Decanted portion with stir and it opened within an hour. Vacuvin’d the rest and PnP on day 2 and 3, with similar results. Deep ruby and purple color. 👃🏻 blackberry and bramble 👅 blackberry, black cherry, licorice, and earth with touch of vanilla and 30-35 sec finish Pairs well with pizza and meat pasta and likely steak. Well made but without a sense of terroir
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Three and a half hour decant. Deep dark intense ruby color. Blackberry, boysenberry, and some baking spice. Dry palate. Firm tannins on the medium long finish.
This is good, but also uninspired. The nose by itself would be great. Nice, new Napa CS for me, supplied by Mark1NPT.
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3 hour decant to start...red/black fruit, lifted florals of violets as well. The nose on this wine was maybe the best of the night. The palate was of silky red/black fruit, smooth tannins and perfectly balanced elements. 6 hours and 10 minutes in....sweet black briar nose, nice balance throughout. No harsh edges to be found but maybe a little iron pan on the palate by the end of the night. 94 early on, 95 by the end of the bottle.
addendum.....8 hours in and this one turns black and astringent. Simply too much air at that time. Drink these in the first 3-5 hours right now.
2+ hours decant and played with a ton. But here we go. Nose: full of sweet creme de cassis, oak, stewed mulberry, clay, limestone, and cream for days. Medium to full bodied, and has a beautiful almost sweet feel. Alcohol shows up a bit on the finish. But cheers to JH & MR! Beautiful wine.
Great job by Michel Rolland. This wine has the richness of a Napa Cabernet but the finesse, balance and acidity of a Bordeaux. Dark cherries, dried flowers, currants and spices on the nose and similar palate with dark roast coffee on the finish. Probably one of the better 2016's I've had so far.
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Incredible wine by team of Jean H. And M. Rolland. Deep dark purple/magenta, perfumy notes of blue and and black fruits, herbs, menthol and hints of basil. Silky smooth palate adds some licorice, wild flowers, Asian spices and dry dark chocolate. Graceful tannins, beautifully balanced, long pure fruit finish. Jean said MR logo was inspired by RF logo (Roger Federer 🎾) Happy Friday all!
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Heavy cedar nose with campfire, olive brine, and blueberry. Black currant and peppery black fruits are followed by intense dried herbs and notes of black licorice. Bold finish with new oak tannins, dusty black plum, and sweet blueberry pie. Very young and has room to improve but already delicious if you like the style. 92+ points
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After drinking two different vintages of Rudius Kayley Elizabeth the past two nights, I opened this Michael Rolland tonight. Decanted before making a simple blackened poblano chicken penne. Got to be honest here, the MR was not all that. What was it then? At a price point actually exceeding the Kayley Elizabeth, the MR decidedly under delivered. If this was a heavy weight match, it was a first round TKO. MR lacks the mouthfeel, complexity, and finish of the comparable Kyley Elizabeth. We could've been drinking a $30 weeknight Berringer. QPR on Kayley Elizabeth is jumping up and down, while the MR is stuck in the mud. Honestly, there is no comparison. If you're going to spend $100 on a Napa cab, make it an Oakville and make it a Kayley Elizabeth. I'm not trying to to beat up on MR, just calling out what my tastebuds reported. MR is 100% not all that. A kind but very disappointed 89. Will hold the second bottle for several years, because there is no way any flavor drops off. This would never be confused for a left bank Bdx. It is what it is, a common Napa cab available at a price point much less than $100/bottle.
This is a beautiful wine. Very broad flavor profile that comes in waves of fruit/spice and minerality Also the definition of "sweet tannins" (and I mean that in a good way). Seems to be in a good drinking window with a quick decant. Better than I remember from a year ago. Good QPR at $125 from First Bottle.
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Dark cherry, raspberry, cassis, cherry secrets, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, dried earth, an velvety mouthfeel that’s almost worth the price of admission by itself... Very good now with a 4 hour decant in a wide-base decanter, but may get better in 4-5 years.
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Blind tasted with 2013 Shafer HSS after 4 hour decant this was wine of the night. Given 5 years in the cellar for tannins to soften, 97-99 points isn’t out of the question.
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3/26/2024 - Asull2k Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted portion with stir and it opened within an hour. Vacuvin’d the rest and PnP on day 2 and 3, with similar results. Deep ruby and purple color.
👃🏻 blackberry and bramble
👅 blackberry, black cherry, licorice, and earth with touch of vanilla and 30-35 sec finish
Pairs well with pizza and meat pasta and likely steak. Well made but without a sense of terroir
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11/24/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Three and a half hour decant. Deep dark intense ruby color. Blackberry, boysenberry, and some baking spice. Dry palate. Firm tannins on the medium long finish.
This is good, but also uninspired. The nose by itself would be great. Nice, new Napa CS for me, supplied by Mark1NPT.
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11/24/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 95 Points
3 hour decant to start...red/black fruit, lifted florals of violets as well. The nose on this wine was maybe the best of the night. The palate was of silky red/black fruit, smooth tannins and perfectly balanced elements. 6 hours and 10 minutes in....sweet black briar nose, nice balance throughout. No harsh edges to be found but maybe a little iron pan on the palate by the end of the night. 94 early on, 95 by the end of the bottle.
addendum.....8 hours in and this one turns black and astringent. Simply too much air at that time. Drink these in the first 3-5 hours right now.
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2/5/2023 - JOthewineguy Likes this wine: 95 Points
2+ hours decant and played with a ton. But here we go. Nose: full of sweet creme de cassis, oak, stewed mulberry, clay, limestone, and cream for days. Medium to full bodied, and has a beautiful almost sweet feel. Alcohol shows up a bit on the finish. But cheers to JH & MR! Beautiful wine.
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11/12/2022 - amauryc1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great job by Michel Rolland. This wine has the richness of a Napa Cabernet but the finesse, balance and acidity of a Bordeaux. Dark cherries, dried flowers, currants and spices on the nose and similar palate with dark roast coffee on the finish. Probably one of the better 2016's I've had so far.
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9/29/2022 - Cyroof Likes this wine: 98 Points
Silky smooth on the palate. One of my favorites
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3/11/2022 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Incredible wine by team of Jean H. And M. Rolland. Deep dark purple/magenta, perfumy notes of blue and and black fruits, herbs, menthol and hints of basil. Silky smooth palate adds some licorice, wild flowers, Asian spices and dry dark chocolate. Graceful tannins, beautifully balanced, long pure fruit finish. Jean said MR logo was inspired by RF logo (Roger Federer 🎾) Happy Friday all!
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2/14/2022 - Iceman611 wrote: 94 Points
As flawless as before.
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1/17/2022 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 92 Points
Heavy cedar nose with campfire, olive brine, and blueberry. Black currant and peppery black fruits are followed by intense dried herbs and notes of black licorice. Bold finish with new oak tannins, dusty black plum, and sweet blueberry pie. Very young and has room to improve but already delicious if you like the style. 92+ points
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5/16/2021 - gsomers Does not like this wine: 89 Points
After drinking two different vintages of Rudius Kayley Elizabeth the past two nights, I opened this Michael Rolland tonight. Decanted before making a simple blackened poblano chicken penne. Got to be honest here, the MR was not all that. What was it then? At a price point actually exceeding the Kayley Elizabeth, the MR decidedly under delivered. If this was a heavy weight match, it was a first round TKO. MR lacks the mouthfeel, complexity, and finish of the comparable Kyley Elizabeth. We could've been drinking a $30 weeknight Berringer. QPR on Kayley Elizabeth is jumping up and down, while the MR is stuck in the mud. Honestly, there is no comparison. If you're going to spend $100 on a Napa cab, make it an Oakville and make it a Kayley Elizabeth. I'm not trying to to beat up on MR, just calling out what my tastebuds reported. MR is 100% not all that. A kind but very disappointed 89. Will hold the second bottle for several years, because there is no way any flavor drops off. This would never be confused for a left bank Bdx. It is what it is, a common Napa cab available at a price point much less than $100/bottle.
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4/24/2021 - Karlj940 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is a beautiful wine. Very broad flavor profile that comes in waves of fruit/spice and minerality Also the definition of "sweet tannins" (and I mean that in a good way). Seems to be in a good drinking window with a quick decant. Better than I remember from a year ago. Good QPR at $125 from First Bottle.
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1/24/2021 - pakabear Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark cherry, raspberry, cassis, cherry secrets, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, dried earth, an velvety mouthfeel that’s almost worth the price of admission by itself... Very good now with a 4 hour decant in a wide-base decanter, but may get better in 4-5 years.
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12/25/2020 - Jim D. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs to cellar 2-3 more years.
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12/12/2020 - Iceman611 wrote: 94 Points
Flawless left bank bordeaux style cabernet.
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7/20/2020 - RumRunner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Blind tasted with 2013 Shafer HSS after 4 hour decant this was wine of the night. Given 5 years in the cellar for tannins to soften, 97-99 points isn’t out of the question.
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