4/11/2023 - gbauer Likes this wine:

A little funk on the nose (less than expected) on day one. Blew off fairly quickly and showed some "sweet" red fruit. Good acid (as expected) but also still showing good fruit and balance. An excellent showing.

3/29/2023 - gbauer wrote:

Corked.

3/14/2023 - gbauer wrote:

Great showing.

1/21/2023 - gbauer wrote:

Good fruit and balance. Showing well. No rush.

1/9/2023 - gbauer wrote:

Shows well, with tannin starting to resolve and plenty of fruit still there. Comes across as savory, but there is still fruit in the background. Improves with air. No rush.

8/5/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Man, this is good. I always think the tardive is great. But even the regular is excellent. Good body, balance, everything as it should be.

3/21/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Layers of fruit on the nose. Happily, a little more reserved in the mouth, with great acidity -- still plenty of fruit, but not fat/one-dimensional. Beginning to show some positive age qualities, but still somewhat primary.

3/1/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Double decanted two hours before tasting. It needed the air, and continued to get better in the glass. Elegant dried fruit on the nose. Great balance of acid, tannin, and fruit in the mouth. In a great place (with the air). No rush.

2/24/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Great red fruit on the nose. Great pure red fruit and acid on the palate. Still showing young after 12 years. Plenty of stuffing. These will continue to get better.

2/4/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Excellent showing. Bright garnet. Great fruit and smoke and tertiary flavors. This is why we age Bordeaux.

2/4/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Slightly oxidized -- enough to somewhat mar the pleasure -- especially on the nose. In the mouth, adds to complexity and with food seems fine. But past its prime, bottle variation?

1/25/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Showed well. Improved with air.

1/1/2022 - gbauer wrote:

Severe VA. Others thought it was okay, but I found it undrinkable.

8/26/2021 - gbauer wrote:

My last one. Excellent.

8/6/2021 - gbauer wrote:

Double decanted in the afternoon and then decanted at the restaurant. Showed very well -- excellent aromatics and good pure fruit. Still has a tannic core and should continue to improve.

7/27/2021 - gbauer wrote:

Good fruit and tannin. Balanced. Still young.

7/16/2021 - gbauer wrote:

Great balance. With a great life ahead of it.

5/11/2021 - gbauer wrote:

Much improved, but still showing heat and tannin. Worked well with grilled lamb. Will this be better in 5 years? I hope so and will try to wait to find out

3/8/2021 - gbauer wrote:

Great petrol and yeast on the nose upon opening, but it blows off. Palate is much simpler. Good, but short on acid. Not sure if this will get better or worse.

3/4/2021 - gbauer wrote:

My last of these, and maybe the best. Oak has integrated and adds some complexity. No prem-ox at all on this bottle. Excellent.

2/22/2021 - gbauer wrote:

Still showing young with lots of tannin. But plenty there to wait on. Hold.

2/15/2021 - gbauer wrote:

As chablis-like as American chard gets. Crisp, clean, great acidity. Some yeastiness on the palate. No rush on these.

2/12/2021 - gbauer wrote:

Rich golden/ yellow. Some [good] petrol on the nose. Full and balanced in the mouth. No rush on these.

12/16/2020 - gbauer wrote:

My last from a case. Still showing really well. Stone fruit on the nose. A great blend of yellow fruit and stone in the mouth. One of the best QPRs on the planet.

11/20/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Full, rich. Lots of fruit and sugar, but balanced by acid. I would prefer to leave these longer when I believe the fruit and sweetness will be less obvious. But very good now, especially if appropriately matched.

11/16/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Much better at 65F than fridge or cellar temperature. Young and showing too much acid at lower temps. Good, but will get much better with a little time.

11/10/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Great on the nose. Less interesting on the palate. Still showing too much tannin without enough else to balance. Not bad, but the nose is the best part. Will it get better?

11/8/2020 - gbauer wrote:

This showed extremely well. Early in the prime drinking window. Full-bodied, great fruit and finish.

10/26/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Showing better now. More open on the nose -- red fruit and spice -- and in the mouth. Still showing tannin on the finish. No rush, but in a better place.

9/11/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Clean, light, but with good chard nose and flavor. 11.6% ABV. Very nice.

9/7/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Still somewhat primary. Good fruit and tannin. Fine with air and food. Will continue to improve if stored well.

8/21/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Fizzy. Secondary fermentation. Cork failed.

7/24/2020 - gbauer wrote:

"Sweet" edge from fruit and alcohol. Tannins present but balanced. Showing well with upside possible in mid-future.

4/30/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Great nebbiolo aromatics on the nose. In the mouth, good fruit and secondary flavors, but tannins clamp hard on the finish. Very good, but better with time.

4/26/2020 - gbauer Likes this wine:

A little reticent on the nose. Berries, herbs, and some dark red fruit, eventually. In the mouth, nice balance of fruit, savory, and acid. Somewhat understated at the moment.

4/18/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Crunchy red fruit. Good acid. Probably could have used some more time, but showing well.

4/17/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Showing "correctly," but not stylistically my preference. Prune and stewed fruit on the nose. Mostly balanced, maybe a little hot and fat in the mouth, but not much. But the full, fat, fruit flavors do not appeal to me.

4/13/2020 - gbauer wrote:

This showed much better than a 2009 Briords last week. Good acid, some fruit, minerality. Very much alive and well.

4/11/2020 - gbauer wrote:

TCA? Not horrible, but flawed.

4/4/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Unlike the previous bottle, this showed very well. Not prem-oxed -- mature but excellent. My last.

3/27/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Earth and dark fruit on the nose. In the mouth, full-bodied with good acid and tannin. Showing well early in the drinking window.

3/25/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Great red fruit on the nose with some licorice/menthol. In the mouth, beautifully balanced, fruit, savory. No rush but showing very well.

3/17/2020 - gbauer wrote:

High acid as one would expect. Light red fruit on the nose and in the mouth. A little funk but not much. Showing very well if you like the style.

3/3/2020 - gbauer wrote:

Showing some pretty strong oxidation. Not without pleasure, but past the "makes it more interesting" point. I will drink my other bottle soon. Hope it is bottle variation.

12/30/2019 - gbauer wrote:

My last of 14. This bottle showed fresh and well. On the nose, fresh red fruit. In the mouth, great balance of fruit and acid. Excellent.

12/28/2019 - gbauer wrote:

Drinking very nicely right now. Rewarding to have bought this on release for ~ $20 and to have nice, simple, mature Bordeaux now.

11/24/2019 - gbauer wrote:

Still fairly primary. Fruit, tannin, and Rolland-like concentration. No longer a style I like, but these will be better with more time.

11/14/2019 - gbauer wrote:

Licorice and dark fruit on the nose. In the mouth, tannin and dark fruit. Showing well, if still young. If well stored, no rush.

11/10/2019 - gbauer wrote:

Starting to show some aged characteristics, but still strong tannin clamping down at the end. Has enough fruit to go further, but maybe not to outlast the tannin? Will still improve.

10/30/2019 - gbauer wrote:

Too young.