4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

A magnum from the Yalumba museum cellar. Quite leathery on the nose. Some plum and violets too. It is sweet, opulent and deep, and has something agricultural that just distracts a little.

4/17/2024 - louisl Likes this wine:

This is drinking great right now. Some nice deep berry note overlayed with some tertiary flavors. Tasting more mature than I would have expected, so I wouldn’t hold these too much longer.

4/17/2024 - dhwesley Likes this wine:

Wow - the nose hits you as soon as the cork is out of the bottle. Raspberry, leather, mushrooms, cocoa, and just the right amount of "garden shed". Pinch of sediment, deep red in color. Palate is plum, blueberry, chocolate and baking spice. This is firing on all cylinders and is barely out of the bottle! It only got better after a few hours of decanting. Quite enjoyable.

4/17/2024 - TGLeroy Likes this wine:

Needs an hour of air, then let’s it’s charms loose.
Drinking very well!

4/5/2024 - atbarbar Likes this wine:

Definitely tropical and some salt, but a lot of sweetness as well. Not the strongest offering from Droin. The vintage appears to be a bit soft as well.

4/17/2024 - Genghis88 Likes this wine:

@ the Cape Thompson Cabo

Wine is garnet in color, medium bodied.
Some red fruit off the nose and clay notes. Hints of leather and iodine
Very smooth. Approachable now. Very balanced. A well made wine. Dark berries on the palate. Longish finish. Expensive IMHO (-1 pt).

This has potential and may pick up a point in the coming years.

Amaze steak and prawn dinner at our unit. Cabo nights are awesome!!!!

4/17/2024 - viniferatu Likes this wine:

.... aromas of golden apple, citrus juices and pith, mainly orange, a little toasty almonds, a touch of honeysuckle.... nice silky texture, medium bodies, pithy and slight bitter, a little grippy. Numbing herbal tones linger with citrus on the finish. In a good spot for an 8 year old Cotes du Rhone Blanc, but perhaps it hasn't actually improved over time, as it was quite delicious 4 or 5 years ago... that being said, it probably still has a few years left of nice drinking. Needs food....

4/17/2024 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Rich and powerful, this has aromas of black cherry, u see rush and leather. Full-bodied, this is absolutely brimming with sweet black cherry liqueur, pomegranate juice, blood orange and rust. Still tannic, but if high quality. This is pretty fantastic right now. Drink now-2030+ 93

4/17/2024 - heyjon Likes this wine:

Displaying a rich, garnet hue, the wine presents a bouquet marked by dark fruits, including ripe black currants, alongside earthy notes of forest floor and mushrooms. Herbal hints of thyme, sage, and mint add complexity, with a subtle floral undertone, reminiscent of violet. The well-balanced palate reveals additional fruit notes of early picked blackberry cassis, and red plum. Bright acidity and soft tannins help create a pleasant mouthfeel. The finish is medium-long with a lingering tartness.

4/17/2024 - VAGenius Likes this wine:

Grapey nose with lavender and notes of bazooka gum. Palate starts juicy with black cherry and cola, the rolls up into wide tannins, acidity, black fruits, black olive brine with dried herbs and nice citrus energy dancing on the tongue through the finish. Nice now, give the tannins a year or two to unfold. 92+ points.

4/17/2024 - LMArcher wrote:

CcR.
Pepper, dark cherry, LB, A/T = .
Exquisite balabce, quality to value.

4/17/2024 - wino from way back Likes this wine:

Definitely should move to a caraffe to assist in removing solids from this 12 year old wine.
Dark red/ruby color, no hint of orange.
From first inhale you can tell this is going to be nice. Dark fruit/berries, very ripe cherries, blackberry …
Nice mouth feel, warm shortbread, more ripe cherry, very slight tang, finish goes on for a while as tannins have softened since my last tasting.
Really enjoy this wine. Just want to sip it all night. Does not need a paring, but went well with lobster ravioli.

4/17/2024 - apple2k Likes this wine:

Good and also young I would let these lie for a couple years so they can integrate a little more.

4/17/2024 - ShellyW wrote:

Delicious

4/17/2024 - wpiers wrote:

faint cork taint on second day, but not such that it was undrinkable. rating based on first day (half bottle)

4/17/2024 - burgburgburg wrote:

The tannins are smooth and all nicely integrated, making it surprisingly approachable for its age. The fruity aroma is charming, although it could use a bit more oomph to really grab your attention. On the palate, the different components don't quite come together seamlessly, but it's still enjoyable to sip on. Give it a few more years in the cellar, and this wine is bound to level up. With some extra time to age, it'll become even more fantastic, with flavors blending together.

4/17/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Plenty of black berries with meat and underbrush. Good weight and density. Slightly drying tannins on finish.

4/13/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Thirty minutes in the glass before drinking. Deep dark intense magenta color. Blackberry, cassis, plum, boysenberry, lemon bread, milk chocolate, and subtle pine needle. Tongue drying palate, with sandy acidity. Firm tannins on the longish finish.

My score is just a placeholder, but this is going to be great. This kept improving over an hour of drinking. Everyone thought this was the best of our Arkenstone tasting, although everything was great.

4/17/2024 - Drbobo Likes this wine:

earthy, dusty on the nose. tasting now, one day after opening. initial up front tannins, with some remaining fruit and acid in the background, and the finish has some slight raisin. overall pleasant and not overly muscular for a cab, which I like.

4/17/2024 - LopedeAguirre Likes this wine:

Delightfully drinkable. All nuances present. No terroir.

4/17/2024 - viniferatu Likes this wine:

Gorgeous aromas of honeysuckle and citrus blossoms, plus myriad sweet citrus fruit nuances, a bit of cooked pears, a little nougat and vanilla ... Viscous and silky texture, all sorts of flowers inform the inner perfume, acids are soft but deliver freshness nonetheless. There's a little heat on the finish, also toasted nuts, delicate herbs, and significant floral and cooked fruit notes. As usual Musar delivers character galore. I would drink this on the sooner side, it's ready, and may fall apart soon. Also notable that this is probably a really good representation of this wine, as I have seen wildly different colors come from the same case of Musar Jeune Blanc, obviously some were oxidative and others not.... This was showing a very normal, perhaps even low, amount of oxidative character for a 6 year old warm climate white.

4/17/2024 - sstein19 Likes this wine:

Very very pale yellow. Nose of melon, key lime, honeysuckle, green apple, and orange blossom. Second nose is more of the same and minerality. Smooth with slight sweetness.

4/17/2024 - tedcholl Likes this wine:

Happy International Malbec day, celebrating with my favorite Malbec producer. From the Nicasia Vineyard at 3,593 ft. Grapes fermented with 50% whole clusters, all in wooden barrels. Aged in cases for 16 months. Rich, dark fruits, blackberry, blueberry, cocoa, leather, minerals

4/17/2024 - PANYC wrote:

Seemed closed and was not much better the second day.perhaps time will help but for now it’s a pass.

4/17/2024 - JPF16 wrote:

Domaine de la Cote Memorious 2015, Santa Rita Hills 13.5% ABV

3.5 acres, 700'elev. A Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman project.

Glass: Garnet moving to tawny. At first, I thought it looked a bit old. Wrong.Nice core, slight bricking on the edge. Clean, clear.

Nose: Big red fruits, cherry, strawberry and raspberry Hints of all three... a little bit of funk on the backside... not distracting at all just added a little character.

Taste: muted on the front end, big a full on the back end. A little bit of a sour back end (matches the nose). Still hss good acidity, freshness about it. Long finish.

4/17/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Two hour decant. Very deep dark intense ruby color. Ripe blackberry, dark raspberry, chocolate ganache, granite, and subtle dried mushroom. Smooth, dry palate, with good, satiny acidity. Plush and robust tannins on the longish finish.

Absolutely terrific Napa CS. This kept improving over an hour of drinking. Again, my lady friend would have gone even higher with the score. She said some other things I cannot repeat in this forum when describing her enjoyment. ;)

4/17/2024 - eyewino Does not like this wine:

Deep ruby becoming crimson towards the edge with practically no watery rim. Huge red and dark fruits on the nose with just a hint of pyrazine (bell pepper) at the end. Palate is full-bodied with fine but strong tannins, medium acidity, and overwhelming flavors of boysenberry and vanilla. Medium length finish.
I wanted to like this. I am a big Loire Cab Franc guy. The nose had promise...kind of. Unfortunately, the palate is a typical over-the-top big Cali spoofified, megapurpled, monstrosity that reminds me why I don't generally like California wines. (Sigh) Oh well. Drink whenever - it doesn't really matter...

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

A touch of volatility gives the nose punch and lift. There are ripe berry fruits and sweet vanillin spice. It is very complex and intense. Tannins are quite round yet supportive. It has great presence and persistence.

4/17/2024 - al80813@gmail.com Likes this wine:

Pop and pour. 100% Chardonnay from the UV Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA. Aged 15 months in 33% new French oak barriques.

Bright golden in the glass, showing no signs of age. Nose of grapefruit, some tropical fruits and a tiny bit of ripe pear. Very little oak influence, just the tiniest hint of vanilla. On the palate it’s similar to the nose, showing citrus, lemon tart, and green apple. The fruit is not as bright as the nose, it’s a bit creamier in a pleasant way. It’s medium bodied, medium+ acidity, pretty long finish where the oak comes through a bit in the form of vanilla. Very mild and nicely integrated.

Excellent QPR at $15. Nice refreshing Sonoma Chardonnay. Great change of pace from the usual California oak bombs. Drinking very nicely now.

4/17/2024 - viniferatu Likes this wine:

Sweet blackberry and cherry on the nose, a little pepper and violets, lotsa fruit though... Soft tannins, bright acids, all about that glorious ripe fruit through the finish

4/17/2024 - Pontifax Likes this wine:

A 6 year old cru bourgeois, from St.Emilion.
On nose: shy notes of mesquite charcoal, dark vine fruit and a ghost of sandalwood.
On palate: all above flavours, more focused, with red currant, minerals, a ghost of damp eath, and light oak gall....a lighter bodied Bordeaux, displaying garnet red, with some translucence in glass.....almost Burgundian, with it's higher acidity....civilized 13.5% alcohol.
A good food wine if you like this style.

4/17/2024 - viniferatu Likes this wine:

Dark cherry, blue plum, green cigar, a little leather and oyster shells, a little bandaid and graham cracker, a little stewed veggies and violets... Plush texture, juicy fruit, nice veg and tobacco tones, a little medicinal, just a little tangy toward to finish, grippy numbing tannins take over as everything fades. Pretty classic, a bit rough and tumble, but I like the typicity and overall balance. Probably more interesting in a few years, not sure it'll be worth following more than another 10 or so. In a good spot now, I might look to pair it with lamb.

4/17/2024 - Luap1111 Likes this wine:

Light but delish.

4/17/2024 - DinoCollapso Likes this wine:

pnp. started off almost chablis like - mineral and fruit stone. opened to grapefruit and lemon peel. can taste perhaps a touch of residual sugar as it warms up - better cold. not Mosel quality, but so very drinkable and that is the ultimate criterion. will seek out their kabinett as well. *drank second half after a week in the fridge under vacuvin. even more chablis-like - peach stone and LOTS of mineral with the fruit almost wholly receded. like it a lot. a rebuy. good value.

4/17/2024 - Nashwine Likes this wine:

Ready to drink now.

4/17/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Last minute replacement for a flawed bottle, this was instantly happy to be opened, with bright lemon and ripe apple fruit, as well as a pleasing dash of spice. It reminded me more than a little of the Ramey Fort Ross Seaview (aka Sonoma Coast) Chardonnay, and that’s a really good thing.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Bottles from the Yalumba museum cellar. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had this legendary wine several times, but not for a long time. It is still powering on, with the purest core of intense cassis fruit. It has some tar and bitter chocolate and purple flower notes. It is supple and succulent, deep and long. Acid balance is perfect, and it is such a vital wine.

4/17/2024 - ManuKey Likes this wine:

Très beau Bordeaux à point, sur les fruits noirs et l’encre, au boisé fondu. Grande fraîcheur, juteux, touché presque soyeux. Longueur moyenne. Le lendemain légèrement oxydé, prêt à boire.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

A magnum donated from the Antinori cellars. This was still very fresh and dense. Beautiful cherry fruit. Some pipe tobacco and earth. Complex and detailed and very long. Superb!

4/17/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:

Tremendous. Red fruit, loamy earth, aged leather. Plenty of integration and purity here.

4/17/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:

Just a gorgeous chardonnay. Density, power, coiled layers that are just unfurling. Lovely orchard fruit that is showing with grace and elegance. Lovely acidity and minerality.

Grand Cru white burg is really something special, no doubt about it.

4/17/2024 - nkirsch Likes this wine:

solid GSM. nice balance. kind of thick on the tongue

4/3/2024 - Rbhan12 wrote:

Shared by a very generous mentor, was under vacuvin for a day.

Pretty interesting and singular wine. Nose showed a hint of grass but it was dense and layered, maybe with some waxy character to it. The palate had density and coiling and weight with a slightly oily texture. The finish had supple minerality.

Have to say I am a big Sauv Blanc fan and I've never had one like this. It is certainly singular. Very grateful to have tasted this as a reference point. Can only imagine what this was as a fresh bottle.

4/17/2024 - afields wrote:

Satisfying stuff and worth the price.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

From the Yalumba museum cellar and re-corked at the Penfolds clinic in 2016. An engaging nose of seaweed, cedar, mint, and leather. There’s light meatiness to the flavour profile and some chocolate and a sprig of mint. Structural elements have all but folded neatly into the wine. A lovely drink.

4/17/2024 - ppandian Likes this wine:

The bottle was a riserva not a Classico.
Rich, textured, dark black and blue berries, very typical.
Enjoyable wine.

6/4/2022 - lexhar Likes this wine:

Strong cherry. Give time to open up

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

A very good wine from a very difficult vintage. This is 60% Cabernet and 40% Shiraz from the Barossa. It has some truffle and cedar along with Indian spice notes. There’s gentle vinous sweetness and bitter fruit freshness. It is balanced and energetic.

4/17/2024 - Rbhan12 wrote:

Needs 2h to open up properly.

Nose of light peaches, supple oak, honeycomb. Palate is much more interesting with underripe apple, acacia flower, lime zest, flint. Finish shows nice white minerality and a kiss of citrus.

I was in the midst of writing a very critical note (87) and then the wine transformed in front of me. I stepped away for 20min and came back to this enjoyable bottle. It is not coiled or layered the way you find the top Walter Scott or Morgen Long wines to be. But it does have nice complexity for its price. Many of those higher end chards I've had tend to be better closer to room temp than cellar temp, but this shows best with a slight chill.

90-91ish, drinks well now with 2h air but should do well in the cellar for another 6-8 years.

4/17/2024 - Denny the Drinker Likes this wine:

Yellow/tropical fruits on the nose.

Banana, peach dominate the palate, with a long lingering acidity. Not well balanced, but delicious none the less.