11/13/2023 - ron m wrote:

Excellent bottle. Surprisingly light but with good focus and persistence. Red-toned, more raspberries than cherries, with a solid dose of meat and barnyard. It is 50% cab franc but didn't give much green / bell pepper notes. Funky, but not like a Chinon, felt more like a left bank Bordeaux. Great texture, savory finish. Highly enjoyable.

8/20/2023 - ron m wrote:

Beautiful deep gold. On the nose, lime peel, honey, spring flowers. Quite sweet, even more than i remembered, but enough acidity to balance it up for food. Rich and round mouthfeel. Still good after 25 years, but I won't hold it longer.

8/2/2023 - ron m wrote:

Wonderful. Fully resolved, smooth as silk. The nose is a bit shy with meat and blood dominating, perhaps a little thyme. The palate is fabulous - smooth and harmonious. Fantastic finish. This is at peak form - will hold, but why wait. Alas, my last one.

7/22/2023 - ron m wrote:

Advanced, disappointing. Probably flawed.

7/26/2023 - ron m wrote:

Decent

5/1/2023 - ron m wrote:

Tight - needs decanting. Upon opening some medicinal notes and overall savory impression. With some air it morphs into a more familiar Cayuse flavor profile. Iodine, Tar, Bramble, pretty clean with maybe a little horse's arse. Very good length and a lovely savory saline finish. Try again in 3 years.

1/13/2023 - ron m wrote:

From 375. Excellent. Red fruited, oriental spice, earth. Polished elegant and seamless. This was a really good Rhys bottle.

1/1/2023 - ron m wrote:

TFM 23 new years dinner. Excellent bottle that always delivers with food. Nice floral nose, showing quince, lime, honey. Quite agile on the palate perhaps just a tad heavy but really everything is in check. Decent finish. Went great with the cauliflower panna cotta and the fois gras.

11/1/2022 - ron m wrote:

Ugh. Picked this up thinking this is the Michel Montee de Tonerre. I was surprised by how elegant and closed it was... checked the bottle: Les Clos. Well OK. Good but not excellent at this point. Better on day 2. Next time read the labels more carefully.

1/1/2023 - ron m wrote:

From 375. TFM 23 new years dinner. Very good and correct bordeaux, early drinking window. Boisonberry tobacco and musty earth on the nose. Palate still evolving but in a good place, oak integrated. Maybe a little hollow, might fill out with time. Good finish. Great match with the lamb.

12/22/2022 - ron m wrote:

Yes. Really good and overdelivers for the price. Starting to mature and it is rounder and more harmonious with complex notes. Honey, caramel, citrus peel. Pretty light in the mouth. Decent acidity makes it quite refreshing. Glad I have a small stack of these.

12/22/2022 - ron m wrote:

Excellent. Pears, quince, honey, good whiff of petrol. Just harmonious and delightful. Went great with all the fried Hannukah stuff.

12/19/2022 - ron m wrote:

Solid bottle from Rhys. Typical flavor profile, cherries and cranberries, not much complexity to nose. Polished, solid mouthfeel, good acidity. I felt this was better on day 2 but it may have been a little too cold when opened. Either way to me it seemed like there's plenty of life left in it.

12/10/2022 - ron m wrote:

Should have read the notes calling to decant 2-3 hours. I agree. Classic, not much fruit left but very harmonious and elegant, light in the mouth, tobacco and lead pencil. Subtle and lingering finish. Better on day 2. I would drink now, and certainly decant.

10/22/2022 - ron m wrote:

A very good cerise. Solid aromatics of flint earth and plums, a whiff of tobacco. No funk. Harmonious palate with solid acidity. The finish is really excellent - long and savory with a saline quality. On day 2, horse poop comes out more clearly (in a mostly good way). Finish still great.

10/20/2022 - ron m wrote:

Really nice. Elegant. Nose of reddish fruit bramble and violets. Palate clean and harmonious. Med finish. Wife tasted blind and her good wine radar immediately beeped. Drinks great and will hold for a few years.

8/22/2022 - ron m wrote:

I will admit I have not been a huge fan of the Lovers to date, however this bottle was simply excellent. Explosive nose with dark red fruits, peppery spices, herbs, and meats. Good palate, very polished. Tannins well integrated. A fabulous finish is very long and flavorful. In a great place now and will hold for a while.

12/25/2021 - ron m wrote:

Really excellent and drinking great at this point. Blackberries cherries and a melange of dark fruit. Robust but not overpowering. Smooth and polished with a good long finish. Has the '16 a day before which was certainly too young, this one is fully resolved and ready to go.

12/29/2021 - ron m wrote:

Elegant classic bordeaux. Drinking very well right now. Very nice nose of cherries dust and stone. Palate is classic, not showing the warmth of the vintage. Everything in balance.

1/1/2022 - ron m wrote:

Drinking great. Nice mellow nose showing meat blood cassis and blackberry. Very polished on the palate, extremely well balanced, expands beautifully with real lingering power. At its peak but no rush at all. Excellent.

5/22/2021 - ron m wrote:

A wonderful bottle kicking on all cylinders. Very pretty nose with orchard fruit, butter, toffee, Tonka bean. Beautiful. Medium weight, rich mouthfeel but light on its feet. Palate showing citrus and minerals that cut through the fat. Great balance. Good finish. Day 2 - still great. Will keep, but just so good right now.

5/24/2021 - ron m wrote:

I have fond memories of this bottling as this was one of the first a-ha! moments in my wine journey many years ago. Today this was a little oxidized and somewhat fading but still good. Oxidized notes mostly blew off after 15 minutes and the wine was still fresh. The nose was kaleidoscopic - shifting between flowers, peach, and creme brulee. The palate was harmonious but did not leave a strong impression. Decent finish. This is all about the nose. Paired wonderfully (surprisingly well!) with La Bernardin black cod in ginger scallion nage. A treat at 20 years old.

3/10/2021 - ron m wrote:

Good bottle, classic. Mature but will definitely be around for a while. Pretty nose full of herbs earth and dark fruit. Round and lush, ripe but nimble. Medium finish lacks a bit, but still a strong showing.

2/22/2021 - ron m wrote:

Cork seeping a bit but bottle is still in good shape. Lime peel, grapefruit, slate. Dry with great acidity. Medium finish. Yummy. Amazing pairing with Le Bal Cafe's olive oil poached squid.

1/1/2021 - ron m wrote:

New Years TFL@Home dinner Corona special. Drinking great. Beautiful deep amber color, quince jam, honey, baked fruits. Solid acidity puts it in good balance. A great pairing with both the foie gras torchon and the Roquefort trifle. Grade: Extra Yum+.

12/10/2020 - ron m wrote:

Very good. Classic nose of green peppers olives and herbs. Light on the palate with good depth. Long finish with plenty of fine grain tannins, this is very young. On day 2 some barnyard comes out which made it even more pleasant. Killer value.

11/26/2020 - ron m wrote:

Pandemic thanksgiving... this was lovely. Not giving much on the nose but the palate delivers - smooth, seamless, and elegant. Fruit forward with a lot of spice and good acidity. Excellent finish is long and refreshing. Still has many years to go. Would have loved some more complexity but it's definitely pleasurable and a good restrained example of WA Syrah.

11/2/2020 - ron m wrote:

This was pretty good. Spicy, red cherries, earth. Relatively rich. Showed well immediately after opening but faded quickly. Medium finish.

9/20/2020 - ron m wrote:

Pretty good, spicy and earthy. Dark tones. Best right after opening, decant not needed. Premier level nuance. Med finish.

8/13/2020 - ron m wrote:

So good! Still going strong, what a successful vintage for this wine. Red plums, blackberry, full bodied, good extraction, not too big and quite harmonious.

8/10/2020 - ron m wrote:

As good as advertised. Didn't take notes but the consensus opinion is accurate. Should have bought a case.

8/27/2020 - ron m wrote:

Great bottle. A classic textbook claret in its secondary development stage. Meat earth and great acidity. Fully resolved, this one had several more years in it. Solid finish. Just as good on day 2.

7/15/2020 - ron m wrote:

Really good. Flowers, strawberries, pink grapefruit, yeast. Nice perfume, dry, refreshing, yum.

7/21/2020 - ron m wrote:

Socially distanced happy half hour. Solid for a Cayuse (which is: good+). Meaty, savory, chewy. Not much funk on day 1. Good finish. Day 2 - funk came out, bottle as a whole was a bit flat.

6/16/2020 - ron m wrote:

Yum. Very good showing - apples and limes, good viscousity, a little on the sweet side but so good with the Sorrel soup with scallops.

6/10/2020 - ron m wrote:

Beautiful CDP. Elegant grenache fruit profile. Red plum, berry liquor, red licorice, hyssop. Full bodied but feels light on the palate. Great focus and freshness. Excellent finish. Well done!

6/1/2020 - ron m wrote:

Excellent. Honey, lime peel, lanolin. Great viscousity. Sweet of course but with strong acidity and very balanced overall. Long life ahead.

6/5/2020 - ron m wrote:

Solid. Ready to go, medium weight, classic nose, more on the red fruit side with cranberries, red cherries. Pretty fresh. Pleasant finish.

5/23/2020 - ron m wrote:

Good+. Lime peel, guava. Tight and fresh. Fruit driven, good acidity that balances it out. Some oak. Went great with homemade Taleggio ravioli.

4/17/2020 - ron m wrote:

Good classically styled pommard. Earth, smoke, cedar, some spice, some cherry. Nice weight, flows seamlessly on the palate. Finishes savory and refreshing. Ready to drink with a little air, at the beginning of a long window.

4/13/2020 - ron m wrote:

Very good. Lime, grapefruit, tart apples, steel. Zingy acidity. Medium bodied, excellent focus and verve. Complex long mouthwatering finish. Young but drank well with a little air. Highly enjoyable.

4/8/2020 - ron m wrote:

Lovely bottle. Not quite a wow experience but delivers what you'd expect - mature, resolved, cool, balanced. Opened this for the quarantine Zoom Seder. We don't usually have really good bottles for the ceremony part because the attention is not exactly on the wine, but this time was different, so we did. Pretty certain it is the first time a Rostaing was used for dipping fingers in it for the ten plagues. Oh well. It did go great with the brisket later, of course. Anyway back to the wine - it was very nice. Pretty shy nose, not giving too much. Smooth on the palate, good balance of everything - red fruit, soil, faintly meaty. The finish was really great, very long, savory, refreshing.

4/4/2020 - ron m wrote:

Delicious. Outstanding nose full of funk, lime, smoke, and seashells. Solid palate with good acidity and salinity to balance out the ample citrus fruit. Good density. Long finish. Great showing.

3/29/2020 - ron m wrote:

Very nice, though perhaps more at a Premier level. Good nose showing pomegranate cranberries damp earth and meat. Palate is light smooth and seamless though a tad simple. Finish was very good - long and savory. Overall definitely enjoyable. If you have one, time to drink up.

3/22/2020 - ron m wrote:

Deep gold. Beautiful nose of honey and lime peel. Palate flat and simple. Sweetness has subsided and acidity is more in control but the wine is still on the sweet side. Nice finish. Good but drink up.

3/18/2020 - ron m wrote:

Solid.

3/11/2020 - ron m wrote:

Not as impressive as the previous bottle. Solid but pretty ho-hum and not much intrigue. Tannins mostly resolved.

3/8/2020 - ron m wrote:

Yum! Very nice bottle. Young but quite accessible. Good black+red fruit nose, excellent mouthfeel. Earthy and spicy. Black cherries. Med weight and packs a punch. Med finish.

3/7/2020 - ron m wrote:

Consistently very good. Dark fruit with a chunk of cedar and oriental spice. Coats the palate. Med finish.

2/10/2020 - ron m wrote:

Good bottle. Beautiful gold in the glass, honey apricots and lanolin, medium weight, oily and viscous. Lacks some verve but intriguing enough to keep it interesting. Medium finish. Awesome match with cassoulet.