6/19/2023 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Also popped a 2019 Realm Dr. Crane

Slow ox for 4 hours. Off the bat, the Elysian was more expressive, and the preferred wine. The Realm needed food a bit more. Both with massive, lengthy finishes.

Revisited later, and it was holding its stride well. Not sure it was noticeably improved, but certainly didn't fall off.

This is certainly high 90s if not approaching 100 for me. Beautiful vino.

6/19/2023 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Also popped a 2019 Myriad Elysian

Both wines slow ox at cellar temp for 4 hours.

Elysian was the preferred wine off the bat - more expressive overall - with the Realm having a little more back end/weight.

Then with the prime rib, the Realm really shined - was great with the food.

Revisited each several hours later. I think the Realm opened up a tick more, while the Elysian maintained an excellent stride. Both these wines have long, powerful finishes.

Right now, probably take the Elysian in isolation, especially if pressed for time on air/decanting or having without food. But both are amazing wines.

2/9/2023 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Pop and pour. Incredibly impressed with this wine. I gave my wife a glass blind (she has a better palate than me) and she said "Wow! What is that, a Schrader?"

High praise. But speaks to the deliciousness of this wine right out of the gate. Don't know they will get better with age, but doubt I will have the patience to find out! So good right now.

9/27/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

In a really nice place currently. Gave it about an hour of air.

Saved about a 1/4 bottle for Day 2. Did not hold up great - should have drank on Day 1!

9/1/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

From magnum. Got to breathe for about 3 hours. Drank over two days.

Just a gorgeous expression of Rutherford. Dark red fruit. Long, lingering finish that just sings. Might have been even better on Day 2.

While this is going to cellar nicely, no problems accessing right now.

8/22/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Stood up for about 6 hours. Decanted for about an hour. Drank over 3 hours.

Fairly dusty under the capsule. Cork was not saturated, but the bottom 1/3 broke off as I was extracting. But re-engaged and the bottom 1/3 came right out.

Was somewhat surprised at the limited amount of sediment in the bottle. Certainly some; just not as much as I was expecting.

Color is just stunning for a wine of this age; showing very little fading on the edges. I would not have guess this wine was 40 years old based on the color.

Nose is the best part to me. So intriguing, with secondary and tertiary notes abounding. Mint. Moist tobacco. Pencil shavings. I could sniff this all night and still find something different to enjoy.

Mid-weight on the palate, with great balance and still the secondary flavors shining; fruit of red and black but not in abundance.

Finish was smooth and solid, but not long or lingering for me. I'm no expert on tasting wines of this age, but the finish length would be my only critique on this beautiful wine.

I think it showed a little bit more between hour 1 and hour 2, but really no movement between hour 2 and hour 3. Overall probably at peak for me . . . if I did have another bottle, would open within 5 years.

A smashing way to cap off a 40th birthday.

8/19/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Got about 90 minutes of air. Drank pretty quickly; shared with friends and wasn't able to really follow over any period of time.

Gorgeous dark color; rich nose, but missing the graphite notes I have enjoyed in other vintages of similarly aged Futos.

This is in a good spot.

Great stuff, just took a back seat to the 2014 Scarecrow on this night.

8/19/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

From magnum.

Slow ox for 4 hours. Poured and shared with friends, so was consumed pretty quickly!

Just as good as it gets for me. The mouthfeel and balance on this wine is impeccable. Pure Rutherford brilliance. Doesn't really need food; just pour and enjoy. Stunning.

1/29/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Decanted 3.5 hours. Also had a 2016 Schrader CCS and a Scarecrow open.

This was a nice wine, just got left in the dust by the other two. This really needed food/fat. Big wine. Would let bottles sleep for a while and see what a few more years do for it.

Still a damn fine wine; just tough company.

1/29/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Decanted for about 3.5 hours. Also had a 2016 Scarecrow and Carter Grand Daddy open.

This was off the charts. I am a sucker for Scarecrow, but this was the superior wine for all of us on this night.

Just pure balance, glorious dark fruit, and long, stunning finish.

Didn’t even need food with it; just perfection on its own. Perfect wine for me. I’m sure it can age gracefully but if I could drink this every night, I would.

1/29/2022 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Also had a 2016 Schrader CCS and Carter Grand Daddy open.

As usual, the Scarecrow was an incredible, well balanced, pure expression of Rutherford. Only reason I couldn't give this a three digit score is the Schrader was absolutely impeccable on this night.

Very glad to have a few more of these, and think they can pop virtually any time and perform beautifully. Decanted for about 3.5 hours and drank over 1.5 hours.

10/29/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Excellent wine, just a little outshadowed by the 2016 SQN Pajarito del Amor and 2017 MacDonald on this night.

That said, still a really excellent wine. Went great with the porterhouse.

10/29/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Perfection in a glass. Also had a 2017 MacDonald and a 2014 Carter Grand Daddy open.

This was slow ox'd for about 4 hours. Incredible nose; crushed violets and garrigue. The balance, the long harmonious finish . . . just fabulous.

10/29/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Had some friends from overseas in town for dinner and popped some fun bottles. Also opened a 2016 SQN Pajarito Del Amor and a 2014 Carter Grand Daddy.

This was decanted for about 4 hours. Great stuff, but not as complete as some other vintages. And not quite up to the standard set by the SQN on this night. But was a tick better than the Carter.

8/13/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Let breathe under cork for about 2.5 hours. Also opened a 2015 Scarecrow.

The Greer was fantastic - great balance to this wine. Little more purple fruited than the Scarecrow (which trended more red). But still very much a Rutherford wine in the style I love. Tannins not quite as refined as the Scarecrow yet.

Very impressed that this stood toe to toe with it's neighbor. Two great wines on a great night.

8/13/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Got about 2.5 hours of air under cork. Also opened a 2015 Greer.

The Scarecrow was more plush, open knit and red fruited. Plenty of fruit and super smooth on the palate and the finish. Could drink this wine all day and with most any food (or none at all).

The Greer came across with a little more purple fruit and more lithe on the body.

These are both fantastic wines; really impressed that the Greer stood up so well to the Scarecrow.

8/14/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Have had many Carters over the years - first time with a GTO. This is the best Carter I've ever had the pleasure of tasting.

We let this breathe for about 3 hours under cork before we dove in.

I mean, what's there to say? This was perfection in a glass. We popped a 2015 Scarecrow and a Greer the night before, and while we loved both of those - this GTO was next level.

I'm sure this can lay down for plenty of time, but not sure how it gets much better. Stunning.

6/16/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Great stuff. Also popped a 2018 M. Etain and this Carter was the preferred wine. More depth and intrigue . . . had some real "guts" to it.

Fantastic with a Jorge ribeye from Flannery.

6/16/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Have popped a couple of these now. Find it to be right in the 94-95 range for us. I think it's going to get better with some age, but not be a "long hauler" in general. You'll see the fruit pretty quickly.

Really deftly made vino IMHO to present this much fruit but have the structure to go lovely with a ribeye. I don't see this vintage being as good as 2016, but damn glad I have a few in my cellar.

5/31/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Probably could have used more air, but damn fine with a wagyu strip.

5/4/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Splash decant. Opened right up into a stunning wine. Good candidate for an early peak.

5/4/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Has a great weight - not to heavy or viscous, but loads of "pop" on this wine. Great with smoked pork chops.

3/7/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Very solid. Can still cellar for a while. Nice with a grilled ribeye.

3/4/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Holding up very well. Drink or hold.

2/5/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Good stuff. Just query whether it is worth the tariff... Well built

1/30/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Stood up for an hour. Popped cork and let breathe for another hour and a half. Also popped a 2012 Pott Arsenal.

While I narrowly preferred the Pott, this wine was a tick better than I expected. I was somewhat surprised how similar the profiles were, given this wine comes from the Eastern side of Rutherford and from a higher elevation, and the Pott from the opposite (Western) side.

Pretty consistent with prior notes on this wine, although I am impressed with how well this is aging. Hanging on better than I expected and even improved over prior experience in July 2018. Had about half a bottle left, and consumed the following night. Was still in a lovely spot.

1/30/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Stood up for an hour. Popped cork and let breathe for another hour and a half. Followed over about 4 hours. Also popped a 2012 Sloan Asterisk.

This was my preferred wine of the two, albeit narrowly. I was somewhat surprised how similar the profiles were, given this wine comes from the Western bench of Rutherford, and the Asterisk from the opposite (Eastern) side and higher elevation.

Dark red/purple in color, and showing a tinge of its age at the edges. Robust nose of crushed violets and baking spices. Very well rounded across the palate; great weight. Long finish with just a kiss of Rutherford Dust.

This wine has great structure. Opened up even further towards the end of the night. This can cellar for a while if so desired - aging very gracefully.

12/3/2020 - ageverett wrote:

Agree that this really needs some time. Even on Day 2, this hadn't truly come around for us. Patience . . .

1/11/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Didn't get much time to breathe but didn't seem to need it. Lovely blend - cab heavy but quite plush. In a good spot.

1/3/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Stood up for an hour. Got some air under cork for another hour.

Just a stunner. Bright, gorgeous purple fruit. Great balance and finish that left you wanting more. Well paired with filet mignon. Can lay down for a bit, but lovely right now. Exceeded expectations (which were high!).

12/28/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Lovely, but not quite in the same rare air as other vintages (2012-2015; 2016) of this wine

12/24/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Super good. Maybe not the greatest vintage, but still a sumptuous wine.

12/23/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Really loved this. In a great spot but has legs for several more years if desired.

12/28/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Glad we have lots of this for the future. Layered and accessible.

12/19/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Killer showing for this wine. Stood up for an hour. Popped and only let breathe for maybe 30 minutes under cork and another 20 minutes on the first glass.

Great structure and purity of purple fruit here. I think this can cellar for a while. Give this a slight nod over the 2014 Realm Moonracer that we also opened.

12/19/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Still a killer bottle. I think it sits pretty squarely in a 96-97 range for me. I also frankly think this is in a drinking spot now and for a few more years, but not sure it's built to lay down for an extended time. Enjoy in its prime.

12/13/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

I find MSU's note to be very much on point. Love what Sam does, and have loved other vintages of Vangone, but this was not the experience that we were looking for. Left most of the bottle for Day 2, and didn't note any meaningful improvement. Will let remaining bottles sleep and see what they might turn into.

12/12/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Incredible stuff. Stood up for an hour, let breathe under cork for another two hours. Also opened a 2017 Vangone, which is from a neighboring vineyard (but obviously different vintage).

This wine was hitting on all cylinders. Full throttle, but wonderful, harmonious balance on the back end. Fruit was dark red, and some black. Amazing. Went great with a dry aged ribeye.

11/26/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Let this breathe under cork for about an hour. Fabulous pinot. Orange peel and coriander. Black tea. Killer balance. In a very good spot.

11/30/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Also opened a 2014 Greer, which was the preferred wine. This just didn't have the gears to compete with the Greer. Perhaps better with time, but I'm not terribly convinced. Hard to justify the price point.

11/30/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Really damn good. Needed to breathe a bit, but then was just singing. Preferred this over 2014 Maiden that was also open.

11/26/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Still quite good but a little "flat" compared to prior bottles. Just not the same level of pop and intrigue. Maybe bottle variation; or maybe these just drink better in youth. Will pop another soon.

11/3/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Very nice juice that needs some more time to really round into form. Also opened a 2017 Myriad Elysian Dr. Crane, which opened up quicker and was the slightly preferred wine.

Drank the remaining half + of this bottle on Day 2 and it had opened a little further.

11/3/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Great stuff as expected, and can certainly lay down for a while and improve. Had to take a peak at one, but will let others sleep.

11/1/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Last bottle of this 2011. Think it was a good time to pop it. Nose was great - came across like a nicely aged Bordeaux. Some pencil shavings. Lavender. Really nice.

Body is a little lighter than most Napa cabs. I think some of that is Aaron's style, and some of it is this vintage. But still very present through the finish. Not a lightweight in any respect. Very food friendly.

Aaron really did some nice winemaking with this vintage. Many other 2011's have a "green" note that is off-putting to me; no such issues here. I have very few 2011's left. And while I really think this is in a nice spot, could no doubt lay down for a few more years.

8/7/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Really nice stuff, just a little out-shown in some heady company (2013 Pott Arsenal and 2013 M. Etain).

Still strutted plenty of dark red fruit and baking spices, and was plenty accessible. Not as much structure as the other two wines open.

8/7/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Wow, this is greatness. Also opened a 2013 M. Etain and a 2013 Pott Western, all from Rutherford.

This was the winner. The M. Etain had plenty of pop, but this wine had another level of depth to it. Stunning; wish I had a lot more of these.

8/8/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Excellent as always. Also popped a 2013 Pott Arsenal from neighboring Greer vineyard. Slight preference for the Pott; just more nuance. But this M. Etain is damned delicious.

Also opened a Pott Le Nouveau Western (from Star vineyard in Rutherford), which came in 3rd out of the 3. Just not as much "wow" factor. But still great Rutherford tones of dark red fruit and baking spices.

10/15/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

This is real good stuff. I walked in the door this evening and saw my wife had this open on the counter and said "oh sh**". She apparently thought this was a daily drinker . . . . c'est la vie.

I dumped it into a decanter and opened a CDP while we let this breathe until dinner.

I can only say I wish I had bought more of this when I had the chance. It's great stuff, and will certainly get better. If opening now, give it some air. But in general would wait a couple of years . . . if you can keep your wife/fam/friends from cracking it!!

10/2/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine:

having popped a few of these over the past several weeks, would say this vintage just isn't as "on point" as prior iterations of this wine.

It's good, but not the great value that it has been to us in the past. At this price point, prefer Myriad NV, Pott NV, Quivet NV, Becklyn, etc.