might want to just go ahead and send that to the British Museum given the other ongoing thread…