1/4/2021 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

I was struck by the deep yellow color highlighted with gold. For a moment I wondered if the wine was a German auslese! But the nose confirmed its Chablis status: citrus (lemon and grapefruit) rind, yellow delicious apple, acacia flower and flint around the edges. In the mouth the wine is a bit rounder than the typical young Chablis but the lemon, lime, apple and sea-soaked saline flavors had sufficient cut and definition to denote its origin. For a wine of this age the flavors are still quite energetic and this energy enlivens the medium finish. While delightful and delicious in its own right I think it would be even better with food. 91+ points.

1/2/2021 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) Served by a friend. It has been over five years since I had this wine. Looking at my notes I find it retains its impressively dark color. The nose is less exuberant than previously noted, though there are ample fruit, earth and barnyard aromas to get and keep your attention. In the mouth the wine is formidably sized and decidedly medium bodied. There are generous red fruit, soil and herb flavors, with a pronounced streak of acidity to keep them intense and buoyant. The tannins are not fully integrated but assuredly ripe. While not the blockbuster I long anticipated (it is lacking a bit of both depth and elegance) it is still an excellent plus wine and is highly recommended. 93 points.

11/27/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

Opened four hours before drinking.) Served with a scaled-down Thanksgiving dinner. My 8/21/2020 CT tasting note generally matches my tableside scribblings: “Roaring, expressive, multifaceted nose of plums, herbs and coffee; huge in mouth: deep red and black fruit flavors meshed with more coffee, rosemary and salt/iodine; long, long finish with sweet, super ripe tannins. Outstanding: 97+” One of many lovelies from the 2016 vintage.

1/2/2021 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) Served by a friend. Unlike the last, slightly backward bottle from my cellar, this one was firing on all cylinders. Beautiful mature fruit, soil and funk on the nose, followed by delicious cherry, strawberry and herb flavors on the palate. The flavors have real depth and class and ring all the right bells. The finish is very long and very expansive and the gently relaxed tannins frame everything quite nicely. The overall balance is near perfect. Over the evening it just kept evolving and gaining in the glass. This is a superb, astonishingly lovely wine that has many years ahead. And I believe it will even improve a bit. I will never tire of drinking it. 97+ points.

1/1/2021 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

I will not belabor readers with another glowing review of this fabulous wine. But do let me share a bit. While friends and family drank Champagne on New Year’s Eve, I drank this wine. In fact I drank a whole bottle that had it all--flavor, balance, finish and silky smoothness. Simply delicious. Over-indulgent? Yes, but I am better for it. 98 points.

12/27/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The wine shows some age with an autumnal cherry color throughout. It has the lovely nose of mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape with stewed dark fruit, wet soil, mushroom and sweat. Soft and medium bodied on the palate, it yields robust flavors of ripe cherries and plums, meat extract and coffee. And there are subtle underlying notes of bitter chocolate and anise. There is also a surprising and welcomed freshness to these flavors. The tannins are completely resolved yet add some invigorating backbone. This is a delicious wine whose only shortcoming (too strong a word!) is a somewhat compact finish. Drink this treat while the getting is good. 93 points.

9/1/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for one hour.) The nose is a textbook example of a mature cabernet: a rich panoply of dark fruit, tobacco, herbs, sous bois, and hints of eucalyptus and cedar. These scents unfold beautifully and seductively in the glass. Gorgeous and worth the price of admission. On the palate it is medium bodied and very elegant, with perfectly composed and expressive flavors of ripe blackberry, plum preserves, tart cheery, wet soil, tobacco, and mushroom broth. The tannins are seamlessly integrated and the finish is long and luxurious. In sum, the wine is very delicious, balanced and harmonious, and it should remain so for many years to come. Bravo! 95 points.

8/22/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

In an earlier review I called this wine “the precocious little brother (or sister) of the mammoth 2016,” and that description really holds up quite well. Yes, that is how good it is. It possesses crazy amounts of ripeness, freshness, power and grip, and everything is deftly layered and balanced to produce a wine masterpiece. When directly compared with the 2016, the 2015 seems slightly smaller scaled yet equally compelling and delicious. I hasten to add that it is drinking beautifully at the moment and I anticipate at least a decade of positive development ahead. And lastly, I cannot believe it can still be had for a bargain price. 98 solid points.

8/21/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

I retasted some 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Papes recently and forgot to include this one. Man, what a mistake! The wine remains a gorgeous example of the vintage. But be forewarned: this is not a shy wine. The nose is very expressive (or should I say explosive?) and fills the air with intoxicating scents of ripe plum, rosemary, flowers, coffee and smoke. It is full bodied in the mouth with fulsome flavors of plums, cherries, blackberries, espresso, bacon, anise, and a salt-infused minerality. There is an impressive depth and breadth to these flavors, as well as long, lush and enlivened finish. And the tannins are just as sweet, ripe and harmonizing as I remember them. What balance! This is an altogether delicious wine that captures all the best qualities of the vintage. And unlike many of the 2016s I recently tasted it shows no sign of shutting down. The wine was mind blowing tonight and I have no doubt that it will be even better in a few years. Splendid! 98++ points.

8/10/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The nose is all ripe plum, wood smoke, anise and sous bois. The flavors of blackberry, plum, coffee, mushroom and iron-rich soil are quite huge on the palate. At the same time these flavors are expansive, multi-layered and verging on the voluptuous. And the tannins are soft, sexy and perfectly poised to support a wine of this size and richness. The balance is superb! The wine is so delicious and instantly satisfying that it verges on the hedonistic. I have followed it since its release and can report that it is drinking at its peak. It also promises at least a dozen more years of great unbridled drinking pleasure. Tonight it is once again perfection in a glass.

8/10/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

On the nose this was much tighter than I remembered. With considerable swirling I was rewarded with a bouquet of red fruit and spice (rosemary and sage) and delicate hints of menthol and barnyard. In the mouth, ripe red berries and plum, smoked meat and thyme are juicy and long. There is also a milk chocolate note that brings with it an interesting creaminess. The tannins are quite firm but fundamentally ripe and proportionately sized. While currently quite excellent, in six to eight years this delicious wine will be even more resolved and show just how really good it is. 96++ points.

8/10/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

This wine eschews the vintage’s tendency toward gigantism for a slightly smaller-scaled presentation of pure, deep and intense Châteauneuf-du-Pape flavors. Specifically, the interplay of blackberry, plum, strawberry, super ripe cherry and chocolate, as well as a savory, gamey and earthy undertow, creates a delicious, nearly exotic wine. Nevertheless, the overall flavor profile exhibits freshness, nuance and velvety sumptuousness, and these same qualities highlight the long finish. Lastly, the ripe tannins pack considerable grip. Beautifully flavored and rendered, this is the most intriguing wine I have had this year. Sadly it is shutting down and will need six or so years of rest. I cannot wait to try it again. 97+++ points.

8/10/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

This wine has it all. The nose is ripe strawberry, cherry, cranberry, garrigue, smoke and camphor. Super rich red fruit, mocha latte, spice cabinet and smoked ham hock flavors have extraordinary clarity, depth and length. Despite its considerable richness, the wine literally bristles with piquant acidity. It therefore remains remarkably light and lively on its feet, with a long, pure and energetic finish. The tannins are ripe, sweet and adequately firm to give backbone and bearing to the wine. The wine is just shy of perfection and shows no signs of shutting down. Currently, it is my favorite 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 99+ points.

8/10/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

Tonight this is the Chateau Latour of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This wine has an intense fruit, spice and game meat stuffing, formidable tannins, and a rising regal stature. Moreover, there is tremendous verve here with enough power, presence and energy to light a bulb. Indeed it creates the impression that the wine will live for decades. It really gives you pause. While sensational, it is decidedly less forthcoming than I remember. I am guessing that a decade-long dumb stage lies ahead. And when this wine finally comes into its own we should prepare ourselves to be awestruck! 98+ points.

8/10/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

This wine is absolutely massive. The colossal size and persistence of red and black fruits, licorice, iron and meat flavors make you shake your head in disbelief. There is just so much there. A bright, lip-smacking counterpoint of acidity lightens the rich flavors, elongates the lush finish and cleans the drenched palate. The wine is tighter and the super ripe tannins more assertive than memory and notes indicate. Interestingly, it is very evocative of the great 2010 at the same time in its development. And in six to eight years I am sure it will be as fabulous as that blockbuster wine is now. 98+ points.

6/16/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for one hour.) The color is ruby with a black cherry core. The nose is a textbook example of a mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape: cooked plum preserves, ripe cherries and raspberries, fennel, smoked meat, coffee, funk and loads of forest floor. It is weighty and round in the mouth with rich flavors of dark fruits, espresso, anise, bacon and sautéed mushroom. The acidity suggests youthful freshness, provides vibrancy and begs for a rich meat dish to accompany it. The tannins have settled down beautifully and provide a firm backdrop and complement to the underlying ripeness. The finish is long, layered and silky. In a word: gorgeous. The 2009 vintage of Pégau Cuvée Réservée has always shown more nuance, restraint and elegance than most other recent vintages. Much better than the lauded 2007 and just behind the great 2010, this beautifully rendered wine is a revelation. And it will remain so for a decade. 97+ points.

5/16/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for one hour.) Last night I had another chance to taste this wine and jumped on it. It was just as I remembered: a budding legend of a wine. Once again I was struck by the initial purity of its aromas and the complexity that arises as they blend in the glass. The result is a wonderful mélange of sweet fruit and floral scents and savory notes of garden herbs, hot bitumen and smoky black tea. The initial impression in the mouth is of a big, rich, mouth-coating wine, and it is indeed that. But as the wine releases distinctly precise, elegant and almost lilting flavors emerge. These include tart ripe cherry, sweet plum, boiled licorice and a pleasantly bitter minerality. These flavors finish long, layered and expansive. Relatedly, the wine leaves a wonderful fragrance of roses in the mouth. The tannins are quiet firm (and will remain so for some time to come) but neither unpleasant nor intrusive. The overall balance at this early stage is perfect. And yes, it will get even better over the next couple of decades. 100 points.

4/12/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

On the nose there is a sensually warm earthiness laced with seductive aromas of red and blue fruit compote, cedar, tobacco, leather and more than a hint of camphor wood. In the mouth the wine is gloriously silky, with tastes of primary red fruit, stewed black fruit, chocolate milk, vanilla, anise and a salty umami component. There is also a vivacious acidity that amplifies the fruit flavors and extends the lush finish, even in the midst of burgeoning tertiary notes. As for the tannins, they are fully and beautifully integrated. Yes, this is a gorgeous, balanced and delicious mature wine. Well-stored bottles should age and please for at least another dozen years. 98+ points and the best ACV cab to date. (This has become a reliably delicious old friend. It was served with yet another Easter leg of lamb and the paring was once again spectacular.)

3/15/2020 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(From a bottle opened for two hours.) The wine is much as I remember it but even better— smoother and edging toward its peak. It is still deep ruby in color with that amazingly multifaceted nose of fruit, funk and flowers. It is medium bodied with delicious cherry, earth and meat flavors from the bright tangy start through the long savory finish. The flavors are pure, poised and layered but in this example they are ever so slightly veiled by some yet unresolved tannins. While enjoyable now, it will be dead-bang amazing when it comes fully into its own in three to five years. 95+++ points.

12/3/2019 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

This is one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. In the glass it displays distinct scents of ripe cherries and strawberries, tea roses, tangerine peel, lavender, wood smoke, road tar and fennel. (As the evening wore on these scents became more mingled, complex and lovely.) In the mouth the wine has a glycerin-like weight with luscious flavors of black cherry and plum, mocha, clove, anise and iron minerality. Despite the sheer size of the wine, its flavors are layered and incredibly pure on the palate. This purity is very impressive, as is the rising, ethereal and nearly one-minute finish. The tannins, which are moderately firm, make themselves known in a smooth and cohesive supporting role. While wonderful to drink now it has the power, depth and balance to last at least another twenty years, and gain more nuance and complexity along the way. This is a perfect wine that will be monumental in time. I cannot stop thinking about it.

12/3/2019 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) I had this wine a month ago and was surprised and pleased to see that our host was serving it (among others) at Thanksgiving dinner. The color is deep magenta with a solid purple core. The profuse black plum, spice garden and violet scents were mouthwatering. This is a very big wine in the mouth with almost gushing flavors of ripe black and red fruits, uncooked meat, fennel, espresso and earth. The underlying acidity keep the ripeness in check, delineates the flavor profile and illuminates the long rising finish. The tannins are firm yet very, very smooth. And the overall balance is simply perfect. This young wine is compelling. 98 points.

11/3/2019 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for three hours.) I had this wine beside the 2010 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. Frankly I feared it would pale in such august company. Man, was I wrong! First is had a very nice and reassuring black plum color. The nose was fresh, lively and scented with black fruits, spring herbs, crushed lavender and a savory “cheesy” funk I associate with some red Burgundies. Though powerful and nearly full bodied in the mouth, the wine was nevertheless beautifully textured. Specifically, the plum jam, ripe blackberry, medjool date, anise cake and mushroom soup flavors were very lush yet smooth, layered and elegant. The moderately large tannins were well integrated and perfectly track the forty-second finish. Yes, the wine really is that good, and then some. For what it is worth I bought a case. 97++points.

11/2/2019 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The sweet yet formidable tannins are certainly in ascendancy because the wine took several hours to open. Though it is even harder than I remember, its impressive hallmarks remain—purple-tinged color, classic rich nose and deep, layered and powerful flavors. This is not your typical “Burgundian” Clos des Papes. Think instead of the 2010 vintage on steroids! Again this will need a decade of rest before the monumental wine emerges. 99+ points.

11/2/2019 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The wine is very, very dark in color with an exuberant, almost boisterous nose of ripe black fruit, violets, garrigue and licorice. Nearly full bodied in the mouth with expansive flavors of damson plum, black cherry, beef blood and coffee. A bracing underlying acidity provides clarity, layering and definition to these flavors. And ripe tannins give a firm and pleasing grip to the whole shebang. There is real power, depth and complexity here that makes you sit up and take notice. This is a sumptuously regal wine built for the long haul. It ranks right up there with the other giants of this vintage and can still be hand for a bargain price. 98 points.

4/25/2019 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

It’s been some time since I had this wine. Reviewing my personal and CT tasting notes I suspected something good might be in store, and boy, was I right. Since my last tasting the wine has taken on a definite maturing hue: the once purple robe is now deep, deep ruby with a tinge of garnet creeping in at the edge. The nose is a fulsome mixture of black fruits, sage, tobacco, underbrush and just a trace of menthol. Medium-bodied and silky on the palate, the wine exhibits fine flavors of boysenberry, sour cherry, thyme, soil and just a hint of mushroom. These flavors are rich yet nuanced and contribute to the long sumptuous finish. And the tannins have nearly melted away, leaving just a bit of “pepper” for seasoning. Ready to drink but with at least a dozen years of life ahead, this delicious, impeccably balanced wine paired perfectly with grilled lamb chops. 95 points.

2/17/2019 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

I had this wine a few months ago and was suitably impressed. It has everything I could want in a wine, and then some--deep color, enticing nose and outright delicious flavor profile. I will add only that it displays the best aspects of three recent Cuvée de mon Aïeul vintages: the ripeness of 2007, the freshness of 2009 and much of the power of 2010. Impeccably crafted and gorgeously balanced, it simply dazzles. I am beginning to think of it as the precocious little brother (or sister) of the mammoth 2016 Cuvée de mon Aïeul. Surely it will shut down one of these days, but apparently no time soon. I will buy more. 97+ points.

12/31/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) This is not the darkest 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape I have seen but it is still an impressive deep, purple-stained ruby. With much swirling the nose is an elegant, understated and classic Southern Rhone: blackberry, raspberry, anise, smoke, musk and more than a hint of candied lavender. The wine has a weighty, almost massive mouthfeel with concentrated cherry and raspberry flavors layered with cocoa, meat extract, and saline minerality. Wow! There is considerable depth, density and concentration here, and the savory finish is equally impressive. The huge ripe tannins will, however, require a decade to soften and bring everything into balance. This ranks alongside the other top 2016 CdPs I have tasted, only more backward and powerful. There is tremendous potential here but much patience is required. 99 points.

12/9/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(From a magnum decanted for one hour.) What a beautiful nose! It is filled with all the scents you would expect from a maturing southern Rhone—ripe plums and berries, bacon, earth, garrigue, and a nice dose of barnyard. In the mouth it is full bodied with a lush, creamy texture. Sweet plum and cherry flavors layer perfectly with savory meat drippings, mushroom, espresso, anise and black pepper. The flavors are satisfyingly deep, seductively voluptuous and very, very generous. The long, silky finish is distinguished by an interplay of sweet and sour elements. Simply delicious with tons of life ahead! 95+ points. Incidentally, the wine was served with a roasted turkey glazed with a smoky, hoisin-based, Asian barbecue sauce. It complemented the dish perfectly!

10/13/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The color is black cherry with a moody dark center. The nose is beautifully, almost exotically perfumed with raspberry preserves, garrigue, smoke, animal musk and grandma’s spice cabinet. It is full bodied and velvet-textured with rich flavors of ripe Boysenberry and raspberry, chocolate, fennel, charcuterie and bitter coffee. The flavors are very broad, layered and sumptuous. In fact, they would be utterly hedonistic were they not also infused with an unmistakable mineral salinity. The salinity adds a savory note, refreshes the palate, and keeps everything balanced. And the big tannins provide remarkable grip, focus and structure. Deliciously flavored and robustly constituted, this wine is a marvel. 98+++ points.

10/11/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The wine is a very deep crimson with a brooding black core. Its nose is richly aromatic with ripe raspberry and strawberry, dark chocolate, licorice, and a hint of game meat. It is full-bodied and dense with huge, fully-extracted flavors of candied strawberry, blackberry compote, espresso, iron, soil, and beef blood. Despite their great size and density, the flavors are not fat, heavy or ungainly. Rather a vibrant underlying acidity keeps them gloriously fresh, lively and nearly floating on the mid-palate. It also shapes and propels the spicy finish which is intense and swelling. The tannins are sweet, firm and add textural support and a reassuring gravitas. This blockbuster young wine raises the bar for power, elegance, and purity of flavor. And it will only get better! Almost perfect, it shares pride of place with the 2016 Janasse Vieilles Vignes and the 2016 Usseglio Cuvée de mon Aïeul. But please do not ask me which is best. 99+ points.

10/7/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) Prompted by yesterday’s CT review, tonight I tried this wine with dinner. My three years of patience has been duly rewarded because it has evolved into a real treat. The nose remains beautifully fragrant with complex, maturing aromas of ripe cherry, mint, thyme, tobacco, leather and a hint of eucalyptus. In the mouth it is medium-bodied and plush with long, clearly defined flavors of mixed berry compote, Bing cherry, dark chocolate, mushroom and forest floor. The once strident tannins have softened and complement the flavor profile perfectly. They also amplify the long, bitter-sweet finish. This delicious and balanced wine has another five years of positive development ahead, with perhaps a slight increase to my rating. Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards does it again! 94+ points.

10/7/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

This young wine has a deep blue-black color. With twenty minutes of vigorous swirling, it delivers up aromas of raspberry, strawberry, exotic spices, cocoa, hog jowl and fresh blood. In the mouth it is full bodied and powerful with palate-drenching flavors of ripe strawberry and blueberry, thyme, coffee, beef pan drippings and crushed stone minerality. These concentrated flavors are long and infused with a crisp and uplifting acidity. The acidity imparts form, interest and even elegance to what would otherwise be a lumbering giant. Brilliant! This fantastic young wine is drinking beautifully for the moment and should be tried before it inevitably shuts down. In a decade this may match or even eclipse the now spectacular 2010. 99+ points.

10/7/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for one hour.) So far I have gone through a case of this wonderful wine, and what a ride it has been! On this occasion I tasted it alongside the massive 2016 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. Both are clearly outstanding wines, but in the end the 2010 comes out ahead. (For the time being, anyway.) Its perfumed nose is dominated by ripe strawberry and blackberry, garrigue, espresso, truffle and lapsang souchong tea. While full bodied and densely textured, it is remarkably light and nimble on the mid-palate with energetic flavors of strawberry and blackberry jam, ripe black plum, tapenade, Asian spices and mushroom. The ripe, fine-grained tannins perfectly frame the long, sweet and expanding finish. Showing growing complexity and nascent maturity, the wine is powerfully built, profoundly deep and breathtakingly long. Amazing!

10/5/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for one hour.) The color of this wine has not budged much from its original deep purple with crimson highlights. It has an explosive nose of blackberry and strawberry preserves, lavender, thyme, espresso, and cured meats. Full bodied and mouth coating, it has saturated flavors of blackberry, crushed herbs, chocolate, mushroom and beef fond. There is considerable purity to these flavors, due to perfect ripeness, abundant tangy acidity and silky supportive tannins. And this purity of flavor extends through the nearly one minute finish. Though the wine may merit an even higher score in a few years, it can be drunk with pleasure now and over the next two decades. 98+ points.

10/5/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

This wine exchanges the vintage’s tendency towards flamboyance for a more balanced, elegant, and self-restrained presentation. Very dark in color, it offers up a complex, almost exotic nose of ripe strawberries, lavender, rosemary, leather, musk and turned soil. It is full bodied in the mouth with concentrated flavors of ripe red fruits, garrigue, coffee, meat juice and bitter (but very delicious) iron minerality. These flavors are big yet unfold with a nuanced and layered purity. They also release and subside very gradually, contributing to the long, persistently fresh and uplifted finish. And the ample sweet tannins frame everything flawlessly. This great wine is seamless, seductive and gloriously balanced. 97 points.

9/27/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) This wine has a deep black cherry color. The nose is filled with extravagant aromas of black fruits, herbs, espresso, wet soil and wild game. It is full bodied with a very plump texture and rich, almost sweet flavors of ripe plum and raspberry, bacon, anise and dark chocolate. Make no mistake this is a ripe wine. Mercifully there is just enough acidity to keep it from being flabby. As such the moderately firm tannins are welcomed. Though very hedonistic and fun to drink, the wine lacks the clarity and precision to make it really great. That said it still merits 95 points for sheer sumptuousness.

9/27/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) I have had this wine a dozen times and always been awestruck. Its color is black cherry with a nearly opaque purple core. The nose is effusive and almost alive with cherry, raspberry, lavender, rosemary, and freshly turned soil. In the mouth, the wine is full bodied with lush flavors of ripe black plums, fennel, stones, rosemary, cèpes and meat juices. These flavors are powerful, fleshy and layered, and the finish is long and expansive. Delicious. The tannins are ripe, firm and reassuring. And the overall balance is perfect. Tonight this wine is doing everything right and I want to drink the whole bottle.

9/27/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) This is a wow wine all the way. It has a beautifully deep red-purple color and an inviting nose of cherries, raspberries, fennel, sweat and smoke. In the mouth it is full bodied with bright, persistent and layered flavors of raspberry compote, bacon fat, licorice, and iron mineral. Bristling acidity supports and firm but elegant tannins frame these flavors perfectly. The swelling finish lasts nearly forty seconds. Big, sexy and delicious, this wine should evolve beautifully. My favorite 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape so far. 98+ points.

9/23/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for two hours.) It has been five years since I last tasted this beautiful wine. It remains impenetrably dark in color with no lightening at the edge. The nose is rich with ripe red fruits, smoke, bacon, forest floor and spice cabinet. In the mouth it is full-bodied with ripe plums and cherries, fennel, coffee, mushroom, and forest floor. Taken together the flavors make the wine appear fresh and autumnal at the same time. The long finish is sweet and savory with formidable still-resolving tannins. I like this wine very, very much. In another few years it might become a legend. 98+++ points.

8/24/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The color is deep cherry red with an opaque center. The nose is filled with ripe red fruit, flowers, garrigue, coffee, pepper and bacon aromas. Full-bodied and nearly thick in the mouth with gushing flavors of strawberry, raspberry, fig, licorice, mushroom and iron mineral. Despite this weight and dense texture, there is ample underlying acidity to keep everything very fresh, buoyant and energetic. The acidity also provides tremendous clarity and precision of flavor from the mid-palate all the way through the long climbing finish. And the huge tannins are sweet, silky, and most remarkably, beautifully integrated. For such a huge young wine, the overall balance is well-nigh perfect. While already amazing it has two decades of development ahead. An absolute stunner! 99+ points.

7/22/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

This was served by our generous host at a rain-soaked barbecue. I had this wine less than a month ago but welcomed the revisit. Once again it immediately impresses with its inky dark color and rich scents of ripe fruit, herb garden, horse sweat and espresso. The flavor profile includes ripe plum, medjool date, smoked meat, licorice, earth and coffee. These flavors are big but polished by a vibrant spine of acidity, and the finish is very, very long. The tannins are formidable but fine-grained and sure to soften in a few years. Simply put, an already majestic wine on its way to being a masterpiece. The thrill continues! 97+++ points.

6/26/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

The wine has a deep maroon color. The nose is exuberant with ripe fruit, wet leather, black pepper, garrique and a very healthy dose of brett. There is also a trace amount of alcohol on the nose (especially as the wine reaches room temperature), but not enough to ruin the olfactory experience. It is full bodied with a mouth-coating glycerin feel. The flavor profile includes plum jam, ripe blackberries, cocoa, pork jowl, mushroom soup, garrique, and a bitter (though enjoyable) iron quality. Luckily there is sufficient acidity to keep the wine in balance, especially in the half-minute finish. The ripe tannins have nearly melted away. Despite the high-wire antics, this is an excellent wine that is drinking well now. Will it improve and last? I do not know, but I am drinking my remaining bottles at breakneck speed. 92 points for pleasure and 2 more points for sheer bravado.

6/26/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

For me this is the best vintage of Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, and that includes the 2003. The wine is on steroids! The purple color is impenetrably dark. The nose is effusive with sweet fruit, rosemary, thyme, lavender and funk. And the depth of black plum, espresso, licorice, mushroom, soil and bacon fat flavors is off the chart. A nervy, lip-smacking acidity spreads out and delineates these flavors. The finish lasts nearly a minute. The tannins are a bit too assertive at the moment but will soften in a few years. While there is room to improve, this powerhouse is already thrilling to drink. 97+++ points.

6/26/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

I tasted this wine five years ago and was floored by its exuberance. Things have settled down a bit, and in a good way. While retaining much of its youthful freshness, it has gained more complexity, balance and nuance. The nose has all the classic Southern Rhone elements -- plum, raspberry, bacon, sweat, and garden herbs. In the mouth, the wine is medium bodied with layered flavors of ripe red and black fruits, mushroom, coffee, smoke and garden notes. Soft tannins gently frame the long uplifting finish. The whole effect is sumptuous and elegant. Just coming into its own, it will likely merit another point or two when it really hits its stride in two or three years. Delicious! 96+ points.

6/24/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted and drank almost immediately.) This has come a long way in the last three years. While still fresh, its early reticence has given way to a more generous and pleasurable wine. The nose is compelling with black fruits, Asian spices, sweat, espresso and smoked meat. Nearly full bodied in the mouth, rich black plum, licorice, coffee, tar and pepper flavors persist all the way through the long finish. The underlying acidity is fantastic and the sweet tannins possess enough firmness to guarantee a long life. Beautiful and nearly hedonistic. 96+ points.

6/5/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

I have tasted and rated this wine on several occasions. Each time I have walked away duly impressed. I will not belabor the reader with another long review filled with well-deserved praise. I will say only that it is an unqualified masterpiece. From the first sip to the last this is ambrosia!

6/4/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Bottle opened for one hour but not decanted.) This has a fine deep ruby color with no lightening. On the nose there is ripe dark fruit, sweat, turned soil and a floral (violets?) component. In the mouth Bing cherry flavors, which are sweet and tart with tingling acidity, lead the way and are supported by red plum, moist earth, cocoa and a rocky mineral quality. These flavors are layered and elegant. And the tannins are resolving very nicely. The finish goes on for forty seconds and leaves a very beautiful fragrance in the mouth. (By the way, I placed the unconsumed portion of the bottle in the refrigerator and drank it the following evening. No hint of decline whatsoever!) Already impressive, this wine will be even better in about five years. Glad I have more. 95+
points.

5/7/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

I had this wine a couple years after its release and made the following brief note: “Compact. Four-square. Just okay.” When I drank a bottle last weekend I found a delightful and compelling wine. Its deep cherry core gives way to the faintest bit of browning at the edges. The nose is fragrant with fruit compote, spice, autumn leaves and animal notes. It is cool and silky in the mouth with ripe, tangy cherry and sage, soil and mushroom flavors. These flavors are very elegant and possess an underlying intensity that propels them through the medium-long finish. Delicious and charming, it really is a treat. Ready now but years of life ahead. And it is so good you could squander a long Sunday afternoon just admiring it. I know I did.

5/6/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

Looking at my last tasting note I find that nothing much has changed with this wine. It still has a good fruity and floral nose, with perhaps a hint of thyme. There is very good black cherry fruit in the mouth that displays moderate length and vibrant acidity. The tannins are remarkably smooth for so young a wine and contribute nicely to the lip smacking finish. While you can drink this wine with vigorous airing, I still think its needs yet another five years to mature and gain complexity. I remain hopeful. 92+ points.

4/19/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine:

(Decanted for one hour.) Until now I always found this wine very well made and rated it 93-94 points. Well that has all changed. Time has now imbued the 2008 Dominus Estate with so much power, complexity and balance that it is difficult to recognize it my previous tasting notes. It has a beautiful dark cherry color and a complex, layered nose of ripe black fruits, coffee, cedar, vanilla bean and smoke. In the mouth it is medium weight and velvety with flavors of ripe cherry and blackberry, as well as clear undertones of earth, thyme and menthol. There is also a long savory, almost meaty element at play. All the flavors are very intense yet poised and persistent. The whole delicious affair is wrapped in super smooth tannins and its balance invites sip after sip. Superb. While drinking beautifully at the moment, there is tremendous longevity and modest improvement in store. 98 points.