In a blind of Napa big boys, this thing jumped ahead of the pack with what I consider to be one of the most perfect profiles for my palate. There is that signature olive and saline overlay that…
Full and flowing, the 2016 MacDonald cascades with flavor and intensity. Black and redder-black fruits dominate, with less black olive ruling the roost this go-around. Soil and spice accompany the…
Similar in design mostly to the 2013, the 2015 has tension and structure that mirrors its older sibling in all the best ways. The 2015 does relax a bit more after some air, and begins to evolve into…
Lush and approachable, the 2014 is in a very giving mood. Though the 2012 showed enhanced depth and breadth by comparison, the 2014 is certainly a friendly and affable sipper that, of all the…
This wine is. No. Joke. (Reminds me of when Ngawâ Sherpa told us as we were crossing Khumbu's Cho La Pass, "Cho La.No Joking. No talk. Rocks fall die.") A story for another time perhaps. But this…
Perhaps the most decadent MacDonald I've ever had (though the 2020 was doing all sorts of look-at-me backflips in the 'I'm rich and fancy' department as well), the 2012 is just soooo darn delicious.…
Freshy Fresh McFreshalot, the 2022 MacDonald dials the fresh-o-meter up to 11, revealing exceptionally clean and driven fruit with a polish that is unmatched. I gotta say, the last two vintages of…
Whaaaaat?! If this was blind (and in retrospect I wish it would have been just to put a double period of confidence on the end of this sentence), I would've called this out as not just a stronger…
With a few hours of double-decanting, this vintage of MacDonald is surely more approachable than some of its more intense siblings. There is a liquid velvet thing with 2014 that skirts rusticity and…
I guess I'll just have to keep giving this wine 100 points. I've had the privilege of tapping this wine a number of times now, and every time it just kills it. This time, its prowess was tested…
The best MACDONALD to date, without question. The refinement, polish, and sophistication that shines through in the 2021 vintage is no doubt a next-next level for what is already a storied legacy of…
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,…
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…
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…
Day One: Balled up, spun up, angry, and.angry. A double-decant for a few hours prior and a constant house arrest monitoring/revisiting over another five hours did nothing to nudge this stubborn…
This dude was ready to go in so many ways, even with relatively limited decanting acrobatics. Double-decanted a few hours before consumption and then followed over the course of 4-5 additional hours,…
The first line on my notes reads, "Of course. Why wouldn't 2019 be epic?! It's like it's not even fair to any other wine on the table." .though, in fairness, I will admit there was a bottle with some…
Another perfect showing, and one of the top (of many) reds of the night (especially along with the 2018 Lafleur and 2018 Bryant), the 2016 MACDONALD does what any lineage of awesomeness in an awesome…
Let this dude sit for a while in the corner. If this bottle is any indication as to how much time this 2015 is going to need to fully unveil its greatness, it'll be a hot minute or three before it's…
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…
Another stellar performance from the 2018 MACDONALD. This is my second time sampling this vintage of what I believe to be an absolutely perfect wine. For me it's kinda simple: This is one of the best…
Normally I wouldn't even think of messing with this wine inside of the 7+ year mark, but I wanted to get a feel for how it might hold over the course of the next decade and if it stands to be as…
A perfect wine in the making, the 2018 Macdonald is undoubtedly going to be one of the top wines of the vintage. For those familiar with the Macdonald lineage, the 2018 will be no surprise as a…
Rich, chewy, perfumed, and about as exciting as they come, the 2016 Macdonald is a shake your money maker kind of experience, grabbing a hold the palate and unloading gobs of dark, black fruit;…
