Previous notes apply from 6 months and a year ago. An initial wave of very nice brambly purple and red fruit, and some hints of mulch, earth, brush, and river rock. The acid seemed low; the frame…
It's been nearly a year and a half since I last had the 2013 Crane. This was a PnP at a restaurant. The first thing that grabbed me about this wine was its chiseled core of red and purple berry fruit…
Same as my notes from six months ago. Decanted a total of three hours, which helped. There is definitely a spine left in it for sure, and enough grip to keep the frame solid throughout consumption.…
As others have noted, this is primary and a bit sour initially on entry. I blame this 100% on youth. Not surprisingly, I opened this WAY too early; my fault. Damn curiosity! I would hold off on this…
A very nice pairing with the cheese cart. This went especially well with the fresh baked brioche covered in a homemade preserve that was served with the cheeses.
So forgettable I really can't remember how it tasted, except that it just tasted like "some red wine." Nothing to distinguish it from any house red I've had before. It wasn't horrible. It wasn't…
Man, some folks are absolutely loving this wine right now. A few in our party killed this bottle almost instantly. I continue to find it more and more middle of the road as time goes on. It was super…
Previous notes apply. Try as I might, I just can't get there with this wine. I try to go in each time with an open mind and assess it from the most objective way I know how. And still, it cannot come…
Same notes as last month. I drank the heck out of this wine all throughout dinner. I ignored a 2010 Forman and a 2013 Spottswoode in favor of the Bevan. Good stuff!
Same as all of my previous notes. A 2013 Bevan Ontogeny bested the Forman by a significant margin for me. Different styles of wine for sure. Others preferred the less fruit driven nature of the…
It does the job, and that's about it. Don't expect too much. Profile is a bit linear and dry, with a thin citrus streak on the back end. An ok summer sipper primer before you start your meal.…
Muted, dry, and a little thin mid-palate, this Spottswoode is in need of some serious bottle time before it MIGHT show a more improved hand. 2020 is probably about right, but I'm honestly not…
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…
One of the best Tor wines I've had in a long time, and possibly ever (even more so than the BTKs of the past). This was a PnP at a restaurant. From the first "pop" of the cork, I could instantly…
A decent enough late afternoon sipper considering it was a beautiful low 80's day and we were in good company outside enjoying the sun. Some very light lemon and cranberry citrus notes.
A truly stunning bottle of wine. PnP displayed beautifully pure red, black, and purple fruit notes, black raspberry, red and black currant, black slate, river rock/gravel, pumice, and a hint of…
PnP was just a little tight, but still displaying some really unctuous dark red and black fruit notes. Black and red raspberry, black cherry liqueur, currant, a little spice and earth, vanilla, and…
Previous notes from last year apply. A beautiful interplay among traditional Burgundian flavors (minerality, acid, citrus oil) and more modern notes of lemon curd, popcorn, and vanilla bean.
A beautiful and poised bottle of wine. Definitely a more restrained version of Bevan's usual flashy, fruit forward Pinot lineup. To me, this had a cooler climate feel about it, but the core fruit was…
This 2014 Amoenus offered a fascinating contrast to the more instantly flavor-forward 2014 Materium. The Amoenus was more of a slow burn, where the Materium flashed the palate almost immediately on…
Same as my previous notes. A 94+ bottle of wine, and in the same category (in terms of quality) as the '13 Stags Leap, '14 Howell, and '14 Diamond Cabernets served during the same tasting. Drinks…
The flagship Black Label was a very agreeable sipper. Displayed some nice black core fruit, mocha, and hints of chocolate covered blueberries. A little fat and round (overtly Merlot-esque for my…
Maybe in a few years this will be an ok Syrah?...but it tasted a little worrisome to me. Presently, it lacked almost any real depth or concentration. It displayed a clipped, bitter finish, kicking…
