Community Tasting Note

• #1Winelover Likes this wine: 96 points

  December 26, 2018 - I decided to open this up for Christmas dinner and had the necessary time during the day to work with the wine, for optimal tasting. Opened slow ox at 9am and left it alone until 1pm. Had a sip and waited until 3pm to decant. By 5pm, it was just extraordinary!
  
  Dark black, purple and red with tons of mineral notes throughout the experience from the front end, mid-palate and then super long finish. Mineral notes were accompanied by charcoal, scorched earth, and crushed rock. Fruit was primarily dried dark cherry with blackberry. Notes of espresso and chocolate (can't figure out what kind of chocolate!). This is a full-bodied and velvety wine that is pronounced with power and intensity. Interestingly, the tannins and acid (after open for 8 hours) were nice and tame.
  
  This is so multidimensional and unique, so well made and so interesting to drink, I am still craving it the next day. I snuck a glass for tonight to see if it changes.
  
  Of note and regarding Galloni's crazy wrong review, I can only think that perhaps Chris grabbed a bottle in the Cliff Lede caves and opened it on the spot. Of course, if I were a professional wine critic, I would assume that Galloni should still be able to evaluate the goods but obviously, he could not.

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2 Comments

• mkwineguy commented:

  5/6/20, 2:31 PM - Just read your review. Agree wholeheartedly that the wine is not scored properly (if one buys into "scores" at all). You are spot on.
  
  As someone who has worked in this industry for a while (long time), including 6 harvests in Napa with two topnotch winemakers, and tasted pretty much every top Napa cab, I feel qualified to weigh in. And I am admittedly biased by virtue of a personal nature.
  
  BUT while the descriptions used by AG are clearly his expert opinion, I also could not disagree more. Mr Tynan builds his wines for the long haul, much like Napa cabs made in the 70s, 80s and 90s before Parkerization and high alcohol became the norm. His 2012s were wonderful, including the one and done St Helena, the 2013 MG ethereal (and way too young to drink), the 14s outstanding and probably the best to drink early...sorry, I get passionate and could go on.
  
  Appreciate your rebuttal. Enjoy the Tynan wines - we will! Cheers!

• #1Winelover commented:

  5/7/20, 3:56 AM - you are spot on!

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