100% C.F. grown in stony, silicate soils, yielding ≈45 hl/ha; Typically, "Vinified in raw concrete vats with a 5 day pre-fermentation maceration; 10 day, low-temp alcoholic fermentation using native yeasts, ff'd by aging for 6 mos in vats, & bottling in May;"

N: Orange blossoms atop minerals?

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt offset by a balancing acidity which SEAMLESSLY evolves into a surprisingly LONG, very, VERY slightly tangy, almost rich, finish with a bitter/swtness. For now with food, could improve through the remainder of '19 (after which it should also "work" as a quaff), then drink nicely through '21. Impressive stuff! My EXC-/EXC, the higher arguably for QPR. [This vendor's $14.95 ranks it #3 of wine-searcher's 4, tightly bunched postings.]

Note: I have not the SLIGHTEST idea as to *why* I liked this sooooooooo much better than on "just" 8/17/19. However, based upon the other TNs here so far, I'm suspecting today's to be the MORE accurate.

According to Clive Coates, primarily a grower

N: Butter with minerals & lemons, forest floor coming forward

P: MF body; Very RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish OAK/frt counterbalanced by a crisp acidity which does become the driving force through the LONG, balanced, tangy/swt finish with OCCASIONAL *hints* of honey? NEEDS through '20 for oak to meld, then drinking through '24? My EXC, poss more eventually. 91-94 pts Vinous (Tanzer), 92 WA (Kelley), 91 Burghound, & 16/20 Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $84.95 is now in the TOP quartile of wine-searcher's postings.]

“35+ year old vines (80% from Meursault, 20% from Volnay); Fermented using indigenous yeasts; Élevage in 60% 456L barrels (15% new) & 30% in tank;”

N: Fragrant butter & forest floor; Intensity lurking?

P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish oak/frt bal by acidity which, without even remotely losing contact with the init frt, seamlessly evolves into a LONG, balanced finish with a very, VERY slight bitterness. FR meets CA? Drink NOW & through '20, 'fore the oak potentially goes beserk (something I can't recall EVER writing 'bout a FR Chard). My EXC- in this CA-like style. [This vendor's $24.95 is $2 < the lowest of wine-searcher's current entries.]

"94% S.B., 3% Sauvignon Musqué, 2% Sémillon, & 1% Viognier, 21% of the fruit came from our Estate Vyd in Oakville, & 21% from the CADE 13th Vyd on Howell Mtn. We also worked with 3 other properties: Stanley Vyd in Oak Knoll (19%), Berggruen in St. Helena (16%), & Juliana Vyd in Pope Valley (23%). Fermentation was carried out in a combination of s/s tanks & drums (68%), new FR oak barrels (10%), neutral FR Oak barrels (22%), with the balance fermented in concrete eggs (1%). 12 different strains of yeast were used to ferment the juice. Fermentation lasted for an average of 20 days at an ave temp of 56.0° F with no malolactic fermentation occurring. The wine aged in barrels & s/s tanks for 5 mos without stirring the lees. 7,845 cases bottled February 25th-28th, 2019."

N: A *bit* of forest floor which blows off to grass & tropical frt? Intensity lurking?

P: MF body; VERY RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by a crisp acidity which defines the wine into the LONG, balanced, tangy/swt finish. Suspect still coming together, & needs/could USE 6 mos or so, then drinking through '22. 14.2% ABV; My VG+/EXC- as of *today*, though quite poss higher eventually. 90 pts WS; [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]

Note: Also tasted on 8/3/19

“80% Tempranillo + 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo, & Graciano planted in 1926-1976 to the calcareous clay & alluvial soils of the Sajazarra Vyd (550m elev) of Barrio de la Estación, Haro, Rioja Alta; Fermentation by indigenous yeasts in 10T oak vats produced & assembled at the winery, with no temp control. The maceration times vary & can go for up to 20 days. Aged 12 mos in 16T AM oak vats, followed by a minimum of 36 months in French oak barrels, & a minimum of 36 mos in bottle;” 7,500 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.

N: Vanilla & spice atop RIPE berries; Intensity lurking

P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent PUCKER which seamlessly transitions into a very LONG, BALANCED finish with an already ELEGANT, TANGY/swtness to the dusty tannins. Approachable now with food (at least for acidophiles), this DESERVES through '24 (guessing), then approaching its 20th? GREAT potential here! My EXC/EXC+; 99 pts Suckling, 96 WA, 95+ Dunnuck, & 94 WS! [This vendor's $71.95 puts it towards the TOP of the bottom 1/2 of wine-searcher's current postings.]

“Syrah (28%), C.F. (22%), Merlot (21%), C.S. (15.5%), & Alicante (13.5%) from the Podere Nocolino & Podere le Lame Vyds, planted in 2007 @ 150-220m elev on steep slopes of partially calcareous clay & partially ferric sand with high stone content; Maceration on skins: 15-25 days; Alcoholic fermentation: in vats of 50 hL (only indigenous yeasts) with a controlled max temp of 28° C; 2x/day pumping & batonnage during alcoholic fermentation (7-10 days), then 1x/day until the end of maceration; Malolactic fermentation takes place in cement vats & wooden barrels. Aged in barriques & FR tonneaux for ≈14 mos (15% new), ff’d by 6 mos in concrete tanks before bottling;”

N: RIPE berries with notes of smoke & hints of earth & pyrazines; Intensity lurking?

P: MF body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt fairly quickly met by an astringent pucker which only somewhat resolves by the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/SWTNESS to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '20, probably '21, then drinking for 4 yrs more? My EXC-/EXC, the higher arguably for the QPR of this vendor's $24.95, which is ≈$9 < wine-searcher's lowest! 94 pts Suckling, 91 WA, & 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson (Speller).

N: Vanilla with notes of earth & minerals with berries way underneath? Intensity lurking?

P: MF, poss Med, body; Rndish entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which surprises as to the amount of resolution as it evolves into the LONG, BALANCED, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins. A potentially elegant style in which, today @ least, I suspect the frt was masking the underlying structure. NEEDS through '22 min, then approaching at least its 15th without difficulty? My EXC, VERY likely higher... eventually. 97 pts Suckling, 96 Dunnuck, 95 ea WA, Vinous (Galloni), & Jeff Leve (2x), 93 ea WS & Decanter (Anson, 2x), 92-94 WE, and 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson! [This vendor's $76.95 puts it towards the bottom of the TOP 1/2 of wine-searcher's postings.]

Should you be interested, I’ve uploaded info for this vintage which you can peruse at your leisure. 😉

N: RIPE plums; Intensity lurking?

P: MF, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) fairly quickly met by an astringent pucker which stays in contact with the init frt as it seamlessly transitions into a LONG, BALANCED finish with an already elegant tangy/swtness to the DUSTY tannins. NEEDS through '22, I'd guess, then drinking well for 4-5 yrs more. IMPRESSIVE! My EXC+, more... eventually? [This vendor's $39.95 is as good as anyone on wine-searcher!]

"Cinsault: 5%, Counoise: 10%, Grenache: 30%, Mourvèdre: 30%, Syrah: 15%, & Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne: 10%; Each variety is harvested separately and manually. Vinification takes place in oak fermenters for the reductive varieties (Mourvèdre, Syrah), and in traditional enameled concrete tanks for the Oxidative grapes (all the others). Once the malolactic fermentation is finished, the Famille Perrin blends the different varieties. The blend is then aged in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled." 6,250 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.

N: Flowers, iron, spice (in no particular order) SLIGHTLY beneath garrigue? Intensity lurking?

P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly evolves into quite a LONG, *impeccably* BALANCED™™ finish which is already showing an elegance to the tangy/swt, dusty tannins. More restrained than I might have anticipated™, but a blockbuster nonetheless. NEEDS through '22, then CERTAINLY making its 15th, & based upon the track record of this bottling, who knows for "sure" how MUCH longer thereafter. My EXC/EXC+, even the higher quite poss ULT being "low". 99 pts Suckling + his #19/Top 100 for '18, 98 Jeff Leve, 97 ea WS & WA (Czerwinski), 96+ Dunnuck, 96 ea Vinous (Raynolds) & Decanter (Walls), 93, 94, & 95 (2x) winealign.com , 18.5/20 Bettane et Desseauve, 18/20 Jancis Robinson (Hemming), and 4*(*)/5 (barrels) drinkrhone.com ! [This vendor's $79.95 puts it towards the top of the lower 1/2 of wine-searcher's large field.]

™I found the '15 notably more flamboyant, & was expecting that here. Yes, I did taste the '15 on 12/30/17, roughly 9 mos EARLIER in its evolution than today's '16. Nonetheless, I *suspect* the difference was the result of the '16 having > acidity/structure.

™™I read/scanned over a peck of TNs/"pro" reviews while entering this. 2 particularly stuck with me. 1st, someone commented as to how the balance of this came across as "effortless." 2nd, at least 1 person remarked how this MIGHT *never* undergo the "shutdown" period for which Beaucastels are known. While #2 would buck a LONG, documented history, IF, in fact, it winds up being true, me thinks the B-A-L-A-N-C-E of this may well be the PRIMARY reason. :)

Supposedly 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 5% Carignan, & 5% Mourvèdre [or poss JUST 10% Carignan?] from 60 yr old vines grown in a vyd “located on gneiss & schistous soils from the Devonian Period, and limestone from Kimmeridgian Period; Hand harvested, non pressed, & 100% destemmed; At least 4 wk maceration; Aged in concrete tanks;”

N: CLOSED, but seems RIPE with notes of minerals & forest floor coming on; Intensity lurking?

P: Med body; Rndish entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with an ELEGANCE to the FEW, very innocuous, yet firming, dusty tannins. For now & through '22. VERY nicely done! 15.5% ABV; My EXC, & I'd at least listen to an argument for higher based upon the QPR of this vendor's $20.95, which is at least 50¢ < even wine-searcher's lowest. 94 pts WA (Dunnuck), 92 WE (10/1/19) + "Editors' Choice" @ $30, 90 WS, 9/10 & “Recommended Buy” reversewinesnob.com (11/1/18), 15.5/20 Bettane et Desseauve, 15/20 La Revue du Vin de France, + 92, 90 (2x), & 88 winealign.com .

"86% C.S., 8% Merlot, 4% P.V., & 2% C.F. harvested 8/30-10/12/16 @ 25.6° ave Brix; Fermented 10-12 days @ 82° F; Aged 16 mos in 100% FR oak, château style, 60 gal barrels (50% new, 50% neutral); 14.5% ABV, 0.57 g/100 ml T.A., & 3.81 pH;” 42,000 cases made & released Feb '19.

N: VANILLA atop RIPE, poss JAMMY berries; Intensity lurking

P: LM body; Rndish entry with very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt firmed by an astringent pucker which, without even remotely losing contact with the init frt, SEAMLESSLY transitions into a very LONG, BALANCED finish with an enticing TANGY/swtness to the dusty tannins. VERY *impressive* stuff that DESERVES through '20, then EASILY making its 10th. My EXC+; 93 pts Wine & Spirits @ $78 list, and 91 ea WS & CA Grapevine ("Very highly rec"). [Be diligent 'fore purchasing this as wine-searcher's current prices seem QUITE skewed.]

“96.5% Merlot, 2.5% Malbec, & 1% C.S. from the Pahlmeyer Estate & Las Amigas Vyds, harvested 9/4-10/10/15; Grape clusters were gravity-fed onto a vibrating table where 2 screens sifted out materials other than grapes, & we removed by hand any fruit that did not pass visual inspection. After gentle destemming, individual berries were hand-sorted again to ensure that only the best grapes were delivered to the fermenters. The fruit underwent 5 days of cold maceration & 2-6 wks of primary fermentation before gentle basket press. We aged the wine in 85% new Seguin Moreau Icone & Taransaud FR oak barrels for 20 mos.” 2,200 cases made & release March 2018.

N: A melding of RIPE berries, pyrazines, & vanilla

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish, boysenberry frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by an astringent pucker which pretty much works itself out by the LONG, balanced, PLEASANT with a tangy/swtness to the FEW, dusty tannins. For now & into, probably through, '22. 14.5% ABV; My EXC-/EXC. 96 pts Suckling, 95 WE + "Cellar Selection" @ $90, 93-95 WA (Parker), 92 Vinous (Galloni), & 91 WS. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]

THANK you for sharing this, Dan! :)

“91% Merlot, 8.5% Malbec, & 0.5% C.S. from the Beau Terre, Dunlap, Baker, Smith, & Windy Flats Vyds of the Oak Knoll, Carneros, & Atlas Peak AVAs; Harvested on September 24th & 30th ; FX10 yeast was used and fermentations got going hot and fast. Cooperage was 55% new oak (13% Steven FR, 34% Trust Hungarian, & 53% FR [Treuil & Trust Ingenieux]); The blend was put together in June (2015), and it was bottled unfined and unfiltered in March 2016. 1,276 cases released Dec 2016 @ $44 sugg retail. 15.18% ABV, 0.60 g100 mL T.A., & 3.63 pH;”

N: FRAGRANT boys with notes of pyrazines; Intensity lurking

P: MF body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it evolves into a LONG, balanced finish with a bitter/SWTNESS to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '20, then a candidate for its 10th. My EXC-/EXC. [Check with this vendor if interested in their pricing, though this MAY have been their last bottle?]

Jeff, THANK you for sharing this -- but my 2nd time to be able to taste this "Bob" wine. ;)

N: Closed; Init notes of iodine with berries & pyrazines coming on? Intensity lurking?

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays in touch with the init frt as it transitions into a LONG, balanced, ult pleasant finish with a fairly elegant tangy/swtness to the firming, yet unoffensive, dusty tannins. Just now hitting its stride, & should do well with food through its 20th? Impressively done! My EXC/EXC+, trending towards the higher. 94 pts WS, 93 Vinous (Raynolds), and 92 ea RJonWine & WA!

Robert, THANK you for sharing this label which I'd never previously tried. :)

N: RIPE, poss JAMMY, berries

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (with a component [almost rubberish?] which I can't quite ID) met by an astringent pucker which pretty much works itself out by the LONG, balanced finish with a pleasant TANGY/swtness (60:40) to the FEW, firming, dusty tannins. Likely just STARTING to decline, I'd drink this well-made wine NOW & probably through '21. 13% ABV; My EXC.

Note: Throws a GREAT deal of sediment

A *heartfelt* TY to those who made THIS possible... :)

"Located in the northern stretch of the Mt. Veeder appellation, Paon Vyd is directly W of Mt. St. John’s highest elevation. The vineyard elevation ranges from 900-1200 ft, & has a S/SE exposure. The diverse soil composition varies between weathered sandstone & shale, resulting in porous well-drained soils, low yields, & moderate vigor. 5 acres of C.S. clones 169 & 338 were densely planted to rootstock 101-14. 2.7 tons/acre harvested 9/28 & 10/11/13 @ 25.5° Brix; Inoculated with commercial yeast (FX15), 1/3 barrel fermented, 2/3 s/s; Aged 19 mos in FR oak (Dargaud & Jaegle, Ermitage, & Vicard); 14.9% ABV; 226 cases bottled 7/20/15."

N: CLOSED, but SEEMS *ripe*, deep; Intensity lurking?

P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt quickly met by an astringent pucker which stays in touch with the init frt as it works its way into a LONG, balanced finish with a distinct swtness to the DUSTY tannins. NEEDS a BUNCH of time (guessing through '22?), then EASILY making its 15th. Nicely done example of a Napa, "Mtn" C.S.! My EXC, more eventually? Apparently 94 pts WA.

THANK you for sharing this MARVELOUS wine, José & Arturo! :)

Apparently, 35 hl/ha harvested the 1st wk of Oct, then fermented in s/s vats for 12 days @ < 86° F; Macerated on the skins for 32 days, malolactic immediately following the alcoholic fermentation; Aged in Slavonian oak casks & FR oak barrels;

N: CLOSED; Earth & vanilla atop berries?

P: LM body; RNDISH entry with very NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent PUCKER which stays in touch with the init frt as it seamlessly transitions into a very LONG, BALANCED, slightly tangy finish with an attractive swtness to the dusty tannins. Approachable now, I feel this is still improving & should easily make its 25th. 13.5% ABV; My EXC+, very likely Exceptional- with addt'l time. 95 pts WS (Suckling) & their #15/Top 100 for '09, 91 (2x) winealign.com, 90 ea WA (Galloni) & WE @ $65, 88 Vinous (Tanzer), 16.5/20 Vinum, & 16/20 Jancis Robinson.

José, THANK you for sharing this bottling that I'd NEVER appreciated heretofore!

N: A bit of barnyd atop ripe berries & other unparsables

P: LM, poss Lt, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish "frt" (boysenberries?) met by an astringent/PUCKER which quite works itself out by the very LONG, beautifully BALANCED, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with an ELEGANT swtness to the SCANT, yet still firming, dusty tannins. LOVELY stuff for now & should still be able to accompany food for 3 or 4 yrs more! 12.5% ABV; My EXC+/Exceptional-, *clearly* the higher IF one considers the cost when it was released! Nicely reviewed hogsheadwine.wordpress.com 9/22/16.

Torben, THANK you for *really* expanding my horizons with THIS one! ;)

"A blend of classic white Port grape varieties, predominantly Malvasia Fina with smaller proportions of Gouveio, Viosinho, Rabigato, & Arinto, grown in the cooler, higher vyds of the Douro Valley; Siroco is fermented 1/2 on the skins and 1/2 off, with no pumping-over, to minimize oxidation, + it ferments longer than other styles of Port before it is fortified. Aged in neutral, small oak vats for 4 yrs;" Typically, ≈27 g/L R.S. & 4.2 g/L T.A.

N: Oranges, rest tough to parse

P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost caramelly, slightly swtish frt counterbalanced by acidity. For now & the next 3 yrs? 20.0% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, trending towards the lower.

Note: By the time I got to this it had spent ≈4 hrs in a small tasting glass @ room temp. :( MY bad, as the importer states, "Customarily served chilled as an aperitif, on the rocks or with tonic or sparkling water."