Dark and dense fruit laced with a perception of alcohol clouding the finish, this bottle needed the better half of an hour to blow of a bit of heat. Black cherry, date, muddled black raspberry,…
What a brilliant combination of red cherry, pomegranate, and strawberry fruit, as well as more earthy notes of bark, dry tea leaf, and stem. There is a brambly characteristic that has Dujac written…
Berry liqueur, red and black raspberry and cherry, licorice, and hints of earth, this vintage of Crane has hallmark Vice Versa power, but is downshifted a bit compared to other vintages. There is a…
It’s been five years since I’ve last cracked open one of these bottles. Holy bazoonga; this is a lightening strike of a wine right now! In its current state, the 2019 TK is in SpaceX mode, with a…
Though the 2016 and 2019 have consistently outperformed other recent vintages of Spottswoode, this 2018 offers a pretty display of red and black currant, red cherry, cedar spice, and dry mulch. Faint…
A maybe “ok” Cabernet, with red and black fruit, wood, and some earth. The fruit fades toward the back end and dilutes on the tail, with lingering tannins and a bit of heat on the finish. Lacks…
I decided to Coravin another sample over the past few months and I gotta say this is a compelling bottle of wine, especially once some slow O2 gets ahold of it and methodically injects a lovely sense…
A mix of red and black cherry, baking spices, pomegranate juice, cinnamon stick, and black raspberry, the 2022 Cirq is fresh and bright, but also hints at a haunting, darker shade that adds a layer…
Red cherry, muddled strawberry, rhubarb, dried cranberry, earth, and dried pink roses. Medium intensity, but with firm focus. A bit rustic and a touch superficial overall, but ultimately clean with…
Sweet and ripe red raspberry, with bright red cherry and potpourri spice punching along the delivery. Some bits of orange peel and cranberry offer focus.
Heady and rich, but with a beautiful freshness that catapults the gorgeous dark fruit across the palate and then pauses in the perfect place, saturating and gushing with black and red berry flavors.…
Red fruited, with some bricking evident, this shows a softer, more rustic side of California Cabernet. Compared to other wines in the blind (both Napa and BDX), this was surely older school in…
Dark fruit and gravel, with a drying effect that signals another decade+ is needed to get into full consumption mode here. Both dark and higher register cherry notes, with mineral elements washing…
This is my fourth time sampling this beauty, and it is as consistent as the day is long; the 2020 Cheval Blanc is all about class and refinement, with perfectly defined red and purple berry flavors…
A great showing, and one that shows off the focus and finesse of this wine. Last year, the 2019 Promontory was kicking out some pyrazine and wood notes that are less apparent in this bottle. A bit…
A gobstopper of lush fruit, plush fruit, gushing fruit, and ripe fruit, the Memento Mori VHR is a lot of. fruit. Luckily there are soil elements that provide focus and direction here, but there is no…
A compelling VHR, and one that carries a perfect combination of structure, intensity, and flavor. It's a serious presentation at first pass, but it relaxes enough to allow lovely dark fruit and earth…
The immediacy of flavor here is compelling, with the 2022 vintage marking a Scarecrow that will be offering up the goods sooner than later. It may not be the most profound when compared to more…
Fresh and floral, this vintage of Lafleur may not have the sheer intensity or density of other vintages, but its refinement and lift are unmatchable. Red and purple berry, bushels of pink and white…
Pleasant and tasty, with Pott's restraint and less bodacious style making for a bit of a drying profile in this vintage. I appreciate the balance here, with dusty red and purple plum flavors offering…
Red and black cherry, cassis, vanilla, and some spice. An interplay of red and black fruit, with some mineral elements to add interest. Fruity and rounded on the finish. A good effort considering the…
Less oaky than the previous bottle a few months ago, this 2018 has a nice glide after being open for a few hours (in bottle). That said, it was next to the mega bomb 2022 OG, which was blasting out…
This is much more amalgamated than the 2022 OG (which is pretty brash and loud at the moment). Without question, the F.RED is a biggin' that busts out with black and deep red liqueur driven fruit.…
Loud and proud, with the booze element front and center at the moment. Blackberry liqueur, Chambord, black and dark red cherry, and bitter chocolate. A super flavor bomb that needs time to settle…
Distinctly Tench in style, with black and red cherry, black and red licorice, dust, crushed roses, red rock, and spice, the Calixtro is a young pup for sure, but it is swirling with fun flavors.…
