3/3/2024 - Lollipop Likes this wine:

Excellent but still young and will benefit from some more time in the cellar. decanted for an hour and the nose really opened up. Plenty of tobacco, leather and dark fruits. Lighter on its feet than many Poyferre but still has the classic St. Julien fine tannins. A bit crunchy at first but got getter as it opened to show plenty of grace and balance. More fruit forward then I would have expected for this bottle age.

2/13/2024 - David Haskell Likes this wine:

A few times a year my wife and I come across a wine that is simple beautiful. Not sure why? Time in a bottle, tonight’s menu (I made rattlesnake pasta with veggies), perhaps we just been having “meh” wines lately, or our own palette is evolving. Whatever! This wine tonight in a wonderful place at the moment. We enjoyed every sip! Just lovely. Enjoy!!

1/27/2024 - Quiet Lion wrote:

This bottle seeped onto another bottle in my cellar and I noticed quite a bit of wine was gone, down to bottom shoulder. I opened it and discovered there was no cork! Second time I have seen a bottle without a cork (from a different winery)! Wild. We tasted it and it wasn't awful but there was a chemical taste like rubber cement. Shame.

1/1/2024 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote:

Drinking well now. Full bodied stone fruit and creamy oak. Nice mineral backing. No rush.

11/10/2023 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

From 375, decanted briefly. Stellar showing! I was concerned this would fall apart quickly but it actually kept improving over the half-hour we shared this legendary birthday wine. Still sending me her valentine, I guess.

11/12/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

90-minute decant. Very deep dark ruby brick red magenta color. Black cherry compote, plum, blackberry, Nutella, bay leaf, molasses-infused pie crust, walnut, and subtle spiced orange rind. Dry, full bodied palate, with zest acidity. Full, velvety tannins on the long finish.

Big, voluptuous red blend. Classic Bevan style. Great complexity. Perhaps lacks some elegance. I was pleasantly surprised by the especially lengthy finish. Yes, this is totally my type of Napa.

11/3/2023 - Sean Tay Likes this wine:

Mouton Rothschild Vertical: Finally drank the iconic 2000 bottle after drinking so many vintages of Mouton. Pronounced nose intensity with notes of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, violet, toast and spices. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. Did not decant. Pop and pour. Just entered its drinking window with potential to improve.

10/24/2023 - Sean Tay Likes this wine:

Drank it along side 2005 & 2009.

First time trying 2005. Still youthful. It’s actually infanticide to drink now, despite entering into its drinking cycle. Strong vintage and powerful wine. Will last for min 20 years ahead. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Tannin is velvety. Notes of cassis, vanilla, violet, spices, toast, black fruits, chocolate.

2009 have notes of black fruits, spices, toast, cassis. Opulent. Classic and elegant. Similar notes compared with 2005 just that its younger. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Tannin is velvety. Again it’s too young to drink this now. Min 20 years ahead. Keep and enjoy later.

10/27/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine:

What a wine, but it is too young. This needs more time to shrug off its tannin, which masks its amazing depth and subtley. I understand why this could have a a 3 digit rating, but great Bordeaux wine needs time. Admittedly this is forward for the vintage, but another couple of years will reward. Which critic gave this a window between 2010 and 2020 ? This recent tendency to give early drinking windows is a little annoying, primarily because I still listen to them. No more! I've just wasted one bottle of my half case in a very limited release volume.

10/22/2023 - CondorKhan wrote:

Is Jean-Claude Boisset the best negociant?

This was excellent, with a nose of cherries and spice, with a palate full of cranberry, cherry and raspberry, with just a hint of earth. Silky texture that gets even better with air. Polished and generous, with no sharp edges whatsoever.

More than held its own against A5 Wagyu.

9/3/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Bottle brought to the dinner by Joel. His note is spot on. My first ever of this producer.

Dark purple in the glass. No hint as to this being an 18 yo bottle. Nose is exquisite. Perfumed/incensed with so much complexity, you almost don't need to drink the wine, there is so much enjoyment. The palate is on par with the nose. The weight and glide and depth of fruit is absolutely breathtaking. A rich, perfectly aging Napa beauty, in a great drinking window. Everything integrating in perfect balance, the faintest hint of cedar on the backend and a long, full finish. This is the first time I have ever given a wine 100 points. I didn't necessarily want to, because in my mind it ends my never-ending wine quest for finding wine perfection. However, even 18 hours later, it sticks with me. It's so very good. Much thanks to Joel/Diane for bringing and sharing this beauty.

8/11/2023 - Radar & Mattie Likes this wine:

This bottle was BIG. A wonderful full body Cab that will take your breath away. The last bottle I had must have been flawed. (read my review 4/3/2023). Funny that from bottle to bottle wine can change so much. The 2012 is really showing it's wonderful flavors. This is a great time to enjoy Luc's master piece that is in the perfect window to savor.

7/17/2023 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Decanted briefly. Earthy and delicious with full, relaxed body. This is the Bordeaux for dirt worshipers!

7/3/2023 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine:

Similar to prior notes after a 2 hour double decant; outstanding, drink or hold

6/7/2023 - BellevuePhil wrote:

Like the entrance of a Rockstar onto a smoky stage, the 2016 Caymus Special Selection seduces the senses from the very first swirl in my Diamond wine glass. Swathed in a royal garnet robe, it imparts an aura of sophistication that can only be compared to the velvet jackets worn by guitar gods of yesteryear. Its languid swirls against the crystal walls of the glass release a symphony of aromas, stirring the air with grace and allure.

Nose:

With the first inhalation, a barrage of scents floods the senses like a wall of sound crashing against the amplifiers. Rich layers of blackberry and blackcurrant intertwine with the heady embrace of licorice and cigar box, harmonizing like a melodious guitar solo that lingers in the air. Undertones of leather and vanilla dance coyly, leaving a lingering trail of intrigue. This bouquet is the embodiment of the rockstar's allure—dark, intense, and impossibly alluring.

Palate:

As the first sip embraces the tongue, the wine unfolds its opulent tale—a symphony that is both bold and refined, embodying the dichotomy of rock 'n' roll. The velvety texture coats the palate, caressing it with a sensuousness that only true masters of their craft can invoke. An orchestra of black fruit envelops the mouth, led by the commanding notes of blackberry and blackcurrant. The lush richness is punctuated by the subtle harmony of mocha and toasted oak, like the euphoria of a crowd echoing through a stadium. The tannins, smooth yet persistent, create a rhythm that intertwines seamlessly with the pulsating beat of the wine, leading to a crescendo of flavors that echo in the soul long after the final sip.

Mid-Palate and Finish:

The mid-palate unfurls with a flourish, unveiling layers of complexity that reflect the virtuosity of a guitar riff. Dark chocolate and espresso notes intermingle with hints of clove and cinnamon, reminiscent of the smoky air surrounding a dimly lit stage. This interplay of flavors evokes memories of backstage banter and the adrenaline-fueled camaraderie shared among rockstars. The finish, like the lingering resonance of a final chord, is extraordinary—prolonged, harmonious, and elegant. The flavors unfurl gracefully, leaving a lasting impression that resonates like a timeless guitar solo.

Conclusion:

The 2016 Caymus Special Selection is a wine that transcends time, much like the enduring power of rock 'n' roll. It is an ode to the audacity of a rockstar, encapsulating the richness and complexity that epitomizes both worlds. Just as a legendary guitar player forever etches their name into the annals of music, this vintage engraves its mark upon the palate, leaving an indelible impression that is impossible to forget. The symphony of seduction within this wine is an experience that transcends mere sensory pleasure

6/7/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Nearly three hour decant. Deep dark ruby color, with a very thin rusty rim. Black cherry, blackberry, truffle-infused milk chocolate mocha, chamomile, raspberry jelly, and graphite. Smooth, dry palate, with cottony/chalky tongue enveloping acidity. Firm, full tannins on the long finish.

This is a rare combination of rich and elegant. There’s almost a tactile quality to the nose. There were more notes than I recorded here and they come and go in varying combinations.

6/2/2023 - Crunge wrote:

Seeking opinions here. I'm a big fan of the regular Booker wines; Ripper, Fracture, Oublie, and Vertigo are all excellent young and they also age well.

I do not enjoy the 22's as much. I even contacted Booker and asked if I should let them age for years but they said no, they were ready to go sooner than the regular wines.

For this bottle, the oak is in check (usually it's pretty heavy in the 22's) but this hits me as fairly sour, the finish is a bit off, and overall it's not the lush fruit I enjoy with the regular Booker wines.

I'd appreciate the opinions of others on the regular Bookers vs the 22's.

5/20/2023 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Decanted briefly. This is a stunning Bordeaux blend with dense, beautiful Mt. Veeder fruit made in a very structured style. The conundrum with Napa Cabs is that while you can build them to age, you eventually lose that beautiful primary fruit. Certainly drinkable now, very youthful, and curious to see what this is like at the 20-year mark.

4/14/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

First of 2 ($135@) from online clearinghouse #2. On the nose and palate, red and black cherries, red currants, mixed dark berries, wet soil, dark chocolate, coffee, anise, forest floor and a note of sherry. Medium dark purple, full bodied, thick legs. Medium+ tannins, medium acidity, a touch of heat. VG complexity, persistence and intensity. I’d probably get a “D” in Napa wine history—knowing who made what wines when—and I had only a vague knowledge of the principals and this winery (mostly that it was very expensive, from following auctions) when these wines were offered, and without any kind of pro reviews, relied fairly heavily on CT friend QL in my purchase, although when I looked up the principals’ backgrounds, I was impressed, even if I’ve had few, if any of their wines. This came out of the bottle good to go, mouth-filling, fulsome and delicious, a straight down the middle classic Napa Cab. It’s stayed pretty constant over 2 nights, perhaps deepening ever so slightly, but what you see is pretty much what you get. Concur with both reviewers: this wine probably works best as a cocktail wine, and was mostly a non-factor with pizza, neither adding nor detracting much. Drinking well now without air but holding up over 2 nights, I suspect that this is pretty much at peak, and while I’d expect it to hold that for 5+ years (God knows, it should at this price point), any improvement would likely be very incremental. As enjoyable as this wine is, I’m left with a feeling similar to KVS, that at this price point, let alone full retail of just under $300, this is a bit of an underwhelming showing, that I’d expect the complexity and structure I’d find in a LMV or a QC or Flac (all of which I’ve paid about the same for as what I paid for this), without even thinking that the WS price is close to what I’ve paid for my Abreus and Colgins. 93+

2/24/2023 - A&C Likes this wine:

Took this 2012 Ovid Hexameter to Collin & Sarah's dinner party. It is coming right into its own. It did take about an hour to open up, but once it did, it was incredibly well-made and richly balanced. It was delicious and sneaky rich. It paired incredibly well with the homemade radiotore pasta and short-rib ragu. We had quite the line up with the 2012 Ovid Hexameter, a 2007 Alpha Omega, a 2005 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella, and a 20016 Mario Ecolina Terre Sicilane. A great night with fun friends, delicious food, and great wine. Cheers!!

12/17/2022 - WST Likes this wine:

These were so delicious upon release, then shut down suddenly about four years ago. This was my best recent bottle, finally coming out of its cocoon. Lime, orange, apple, and marzipan with that beautiful smoky mineral scent I find in DP. I went deep this vintage. Despite the fact that its best showings are in years to come, I might start opening these with more regularity.

11/12/2022 - The_Cat wrote:

Deep garnet red. Unbelievable smoky almost like a Lagavulin 😉 at the beginning of its apogee, but no hurry! full bodied with nice tannin structure and excellent length.

10/17/2022 - OG-Wino Does not like this wine:

I opened my first bottle bad in April, and found it very unlike the prior vintages I had ('15, '16, even '17 which itself wasn't as good as the two before). But now I just opened a second bottle and also found it very confusing. While I often struggle for words to describe wines I like, I'm struggling even harder to describe this concoction that I don't like at all. I'll save my third/last bottle for a few years (3+) just for kicks and grins to see if this ever comes around, but my guess is that this was a very off vintage for this one...

BTW -- I saw QuietLion's note -- he and I are typically aligned, so that makes this even more strange.

10/14/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Splash decant. Very deep dark hazy magenta color. Roasted blackberry, plum, bell peppers, honey, and spearmint on the nose. Silky smooth, plush palate, with chalky acidity. Firm, full, lower intensity tannins on the long finish.

This is terrifically elegant and super complex. My notes don’t do it justice. Much like Checkerboard, it’s almost worth it’s very high price. It’s worth the splurge once in a while. Brought this to a dinner at The French Laundry. It was my first time there and I didn’t want to look as poor as I am. ;)

9/9/2022 - Quiet Lion wrote:

Decanted briefly. This is still not ready for prime time although it's certainly drinkable with wagyu New York steaks, which we did. Very firm structure containing scrumptious blue and black fruit with great purity; oak quite present and distracting. These are not built for drinking even at the ten-year mark, and patience is required. 95+

8/15/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Earthy Pauillac with saddle leather, silky tannins, good acid. Not subtle but delicious. This was the winery that hooked me on Pauillac so many years ago.

8/13/2022 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Pretty deep ruby color. This takes a moment to open up, I gave it a 2 hours decant, but then it‘s starting to show red and dark red berries, some cassis too, also some candied violets, leather, some ferrous minerality (as it is often the case with the Vaucrains), it also shows some smokey notes, sweet spices and a touch of chocolate, soil/earth. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent mid-palate persistence, it has pretty high acidity and some medium-high tannin that is very silky but still needs a little time to integrate. Good length. A beautifully balanced and classic Vaucrains. Ideally I would give this another 2-3 years before it will start to really open up.

10/28/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Decanted 2.5 hours and it continued to improve over the next 90 minutes. Gorgeous palate of cassis, earth, light anise, generous acid, youthful tannins that unfortunately become very drying on the very long finish. Despite the beautiful flavors that come through the wine still seems somewhat tightly wound and together with the drying tannins I have to agree with others that more cellar time is preferred. It's certainly enjoyable right now if you don't mind the caveats but give it at least a four-hour decant.

7/25/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Pop and pour. Easy drinking with bright acid and herbed fruit. Some earth came out with air. Good value.

7/22/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Pop and pour. Easy-drinking Cab with ripe, intense fruit and good balance.

7/7/2021 - csimm wrote:

2016 Chateauneuf du Pape 99/100 point wine taste-off (and a couple of pirate Rhone wines): Fresh black and red licorice and deep cassis notes are highlighted by extraordinarily multifaceted and enchanting flavors of creosote, garrigue, spicy pine tar, celery, and railroad tie. I found this to be one of the most interesting wines of the night, both academically and flavorfully. The complexity and intricacy of the flavor-layering is next-level. Not only is this a ridiculously complete wine, it is also a, “Wait, what is this…What is going on here?!” kind of breathtaking and even unpredictable experience that bridges fun anticipation with a sheer sense of magnificence. Everything is in the right place, and the “everything” part has so much going on that there is a new flavor with every sip. Fascinating! 98-100 points.

6/27/2022 - csimm wrote:

Saturday get-together: Tense and coiled up on the initial pass, with crunchy blackberry seed, asphalt, coffee grounds, and gravelly soil. The profile is darker and blacker fruited than how I typically experience young Scarecrow, which I find immediately compelling, as the black spectrum stylistically is my general preference. With swirling and some small revisits over the course of a couple of hours, this starts to hit the sweet spot for me, with the quivering tension keeping a captivating stronghold on the delivery but while also allowing the fruit to expand a bit more and offer blackberry, dark cassis, and wet cave wall stone flavors to emerge. It’s edgy at first, but then of course I have to go in for another sip. There is a James Hetfield “…And Justice For All” thing going on here that kicks out a deliberate strum of emphatic (but thoughtful and precise) Metallica power chords and black metal sonic thumping that I totally dig.

After about 4-5 hours in the decanter, in light switch fashion, this thing lays on its back like a big wet happy dog, exposes its pet-me belly, and offers up all the goods. The expansion is strikingly notable, as is the added juicy depth. The fruit on the front end becomes more gushing, with a mid-palate that starts to hit at a savory cadence, finishing fruity and encompassing.

When debating the wine(s) of the night, the Scarecrow was at the forefront. Somewhat controversially, I personally like the window just before it switched fully on. I favor the energy and intensity that makes for enhanced speed and scaffolding. I loved both “versions” of this wine in the two very distinct stages of its consumption, but I wanted to tug just slightly rearward on its outpouring and leash it back to the heeling it was doing somewhat before. I think I was in the minority on this little caveat. That aside, the group was impressed with the journey this wine was taking throughout the evening.

A huge thanks to bsumoba for contributing this beauty. A compelling wine now and one destined to perhaps be my favorite Scarecrow yet. 2019 is a killer vintage for this producer. 98+ points, with the likelihood of a triple digit score with another 7-10 years of cellaring (at least that’s what a prudent oenophile would do). Me? I’ll drink this stuff way too early…and love it… Do what cha like!

7/7/2021 - csimm wrote:

2016 Chateauneuf du Pape 99/100 point wine taste-off (and a couple of pirate Rhone wines): Black raspberry, fresh orange peel, cardamom, plum, and cassis present in a subtly candied and liqueur-like fashion, but stay true to the region from where it is attempting to honor. Does it taste like SQN? No. I mean, I don’t think so. If you mean is it modern and ripe and ripe and ripe and boozy and ripe, then I’d have to say there were other CdPs made by Frenchmen that tasted way more Californicated than the Chimere. There was a decent hit of alcohol here, which was perhaps my biggest ding, but otherwise it showed some meatiness and earthy wild fruitiness that gave it personality. Seamlessness was moving right along on the front and mid until the vodka-monger note wafted up and started fanning the tail. 94-95+ points, with upside after a few years in bottle to settle down and hopefully integrate more.

This was sampled again after 24 hours and had become a bit prune-ridden. It was holding up fairly well, but the ripe plum/prune note was prevalent enough that it took away from the rest of the delivery. Finished slightly bitter as well after the on-going exposure to air.

12/28/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Decanted and served. Fully mature classic Napa Cabernet with old oak and plentiful dried cassis dominating the palate. Going strong, no rush.

6/4/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Ok, funny story here, from the world of cosseted CTistas. I’m sitting in our hotel room at the Bordeaux IC (hey, at least it’s the base room) with a view of an establishment advertising caviar. So, while my wife was otherwise engaged, I thought I’d sample their wares, washed down with something from Reims or Epernay or perhaps Scandinavia. But alas, this was retail only, so the ridiculous amount I rationalized for my treat had to go somewhere, which, for those of you familiar with this ‘hood, wasn’t exactly a challenge. Seeing a wine shop advertising a small pour of this which I thought it said was 20E—I couldn’t imagine that was correct—I was already conceptually on the line (it was 80, which in the overall scheme of things, wasn’t larcenously high), ready to be reeled in; after all, unless cs has this deep in the vault and gets way tipsy, when am I likely to try this? The bottle had been coravined 5 days earlier, and I swirled vigorously for several minutes. On the nose and palate, tons of funk, surprisingly giving blackberries and red and black raspberries and currants, stewed plums, dark florals, mixed exotic spice, cedar and a bit of anise. Beautifully dark purple with just a hint of brown, full-bodied, thick legs. Still intense tannins and acidity, no heat. Great complexity, with ridiculous persistence and intensity. This wine is youthful, rambunctious, with huge elements, still largely separate but working well in synch. It relaxed over the 15 minutes I mulled it over, but it was never anything close to a chore to quaff on the one hand, yet even at the end, still felt like there was another gear there (which, to some extent, is what the wise Jeff Leve, Acyso and Cailles all seem to think as well). It would be harder to come up with a better mix of power and sophistication, and this could actually even improve a tick. I can’t say what this was like over appreciable time or with food, but for this small taste, for those moments, it was magical. (And as an added bonus, the somm pouring this for me was from Tuscany, and while he smiled when I told him I’d rather drink Flac than just about anything, I’m not sure it moved the needle on the 25 ml). If you have one bottle and more than a few months to live, I’d be inclined to hold for another 5 years, but hey, if you want to pop it, DM me, and I’ll bring over some good takeout. 99-100++

6/1/2022 - Mag357 wrote:

From a 1.5ha parcels including Mazis Haut and Bas.
Clear in color, the nose is quite muted, and the wine needed 2 hours of air to reveal aromas of toasted oak, brown earth and pungent smoke. The medium bodied palate is elegant yet powerful, it is a soil driven wine with a smokiness and earthiness at its core, black tea flavors and pungent minerals, finishing in a long aftertaste. There is a sense of purity in this wine, with loads of power, as Mazis should be. The extraction is very well judged, the fruit quality is first rate. But after 11 years there is still unresolved smoky wood flavors kicking in the back. This is where Faiveley is lacking - its wood program.

In a discussion with a barrel maker, I was told that most estates in Burgundy only change their wood program when the owner retires; so here it is quite obvious that proprietor Erwan Faiveley do like a bit of richness and tar in his wine- a question of taste which has been Faiveley signature for years. There have been improvements in the wood program in the last vintages; and Faiveley in recent vntages has done a much better job than 10 years ago. So hopefully Faiveley will continue and use less new wood in the future, less toast, and less sulfur. Mazis, like Bonnes Mares, is very powerful and not very easy to drink. Its brown earth top soil provides naturally smoky and earthy flavors. So for my taste, the wood should be as neutral as possible here, instead of the choice of a barrel that intensifies the natural soil driven smokiness to the point of being over the top. The result is not a wine of great pleasure, but a peculiar wine of great power, which still manages to remain elegant. So there is very good value in this grand cru level wine, but for my palate this is not a head turmer.

5/28/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Memorial Day Weekend Burgundy Dinner (Asian Spice House - Buchanan MI): My first time tasting this since June 2018, and this absolutely lived up to my great expectations from that barrel tasting. Lots of bright black fruit is just perfectly balanced with tannins and acidity. Wonderful now with lots of depth already, plus sneaky power on finish. Very good+.

5/4/2022 - csimm wrote:

Wild berry jubilee, cassis, cinnamon, and vanilla Schnapps dominate the profile here. In my previous note a couple of years ago, I characterized the initial experience of this wine as having “a curtain of youthful vanillin booze and cassis-laden liqueur staking claim,” which is certainly still the case with this most recent sample. The power and flex here override the would-be finesse; the deltoids on this Chris Hemsworth specimen are both magnificent and distracting. The purity of fruit is there, but for the brash delivery whack-a-moling it every time it tries to expand.

The front end is a gorgeous gushing of black and deep raspberry-red fruit, but the delivery quickly turns into Reno cocktail hour with a finish that shows its biggin ABV. Youth still to blame? Sure. Certainly no new news in that regard; so, it behooves the best of us to hold on to these jocks for another 4-5 years. It’s a gut punch in the best of ways…if you’re an MMA guy into gut punches, I guess.

Fear not Realm disciples, I’m not mad at it. You all know what you’re getting into here, but I’d highly recommend letting the steroids cycle-off for a bit, unless you’re just looking for an after-party bender type of experience to keep the 3AM buzz going. It’s as if it has ramped up the beefcake since my last having it in 2020.

Pairs best with peanut butter fried puffer fish in blueberry syrup and mayonnaise coulis.

4/30/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Decanted briefly. Firmly structured with stone-laden red fruit, moderately ripe and somewhat compressed on the palate. Possible improvement with age but Gevreys are not my favorite appellation.

4/26/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

My experiences with the 2000 Montrose have been variable and I think that’s likely due to the long adolescence typical to the estate’s wines, some examples being reticent and unintegrated compared to others. This bottle originated from a case that has previously shown very well and it did so again. With 2.5 hours of air, the nose sports a typically-Montrosian wall of muscular black fruit, mineral, and clay. If perhaps without the clear energy that wines like the 1989 and 1990 showed when they were this age, the 2000 should still distinguish itself as a fine, classical example of the estate.

63% Cabernet Sauvignon / 31% Merlot / 4% Cabernet Franc / 2% Petit Verdot

Harvested Sept 22 - Oct 7.

94-95 points, best from 2025-

4/21/2022 - Sundbyberg wrote:

Tasting: Quite promising, but needed at least 2 hours in the glass.

2/4/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Decanted briefly. This is showing wonderfully with dark, earthy fruit, nice acid lift, and supple tannins. Terrific depth of flavor for a second wine!

3/27/2022 - MH Amateur wrote:

Corked

Extremely sad that an expensive bottle was flawed.

3/25/2022 - Winegangster Likes this wine:

Everything Pauillac is as intimidating as Pall Mall's line up of gentlemen clubs. You're a member, or you're not. And if you're in, it takes a few generations to blend the code of conduct with your DNA and another dynasty to avoid social suicide while navigating inbetween 3 centuries of implicit evidences. And so is Pauillac : rules maker, standard setter, warden of the elegances, old school and eternal... immensely boring, and therefore absolutely desirable.

And here comes Lynch Bages, the only punk in town who does not bother borrowing a tie to sit at the 1855 Ivy League's table. The Prince Harry of the left bank, Hugh Grant before Divine Brown : so perfectly compliant that his deviances make Parker's systematic contempt for him look like jealousy. But in 2010, even the Wine Advocate could not help but admitting the dunce's genius.

With a solid 70% of new oak and 79% of cabernet in the blend, stats don't call for nuance and subtlety. And the color rather tends to confirm this intuition : lights fails to pass through this deep violine liquide with crimson reflections. It's superb and promises the exhausting experience of virile wine from the Duero's valley, until sight gives way to smell. There rises the black swan, in a prodigiously balanced symphonhy of bramble, ripe raspberries, blackcurrant here; fumes of smoke and smells of undergrowth there; and a whole world of fine spices all over the place... and each of these fragrances at the right place. Rarely could the world elegance find a better definition; as for what happens in the mouth, it's about balance. Same perfect blend of fresh black fruits, yesterday's fire pit, kampot pepper and exotic swirls of an Indian market. At 11 years of age, its tannins are solid but round edged and backed by a surprising acidity that calls for decades of improvement.

This wine is a first class long haul trip to the most extraordinary of the Left Bank. Indulge yourself a VIP pass to the most exclusive Pauillac experience and start wondering : after such a wine, what ?

3/24/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Opened by Jimbo for the evening of chillin'........the wine sat decanting for 90+ min in my glass and had THE best florals, maybe a 96 based on the florals, alone. The wine, while softened a bit was just a tad more raw in the mouth and had slightly less depth than the '16 Trespass franc, tonight. I was torn between a 94 and 95 but this one is such a good buy on release with great qpr. Smooth black/dark red fruit, nicely integrating tannins and acidity. This got smoother the further into my glass I drank and has some room to grow, and improve 1-2 points further, IMO. This bottle very different than my last 13 months ago. It is now moving into that very drinkable window where it gets better the longer it's open. 13 months ago, it did the reverse and would shut down the longer it was open. Thanks for opening, Jimbo! Glad I have a few bottles for sharing down the road, too.

3/17/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Probably the darkest, most concentrated and tannic of Baron's syrahs. Last tasted Sept. 2019, when it was still somewhat tannic. Completely dark and opaque but now some brown at the edge; very aromatic, typical Cayuse style of roasted meats, charred wood, pure blackberries. Full-bodied flavors to match; tannin has now completely resolved, and it's now fully mature. Very Northern Rhône style, will easily hold for five or more years.

3/17/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

pnp.....then slow ox'd over 1-2 hours before, the group enjoyed it over 5 hours at the table......garnet in the glass, nose of dried plums, maybe stewed, the first 30 min, medium weight in the mouth, lots of savory, earthy components. Mushrooms, acidity well placed but notes from the wine, indicate it drank a hair older than an '09. Less fresh, maybe? It was extremely entertaining to follow this one along with the '09 Bettina jockeying back and forth through the evening.

2/5/2022 - tpbrown5 wrote:

I don’t have another in the cellar so the note doesn’t really matter, but this was incredible.

3/14/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine:

Decanted briefly. Beautifully made Cab Franc-Merlot blend with polished, slightly fermented red fruit, integrated herbs and earth, silky texture.

11/24/2021 - Quiet Lion wrote:

Decanted over cocktails. This is aging beautifully with a sturdy bedrock of tannins, savory blackcurrant, slate, and full body. Feels like there is more evolution in store but very good now.