Bright and crunchy, with a citrus and alkaline profile that marries steely elements with zesty fruit notes. No real signs of aging, with a linear cut that races over the palate and dances into an…
Lemon, sea foam, and salt rock flavors are speedy on the front end and rounded on the back. A little Ultramarine funk typicity adds interest. Compared to other vintages, the 2016 seems to be a…
A brighter showing than the last few bottles I've had - which I appreciate. Still, there is that slight oxidative characteristic that is indicative of all things Krug. Some love Krug for that exact…
Funky earth and dusty plum, with cedar, mushroom, salt rock, smoke, and wilted herb flavors. Slightly thin and watery on the finish. Medium all the way around. No fireworks here this time compared to…
Earthy red and black cherry and citrus peel present in a primary and linear format, but still provide accessibility that just begins to hint at its qualitative Grand Cru refinement. More red-fruited…
A beautiful unfolding of lemon and lime juice, citrus zest, white and green melon rind, orange oil (NOT the termite-killing kind), quince, and wet travertine notes. A broad-shouldered P-M that is…
Strike two with this wine. For lack of a better term, this wine was a bit of a snoozer. It was "fine" in the technical sense, but it really was just a flat affective display of fruit and minerality.…
A powerful showing, with a decent amount of oomph and raw authority on the front end, asserting lemon and lime juice, sea foam, wet limestone, quince, and orange bitters flavors with full-frontal…
Earth and cedar notes hit the palate shortly before the red and black currant and cherry fruit notes come into the picture. Getting a little sooty and coarse already. Old school. Drink now.
Locked, loaded, and tight as a drum, the 2016 Pavie is SUCH an infant all it needed was a pacifier and its blankie to get it all set for its requisite hibernation for the next 15 years. The precision…
Dusty red berry, purple plum, currant, earth, and some embers. I much appreciated this wine more since my last having it back in January 2020. This bottle takes a short bit of time to open up, but…
Flawed. Wet cardboard and a moldy funk on the nose. Bitter and seedy on the palate. Not like any MACDONALD I've ever had. Clearly flawed and not even close to being representative of 100 point-type…
Refined and acutely polished, the 2015 Promontory showed even better than when I had it back in April. Sophisticated red berry fruit and tobacco notes initially load the front end with classicism and…
I got all ramped-up to write about this wine and then just re-read my notes from 4/30/2021 that basically say it all (so, refer to those notes if you want to read my novella from April). This was…
In a sea of top-shelf Napa Cabernet Sauvignons, this SQN was able to wedge its way into the crowd and make a fine showing. However, two things about that. Firstly, there was an obvious profile…
Red and purple plum, spice, brush, red cherry, black raspberry, and faint hits of cedar, the "E" left me with the impression of a wine that has so much potential, but is nowhere near where it needs…
Of the three 2015 Vice Versas consumed this night for the dinner portion of the event, the Crane was.wait for it. the most fruit-forward of the three. It starts out a little hollow and plummy, but…
Displaying an exceptionally young and tight demeanor, the 2015s in general seem to require even more time in bottle before coming to full fruition. Double-decanted for over 8 hours, the To Kalon BBS…
I've played around with this wine here and there over the last few years and I am always a little circumspect about predicting how it is going to perform. LPV in general can shut down throughout…
Once exposed to air, this succulent monkey really fills out into a juicy expansion of red and black cherry, red and black raspberry, spice, and mulch notes. It's an interplay of fresh-meets-forest,…
Similar to the 2018 Vice Versa Platt Chardonnay, this 2019 is a crisp lemon squeeze of a wine that spits white minerality and bitter citrus pith to great length. A floral elemnt tries to push…
A joint venture with the Bretons and Stephan Asseo of L'Aventure, the Les Cousins is a hybrid of Vice Versa's Napa juice and L'Aventure's holdings from the Willow Creek District in Paso Robles. 100%…
This is just so intense and concentrated that one can't help but be utterly mesmerized by its commanding presence. Blackberries and scorched earth are spun together in a commercial-grade blender on…
As before when I gave this a try in April, the Mysterons is a punchy and fruity ride on a purple and red berry rollercoaster. Spice, bitter chocolate, and dust (Thorevilos/Ecotone tufa dust…
The first time I sampled the 2019 Crane back in April, it was surprisingly shut down and playing coy. Well, it's done hiding in the corner and waiting to be asked to dance. This sample was exactly…
