Reviews

Château Clinet

It's compacted. It's tight. It's grippy. But it possesses a compelling blackberry and licorice core that lets it be known its stuffing will deliver pleasure come 5-7+ years. Some limestone, black…

Château Gazin Rocquencourt

Plum, blackberry juice, clove, and some rocky earth. More lithe and lean than I'd personally prefer concentration and weight-wise, but the flavors were nice and agreeable overall. Not too much acidic…

Enclos Tourmaline

Starting off with a kung-fu kick of plum skin and pomegranate, the Enclos Tourmaline brings a quick pucker factor to the front end of its attack, nearly skipping the mid-palate and racing straight…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Given all of the xenophobic ribbing and hate emails I've been receiving about my recent espionage and shadow surveillance into Bordeaux and other Eurocentric wine regions, I finally succumbed to…

Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes

Taut and driven, but relaxes its grip just enough to allow the red and black fruit to expand on the palate without clamping down too much. Red raspberry, sweet pomegranate seed, red and black cherry,…

Château Cos d'Estournel Les Pagodes de Cos

It took about 2-3 hours in a decanter to show any real signs of life, and even then it was a Simple-Simon overall. Not bad by any stretch, but fairly pedestrian and not a whole lot of distinguishable…

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Black currant, licorice, and earthy spice start out on the front end on the initial attack, with dark black cherry, cassis, espresso foam, pencil lead, tobacco, embers, and scorched earth emerging…

Château Prieuré-Lichine

A gorgeous bottle of wine with a bangin' QPR to boot (which I'm probably letting influence me to some degree in terms of scoring - maybe even 95-96+? This punches WAY above its league). Totally…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

Either it's in a plummy mood, or I'm in an anti-plummy mood. Maybe a combination of both I guess. So........ it was plummy.

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Cautionary Tale

As it's always been, the Cautionary Tale is a Vegas Bionic Cowgirl machine that pumps out Spice Girl sultry to the nth degree. It's loud and splayed on the toasted spice and saturated and sappy on…

Château Durfort-Vivens

Really, really ripe (almost to the point of funky) warm plum/prune, overly muddled and saturated blackberry and black raspberry, red and black currant, soil, cassis, and subtle wet cedar. Has enough…

Château Vrai Canon Bouché

Ripe black raspberry, juicy plum, and some subtle earth lead the medium-to-full-bodied delivery of this saturating and juicy specimen. It's fairly simple overall, finishing a little abrupt; still,…

Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo

Black cherry, black currant, black raspberry, black plum, Chinese five spice, anise, tobacco leaf, sandstone, and some leather. At once, dark, unctuous, and just slightly thick, and then effortless…

Clos Fourtet

Blackberry, deep black raspberry, black currant, black licorice, espresso, dark spice, scortched earth, and chewy dark chocolate. Hedonistic without ever being heavy or burdensome. A perfect…

Château du Retout

Blackberry, black cherry, and some earthy rock. Medium bodied with a slightly saturated delivery. Decent weight here, layering-on some bitter chocolate notes with air. Finishes medium and somewhat…

Château Fortin Plaisance

Black currant, black and red cherry, leather, cedar, and some earth. Lighter weight, with a watery mouthfeel and an alcoholic-laced delivery that makes for a bit of an awkward execution. It's not a…

Château La Tour de Bessan

A pretty good value at $25-ish bucks, but slightly more juvenile and angular than some other Bordeaux in that bargain category. Served next to a 2016 Meyney and a 2016 Vieux Chateau Palon, both of…

Château Meyney

Wild dark berry fruit, black soil, black rocky scortched earth, mocha, and some sappy cassis. Quite the mouthful on initial entry, but some nicely executed red and black cherry and dark raspberry…

Vieux Château Palon

Very similar to a Meyney served beside it, with ripe, dark berry fruit heading up the front end delivery. Deep and saturated by Bordeaux metrics and perhaps a bit of an abomination by purist…

Château La Fleur Peyrabon

Red and black currant, tobacco leaf, subtle spice, and some earth, this delivers some decent flavors but can't hit the target on weight and depth. Finishes with lingering alcohol that further stomps…

Château La Prade Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

So what's worth noting here is the QPR at $17 bucks. For what it delivers, it's stupid not to have a stash in hand for your friends that could give a crap about wine, but you don't want to suffer by…

Château d'Aiguilhe

Plump blackberry, red and black cherry, chocolate, and some mocha. A bit of earth circles around the core. A slight tinge of alcohol on the finish, but otherwise a giving and ample base rate…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

Bordeaux vs. Tuscany vs. USA:

Château Troplong Mondot

Bordeaux vs. Tuscany vs. USA:

Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT

Bordeaux vs. Tuscany vs. USA: