Unripe red raspberry, sour red cherry, green peppercorn, and plum skin notes present as painfully young, holding the fruit back a thousand yards from expansion. With vigorous swirling in the glass,…
Sour red cherry, dust, and bitter bark. Light and linear, with a complete drop-off on the finish. Not a ton going on here except some sour and bitter notes competing with some light-bodied red fruit…
Not sure the deal here. A strong bitterness, with blackberry seed and an acrimonious pasty finish that paws at the palate and leaves a furry texture in the mouth. A concerning showing.
Slightly yeastier, richer, and more oxidative than, for example, the 169 (which has recently renewed my faith in the Krug eme series - or at least given the 2013 base used in the 169), this 166…
From the Rock Block series, the 2018 Magic Nights is the latest iteration of this compelling succession. Black berry and mineral notes are beautifully weighted, with a mid-palate that brings on the…
I could cut and paste most of my tasting notes for the 2019 Songbook and place them along with the beautiful 2018, with the exception of the slightly dialed-back ostentatiousness displayed with the…
This became the house Champagne for the night. A solid performer and a serious ground pounder for those who are into just gettin' yer party on. Just don't serve it next to a 2013 Cristal. That can be…
Though I was admittedly less drawn to the second vintage iterations of the Allbaer collection (they were not PS), I continue to love this inaugural representation of the brand, finding the Un Petit…
This continues to perform like the molten mineral-laced black asphalt blackberry bitter-chocolate baby you all know and love. It's as flashy and opulent as LPV can get without sacrificing focus and…
Boy oh boy, here we go with the blackberry biggin of biggins. I was instantly reminded of the 2019 Bevan Crane, with the oak and the coffee and the riiiiich berry fruit.and the oak. I suppose there…
Though there was a certain group who preferred the 2016 Venge served next to the 2013, I appreciated the extra tension the 2013 provided. For me, the 2013 and 2016 couldn't be more different. For…
This comes off as big and brash, with a mid-palate that wants to desperately go deeper but is stifled by the sense of booze and grainy grippiness. Crunchy blackberry seeds, chocolate cake batter, and…
Similar to my note on January 4, 2022 (more info than you probably need to know in that note), the Estate Cuvee shows much more complex and reachable than the bruiser boy Côte-à-Côte. Where the…
A bit less gushing than the Profuga and a bit more muted on the finish (gently clipped by some unresolved wood and acid - which I personally don't mind for the purpose of cradling the ripe and…
As was before when I sampled this last year, the Profuga is a wonderfully deep and unctuous outpouring of dark berry, black spice, and fresh earth goodness. Darker than the 2019 Distenta I Grenache…
There is a celestial weightlessness with this wine that highlights its ability to be both powerful and harmonious. Textbook Grenache flavors of kirsch, red and black cherry, garrigue, and herbs are…
Balanced and seamless are the two most apt descriptors here, with an almost creamy texture that glides the luscious lemon flavors along the palate with graceful cadence. This is not an especially…
Initially a red berry and cedar dominant profile, which quickly gave way to vivacious black cherry, spice, gravel, and faint hints of Italian seasoning (dried thyme and oregano). The spice and cedar…
Ready, giving, luscious, chewy, and a big polar bear hug of black berries and chocolate chunk goodness that doesn't skip a beat in terms of textural dreaminess and seamlessness. The 2012 Harlan's…
Day One: Balled up, spun up, angry, and.angry. A double-decant for a few hours prior and a constant house arrest monitoring/revisiting over another five hours did nothing to nudge this stubborn…
