Instantly captivating, and clearly the stallion of the stable, the powerful push on the front end of the 2009 Cheval Blanc benchpresses the initial thrust of dark black and red cherry, licorice,…
Without question the best 2012 Bordeaux I've had to date, this bottling of Cheval Blanc is a smooth operator through and through. With an elegance (not fragility) that interlaces the core red cherry,…
Well ok ya'll, I'm-a gonna hafta tell a secret here now, cuz anyone even remotely thinkin' bout bustin' out their plastic money chomper from their wallets best do so with haste, cuz I just grabbed a…
The nose on this monster is off the hook crazy intoxicating. The attack on the palate is less mind-altering initially, with a hyper-linear and primary delivery of powerfully torqued-up unripe black…
Dark chocolate, black cherry, stewed plum, medjool date, menthol, and anise dominate the profile, with earthy elements complementing chewy black licorice, purple flowers, cedar, and Christmas spice.…
Even on the first glass from a pop-n-pour (cuz you have to get after it early on this wine, otherwise it'll be drained in the blink of an eye amongst this eager group of wine mongers), the 2018…
Leather, burnt orange peel (or maybe I just think of this because this Margaux has an Old Fashion type of vibe to it), stewed Amarena cherries, forest floor, bark, and sherry. There is still some…
The nose and the palate match, with a sherry liqueur note that stays prominent throughout the delivery. Finishes with a bite. Muddled and stewed cherries, mushroom, leather, golden raisin, and pink…
More accessible and blacker fruited than its 2013 sibling served next to it, the 2015 is still just as medium-bodied but offers more mouth-watering fruit, with less of the 2013's green elements…
Grippy blackberry, with healthy doses of green peppercorns, bark, menthol, and pyrazine elements make for a profile that is fairly strict and taut. There is a bitter tinge that carries through the…
With dark berry, earth, and a bit of sherrying (already?) permeating the profile, the 2001 Harlan is all class. Muddled black cherry, dry cinnamon stick, leather, and menagerie of tertiary elements,…
On day one, this was a blacker fruit and mineral dominated beast. I was loving it, but I was even more enamored with it on the second day, where the body really filled out and notes of earth,…
Initially angular (surprisingly for a Colgin) and displaying some heat and bite, luckily this IX doesn't take long before it settles into a more comfortable glide. Tertiary flavors of leather,…
Plum, black cherry, and the sweat of a Vegas nightclubber, the 2014 Cariad offers a little rave succulence and opulence with a little parental shoulder angel sternness. More former than the latter,…
Red and black fruits present as ripe and succulently semi-sweet at the onset. The first sip is kinda like gulping a bowl of the rainbow milk left in the bowl after you just wolf down a solid helping…
At first pass, this is a crunchy unripe black cherry covered in salty sawdust. I recall having that "Uh-Oh" feeling, wondering, "What wine is this? Did someone throw in a pirate here??" It doesn't…
An awesome combination of fresh and brooding. I love the interplay of flavors here, with blackberries and purple plums dancing with the black minerality and meaty saline notes. I waffled between…
Deep and rich, but with a black fruited and mineral cut that starts out angular but quickly moves into a nice combination of grippy and giving. This is an interesting wine in that it starts out…
Compared to wine before it in the lineup (which was a red-"fruited" [mostly tannic] Abreu Thorevilos), this was all about black fruit, bitter chocolate, and black minerality. Did I mention black?…
Red, powerful, tannic, and dry, with a woody finish that makes for an arid exit. A salty olive brine note adds to the initial feeling of astringency. With air, menthol, gravel, and unripe red cherry…
Still about 3-5 years before prime time, though there is an accessibility that displays pure and clean black and red cherry, black currant, cedar, dried roses, and hints of tobacco leaf. It rides a…
With a makeup of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon (per Valandraud's spec sheets. Note, however, that I've seen other erroneous "pro" reports that list the CF as high as 15%…
A little Merlot-y at times, with plumy, softer and rounder contours presenting like hanging out and watching tv with your best friend, or maybe just a decent friend. A chill experience without being…
