Had this with dinner at my friend Dick's house about 4 months ago and I am just catching up with TN. Called the winery and talked to Samantha before drinking and she said decant this 2 hours which I did. I think this could have used 4 hours. We drank this over an hour and it did continue to fill out so I wish I had given it more air.
This was dark fruited with blackberry, black currant, tobacco, spice rack, and a touch of earth with a long finish. This wine went incredibly well with a slow cooked beef roast. While this wine was very good it was a bit overmatched by a 2016 Realm Absurd. I felt the fruit from The Absurd had more depth and polish. In defense of the Vice Versa the Absurd had 3 more years in bottle.
I had drunk a barrel sample of the Vice Versa To Kalon 2 years previous to this and that had more depth and complexity then it did this night. Since drinking this wine 4 months ago I feel the 19's are headed towards a slumber so I would hold off on this bottle or give it a very long slow ox or decant.
Two and a half hour decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, thyme, terra cota, and walnut brownie. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with dusty acidity and a dash of strawberry. Firm, full, grippy, medium intensity tannins on the long finish.
This is god, but very youthful. It’s got a fun, overall dusty quality. It’s not yet refined and likely to be 98-99 points in two years. Unfortunately, I only had the one bottle.
Bella, Vice Versa and Impensata Napa tasting: Notes are similar to my previous note. Top notch wine! Glad I have a few in the cellar. This would make for a good comparison in the future against other BTK wines and maybe even Macdonald.
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Napa day trip (Bella Oaks, Vice Versa, Impensata) (Napa): N: Dark red fruits with top earth. The earth is nicely dried, from the sun during high noon, and not from the lack of water. A sprinkle of pulverized dried oak and a really subtly spiced oak adds complexity to the earth.
P: Dark and dried red fruits with matching earthy profile from the nose and dark pencil lead.
Rating this the same as the rest of the other times I've had this.
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Wow, what a great wine. I opened this to kick off Labor Day Weekend and wanted something next level - this did not disappoint. Went well with takeout pizza from Circles and Squares in Fishtown. I just wish I could afford drinking this all the time. Classic To Kalon.
Slow ox for 8 hours. Decadent and young, this is fleshy, ripe, super powerful and fresh. Lots of floral aromas give way to sweet oak, blackberries and asian spices. Full bodied and teeming with dark chocolate, it's supremely rich and deeply concentrated, with wonderful layers of fruit. Still working though some integration of oak, but otherwise already fun to drink, if massive. Finish is very long and spicy.
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Napa Trip - Trying new wines and meeting new people; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022 (Napa): What a way to start the lineup. Dark red fruits, nice oak and deep pleasant earth. This was drinking very nicely already with great energy. Fruits were dark but this came off as sunny (as in not exactly bright). Seemed to have developed more than the last time I had it. The decanting probably helped a lot here.
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Spring 2022 Dream Napa Trip; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022: Fabulous. Dark fruits, cedar and pine needles. This is a style I can drink all day. Very well structured and indicative of To Kalon at its core.
Return to Napa (MacDonald and Vice Versa): The second wine of the tasting, this had all the sophistication I’d expect in a high end BTK, with a bit more energy and complexity than the GIII. Blue and black berries, black cherries, lost of cassis, dark coffee/dark chocolate, an earthy-floral note, forest floor and a graphite-gravelly finish. A bit richer on the complexity, persistence and intensity scale than the GIII, although in the latter 2 categories, somewhat behind the Mysterons and LPV. An excellent mix of power, elegance and freshness. Drinking really well now, but has definite upside. 96+
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What a treat- wish I would have decanted longer. Not much to add from previous tasting but wow this is a great wine! Went incredible with a filet and will only get better. Would hold for 1-2 more years for the wine to fully integrate. 95+
Epic Napa Trip - Day 3: Tasted at Wheeler Farms - Nose showed mostly cassis, blackberry and black currant and some earth and spice and hints of dark cherry. It also showed the most tertiary flavors of the wines served with plenty of earth, bramble and tobacco to go with the black and blue fruit. There was also some toasty oak and hints of vanilla. This came across as the most structured of the wines, delicious now, but will improve. 94+ to 95 today, but will further improve....great structure to build on! Yes, bought more of this too....that is why I can't go to Napa more than every 20 years!
Napa trip day 3 (Napa): Drank a small glass over 45 minutes at the Wheeler Farms tasting facility with a winery rep. Rose petals, lively red fruit. This was a refreshing divergence from their over the massive Stelzner and Las Piedras from the same vintage.
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I received my 6 bottles of the Vice Versa BTK about 3 weeks ago. This sat in my basement wine cellar and tonight I gave it my tasting. Wow ! Light on the aromatics but in mouth the wine is as CT member CSIMM1161 states as "chewy chocolate chunk"
I get all that and sweet blueberry, plum and even iron in the palette. This is a tremendous wine with depth of flavors that are only in the best wines I have had from Napa. Call it the vineyard "Beckstoffer To Kalon" or perhaps the influence of the wood barrel but this is way up there and deserves its regard as a plus 95 CT score rating. The wine will improve with another 3-5 years of age. Worth every penny at $300 plus per bottle. Rare earth!!
Vice Versa weekend and dinner: Initially, the 2019 To Kalon was a bit reserved (by Napa standards of course) and took a little bit of coaxing after the first pull of the cork. Double-decanted and given over four hours to find its groove, it willingly handed out chewy chocolate chunk, blackberry, blackberry seed, tar, and cassis notes. The front end is a smooth ride, with a slight tannic clamp on the tail. Similar in concentration to the Dr. Crane, if but a bit more serious and less fruity in profile.
Served next to the To Kalon Beatrix, this TK was a hallmark Cabernet Sauvignon from the site, though it currently is a little shy on the soil and lead flavors that I routinely experience from this vineyard. On the final sips, this dropped beautifully into a deeper pitch and hinted at the to-be concentration that is certain to come with aging. The Beatrix was comparatively redder fruited in profile (with the Beatirx’s heavy Cabernet Franc component showing its varietal characteristics to full effect). 97-98+ points for this 2019 To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Vice Versa Wine Dinner: Exceptional, and likely needs a bit more time than the LPV or Crane to fully come into its own. Classic TK notes of cassis fruit, violets, blueberries and fragrant earth. A very focused wine, with excellent acidity and structure. Shows wonderfully layered blue fruit with a regal feel to the integrated and seamless tannins. This is a wine that build momentum as it crosses the palate, slowly expanding and accelerating toward a powerful, spicy and earth driven finish. 98+
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Wow is all I can say! I tasted this at Vice Versa with Samantha in March. This is my 500th tasting note and I top it off with the first 100 pts I have given. I typically don't love To Kalon wines and prefer Dr. Crane and Las Piedras which I had drunk before this wine. I now know what they mean by a skyscraper wine. This wine seemed to reach new heights with every sip. Where the Dr, Crane was rich and hedonistic this was a much more thoughtful, complex wine. Don't get me wrong this had plenty of power but I thought it was much more balanced and seemed more like a Melka wine. This was a 2019 barrel sample. I can't wait to pit the Dr. Crane against the To Kalon from the bottle as these seemed like they would be ready to drink early. My first time drinking at Vice Versa and now my favorite winery.
This was up there with wines of the trip. So immediately accessible - while I didn't have many 2019s, this and the VV Dr. Crane seem to hint that the 2019s should be drank before the 2018s, along with what many vintners also indicated.
Creme de cassis, vanilla, cherry pie, fresh floral petals. Ordered another bottle for the fall. Will be hard not to resist one once they are delivered.
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Exploring 2018s and 2019s in Napa - Spring 2021; 4/18/2021-4/22/2021 (Napa Valley, CA): Final barrel sample. Gorgeous nose and super pronounced floral note with orange blossom and violets. Nice mix of red and black fruits, cherry pie, cassis, a light baking spices including cardamom and vanilla. Super approachable already, with layers of fruit and complexity. Looking forward to seeing this age beautifully.
Dream Trip - Napa On A Mission - All My favorites Plus A Few New Ones; 4/1/2021-4/4/2021 (Napa Valley): Last glass of the pre-arranged pours and like the Dr just before this one, we were in complete shock. There hasn’t been a To Kalon in over a decade that has made me excited to take another sip after another after another and then look at my empty decanter as if it’s the decanter’s fault there isn’t any left. Damn those always ending cool party decanters- they are just so mean.
If this barrel sample, and of course it’s only one sample vs the final blend, tastes anything like the final blend- back the Truck up and never look back. The added parcels, better barrels, ‘19 vintage that just aligns perfectly with To Kalon, continued learnings of the team always striving to get better and better - no idea but wow. This is more Cristal’s sample than WBW’s so we will have to assume it will be a blend of the two or maybe WBW’s will not be included.
They are doing great things, buying & leasing exceptional vineyards and always pushing for greatness and not resting on their latest success. 95 for this barrel sample with 1-3 points in time.
Do yourself a favor and signup for their list, the '19s have elevated this winery to another level.
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Vice Versa '19 Tasting (Wine cave of Vice Versa): Balanced nose of red fruits and forest floor that is good in its own way. Flavors also match the nose completely with dark red fruits and a pleasant earth from a forest floor, with the earth standing out the most.
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First opportunity to taste the 2019 vintage. My impression from this limited experience is it will be less structured and serious than 2018, but opulent, fruit forward and really enjoyable to drink. The comparison to 2014 seems appropriate.
Captivating aromas of creme de cassis, blueberry pie, violets and hints of cedar wood. Full bodied with beautifully layered fruit and spice, this is ripe, fun and wonderfully pure. Black and blue fruit, with fine grained tannins and savory notions on the finish. Super young and primary, but this is excellent. 97-98+
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2/2/2024 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened at The Inn at Little Washington (3 Star Michelin) dinner with wife and great friends.
Decanted about 2 hours by the Somm prior to dinner reservation.
Phenomenal purity of fruit with great Beckstoffer To Kalon power and structure.
Amazing opulence, full-bodied but very light on its feet, hints of melted chocolate, and some floral notes.
Enjoyed with a delicious multi-course meal at The Inn!
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12/12/2023 - RayT Likes this wine: 97 Points
Had this with dinner at my friend Dick's house about 4 months ago and I am just catching up with TN. Called the winery and talked to Samantha before drinking and she said decant this 2 hours which I did. I think this could have used 4 hours. We drank this over an hour and it did continue to fill out so I wish I had given it more air.
This was dark fruited with blackberry, black currant, tobacco, spice rack, and a touch of earth with a long finish. This wine went incredibly well with a slow cooked beef roast. While this wine was very good it was a bit overmatched by a 2016 Realm Absurd. I felt the fruit from The Absurd had more depth and polish. In defense of the Vice Versa the Absurd had 3 more years in bottle.
I had drunk a barrel sample of the Vice Versa To Kalon 2 years previous to this and that had more depth and complexity then it did this night. Since drinking this wine 4 months ago I feel the 19's are headed towards a slumber so I would hold off on this bottle or give it a very long slow ox or decant.
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9/6/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points
Two and a half hour decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, thyme, terra cota, and walnut brownie. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with dusty acidity and a dash of strawberry. Firm, full, grippy, medium intensity tannins on the long finish.
This is god, but very youthful. It’s got a fun, overall dusty quality. It’s not yet refined and likely to be 98-99 points in two years. Unfortunately, I only had the one bottle.
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8/5/2023 - Jhalpern27 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Holy cow 2.5 hr decant, this was on point tonite. This is my favorite wine of the year so far. Amaze balls
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5/11/2023 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bella, Vice Versa and Impensata Napa tasting: Notes are similar to my previous note. Top notch wine! Glad I have a few in the cellar. This would make for a good comparison in the future against other BTK wines and maybe even Macdonald.
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5/11/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:
Napa day trip (Bella Oaks, Vice Versa, Impensata) (Napa): N: Dark red fruits with top earth. The earth is nicely dried, from the sun during high noon, and not from the lack of water. A sprinkle of pulverized dried oak and a really subtly spiced oak adds complexity to the earth.
P: Dark and dried red fruits with matching earthy profile from the nose and dark pencil lead.
Rating this the same as the rest of the other times I've had this.
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12/25/2022 - Artbreadman Likes this wine: 97 Points
Awesome juice. The only reason it isn’t a 99 is I couldn’t wait 3 more years. Better on day two.
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9/2/2022 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow, what a great wine. I opened this to kick off Labor Day Weekend and wanted something next level - this did not disappoint. Went well with takeout pizza from Circles and Squares in Fishtown. I just wish I could afford drinking this all the time. Classic To Kalon.
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5/28/2022 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Slow ox for 8 hours. Decadent and young, this is fleshy, ripe, super powerful and fresh. Lots of floral aromas give way to sweet oak, blackberries and asian spices. Full bodied and teeming with dark chocolate, it's supremely rich and deeply concentrated, with wonderful layers of fruit. Still working though some integration of oak, but otherwise already fun to drink, if massive. Finish is very long and spicy.
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4/11/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 97 Points
Napa Trip - Trying new wines and meeting new people; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022 (Napa): What a way to start the lineup. Dark red fruits, nice oak and deep pleasant earth. This was drinking very nicely already with great energy. Fruits were dark but this came off as sunny (as in not exactly bright). Seemed to have developed more than the last time I had it. The decanting probably helped a lot here.
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4/11/2022 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spring 2022 Dream Napa Trip; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022: Fabulous. Dark fruits, cedar and pine needles. This is a style I can drink all day. Very well structured and indicative of To Kalon at its core.
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3/31/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Return to Napa (MacDonald and Vice Versa): The second wine of the tasting, this had all the sophistication I’d expect in a high end BTK, with a bit more energy and complexity than the GIII. Blue and black berries, black cherries, lost of cassis, dark coffee/dark chocolate, an earthy-floral note, forest floor and a graphite-gravelly finish. A bit richer on the complexity, persistence and intensity scale than the GIII, although in the latter 2 categories, somewhat behind the Mysterons and LPV. An excellent mix of power, elegance and freshness. Drinking really well now, but has definite upside. 96+
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2/5/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a treat- wish I would have decanted longer. Not much to add from previous tasting but wow this is a great wine! Went incredible with a filet and will only get better. Would hold for 1-2 more years for the wine to fully integrate. 95+
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12/7/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Epic Napa Trip - Day 3: Tasted at Wheeler Farms - Nose showed mostly cassis, blackberry and black currant and some earth and spice and hints of dark cherry. It also showed the most tertiary flavors of the wines served with plenty of earth, bramble and tobacco to go with the black and blue fruit. There was also some toasty oak and hints of vanilla. This came across as the most structured of the wines, delicious now, but will improve. 94+ to 95 today, but will further improve....great structure to build on! Yes, bought more of this too....that is why I can't go to Napa more than every 20 years!
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12/7/2021 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Napa trip day 3 (Napa): Drank a small glass over 45 minutes at the Wheeler Farms tasting facility with a winery rep. Rose petals, lively red fruit. This was a refreshing divergence from their over the massive Stelzner and Las Piedras from the same vintage.
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11/30/2021 - tomoem Likes this wine: 97 Points
I received my 6 bottles of the Vice Versa BTK about 3 weeks ago. This sat in my basement wine cellar and tonight I gave it my tasting. Wow ! Light on the aromatics but in mouth the wine is as CT member CSIMM1161 states as "chewy chocolate chunk"
I get all that and sweet blueberry, plum and even iron in the palette. This is a tremendous wine with depth of flavors that are only in the best wines I have had from Napa. Call it the vineyard "Beckstoffer To Kalon" or perhaps the influence of the wood barrel but this is way up there and deserves its regard as a plus 95 CT score rating. The wine will improve with another 3-5 years of age. Worth every penny at $300 plus per bottle. Rare earth!!
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7/27/2021 - csimm wrote: 98 Points
Vice Versa weekend and dinner: Initially, the 2019 To Kalon was a bit reserved (by Napa standards of course) and took a little bit of coaxing after the first pull of the cork. Double-decanted and given over four hours to find its groove, it willingly handed out chewy chocolate chunk, blackberry, blackberry seed, tar, and cassis notes. The front end is a smooth ride, with a slight tannic clamp on the tail. Similar in concentration to the Dr. Crane, if but a bit more serious and less fruity in profile.
Served next to the To Kalon Beatrix, this TK was a hallmark Cabernet Sauvignon from the site, though it currently is a little shy on the soil and lead flavors that I routinely experience from this vineyard. On the final sips, this dropped beautifully into a deeper pitch and hinted at the to-be concentration that is certain to come with aging. The Beatrix was comparatively redder fruited in profile (with the Beatirx’s heavy Cabernet Franc component showing its varietal characteristics to full effect). 97-98+ points for this 2019 To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon.
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7/24/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Vice Versa Wine Dinner: Exceptional, and likely needs a bit more time than the LPV or Crane to fully come into its own. Classic TK notes of cassis fruit, violets, blueberries and fragrant earth. A very focused wine, with excellent acidity and structure. Shows wonderfully layered blue fruit with a regal feel to the integrated and seamless tannins. This is a wine that build momentum as it crosses the palate, slowly expanding and accelerating toward a powerful, spicy and earth driven finish. 98+
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7/20/2021 - RayT Likes this wine: 100 Points
Wow is all I can say! I tasted this at Vice Versa with Samantha in March. This is my 500th tasting note and I top it off with the first 100 pts I have given. I typically don't love To Kalon wines and prefer Dr. Crane and Las Piedras which I had drunk before this wine. I now know what they mean by a skyscraper wine. This wine seemed to reach new heights with every sip. Where the Dr, Crane was rich and hedonistic this was a much more thoughtful, complex wine. Don't get me wrong this had plenty of power but I thought it was much more balanced and seemed more like a Melka wine. This was a 2019 barrel sample. I can't wait to pit the Dr. Crane against the To Kalon from the bottle as these seemed like they would be ready to drink early. My first time drinking at Vice Versa and now my favorite winery.
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5/12/2021 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Napa 2021 Trip; 5/10/2021-5/13/2021 (Napa Valley, CA): Final barrel sample blend of the BTK.
This was up there with wines of the trip. So immediately accessible - while I didn't have many 2019s, this and the VV Dr. Crane seem to hint that the 2019s should be drank before the 2018s, along with what many vintners also indicated.
Creme de cassis, vanilla, cherry pie, fresh floral petals. Ordered another bottle for the fall. Will be hard not to resist one once they are delivered.
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4/19/2021 - ffzhang Likes this wine: 97 Points
Exploring 2018s and 2019s in Napa - Spring 2021; 4/18/2021-4/22/2021 (Napa Valley, CA): Final barrel sample. Gorgeous nose and super pronounced floral note with orange blossom and violets. Nice mix of red and black fruits, cherry pie, cassis, a light baking spices including cardamom and vanilla. Super approachable already, with layers of fruit and complexity. Looking forward to seeing this age beautifully.
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4/3/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dream Trip - Napa On A Mission - All My favorites Plus A Few New Ones; 4/1/2021-4/4/2021 (Napa Valley): Last glass of the pre-arranged pours and like the Dr just before this one, we were in complete shock. There hasn’t been a To Kalon in over a decade that has made me excited to take another sip after another after another and then look at my empty decanter as if it’s the decanter’s fault there isn’t any left. Damn those always ending cool party decanters- they are just so mean.
If this barrel sample, and of course it’s only one sample vs the final blend, tastes anything like the final blend- back the Truck up and never look back. The added parcels, better barrels, ‘19 vintage that just aligns perfectly with To Kalon, continued learnings of the team always striving to get better and better - no idea but wow. This is more Cristal’s sample than WBW’s so we will have to assume it will be a blend of the two or maybe WBW’s will not be included.
They are doing great things, buying & leasing exceptional vineyards and always pushing for greatness and not resting on their latest success. 95 for this barrel sample with 1-3 points in time.
Do yourself a favor and signup for their list, the '19s have elevated this winery to another level.
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2/27/2021 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Vice Versa '19 Tasting (Wine cave of Vice Versa): Balanced nose of red fruits and forest floor that is good in its own way. Flavors also match the nose completely with dark red fruits and a pleasant earth from a forest floor, with the earth standing out the most.
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2/6/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 97 Points
First opportunity to taste the 2019 vintage. My impression from this limited experience is it will be less structured and serious than 2018, but opulent, fruit forward and really enjoyable to drink. The comparison to 2014 seems appropriate.
Captivating aromas of creme de cassis, blueberry pie, violets and hints of cedar wood. Full bodied with beautifully layered fruit and spice, this is ripe, fun and wonderfully pure. Black and blue fruit, with fine grained tannins and savory notions on the finish. Super young and primary, but this is excellent. 97-98+
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