5/10/2024 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine:

I drank this bottle undecanted, with Shelley, at "Well & Good". I have had this wine many times in various vintages, and have always found it to be an outstanding bottle. Tonight, however, the wine seemed to be falling apart. I don't think it was flawed, just past it's prime. Still enjoyable, but not delivering the type of pleasure I have come to expect from Pahlmeyer.

3/11/2024 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine:

Even considering the price point of $50, this is mundane with nothing to recommend it. There is no facet of this bottle that supports a tenable argument that it is anything other than pedestrian. I would say "drink now", but am leaning towards "drink never". The "87" was generous.

2/3/2024 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle undecanted with friends over dinner. I was not paying a lot of attention to the wine, but I did note its mellow character, typical black fruit, and overall pleasant mid-palate I would say it has time left, but has gone over the hill and is starting to decline.

1/8/2024 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle tonight, undecanted, over a couple of hours, paired with salad, vege samosas with tamarind sauce, vege meatballs, part of Meredith's grilled cheese sandwich, and mashed potatoes and gravy. Soft, balanced, still in the zone but probably not what it once was. Elegant, easy to drink, great with the meal. Initially lots of barnyard, some cigar or tobacco, which I believe was mentioned in another review, very light root beer for a minute, some berry notes. There was another note or two which I could not identify. Suffice it to say that the quality and complexity was well worth the price tag.

12/14/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle, undecanted, with my friend Tyler, after he walked down the street to my house. I found this bottle in my cellar, and thought "why not". I have never had a bottle of petite syrah this old, and did not have high expectations. I have to say, I was very surprised. No bricking or fading on the palate. The nose was inviting, and the mid-palate was very enjoyable. I was probably more focused on my conversation with Tyler, and with switching back and forth between the Turley and the 2006 Sine Qua Non rose, I didn't spend a lot of time analyzing the notes. Dark berries, herbs, maybe cassis. Very balanced and easy to drink. The SQN rose was better than expected as well. A big night for old wines!

12/10/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

A nice little Walla Walla cab. Excellent value. Showing secondary notes. Very good balance. More complex and balanced than one would expect. Holding up well. Plenty of life left. Kind of hard to score, because it is very well done, but, $15? Are you kidding me. Maybe the best under $20 stateside cab I have had. Doesn't have that "wow" factor, but does provide more than I expected. I think 88 points is fair, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

12/4/2023 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine:

This is a difficult wine to analyze. Both the nose and the mid-palate were all over the place. I drank this wine with spaghetti, red sauce, undecanted. I am not about 90 minutes into the bottle. The bottle initially had a pleasant nose of slight chocolate, prominent plum, and not much on the light palate. I found that over the first hour, the notes were constantly evolving, and the mid-palate was gaining weight. A hint of smoke, or no, maybe some cardamom, with emerging tar. Finally, I thought the wine was finding it's identify. Just as quickly as it was starting to come together, the wine shifted into an awkward sort of amalgam of overly acidic puckering something. This wine was never really harmonious or charming, and ask I type this, I sense the fruit is dropping out. For me, this bottle doesn't work on any level.

11/23/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle undecanted over a couple of hours, with tacos and beans and rice. I have had this bottle from numerous vintanges, and this vintage, many times. I was surprised at how fruit forward and vibrant it still is at this stage. I predict it will be in it's prime for another 3-5 years given the initial primary notes and the time it took to open. Initially dark fruit, then a bit of blueberry, then a core of cherry. Constantly evolving. A consistent, sometimes dominant note of spices. I could not identify the spice, but it was very pronounced and very unique. Harmonious, inviting on the nose. I would say it is more inviting and complex on the nose than the mid-palate, at least for me. Very good with food. Probably one of the veyr top wine values of my life. I would recommend buying several cases in a top vintage and starting in year 3-5. The quality and complexity belie this humble appellation.

11/17/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Drank this bottle undecanted over two hours, spaghetti with red sauce and bread. Very youthful, balanced, good acid. Nose is rich, full-bodied, very earthy, herbal, some pepper. Hard to say for sure, but might benefit from some time. Pretty impressive for $20.

11/13/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle, undecanted, over three hours, with tacos, beans and rice. Black fruit, spice, herbs, pepper. Balanced, tertiary notes, interesting. In a good spot right now. Will likely hold for a few years. The complexity makes this wine interesting. Decent value for the money. However, I don't know that many people are going to pay this kind of money for essentially a Cote du Rhone / villages, even if it's a good one. Price notwithstanding, it's a very nice blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault. Will pair nicely with Mexican, steak, spicy Indian, barbecue.

11/3/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle undecanted, with a baked potato, macaroni and cheese, sauteed green bean and mushrooms. Still very much in it's prime drinking window. What an unbelievable bottle at this price point.

11/2/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I found this bottle deep in my cellar the other day, and decided to open it as it was clearly past the typical drinking window and was simply taking up space. I poured a glass, undecanted, while Jeannien made tacos and rice. I expected a fruitless, woody, sourish wine that might go down if I put enough hot sauce on the tacos. Imagine my surprise when the nose revealed pronounced spicy / herbal / dark notes. The mid palate was not lacking either. The fruit was gone, but plenty of tertiary notes remained. Similar to the nose, with some cherry. Scorched wood or earth, spices, herbal notes, still very enjoyable. Kind of a "wow" moment.

8/24/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this bottle decanted at Venue, with my friends Jordan and Megan. I purchased a case of these bottles on release and forgot about them in my cellar until recently. The color was very dark, with no signs of age. Immediately open on the nose . . . vibrant and youthful. inviting dark fruits, the mid-palate was consistent. Balanced, tannins fully receded, classic Napa. Mostly dark fruit and cassis. Still very youthful. Will last another five years easily and probably longer.

6/24/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I drank this bottle over two days, undecanted, both nights with Indian food. Saint Cosme is one of my favorite producers, and I have had many bottles over the last 15 or so years. This is their best Chateauneuf du Pape since my introduction, edging out the '07, which I am still drinking. I scored that bottle 93, and I can say with confidence that the '10 is better in several ways. More complex, first, with notes of dark fruit / berries, slight hint of strawberry, a charred aspect, liquer, and a high note which I cannot identify. On night one, the wine was balanced, still youthful, enjoyable, a very good value. The second night showed a much bigger palate of notes, and a mature, elegant wine. Given air, this is a great value, and would easily compete with CDP's from a higher price range, depending on your preferred style. At its peak, but could use a decant.

6/18/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle on Father's Day with a black bean burger and Mexican style corn. This bottle has improved since the last time I opened one, and I have to say, I am very impressed. I seem to remember paying $10-$12. Dominant note of root beer, noticeable pepper, evolving into dark fruit, hint of licorice, dark fruit. A lot going on here.

6/16/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

This is drinking well at the moment and in my mind, a very good value. I would not have suspected Cab Franc. Herbs and some dark fruit. Undecanted with a black bean burger and mac and cheese.

6/15/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle, undecanted, with my friend Antonio, at the house, with chicken wings, steamed broccoli, and macaroni and cheese. I did not expect a lot out of this bottle, but it came through nicely. Dark fruit/berries, mocha, light touch of lavender. Rich without being overdone. For my taste, this was very well done.

6/14/2023 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine:

I drank this bottle undecanted, with garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a black bean burger with pepper jack cheese. This bottle is still very drinkable, but I found very little about it charming or enjoyable. The fruit and mostly dropped out, but there are still a few notes to contemplate. The biggest problem is that the alcohol overpowers whatever is left of the tertiary flavors and mutes the fruit.

6/8/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Today is Brookie's birthday, which we celebrated at V. Mertz and the Matchbox 20 concert. We enjoyed this half bottle throughout dinner, undecanted. This vintage is outstanding and drank well right away, and continued to open a bit over the following two hours. Well-balanced and elegant, classic D'Yquem. This will be a thing to behold in 20 years. Happy birthday Brookie!

6/8/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Brookie and I drank this bottle from her birth vintage, on her birthday, at V. Mertz, prior to the Matchbox 20 concert. I purchased this bottle many years ago, and have been looking forward to drinking it on a special occasion, which this certainly was. This bottle has been touted as a "wow" experience, a "future legend", and other superlatives. I found it to be nothing of the sort. Very good, enjoyable, but nothing all that remarkable. Very balanced and well-integrated, with a very dominant note of green pepper, which just didn't work for me. The class was undeniable, the finish was above average. There was nothing about it that took it from a very good bottle to the next level. Brookie thought it was exceptionally good, and perhaps the best bottle she has ever had. Ah, Brookie. Happy birthday.

6/3/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Brookie and I enjoyed this bottle with Jordan and Megan at "Well and Good". Unfortunately, the restaurant did not have a decanter, so we poured glasses and put the rest in a carafe. The bottom line is that this is going to be a great bottle in about 8-10 years. The wine didn't really open up much over dinner, but it is obviously very good and will need some time.

5/31/2023 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine:

I bought a six pack of this wine and started drinking bottles last year. Old, oaky, bereft of character or charm. Nothing to recommend this bottle. The balance is good, the palate is soft, but honestly, that is about as much as I can say for it. The cork was intact, I don't see any signs of leakage. It just seems old before it's time. This is the third bottle in two years. I don't know what to say, but it is not good. 82 is probably generous.

5/18/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

My friend Antonio and I drank the bottle at The Indian Oven East, with dinner. Decanted for an hour, consumed over the following hour. Really excellent bottle of Gigondas, in a great spot, probably starting to decline, but still very good. Elegant, balanced, awesome finish. Dark fruit, earth, spices emerging. The dominant note was an iron / bloody core with floral notes. Very classy.

5/18/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle undecanted at The Oven East with my friend Antonio. I have had this bottle in numerous vintages and find that it is always a great bottle for the price. Drank well upon opening and continued to unfold the following two hours. Well balanced, great fruit, no detectable heat, decent nose. Dark fruit, earth, maybe some liqueur note, probably other things as well. This is a very well made wine, probably at its peak, and may hold for another 3-4 years. Pretty hard to beat for the money.

4/30/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I love Saint Cosme, and have been a fan for many years. I visited the winery in 2009, and drank some CDP barrel samples. Anyone who doubts the genius of Louis Barruol need only open a bottle of one of his reserve Gigondas. Tonight I stumbled across an unopened case of '17 Cotes du Rhone and decided to have a little taste with Indian food. In my mind, the wine surpassed any other CDR I have had from this domain. All the usual notes, harmonious, balances, drinking well above it's humble status. I drank this one straight out of the bottle, and I am curious as to how it would have opened had I decanted it. Will try another soon and report back.

4/23/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I don't drink a lot of muscadet, so I don't have an opinion in terms of typicity and I'm not going to give this a score. I will say, that for the humble appellation, this is a very well made wine and a great value. So many notes on the expansive mid-palate. Saline, a bit of lemon, sweetness, apple, iodine maybe, some type of rocky note. Much more complex than the price tag would suggest. Fresh, balanced, engaging.

3/30/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I drank this bottle decanted, over a couple of hours, at The Oven, with my friend Antonio. This is one of the bigger disappointments I have had in recent memory. This is an expensive bottle, and aside from the nose, which was very good, and the balance, this was slightly above average, and really nothing all that special. The mid-palate was initially muted, and although it did open, there was nothing memorable about it. The finish was very average.

4/1/2023 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine:

I drank this bottle, decanted, over about two hours at The Oven, with my good friend Antonio. I drank this bottle alongside an '01 Rayas CDP Reserve. Very disappointing night overall. Both wines underperformed, and never seemed to show a hint of their esteemed pedigrees.

I love Beaucastel wines, and have had many vintages, including the '01 several times previously. Tonight, the wine just never came together. The initiail nose was musty, sweet pruney-resiney, dark, although not lacking in oomph. Dark color, various notes, not very harmonious or pleasing. This might be simply a bad bottle, or the early signs of this vintage falling apart. Still drinkable, just not particularly good. Antonio thought it was pretty good, so maybe opinions can vary.

3/27/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

A great little bottle of rose, which I drank undecanted over about two hours. I gave this wine a solid 93, because it has great fruit, complexity, balance, richness, no signs of fading, and it one of the better rose's I have had in recent memory. Blood orange most noticeably, minerals, probably other things that I can't quite put my finger on. Very pleasing. Great value.

3/11/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this botte undecanted with some enchiladas. Not my typical pairing but I was at home looking after Mabel and Meredith and I didn't have enough hopes for this bottle to take it to an Indian restaurant so I just grabbed it and hoped for the best, sort of like some of my dates back in college. My experience with this bottle is similar to the reviews before mine, in that the main thing about this bottle is that it is interesting in a way. You wouldn't expect an '07 Vacqueyras to have anything left at this point. But, it still has some life, and is enjoyable, which is kind of impressive in and of itself. Tart cranberries, gaminess, herbs coming on, a bit brooding, certainly a "type". I don't know enough about Vacqueyras to say whether this is rustic, typical, or what, but I drink a lot of Southern Rhone wines and this bottle is singular in my experience, which makes it interesting. Sort of like a female junior philosophy major who may join a band, or drop out, or go to grad school, but who knows. I don't think this is a wine most people will like, but with the right food it would work.

3/4/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle undecanted with chicken breast, roasted carrots, and mashed potatoes from Venue. This wine was open and expressive from the start, and continued to develop as I drank it. This is an incredible value for $20-$25. Dark fruit, licorice, earth, herbs. Elegant, nice finish, balanced.
Plenty of fruit but starting to show age. If I can find newer vintages I will buy three cases.

3/1/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

This bottle is pretty amazing for a CDR. Awesome vintage, undecanted, better than many village wines. Evolving notes, very good nose, great balance and purity of fruit. Even at this late date, started off with dark fruit, dense, plenty of acid. Opened into cassis, melted licorice, bark, raspberry. After an hour, olive, mulberry. Largely syrah. You will never find more at this price point.

2/25/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle undecanted with malai kofta from The Oven. When I opened the bottle I was not very hopeful, as the wine had a dominant note of sour cherry, and seemed past its prime. After about an hour the wine started to come around. Balanced, good fruit, good value for the price. Sour cherry, bitter chocolate, melted licorice. Brookie got green pepper on the nose, and pepper on the palate. Some black currants as well. She got none of the notes I mentioned. We both agreed the mid palate was dense, heavy and a bit alcoholic. After two hours, this wine became very herbaceous.

Overall, we think this bottle was probably better a couple of years ago. Decent, but not our favorite. This might appeal more to lovers of Napa cabs. Not charming or classic, but still well made with good fruit and balance.

2/13/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I opened this bottle with macaroni and cheese, sliced petit cucumbers with ranch and dill, and some chicken that didn't turn out very well. Lucky for Brookie that I didn't marry her for her cooking! Ah, Brookie. The nose is soft, inviting, green / vegetal, cassis, on the palate, vegetal, lots of pepper, some vanilla, smooth and pleasing. The finish long enough, satisfying. Very well done New World Cab Franc. Tough to fully gauge since I didn't decant, but probably in its prime drinking window. Great bottle of wine.

2/1/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this bottle, undecanted, with chicken tikka from The Oven. Initially open with soft black and red fruit, graphite, tobacco, maybe something else. Evolved quickly, not necessarily in a good way. Still pleasant, but clearly past its prime. This was probably excellent QPR 2-3 years ago.

1/7/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Brooke and I enjoyed this bottle, undecanted, at The Oven. Initially the bottle was musty, but with some air it opened nicely. The bottle evolved constantly over the two hours or so it was open. As the wine opened, it became barnyard / mushrooms, then some light, fading fruit, and finally raisin/resin. Still enjoyable, but in the final stage of it's drinking window.

1/7/2023 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I drank this bottle of wine, decanted, at The Oven, with my beautiful wife, Brookie. Ah, Brookie. We started with a '90 Jadot Beaune Boucherottes, which was drinking nicely I might add, to give the Lienhardt some time to breathe. After probably an hour, we enjoyed the bottle with lamb madras (Brookie) and chicken tikka (me).

The wine is powerful and expressive, sour cherry and spice being the main notes I got. In a good spot now, but might improve with another year or two or three. I don't have a lot of experience with this area of wine, but in my opinion, this is a very good value has quite a bit of life left. I think 88 is a fair score at this point.

12/31/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Brookie and I enjoyed this bottle last night at the club with our friends Jackie and Antonio. We decanted the bottle, and drank it over about two hours. Great, classic Napa, fully integrated and in a very good place. Many dark notes blending together seamlessly. Excellent finish.

12/11/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I drank this bottle in 2019 and didn't care for it at all. Opened a second bottle last night with Indian food and was blown away. I thought it was the most herbaceous CDP I have had. Didn't show much with my initial glass right out of the bottle, but with 20 minutes in the decanter it had opened into an amazing wine. Excellent balance, complexity, finish. Very classy.

11/24/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle undecanted, with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with my wife, the lovely Brookie, and the best mother in law in the world. A really good bottle of Morgon, and an outstanding QPR. Earthy, red fruit, great balance, the best $14 finish I can recall. Great now, but may improve with a couple more years. No hurry.

11/13/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I was not optimistic when I opened this bottle tonight, as I have always viewed Vacqueyras as a drink sooner rather than later bottle, and here we are, 13 years post vintage. An hour in, undecanted, the wine is opening up, and although it is probably a bit past its apex, it is still very enjoyable, and certainly the best Vacqueyras I have had. Rustic, dense, earth, olives, dark fruit . . . Kind of tough to score, but I will say this is a decent bottle, and probably a very good bottle 3-5 years ago, with a decant. I'm going to grade this bottle on what it is now, with the understanding that in its prime it would have merited a higher score. Probably not a bottle for everyone, but enjoyable and interesting to those of us who really get into Southern Rhone wines.

11/12/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle with chicken tikka and mulligatawny soup. I am a very big fan of St. Cosme wine in general, and drink many bottles of their Southern Rhone wines every year. I don't tend to drink much of their St. Joseph or Cote Rotie. I was a little dubious about this bottle because of the age, but I decided to open and drink it without a decant. Decent nose and enjoyable, albeit fading, mid-palate. A wide range of notes, which I won't get into in detail, but suffice it to say that there was a lot going on. This is probably 3-5 years past its prime drinking window, but still worth opening. Reading some reviews from 10+ years ago, where some decanted for an hour or more or thought the wine was not expressive, my thought is that this is a wine which needs 5-7 years in a good vintage to reach its apex, and is ultimately worth the wait.

10/15/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this 3/4 of this bottle, undecanted, at the home of my friends, Greg and Tezra, while watching the Huskers play Purdue. We had wings, spinach and artichoke dip, guacamole, and other similar food. As the wine aired, the notes opened, and turned into something akin to a nice Bordeaux. Inviting nose, interesting mid-palate, decent finish. Dark fruit, a variety of flavors, well balanced. Very good overall.

The next evening I finished off the remaining 1/4 of the bottle with Peruvian chicken and rice. Just as good if not better. If drinking now, I would say an hour decant. In my view, a 20 year wine. Outstanding value.

10/13/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

Drank this wine undecanted over about two hours. Didn't knock my socks off, and as I continue to drink this wine, I think 88 is maybe on the generous side. Dark fruit, green and vegetal, some tar. A bit of menthol starting to come through. A bit too tannic for my liking. Will time help? I've had better for less money.

10/12/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I drank this bottle tonight with spaghetti marinara from Valentino's. Undecanted, consumed over an hour or so. I am upgrading the score from my previous score of 89 to 91. I went back and forth as to whether this was a "90" or a "91", which is probably due at least in part to the fact that it just seems hard to give more than a "90" to a bottle that is so inexpensive. I probably have too much time on my hands. Anyway, the headline here is that the bottle has CLEARLY improved since my last note about three years ago. I can say that with certainty because I have had several cases of the '15 and this is the best bottle yet. Many of the same notes are present: earth, tobacco, cherry, stone, some leather, a hint of cassis. Very balanced. The various notes fight for attention in a pleasing, harmonious way, making the experience very interesting. I generally do not go for non-traditional blends, but this is such a good value and filled with personality, much like Brookie! Ah, Brookie.

10/3/2022 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine:

I want to begin by saying that I read some of the reviews for other vintages, and while I agree with the notes, my initial assessment was that this wine MIGHT be too young! Nobody else on this site agrees with me, so I guess that just goes to show what I know.

I drank this wine at The Oven, with my good friend Antonio, and the somm, Pritik. We drank just a bit out of the bottle right away, and decanted the rest. At no point during the evening did anyone have anything good to say about the bottle. The nose was initially musty, and with time blew off. When I re-filled my glass, however, the musty note returned.

The primary note was a very pronounced sour cherry, which was too much for my taste. There was also a briny/olive note, and an earthy component. Although these notes can be very nice, they were not at all in harmony and just did not work. There was a fair amount going on, and the balance of acid was good, but the overall palate was not pleasing.

This is the first bottle of my six pack. I am going to open another bottle next year and report back. If there is no improvement I am going to give the bottles away to people I don't like.

9/24/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle at the home of my very good friends Masey and Tyler, with a great Indian dish prepared by the master chef himself. Decanted for an hour, consumed over the following 2 hours alongside a magnum of '15 Behrens Syrah and an '07 de la Solitude CDP.

The wine is in a very good spot right now, and although I wouldn't expect it to improve, I did not detect any signs of decline, and I think it might hold for 3-5 years. No fading at the edges, continued opening in the glass, and the last glass was as good as the first. Resolved tannins, perfect balance, just enough acidity to pair with the moderately spiced but not hot Indian food.

Liquer and current notes, Tyler thought forest and new leather. Complex harmony of flavors, ending with a decent finish. The Behrens was definitely a New World style with much more extraction and in your face fruit. The de la Solitude was traditional CDP. The AR was right in the middle. Very solid bottle.

7/17/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I have had this bottle from this vintage and other vintages, many times. Always a very good bargain. The score of 88 reflects the quality of the wine for the appellation, but perhaps I am giving it an extra point for QPR. Certainly a candidate for house wine vs. many CDR. Cherry, smoke, savory, earth. At seven years of age it is holding up well, but time to finish off the case.

4/22/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this bottle at The Oven in The Haymarket tonight with my friends Wade and Kelsey. I have never had Hermitage previously in all my years for wine drinking, so this was a much anticipated event. The wine was decanted for about an hour before drinking with dinner, but I did have a small glass right away. Immediately on the nose was plum, dark fruit, perhaps mulberry or boysenberry, sweetness, earth, olive. The palate was much the same, but with the slightest hint of tobacco. Very balanced and complex. Tannins are receded. The air caused the various components to blend into a harmonious, fantastic wine. Certainly a great wine with years of prime drinking ahead. This one is hard for me to score since I have no experience with Hermitage, and mostly drink Southern Rhone wines. I would say easily 94, perhaps 95. The finish could have been a little more profound, but I'm not asking for my money back. A great bottle.

4/20/2022 - Magnum PI wrote:

Enjoyed this bottle undecanted over the period of 3-4 hours, with Brookie's chicken breast, green beans, and twice baked potatoes. Very expressive, old school Bordeaux. The many notes preceding mine accurately document the notes. Dark fruit, tobacco, barnyard, vanilla, cassis, very well integrated. At its peak, with a few years of prime drinking left. Excellent value. 100% merlot. I gave this bottle a slightly higher score than the 90 average most others seem to award, for the reasons that the persistence is very good and there is slightly above average complexity.