Hibiscus, rhubarb, blood orange, and Aperol notes create a unique framework for the supplementary flavors of freshly rinsed raspberries, watermelon, lemon pith, and wet limestone. At first glance, it…
A night/day contrast from the bottle I had back in 2020. I treated this recent bottle like a Napa Cab, with a decent amount of air and a not-rushed service which gave it the opportunity to expand its…
I still believe this wine is an over-performer, especially when compared to some other peers twice the price. This is coming into the beginning of a nice drinking window that doesn't require too much…
In a great spot right now for my palate, especially after a bit of air to stretch its legs. Fabulous acidity and vibrancy, especially for its class and QPR. Zingy lemon citrus backed by an intense…
Second bottle (first one was flawed). This bottle was dry, dry, dry, dry... Ya, I know... Italy and all. But the dusty cedar-driven frame really made for an imposing barrier for the fruit to make any…
A Little Havana disco-pulse ultra-club kaleidoscopic fruit bowl bonanza of butterscotch schnapps, honey hot toddy, fresh pineapple, unripe mango, dry hay, fresh corn, and limoncello mojito, the…
I say with a little air, this is good to go. Drink with a couple hours in the decanter, or hold with confidence for 5++ years. Black fruited. Polished on the front end, with an…
This is presenting as quite the agreeable unfolding of ripe black cherry, raspberry, and blackberry flavors. Ripe and round in the middle with a requisite grip that gently squeezes the sides of the…
This could certainly go another 3-5 years with no problem. Showing a meaty but finessed profile, with a bit of flex for the initial pour. Three hours in the decanter made for marked improvement…
My notes from April 2020 still generally apply. Ripe black cherry, raspberry, spice, smoke, and forest floor notes make for a beautifully darker and deeper pitched profile. Exquisite balance. There…
Too early. Period. PnP was a total joke: hot and brash. It wasn't a hot 'mess' necessarily, but it teetered on being completely chaotic and vulgar. It was mad at me and I was mad at it. "Stop…
Opened at the end of the evening, which is almost always a mistake in terms of service, the Tusk wasn't the total blowout like the SQN mighty Z cocktail, but it was clearly in need of about 3-5++…
Bringing this to a BDX tasting is like having Marilyn Manson as an opening act at a Celine Dion concert. Heavy metal devil horns brings the ripe fruit, the heat, and. well, the ripe fruit. Yet, this…
This seemed to be in a less than affable mood for most of the evening. On one hand, I think there were not only other better showing wines, but also, simply better wines that the Belair-Monange just…
I just could not get a feel for this wine at all. I wouldn't even know how to score it. It really just offered next to nothing in the fruit department and was overly linear and strict. It wasn't…
The 2015 Figeac was stuck in the "friend zone" during the entire tasting. Unripe blackberry, currant, and cedar notes delivered in a superficial and flat plane of flavor, without ever reaching much…
Black fruit. Black rock. Black fruit. Black rock. and a bit of booze on the tail that didn't let up (ok, so a point or two off for that). But otherwise, this was totally in my wheelhouse. The profile…
Consistent. Consistent. Consistent. The slow build on this wine over time really spoke to me. I kept coming back to this bottle. It wasn't too flashy. It wasn't too classic. It was a beautiful hybrid…
This was probably my wine of the night. It's just so darn yummy and expressive, with a spine that is so focused and intense without overpowering the fruit or the focus. Black and beautiful fruit that…
Linear, primary, tannic, and a little annoyed (or maybe that was me being annoyed at it), the 2015 was a wine I had Coravin'd the day prior to sample it to see just where it was at. Peeved was where…
This was drinking rather beautifully, perhaps much in part to its handler's decanting protocols prior to arrival. Bravo for that! Medium bodied flavors of red raspberries, cedar, earth, old cinnamon…
Much more expressive than the 2016, the 2018 Ducru wasn't the belle of the ball for me necessarily, but it was certainly not in booboo mood the way its 2-year-older brother was behaving. That said,…
This was wound a bit tight tonight in my opinion, never fully expanding or offering up the goods. The 2018 Ducru served next to it was by far more expressive and giving, especially on the front end…
