"Blended & bottled in the new Château de Selle cellar, where part of the winery is exclusively devoted to its production."

N: Flowers in a dialectic with grapes, minerals underneath? Intensity lurking?

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt beautifully counterbalanced by acidity which transitions into a LONG finish with a tangy/swtness & traces of bitterness. TIGHT now, this needs/DESERVES a yr, then drinking for 3 more. LOTS of substance for the $, though VERY uncharacteristically this vendor's $19.95 is in the bottom quartile of wine-searcher's listings. My VG+/EXC-, potentially more with aging?

"Vine Age: 4-32 years; Harvest Sugars: 22.5 brix; Vatting: Whole-cluster pressed & cold fermented in small s/s tanks; pH: 3.15, TA: 6.4, & 13% ABV; Bottled: Feb 2018, Cases Produced: 23,000."

N: FLOWERS with undertones of minerals

P: Med body; VERY RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (suspect threshold R.S.) NICELY counterbalanced by acidity which transitions into a LONG, very, VERY spicy, tangy/swt finish with OCCASIONAL glimpses of honey? For now & into '21, + MIGHT improve through '18. My VG+. 87 pts Wine & Spirits. [This vendor's $14.95 is $1 < any of wine-searcher's currently limited listings.]

94% S.B., 3% Sauvignon Musqué, 2% Sémillon, & 1% Viognier, "26% of the fruit came from our Estate vineyard in Oakville & 7% from the CADE 13th Vineyard on Howell Mountain. We also worked with three other properties: Stanley Vineyard in Oak Knoll (27%), Berggruen in St. Helena (22%), & Juliana Vineyard in Pope Valley (17%). Fermentation was carried out in a combination of stainless steel tanks and drums (70%), new French oak barrels (11%), neutral French Oak barrels (16%), with the balance fermented in concrete eggs (2.8%)." Malolactic BLOCKED. "The wine aged in s/s tanks & barrels for 5 mos sur lies without stirring the lees." 7,503 cases bottled March 5th-7th, 2018.

N: Toast atop minerals

P: MF, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by acidity which DRIVES the action into & through the very LONG, tangy/swt (65:35) finish with glimpses of honey. Tight now, this begs for 6-9 mos of cellaring, then drinking for 3 yrs more? Impressively done! 14.0%; My EXC-, quite poss more down the line. [Check with this vendor if interested in their COMPETITIVE price.]

91% Carneros district, 9% Napa Valley; 100% barrel fermented with 22% malolactic, aged 8 mos sur lie in FR oak barrels (34% new), with periodic stirring of the lees; 14.2% ABV, 0.67 g/100ml T.A., & 3.50 pH.

N: A lovely melange of butter & toast slightly atop minerals & lemons

P: MF body; RNDISH entry with LOVELY oak/frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by an acidity which SEAMLESSLY transitions into a LONG, pleasant finish with a very, VERY slight bitterness yet to shed. Could/SHOULD improve through '18, then drinking through '21? My EXC-, quite poss EXC (though that's down from when I tasted it on 4/27/2018). [This vendor's $33.95 puts it comfortably within the top 10% of wine-searcher's entries.]

From vines planted in 1962, 1978, & 1981 grown in clay-limestone soils with South-East exposure; "Aged for 12 mos in FR oak barrels (10% new) which have been selected for their fine grain & moderate toast."

N: RIPE, jammy cherries with flowers (& earth underneath?); Intensity lurking?

P: Med body; RNDISH entry wtih NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some puckerish astringency which somewhat mitigates by the LONG, very slightly tangy finish but with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Approachable now with food, this needs/DESERVES 12-18 mos, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more? My VG+, poss EXC-, more for QPR? 93 pts WS. [This vendor's $22.95 is very competitive.]

37% of the wine was aged for 18 mos "in very tight grained Hungarian Oak." 14.2% ABV, 3.62 pH, 0.69 T.A., & 0mg/100ml R.S.; 450 cs

N: Smoke, toast, berries & spice underneath? Intensity lurking

P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt beautifully balanced by a structure which seamlessly transitions into quite a LONG, beautifully balanced finish with a discrete tangy/swtness. For now & CERTAINLY through '19, quite poss longer. My EXC, *more* given the QPR of this vendor's $17.95, for which I can find no retail comparison other than the winery's $40. 91 pts WS, 90 WA, "Best of Class" @ '18 S.F. Chronicle Wine Comp, 98 pts & "Best of Class" @ '17 L.A. Intn'l Wine Comp, & Silver @ '17 Dan Berger's Intn'l Wine Comp.

Typically, Corvina, Corvinone 40%, Rondinella 45%, & Molinara e altre varietà 15%

N: Slightly closed; Ripe berries, earth

P: MF body; Rdish entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a puckerish astringency which loses almost ALL its swagger as it transitions into the LONG, VERY slightly spicy finish with a tangy/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now, though could improve for 6 mos, then drink nicely for 3 yrs more. My VG+/EXC-. [This vendor's $20.95 puts it in the top quartile of wine-searcher's entries.]

65% Corvina & Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, and 5% other varieties, grown in toar (basalt) & chalky gravel, terraced, steep hillside vineyards (260-300m in elevation);

N: CLOSED

P: Med, poss MF, body; Rndish entry with SWTISH frt (definite R.S.) deftly counterbalanced by puckerish astringency which fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, slightly spicy, very, VERY slight tangy finish with a DECIDED swtness (& very, VERY slight bitterness) to the dusty tannins. For now with food (though it should improve for a yr or so), then drink for 3-4 yrs more. My EXC-. [This vendor's $53.95 ranks in the top of wine-searcher's 2nd halve of current postings.]

100% Syrah from 3 main plots (vines planted from the 1970s thru early 2000s) with granite soils on steep slopes, destemmed, aged 18 mos in 1, 2, & 3 yr old barriques (with 10% new); Fined, but NOT filtered; 1,300 cs

N: Closed, but RIPE berries, poss toast & spice?

P: Med body; NICE frt fairly quickly met by an astringency (but without losing the initial frt) which slowly transitions into a LONG, VERY slightly puckery finish, with a spicy swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS into, probably through, '20, then at least approaching its '10th? My VG+/EXC-. 94 pts WS & #64/Top 100 for '17 @ $58, 93 Jeb Dunnuck, 90 Decanter's Panel, & 3*(*)/5 drinkrhone.com . [This vendor's $47.95 is $2 < the next lowest of wine-searcher's limited listings.]

Grapes from their estate Haystack (Atlas Peak) & Cloud’s Nest Vyds (Mt. Veeder); Aged 18 mos in 100% FR oak (75% new); Alc: 14.8, pH: 3.95, & TA: 6.0; 127 barrels produced, released January 2016

N: TOAST (almost creamy?), ripe berries

P: Med body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by puckerish astringency (yet without losing the initial swtness) as it transitions into the LONG, very, VERY slightly spicy/tangy finish with a swtness to the few remaining dusty tannins. Should be ok now with food, though DESERVES another 12-18 mos, then going beyond its 10th by probably a yr or 2. My VG+, poss EXC-. 93 pts Suckling, 91 Ult Bev Challenge, 90 WA, 89 WE @ $80, 85 Decanter's Panel, + 2 Golds, 4 Silvers, & a Bronze in various competitions [details on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg]. [This vendor's $39.95 (a closeout?) *smokes* its closest wine-searcher competitor by ~$30!]

FYI, 2 more experienced tasters found this FAR more compelling than I.

N: Vanilla slightly atop RIPE berries with notes of pyrazines

P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by PUCKERISH astringency which morphs into a LONG, balanced, very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a swtness to the dusty tannins. Approachable now with food, this deserves 12-18 mos of cellaring, then potentially reaching its 10th? My VG+/EXC-, more IF one focuses upon the QPR of this vendor's $16.95, which is $3 < the next closest of wine-searcher's limited listings. 91 pts Tim Atkin

Supposedly 78% Zin, 9% P.S., 6% Teroldego, 5% Malbec, & 2% other varieties

N: Closed, but seems RIPE; Intensity lurking?

P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by a puckerish astringency which NEVER overcomes the swtness as it transitions into a LONG, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a DECIDED swtness (& poss some raisins?) to the very, VERY fine tannins. Approachable now with food, but deserves another 6-12 mos, then POSSIBLY drinking for 3 yrs more. A video on the WE site shows the winemaker saying, in essence, he went for the FULL monty with this wine. While that's not my preferred style of Zin, I can't particularly fault his efforts. 15.3% ABV; My VG+/EXC-. 93 pts Tasting Panel, 92 WS, 90 WE @ $30, & an A- from drinkhacker.com . [This vendor's $19.95 puts it in the TOP 10% of wine-searcher's fairly large # of offerings.]

THANK you *so* much for sharing this, Dr. Tom! :)

Aged in AM oak barrels for 12 mos; 13.5% ABV, 6.60g/L T.A., & 3.42 pH

N: Closed; RIPE, smoke, poss tobacco & flowers? Intensity lurking

P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, almost swtish frt met by just a TOUCH of firming astringency which slowly, SEAMLESSLY morphs into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with a swtness to the MINIMAL dusty tannins. Drinking AMAZINGLY with at LEAST another 2 yrs or so left. My EXCEPTIONAL-. [Check wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg for reviews "back in the day," NONE of which seemed to have predicted THIS type of longevity!]

Note: From a collection (storage conditions unclear) with the original $11.99 U.S. price tag still affixed!

Dr. Tom, this was *everything* you said, maybe even more! Words can't express my gratitude! :)

N: Smoke (even notes of smoked meats?) with minerals ALL the way through (but subtly so); Undertones of lemons, poss honey, WAY underneath?

P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt beautifully counterbalanced by acidity which seamlessly transitions into an UNBELIEVABLY LONG, very nicely balanced, very, VERY slightly spicy finish with an OCCASIONAL hint of bitterness which ADDS to the experience. For now, but CAPABLE of _ yrs more! :) My EXCEPTIONAL -- or at LEAST on the level of the ff reviews: 96 pts Vinous and 95 ea WA & Suckling.

Bottle #001524, storage conditions unknown

Note: There was debate re whether or not this was corked, experienced folks coming down on both sides, though the majority even initially felt it was NOT flawed. Based upon the early aromas, I was leaning corked, though since I didn't notice "sharp" flavors such I what I recollect from the couple of times when I actually TASTED corked wines?

Conclusion [after having been in a small tasting glass for several hrs]: TCA *not* an issue, as the questionable aromas were to all intents & purposes gone.

N: Poss SOME oxidation? [Didn't record other sensations because the potential TCA initially masked the rest.]

P: LM body; NICE frt beautifully conterbalanced by acidity which morphs into a LONG, balanced finish with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins, but ULT a very, VERY slight bitterness? Given its firm finale, might still improve a bit? My EXC/EXC+ [& I've likely OVERRATED somewhat, given the initial aromatic questions.]

Aged in 50% new FR oak barrels; 14.6% ABV, 1,300 cases, released @$35.

This bottle of unknown storage history

N: Raisins, orange peel, poss tobacco [TY, budosyu ;) ]

P: LM body; NICE frt beautifully off-set by a tangy acidity which seamlessly morphs into a LONG, tangy finish with a SWTNESS to the remaining very, VERY fine tannins. May have already peaked, though should still drink nicely for a couple of yrs more. My EXCEPTIONAL-. 91 pts RJonWine.