Reviews

Scarecrow Monsieur Étain

It's no Scarecrow, but the M. Etain isn't necessarily trying to be. Next to its big brother, it's honestly barely worth talking about. But if you can peel yourself away from the notion that it will…

Opus One

The nose here is feral and a little funky, but there is a nice injection of red/black fruit, Christmas spice, black cherry, and black currant. The finish is notably long, with the back end texture…

Opus One

Fruity on the nose; fruity on palate. Red berry (cranberry) dominates, with candied red cherry, cassis, and red currant. The profile is. red. With air, it becomes more linear and superficial. The…

Opus One

Oh bejeezus, this is one seriously stern arm-crossed child who doesn't know how to use its big words when it's cranky. Not much on nose; not much on the palate. Linear and flat-lined, with barely any…

Opus One Overture

A product of the 18/19 vintage, which as a blend should be pretty ideal given the successes of those two vintages. Super fruity on nose, with a predominantly black fruited profile overall. On the…

Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst

Black cherry and black raspberry lead the front end. Plum then begins to overpower the profile, becoming plummy and jammy at times. Mid-palate is medium with a round finish that quickly turns…

Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc

Grapefruit and grass dominate here. Medium bodied, with squirts of lime and lemon juice, crunchy white melon, and white rock. Finishes relatively smooth, with a vanillin hint that rounds out the…

Maxem Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

Decidedly richer and rounder than the Cowboy Caviar Silver Eagle served beside it, this UV is hanging in Reno for the weekend with a lushness and brightness that is almost neon-pulsing. The richness…

Maxem Pinot Noir Silver Eagle

The nose is almost feral and wild, like it's gonna blast you with a fistful of Stemmy-McStemminess. Then the palate front-loads the tastebuds with rich berry fruit. There are some rocks and bark that…

Maxem Chardonnay UV Vineyard

California Chardonnay richness catches you first on the front end, but then the acidity rushes to the party and envelops the inside of the cheeks. Amazingly buttery without being buttery or popcorny;…

Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard

Chiseled and focused, with the edges slowly (and I mean slowwwwwly) kinda-rounding toward the finish. Less of a plum profile compared to the Vaso and Onda, this Dana is more about tightly wrapped…

Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Onda

Compared to the 2019 Vaso served in the same lineup, this Onda shows elevated concentration and precision. Some licorice emerges, along with black cherry and plum. There exists some notable…

Vaso Cabernet Sauvignon

Plum and ripe black cherry intermingle with spice and cedar notes, making for a little bit of an old school profile here. The tannins show as slightly elevated, clipping the finish and simplifying…

Vaso Cabernet Sauvignon

A dirt-worshipper funkafication on nose, enough that I would have thought this was a cooked Pegau CdP Reservee. On the palate, biting and nearly fruit-muted, with leather and dusty cherry flavors…

Dom Pérignon Champagne

With some time to dive deeper with another at-home test on this wine, I'm finding I very much appreciate Dom in racier and more focused vintages, to which I believe the long and cooler growing season…

Next of Kyn No~9 Cumulus Vineyard

I've been sitting on this bottle for about 4 years now, and then milking it with a Coravin over the last few months. The final pop and pour was stellar, with the perception of alcohol nearly gone,…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

In the spirit of previous vintages, with quality seemingly ticking up from this Domaine with each iteration of their Les Clos offerings, the 2022 is clean and pure, with an initial blast of reduction…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Grand Cru Château d'Avize, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Zéro

Even better than when I had it at the Domaine in Epernay recently, this latest bottle crushed the at-home test with its beautiful Avize lemony fruit in full display. Perfect balance and cut to match…

Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Though youthfully primary and slightly strict at this stage, the 2019 is packed with sophistication and beautiful potential. It's a serious and stern presentation currently, but it makes its mark…

Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Linear and superficial in execution, with notes of vanilla, cedar, blackberry seed, and currant which struggle to expand or gain depth. Finishes direct, bitter, lean, and without much personality.…

Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon

My notes on this read, "Bright, linear, and higher register than the other non-Rose Champagnes in the lineup. Notably less complex, with a straight shot of strawberry water and chalk on the slightly…

Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut (2015) Les Enfers

Frothy and a little bit convoluted in flavor delineation at first pass, this version of Les Enfers shows off an initial blast of oxidative, sour, and somewhat simple monochromatic fruit. Hints of…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon SongBook

In a blind of 2019 top shelf Napa Cabs, the Songbook held its own with beautiful persistence and push of flavors. The expansion of dark and almost lush fruit was immediate, with an open and giving…

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Anjea Sleeping Lady Vineyard

In a blind with other 2019 Napa Cabs, the Anjea performed especially well; so well in fact, that it was head-to-head with its sibling Voleuse, as well as other heavy hitters like Harlan. Macdonald,…

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon La Voleuse Du Chagrin Geeslin Vineyard

In a blind of 2019 Napa Cabs, this performed exceptional, though it is worth noting that it is undoubtedly young and still sorting itself out. My notes on this bottle read, "More sophisticated and…