I loved this sample. Super meaty and viscous, like chewing on a bacon-wrapped date that was dipped in the most flavorful tar you could lap up from dragging your tongue across I-5 on a late August…
From B Block. A higher register animal than the 2015 and 2016 dark earthy beasts, this 2017 hits the palate with red and purple plum skin and red and black raspberry notes. Offers a youthfully…
From the site that has been known as "Not the Materium, but the other wine that Maybach makes," the Amoenus makes an appearance on the Arkenstone label in 2018. The first sip tells you this thing is…
Deep black cherry dominates here. A super tasty sample, with the makings of a compelling wine certainly poised to crest on the horizon for this wine as the years go on. A broader spectrum of…
A big wine with fantastic grip. Black and red raspberry dominate. The acid rushes in and swiftly grips the front end. A zippy mid-palate, finishing with a much-needed downshift that allows for some…
An initial horizontal attack lends its way to a broader flavor expansion with a good hit of air, jumping into gear and kicking out read and black cherry notes on the front end. Much more red-fruited…
Blackberry seed, obsidian, burnt embers, and chewy licorice, with mineral and scorched earth notes zipping around the concentrated core. More than a fair amount of power here, finishing youthfully…
Saturated black raspberry, leather, blackberry, muddled strawberry, charcoal, and red and black cherry. Considering this is the more "base" model Cabernet from Arkenstone, it performs quite well and…
Grapefruit, freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice, white peach, and some stone. One of the better Sauvignon Blancs out there and consistently enthralling for both its energy and verve, as well as its…
Continuing to operate in a nice drinking window it seems, as this was the best showing of this wine to date. Balanced out and not too heavy on the fruit (Quivet-speaking at least). A notable black…
Clean and pure, with a subtle richness that fills the palate with wonderfully fresh notes of yellow citrus and pumice. Mid-palate and back end are medium-to-full; the balance is impeccable here. A…
Blackberry, spicebox, wet limestone, black cherry, black currant, black licorice stick, cedar, and the slightest hint of violets. Exquisitely balanced and smooth for such a young wine. Silky…
Even better than when I had it over a year ago, this is one of the more compelling domestic Sauvignon Blancs out there. Vibrant and uber-flavorful, it delivers a beautifully clean tropical and yellow…
Fairly abrasive and angular, with an alcohol hit on the front end that all but kills a lot of the fruit trying to come forward. A bitter bite on the back end doesn't help matters. AIR!...helped a…
Black fruit core, with plum, ripe black raspberry, bitter chocolate, and hints of leather. A compelling mouthfeel and notable depth for such a base Bordeaux. Could use 3+ years to balance-out and…
Vibrant and fresh yellow citrus core, with a notable balance that straddles fun energy with a focused and deliberate cadence. Very pure, with a medium-bodied attack that makes continuous sipping far…
Black fruit and spice with medium delivery and length overall. An interesting combination of fresh and brooding; the tail fell off fairly quickly, with a faint cedar note clipping the finish. A…
Black cherry water, white stone, white fig, lemon pulp, and yellow apple skin. The 100% PM makes for a pretty serious and chiseled delivery, with a direct execution that provides limited, though…
Trentino Alto-Adige / Veneto · Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
This passed the at-home test with flying colors. I love the approachability of this wine while still holding just the right amount of balanced tension. Wonderful yellow citrus flavors that shine…
Red and black currant, cedar, cinnamon, earth, saturated black cherry, warm leather, and some higher-toned floral and bitter blackberry seed. An old world profile with a somewhat deeper pitched…
Lemon juice, stone fruit, lemon seed, chalk, yellow and green apple, and pumice. A white and high-pitched yellow core, that opens up and expands nicely over time with air. Pithy on the finish;…
Stone fruit and subtle yellow citrus. Some yellow apple skin and faint white apricot flavors. Medium and a bit pedestrian all the way around. Notable smoothness and balance. Drink now and over the…
Though it took a little time to unfurl its flavors, this came along quite nicely in terms of delivery and expansion, especially with its overall mouthfeel and texture. It comes across initially with…
I gotta be honest...this iteration of Pontet-Canet does what every other 2014 Bordeaux I've had does...underwhelms. It's fine and all I guess with its smokey blackberry, black currant, cedar, and wet…
It's compacted. It's tight. It's grippy. But it possesses a compelling blackberry and licorice core that lets it be known its stuffing will deliver pleasure come 5-7+ years. Some limestone, black…
