A lot of lemon to go around with this one, flanked by salt rock, yellow pear, and yuzu elements, the overline flaunts a pleasant array of citrus and stone fruit flavors that also offer a sense of…
The oak elements are more prominent on the front end here, with the attack led by juicy lemon curd and riper yellow pear flavors, lovingly kissed with oak and subtle tropical notes. There is…
Another stab at this gem yields similar results as when I last sampled it back in July, the 2024 “if and only if” is a banger of a wine. Service was a bit cold at first, making for a more muted…
What a brilliant combination of red cherry, pomegranate, and strawberry fruit, as well as more earthy notes of bark, dry tea leaf, and stem. There is a brambly characteristic that has Dujac written…
A maybe “ok” Cabernet, with red and black fruit, wood, and some earth. The fruit fades toward the back end and dilutes on the tail, with lingering tannins and a bit of heat on the finish. Lacks…
Berry liqueur, red and black raspberry and cherry, licorice, and hints of earth, this vintage of Crane has hallmark Vice Versa power, but is downshifted a bit compared to other vintages. There is a…
Though the 2016 and 2019 have consistently outperformed other recent vintages of Spottswoode, this 2018 offers a pretty display of red and black currant, red cherry, cedar spice, and dry mulch. Faint…
It’s been five years since I’ve last cracked open one of these bottles. Holy bazoonga; this is a lightening strike of a wine right now! In its current state, the 2019 TK is in SpaceX mode, with a…
I decided to Coravin another sample over the past few months and I gotta say this is a compelling bottle of wine, especially once some slow O2 gets ahold of it and methodically injects a lovely sense…
This is a much meatier and advanced version than what I’ve experienced from the 2018 Rose. In fairness to the producer, it was an auction bottle (with a disgorgement date a week later than the ones I…
Though the lemon and apple flavors are sound and controlled, they are laced with a sourness in this vintage that never fully shakes off during the entirety of consumption. I don’t mind it, but I…
A mix of red and black cherry, baking spices, pomegranate juice, cinnamon stick, and black raspberry, the 2022 Cirq is fresh and bright, but also hints at a haunting, darker shade that adds a layer…
This pours an almost-concerning color that looks like a cranberry cocktail and the bottom of a bottle of pomegranate juice had an unfiltered berry baby; but fear not knights of the domestic sparkler…
A worthy follow-up to the other-worldly 2023, the 2024 “If…” immediately presents with a classicism and suave entry that is both alluring and invigorating. A touch shy as first pass, it begs for some…
Sweet and ripe notes on lemon curd, powdered sugar, coconut shavings, corn milk, pineapple, and unripe mango. There is certainly a topical element here, but it's not so exotic that it loses traction…
Gentle and basic flavors of lemon and yellow pear. There is a crème note that adds a slightly lactic texture. Medium to medium-minus intensity; balanced but simple. Missing some tension and energy at…
Distinctive and full of layer upon layer of lemon bar, lemon curd, vanillin oak, peach, yellow pear flesh, and marshmallow. Ripe and a bit sweet, but maintains an airy and ethereal composure…
Slight wet newspaper on the nose here. Bitter and astringent on the finish. Not my bottle, so I can't attest to how provenance was compromised on this. No bueno.
A great showing, and one that shows off the focus and finesse of this wine. Last year, the 2019 Promontory was kicking out some pyrazine and wood notes that are less apparent in this bottle. A bit…
Heady and rich, but with a beautiful freshness that catapults the gorgeous dark fruit across the palate and then pauses in the perfect place, saturating and gushing with black and red berry flavors.…
Well this bottle was all sorts of delicious, "beating" out a number of the otherwise beautiful white Burgundies in the lineup. This vintage of Lauren is all class, and carries a seductive display of…
A gobstopper of lush fruit, plush fruit, gushing fruit, and ripe fruit, the Memento Mori VHR is a lot of. fruit. Luckily there are soil elements that provide focus and direction here, but there is no…
The immediacy of flavor here is compelling, with the 2022 vintage marking a Scarecrow that will be offering up the goods sooner than later. It may not be the most profound when compared to more…
A compelling VHR, and one that carries a perfect combination of structure, intensity, and flavor. It's a serious presentation at first pass, but it relaxes enough to allow lovely dark fruit and earth…
Red fruited, with some bricking evident, this shows a softer, more rustic side of California Cabernet. Compared to other wines in the blind (both Napa and BDX), this was surely older school in…
