Initially, there are strong oxidative and nutty notes emanating from this Egly, but with air, it actually becomes more compacted and focused, with requisite cut and acidic tension to balance out the…
If a Sade smoooooth operator kind of vibe is what you long for in your Champagne, then bust out this charming bewitcher and let the good times roll. This highwire act gets a ton of points for its…
Saturating, juicy, delectable, and all the superlatives you can conjure up to describe what is indeed the most giving of the bunch. Heightened complexity is temporarily on hold during the initial…
Speaking of proper service, having this wine a couple of weeks ago and having it again now just shows how important knowing (or attempting to target) a wine's sweet spot in terms of air, temperature,…
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…
Though the oak here is perceptible, it does not show as aggressively as Harlan on the initial pull of the cork. Earth, eucalyptus (or is it bay leaf?... or is it mint??), grippy unripe blackberry and…
At the onset, this bottle of Voleuse was like a little Sweetheats candy. "Be Mine. Cutie Pie. Hug Me. XOXO." I was always partial to, "For Shizzle My Nizzle." (Maybe that was a different candy -…
This was not part of the blind tasting of 2016 Napa Cabs, but of course, and you know how these things go, due to the continuing graciousness of our hosts, this 2019 MacDonald found its way into the…
Black earth, soil, black cherry, blackberry, and a slight vanillin chocolate note, this was the most succulent and deep wine in the lineup. It shows cascading opulence without being overdone. The…
Juicy and rich, with black fruit dominating the profile, the Colgin Tychson was quite the giving specimen. I suspected it might be a Colgin, but went with believing it was the M7 (erroneous as that…
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…
Red and black fruit, expressive but tannic on the back end, finishing dry but not without requisite flavor and length. With air, the layering continued, though it was a bit unresolved and slightly…
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…
This was the first wine in the tasting that seemed less uptight and unyielding. Here, a plushness and savoriness shows. A bit fruity at first, but with a textual seamlessness that seems to indicate a…
On first pass, and during the blind portion of this tasting, this presents as somewhat reduced, with muted fruit; it shows as both rounder and drier on the finish (if that's possible?). Shy red fruit…
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…
Don't have a healthy pour of the Montille Perrieres Mearsault handily in front of you at the moment? Well then, light a match, shove the head up your nose, and spin it around until the sulfur is…
Muted and linear upon the first pull of the cork, the Montille Folatieres grabs you by the ears with freshness and crisp focus but is reluctant to show the goods on the initial shake-and-wake hour or…
Spicy, fun, and quite powerful, this LC17 Shaolin monkey was doing some krazy Kungfu kicking on the palate. There too is a saline element here that enlivens the execution of flavor. Raw ginger,…
Though I haven't been thoroughly stoked on a ton of 2006 Champagne as of late, I gotta tell ya that this bottle of Krug was in a really beautiful spot. Oxidative and a little brooding (sure, it's a…
Wine is funny. More specifically, BOTTLES of wine are funny. When I first took a stab at the 2008 Cristal a while back, I found it to be a "very good," "fine," "a solid 94" (which is nothing to scoff…
A great showing, and one where the spiciness and energy are on full display. A lot of things going on here, with a slightly darker profile than I was expecting. The color was like a pale Rosé with…
On the initial pull of the cork, the flavors play coy for the first hour or so of consumption. Red and yellow apple flesh, grilled lemon, and wet granite notes take their time leisurely disembarking…
In typical Sine Qua Non fashion, the white in this vintage is a fetching Frankenstein concoction of 32% Roussanne, 26% Viognier, 25% Chardonnay, 12% Gelber Muskateller (so. basically Muscat), and 5%…
