France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Popped and poured and consumed over 4-5hrs. I had high expectations for this wine and it met them with exuberance. Huge nose with black cherry, spice cake, white pepper, thyme, and hints of leather. Palate with integrated tannins and prominant acidity, coming across as very fresh with impressive depth. Showing more spice, cherry, licorice, and currants. lengthy complex wine showing stone, spice, scorched earth and thyme. Phenomenal wine in it's drinking window with masculine style and power. Pure polished fruit with great secondary character. Buy if you don't own, but could still improve with age. WOTN for me.
From 375ml. Splash decanted a few hours before. Classic bdx nose with a little funk, toast, currants, and black cherry. Round palate with darker fruit flavors that was a little thin initally but put on weight with air. lengtyh finish with cedar spice, funk, cherry, spice, and mocha. A forward style, still very tannic and begging for time. Spicier than a recent St Pierre from '03 with similar depth. Palate initially turned quite bitter on the finish, but this improved with air.
Popped and poured and consumed over 4-5hrs. Surprisingly approachable. Classic Ste Estephe nose with green pepper, smoke, funk, and black currants. Lush palate with fine polished tannins, black currants, pepper and lengthy finish with scorched earth, stone, and plum. very nice bdx that's drinkable now but should mature over the next decade. Neil Martin nailed this one.
Initially with a very burnt toasty nose that carried through the palate. I was actually worried about mercantans and a flawed bottle. Later this was re-tried later in the night showing prominent red fruits but a disappointing thin palate, fine acidity and short clipped finish. Atypical for aussie shiraz, but wasn’t impressed.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Dave’s blind. So sad that I had this 2 weeks ago and didn’t recognized it. Decanted 3hrs before presentation. Big jammy nose of boysenberry, blueberry, raspberry, and cherry pie—later adding a little spice, and mocha. Palate was immense, and fruit forward showing wild berries, raspberry, and boysenberry—really no terrior, mineral or spice in this bottle. Finish was long, but fruit centered and only later added a little scorched earth and cedar spice. Was 100% sure this was a Cali mouvedre or less likely grenache, but only recognized the Janasse after several clues, and was totally embarrassed I didn’t recognized it as I had just had it. Immense wine, no heat, very fruit centered, and needs a decade to come together. 89-91 in this night.
very nice syrah. Very primary nose with a little bloody meant, but mostly plum and purple fruit, mocha and hints of grapefruit. Blueberry palate, plum, quite sweet, fine tannins and grip. Nice freshness and acidity. A little disjointed needing lots of time, but the usual Carlisle quality. 91-93
Tim’s Blind. I swore this was an ’03 St. Julian and went so far to guess Lagrange. Even after revealing I thought it was more consistent with bdx. In retrospect, maybe the acidity was a little high (for ’03) and the prominent red fruit was a little too forward, but certainly in a bdx style. Beautiful pure red palate, with prominent spine of acidity, and cedar spice. Lengthy cassis, and berry finish with a mineral edge. Great old world style out of Washington. 91-93
Decanted 12hrs prior and still the most tannic wine of the night. Nose was very green, with bell pepper and am herbal/unripe character, along with leather and tobacco leaf. Very coarse promiannt tannins on the palate, quickly turning austere, but hanging on with great length with a dark stone finish. As austere and lacking fruit as this was, still delicious, but needs food to cut the tannins. Strikingly different than other ‘94’s that are typically soft and lacking structure—this will continue to age and mature.
Slow O’ed for 12hrs, then double decaned. Big sweet expressive nose that was quite complex with crème de cassis, wild berry, boysenberry, and vanilla. Palate lost all the sweetness, very refined and tannic (the most tannic ’07 I’ve had) and dry. Still impressively concentrated with red fruits, but rather understated behind the structure. Very long fruit filling finish that adds some mocha, vanilla, and stone. Seamless, balanced and concentrated, without a hint of heat. I could go for this if in the mood for something not Old World. 93-94
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Nose was a little more flamboyant than the Kapcsandy with sweet black currants, raspberry, spice, and vanilla that was almost crème brule. Prominent almost intrusive acidity, with lots fo vanilla that carried through on the finish where it turned to toast and coffee. Despite the oak treatment, the bright red fruits carried though. Less concentrated and polished than the Kapcsandy, this was still outstanding. 93
Classic Aussie shiraz, but well poised and balanced—nothing overdone here. Big rich nose of blackberry, currants, olives and smoke. Palate was deep, rich, rounch, and smooth, with little perceptible tannin. Slightly jammy, but not too heavy, with a plum profile. Long coffee and plum finish adding a dash of vanilla. No heat at all. Very nicely done. 91-93
As expected, huge sweet candied nose of dark fruit and coffee. Cotton candy palate, very forward without any discernable terrior or varietal character. No heat though. Seemed fine for the style but overshadowed. 89-91
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Nose quite sweet and forward with cherry, strong cola, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Palate with a strong cola character, but less sweet and heavy than the nose suggested despite being very concentrated. Smooth and round, coating the palate. Turns to black cherry and vanilla on the finish. Strong acidity on the palate almost adds a citrus element. 91
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Vanilla, coffee, and currants with a hint of plum on the nose. Palate with chewy prominent tannins, plum character, and strong coffee and cocoa flavors that carry through on the finish that adds some toast. Oak really hadn’t integrated yet. Remarkable how similar the Dumol single vineyard syrahs are vintage to vintage. Good quality here, just needs time. 91-93
This was a different animal and really stood out from the rest. Nose was subtle and elegant, with rose petals and violets, very bright and flirtatious. The palate was both elegant and fragile with a spine of hard tannins. Palate had some briary fruit, leather, and saline. Finished with mineral and vanilla. This could still use decades of time. 92-94
Very ripe cherry, plum, and boysenberry with vanilla. Very strong vanilla on the palate and finish, with a sweet almost milk shake character. Smooth round palate. Easy drinking, though the oak was off putting. Did have enough acidity to keep it fresh. 89-91
2001 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Popped and poured and consumed over 4-5hrs. I had high expectations for this wine and it met them with exuberance. Huge nose with black cherry, spice cake, white pepper, thyme, and hints of leather. Palate with integrated tannins and prominant acidity, coming across as very fresh with impressive depth. Showing more spice, cherry, licorice, and currants. lengthy complex wine showing stone, spice, scorched earth and thyme. Phenomenal wine in it's drinking window with masculine style and power. Pure polished fruit with great secondary character. Buy if you don't own, but could still improve with age. WOTN for me.
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2003 Château Langoa Barton 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
From 375ml. Splash decanted a few hours before. Classic bdx nose with a little funk, toast, currants, and black cherry. Round palate with darker fruit flavors that was a little thin initally but put on weight with air. lengtyh finish with cedar spice, funk, cherry, spice, and mocha. A forward style, still very tannic and begging for time. Spicier than a recent St Pierre from '03 with similar depth. Palate initially turned quite bitter on the finish, but this improved with air.
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2005 Château Phélan Ségur 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
Popped and poured and consumed over 4-5hrs. Surprisingly approachable. Classic Ste Estephe nose with green pepper, smoke, funk, and black currants. Lush palate with fine polished tannins, black currants, pepper and lengthy finish with scorched earth, stone, and plum. very nice bdx that's drinkable now but should mature over the next decade. Neil Martin nailed this one.
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1999 Clarendon Hills Astralis 89 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon
Initially with a very burnt toasty nose that carried through the palate. I was actually worried about mercantans and a flawed bottle. Later this was re-tried later in the night showing prominent red fruits but a disappointing thin palate, fine acidity and short clipped finish. Atypical for aussie shiraz, but wasn’t impressed.
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2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Dave’s blind. So sad that I had this 2 weeks ago and didn’t recognized it. Decanted 3hrs before presentation. Big jammy nose of boysenberry, blueberry, raspberry, and cherry pie—later adding a little spice, and mocha. Palate was immense, and fruit forward showing wild berries, raspberry, and boysenberry—really no terrior, mineral or spice in this bottle. Finish was long, but fruit centered and only later added a little scorched earth and cedar spice. Was 100% sure this was a Cali mouvedre or less likely grenache, but only recognized the Janasse after several clues, and was totally embarrassed I didn’t recognized it as I had just had it. Immense wine, no heat, very fruit centered, and needs a decade to come together. 89-91 in this night.
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2008 Carlisle Syrah Cardiac Hill 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
very nice syrah. Very primary nose with a little bloody meant, but mostly plum and purple fruit, mocha and hints of grapefruit. Blueberry palate, plum, quite sweet, fine tannins and grip. Nice freshness and acidity. A little disjointed needing lots of time, but the usual Carlisle quality. 91-93
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2003 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard 92 Points
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Tim’s Blind. I swore this was an ’03 St. Julian and went so far to guess Lagrange. Even after revealing I thought it was more consistent with bdx. In retrospect, maybe the acidity was a little high (for ’03) and the prominent red fruit was a little too forward, but certainly in a bdx style. Beautiful pure red palate, with prominent spine of acidity, and cedar spice. Lengthy cassis, and berry finish with a mineral edge. Great old world style out of Washington. 91-93
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1994 Château Pontet-Canet 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Decanted 12hrs prior and still the most tannic wine of the night. Nose was very green, with bell pepper and am herbal/unripe character, along with leather and tobacco leaf. Very coarse promiannt tannins on the palate, quickly turning austere, but hanging on with great length with a dark stone finish. As austere and lacking fruit as this was, still delicious, but needs food to cut the tannins. Strikingly different than other ‘94’s that are typically soft and lacking structure—this will continue to age and mature.
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2007 Kapcsándy Family Winery Estate Cuvée State Lane Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville
Slow O’ed for 12hrs, then double decaned. Big sweet expressive nose that was quite complex with crème de cassis, wild berry, boysenberry, and vanilla. Palate lost all the sweetness, very refined and tannic (the most tannic ’07 I’ve had) and dry. Still impressively concentrated with red fruits, but rather understated behind the structure. Very long fruit filling finish that adds some mocha, vanilla, and stone. Seamless, balanced and concentrated, without a hint of heat. I could go for this if in the mood for something not Old World. 93-94
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2008 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Kaliholmanok Bel Canto 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Nose was a little more flamboyant than the Kapcsandy with sweet black currants, raspberry, spice, and vanilla that was almost crème brule. Prominent almost intrusive acidity, with lots fo vanilla that carried through on the finish where it turned to toast and coffee. Despite the oak treatment, the bright red fruits carried though. Less concentrated and polished than the Kapcsandy, this was still outstanding. 93
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2005 Clarendon Hills Syrah Moritz 92 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon
Classic Aussie shiraz, but well poised and balanced—nothing overdone here. Big rich nose of blackberry, currants, olives and smoke. Palate was deep, rich, rounch, and smooth, with little perceptible tannin. Slightly jammy, but not too heavy, with a plum profile. Long coffee and plum finish adding a dash of vanilla. No heat at all. Very nicely done. 91-93
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2009 Orin Swift Machete 90 Points
USA, California
As expected, huge sweet candied nose of dark fruit and coffee. Cotton candy palate, very forward without any discernable terrior or varietal character. No heat though. Seemed fine for the style but overshadowed. 89-91
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2008 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Nose quite sweet and forward with cherry, strong cola, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Palate with a strong cola character, but less sweet and heavy than the nose suggested despite being very concentrated. Smooth and round, coating the palate. Turns to black cherry and vanilla on the finish. Strong acidity on the palate almost adds a citrus element. 91
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2008 DuMOL Syrah Eddie's Patch 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Vanilla, coffee, and currants with a hint of plum on the nose. Palate with chewy prominent tannins, plum character, and strong coffee and cocoa flavors that carry through on the finish that adds some toast. Oak really hadn’t integrated yet. Remarkable how similar the Dumol single vineyard syrahs are vintage to vintage. Good quality here, just needs time. 91-93
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1996 Podere Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Riserva Vigna d'la Roul 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
This was a different animal and really stood out from the rest. Nose was subtle and elegant, with rose petals and violets, very bright and flirtatious. The palate was both elegant and fragile with a spine of hard tannins. Palate had some briary fruit, leather, and saline. Finished with mineral and vanilla. This could still use decades of time. 92-94
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2008 Lamborn Family Vineyards Zinfandel "Frosty" 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Very ripe cherry, plum, and boysenberry with vanilla. Very strong vanilla on the palate and finish, with a sweet almost milk shake character. Smooth round palate. Easy drinking, though the oak was off putting. Did have enough acidity to keep it fresh. 89-91
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