CT'er BRADA mentioned "thin and lacking depth" here; I couldn't agree more. This showed some lithe flavoring of plum, blackberry seed, and white pepper, but it instantly went into dustbowl mode and…
"Ok, I guess" was the standard mumblings around the table on this one. I've had Le Thils of the past that have also been "ok," as in "fine" and "does the job." I even have a memory of the 2010 being…
Perhaps a slightly better Margaux than the disappointing 2015 Baron de Brane, but not by much. The initial push of red currant, strawberry, rhubarb, and red cherry seemed promising, but then it all…
The '16 Chantegrive and the '15 Baron de Brane served beside it were my least favorites of the day. This was watery and thin from the word go. Barely flavorful, with some strawberry juice, red and…
Simple and short from start to finish. This managed to push out some tobacco and earth-laced red currant and red cherry (with some slight black cherry and strawberry) notes, but was otherwise linear…
This punches way above its price point. Blackberry, plum, black currant, cedar, roast beef bark, and some spice. A bit of alcohol rises up just enough to remind you this is a young wine in need of…
Muddled plum, black cherry syrup, and old-school red and black currant flavors dominate. A seamless balance and delivery in conjunction with a familiar, traditional earth and cedar-inflected profile…
Riper yellow citrus and stone fruit with a mineral streak on the back end. Hints of an oxidized/honeycomb component in the profile, but finishing with a steely cut that keeps it from seeming weighed…
Blackberry, ripe black plum, bitter chocolate, and cloves lead the way here, with a notably solid mid-palate and a drive that carries the finish on for 30+ seconds. A little alcohol on the tail, but…
Black and red currant, blackberry, cedar, applewood wood chips, blood orange, earth, and some embers. Delivers the cedar and charred wood notes throughout. Finishes dry with a hint of spice, with…
Oak and vanilla-laced lemon curd dominated for the first part of consumption. After some swirling in the glass, some delineated yellow citrus flavors were permitted past the pillowy gates of the…
A huge step up from when I last had this wine almost two years ago, this vintage of the VV LPV has really come into a wonderful drinking window with a little help from a couple of hours in the trusty…
Decant for a few hours and you will be handsomely rewarded. PnP is, as with many of Bevan's concoctions, a bit of a slutty alcohol laced liqueur experience. However, once some good old fashioned O2…
This was a bit of a dud overall, with some overly oxidized characteristics that were confusing at best. Everything seemed intact and there were no overt signs of a technical flaw, but the fruit was…
Much more wired-tight than previous vintages, this primary pumpkin has yet to peacock (nice alliteration, right?!). This was a PnP (and likely should been a decant). Hyper-focused and chiseled,…
Similar to the 2012 version but with a bit more of an understated flavor profile overall. Nicely balanced, showing subtle mature lemon and white cherry notes; limestone and bark show up mid-way…
A near perfect example of Cab Franc; a much more resolved and less crunchy demeanor than last year's bottle. Notes of blackberry, black cherry, black plum skin, Christmas spice, and violets. Less of…
Grilled lemon, almond skin, lamp oil, plantain, marzipan, and hints of pulverized wet granite. Carries a decent amount of speed, but exhibits a more mature and oxidized profile. Finishes medium and…
Similar as before. Exceptionally good in terms of exhibiting a nuanced and quasi-complex flavor profile from start to finish. Orange peel, red raspberry, and some bark elements dominate. A touch thin…
Plum, red raspberry, big black cherry, vanilla-strawberry, spice, and a fistful of alcohol. Following this over two days could not fully shake it of its cocktail profile. Air did help, and day two…
A Coravin pour on day one was a lot of big black cherry fruit and a significant amount of alcohol swirling around in a whirlwind of flavors and varying levels of tug-of-war power and shifting weight…
Pure and clean, with a somewhat primary but extremely balanced and elegant execution from front to back. A linear front-end delivery of lemon water, honeydew, lemon verbena, and some pumice.
The booze has certainly integrated a bit better here, but the flavors have become more plush and round. Good in some senses, but missing grip when compared to the gobs of blackberry fruit. A flavor…
Black currant, cedar, wood dust, blackberry, and some black cherry. Grippy and youthful, with a medium-bodied profile and medium finish. Simple in terms of fruit flavor expansion, but controlled and…
It's been nearly a year since my last bottle. Similar to Badmonkey's experience, this seemed to struggle to fully come around. After a decent amount of babying and trying to give it air (which warmed…
