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my-profile

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My Wine Profile

Synthesized from CellarTracker purchase history, consumption log, and tasting notes. Intended as a living document to guide future buying decisions.

The Short Version

A classicist. Buys for the cellar, drinks actively. Cares about terroir transparency, structure, and longevity over immediate pleasure. Dislikes alcohol heat, heavy extraction, and new-oak dominance. Has built a serious collection centered on Burgundy and Northern Rhône, with meaningful satellite positions in Champagne, traditional Barolo, and a handful of terroir-obsessed producers outside France (Ceritas, Antica Terra, Grange des Pères).

Style Fingerprint

What I Consistently Reach For

  • High acidity — wines with backbone, not flatness
  • Terroir transparency — the place should be audible in the glass
  • Structure for aging — buys at release, drinks at 8–15 years
  • Mineral character — chalk, iron, granite, flint; not fruit-cocktail
  • Classical producers — traditional winemaking over technological intervention
  • Red fruit over black — Pinot/Syrah range: cherry and raspberry, not blackcurrant jam

What Consistently Gets a Negative Note

  • High alcohol — flagged as a negative in tasting notes more than anything else (Alban Syrah 16.2% = “too much”; Colgin IX = “too much”; Châteauneuf CdP La Crau = “way too much alcohol”)
  • Heavy new oak — “poorly integrated,” “dominant” oak is a red flag
  • Over-extraction — the 2022 Flickinger sale (Kosta Browne, Cayuse) made this permanent
  • Heavy brett — some barnyard character tolerated, heavy brett is a pass (see: Clos Saron 2015 = “way too much bret”)
  • Flat/generic — Mikulski Meursault = “tastes like cheap Chablis”; Doyard Champagne = “forgettable”

How Taste Has Evolved

Before 2022

Large, eclectic cellar including:

  • Hedonistic California Pinot (Kosta Browne ×lots)
  • Walla Walla power reds (Cayuse — Camaspelo, Widowmaker, etc.)
  • International Bordeaux (Château d’Issan, Beychevelle)
  • Spanish trophy (Pingus/Flor de Pingus)

January 2022: Sold all of the above via Flickinger Auctioneers — a deliberate, comprehensive portfolio reset. Nothing gradual about it.

Since 2022

The rebuilt cellar has a completely different center of gravity:

  • Burgundy: from Marsannay to Échézeaux, with an emphasis on village and 1er cru over grand cru
  • Northern Rhône style: Hermitage/Saint-Joseph (Chave), Cornas (Balthazar, Allemand), Côte-Rôtie, and — critically — Grange des Pères, which belongs in this bucket regardless of appellation
  • Traditional Barolo: Brovia, Burlotto, Accomasso, Cappellano — the tarry, patient style
  • Champagne: grower Champagne with substance (Chartogne-Taillet, Alexandre Filaine, Bollinger)

What’s Still Evolving

  • White Burgundy is increasing sharply — Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey was the #2 most-purchased producer in the last 2.5 years (219 btls)
  • Côte Chalonnaise is emerging (Dureuil-Janthial with 137 btls)
  • Mosel/Nahe is a meaningful satellite: Clemens Busch (34 btls in cellar), Dönnhoff (75 btls purchased recently)
  • Rhône is being held/maintained, not heavily expanded — the core positions (Chave, Allemand, Balthazar, Bonneau) are established

Drinking Habits

  • Active drinker: ~400–500 bottles/year consumed at peak (2022–2023)
  • Cellar-heavy: most wines bought well before their drinking windows — the 2024 Chablis and many 2022 Burgundies are 5–10 years from where they should be
  • Social drinker: tasting notes often mention dinners, events, multiple people — not a solo-glass-at-home cellar
  • Occasionally drinks too early (noted self-awareness): “dead phase,” “too young,” “needs 2 more years”

Current Position — Strengths & Watch-Outs

Strengths

  • Deep Chave vertical (Hermitage back to 1992 — a complete collection)
  • Strong Berthaut-Gerbet library across multiple appellations and vintages
  • Classical Burgundy from reliable producers across all Côte de Nuits appellations
  • Good Champagne depth for a non-specialist: Chartogne-Taillet, Bollinger, Alexandre Filaine

Potential Over-Exposures

  • Volnay 1er Cru (189 btls) — the Angerville position alone is 131 bottles spanning 2008–2022. That’s a full vertical. New Volnay buying should be deliberate.
  • Berthaut-Gerbet (239 btls) — clearly a strong conviction, but worth asking: how much Fixin 1er Cru do I actually need?
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape (48 btls Bonneau) — older vintages sitting; these need to start being opened

Gaps Worth Considering

  • Gevrey grand cru — Bachelet and Bruno Clair have the 1er crus covered but no real grand cru position (1 btl of Chambertin from 00 Wines)
  • Côte de Beaune whites below premier cru — lots of Henri Boillot/Domaine Henri Boillot but thin on Saint-Aubin, Auxey-Duresses value tier
  • Morey-St-Denis — only Arlaud, Dujac now emerging; could deepen
  • White Rhône — big red Hermitage position but almost no Hermitage blanc

Buying Decision Framework

Before buying, ask:

  1. Does this fit the style? — If it’s extracted, high-alcohol, or heavily oaked, probably not. Even great appellations from the wrong producer don’t fit.
  2. Do I have enough from this producer already? — Check My Cellar before adding more Angerville or Berthaut-Gerbet.
  3. What is the drinking window? — The cellar skews heavily to 2017–2023 vintages. Wines for near-term drinking (now–5 years) may be underpresented.
  4. Is this a producer I understand? — New producers should have a wiki page before buying in size.
  5. Which store, and at what price point? — See My Stores for best-fit by situation.

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