I have been capturing wines that improve over 3 days on Cellar Tracker. Many of these younger wines need time and air. Here is how the 3 Day Wine Tasting Experience works. It is nice to see more and more people showing tasting notes on Cellar Tracker over a few days. While I didn’t start the technique I did perfect it and many wineries I have visited are not dumping wines after a day or sending the sample home with employees.
CellarTracker! 3 Day Improvements
Most recent improvement on day 2.
- 2022 Hundred Suns Pinot Noir Bednarik Vineyard – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Tualatin Hills (8/6/2026)
Day 1: Pop and pour. Tasted out of the Glasvin Obsession. A bit tight and probably will improve on day 2. Brought some home. Strawberries, floral, earth, dust, twigs and minerals. Medium finish. Nice overall effort. 90 points
Day 2: Works again. This more lively and flavorful. Cranberry, smoke, strawberries, floral,, earth, dust, forest floor and minerals. Medium plus finish. Liking this on day 2 a lot. 92 points (92 pts.)
Some of the bigger improvements
2023 Thurston Wolfe Grenache Spice Cabinet Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills (5/9/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. On the lighter side. Minerals, rose petals, earth, spice and cranberries. Short finish. Will see how this evolves but mid 80s right now. 85 points
Day 2: Well this is why I do 3 Day Wine Review. Going from a bland experience on day 1 to way more intensity on day 2. White pepper, spices, raspberries, rose petals, cranberries and minerals. Medium plus finish. Very enjoyable on day 2. 90 points
Day 3: These young wines just improve with time. Some wines on a pop and pour show well but this is not one of them. Really open for business on day 3. Cranberries, strawberries, rose petals, minerals, white pepper, peppercorns and spice. This has a nice bit to it. Very good wine and value. 91 points
Recommendation: Very well made wine that will age for a decade plus. Decant 2 to 3 hours if consuming on day 1. (91 pts.)
- 2020 Obelisco Estate Malbec Obelisco Estate Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (5/22/2026)
2020 Obelisco Estate Malbec Obelisco Estate Vineyard (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain)
Day 1: Some fruit showing but the dominant oak/vanilla on this is over bearing. Malbec should not have any new oak in my opinion as I want to taste the fruit.
Day 2: Almost undrinkable. Tastes like one of those cheap bourbon barrel grocery store wines. Vanilla overload with oak, dark chocolate and some ash on the finish. Might be smoke tainted but since there is such a heavy wood influence hard to tell.
Day 3: I can’t even drink this and it is over the top on the oak/vanilla and ashy finish.
Day 6: Well never really rated this wine on first 3 days but honestly probably low 70s. Well On day 6 a completely different wine that is very drinkable and shows how patients can pay off. Blueberries, menthol, dried flowers, minerals, dried cherries, floral and dust. Medium plus finish and maybe the greatest transformation in the history of 3 Day Wine Review. 92 points (92 pts.)
- 2020 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco – Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (5/23/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Obsession. This will be a wine that needs 3 days. Tight after a few hours of air with cranberry, dust, minerals, strawberries and floral notes. Quite uninteresting a the moment so will just wait. 85 points
Day 2: Still tight but more promising. Red currants, iron, leather, cranberries and floral notes. 88 points
Day 3: Left the cork out all night and way more open for business. Iron, leather, earth, minerals, tar, strawberries, raspberries, dried twigs and dust. Medium plus finish and another be patience success story. 92 points
Recommendation: Age another 5 to 8 years. (92 pts.) - 2018 Cooper Wine Company L’inizio – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/3/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. Big style wine but I feel this will improve over 3 days. Oak, dust, earth, dark cherry, floral, dark chocolate and vanilla. I could see the Napa Valley enthusiast loving this on a pop and pour. Right now for me 90 plus.
Day 2: Air is a friend on this one and it is coming alive. Cassis, dark chocolate, wood, slight dill, dark cherry, earth and graphite. This should be rocking on day 3. 92 points
Day 3: For sure the oak/dill has mellowed out. Much more balanced on day 3. Blueberries, dark cherry, spices, subtle wood, dark chocolate, minerals and earth. Love it on day 3 for sure. 93 points
Recommendation: This is not a pop and pour wine and needs some more time on the cellar unless you have the patience of day 3 reviewing. (93 pts.) - 2018 Jeff Cohn Cellars Syrah Zio Tony Ranch – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/14/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. Underwhelming and quite boring wine. Boysenberries, cranberry, spice and floral notes. Shorter finish. Lacks complexity and hopefully will improve over 3 days. 87 points
Day 2: Well now what is this? Day 2 improvement? Patience fellow wine drinkers. Much more weight on this one with boysenberries, bramble, cherry, floral, earth, minerals and dust. Very nice improvement and very drinkable. Now the $35 I spent is looking like a solid buy. 90 points
The power of patience on this one.
Day 3: Split in quality between day 1 and 3.
Recommendation: Even though a gave this a 90 I would pass on this wine. Way more better options out there for less. (90 pts.)