Reviews

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

Ripe. Sweet. .And ripe.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

It's been a few years since I last visited this wine. It drinks smooth and plush for the most part, with little bits of air helping it stretch its legs. The profile hasn't changed much, with black…

Kinsman Eades Syrah Aberro Bien Nacido Block Z

Decanted for approximately three hours, which seemed to yield good results considering how impatient I was to crack the cap on this bottle and see what all the fuss was about.

La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium

Blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, soil, and graphite dominate, with more power and darker fruit than the Red Hen served beside it, the 2018 Alluvium is a bit of a monster. Still, there is…

La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium

This 2021 is a powerful and driven specimen, with sweet, ripe, and dark fruit interweaving with a pronounced propulsion of candied raspberry and cassis notes. The finish is incredibly loooong.…

La Pelle Syrah Bien Nacido Block X

Same as before, with perhaps a more saline purple people eater sea monster from from the shores of St Joseph (that is, if St. Joseph had shores). Super spicy, with black and white pepper, bark, and…

Château Valandraud

I had much to gush about with this 2016 back when I had it in April. My notes still ring true for the most part, but this bottle was a bit more reserved. Clearly, 2016 is a solid vintage for…

Château Valandraud

When in St. Emilion recently, there were a lot of wineries and wine shops pushing out their 2011s, declaring that the vintage had come around and was in a great drinking window. Honestly, I always…

Château Valandraud L'Interdit de Valandraud

The story on this wine (and the subsequent marketing and price push) is more interesting than the wine itself. Essentially, the wine had to be labeled "L'Interdit" because plastic wrap was used in…

Château Valandraud Virginie de Valandraud

A just fine, fun-ish, easy going, smooth, simple, kinda fruity, BBQ on a sunny May afternoon kind of wine. Don't think about it. Nothing for me to seek out necessarily, but it's ok if you just want…

Château Valandraud

The 2006 is a bit reserved, and even tired along its execution of red and some black fruit flavors, with a shorter than expected finish. A 2009 eclipsed this by a mile. The 2006's freshness was…

Château Valandraud

A compelling bottle of wine. In great spot, with smooth tannins but great grip, relaxing just enough to allow the dark and somewhat earthy fruit come in. This obliterated a 2006 Valandraud next to…

Château Valandraud

I was able to try two separate bottles side by side at the estate. The first was a fresh PnP and the other had been open in bottle for 16 hours.

Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes

Red and purple berry, pine needle, stems, pomegranate, and unripe plum. A little tight at first, but this opens up nicely with some swirling in the glass. Still, I'd give this a few more years to…

Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie

Super duper uber primary, with some discernible floral, smoke, bacon, unripe blackberry, and berry seed notes. The viognier component is overly strong at the moment. Don't touch these for at least…

La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon

Offering even more profundity than when I last sampled this in April, the 2019 "standard" Cabernet from La Pelle is comprised of deeply pitched black/red raspberry fruit, chocolate, and plum notes;…

La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hen Vineyard

Red and black cherry flavors, with powdery tannins that provide requisite frame and speed without becoming too constraining or superficial, the 2018 Red Hen is a beautiful wine. I personally am drawn…

Next of Kyn No~13 Cumulus Vineyard

Coravin'd over a few weeks here and there and opened the bottle after about half was remaining. A total smooth operator. It's big but it's silky smooth and airy. Blackberry, purple plum, pen ink,…

Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière

Obviously too young, but with a fun kick of red raspberry and candied black and red cherry flavors to compliment some interesting orange peel and spice notes. Primary indeed, but already decent depth…

M. Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite

I thought this was good, but a tad forgettable. Dark red fruit intermingles with grainy earth and cedar elements. There is a muddled black cherry note that permeates throughout the profile, adding…

Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

This was great, but it has a decent tannic spine that really keeps everything on the straight and narrow throughout most of consumption. Blackberry seed, unripe purple plum and black cherry,…

Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

From magnum. I hate to say it, but this was too young. And this is coming from someone who isn't necessarily a dirt worshiper or lover of cobwebby red wines. This was tight and tannic at first, with…

Clos Fourtet

At Vignobles et Chateaux, St. Emilion.

Clos Fourtet

At Vignobles et Chateaux, St. Emilion.

Château Pavie Macquin

At Vignobles et Chateaux, St. Emilion.