Beautiful in color, with refreshing notes of red apple, strawberry and spice. Medium mouth feel, bright and satisfying - a delight to drink and an excellent value.
Lots of fresh peach on the nose, with hints of herbs. A little heavier in the mouth than classic new world Sauvignon Blancs, with more of a New Zealand style. White peach, sage and flowers on the palate. Refreshing, with character.
Very pale in color. Nose of pears, apples and other stone fruit. Similar on the palate with a touch of butter in the finish. Crisp and bright and delightful to drink.
Garnet in color showing classic Pinot Noir translucence. Burgundy in style with more damp earth and pencil lead than red fruit and cola. Finishes nicely.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Very dark in the glass, with a bright purple rim. Notes of dried cherry, licorice, tobacco leaf and all spice. Still showing some tannins with a satisfying finish.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Very much a baby, very expressive nose of dark fruits, dark chocolate and licorice. Much less expressive on the palate with bloody meat and black pepper noted. Dusty tannins on the finish.
A nose completely dominated by green bell pepper. Additional notes of a smokey meat, and some Rutherford dust on the finish (although this is not valley floor). Obviously, a wine that is very decisive (WA 95, WS 78). Hard to get past the strong green bell pepper.
Stunning. Perhaps the finest nose I have encountered in my limited experience. Plum, black cherry, chocolate, spice box and restrained smokey oak from a foot away. Luscious and opulent in the mouth with plum, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and licorice notes. Balanced, with a tremendous finish. Delicious now, should improve for many years to come.
Outstanding in just about every way, the 2012 La Joie was still a bit shut down on this night, as compared to the 2012 La Muse and 2012 Le Desir. A spectacular nose of plum and blackberry, smoke and minerals. Luscious in the mouth with lots of coffee notes, black fruit, spice and crushed rock. Long on the finish. Again, time will improve, but certainly delicious now.
The Le Desir bested both the 2012 La Muse and 2012 La Joie on this night. Nearly flawless on both the nose and palate, the Cabernet Franc based Le Desir was stunning in all respects. More herbal qualities on the nose than the others, with red and blue fruits, coffee and spice box. On the palate, delicious rocky minerals, flint, stone fruits and chocolate. Time will only improve this, however I find the upside to be very limited with a 100 point maximum.
2015 Cenyth Cabernet Franc Rosé 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
Beautiful in color, with refreshing notes of red apple, strawberry and spice. Medium mouth feel, bright and satisfying - a delight to drink and an excellent value.
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2012 Matanzas Creek Winery Sauvignon Blanc Helena Bench 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
Lots of fresh peach on the nose, with hints of herbs. A little heavier in the mouth than classic new world Sauvignon Blancs, with more of a New Zealand style. White peach, sage and flowers on the palate. Refreshing, with character.
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2014 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Very pale in color. Nose of pears, apples and other stone fruit. Similar on the palate with a touch of butter in the finish. Crisp and bright and delightful to drink.
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2013 Gran Moraine Pinot Noir 89 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Garnet in color showing classic Pinot Noir translucence. Burgundy in style with more damp earth and pencil lead than red fruit and cola. Finishes nicely.
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2005 Château Vignot St. Émilion Grand Cru 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Very dark in the glass, with a bright purple rim. Notes of dried cherry, licorice, tobacco leaf and all spice. Still showing some tannins with a satisfying finish.
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2009 Château Lassègue 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Very much a baby, very expressive nose of dark fruits, dark chocolate and licorice. Much less expressive on the palate with bloody meat and black pepper noted. Dusty tannins on the finish.
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2011 Tenuta di Arceno Il Fauno Di Arcanum Toscana IGT 88 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Tons of cherry, black pepper, damp earth. Harsh, Tuscan tannins, bitter.
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2012 Matanzas Creek Winery Merlot Knights Valley 85 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
Black stone fruit, chocolate and rocky earth in a pretty simple, one-dimensional new world take on the old world.
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2002 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
A nose completely dominated by green bell pepper. Additional notes of a smokey meat, and some Rutherford dust on the finish (although this is not valley floor). Obviously, a wine that is very decisive (WA 95, WS 78). Hard to get past the strong green bell pepper.
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2012 Vérité La Muse 98 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
Stunning. Perhaps the finest nose I have encountered in my limited experience. Plum, black cherry, chocolate, spice box and restrained smokey oak from a foot away. Luscious and opulent in the mouth with plum, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and licorice notes. Balanced, with a tremendous finish. Delicious now, should improve for many years to come.
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2012 Vérité La Joie 96 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
Outstanding in just about every way, the 2012 La Joie was still a bit shut down on this night, as compared to the 2012 La Muse and 2012 Le Desir. A spectacular nose of plum and blackberry, smoke and minerals. Luscious in the mouth with lots of coffee notes, black fruit, spice and crushed rock. Long on the finish. Again, time will improve, but certainly delicious now.
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2012 Vérité Le Désir 99 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
The Le Desir bested both the 2012 La Muse and 2012 La Joie on this night. Nearly flawless on both the nose and palate, the Cabernet Franc based Le Desir was stunning in all respects. More herbal qualities on the nose than the others, with red and blue fruits, coffee and spice box. On the palate, delicious rocky minerals, flint, stone fruits and chocolate. Time will only improve this, however I find the upside to be very limited with a 100 point maximum.
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