September 1, 2022 - Cork Vault Bottle Share 9.1.22 (Charlotte, NC): Opened and slo-oxed for an hour before sampling. Color was amber on the edges and darkly concentrated in the center. Rustic nose that was decidedly Old World. Rustic red cherries on the palate with a wonderful barnyard quality I was not expecting. Complex notes of red fruits dominated hints of black fruits and cedar that were delivered with a high level of finesse making this a joy to drink. Served blind I would have bet heavily this was some unique Bordeaux blend actually from Bordeaux. A truly outstanding wine. By far the “surprise wine of the night” and probably the best Cab Franc I’ve tasted – never had Ausone and tend to steer clear of this grape in single varietal. This wine is another reason these bottle shares are both fun and valuable experiences.
November 13, 2021 - From magnum- poured deep red with a memorable berry fruit nose. Delicious flavors but they came across with a bit of heat, though I expect that has more to do with recovery from a sore throat and cold.
November 7, 2020 - Medium bodied. Blueberry, clove, cedar.
October 10, 2020 - Lighter because of the age, but no complaints. Paired perfectly with burgers and grilled veggies.
July 30, 2020 - From a magnum. Very excellent. Mature soft tannins, very European with barnyard notes. It was a big hit. Very enjoyable.
December 25, 2019 - Just finished the 2002 Pride Cab Franc and the 2005 is notably better. The nose is more barnyard and earthy than a typical Pride, which we happen to appreciate and like. It is very dry and it bites the gums a bit with a linger of salt. Color is deep, dark and a bit brown. Our crowd really liked this one over the 2002. This could easily be mistake for a classic old world wine. We love Pride. Cheers!
September 30, 2019 - Smooth with subtle hints or berry
May 20, 2019 - Smooth, rich and delicious with that beautiful Cab Franc nose. Pnp with aerator, then consumed over 5 hours. Just delightful.
April 16, 2019 - I really enjoyed this. It did fade after about an hour open. Great nose on the pnp. Some bricking on the glass edge. Solid palette. very nice finish.
November 30, 2017 - Earthy and vegetal aromas as expected. Big and rich with strong fruit and some alcohol and tannin on the finish.