Though there is still some transition happening here, it appears to be headed in the right direction. After some swirling in the glass following the initial pull of the cork, this big boy quickly…
Wild berry jubilee, cassis, cinnamon, and vanilla Schnapps dominate the profile here. In my previous note a couple of years ago, I characterized the initial experience of this wine as having "a…
A smooth operator with a cool blackberry, plum, and black cherry core that is flanked by flecks of raspberry and purple licorice notes (.no need to ask me what purple licorice tastes like. I have no…
A rockstar virtuoso with a Hall & Oats soft soul (or perhaps One Republic - for you Gen Z'er hipsters out there), the Pichon-Longueville Baron presents lovely round edges that caress the black cherry…
So here I am again, in direct violation of my own advice. Even in my last tasting note on this wine, I explicitly said, "Don't make the mistake of just opening this cuz some wine-geek friend of yours…
Boy, this thing was popping off like a fruity Napa cherry bomb for the first few hours of consumption. And...the heat wouldn't quit. Frankly, it was a bit blasted and kinda wonky on first pass.…
Dry and astringent on the initial pull of the cork (we must be in Italy?!), but with about three hours of a decant with a hold on the temperature at a consistent 50-52 degrees, this beauty fans-out…
Well now, here is a minx that starts out flirty and plush as soon as it sits down on the barstool. "Hey there sailor," with a cordial grin and a flip of the hair makes for fruity purple palate…
Less overtly exuberant and much more of a "cooler" feel to it than the 2017, the 2016 carries an older world restraint that presents a balanced and suave profile, especially for such a young wine;…
It'll come to no surprise that my recommendation to anyone holding bottles is to wait at least 6-7+ years before expecting the total zenith consumption time for this Syrah-dominant youngster (I'm…
Cranberry water, twigs, green peppercorns, and faint citrus rind. Fairly diluted and also a bit bitter. Lacks depth and complexity. Wait for a few years if you are holding bottles in hopes it fattens…
Someone forgot to tell the Viognier that there was supposed to be Syrah in here, with the floral components masking the overly delicate "berry" fruit desperately struggling to show some Syrah…
Lean and a bit mean, with the stem inclusion piercing the cranberry and pomegranate-water core. A prickly showing, and one that is slightly more complex than the Fog Eater, but much more…
If you've been on a quest for an awesomesauce inoculation of huckleberry Hubba Bubba mainlined into your flavor muzzle, the Turtle Rock G2 may very well be the Forever 27 yurple drank syzzurp that'll…
Checking in on this wine after a couple of years, I was somewhat surprised how agreeable it was showing. There is a gentle firmness encapsulating the steeped plum and black cherry flavors, but the…
Primary and fairly straight forward right now, with a linear expression of the varietal. Unripe crunchy plum, pomegranate seed, Concord grape, and raspberry seed dominate the profile. Next-to-no…
PnP, which was a mistake. A good amount of heat right out of the gate. This bottle was reluctant to let the fruit loose from its youthfully angular frame. A lot of power here that currently overrides…
Serious business here, with a dark and gravelly profile that strikes both chiseled and black sappy chords. This could use another year or three to fully resolve and unwind, but with a decent decant,…
Seemingly shut down and strikingly less exuberant than its flashier showing back in 2019. Best advice is to leave this alone for a few years. It's a $20 buck chuck (or 'Charles' I suppose, since we…
A pleasant but fairly restrained and primary showing, this 2016 presents a lighter mid-palate concentration that, though showing light on its feet and airy, holds its cards back with limited fruit…
Day 1 was a solid showing once it crawled out of its shell after a few hours of air. The nose was pretty skunky initially and the fruit slightly reserved, but the budding complexity was notable. Cork…
