Huckleberry, blueberry, blackberry pie, licorice, creosote, graphite, campfire, and wet slate. A textural temptress, with a silky smooth front end. Holds a ripe and chewy mid-entry drop that melts…
Similar notes to earlier this month, except that the gorgeous salinity really shows itself in an alluring and mouthwatering way. Next-level olive tapenade flavors gell exceptionally well with the…
Stunning purple and black fruit lead a formidable but sophisticatedly succulent push on the front-end delivery of the SQN "M" Syrah. Flanked by notes of blackberry, black olives, creosote, melted…
A massive blackberry monster on ice skates, with iron, rock, sanguine, and a little roast beef poking out of the furry blueberry and blackberry core. Huge tannins and grip, but all the while…
Perfumed and floral, the front end of this purple popper follows up with notes of blackberry, blueberry, red/purple plum, and a hit of charcuterie. A Cote Rotie interpretation from the famed…
I loved this sample. Super meaty and viscous, like chewing on a bacon-wrapped date that was dipped in the most flavorful tar you could lap up from dragging your tongue across I-5 on a late August…
Previous notes apply. Black fruited, with slightly woodsy olive brine, railroad tie, and camphor notes that add interest. A ton of fruit here, but still finishing with some alcohol on the back end,…
Blackberry, chocolate, railroad tie, and wet black soil. It's a good Cali Syrah that delivers round flavor, medium weight, and a bit of a thick delivery. No hard edges; fairly plush, but exhibits a…
A solid showing for such an infant. Surprisingly more medium-bodied than I was expecting given its youth (and considering its listed 16.1% ABV - which probably means 17%+). Appealing and agreeable…
And the headline reads... "Herd of hairless yogurt-fed Moroccan goats fatally entangled in a summer-ripened blackberry patch in the scorching 120-degree Sahara. 'Goat Parfait' becomes new Moorish…
A great showing. With some exposure to some decanted air, this was delivering beautifully. It's a big wine of course, but it showed a nice balance and weight this time around. Black, dark fruit, with…
A very nice example of what can be accomplished out of Bennett Valley with this varietal. Blackberry and charcoal notes, with added flavors of meaty black olive and creosote. I appreciated the…
This wine showed pretty flat compared to April 2018 when I last had it. This was also served next to a '12 Favia Quarzo, which bested it by a margin. It was fine, but nothing memorable here. Some…
Previous notes apply. This bested a '13 Carlisle Sonoma Syrah served next to it, as the Favia had a greater breadth overall, especially in regards to its complexity of flavors. Medium mid-palate,…
I'm just curious to know if the beef jerky in this wine is biodynamically farmed locally from Slim Jim, or if it is sourced from a Kangaroo salt farm somewhere near Ayers Rock...and at what stage of…
A little bit of biting heat and some spice swirl around the red-purple core fruit. Clamped and linear in its current state. Some swirling in the glass helped, but it was showing some youthful tension…
From Magnum. Not surprisingly, the initial pull was pretty tight and linear, with higher register funky plum popping out in the front end. Finish was clipped and somewhat bitter. It essentially took…
From magnum. Funky purple plum, asphalt, mulch, licorice, and some blueberry. Slightly bitter on the finish, which made for a somewhat clipped experience insofar as the display of fruit was…
From magnum. One of my favorite wines of the night. Off-the-charts intensity, concentration, and power (especially for a decade-old wine). Unbelievably complex. Notes of wild blackberry, camphor,…
From magnum. Purple/blue/black core fruit, with specific notes of purple plum, blackberry liqueur, blueberry, blue river rock, asphalt, black peppercorn, saline, purple licorice (whatever that is…
From magnum. This was a fascinating wine indeed. Some were very drawn to it; others thought its flavor profile was almost too unique and a greater departure from its intended varietal makeup to be…
From magnum. Kirsch, over-ripe strawberry, red cherry, bruised/brown red raspberry, tobacco leaf, warm leather, and some incense. A ton of energy here, with the spicy over-ripe strawberry note…
From magnum. Cherry, brick/terra cotta, prime rib, soil, and some wood. A decent attack on the front end energy-wise; medium weight mid palate, with the flavors watering-out to a more lithe and short…
