Reviews

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Arguably the best wine in the lineup (though the 2016 Quintvs was stylistically more in my wheelhouse), the 2016 Adamvs is a stallion of a wine. Massive dark berry and meaty flavors are interplay…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

The front end on the 2015 Adamvs shows quite a bit of plush and deep fruit flavor as it immediately gushes over the palate and forms a wave of mixed berry and dark earth elements. A half second…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs

The 2018 is a somewhat softer version of the 2016 Quintvs, which really just means it wasn't as much of a powerhouse as the 2016. The 2018 is rounder in the mouth, with more succulent blackberry and…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs

Hands-down my favorite Quintvs of the lineup, with a depth and purity that truly delivers all the goods with one gorgeous gulp. The 2016s at this address are phenomenal, and the Quintvs showcases it…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs

Well, I asked for some tension and I got some tension. The 2015 is tighter and more linear than the 2014. This is indeed a long-hauler, with quite the grippy frame. More herbal and exacting on the…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs

A noticeable step up from the Teres, the Quintvs (pronounced Quintus, by the way - this house uses the "v" as a "u" FYI. A helpful hint from your pal csimm so you don't walk around saying "Adam-vs"…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Teres

Along the same lines as the 2016, this 2018 has a fuller mouthfeel and some dark power to counterbalance the grainy frame. The 2018 displays some of the mineral-inflect tannic spine as the 2013, but…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Teres

The vintage here does the Teres all the favors in the world, with initially a tight front end, but with requisite power to throttle the fruit and push it forward so that it can compete with the…

Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Teres

Tight, linear, and a bit spicy, the 2013 Teres shows some of the stern hallmarks of the vintage. With air, red and black currants, herbs, unripe raspberries, and dusty earth emerge. Finishes with…

001 Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Ecotone Vineyard

A new project by Jack Bittner, with Graeme Macdonald as winemaker, the 2019 001 (double-O[oh]-one) will be the inaugural wine from prime plots on the Ecotone site. Jack was gracious enough to meet us…

Patrick Piuze Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte de Bouqueyreaux

This was a bit sluggish on the first day. Lemon drop and yellow citrus notes slink around olive oil and grilled lemon rind flavors, making for a succulent but somewhat tensionless showing. Finishes…

Château d'Yquem

A super-duper young pup that is all about acid and freshness. Higher register yellow citrus and stone fruits, but with the signature Yquem herbal and flowery notes that immediately add interest. The…

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Huh. This was. initially pretty perplexing. Round and uber-plush. Displayed pretty yummy black and blue fruit that was indeed tasty, but lacked the extra frame and tension to keep things moving and…

Château Trotanoy

I had been playing the Coravin game with this wine for a few months before finally opening the bottle tonight. It was a coiled-up beast with a super driven acid-tension thing going on that was ultra…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

(If you want the punchline, skip all the drivel and just go to the last sentence at the bottom of this lingual mess I've created here).

Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

As before, I found this bottle compelling. I will say that it takes some time to come around, and with a fair amount of decant-type coaxing and swirling in the glass acrobatics, it starts to really…

Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard

Ok, so it has now gotten to the point where it infuriates me every time I have a Colgin. I mean, does every bottle always have to stomp on everything else around it due to its supreme awesomeness?!…

Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine

The 2016 Cedric Bouchard Val Vilaine hasn't changed much since my knocking back a previous bottle three years ago. This bottle was perhaps a bit more vibrant than I recall, where the grilled lemon…

Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Michael Mara Sonoma Coast

Putting on the California shades and temporarily leaving Champagne in the rear view mirror, I get a real sense of what this sparkler is trying to convey, which is basically, let me be me. Every time…

Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

At Restaurant Auberge du Bois Prin, Chamonix, France.

Deutz Champagne Amour de Deutz Brut

At Restaurant Matafan, Chamonix, France.

Lucien Le Moine Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières

At Restaurant Omnia, Zermatt, Switzerland.

Jacques Selosse Initial

At Restaurant After Seven, Backstage Hotel, Zermatt, Switzerland.

Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru VP

At Restaurant Alpine Gourmet Prato Borni, Zermatt, Switzerland.

Egly-Ouriet Champagne Premier Cru Les Vignes de Vrigny

At Restaurant Alpine Gourmet Prato Borni, Zermatt, Switzerland.