Tasted double blind. Nicely mature, very Rhone like with some roasted meat and modest spice. Seemed slightly older vs another bottle from a few months back. Drink up.

Tasted double blind. Clearly signs of formerly powerful fruit. I don't know what was going on with this wine, but it came across as tired, slightly stewy and flabby. Some thought it also showed a bit of VA as an added bonus.

Bright black fruit with very good density. Still firm with a finish that emphasized acidity and tannins a little more than I'd perfectly prefer, but this is really developing nicely, even if another 1986 that is developing slowly.

Heat damaged.

Tasted double blind. Off Bottle? Poor storage? Very blah and tired.

Tasted double blind. Very tasty, even if frustrating in that it's easier to tell this is from California than if it is Cabernet or Syrah based. Cellar for a few more years for better results I hope. I like Quintessa from the late 1990s a great deal.

Served double blind to the tasting group. An odd bottle, that came across as much older than most 2007s are showing these days. Dried red cherry with good spice, but browned edges and seeming advanced. Very tasty, but disappointing in terms of its staying power. But even more oddly, the final 1/3 of the bottle came across fresher 6 hours later.

Tasting double blind. A simply baffling bottle of this wine that I've had 3 or 4 times before. Ok aromas didn't show any Volnay character. Tough and firm finish, which is consistent with the last time I tasted, but even more rugged. Almost nobody imagined this could be from Burgundy. An off bottle? At an awkward stage?

Tasted double blind. Very easily identifiable as Cali chardonnay. A bit oak right now, but the concentration is here for everything to absorb and balance nicely. Lots of apple, with a nice, crisp finish. Very good potential, prob best 2017 through 2022.

Tasted double blind. Black and meaty overall with good spice. I really like the depth, concentration and early balance at this youthful stage. Very impressive from a producer I haven't tasted in years.

Tasted double blind. Decanted well in advance, but this was so reductive that it was completely inaccessible. I would be very wary.

Tasted double blind. A massive bruiser of a wine. Clearly not a wine in my preferred style, but still nicely fresh and tasty.

Tasted double blind. Mature cherry. Started tasty but very ripe, and then deteriorated quickly in glass.

Bottle had been open almost one week and mostly consumed, sitting on the counter with the cork reinserted. I tasted the final 1/2 ounce or so. Amazing floral elegance. rich, dense and powerful with a long finish. Excellent after open one week, I can only imagine how great it must have been earlier in the week.