3/2/2024 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

badly corked

5/16/2023 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

corked

12/27/2022 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

oxidized

11/26/2022 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Premox

9/18/2022 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

corked

9/14/2021 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

badly oxidized

9/4/2021 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

corked

4/7/2021 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

corked

2/23/2021 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

badly corked

2/5/2021 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

corked

1/12/2021 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

3/3 oxidized

12/18/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Corked

12/15/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

badly corked

10/24/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

corked

10/18/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

badly corked

9/19/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

oxidized

7/15/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Inky purple. Heavy sediment. Intense blackberry, boysenberry fruit. Velvety smooth at this point of its development. Prominent licorice and black olive notes on the finish. Really good now, probably at or near peak.

6/27/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Golden yellow. Rich tropical fruit, nectarine, pineapple notes. Smooth and silky- really well integrated now. I’ve generally tried to drink Aubert Chardonnay earlier, but this a nice example of how these can age as improve.

6/27/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

corked

6/24/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

From 375. Sweet plum and red current notes. A hint of bell pepper. Silky smooth, fully mature.

6/23/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Ruby red. Tart strawberry and raspberry fruit is a bit thin toned. Some earth and leather on the finish. Still has plenty of tannins- questionable whether enough fruit left for further maturation. Drink now.

6/21/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

2/2 bottles oxidized

6/17/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Light purple. Cranberry and candied pomegranate fruit. A hint of forest floor on the finish. Really well integrated at this stage. Drink now and near future.

6/12/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Golden yellow. Apricot, nectarine, and peach fruit. Dry, but not austere. There is enough residual sugar to allow this to play nicely with food with a bit of spice. Good now.

6/13/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

oxidized

6/7/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Inky purple. Rich syrupy cherry and black currant fruits. Juicy and lush. Not particularly well structured. A bit of tannin remains on the finish. Overall a disappointment given the cost.

6/7/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Golden yellow. Ripe tropical fruit. Seems a bit less oaked than the Estate wine. Smooth and well behaved on the finish. Terrific example of how California Chardonnay can positively age.

6/1/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Ripe cranberry and raspberry fruit. Mouth puckering acidity and a bell pepper note on the finish. Better on the second day, a bit unbalanced in its fruit to savory note ratio.

5/30/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Light yellow. Mandarin oranges, apricot, sweet cantaloupe notes. It may be the closure (Stelvin), but this hasn't budged a bit- still young crisp, fresh. Easily one of the better Chardonnays in the world year after year.

5/28/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Sweet pomegranate, plum and black raspberry fruit. Baking spice, and a bit of wet earth on the finish. Still bright and vibrant, crisp acidity sings on the finish. Many years of potential evolution.

5/25/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Golden yellow. Ripe Granny Smith apple, nectarine, apricot fruit. Sweet, but still fresh, nice levels of crispness on the finish.

5/23/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Straw yellow. Ripe and unctuous tropical fruit, butterscotch and vanilla notes. Not at all flabby- this possesses plenty of crisp acidity to keep this interestingly balanced. These wines rarely disappoint, and are uniquely styled. Drink now.

5/23/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Deep purple, heavy sediment. Short decant. Ripe plum and black raspberry fruit. There is a hint of tobacco and green peppercorns on the finish. Still a bit angular, this softened a bit as the evening went on. Very good now- plenty of stuffing for further evolution.

5/20/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Medium red. Tart cranberry and strawberry fruit. Some tobacco and baking spice on the finish. Very tight and restrained on opening- needed time to open up. Still very young and primary-firm tannins on the finish. Plenty of room to improve over the medium to long term.

5/18/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Cloudy maroon color. Ripe cherry and raspberry fruit. A bit of leather and black olive on the finish. Smooth and silky, the tannins are finally integrated. Hard to believe this is 16 years old- bright fruit and perky acidity abound. One of the better reds we've had in 2020.

5/16/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Inky maroon. Medium bodied. Black cherry, plum fruit. The tannins are fully integrated. Almost Merlot like in profile. Drinking well now- I'd drink this over the near term.

5/16/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Golden yellow. Prominent petrol aromas. Grapefruit, and lemon notes. Very dry with puckering acidity. A bit unbalanced IMHO.

5/9/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Cloudy red. Tangy strawberry and raspberry fruit. Still plenty of ripe tasty fruit, and the acidity is still bright. This hasn't moved much last tasting several years ago. Good now, but will hold for a while in my estimation.

5/9/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Less effervescence. On a downward trajectory as oxidative notes are now becoming a distraction rather than complementary.

5/2/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Heavy sediment. Medium purple color. Cassis, leather, blueberry, and black cherry fruit.Silky smooth finish. There are no Napa Cabs better at $55. Really good now.

5/2/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Dark purple. Dense, almost syrupy texture. Ripe cassis and plum notes. The tannins are better integrated than last tasting. Very good, but definitely one of the weaker vintages of this typically spectacular wine. Drink now.

4/29/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Heavy sediment. Black currant and blackberry fruit. Not particularly complex- lacking in some of the savory flavors we enjoy in a syrah. Fully integrated at this point with some fine tannins on the finish. Drink up.

4/28/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Light yellow. Peach, apricot fruit. Exotic spice notes on the finish. Plenty of crisp minerality. The fruit has faded significantly- the underlying acidity dominates at this stage. Probably past prime- at least no oxidative flavors in this bottle.

4/28/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Well stored since release. Butterscotch, oak- oxidized/over the hill

4/27/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Heavy sediment. Red current, black cherry fruit. Menthol and light oak on the finish. Still fruit forward and full bodied. Fine, well integrated tannins on the finish. This is in a really good spot- drink now.

4/22/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Bright yellow. Bone dry, light zingy lemon fruit. Very high toned- this needs a bit of time.

4/18/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Inky maroon. Heavy sediment. Rich, ripe black cherry, plum, and black berry fruit. Gobs of savory bacon fat and black olive tampenade. More full bodied than a previous bottle- noticed this bottle was sourced from a different retailer. Years of development ahead of this.

4/17/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Light yellow. Apricot and peach fruit still abound. Hints of mint and a touch of oak on the finish. Really well integrated at this point, and still possessing enough zesty acidity to be fresh. A wonderful aged white Burgundy.

4/16/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

A bit of bricking. Plum, red currant fruit is still fresh. Menthol, stewed beef and olives on the finish. Heavy sediment. A whiff of tannins remain. Very good now, this has a couple of years of potential positive development remaining.

4/12/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote:

Golden yellow. Soft mousse. Gingered Granny Smith apple, brioche. Mature. Very good now, a very good value at original purchase price.