A perfect wine, and perhaps the best wine of the weekend. Black fruit profile (my favorite!), with dark spice, and black rock, black soil, black roses?!, black-black whatevers, bitter black…
Saturating, juicy, delectable, and all the superlatives you can conjure up to describe what is indeed the most giving of the bunch. Heightened complexity is temporarily on hold during the initial…
Though the oak here is perceptible, it does not show as aggressively as Harlan on the initial pull of the cork. Earth, eucalyptus (or is it bay leaf?... or is it mint??), grippy unripe blackberry and…
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,…
At first pass, this is a crunchy unripe black cherry covered in salty sawdust. I recall having that "Uh-Oh" feeling, wondering, "What wine is this? Did someone throw in a pirate here??" It doesn't…
Black earth, soil, black cherry, blackberry, and a slight vanillin chocolate note, this was the most succulent and deep wine in the lineup. It shows cascading opulence without being overdone. The…
Juicy and rich, with black fruit dominating the profile, the Colgin Tychson was quite the giving specimen. I suspected it might be a Colgin, but went with believing it was the M7 (erroneous as that…
Red and black fruit, expressive but tannic on the back end, finishing dry but not without requisite flavor and length. With air, the layering continued, though it was a bit unresolved and slightly…
Deep and rich, but with a black fruited and mineral cut that starts out angular but quickly moves into a nice combination of grippy and giving. This is an interesting wine in that it starts out…
Compared to wine before it in the lineup (which was a red-"fruited" [mostly tannic] Abreu Thorevilos), this was all about black fruit, bitter chocolate, and black minerality. Did I mention black?…
Red, powerful, tannic, and dry, with a woody finish that makes for an arid exit. A salty olive brine note adds to the initial feeling of astringency. With air, menthol, gravel, and unripe red cherry…
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…
An awesome combination of fresh and brooding. I love the interplay of flavors here, with blackberries and purple plums dancing with the black minerality and meaty saline notes. I waffled between…
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…
At the onset, this bottle of Voleuse was like a little Sweetheats candy. "Be Mine. Cutie Pie. Hug Me. XOXO." I was always partial to, "For Shizzle My Nizzle." (Maybe that was a different candy -…
This was the first wine in the tasting that seemed less uptight and unyielding. Here, a plushness and savoriness shows. A bit fruity at first, but with a textual seamlessness that seems to indicate a…
There's a noble nose on this Chenin that sports a whiff of the exotic at first, but then rolls right into freshly cut honeydew, warm honey, and even the slightest hint of petrol aromas. It smells…
Another go-around with this wine, which delivered the initial hit of powerful tannins, but was able to find a nice groove once given a healthy amount of air. This bottle kicked out super dark, black…
Broad-shouldered and powerful, the T6 launches its attack with copious amounts of cassis, muddled black and red raspberry, red cherry liqueur, and some boozy vanillin flavors, finishing strong and…
A very plush rendering of Sleeping Lady, with mocha, blueberries, blackberry cobbler, milk chocolate, vanilla, and sweet cassis, the 2016 Roam is succulent and round, with an easily accessible…
This was a bottle purchased at the restaurant (Thanks again Bill!). It was very good and, with some time and air (two things that were kinda lacking at the time the bottle came to the table), it…
As Cristal2000 covers thoroughly in his notes, this barrel sample highlights a chiseled restraint and wonderful purity. Beyond that, it rides high and tight, with bright red fruit popping on to the…
I don't want to fall in love with 2017s. I don't even want to fall in like with 2017. In fact, I want to love 2017s as much as I love 2020s, or even 2011s for that matter. If I have to hear one more…
Black currant, unripe black cherry, and a hit of sour berry flavors lead off the charge on the 2018 Penultimate. It stayed tight and a bit wiry on the first pop of the cork, but it became much more…
I've ripped through a number of versions of VHR from most of those producing wine from this site and have found them to vary quite a bit depending much upon what I believe to be the winemaker's…
