Creeping up on two years now since I last had a bottle, I can't deny my affection for this wine; it simply commands attention as soon as it hits the glass. Pouring a moonless midnight black-purple,…
Heavy and brawny blackberry and dark earthy plum notes carry just enough cut to hold the thickset core together. At times, overly lush on the front end and blocky on the back, the profile here tips a…
Black and red raspberry, blackberry, earth, and spice notes present in a broad but not yet especially deep fashion. There is a strictness to the frame and finish that begs for more cellar time. The…
A bit more of a stricter presentation with this bottle when compared to the last one in October 2020, this B 20 took some coaxing in the glass before it began to show its more accessible side. Deep…
DAY 1: A blackberry Manhattan of Fireball whiskey bowling over the palate with overwhelming booze intensity and crunchy dark berry fruit. There's no opportunity for a mid-palate here, as it jams…
Holy heaping heaven of heathen Syrah gloriousness. From the first pop of the cork, the nose immediately lets you know that you're in for the best beefy Syrah amazement you've ever experienced. Is…
I've written a few times on this wine and am always impressed with the wonderful balance between unctuous flavor expansion and cooler climate restraint and focus that ultimately make this wine so…
Barrel sample. A Cote Rotie lookalike, the 2019 Syrah is bursting with bunches of violets mixed with unripe blackberry, blackberry seeds, Chambord, red raspberry, purple licorice, freshly washed…
Black cherry, vanilla, cherry cough syrup, Cracker Jack molasses, and blackberry seed. The front end is a simple and linear shot of fruit unable to achieve much depth or complexity (from PnP to…
Purple plum, blackberry, and black licorice notes gently push through on the medium delivery, with a pleasurable unfolding of flavor. Somewhat simple on the initial pull of the cork; decanting for…
Plum, boysenberry, black cherry, and bits of sauvage and saline hit the palate with a smooth but youthfully linear execution. The profile is complete but extremely primary. Medium grip with no…
DAY 1: Knock back a few rounds of the dirtiest martinis known to man and then proceed to bury your fat face dead-center into a bubbling blackberry cobbler fresh out of the oven, and you'll have a…
Black raspberry, pomegranate, dried cranberry, plum, peonies, and some dry salami flavors emerge from Quivet's Las Madres Hulda block. With medium-bodied intensity and a smooth cadence of delivery…
If Cote Rotie and Cornas conspired to smuggle overseas and genetically modify the essences of a litter of feral vineyard puppies from Carneros whose only diets consisted of olives and flowers, you'd…
Way too Nickelodeon to be opening this early but far too difficult for my cracker-barrel psyche to continuously resist, these bottles were ever-leering at me with every pass I'd make by the cellar…
Similar to last year. Even more integrated and seamless, with a finesse not often found in a domestic Syrah. The saline, olive brine, and iron notes do well to elevate the earthy dark blackberry and…
Similar stylistically to the Cornas Allegorie from Pichon, this Promesse shows higher red-fruited tonalities of cranberry, red and purple plum skin, and pomegranate on the front end. Violets and…
Pours a translucent crimson-purple color. Aromas of mixed berries, roasted game skin, olive brine, and saddle leather. On the palate, youthful high-register hits of cranberry, pomegranate, and…
Olive brine, black raspberry, and plum are flanked by subtle game and earth notes. Finishes with a strong saline note. This needed a decent amount of air to ultimately perform, but it started to fill…
Deep purple plum, black raspberry, blueberry, olive brine, roast beef, and licorice make for a compelling example of the varietal. There is a concentration here that is so balanced and subtle that it…
In an absolutely gorgeous place right now. Completely elevated both texturally and flavorfully, especially compared to when I had it a couple of years ago (94 points from me back then, as it was…
Smooth and lithe, with notable purity of fruit. Blackberry with a lively injection of olive brine and sea spray. The saline element lifts the core, making for a slightly higher register delivery.…
Blackberry-meets-cranberry in this beautifully pitched Hermitage that showcases both balance and succulence, all the while avoiding any heaviness. No heat nor hard edges here. Medium acid. Starts as…
