Continuing to progress, and starting to kick out some optimum pleasure - though it is just now entering into a window where it is seemingly able to offer true flavor expansion. Locked and loaded…
Blackberry compote, blueberry skin, black cherry, ripe black and purple plum, wet limestone, asphalt, railroad tie, and spices (clove and cardamom). Beautifully built, with frame and flavor…
It's been over three years since I've had the opportunity to take a shot at this wine. Homemade pizza on a Tuesday night? What better excuse to dip into the Vice Versa stash and see what's been…
Similar to last year. Even more integrated and seamless, with a finesse not often found in a domestic Syrah. The saline, olive brine, and iron notes do well to elevate the earthy dark blackberry and…
Yellow and white peach, lemon curd, dried apricot, honey, chamomile, plantain chip, and orange rind make for more of a white Rhône profile here than a white Bordeaux. A more serious wine, with…
It's got that rich and chocolatey Benoit on top of a Hershey's black cherry Sunday thing going on that draws you in with the first sip. Cardamom and Christmas spices soon follow, along with a wave of…
A broad-shouldered Rhone-inspired white that carries enough energy and brightness (thanks to the 44% Chardonnay and 8% Viognier) to counterbalance the otherwise fuller-throttled richness of the 40%…
Still awesome. Even better than a year ago. Extremely complex for a domestic SB. Marries suave smoothness with vivacious tension perfectly. Acacia blossom, fresh honeydew, guava, kiwi, lemon verbena,…
Prepare for straight-up heat and sweet if opening now. In a very awkward place at the moment. Standby to standby for a while; keep this cobbler cocktail horizontal. Signs of promise, but not until…
Green apple, honeydew, and white peach notes present a disappointingly lithe and austere showing, with a pedestrian execution of flavor that does very little to expand or deepen the superficial…
Deep purple plum, black raspberry, blueberry, olive brine, roast beef, and licorice make for a compelling example of the varietal. There is a concentration here that is so balanced and subtle that it…
A county fair carny's confection cart of churro, funnel cake, cotton candy, and kettle corn overwhelm the otherwise throbbing, syrupy blackberry smoothie core. Making for a glycerin-jolted coconut…
Somewhat similar to my experience with this wine from 2.5 years ago (June 2, 2018), though perhaps more relaxed and accessible at this juncture in terms of front-end approachability. Earth, spice,…
A big blast of kirsch, black cherry liqueur, black raspberry, and a hefty amount of rocket fuel on the finish. This needs a martini glass. My nose hairs... Where have my precious nose hairs gone...?…
In an absolutely gorgeous place right now. Completely elevated both texturally and flavorfully, especially compared to when I had it a couple of years ago (94 points from me back then, as it was…
So, the seamlessness I was looking for this wine to develop since my last sample a year and a half ago not only didn't happen, it totally tanked in the opposite direction.
True to typical form, the 2012 M'Etain offers up its familiar plum, black cherry, and dusty spice profile in a way that hints at pleasant sophistication indicative of the producer, as well as an…
Black and red cherry, red and purple plum, muddled strawberry, cassis, rainbow peppercorn, and subtle bark saunter along the palate with the pleasantries that typify the 2014 vintage. Satisfying and…
Pushing two years since my last bottle of the 2016 Falstaff, and with the 2018 vintage Realm allocation deadline quickly approaching, I was of course compelled to venture into my stash and see what's…
A year and a half since my last bottle. The Hawaiian tropic flavors have subsided a bit, and it's sans sugar city and Willy Wonka confection, so that's a definite plus. It does however still carry a…
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…
I've been sitting on these bottles for over two years now and decided to check what's under the hood in hopes that this 2015 would nudge me enough to coerce-out my plastic cash to invest in the…
I've followed and reviewed this wine quite a bit over the course of the last few years and it has certainly delivered a consistently lushly dark and hedonistically round profile. For those who know…
