This has been a very beautiful vintage of this wine. The Petit verdot and cab franc were the two varieties that turned us on to this vintner. This one has a lot of dense, full-bodied character, and has lots of other attributes that sort of dance around the palate and leave you guessing just what in the heck you're tasting. Previous 94 rating tasting note is still right on the money, and I swear this one could hold for another 20 years if cellared correctly. I still have 12 and 14 vintages, which I could probably open up for my daughter's 21st birthday in 16 years. No rush on these at all.
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A BEAUTIFUL wine. A year and a half later, this one has done some rather nice integrating. Has turned more towards the dark side, but still has rather vibrant fruit. Nose is beautiful and has some smoke, grilled meat. The wine is mostly boysenberry fruit core on the opening like it was at end of 2014. Beef broth and bacon fat in the background. This is not a red fruit wine. Definitely darker, more like molasses and violets and fig. Not tart. The mid-palate is where the biggest divergence is from previous. This wine displays no tart -- just supple dark fig and crushed wildflowers. Not much earth here either. Actually had more of a violet type of perfume note. The finish is still rather dry, but tannin has softened. Leaves an aftertaste of boysenberry scone. Acidity just about absent after 2 hours of being open. This wine still has a LOT of life left, but the problem is that I only have ONE bottle left!
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Rating unchanged but not going to rate again to prevent skewing averages. This one was just as astringent as the first bottle for the first 2 hours. Other 4 bottles are at remote storage to prevent 4 counts of murder! The only thing that came to mind here is dark herbaceous blackberry with tar, licorice, and pipe tobacco with an earthy brambly finish. Delicious. Manchego cheese paired beautifully with this wine, but it went very well with a stuffed chicken burger. Beautiful wine, and just going to get better in 2-3 yrs.
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One of the only vineyards I know that will do a single vineyard Petit Verdot. And this one is delicious. The wine is rather good to go out of the bottle with zero decant, although 2 hours later it had opened up. Saving a small bit of it for tomorrow. This wine is DARK, and honestly, needs to be enjoyed with a steak, or some kind of game dish with a heavy cream sauce, ribs, etc. This is not your chicken dinner wine. Wine poured jet black, dirty brick red with a hint of violet to the meniscus. The nose is very "aged malbec-esque" -- if you were in Nicolas Catena's cellar drinking an aged beauty, and then wafted this one, you probably wouldn't be able to tell a difference. Dark boysenberry fruit core on the opening. Earth, beef bouillon. Don't look for blackberry, raspberry or cherry here.....this ain't that kind of wine. The mid-palate is where some plum and fig kind of filters in, but still getting the smoked beef, bramble, earth combo. The finish is T-A-N-N-I-C.....and QUITE earthy. This wine has a depth that isn't even realized yet. Although I expect it to remain quite dark throughout its entire lifetime. This time I was smart and got 6 of these, because this fantastic winery doesn't produce this one all that often. These 2011's will probably hold longer than most of the high end floofy wines from Oakville. 94+, not fully ready until 2016, and done by 2024.
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4/6/2020 - mflesh wrote:
This has been a very beautiful vintage of this wine. The Petit verdot and cab franc were the two varieties that turned us on to this vintner. This one has a lot of dense, full-bodied character, and has lots of other attributes that sort of dance around the palate and leave you guessing just what in the heck you're tasting. Previous 94 rating tasting note is still right on the money, and I swear this one could hold for another 20 years if cellared correctly. I still have 12 and 14 vintages, which I could probably open up for my daughter's 21st birthday in 16 years. No rush on these at all.
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4/16/2016 - mflesh wrote:
A BEAUTIFUL wine. A year and a half later, this one has done some rather nice integrating. Has turned more towards the dark side, but still has rather vibrant fruit. Nose is beautiful and has some smoke, grilled meat. The wine is mostly boysenberry fruit core on the opening like it was at end of 2014. Beef broth and bacon fat in the background. This is not a red fruit wine. Definitely darker, more like molasses and violets and fig. Not tart. The mid-palate is where the biggest divergence is from previous. This wine displays no tart -- just supple dark fig and crushed wildflowers. Not much earth here either. Actually had more of a violet type of perfume note. The finish is still rather dry, but tannin has softened. Leaves an aftertaste of boysenberry scone. Acidity just about absent after 2 hours of being open. This wine still has a LOT of life left, but the problem is that I only have ONE bottle left!
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1/23/2016 - mflesh wrote:
Tasting notes are the same. Great bottle of wine. Will hold well for another 7-8 years at least.
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7/8/2015 - Lobonick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful and balanced with a deep dark broodiness. Black fruit, spice, and very chewy tannins. Perfect with the right meaty and greasy foods.
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3/21/2015 - mflesh wrote:
Rating unchanged but not going to rate again to prevent skewing averages. This one was just as astringent as the first bottle for the first 2 hours. Other 4 bottles are at remote storage to prevent 4 counts of murder! The only thing that came to mind here is dark herbaceous blackberry with tar, licorice, and pipe tobacco with an earthy brambly finish. Delicious. Manchego cheese paired beautifully with this wine, but it went very well with a stuffed chicken burger. Beautiful wine, and just going to get better in 2-3 yrs.
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1/30/2015 - mliszt wrote: 94 Points
actually a 91 the first night as I was impatient to give it time but the 2nd night wonderful balanced and no after taste. just what I like
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1/18/2015 - Jona Likes this wine: 85 Points
This was a surprise! Different PV with fine fruit actually.
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11/15/2014 - mflesh Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the only vineyards I know that will do a single vineyard Petit Verdot. And this one is delicious. The wine is rather good to go out of the bottle with zero decant, although 2 hours later it had opened up. Saving a small bit of it for tomorrow. This wine is DARK, and honestly, needs to be enjoyed with a steak, or some kind of game dish with a heavy cream sauce, ribs, etc. This is not your chicken dinner wine. Wine poured jet black, dirty brick red with a hint of violet to the meniscus. The nose is very "aged malbec-esque" -- if you were in Nicolas Catena's cellar drinking an aged beauty, and then wafted this one, you probably wouldn't be able to tell a difference. Dark boysenberry fruit core on the opening. Earth, beef bouillon. Don't look for blackberry, raspberry or cherry here.....this ain't that kind of wine. The mid-palate is where some plum and fig kind of filters in, but still getting the smoked beef, bramble, earth combo. The finish is T-A-N-N-I-C.....and QUITE earthy. This wine has a depth that isn't even realized yet. Although I expect it to remain quite dark throughout its entire lifetime. This time I was smart and got 6 of these, because this fantastic winery doesn't produce this one all that often. These 2011's will probably hold longer than most of the high end floofy wines from Oakville. 94+, not fully ready until 2016, and done by 2024.
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