A dark coloring when poured. Rich and complex nose with black fruit, some chocolate and cedar. As it opened, more bordeaux like notes of cassis, pencil lead and vanilla. Probably close to its peak, but delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and showing moderate sediment. Dark garnet, opaque an glass staining. Heavily scented with notes aromas that expose mission fig, cocoa powder, herbs of thyme, rosemary and mountain sage that weave into brandied cherries, cassis, tobacco, baking spices and hints of cedar, split vanilla bean, forest floor, espresso bean and juniper. The palate shows smooth, full textures with weight that is balanced with the acidity of the wine. The chocolatey tannins are smooth and seamlessly integrated into the wine at this point. Palate coating flavors of chocolate dipped dried fig, cassis, brandied cherries, mountain herbs, tobacco, baking spices, vanilla bean, earth, mocha, cedar and suede. The finish is long, complex and smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2+ hour decant in the Riedel Swan. Scents of cherry and cassis are met with plum and shaded by aromas of cedar, cigar box, fresh thyme and mountain herbs as well as pencil shavings, juniper and vanilla. Hints of chocolate, coffee bean and forrest floor are also detected. The full bodied palate shows bright cherry and currant with cassis and ripe damson plum. Chocolate and mountain herbs notes show with graphite, wood, coffee, vanilla, clove, cinnamon and oaky spice. The palate carries above moderate acid structure with full, ripe tannins. The finish is long and intense that lingers with dry, chewy tannins and youthfulness.
Overall, this is very well built and still has a long way to go before it's through. Lengthy air time is important at this stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Generous Decant given. No sediment detected. Wave after wave of legs form and slowly fall, holding the color of the wine showing the moderate+ concentration. Dark garnet in color and clear with no rim variation. Aromas show with moderate-plus intensity. Plum, currant, red cherry, fig and blackberry fruit with a wave of strong chocolate, cassis, cedar and mountain herbs. Ancillary notes of black pepper, vanilla, fresh tobacco, coffee, new leather and pencil shavings. The palate is bold, exuberant and youthful. Tannins are grippy and full while balanced with medium-plus acidity. Flavors burst with plum, cherry, currant, cassis, fig, cedar, chocolate, fresh mountain herbs, coffee and graphite. The full, dry finish lingers with intensity.
Overall still very youthful, though delicious now still needs time. Well built.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Deep purple color with aromas of sweet cedar, oak and black fruits. This is a pleasure to drink. Flavors of black cherry, a hint of tobacco and a sweet streak of oak. I love these wines for the consistency although I feel this wine is a touch sweet for my taste. This is great with or without food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red color wine that is opaque, showing high concentration and medium viscosity. Through 3 hours of decant, the nose is still a bit tight but aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, cassis, vanilla and wood. The palate is bursting with concentrated fruit flavors that include blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry. Flavors of light roast coffee, oak, caramelized sugar and anise on the palate. The acidity is medium-plus and adds to the mid palate, tannins are mature, and well integrated and balanced with the rest of the wine! The finish is long This wine definitely requires time in a decanter at this point, and remains a little tight, a year or two in the cellar should treat this very well. (90-92 at this point but I think will blossom nicely)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/20/2024 - vinolovers wrote: 92 Points
A dark coloring when poured. Rich and complex nose with black fruit, some chocolate and cedar. As it opened, more bordeaux like notes of cassis, pencil lead and vanilla. Probably close to its peak, but delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2020 - bjamesclark wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and showing moderate sediment.
Dark garnet, opaque an glass staining.
Heavily scented with notes aromas that expose mission fig, cocoa powder, herbs of thyme, rosemary and mountain sage that weave into brandied cherries, cassis, tobacco, baking spices and hints of cedar, split vanilla bean, forest floor, espresso bean and juniper.
The palate shows smooth, full textures with weight that is balanced with the acidity of the wine. The chocolatey tannins are smooth and seamlessly integrated into the wine at this point. Palate coating flavors of chocolate dipped dried fig, cassis, brandied cherries, mountain herbs, tobacco, baking spices, vanilla bean, earth, mocha, cedar and suede. The finish is long, complex and smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2017 - bjamesclark wrote: 92 Points
2+ hour decant in the Riedel Swan.
Scents of cherry and cassis are met with plum and shaded by aromas of cedar, cigar box, fresh thyme and mountain herbs as well as pencil shavings, juniper and vanilla. Hints of chocolate, coffee bean and forrest floor are also detected.
The full bodied palate shows bright cherry and currant with cassis and ripe damson plum. Chocolate and mountain herbs notes show with graphite, wood, coffee, vanilla, clove, cinnamon and oaky spice. The palate carries above moderate acid structure with full, ripe tannins. The finish is long and intense that lingers with dry, chewy tannins and youthfulness.
Overall, this is very well built and still has a long way to go before it's through. Lengthy air time is important at this stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2015 - bjamesclark wrote: 92 Points
Generous Decant given.
No sediment detected. Wave after wave of legs form and slowly fall, holding the color of the wine showing the moderate+ concentration. Dark garnet in color and clear with no rim variation.
Aromas show with moderate-plus intensity. Plum, currant, red cherry, fig and blackberry fruit with a wave of strong chocolate, cassis, cedar and mountain herbs. Ancillary notes of black pepper, vanilla, fresh tobacco, coffee, new leather and pencil shavings.
The palate is bold, exuberant and youthful. Tannins are grippy and full while balanced with medium-plus acidity. Flavors burst with plum, cherry, currant, cassis, fig, cedar, chocolate, fresh mountain herbs, coffee and graphite. The full, dry finish lingers with intensity.
Overall still very youthful, though delicious now still needs time. Well built.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2014 - Buckeyewino wrote: 91 Points
Christmas Family dinner
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2012 - rwstorer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Deep purple color with aromas of sweet cedar, oak and black fruits. This is a pleasure to drink. Flavors of black cherry, a hint of tobacco and a sweet streak of oak. I love these wines for the consistency although I feel this wine is a touch sweet for my taste. This is great with or without food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2012 - bjamesclark wrote: 91 Points
Deep red color wine that is opaque, showing high concentration and medium viscosity.
Through 3 hours of decant, the nose is still a bit tight but aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, cassis, vanilla and wood.
The palate is bursting with concentrated fruit flavors that include blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry. Flavors of light roast coffee, oak, caramelized sugar and anise on the palate. The acidity is medium-plus and adds to the mid palate, tannins are mature, and well integrated and balanced with the rest of the wine! The finish is long
This wine definitely requires time in a decanter at this point, and remains a little tight, a year or two in the cellar should treat this very well.
(90-92 at this point but I think will blossom nicely)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment