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…
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.…
The 2022 Kodo hops-skips-and-jumps right over the front end of its execution and immediately settles cozily into a mid-palate density that melts like Ingrid Bergman in the arms of Humphrey Bogart…
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…
In a lineup of top shelf 2019 Napa Cabs blind, this undoubtedly showed near the top of the heap. Of course the immediate argument is that it should always be the singular one on top (short of a…
Balanced and smooth, especially for such a young pup. Super fruity, in fact, one of the fruitiest renditions from this site that I can remember. Notes of mixed berry basket, boysenberry, licorice,…
Stewed purple plum, black raspberry, juicy cassis, wet limestone, coffee grounds, soil, and red-purple licorice kick off a To Kalon that is perhaps less 'serious' than other examples of this site,…
A very well put together wine. It was overshadowed by a 2019 Ovid, but stylistically was better judged on more of the classical spectrum than that of the more modern Ovid. On its own, the red and…
This bottle presents a good argument to the age-ability of certain Carter wines. This 2010 TK is a beautiful specimen, perhaps even slightly eclipsing the 2013 GTO served beside it (though I think…
A big wine, with redder fruit than I recall, but with a sophistication and focus that is most notable. A great wine, though I was actually a little more drawn to a 2010 Carter TK served next to it…
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…
Deeper than the day is long, this was a shot across the bow with a concentration cannon that blasted flavor and depth right to the mid-palate, diving even deeper and with more fortitude as it…
A pretty wine, with violets and juicy red/purple fruit popping on the palate. Here the nose is muted, but the affable flavors skip along the front end upon first sip, marking the path of a wine that…
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…
I LOVE fresh Sauv Blanc right out of the tap. I've found my interest in SB waning a bit, to be honest; however, when you have the right one, it really hits the spot. I know there are some smoking…
Punchline first: And 'the Ks' have it!! Kaannos and Kodo! I know I'm supposed to find beauty in all creatures great and small, and that love is discovered in all forms of doe-eyed unicorns and…
Punchline first: And 'the Ks' have it!! Kaannos and Kodo! I know I'm supposed to find beauty in all creatures great and small, and that love is discovered in all forms of doe-eyed unicorns and…
I'm too dumb for this wine. I mean, I suppose that's not exactly narrowing it down, as most things can seemingly outsmart me these days. However, this particular upper-cruster makes me feel like I'm…
Ya, so, I don't want to like this wine at all, but there is no denying this is top shelf stuff right here, so much so that the only reason I'm not jumping to 100 is because I am in one of those moods…
