4/7/2024 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Over two nights. Svelte with good intensity, dark fruit, some blackberry, faint pencil. Nice wine. I prefer this to the ‘05 and 15 I’ve had in the last couple of years. Possibly some upside as it approaches drinking window. 93-95

3/16/2024 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Dark fruit, good acidity, felt fresh with good form and nice structure. About 93/95 for me. Will likely improve, but felt somewhat open for business with appropriate air time

3/4/2024 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

This wine seems a little polarising among those I follow on here.

I found it a good example of 2009, now entering its peak drinking window. Tannins were soft/plush and notes of blackberry. Generally good, if slightly unspectacular. In fact I saw this pretty much as purple tooth described recently

93-94 for me. I’m not expecting great development from here, but will hold my remaining bottle a few years, just for interest

1/21/2024 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

No expansive notes. But nice wine. Glad to have a spare (and should have bought more). 93-95

1/7/2024 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Road testing new Zalto glasses. Initially a Coravin pour, but the cork came out later (which might tell a story) and briefly in a decanter. Nice wine, wonderful nose. Good tension, medium+ bodied, black fruit, tannins feel more resolved.

Perhaps entering “the zone”? 94-96 for me

11/12/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

Sadly my last bottle. Splash decantered and consumed over a couple of hours. Beautiful nose, fine tannin with a touch of graphite. Excellent wine. Bordeaux-esque. Touch and go for 96.
95-96

11/5/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Decantered for 20 mins, then back in the bottle for a couple of hours. (Plenty of sediment in the bottle)
Very dark in colour, ripe blackcurrant, powerful. Likely needs more time to peak and, with hindsight a longer decant

Nice wine. I’m about 94-96 on this one

10/22/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Well made and somewhat open for business after a couple of hours in the decanter etc. Black and red fruits, tannins a little AWOL. Enjoyed it, but not blown away. Still 93-94 on this one. Not clear how it improves from here

10/15/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

Beautiful nose, soft pliant tannins, creme de cassis. Nice wine, but perhaps I was expecting more from an ‘05? 93-95

10/14/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

A slightly bolder expression this time. Perfumed nose and great vigour in the body. Built for a long and interesting ride. 93-95+

9/3/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

No notes, but pretty much saw this like the write up from 3 days ago. Could probably stretch an extra point. 92-93+

9/2/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

In to a decanter and consumed over a couple of hours. Slightly austere tannins, fruit plays second fiddle. Nice wine, probably best left alone for a couple of years. Something like 92-94

8/31/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Rated highly by some trusted Aussie press. Less so by some of my respected CTers. I don’t know sh1t about Napa, but do know penfolds and cab sav.
Anyway. Nice enough wine. Got some cool blue fruit, if perhaps little simple. Pretty good first crack I reckon. About 91-94 for me

8/13/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Altogether a more cohesive experience now. Felt the Cabernet was more noticeable and the overall wine less volatile. Probably right in the slot for a 750ml, but will definitely go a few more years. 93-94

8/6/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

My first experience with LLC, from the perhaps mixed 2014 vintage. Nowadays it would probably be called “great but heterogeneous” such is the BDX hyperbole these days.

Decantered 2-4 hours, but never really settled. Slightly volatile tang/acidity in what is a fairly pleasant, if unspectacular offering. Will hold my remaining bottle for a few years, but it is not clear to me where this wine goes from here. About 91-93

7/30/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Decantered 2+ hours. Dark in colour, brooding, grippy tannins slightly dominate the fruit/terroir. Nice wine, too young now frankly. Wait 2-3y at least. 93 for now with upside. 93-95

7/23/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Decantered 2+ hours. Black and red current. Elegant wine, in a good spot right now with appropriate air. Something like 94+

7/16/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

3rd of a six pack. Coravin pour on day one. Decantered the remainder on day 2. Terrific nose, some cassis and blackberry. Was probably better on day one, but this felt a bit more shut down than previous bottles. Possibly needed more air, but will leave the stash alone for a while now. Around 93+ on this showing

7/9/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

PnP from half bottle at a restaurant. Needed time to come round. Not quite at the same level as the ‘19. Nice all the same. Something like 92-94.

7/8/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

PnP in a restaurant. Wonderfully fragrant nose. Fruit dominant (rather obviously given the age) blackberry, cassis, touch of pencil, very elegant. Very enjoyable experience. Something like 93-95+ for me. Would like to try again in 5 years or so

7/5/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

Pnp from a restaurant. Cherry and balsamic notes. Excellent wine, paired well with various cuts of beef. Delicious 94-96+ for me. Will seek out for the cellar

7/4/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Splash decantered and had with food (eggplant parmigiana and eye fillet and Gorgonzola sauce). Not fruit driven, but has a sense of place. Clearly Italian cabsav rather than BDX. Nice, perhaps not spectacular. May have peaked, but don’t have much experience here. Something like 92-94

6/26/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Golden in colour. Marmalade and candied fruit. Dense, but not heavy or overly sweet. Terrific. 95-96

6/17/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

Solid Cabernet. Will be better in 5-10 years. Tastes of South Australia and generic penfolds. Having said that it’s a pretty good wine, glad I have one more. 93-94++

5/28/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

As per Azzah’s note and to add this is (still) a terrific wine. Easy 94 for me; couldn’t disagree with 95/96. Sadly my last one

5/25/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

From Coravin then pulled the cork a few day later. Muted nose. Finish is dry and a little tannic. Tastes young, more to come. 92-94 for me. Probably best left alone for a few years

5/11/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Splash decantered (but probably needs more than this). Nose needs a lot of coaxing. Still seems on the young side with a firm tannic backbone. Nice wine. Will try and hold my final bottle for a few more years. 94-95+

5/7/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Dense, dark berries, touch of olive. Needs a spell in a decanter, but has years ahead of it. Very nice wine. 94++

4/30/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Decantered 4+ hours. It’s a big primary wine which is fruit (cherry) dominant. Probably should be tucked away for a few years. Nice wine, but not sure it will be truly great. 92-94

4/25/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Over a couple of nights and a few weeks after trying v15. Red and black fruit, good intensity, good structure. Tannic backbone possibly a touch more noticeable than ‘15. Nice wine with more to come. Not a crime to try one now, but possibly better to wait a few more years. 94-96

4/11/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

Over 2 nights. Young, fruit forward. No real development yet. Nice wine, if a touch simple at present. Hold 2-3y before trying again. Something like 91-94

4/10/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Decantered at lunch time. Drunk from 4-7pm with wagyu eye fillet and sweet potato.
Very dark in colour, black currant, creme de cassis, a touch of acidity (but not significantly intrusive) and faint cigar box. Really a very nice wine. Would wait a couple of years before my next one, but if you have a few on hand, pop one with an extended decant.

One of the nicest v15 I’ve had to date. 94-95+

3/26/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Splash decant and consumed over 4 hours or so. Dar, almost black in colour. Muted nose. Dark berries and some Christmas cake feel. Nice wine, probably needs a couple more years. 94-95+

3/19/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Needs a good bit of air to open up and reveal taught tannin profile and cassis/blackberry. Nice wine. 94-95+

2/24/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

A couple of coravin pours, then opened today over a couple of hours. Some cherry but drying tannins slightly dominate the fruit. Unsure on initial tastes but once this gets some air, you can see the potential. 93-95+. Be sure to decant a couple of hours before trying. Hold 2-5y

2/12/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

No notes taken. Splash decantered and consumed over the next hour or so. Too young now, but could work out well. Packed with fruit and good tannic backbone. Hold 3-5y. 92-94+

2/5/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

From Coravin and over a few days. Young, needs time. Cherry dominant. Try again in 2-3 years. Hold. 92-94

1/22/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

Decantered 2+ hours. Young. Dark in colour, cherries, touch of tuscan dust and faint balsamic. Really a great wine. On the young side now. Try again in 3 years. 94-96+

1/21/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Coravin pour. Almost black in colour. Dark fruit with nice tannic structure. Easy 93 now. Should have bought more. Good future ahead. 93-95+

1/20/2023 - Gdubya wrote:

Over 2 days. Blackcurrant, faint cherry and a touch of cigar. Very good wine, which will probably get better from here. 94 at least. Something like 94-96

1/15/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Cool fruit (blackberry), touch of pencil. Tannins present and non intrusive. Really a great wine, elegant and possibly the best ‘14 I’ve had. 94-96

1/6/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Fruit forward, soft tannin. I’d say open for business. Nice enough wine. Will it ever be great ?
92-94

1/4/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Very accessible. Nice, slightly sweet fruit, tannins soft and plush. Very good wine, if you have a few, go ahead and pop one. 94-95+

12/31/2022 - Gdubya wrote:

Decantered 1 hour. Fairly typical example of Barossa with dark fruit/berry. No obvious secondary flavours yet. Under screw cap, no doubt could go for another 10 years. 92-94+

12/30/2022 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Large Coravin pour. Cabernet dominant, some blackberry in the profile. Didn’t give much on the nose. I think this could be good, but still a young’un. Somewhere around 92-94++. Will finish the bottle in a month or so, but might not try again for 2-3 years

12/30/2022 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Decnatered around one hour. Deep garnet, cassis, perhaps some cigar box. Nice wine, which should improve. 92-94+

12/25/2022 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Over Xmas day. Elegant wine, perhaps a touch simple. Seemed quite approachable; tannins present but not intrusive. I think CT has this one about bang on with 92-93+ pts

12/24/2022 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Decantered 2 hours. Dark in colour, not giving much on the nose (perhaps not surprisingly) black fruits the dominant flavour. Tannins very slightly furry, but not unapproachable, very faint touch of heat. Nice wine, somewhere around 92-93+

12/22/2022 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Black fruit, some cherry and kirsch. Nice wine, young with something left in the tank. 91-92+

12/18/2022 - Gdubya Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Pure Cabernet fruit, no secondaries yet, but in a a good place. Tannins present and soft. Bodes well for the future. 92-94