Boy oh boy, here we go with the blackberry biggin of biggins. I was instantly reminded of the 2019 Bevan Crane, with the oak and the coffee and the riiiiich berry fruit.and the oak. I suppose there…
Though there was a certain group who preferred the 2016 Venge served next to the 2013, I appreciated the extra tension the 2013 provided. For me, the 2013 and 2016 couldn't be more different. For…
Big, ripe, and slightly plummy on entry, this fruit monster needs some air to really find its glide. Black cherry and vanillin cassis flavors tiger-paw other behind-the-scene notes of soil and char…
This wine continues to own the dance floor with its dark fruit core and striking black mineral elements that offer so much endurance throughout consumption. For me, this is how a 2013 Napa Cabernet…
Black, black, black fruit, with black wet burnt cedar, tar, scorched earth, and black rock. Extraordinarily complex, with the best of Venge's often flamboyant style perfectly harnessed by the best…
This wine wiped the floor over the other wines at the table. In its class, it and a '14 Bevan Ontogeny were the WOTN. Powerful and concentrated, awesome black core fruit flavors, with black rock and…
A step up from the 2015 Bone Ash, but still leading its attack with a lot of fruit in the mouth all at once. A darker flavor profile than the Bone Ash, with sappy black raspberry, wild blackberry,…
Definitely more fruit-driven than the Morlets and Rudd served alongside it, with seemingly less backbone and acidic grip. Ripe red and black core fruit, with lush, plush, rounded edges that would be…
This actually performed a couple of steps higher when compared to the last time I had it back in December. Still a little coiled up, but showing some really nice structure and energy throughout…
Previous notes apply to some degree, but this particular experience was a bit lackluster. Having just had this the other day, I found today that this bottle was a bit muted and flat. The flavors were…
Served alongside the 2014 Bone Ash. I favored this 2015 just a bit more, as its complexity, grip, and drive were more prominent. The fruit was a little more focused and the delineation of flavors…
A decent ground pounder, with signature (if not a bit pedestrian) notes of red and black currant, black raspberry, and some spice. A little hot, but not too distracting. Medium-bodied and somewhat…
A fistful of dark fruit, with a notable concentration that held interest from start to finish. Mid-palate was especially satisfying, with the enveloping fruit and spice really ratcheting-up the…
Served side-by-side with the 2015 Bone Ash. I favored the 2015 a bit more, but this held its own quite well. Deep, plush, and a hallmark representation of the 2014 vintage. Contained some nice power…
Somewhat unconventional and a bit of a sidewinder on the palate. Moments of Cote Rotie earthiness and barnyard funk that provided interest, but then wonky core fruit that wobbled in and had you…
I'll say it like this: For Merlot, it's pretty good. It has some grip. It has some acidic cut. It has some energy and drive that enable the purple and red fruit flavors to push through to the back…
Not an entirely lost example of the varietal, and a significant improvement over the Scout's Honor served beside it. As others have noted, this was a little hot and lacking overall complexity (the…
Man, do I really love the backstory to this wine, paying homage to the beloved canine Scout and all, but I unfortunately just can't get down with this wine. So fruity and wonky for me that I can't…
Somewhat traditional tropical fruit notes (without being a Carmen Miranda hat) juxtaposed with elements of stone and yellow citrus notes. Soft on the edges and thankfully no harsh steely bite on the…
Same as previous notes. The first two hours were filled with huge fruit and some slaps of alcohol (most similar to my last experience with this wine). However, after a few hours of air, this really…
Same as all of my previous notes. This was its usual big, bold, almost over the top, fruit in your face type of Cabernet. I still find quite a bit of pleasure in this style of wine...but it is indeed…
It's been about 6 months since I last had this wine. Specific flavors were identical to my notes back then. PnP was an explosion of fruit-forward and dark/ripe blueberry, purple plum, black…
