For a Chardonnay that is a decade from vintage, this had a beautifully elongated stretch of flavors that drove across the palate with surprising verve and tension. Showing some age with the slightest…
From magnum. The best showing of the Oracle's to date. Dark and earthy black cherry and black raspberry, forest floor, incense, evergreen, orange citrus sencha green tea, burnt orange rind, bark, and…
Upon service, and once the wine warmed up to around cellar temperature (initially served at refrigerator temp - too cold/muted for me for the first 15+ minutes), the Ritchie displayed its familiar…
Ripe lemon citrus, bruised lemon and orange rind, olive oil, golden raisin, and some salted caramel. A ripe, somewhat oxidized style, with an overtly aged profile that fakes you into thinking this…
Ripe black cherry, dark red raspberry, cranberry, loam, forest floor, evergreen, stems, and some citrus. Medium on the attack, with a ripe core fruit drop mid-palate that added weight and some depth.…
A migraine Chardonnay all the way through. Steely and astringent alcohol-laced lemon water topped with 9V batteries wrapped in green apple skin. Finishes bitter and hollow.
Initially heavy on the lamp oil, lemontini, and vanilla alcohol flavors, making for an angular entry and less-than-seamless delivery overall. Primary and somewhat hollow yellow citrus and bruised…
Previous notes from March 31, 2018 are still applicable, with special attention to the notion that a little time in bottle has seemingly elevated this wine even further. PnP was fresh, lively, and a…
PnP was almost immediately accessible, with a fruit forward attack that also pushed out the requisite acid, grip/tannins, and verve to keep it all moving to the mid and back ends in proper…
Black cherry, bark, spice, and some faint evergreen. Similar to my previous experience with this wine a few months ago, except the core fruit seemed a little more deeply pitched and saturated this…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Still kicking out energetic yellow citrus oil and lightly honeyed lemon flavors. Some alcohol and vanilla glycol on the initial pull, making for an angular attack initially. Balanced out much better…
Yellow citrus, peach, yellow apple flesh, lemon oil, honey, vanilla, and some faint hazelnut dust. Well balanced on the front end, with an equally impressive weight distribution on the mid-palate.…
Coming off rich and spicy right out of the gate. Previous notes apply. A dark, ripe, and spice-driven Pinot, with saturated, viscous flavors that you have to chew on a bit to get the full effect.…
Previous notes apply. Some nice red cherry and red raspberry notes. Has lost a little zip. Agreeable and satisfying, if not a bit simple and slower-paced at this stage. Drink now.
Green apple skin, vanilla glycol, and lemon seed on PnP gave way to more unctuous flavors after about 30 minutes of air, with apple pie, poached pear, honeyed lemon oil, vanilla bean, and an enticing…
Now that this is in bottle it's exciting to see how this is settling in and where it's ultimately headed. A treasure trove of black cherry, red and black raspberry jam, earthy mulch, ginger snap…
Red and black cherry, strawberry, rhubarb, earthy cinnamon, and some cedar. Held its own fairly nicely for an appellation Pinot. The lighter side of medium bodied, with a medium finish. Not a ton of…
As with my previous notes, I mention this wine's lushness and ripeness first and above any of its other elements; it's profile is modern and rich, with plump red and black raspberry flavors gushing…
An opportunity to administer the "at home" test on this wine to follow it in a more controlled environment and without other wines to fatigue-out or pull away focus on the palate. All eyes on…
The 2016 Morlet Coup de Coeur is the domestic Chardonnay of the vintage. Pure sophistication and ethereal purity in a glass, with a perfectly balanced equilibrium of fresh and focused yellow citrus…
A solid example of Ritchie, showing a deft Morlet-esque restraint that is sometimes overlooked with other more bombastic versions from this site. Focused and precise, with medium-bodied flavors of…
Ripe black cherry, black and red raspberry, smoke, earth, incense, forest floor, and lichen. A fairly dark and rich attack on the front end, with the lush black cherry core leading the way. Some…
Currant, plum, black cherry, black soil, forest floor, mulch, and some pencil shavings. A darker, earthier profile, with medium speed across the palate; finishes a little bitter and gritty. A…
Red and black cherry, red raspberry, earth, and some spice. Medium all the way around, with notable mid-palate and a nice, fruit/earth driven finish. The earthy red fruit notes repeat themselves on…
