3/15/2024 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Delightful! Tannins present but resolved and kind- not the case five years ago when this was still too aggressive. Silky mouthfeel. Craisins on the attack with the right amount of sweet and acid notes to balance leading into the round-feeling mid palate notes of earthy clay, boysenberry which fade to drying dusty tannins and a final blackberry note (not as tangy as the mid-palate) and some oak tickling the sides of the tongue.

2/25/2024 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Lots of blueberry pie filling on the nose. Feels more Cabernet heavy than merlot heavy. I prefer the 2016 by a good bit. This has nice tannic structure, but is not astringent or over-bearing as I feared after reading other reviews before opening. Plenty to clean the tongue with a rich cut of meat. Acidity is good. Flavor palate is decidedly Napa. Nothing extraordinary here but well executed. An enjoyable wine that is good but not exceptional.

This may improve in coming years but I don’t see this climbing much beyond current score.

1/14/2024 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This is very good but not tip top level.

Pros- intriguing very light smoky + peppercorns note on the attack that goes very well with the plummy-blueberry-cranberry flavors. Tannins are elegant. Mouthfeel is silky. Better than I expected having had several 2007s form this label ( but never the P de R). This falls off a bit in the finish department, unfortunately.

The mouth watering from the still-present tannins is nice. Again, the mouthfeel and sensations on this wine are excellent. But the finish drops off quickly. Blueberry but brief. Not a lot going on after that. It’s a bit odd. I expected more depth. To me, this is lovely but falls short of truly exceptional. I’ve had this sensation before with blends with Cab Franc. I love can franc but sometimes in blends it raises the nose and attack but the follow through isn’t there. I am not sure of the cepage for this wine. Just guessing.

I bought this at auction a year or two after release and have had it in my cellar since. I have one more bottle. I don’t expect it to get better from here but should plateau for at least another 5 years.

1/6/2024 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Rich and brawny with broad tannic shoulders. This is going to improve over the next decade but it very good now. Deep fruit, leaning toward blueberry and fig over currant on the palate, but currant and luxardo cherry on the nose. Tannins are both dusty/mature in the midpalate and still a little unresolved in the finish. Unusual. I think it needs more time. I like this a lot, but perhaps just a smidge over-extracted? Reserving judgement until 2026-7 when I’ll open the next one to check on progress.

2013 continues to be a year that I think the critics were overly enthusiastic about. Good? Certainly. Tippy-top? No. I much prefer the 2016s and 2018s from most estates so far, including this one.

9/9/2023 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This is even better than I remembered. The attack has softened since 2020 - this wine is now a total, well-integrated beauty with silky mouthfeel, spicy but suave mid palate with glorious fruit and a lingering finish rife with boysenberry, blackberry, juicy jaboticaba, and pine and eastern cedar notes. This is a great bottle to savor or enjoy with food. The piney notes set this bottle apart. Seek it out!!

Cements pluribus as the best of the Bonds in my opinion- if you have the patience to cellar these for pten plus years, they reward you with awesome depth, complexity and flavor! This one has at least another decade of joy to give. Maybe twenty.

6/29/2023 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This one is a real bunker buster up front followed by a surprisingly suave finish. Loads of fruit but not over extracted, flabby or overdone. Lovely backbone too. Still a bit early but I was excited to try it.

2.5 hour decant. Better a bit above cellar temp. Dark fruits, syrupy, yet somehow light. Reminded me of some Ch. Ausone vintages I’ve tried in that regard. Lots of fruit and heft front and mid palate but ethereal on the back end. Nice lingering flavors and sweet tannins but nothing jammy or overbearing. Finish drinks much lighter than the first 2/3rds.

I liked this a lot. Super interested to see what happens in a few years. A score of 97 would not shock me after a few more years.

6/27/2023 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

What a difference a decade makes! Last tried in about 2013-14 and this showed way better now. This is now a silky, seamless terroir circus. The hard edges and astringent tannins have faded. This is now firmly in peak drinking range. Lots of currant, sweet red fruits and enough acidity to give some needed lift.

Coating mouthfeel.

Slightly over-extracted fruit flavors hold this back from greatness, but it is very very good.

These Bond wines can really be spectacular- if you have patience. My favorite is the pluribus vineyard…you need to be 15 years in to ride that ride. Mel bury and Vecina in particular seem to start singing a little sooner.

3/3/2023 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent cab franc. None of the grilled bell pepper and green peppercorn notes common in pure cab francs from Napa. Fruit is elegant and taut and the finish lingers. It had enough energy to keep up with seared duck breast and fondant potatoes without overwhelming them. Delicious example of CF. Wish they were more common as they can be a super versatile medium weight red that shine with food.

3/3/2023 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent tonight, paired with a parsnip veloute with thyme oil and roasted duckling. This wine is probably at or near peak. Probably another 5 or so years of pleasure to give before it starts to decline.

Nose is lovely, typical of the Laurence wines, and very concentrated. Does not drink hot at all - I had that recollection from a bottle. Anyhow, consistent with past notes, this remains and excellent CdP. Layers and scents and flavors make this a very enjoyable pour.

1/20/2023 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle with a pronounced orange blossom and honey note. Very concentrated. Bready and light briny notes were lovely too. Much more intense than the 2006. I think this is very close to the 2002 in terms of overall quality and enjoyment.

Paired with charcoal grilled whole snapper and squid with ginger rice and wilted spinach.

4/25/2022 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Glossy and thicker mouthfeel on this than I remember. Some blueberry, blackberry and cranberry jam on this with nice acidity. Elegant. In the window and should have another eight years of pleasure to give.

4/22/2022 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Intense blueberry pie filling flavor on this one. It really dominates. Not super complex or nuanced. Good showing for a 2017 but certainly not the same caliber as other vintages. Enjoyable, if a bit of a one note wine.

3/5/2022 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Floral lift starting with the rose and cherry aromatics - hint of over-ripe strawberry too - and then following through with some horehound, earth, cherry and dusty tannins. Lovely bottle.

Paired well with Kangaroo loin!

1/7/2022 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This is outstanding this evening. Tertiary notes in bloom, acidity still there and enough tannin to clear the palate. Everything in balance. Served blind and the consensus was a 1990s first growth BDX. Truly delish with excellent balance and interesting layers.

I got everything from balsamic to strawberries to cherries and leather and herbs from this.

Served at 55 with a slow braised bavette with red lentils and leeks.

This punches way above its price point!

I think this has at least another five years of joy to give. Shame I only have one more bottle after this.

12/31/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Complex and rich, this already has some tertiary notes showing up and a seductive silky mouthfeel. Leaves the mouth watering after a lingering finish. Boysenberry on the attack and the nose is fun to revisit. I get new nuances each whiff. It's very enjoyable and paired wonderfully with duck breast seared and glazed with mirin, yuzu and ginger.

The only thing holding this back from greatness was a mild vegetative note mid palate. Like cucumber skin. Not bad and I'm nitpicking. Not too distracting and doesn't change the great experience but cannot score it higher with this slight, slight discordant note. Would recommend this wine. Very, very good, as reflected in my score.

11/5/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle. Plenty of life left here. No need to rush to drink these.

Decanted for 95 minutes. Served at 60 farenheit.

Blackberry, grilled herbs, fatty salami. Dark and interesting. Superlative food wine. Would complement lamb, goat or game fabulously.

7/30/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This was outstanding. Wonderful balance and an intensely interesting mid palate are what sets this apart from many other champagnes.

I served this at 48 farenheit in zalto zero gravity champagne glasses.

Nose is bready and heady with a smidge of jasmine flower and restrained stone fruits.

Taste and mid palate in particular is where this sings. Notes of umami and Irish soda bread plus caja (Brazilian fruit) and more traditional champagne flavors. Really lovely.

Finish is 90+ seconds and keeps you coming back for more.

This was the best bottle of bubbles I've had in a long while.

Paired with local oysters as well as ossetra caviar with creme fraiche on water crackers. What a treat!

7/13/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Sadly, this is my last bottle of this frabjous merlot.

Tertiary flavors are readily apparent, tannins resolved and the density and depths of flavor remain. I think this probably has another few years of joy to give, but I would drink up.

Tasting notes are consistent with past bottles.

So very enjoyable, especially for an "off" year.

Paired tonight with crispy onions and sweet peas from the garden and slow braised duroc pork with charred bell peppers and Vidalia onions. Not too shabby for a Tuesday.

Pulled from the cellar at 55 and decanted for almost 2 hours. I tried a swig pop and pour - definitely decant if you can.

7/12/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Significantly better showing from this bottle than past bottles. No longer a little hot or fume-y, the Chaupin has calmed down and displays richer fruit with silky layers of classic CdP flavors. Truly delicious now and clearly in the window.

Still have half the bottle left for tonight and will update the note if warranted.

Paired with sesame and garlic seared bavette steak.

5/4/2021 - Whisky&Wine wrote:

Corked. Might make nice salad dressing. My last bottle. Sad.

4/17/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Tannins have been tamed and this is a silky, sleek glass of BDX blend. Clearly Napa in origin but has some classic BDX minerality and layers.

Mouthfeel is where this wine really shines. Silky and suave. No rough edges. Rich blackberry flavors and nice lift.

I think this will be open for business for another seven or eight years.

Reminded me of the 1996 Pahlmeyer, which I really liked.

3/28/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This wine is so inconsistent. This is my third time having this wine in the last few years and each bottle is different.

One was super drying and heavy cranberry. I used it to make pasta sauce later in the week after disliking the first glass. (80)

One was rather unremarkable and came across as a reasonably good cab franc or malbec blend. Not bad but not remarkable. (88)

This bottle was great. Silky, powerful, rich and very engaging. Clearly a malbec and a rather voluptuous one at that. Light finish after a fruit forward attack and mid palate, with secondary flavors announcing themselves as the fruit faded away. Nuanced and interesting. It invited more tastes. I opened it because I wasn't feeling inspired and decided to head to the South American section of the cellar. A nice surprise.

I have a good friend who is very into Argentinian wine. He has visited the vineyards and knows some of the makers. When I texted him last night, just a pic and saying wow this really exceeded my expectations, he wrote back "yeah nice stuff but really inconsistent." So I guess it isn't just me.

I bought these on release from Zachy's and they've been perfectly cellared since. So I'm not sure why there would be such variation among my six bottles unless there are some quality control issues. Those should not exist in their flagship / at this price point.


One hour decant and serve at cellar temp.

3/18/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Dark cherry, cough syrup and wet new pavement aromas leap from the glass. The flavors are cherry liqueur, horehound candy and grilled thyme and peppercorn. The finish is a bit odd, which detracts slightly from the experience. Not bad just a little unusual. It is drying, but on the roof of the mouth vs the tongue.

Overall, very enjoyable and just entering the peak enjoyment window. You have another decade or so to enjoy this wine.

Served at cellar temp after a 35 min decant.

3/13/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Wonderful, rich nose with fruit, earth and some sweet perfume notes. While the wine itself was excellent, the nose really was the most memorable aspect of this bottle.

Taste is deep and brambly with dark fruits, slightly drying tannins and some intriguing earthy notes. Lots of layers and lots to like. Plenty of complexity and pleasure here. Long finish.

At a lower price point, it is drinking better and offering much more than many of the top dollar names from 2003.

This wine has at least another twelve years of life ahead.

Decanted for four hours before dinner, at cellar temp. Served at cellar temp.

3/13/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This was stellar. Beautiful wine with richness, bright and lively fruit flavors and a killer nose. We enjoyed this immensely with some Moroccan Thai fusion shrimp with coconut rice.

The midpalate was just outstanding. I kept wanting to take tiny sips to make it last longer and let it coat my tongue. Just an exceptionally nice marsanne.

This wine has many years ahead but is solidly in the drinking window now.

I decanted it in the cellar for 3 hours before the meal. Served at 58 farenheit. I liked it best as it warmed a bit after about 30 mins on the table.

I served this in burgundy glasses and I think it was the right call. Felt like I got more of everything from this bottle in this glass vs the zalto universal last time.

3/5/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Tannins have softened since I last had this wine in 2019. Fruit is still rich and full. Acidity, which I remembered as more racy, remains taut but has also calmed.

Nose is very raspberry immediately upon pop and then drifts off revealing montmorency cherry and charred red pepper and beeswax candle.

Glossy attack, drying midpalate and then lingering fruit and earth.

A solid effort and an exceptionally good wine to pair with game meats or triple cream cheeses.

Plenty of life left. Standard decant for 90 mins. Served at cellar temp.

3/3/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

The 2009 continues to be an awesome QPR cab slayer. For anyone who thinks merlot is Melba toast or lacks depth and interest, this is the gateway bottle for them.

The Vieux Château Certan of napa, this is a great bottle of wine. Perfumy aromatics, plenty of fruit, precise balance with acidity and tannins and a silky mouthfeel make this a complete wine. This continues to get better. I expect it has another decade of joy to give.

Served at 59 farenheit after a decant, and like the 2004 and 2008, best as it warmed to room temperature.

3/2/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent showing tonight from the 2008. It is among my wife's favorite napa bottlings. While different, this rivaled the last bottle of 2009 I had and surpassed the 2004 from yesterday. We are going to open a 2009 tomorrow. The week of blankiet!

Dry, fine and slightly minerally finish with no hard edges. Glossy and suave with plenty of fruit and acidity across the middle back of the tongue to keep it interesting. The midpalate reminded me of a 1989 Trotanoy - high praise. Can definitely taste the cab franc here. It works. Brings nice contrast and balance to the full fruit of.the merlot without stealing the limelight or distracting.

I did try a bit pop and pour. It benefitted from an hour in the decanter. Served at cellar temp (58 farenheit). Better as it warmed toward room temp.

I debated between 93 and 94 on this score. This has plenty of years left. I will be editing the drink date on this one to extend it out to 2026.

3/1/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Pronounced red fruits with a nose of.leather and some candied violets. Complex, with tannins resolved and still plenty of life. The acidity of the midpalate was reminiscent of a torte pergole 2007 I had last year. Excellent wine to enjoy with rich or earthy foods.

Very enjoyable and at peak. Should be in fine form at least until 2023.

Not nearly as good as the 2003 at its peak or the 2008, 2009 or 2010, but still excellent.

Cork was hard to remove. Very tight. Decanted at 60 degree cellar temp for 2 hours before serving.

Tried with a nub of 70% cacao chocolate from Ghana after dinner. Really nice pairing.

1/30/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

The nose is outstanding on this wine. It smells like rich blueberry pie filling. The smell just wafted from the decanted as soon as I'd poured it. Mrs. W&W walked by, didn't know I had opened a bottle and asked why it smelled like fruity candy..

Flavor profile is consistent with the nose. Reminiscent of the vangone 2016, this is a blueberry pie filling bombardment. Glossy moithfeel, sweet fruit and tannins are still present on the back end, with a slightly medicinal flavor that I quite liked as a contrast to the fruit.

This makes me really.keen to try the vineyardist 2016. LSR is their 2nd wine, I believe.

Unlike most bottles I did try a glass pop and pour at cellar temp of 58.4. Def better after 75 mins of air.

I'm really impressed by the concentration. (Without being over extracted) on this wine.

1/24/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Better showing than last bottle, particularly in the initial.attack. Nice lift giving way to smooth fruit and dried herb / terroir. Otherwise, previous note holds.

Solid effort, especially at this price point.

1/23/2021 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle, consistent with past notes. I think this is maturing nicely, but probably won't hit its peak until 2022-24 and then will be a sexy and beguiling glass for at least a decade before it starts to fade.

The entry is suave, smooth and unmistakably napa. Perhaps Palmer from BDX can rival the silky mouthfeel and fruit, but blind, you'd be hard pressed to guess anything other than napa. It's funny but I really think of the alessio as the chateau palmer of napa. Fwiw, palmer is one of my three favorite bdx.

Midpalate is singing. Lush and full without being overbearing. Tobacco, beeswax candle smoke and rich, deep fruit dominate the profile, with a touch of earth. Finish will improve with a bit more time. This is a complete wine and by far my favorite of the per-us label.

3 hour decant, served at 61 farenheit. No noticeable difference in flavors etc as it warmed to 68 farenheit (room temp) over two hours. Paired with truffle mustard, thyme and white peppercorn crusted venison backstrap and homemade papardelle with parmesan and roasted garlic cream sauce. Not a bad dinner :)

6/27/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This is fully mature. Time has come to drink up if you have any left. This was my last bottle from one of the first cases of wines I bought when I started buying and collecting finer wines.

This cork was incredibly difficult to dislodge. This bottle really made me work for the juice within. Cork was intact with 15-20% saturation at the bottom.

Color is a saturated garnet red - quite pretty in the decanter- with slight bricking. Nose is classic; earth, little bit of brush, dark cherry and a waft of amarone-esque ripasso.

Tannins are resolved, mouthfeel is polished and elegant. Fruit flavors remain the core of this wine, as it always has been, but the drying tannins have given way to more tertiary notes.

Enjoyable now, I do not think this will improve and it is likely a year past the peak. (Comparing to the last bottle I had). Did not quite have the freshness of past bottles and the amarone waft gives that away. Drink up!

Paired with homemade sourdough crumpet and charred chicken apple sausages plus figs and a double cream brie.

Tried pop and pour and then gave it an hour to open. Probably only needed 30 mins. Served at 60 farenheit.

6/26/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This is solidly in the drinking window. It exhibits fine balance, suave fruit and has a satisfying finish. Blackberry, dark fruits and earthy notes (chewing tobacco smell?) round out the picture.

Does not posses the concentration or depth of some BDX but gives a lot of pleasure.

Highly enjoyable and recommended at this price point. Excellent QPR.

Decanted for one hour and served at 60 farenheit.

6/23/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Consistent with my past note. This bottle had a lot of sediment but that did not impact the flavor or quality of the wine.

My wife got distinct chocolate aromas from this and once she pointed it out I agreed. Not sure if the last bottle had that, but I did not notice it

Great depth and complexity. Had one glass left for today, and I think it was better day two. I think this wine has a long life ahead. Enjoyable now with a proper decant, but will probably still be singing in 2030+.



.

6/19/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Good concentration and mountain fruit flair. This benefitted from a longer decant. I gave it 5 hours in the cellar prior to serving.

Strong blackberry and currant flavors with an undercurrent of herbs - maybe marjoram with that slight bitter edge - and healthy tannins. We consumed this over a few hours, and it was more round and the tannins felt more integrated on the last glass. Consequently, I think this bottle will probably improve by a point or so with another two years in the cellar. I expect it will last through 2033.

6/6/2020 - Whisky&Wine wrote:

Sadly, this was over the hill. Not enjoyable. Bummed. I have one more left. I will open it soon. I had a bottle a few months back that was in good shape, so I'm thinking this was an issue with the cork. Haven't had any other issues with bottles from this shipment and they've all been in my cellar for a long while.

5/19/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

I have had all the vintages of Memento Mori since 2012. This is the first year with the addition of Vine Hill Ranch grapes and the taste is different. A number of high end wines come from VHR. The most well known are probably Bond Vecina and the eponymous VHR.

Vecina and VHR always have a compelling cranberry tinged acidity to them. That same nuance is present here.

This wine is medium intensity compared to other MM vintages. I think it is a function of the vintage. I like it. Classic bdx-esque acidity and tannins to complement the fruit. Very suited to pair with food.

I'm curious to see how this ages and to try the single vineyard bottlings.

5/16/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

The 2007 Pluribus is so concentrated in flavor and almost aggressive on the attack and then just drifts to silky balance and a lengthy almost medicinal herby laced finish. Still a little drying at the very end. This wine is in the window now but easily has 20 more years to give. Excellent wine with plenty of structure and layers of flavors.

I decanted this for 5 hours at cellar temp and we consumed over the next five hours. I think it was best starting at about the 6 hour mark when it was closer to room temperature. With all of the bond wines, I typically do not even start approaching them until their 10th birthday, and even then I find they need a proper decanting to maximize enjoyment.

Served with lamb saddle and crispy bacon fat brussel sprouts with charred corn and pignoli nuts.

Also had a glass before dinner with some extra sharp cheddar and some aged gruyere and mixed nuts.

It paired well with everything.

5/15/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Consistent, delicious, and very classic Cos. Well integrated and smooth, this offers elegance with alluring spice and a tiny bit of barnyard. I have had many bottles of this over the years and thankfully still have some left. I think this still has many years of enjoyment ahead and while it may be near its peak, it has not faded at all.

5/9/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Rich, full throttle Cabernet. Pronounced notes of blueberry pie filling and some lovely woody nose notes. This will improve over the next few years for sure, but already tasty with a proper decant. Only negative on this was some heat. It is a bit boozy but that is not a major detractor.

Decanted 4 hours at cellar temp and served at cellar temp. Saved one glass for the next day and the notes are consistent. A but smoother on day 2.

Lovely juice. Very impressed with the full range of wines I've tried from winemaker Kaplan.

5/2/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Sipping this as I write. Will be saving the second half of the bottle for tomorrow and will update tasting note as warranted.

Decanted four hours at cellar temp and served at cellar temp (1st glass) and room temp (2nd glass).

This wine surprised and disappointed me a bit. I love the Fairchild stones wines and if you look at my cellar you can see that I have a lot of them. This bottle, after a 4+hour decant remains a bit acidic. Definitely some cranberry in here. Mouthfeel is typical of the F wines; lush and slightly creamy. Good fruit midpalate, but tannic acidity still present and a little astringent and distracting, triggering some mouthwatering. Also has a little alcohol heat on the finish. It just doesn't seem as polished as other F offerings.

Maybe this needs more time. It is still enjoyable but not the awesomeness I was expecting given the year and pedigree and other reviews. I think the 91 is a fair score. Am I a little nitpicky on it? Probably but at this price point it is warranted. Thinking about some comparably priced wines from 2012-2014, I don't think this one would show near the head of the class. Certainly not showing as well as the stones no 1 from those years.

I have one more bottle. Will hold until 2023+.


****

Day 2. This is smoother and much more consistent with other Fairchild wines. The aggressive acidity has subsided and the fruit and minerals showed up to party. Upgrading rating to 93. I think this means it needs a much longer decant or more cellar time.

5/1/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent showing from this wine. Classy and a little racy at the same time, this wine exhibits good fruit, classic paulliac aromatics and still has enough lift to keep things taut across the tongue. Super enjoyable.

I gave this a 3.5 hour decant and served it at 60. We drank it over a few hours. I think it was best after the 4.5-5 hour mark / high 60s farenheit.

Curious to see how this evolves over the coming years. Gotta say the 2009 is definitely the most complete Pontet I have tried. Just delicious and has nice structure without any weak spots. Is it a 100pointer? Not to me. But excellent The finish is particularly lovely on this. Not the case with all other PC years I've tried. Warming with some rich fruit at back end and some roasty spices. Almost want to say galangal (that thai root in ginger family) and Chinese 5 spice.

This has upside from 95 but I don't see it tickling 100.

4/30/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Very tasty but somewhat one dimensional. Fruit forward with nice round mouthfeel. Initial and midpalate are engaging. Not a lot of nuance or additional layers of interesting flavors. That said, still quite enjoyable, smooth and very napa in style. Mrs. Whisky&wine (more of a BDX/more structured napa gal) said "It tastes like grape juice" but she still enjoyed it. This would be great with a charred and rare steak. Enjoyable bottle.

4/25/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Lovely bottle consistent with past notes. No major evolution since I last tried it. I really enjoy the mikulski style. Nice acid and lift with a buoyant and rich finish.

4/26/2020 - Whisky&Wine wrote:

Corked.

4/24/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

I gave this a long decant. I opened it at 1530 and we didn't have any until 2030. I decanted it in the cellar so it stayed at temp.

This was magnificent. Rich, lush, deep and sexy. I really like the alessio from 2015 and 2016. The merlot and cab franc make this wine special. The tannins are present and this will age nicely for at least 15years.

Flavors are blackberries, loam, dark cherries, tobacco. The finish is lingering and the wine feels glossy and silky. Midpalate is where it shines. Suave, if luxuriously fruited. Definitely not pruney or flabby though.

3/21/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This wine has a very BDX vibe, in a great way. Tastes a bit like the two latours I've tried. That style. Napa but... not really? It is quite good. Cannot quite place it but i think it reminds me of a flashier version of the 2010 pichon longueville baron. More blackberry and less plum. Interesting and lots of upside with more years. I have two more bottles left and will probably wait until 2024 to crack another.

Many layers of flavor. Compelling and intriguing.

Still a little tight after 4 hour decant. Needs more years. But very tasty.

Will be saving half the bottle to try tomorrow night and will update tasting note as warranted.

2/16/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

Soft, suave and a great barolo to pair with food. This is in a good spot now. Not sure it will improve with more cellar time. Cherry, cola, acerola flavors with earth and some strawberry and rhubarb pie elements on the finish. Tannins are well behaved and still present and offer a nice and balanced final note and help to make this a particularly food friendly barolo. Very enjoyable.

2/15/2020 - Whisky&Wine Likes this wine:

This has a few points of upside from 93. Fruit is excellent. Tannins remain a bit astringent. Time should tame them.

Nose is sweet dark fruit and stony earth. Attack is broad with coating, rich fruit. Bramble and cassis give way to oaky and earthy notes. This still has a drying tannic cut on the finish. I have two more in the cellar and will not be opening another until 2025.

If I have any gripes it is the middle/midpalate. Doesnt seem to have quite as much depth as the attack and finish suggest it ought to. Throws it slightly out of balance. Maybe time will resolve this.

This reminds me of the 2005 bond pluribus while young.

I gave this a 3 hour decant at cellar temp.