4/26/2024 - Pellinge wrote:

Side by side with the 2014 Lanessan. Last year did the same comparison with 2010s, and Lanessan was the winner as Cantemerle came off a little chunky and overdone. This 2014 Cantemerle is in a good place: very fragrant - violets and oak - and beautifully balanced on the palate between cherry and plum fruit, pleasant tannic grip, and fresh acidity. 2014 is really a drinker's vintage, I love it. The oak is a little too much for my taste. Will follow for several days and see how it evolves. On day 2 this is similar, while the Lanessan improved. They are distinctly different, but both delicious: Cantemerle more savory and aromatic (and oakier), Lanessan more about pure fruit.

4/2/2024 - WoodieBayArea wrote:

UH OH... just saw my note on the first (of 6) bottles and am now worried these will all taste the same, I had the exact same experience, decanted around noon for Easter dinner with the kids and this was just the same as my bottle last year, all acid / zero body or flavor... can a wine be totally shut down in year 28 of its life??... and condition seems perfect (fill good and no sign of seepage), on day three there is the very very very slightest of hints of flavor but otherwise this is acidity and water... bummer, but will admit I've really only had about a half dozen "spoiled" bottles out of the 5K bottle I've posted about on CT, so not a bad experience overall... still disappointing of course

10/20/2023 - PMJak11 Does not like this wine:

Better than my last bottle but not good. PnP. Cherry color. Stewed fruit and green elements on the nose. Nice texture with grippy tannins. Medium finish with burned green peppers, olives, and a damp cigar on the palate. Cork was fine, so just an inferior wine.

10/1/2023 - wineforth Likes this wine:

4th bottle from a case bought en primeur and another 2 year gap. Still evolving slowly. Big vanilla and cassis nose with some pleasant undergrowth, then tobacco, graphite and blackcurrant on the palate and a long finish. Tannins are reducing in dominance and there's plenty of fruit to see them out. A typical muscular 2010. Drinking well now and will soon be at its peak. Score will continue to improve.

9/26/2023 - oncocyte Likes this wine:

Aroma of wood and cassis, Later a little pepper. Fairly dense wine, dark cherry flavor, a little monolithic now, minimal heat on the finish. A fine drink that will improve over 5-10 years imho.

10/13/2020 - JohnTelford wrote:

For information studying for L3 WSET so please forgive (or please challenge). Medium intensity on the nose, deep ruby, clear and no visible faults. Cranberry, strawberry (ripe), black cherry, red cherry, wet stone, smoke, tomato leaf, vanilla (slight), flowers violet. Med Alcohol, Med tannins. Medium(+) body. Flavor intensity Med (+). Finish Med (+). Can drink now but has potential for ageing. Over all quality very good.

9/11/2023 - Jd6725 Likes this wine:

A perfect luncheon claret. Fresh and giving. Not a ton of structure but just enough. Possibly in a bit of a dumb but not closed down phase. Good QPR but not racing to seek out more.

9/2/2023 - Edeon Likes this wine:

Better on the nose than the palette - a bit light. Had next to the 2009 fleur de bouard and greatly preferred the latter.

4/5/2023 - Jake Barnes Likes this wine:

First of five purchased on the secondary. Only very minimal visual signs of aging here. Very dark and concentrated, showing lightly candied red over black fruits, roses, raspberries, and light mushroom on the nose and palate with a lively vein of acidity and firm tannins. Decent from PnP, but this was still only in the first third of its maturity arc, and was more cohesive and complete on day two. 13% ABV (very good; compelling and distinctive/***/17/92)

7/9/2023 - Sacramento Geezer wrote:

Decanted in AM and poured tasting amounts into our glasses an hour before sitting down. Curious what we would find given the conflicting reviews. I noted Jeff Leve panning it as un-integrated, compared to what he likes and I can’t afford. This was a quality Bordeaux nevertheless. Residual sharp tannins quickly resolved and tasted no more as the wine elevated the dinner.

4/28/2023 - HandmadeHomemade Likes this wine:

Seems to want a bit more time in the bottle as the wine is rough even after a few hrs of decanting, missing some of those pretty floral notes. Still, great to have with some steak frites after the decant. Black and red fruited, peppers, earth, some green pyrazine notes. I'd love to see this in 5+ years.

3/4/2023 - Crunge wrote:

Waited another year and... I can't score this. It isn't a bad wine but it doesn't taste like a Syrah. I might have guessed a Cab on this one. It's not a California-style Syrah nor does it remind me of a Northern Rhone Syrah.

2/28/2023 - Motz wrote:

Coravin access. Healthy pour, tasted alongside the same vintage Sociando-Mallet.

Light bricking.

Classic! Bouquet of all pleasant things Haut-Médoc (shading ever so slightly to the steely precision of Saint-Estèphe). Blackcurrant, pepper garden, graphite, mint, lit tobacco, black earth, coal, and mineral ores. Some secondary notes, nothing tertiary. One could linger over the purity and seamlessness here for a long while.

As rustic as Left Bank wines come since the gradual shift to modernity during the 1990s, which accelerated after 2005. Juicy, expansive, and gripping. Without excessive weight or edges at any phase. The back and finish feature exceptional poise. Medium plus acid, medium powdery to gritty tannins.

This bottle had a decade+ plus of graceful evolution ahead of it. Likely to enter maturity round or about 2035 and hold for several years. No reason not to check in on bottles now. Wonderful QPR! 93-94.

1/20/2023 - AMDalTX Likes this wine:

A friend rated this as a "top ten" value in the store back in 2018. I last tried it 2 years ago. First taste was strong tannins versus juicy fruit. After about a 2 hour decant it had smoothed out a bit. A little bit of complexity of flavor started to peek through. I think I gave it about 4 hours before rebottling it to try again tomorrow.

I agree with prior comment that it may not be any better later. But the label states that it will "age beautifully over 10-15 years" so I'll wait 4 years before opening another bottle.

1/12/2023 - Frank Murray III wrote:

Served blind, alongside the 2020 McDougall. Man, this wine stumped the table as some of the guys were guessing syrah. Hell, even I recall some violet on the wine, too. I didn't take a note on the wine as I was yakking, but some of the guys also kept expressing that there was dissolved CO2 in the wine, that is was a little bubbly on the tongue. I didn't get that in my glass. I wish I would have some leftover today, to help complete the view of the wine but don't have the bottle. :(

12/31/2022 - parkline_wine Likes this wine:

This was really drinking very well. Very deep and present on the palate, and had great balance. Earth, mushroom, feral animal energy, with great meatiness. The length was very nice. Will continue to drink well for a while!

12/7/2022 - Rieslingfan wrote:

I have been buying this cuvée as a case purchase for a few years, as it’s fantastic value for Pinot Noir regardless of appellation, and it’s also a clear vehicle for Ribbon Ridge. Damn I should have bought two cases of this 2021. The depth is off the charts, and for $25! Ninety minutes open, and the aromatics blossom, with earthy and floral notes joining the dark red fruit. The structure is buried until the finish, then it pokes out just enough to show it’s there, and is present to manage the wine’s development. Not sure how I am going to keep my hands off it, but maybe a few bottles will last several years.

11/25/2022 - ricard Likes this wine:

Oh my days what a wine. Sensationally complex - as we all know. Crazy compendium of overripe/fermenting fruit - prunes and plums and figs - and odder things like carob and liquorice. All the spices that you want: cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, star anise, mace, Szechuan pepper, aniseed. And then old leather and pipe tobacco and sizzling bacon fat. Strange dark rooms in abandoned houses, rutting farm animals in the summer sun, wild forest mammals large and small, blood, iron, sweat... All the mysteries. Such a phenomenal wine always.

11/24/2022 - thalver wrote:

very good showing, nice nose, lengthly finish, tannins largely smooth and resolved but still sufficent to provide a good frame. This is probably more a mid-term than long-term wine from this point

11/15/2022 - Todd French wrote:

This wine starts out dark and rich, like my buddy Alfert - earthy and rustic profile, some blue fruits barely peek through, focusing more on earth and structure. In minutes a more powerfully elegant profile emerges - violets and red cherries, the palate has a beautiful weighty softness but with bright edges from the acidity and dusty tannic structure. Finish is long, circles back to the darker fruit and earth profile.

I really love the mouthfeel - it's like rose petals, soft but with strength and resilience. Fruit is bright and lively on this wine, and I love how the dusty character clings just a bit to the lower gumline. Insane value, to me - I'm fully a convert to this Chateau and will definitely be on the lookout to backfill this vintage, in particular.

10/17/2022 - Rani Likes this wine:

Wow was this good. Dark, graphite nose, inky. Amazingly fruity on the palate, notes of blackcurrant and milk chocolate, but impeccably balanced. Great now and will probably continue to peak for a decade.

7/9/2022 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine:

Prior bottle was three and a quarter years ago and this wine has held up well. Apricot, orange, pineapple and lemon notes on a nose that remains quite aromatic. Still between medium and full bodied (has kept its depth, not thinned out) with white peach upfront, moving to orange, pineapple and other tropical notes on the backside. Moderately tart acidity as well as citrus notes of orange and lemon on the backside still provide quite good structure and contrast. Overall, the wine remains in a great drinking window with excellent overall balance between fruit/acidity. The only reason I marked it down slightly was the complexity seemed a bit less than the stellar nature of my first four bottle and the acidity (not surprisingly) not quite as vibrant. That said, this wine clearly has the fruit and structure to remain rewarding for at least another couple of years, if not longer. I'll plan to open my next bottle in June/July 2023.

7/21/2022 - wlsch Likes this wine:

PnP. Surprised to see it's been a year since I last tasted this. Consistent with my note from 7/2021. Nose is cherry and berries, florals, spice, and earth. There's still a slight smoky aromatic as well (not smoke damage, just a smoky phenol which adds some complexity). Medium body, medium+ acidity, well integrated fine grained tannins. Bright, fresh, juicy. This is really gorgeous right now but will hold for 5-7 years, maybe more. Stellar wine for the price ($25 at a local super market). Glad I have more stashed.

5/16/2022 - dbkitc wrote:

I don’t think I am being hyperbolic when I say this is the most surprising champagne value I have encountered. I bought a 6 pack from Crush many years ago and this third bottle marks a trifecta of classic quality bottles. Ripe apples and brioche. Deep - winey - complex. Mature. Long. I am going to drink the remaining bottles soon as I don’t see this getting any better. Wow. Have never seen the wine again - I need to look harder. (95)

6/2/2022 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Corked. Noooo!

6/1/2022 - honest bob wrote:

From 75cl, good cork, decanted off quite heavy sediment 45 minutes. Best immediately after opening and at roughly 14C (rich, oaky scent, juicy dark-fruited entry) but deteriorated as it warmed up to room temperature and disintegrated after 2 hours. Heavy, a bit squeaky, pretty crude dark berry fruit, low acid, some tannins remaining (but once they're gone, so will the last vestiges of pleasure this concoction has to offer). Ever since writing my first TN on 24.01.2022 I have been fretting about this wine, or more precisely, about what to do with the five bottles remaining in my cellar. Normally I keep bottles labelled "Grand Cru" for guests, special occasions, or at least for weekends, but my previous bottle was so obviously not "Grand" in any way I thought I'd try opening the next one mid-week, so we consumed it this evening with spaghetti carbonara. And indeed it was a perfectly acceptable match, remarkably similar in style and weight to a Roda Rioja Reserva 2017 tasted a few days ago, albeit just not at quite the same quality level. Drink up, P+P recommended, either on its own, or with simple, non-fatty food. 87-88P

3/4/2022 - Wine Canuck wrote:

This pours medium ruby in the glass, but notably light toward the rim. The nose is somewhat reticent slowly unfurling to show a classic Chinon profile of raspberry, crushed gravel, burlap, green tobacco leaf, black currant, celery, and charcoal. Even after a few days open it remains only lightly expressive, but what is there is complex and appealing. The palate has a very light and classical frame entering on the raspberry and black currant of the nose, tuning to medium minus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish fizzles out a little short recalling a whips of burlap and charcoal. All in all this very classical bottle of Chinon that really shows it's 12.5% alcohol profile (as per bottle), and unlike some warmer vintage Chinons which show a darker color, more extract, and alcohol, this doesn't seem to reflect the vintage at all. If tasted blind I'd lean more to a cooler year like 2014, 2011, or 2016. This is quite different than say, the wines from Bernard Baudry I've had in 2015, stylistically. I do wonder if this is a bit of a closed phase and will look to age my remaining bottles several years before opening my next.

4/3/2022 - pryby wrote:

I normally love the Kutch pinots…. This was probably the most disappointing I’ve had. Maybe way too early??? But I’m not sure I see the makings of something much better over time.
From the open it was thin, with very high acid stealing the show from a light raspberry and cherry flavor (almost aguafresca-like). I had hoped it would evolve over 24 hours, but if anything, the acid calmed down but the fruit virtually disappeared - leaving a very inoffensive but forgettable drink.
Very uncharacteristic… I’ve got one more of these, which I will hold for quite a while longer before trying again.
Withholding a score on this as it is just so unusual vs what I’ve seen from this winemaker.

3/29/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Dark ruby in color, the nose pops with flowers, creme de cassis, blackberry and cigar box notes. The wine is full-bodied, chewy, rich, concentrated and packed from stem to stern with more of that juicy, sweet cassis and red currants. There is a depth of flavor here with soft tannins and a creamy finish. This will drink well younger than many vintages of Grand Puy Lacoste, yet it will age for 3 more decades with ease. Drink from 2030-2055.

3/29/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Deeply colored, the wine jumps out due to its showy nose with its smoked plum, chocolate, black cherry, espresso, flower and crushed rock aromatics. The flamboyant, full-bodied palate fills you up with layers of velvet-textured, polished blackberries, black cherries, coffee bean, mocha and licorice. The wine is elegant, lush and polished with silky tannins that provide you with length and purity. While you can enjoy this early, its best days are ahead. Drink from 2027-2055.

3/28/2022 - SimonG wrote:

Horribly crumbly cork. Away from home so no Durand and couldn’t filter the cork dust, so basically undrinkable. Dark rosé in colour, seemingly having shed a lot of its pigment. Quite lifted and volatile on the nose even by Musar standards. No. Hopefully the next one is better…

3/29/2022 - Sanfoan wrote:

This is the third bottle I have opened since release all stored at 55 degrees and not moved from my cellar. This is completely closed at the moment and I don't feel like any amount of coercion will open this up. This was more "open" even just a few months ago. I would not revisit this until another few years minimum. I agree with MOTZ comment from a while back - I would not touch these until the 15-20 year age window.

3/16/2022 - larrybbaldwin Likes this wine:

Smoky peppers and ripe red fruit this is delicious now

3/15/2022 - Putnam Weekley Likes this wine:

With 4 cm thick, med-rare pork t-bone, seared in pepper and Mexican oregano. Breezy. Tannic. Scented of raspberry. Quality to weep for.

2/7/2022 - zpearson Likes this wine:

Medium orange-amber. This smells like burnt orange oil (think about flaming an orange peel over a drink), burnt honey and dried apricots. With some air, sandalwood botrytis. There's really lovely purity here. Oily textured. Gorgeous acidity, apricot and orange marmalade. From the color, I'm thinking this might be advanced a bit, but it's really lovely.

11/28/2021 - wino from way back wrote:

Hard too believe this is the same wine that I gave a rave review to before. Though muted, I can still smell much of the fruit and earth, but it does not stand out like the last bottle. Any taste is lost in strong tanins which leave the tongue immediately dry.
Is this already beyond the drinking window or too early? Either way, I'm just going to let my other bottles sit for few more years before I try again.
Edit: 2nd day it has improved a bit, but not greatly.
Edit2: so bad it lasted 3rd evening. But it improved more. Wife suggested I put it in the blender next time. ;-)

11/25/2021 - Broch6833 wrote:

Honestly, needs more time. Seemed a little disjointed.

11/20/2021 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine:

I continue to enjoy bottles of this vintage with its lively citrus fruit, minerality and a tinge of butterscotch. However, as with my last bottle, I don’t feel that this wine/vintage is meant for long term cellaring. In fact, I would recommend that it be consumed in the next year. It seems to me that the fruit is starting to fade a bit.

11/6/2021 - xeenee wrote:

Castellare I Sodi Di San Niccolo16
비비노4.4 내평점 미정?
이태리 토스카나 지역
카스텔라레 디 카스텔리나 와이너리
산지오베제85% 말바지아 네라15%
알콜14% 짙은 루비색
구매가 12만원대

워낙에 평이 좋아서 기대한 와인
얼마전 끼안띠가 좋아 호기롭게 도전!
했으나...첫날 두시간동안 열심히 스월링하다가 포기...
기대감에 살치살 구워서 고기만 맛있게 먹었네..
아직 어린건지..바틀베리에이션인지...

이튿날 2시간 병브리딩...아직은 밀당중
3시간 병브리딩 과실향과 초코 뉘앙스 스멀스멀
피니쉬도 어제와는 달라짐이 느껴진다

바디3.5 부드러운 탄닌3.5 드라이3.8 산도3.3
자두, 검은과실향, 초코, 스트로베리, 가죽, 축축한 낙엽느낌?

2020년 1월 병입했고 29,230병 중 10,925째 바틀
하나 남은 병은 한5년은 묵혔다 따봐야겠다
지금 이녀석을 판단하긴 이르다가 정답!!

11/2/2021 - pinoteer Likes this wine:

Less than two decanter hours, and boy is this soft and delicious, with good acidity. Tannins are completely resolved. Plum and cherry, with vanilla and milk chocolate. Nice finish, too. Not the most complex wine, but it puts a smile on your face. I'm not seeing much further improvement here, but it's so good now.

10/29/2021 - billyloveswine Likes this wine:

Medium garnet. Cork held up great. On the nose, pronounced perfume of sour plum, strawberry, hawthorn, sweet spices, earth, and leather. Medium body, high acidity, and velvety tannins. I could maybe nitpick the length a little bit, but overall a very well balanced and enjoyable wine.

10/10/2021 - kabert wrote:

With my first bottle of this last April, I didn’t give a rating as the wine just seemed so uncharacteristic for Rivers Marie Sonoma pinot. None of the usual cherry and raspberry I’m used to. I decided this weekend it was time to give the 2019 Sonoma Coast pinot another try. The CT comments are still mixed, though most still indicate being a bit perplexed by the wine. This bottle was more pleasing than the bottle I had last April but still unlike other RM pinots. Medium to full bodied with a silky texture. However, it’s darker and earthier than every other RM a pinot I’ve had (going back to 2009). If I had to give the flavor profile a similarity I’d point to a recently drunk Burgundy - 2005 Pavelot Dominode. Dark and silky and quite good yet without much typical pinot character. It’ll be interesting to see where this wine goes with age, as I’ve found even the basic RM Sonoma bottling is still drinking beautifully 10-12+ years after the vintage year. At least as interesting will be what RM does in 2020 with the Sonoma bottling!

9/30/2021 - Vancouver Likes this wine:

Third or fourth bottle of a half case purchased on release and stored properly ever since.
For some reason this bottle did not show as well as previous bottles (last one drunk about 18 months ago ).

No sign of aging on the appearance, but the aromas and flavors (red fruit, vanilla and espresso roast) seem muted- even after half an hour in decanter and the tannins seem rough and unintegrated.

I have rated other bottles up to 93 points, so will chalk this one up to bottle variation....

9/25/2021 - up4wine wrote:

4th of 6 in the 2010 Bordeaux Tasting. This wine is an excellent Bordeaux for the vintage, but just not a standout.

9/19/2021 - platpeeps Likes this wine:

C: Dark Garnet
N: Explosive bouquet – black fruit leather and cedar.
T: Fully developed and showing very well. It has it all – blackcurrant and pencil shavings seasoned with spice and set in a lovely creamy texture. The tannins simply melt in the mouth with an impressive length of finish.
I: A really well crafted wine, now fully mature and starting to get into it’s stride. Punches well above its humble Cru Bourgeois rating showing real classed growth quality. 93 points

8/10/2021 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Two hour decant. Very deep magenta color. Browned vanilla cream cheese, blackberry, cherries jubilee, almond paste, and subtle graphite on the rich, decadent nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with soft, but persistent acidity. Firm, full, lower intensity tannins on the long finish.

This is certainly an easy drinker, but not a value at this price point. It’s so over the top that it comes across as being manipulated. It could also use more complexity. I enjoyed this, but won’t be buying more. I get very critical when paying more than $200/bottle.

7/9/2021 - fisk15 wrote:

This is not the typical Rm Sonoma Coast early drinker, more dark fruited and dense - I think that this will need some cellar time to unwind but ultimately will be as good or better than previous years.

5/24/2021 - Shrewsram Likes this wine:

Pale garnet, broad rim – brick and orange

Super nose – great breadth, relaxed and open. Lovely rich cherry fruits, dried fruits, really ‘smooth’ feel, spicy and floral (dried rose), layers of cigar box, tobacco, some very well-behaved VA notes. Mellow I suppose.

More wet tobacco on the attack, rich pockets of sweet dark and red fruits, smoke, fresh tobacco, raisin. The tannins feel resolved, just a touch of sand… wow, this was brilliant – really clean, lovely balance, loads to think about. Yum!!

4/3/2021 - Paul Lin wrote:

I think this wine needs some extended time to settle down and integrate. Not sure if it's bottle shock or just very backward, but this does not drink like R-Ms I have been drinking since 2002. A strong toasted oak note at the outside, which nearly masks the black fruit. Is it possible that the smoke from the 2019 wildfires got into the wine? I dunno, but I didn't feel that this wine was drinking well at all. Disjointed and angular and acidic. I only bought one bottle, so I don't know if this is eventually going to resolve itself, but I wouldn't open up a bottle right now.

3/29/2021 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Prompted by an online discussion about the potential of Oregon versus Burgundy (I know...but cut us some slack, it’s the 700th week of pandemic quarantine), I had opened a 2018 Bourgogne last night, and opened this lovely number tonight. High toned aromatics surprised me at first. It was as if an orange peel had been rubbed on the rim of the glass. The fruit showed ripe sweet - a cherry ready to eat when picked off the tree. Nothing sugary, just ripe goodness. Ninety minutes open, and an earthy bass note emerged, grounding the wine. It’s got enough friendly richness now that it’s easy to quaff if you don’t feel like thinking about it. A few sips in I wanted to think. The shape shifted from angular, slightly prickly (from a little trapped CO2) to contoured yet still acute, flashing some acidity like a sun beam glinting off a polished surface. There’s a lot to unpack with this wine. If I had the chance to do it over again I would have bought six bottles to offer more opportunities to assess it over a longer period of time.