The first line on my notes reads, “Of course. Why wouldn’t 2019 be epic?! It’s like it’s not even fair to any other wine on the table.” …though, in fairness, I will admit there was a bottle with some final splashes of 2019 Kinsman Voleuse that made its way to dinner which gave the Macdonald some competition. I mean, a dinner with Macdonald and Kinsman at the table?! I’m alllllllll good! You all can pound your other 20 bottles circulating amongst the crown; I’ll just nestle up to these two bottles of pure nectar and call it a wrap.
This 2019 Macdonald is a lights-out phenomenal wine and is as about as exuberant as any young Macdonald I’ve had. Exploding with blackberry, bitter chocolate, dark plum, black licorice, and a striking black rock minerality that surges through the core, each sip just gets better and better, more honed, more focused, and more complex. I can easily call this as the best 2019 I’ve had out of Napa (again, with the ’19 La Vol. nipping at its heels, if not equal in awesomeness in its own right). A much more party-ready showing than I’m used to with this house, taking into consideration that Alex had performed his usual double decant gymnastics 8 hours earlier to shake and bake this chicken fried blockbuster into a primed princess.
The finish on this just Does-Not-Quit…ever. Usually, I’ve been enamored by previous vintages of Macdonald mostly because of their abilities to stay so honed and focused, with a serious, almost edgy side that is so compelling. Here, with the 2019, we once again find this prominent posture in the profile, but I can’t help but be pulled to the explicit splendor and fiery brilliance of this wine as well. It wants to show off in every way, but without sacrificing its methodological moniker of polish and refinement. I often am more enthralled and awe-struck with Macdonald wines than I am ravenous for them in a gluttonous flavor-hound way. But I gotta tell ya, there’s some real indulgence here. Make no mistake, this 2019 will still snipe you like the Mossad operator it is, but you’ll also find it partying under the Iron Dome at any given club in Tel Aviv, garbed in digital camo fatigues, strapped with an Uzi, and always on the watch for Hezbollah, but also dancing it up ‘til dawn.
As per usual, when the allocation comes out, snatch what you can. Snatch them all. And if you don’t because inflation’s got cha down or you’re saving money to buy formula for your baby or something, call me and I’ll pilfer your bottles so fast I’ll gladly throw out my back out undercutting your allocation. (Just kidding; not really).
Note: We had the 2019 a few days earlier from the 2016 and 2018 Macdonald. The 2016 took nearly two days to finally blossom into a murderously killer wine. The 2018 was already drinking well after a 4-hour double decant, showing just a touch less flash than the 2019.
This dude was ready to go in so many ways, even with relatively limited decanting acrobatics. Double-decanted a few hours before consumption and then followed over the course of 4-5 additional hours, the 2018 Macdonald was one of the wines of the night. (When is it not, really?!) Served directly next to the 2016 Macdonald, this 2018 made its older sibling look like an angry stepsister. The 2016 was all needles and sharp rocks the whole night (and didn’t let up until almost two days later, where only then did it become a firestorm of awesomeness – The 2018 was gone by the end of the first night and would have been gone sooner if some much-needed regulating wasn’t going on, what with all the hand-grabbing going on). The 2018 had a curvy voluptuousness to its core that was surrounded by its typical secured perimeter of army soldier resilience and deft cut. An attention-grabber to be sure.
This is a dark, black wine, reminding me a bit of a 2018 Poetry, with a gravelly circumference perfectly housing its melted obsidian-laced berry nucleus. The mid-palate is so energized while also achieving depth and concentration, with the intensity zooming off to a finish that seemingly goes on for over a minute. The frame comes more in the form of minerality than it does in perceived acidity, with the rock elements firing off again on the back end and clenching down on the tail. While accessible, it still reminds you that there is a decent amount of lying horizontal that needs to happen in order to fully reach its zenith of performance. Not a shame to open now with a little air-jockeying, but preferably a wine to hold for another 6++ years.
Day One: Balled up, spun up, angry, and…angry. A double-decant for a few hours prior and a constant house arrest monitoring/revisiting over another five hours did nothing to nudge this stubborn yokel. Norman is having a very, very bad day, mother is most displeased, and it’s the Psycho shower scene all over again.
Day Two: Refer to Day One. “Do you want to go to war Balake?!” ….insubordinate, …and churlish…
Day Three: If there was ever an answer to the incarceration and rehabilitation debate, the 2016 Macdonald proves that time behind bars coupled with a little criminal justice reform (aka: freedom air) does work in some cases. Of course, I should never have doubted my beloved Macdonald, but I was having serious boo-boo lip when we first sampled this wine. You all know that feeling when you impatiently crack the skull on a favored bottle and the first sip is like, “Uh-Oh. I just made a big mistake.” And the second sip, and the third, …and the fourteenth… give you even less hope that anything worthy will come from your ill-planned endeavor. Well, it’s a mistake until it’s not, and once this took off, it TOOK OFF!
Black berry everything is sliced and diced with edgy obsidian and gravelly soil, with signature melted black licorice and even some bitter chocolate notes that make for a super compelling showing…finally. Treat this 2016 the same way you might treat some Napa brickhouse 2013s that are indeed destined to be the best wines of generations but need a ton of time to fully show every bit of the marvelousness they possess. This is my fifth tasting note with the 2016 Macdonald over the last four years. This is the most shut down I have experienced it. So, perhaps this is an indicator that even more time will be required. By 2030, I anticipate this wine will be not only epic, but will go down as one of the best wines produced in Napa in decades. It’s a marathon wine for sure. Those who have bottles and don’t plan on getting in a helicopter crash in the next 8 years will be handsomely rewarded for their patience here.
Impossible to evaluate numerically on Days 1 & 2. Day 3 was in that 97-99+ point range.
Ready, giving, luscious, chewy, and a big polar bear hug of black berries and chocolate chunk goodness that doesn’t skip a beat in terms of textural dreaminess and seamlessness. The 2012 Harlan’s execution is textbook and flawless, with a harmonious unfolding of super rich (not heavy) and deep fruit, black soil, and dark spice notes. The concentration is unmatched here, with a smooth operator stance that is so sensual it’s almost too perfect and polished. The perception of acid here is lower; I wouldn’t categorize this as an extremely “powerful” wine in its current state, as any alcohol or over front-end push has been fully integrated, found a tremendously even glide, and adding even more to the suave and velvety profile.
Ten years from vintage, this wine is open for business right now. Sure, it has the ability to age further, but for my taste, I’d consider reaping the benefits in the near-term. The freshness-to-richness equilibrium is on-point today. An impressive showing. My third time with the 2012 Harlan and once again a truly beautiful performance.
Interestingly, a wine that was doing everything it could to outshine the Harlan was the 2016 Eisele, which was quite the turbo-engine. The two wines are obviously in different life stages and built a bit differently, but the energy and spunk on the Eisele was quite the attention-grabber, with some even favoring the Eisele at times for its seemingly unmatched tenacity. I went back and forth as to which one I liked better, well, until the 2018 Macdonald came along and walk the talk of the town. Ultimately, I defaulted to not having to pick a favorite among some of these wines. All winners.
Initially a red berry and cedar dominant profile, which quickly gave way to vivacious black cherry, spice, gravel, and faint hints of Italian seasoning (dried thyme and oregano). The spice and cedar elements jive well with a bit of dry earth, adding frame and complexity to the red/black core. The liveliness and thoughtful acid placement brings the whole package into perfection.
I would say this is on par with the 2018, with the darker fruit and perhaps slightly more complex profile inching out the 2016 for me, but there really is no question that both vintages are superb. The 2018 (to which I had a few days prior) took some time to open up. This 2016 was fun and jumpy much earlier on. Though I would certainly say wait another 4+ years on this 2016, it still has the capacity to reward for anyone looking for some instant-ish gratification. Even more room to grow here. Awesome potential. One of my top wines of the night (and that’s with Harlan and Macdonald in the room).
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Balanced and seamless are the two most apt descriptors here, with an almost creamy texture that glides the luscious lemon flavors along the palate with graceful cadence. This is not an especially zingy or intense showing; it’s more about elegance and polish, as in the epitome of elegance and polish. Sophisticated and regal in most every way.
I was searching for an extra gear here, but perhaps that might have disrupted its perfect float of an execution. This wine spoke more to my preference for a bit more acid perception and dynamism in my white Burgs than it did to any flaw in the wine (which was pretty impossible to find). I mean, I thoroughly adored the glossy texture here and superb symmetry.
There is a celestial weightlessness with this wine that highlights its ability to be both powerful and harmonious. Textbook Grenache flavors of kirsch, red and black cherry, garrigue, and herbs are coated with a thin shield of booze that keeps the full expansion of flavor and depth from developing to their fullest potentials. This shows as such a young pup, it’ll likely be another 5+ years before it reaches its apex. For now, it is certainly fresh and complete, with near-flawless structure and breadth. The only thing missing here for me is time to get into it’s final gear.
The 2018 SQN Profuga and 2019 SQN Distenta I Grenaches showed as much more saturated and hedonistic when compared to the still-in-transition 2012 Rattrapante Eleven Confessions. The former two may shut down at some point (though it currently seems like they will always be pleasure givers), but they were much more showy than the slow-burn 2012.
As was before when I sampled this last year, the Profuga is a wonderfully deep and unctuous outpouring of dark berry, black spice, and fresh earth goodness. Darker than the 2019 Distenta I Grenache and much more hedonistic than a 2012 Eleven Confessions Rattrapante Grenache served next to it, the Profuga continues to be the most “right now” of the most recent vintages of SQN over the last couple of years (though the mighty Ziehharmonika Syrah is next-next-level and continues to show amazingly well). The Profuga is the typical Krankl textural dream and reminds me why, when I’m in the right mood, I reach for these sorts of luxuriously profuse and sumptuous beauties. The mouthfeel here is pretty darn impressive, especially for such a young wine.
Drink or hold the Profuga. It shows no signs of letting up and is a fun ride even now. If you’re more of a stickler with your SQN poppings, try holding for a few more years minimum to allow the oak to integrate and the power to subside. This is currently one of those wines that pairs best with bacon-mustard pulled pork sliders. Definitely not one of those “Burgundian” Grenaches. If you’re searching for that in the SQN staple, reach for 2012 Rattrapante…though you’ll want to reach for that in a few years.
A bit less gushing than the Profuga and a bit more muted on the finish (gently clipped by some unresolved wood and acid – which I personally don’t mind for the purpose of cradling the ripe and somewhat candied red and red/black berry fruit), the Distenta Grenache gives a solid performance. It has a nice bite of power without overwhelming the sense in any way. Even slightly chewy, the mid-palate surges with black raspberry, wild red cherry, and spice. There is a saturating and almost creamy effect that unfolds on the back end, but then on the final tail it ends up finishing with a ramp-up of grip and frame.
Once the Distenta integrates, I suspect this will be a little more graceful than the meatier Profuga. There is a bit less Zoomba here and instead more cerebral elegance, eventually with some cellar time. Hold for another 6-7 years.
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
Similar to my note on January 4, 2022 (more info than you probably need to know in that note), the Estate Cuvee shows much more complex and reachable than the bruiser boy Côte-à-Côte. Where the Estate Cuvee suffered quite honestly is that it was sitting next to a series of SQNs and top performing Napa Cabs. Being that the Estate Cuvee is supposed to be a marriage of Rhone and Napa (or Bordeaux, or whatever Cab-heavy region you care to compare), having representations that outshined it on both fronts just added to the insult.
This is a good wine. As a stand-alone with your buddies on some rando porch in Paso with nothing but a fat plate of nachos in your face, it’s a perhaps a great wine. It is a powerful chest bumper with a textural aptitude that could…could good be quite notable one day. There is just a lot going on, and not in the ways you want to forecast as heightened complexity; it is (of course) very young and has a lot to work out. The mystery will be if it can ever truly work it ALL out and be a complete wine one day. Dare to dream. I scored this 97 six months ago. It could get there, but this showing was certainly more awkward. Both L’Aventure wines were a hit among the crowd, so I might be overly critical in portraying the slaughtering between Asseo’s creations and the others we had that night. A victim of the competition perhaps.
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
This comes off as big and brash, with a mid-palate that wants to desperately go deeper but is stifled by the sense of booze and grainy grippiness. Crunchy blackberry seeds, chocolate cake batter, and heavy spice all create a heavier essence, one pushed by power and currently lacking some nuance. This has a lot to work out, and is clearly less suave in its current condition than the 2019 L’Aventure Estate Cuvee. As mentioned last year, this has a great deal of potential, but it’s going to take some serious massaging to smooth out some of the rough-and-tumble going on with this wine. Leave this alone for, heck I dunno, 8+ years? A similar showing to my last go-around with this wine, though I think this latest experience was even more crunchy. Many-a-folk liked this wine, but for those paying close attention and using any form of referential comparison to the other wines floating around, it was not without some carnage. Not rated this time because, well, you know...
Though there was a certain group who preferred the 2016 Venge served next to the 2013, I appreciated the extra tension the 2013 provided. For me, the 2013 and 2016 couldn’t be more different. For anyone who knows Venge, you know what you’re getting into here, but I do think the 2013 is a bit of an anomolgy…in a very good way. What I’ve always appreciated about the 2013 Bone Ash is that, for whatever reason, it tends to be less slathering and mouth-poundingly ripe than its siblings (both horizontally and vertically). The 2013 has nuance and focus to adequately, and in some cases even beautifully, support the dark and ripe black berry fruit and chocolate nucleus. This can age, with the vintage certainly helping the capacity for a bit more longevity than most things Venge. It’s big and powerful, but once it stretches its legs, it’s just what the doctor ordered. That is, if the doctor ordered a mouthful of chewy chocolate spiced cake with a blackberry glaze. If the 2013 is too tame for you, try the 2016. Ya, have fun with that!
Boy oh boy, here we go with the blackberry biggin of biggins. I was instantly reminded of the 2019 Bevan Crane, with the oak and the coffee and the riiiiich berry fruit…and the oak… I suppose there is a reason Kirk and Russell are pals. The 38% ABV was apparently just the right dose of booze to keep the fruit in check (I kid of course, but still. My lord). It’s a five-fingered fat Fudgsicle stuck square in the middle of a blackberry coconut custard pie. I ain’t gonna lie, it’s kinda good, bit it’s kinda not. Just be ready to mask-up before you take it on. For me, this is just too much of too much, even when in my most gourmandizing of moods. Others, specifically one particular group, plopped this bottle right down at their table and found it to be a cat’s pajamas. In fact, we opened another bottle of it so the demand could be met. The bottle was drained in no time. Again, not my thing, but if you get down with spoon-feeding winesauce to yourself the same way you rake off the ends of an Oreo cookie and shove it between your cheeks before slamming a glass of warm whole milk, then game-on brutha!
This continues to perform like the molten mineral-laced black asphalt blackberry bitter-chocolate baby you all know and love. It’s as flashy and opulent as LPV can get without sacrificing focus and frame. The purity of fruit is on point, as is the balance between youthfully sheer power and touches of nuance that provide a textural saturation that coats the mouth like a bear paw dipped in maple syrup. Finishes with a chewy Deux Cranes chocolate chunk bar-meets-road tar-meets-toasted cardamon-meets blackberry filling. Decadent and chiseled. A wine that straddles two worlds of academics and hedonism. Drink now if you’re a cool kat that just loves to shake them hips, or hold for a few years if you’re looking to up your LSAT score.
Though I was admittedly less drawn to the second vintage iterations of the Allbaer collection (they were not PS), I continue to love this inaugural representation of the brand, finding the Un Petit Debut VERSION OOI to be a striking exemplification of the Petite Sirah varietal. This bottle disappeared quickly amongst the crowd – I think the weird bottle helped spark initial interest for the uninitiated, and then the wine itself kept them coming back for more. My previous notes on this wine still apply. Perhaps a few more years in bottle will really bring this into even more beautifully homogenized form.
2013 Cristal, 169 Krug (2013 base), and 2010 Dom Perignon side-by-side.
Just for the mere fact that the crystalline purity on this bad boy is off the charts, the 2013 Cristal was a standout right from the word ‘go.’ So much zingy tension and an almost spikey execution of flavor are instantly tamed by a gorgeous cascade of lemon and rock elements doing everything they can to both sinch-up the taste buds and expand the engaging purity of fruit for an electric mouthfeel. A fantastic showing.
2013 Cristal, 169 Krug (2013 base), and 2010 Dom Perignon side-by-side.
I continue to be enamored with the 169 and, as I’ve referenced before, I personally think the 2013 base has everything to do with it. It didn’t possess the keen crystalline purity of the Cristal, but its focus and integrity coupled with that unctuous depth (inching toward oxidized nuances) already peeking through on such a young wine, make for a Krug that caters to both those who like the house style (which I admittedly find a little too oxidized and plantain-ridden at times) and those who long for heightened exactitude and tenacity. The 169 is a winner in both regards.
2013 Cristal, 169 Krug (2013 base), and 2010 Dom Perignon side-by-side.
This got left in the dust, like, a mile back at the last rest stop. The Dom was obliterated by the Cristal and Krug’s precision, depth of flavor, purity of fruit, persistence, complex flavorings…pretty much all the reasons you like wine. I’ve thought the 2010 Dom has been ok-to-good, but all this comparative tasting did was highlight what the 2010 Dom was not and never will be.
This became the house Champagne for the night. A solid performer and a serious ground pounder for those who are into just gettin’ yer party on. Just don’t serve it next to a 2013 Cristal. That can be a slight killjoy for the little Loges.
2019 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon 100 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
The first line on my notes reads, “Of course. Why wouldn’t 2019 be epic?! It’s like it’s not even fair to any other wine on the table.” …though, in fairness, I will admit there was a bottle with some final splashes of 2019 Kinsman Voleuse that made its way to dinner which gave the Macdonald some competition. I mean, a dinner with Macdonald and Kinsman at the table?! I’m alllllllll good! You all can pound your other 20 bottles circulating amongst the crown; I’ll just nestle up to these two bottles of pure nectar and call it a wrap.
This 2019 Macdonald is a lights-out phenomenal wine and is as about as exuberant as any young Macdonald I’ve had. Exploding with blackberry, bitter chocolate, dark plum, black licorice, and a striking black rock minerality that surges through the core, each sip just gets better and better, more honed, more focused, and more complex. I can easily call this as the best 2019 I’ve had out of Napa (again, with the ’19 La Vol. nipping at its heels, if not equal in awesomeness in its own right). A much more party-ready showing than I’m used to with this house, taking into consideration that Alex had performed his usual double decant gymnastics 8 hours earlier to shake and bake this chicken fried blockbuster into a primed princess.
The finish on this just Does-Not-Quit…ever. Usually, I’ve been enamored by previous vintages of Macdonald mostly because of their abilities to stay so honed and focused, with a serious, almost edgy side that is so compelling. Here, with the 2019, we once again find this prominent posture in the profile, but I can’t help but be pulled to the explicit splendor and fiery brilliance of this wine as well. It wants to show off in every way, but without sacrificing its methodological moniker of polish and refinement. I often am more enthralled and awe-struck with Macdonald wines than I am ravenous for them in a gluttonous flavor-hound way. But I gotta tell ya, there’s some real indulgence here. Make no mistake, this 2019 will still snipe you like the Mossad operator it is, but you’ll also find it partying under the Iron Dome at any given club in Tel Aviv, garbed in digital camo fatigues, strapped with an Uzi, and always on the watch for Hezbollah, but also dancing it up ‘til dawn.
As per usual, when the allocation comes out, snatch what you can. Snatch them all. And if you don’t because inflation’s got cha down or you’re saving money to buy formula for your baby or something, call me and I’ll pilfer your bottles so fast I’ll gladly throw out my back out undercutting your allocation. (Just kidding; not really).
Note: We had the 2019 a few days earlier from the 2016 and 2018 Macdonald. The 2016 took nearly two days to finally blossom into a murderously killer wine. The 2018 was already drinking well after a 4-hour double decant, showing just a touch less flash than the 2019.
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2018 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon 100 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
This dude was ready to go in so many ways, even with relatively limited decanting acrobatics. Double-decanted a few hours before consumption and then followed over the course of 4-5 additional hours, the 2018 Macdonald was one of the wines of the night. (When is it not, really?!) Served directly next to the 2016 Macdonald, this 2018 made its older sibling look like an angry stepsister. The 2016 was all needles and sharp rocks the whole night (and didn’t let up until almost two days later, where only then did it become a firestorm of awesomeness – The 2018 was gone by the end of the first night and would have been gone sooner if some much-needed regulating wasn’t going on, what with all the hand-grabbing going on). The 2018 had a curvy voluptuousness to its core that was surrounded by its typical secured perimeter of army soldier resilience and deft cut. An attention-grabber to be sure.
This is a dark, black wine, reminding me a bit of a 2018 Poetry, with a gravelly circumference perfectly housing its melted obsidian-laced berry nucleus. The mid-palate is so energized while also achieving depth and concentration, with the intensity zooming off to a finish that seemingly goes on for over a minute. The frame comes more in the form of minerality than it does in perceived acidity, with the rock elements firing off again on the back end and clenching down on the tail. While accessible, it still reminds you that there is a decent amount of lying horizontal that needs to happen in order to fully reach its zenith of performance. Not a shame to open now with a little air-jockeying, but preferably a wine to hold for another 6++ years.
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2016 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon 99 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Day One: Balled up, spun up, angry, and…angry. A double-decant for a few hours prior and a constant house arrest monitoring/revisiting over another five hours did nothing to nudge this stubborn yokel. Norman is having a very, very bad day, mother is most displeased, and it’s the Psycho shower scene all over again.
Day Two: Refer to Day One. “Do you want to go to war Balake?!” ….insubordinate, …and churlish…
Day Three: If there was ever an answer to the incarceration and rehabilitation debate, the 2016 Macdonald proves that time behind bars coupled with a little criminal justice reform (aka: freedom air) does work in some cases. Of course, I should never have doubted my beloved Macdonald, but I was having serious boo-boo lip when we first sampled this wine. You all know that feeling when you impatiently crack the skull on a favored bottle and the first sip is like, “Uh-Oh. I just made a big mistake.” And the second sip, and the third, …and the fourteenth… give you even less hope that anything worthy will come from your ill-planned endeavor. Well, it’s a mistake until it’s not, and once this took off, it TOOK OFF!
Black berry everything is sliced and diced with edgy obsidian and gravelly soil, with signature melted black licorice and even some bitter chocolate notes that make for a super compelling showing…finally. Treat this 2016 the same way you might treat some Napa brickhouse 2013s that are indeed destined to be the best wines of generations but need a ton of time to fully show every bit of the marvelousness they possess. This is my fifth tasting note with the 2016 Macdonald over the last four years. This is the most shut down I have experienced it. So, perhaps this is an indicator that even more time will be required. By 2030, I anticipate this wine will be not only epic, but will go down as one of the best wines produced in Napa in decades. It’s a marathon wine for sure. Those who have bottles and don’t plan on getting in a helicopter crash in the next 8 years will be handsomely rewarded for their patience here.
Impossible to evaluate numerically on Days 1 & 2. Day 3 was in that 97-99+ point range.
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2012 Harlan Estate 100 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Ready, giving, luscious, chewy, and a big polar bear hug of black berries and chocolate chunk goodness that doesn’t skip a beat in terms of textural dreaminess and seamlessness. The 2012 Harlan’s execution is textbook and flawless, with a harmonious unfolding of super rich (not heavy) and deep fruit, black soil, and dark spice notes. The concentration is unmatched here, with a smooth operator stance that is so sensual it’s almost too perfect and polished. The perception of acid here is lower; I wouldn’t categorize this as an extremely “powerful” wine in its current state, as any alcohol or over front-end push has been fully integrated, found a tremendously even glide, and adding even more to the suave and velvety profile.
Ten years from vintage, this wine is open for business right now. Sure, it has the ability to age further, but for my taste, I’d consider reaping the benefits in the near-term. The freshness-to-richness equilibrium is on-point today. An impressive showing. My third time with the 2012 Harlan and once again a truly beautiful performance.
Interestingly, a wine that was doing everything it could to outshine the Harlan was the 2016 Eisele, which was quite the turbo-engine. The two wines are obviously in different life stages and built a bit differently, but the energy and spunk on the Eisele was quite the attention-grabber, with some even favoring the Eisele at times for its seemingly unmatched tenacity. I went back and forth as to which one I liked better, well, until the 2018 Macdonald came along and walk the talk of the town. Ultimately, I defaulted to not having to pick a favorite among some of these wines. All winners.
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2012 Promontory Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
12 Promontory – flawed
Suuuuuuucks.
The definition of disappointment is when your 2012 Promontory is corked.
This was intended to go head-to-head with the 2012 Harlan. That…..did not happen.
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2016 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Initially a red berry and cedar dominant profile, which quickly gave way to vivacious black cherry, spice, gravel, and faint hints of Italian seasoning (dried thyme and oregano). The spice and cedar elements jive well with a bit of dry earth, adding frame and complexity to the red/black core. The liveliness and thoughtful acid placement brings the whole package into perfection.
I would say this is on par with the 2018, with the darker fruit and perhaps slightly more complex profile inching out the 2016 for me, but there really is no question that both vintages are superb. The 2018 (to which I had a few days prior) took some time to open up. This 2016 was fun and jumpy much earlier on. Though I would certainly say wait another 4+ years on this 2016, it still has the capacity to reward for anyone looking for some instant-ish gratification. Even more room to grow here. Awesome potential. One of my top wines of the night (and that’s with Harlan and Macdonald in the room).
A baller wine generously gifted by Cristal2000.
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2016 Domaine Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Balanced and seamless are the two most apt descriptors here, with an almost creamy texture that glides the luscious lemon flavors along the palate with graceful cadence. This is not an especially zingy or intense showing; it’s more about elegance and polish, as in the epitome of elegance and polish. Sophisticated and regal in most every way.
I was searching for an extra gear here, but perhaps that might have disrupted its perfect float of an execution. This wine spoke more to my preference for a bit more acid perception and dynamism in my white Burgs than it did to any flaw in the wine (which was pretty impossible to find). I mean, I thoroughly adored the glossy texture here and superb symmetry.
An over-the-top contribution from Cristal2000.
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2012 Sine Qua Non Grenache Rattrapante Eleven Confessions Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
There is a celestial weightlessness with this wine that highlights its ability to be both powerful and harmonious. Textbook Grenache flavors of kirsch, red and black cherry, garrigue, and herbs are coated with a thin shield of booze that keeps the full expansion of flavor and depth from developing to their fullest potentials. This shows as such a young pup, it’ll likely be another 5+ years before it reaches its apex. For now, it is certainly fresh and complete, with near-flawless structure and breadth. The only thing missing here for me is time to get into it’s final gear.
The 2018 SQN Profuga and 2019 SQN Distenta I Grenaches showed as much more saturated and hedonistic when compared to the still-in-transition 2012 Rattrapante Eleven Confessions. The former two may shut down at some point (though it currently seems like they will always be pleasure givers), but they were much more showy than the slow-burn 2012.
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2018 Sine Qua Non Grenache Profuga 97 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
As was before when I sampled this last year, the Profuga is a wonderfully deep and unctuous outpouring of dark berry, black spice, and fresh earth goodness. Darker than the 2019 Distenta I Grenache and much more hedonistic than a 2012 Eleven Confessions Rattrapante Grenache served next to it, the Profuga continues to be the most “right now” of the most recent vintages of SQN over the last couple of years (though the mighty Ziehharmonika Syrah is next-next-level and continues to show amazingly well). The Profuga is the typical Krankl textural dream and reminds me why, when I’m in the right mood, I reach for these sorts of luxuriously profuse and sumptuous beauties. The mouthfeel here is pretty darn impressive, especially for such a young wine.
Drink or hold the Profuga. It shows no signs of letting up and is a fun ride even now. If you’re more of a stickler with your SQN poppings, try holding for a few more years minimum to allow the oak to integrate and the power to subside. This is currently one of those wines that pairs best with bacon-mustard pulled pork sliders. Definitely not one of those “Burgundian” Grenaches. If you’re searching for that in the SQN staple, reach for 2012 Rattrapante…though you’ll want to reach for that in a few years.
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2019 Sine Qua Non Grenache Distenta I 96 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
A bit less gushing than the Profuga and a bit more muted on the finish (gently clipped by some unresolved wood and acid – which I personally don’t mind for the purpose of cradling the ripe and somewhat candied red and red/black berry fruit), the Distenta Grenache gives a solid performance. It has a nice bite of power without overwhelming the sense in any way. Even slightly chewy, the mid-palate surges with black raspberry, wild red cherry, and spice. There is a saturating and almost creamy effect that unfolds on the back end, but then on the final tail it ends up finishing with a ramp-up of grip and frame.
Once the Distenta integrates, I suspect this will be a little more graceful than the meatier Profuga. There is a bit less Zoomba here and instead more cerebral elegance, eventually with some cellar time. Hold for another 6-7 years.
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2019 L'Aventure Estate Cuvée
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
Similar to my note on January 4, 2022 (more info than you probably need to know in that note), the Estate Cuvee shows much more complex and reachable than the bruiser boy Côte-à-Côte. Where the Estate Cuvee suffered quite honestly is that it was sitting next to a series of SQNs and top performing Napa Cabs. Being that the Estate Cuvee is supposed to be a marriage of Rhone and Napa (or Bordeaux, or whatever Cab-heavy region you care to compare), having representations that outshined it on both fronts just added to the insult.
This is a good wine. As a stand-alone with your buddies on some rando porch in Paso with nothing but a fat plate of nachos in your face, it’s a perhaps a great wine. It is a powerful chest bumper with a textural aptitude that could…could good be quite notable one day. There is just a lot going on, and not in the ways you want to forecast as heightened complexity; it is (of course) very young and has a lot to work out. The mystery will be if it can ever truly work it ALL out and be a complete wine one day. Dare to dream. I scored this 97 six months ago. It could get there, but this showing was certainly more awkward. Both L’Aventure wines were a hit among the crowd, so I might be overly critical in portraying the slaughtering between Asseo’s creations and the others we had that night. A victim of the competition perhaps.
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2019 L'Aventure Côte-à-Côte Estate
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
This comes off as big and brash, with a mid-palate that wants to desperately go deeper but is stifled by the sense of booze and grainy grippiness. Crunchy blackberry seeds, chocolate cake batter, and heavy spice all create a heavier essence, one pushed by power and currently lacking some nuance. This has a lot to work out, and is clearly less suave in its current condition than the 2019 L’Aventure Estate Cuvee. As mentioned last year, this has a great deal of potential, but it’s going to take some serious massaging to smooth out some of the rough-and-tumble going on with this wine. Leave this alone for, heck I dunno, 8+ years? A similar showing to my last go-around with this wine, though I think this latest experience was even more crunchy. Many-a-folk liked this wine, but for those paying close attention and using any form of referential comparison to the other wines floating around, it was not without some carnage. Not rated this time because, well, you know...
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2013 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
Though there was a certain group who preferred the 2016 Venge served next to the 2013, I appreciated the extra tension the 2013 provided. For me, the 2013 and 2016 couldn’t be more different. For anyone who knows Venge, you know what you’re getting into here, but I do think the 2013 is a bit of an anomolgy…in a very good way. What I’ve always appreciated about the 2013 Bone Ash is that, for whatever reason, it tends to be less slathering and mouth-poundingly ripe than its siblings (both horizontally and vertically). The 2013 has nuance and focus to adequately, and in some cases even beautifully, support the dark and ripe black berry fruit and chocolate nucleus. This can age, with the vintage certainly helping the capacity for a bit more longevity than most things Venge. It’s big and powerful, but once it stretches its legs, it’s just what the doctor ordered. That is, if the doctor ordered a mouthful of chewy chocolate spiced cake with a blackberry glaze. If the 2013 is too tame for you, try the 2016. Ya, have fun with that!
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2016 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
Boy oh boy, here we go with the blackberry biggin of biggins. I was instantly reminded of the 2019 Bevan Crane, with the oak and the coffee and the riiiiich berry fruit…and the oak… I suppose there is a reason Kirk and Russell are pals. The 38% ABV was apparently just the right dose of booze to keep the fruit in check (I kid of course, but still. My lord). It’s a five-fingered fat Fudgsicle stuck square in the middle of a blackberry coconut custard pie. I ain’t gonna lie, it’s kinda good, bit it’s kinda not. Just be ready to mask-up before you take it on. For me, this is just too much of too much, even when in my most gourmandizing of moods. Others, specifically one particular group, plopped this bottle right down at their table and found it to be a cat’s pajamas. In fact, we opened another bottle of it so the demand could be met. The bottle was drained in no time. Again, not my thing, but if you get down with spoon-feeding winesauce to yourself the same way you rake off the ends of an Oreo cookie and shove it between your cheeks before slamming a glass of warm whole milk, then game-on brutha!
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2019 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
This continues to perform like the molten mineral-laced black asphalt blackberry bitter-chocolate baby you all know and love. It’s as flashy and opulent as LPV can get without sacrificing focus and frame. The purity of fruit is on point, as is the balance between youthfully sheer power and touches of nuance that provide a textural saturation that coats the mouth like a bear paw dipped in maple syrup. Finishes with a chewy Deux Cranes chocolate chunk bar-meets-road tar-meets-toasted cardamon-meets blackberry filling. Decadent and chiseled. A wine that straddles two worlds of academics and hedonism. Drink now if you’re a cool kat that just loves to shake them hips, or hold for a few years if you’re looking to up your LSAT score.
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2018 Andremily Syrah No. 7 Flawed
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Aromas of blueberry feta cheese water topped with pickled chocolate syrup and sheepdog left outside in a hurricane. On the palate, gross.
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2018 Allbaer Petite Sirah Un Petit Debut VERSION OOI 96 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Though I was admittedly less drawn to the second vintage iterations of the Allbaer collection (they were not PS), I continue to love this inaugural representation of the brand, finding the Un Petit Debut VERSION OOI to be a striking exemplification of the Petite Sirah varietal. This bottle disappeared quickly amongst the crowd – I think the weird bottle helped spark initial interest for the uninitiated, and then the wine itself kept them coming back for more. My previous notes on this wine still apply. Perhaps a few more years in bottle will really bring this into even more beautifully homogenized form.
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2013 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 97 Points
France, Champagne
2013 Cristal, 169 Krug (2013 base), and 2010 Dom Perignon side-by-side.
Just for the mere fact that the crystalline purity on this bad boy is off the charts, the 2013 Cristal was a standout right from the word ‘go.’ So much zingy tension and an almost spikey execution of flavor are instantly tamed by a gorgeous cascade of lemon and rock elements doing everything they can to both sinch-up the taste buds and expand the engaging purity of fruit for an electric mouthfeel. A fantastic showing.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvee Edition 169eme 95 Points
France, Champagne
2013 Cristal, 169 Krug (2013 base), and 2010 Dom Perignon side-by-side.
I continue to be enamored with the 169 and, as I’ve referenced before, I personally think the 2013 base has everything to do with it. It didn’t possess the keen crystalline purity of the Cristal, but its focus and integrity coupled with that unctuous depth (inching toward oxidized nuances) already peeking through on such a young wine, make for a Krug that caters to both those who like the house style (which I admittedly find a little too oxidized and plantain-ridden at times) and those who long for heightened exactitude and tenacity. The 169 is a winner in both regards.
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2010 Dom Pérignon Champagne 91 Points
France, Champagne
2013 Cristal, 169 Krug (2013 base), and 2010 Dom Perignon side-by-side.
This got left in the dust, like, a mile back at the last rest stop. The Dom was obliterated by the Cristal and Krug’s precision, depth of flavor, purity of fruit, persistence, complex flavorings…pretty much all the reasons you like wine. I’ve thought the 2010 Dom has been ok-to-good, but all this comparative tasting did was highlight what the 2010 Dom was not and never will be.
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NV Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Les Loges 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
This became the house Champagne for the night. A solid performer and a serious ground pounder for those who are into just gettin’ yer party on. Just don’t serve it next to a 2013 Cristal. That can be a slight killjoy for the little Loges.
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