4/26/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Slow Ox 8 hours
lighter ruby red color no real bricking.
This bottle is ripping. Leather, cherry cough drops floral notes like in a damp forest. Lovely. Hint of herbs on the nose. Mouth feel is amazing on this wine. It coats your mouth amazingly and finish is 20 seconds plus. This bottle is firing on all cylinders. Hint of iron, red currant, beautiful perfume notes. This has been one of the better bottles of the 86 that I have had. Lovely wine. 97+

4/20/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

I really liked this wine. Pure Cab Franc at its finest. Herbs, forrest, gamey meat, and raspberries. Really enjoyable wine. I would love to try this wine again.

4/20/2024 - RickyT12 wrote:

I think this was a bad showing for this wine, and I would like to try it again. For me this wine was awkward and way too overpowering. To the extent where, I could not get any enjoyment out of it. It was like alcohol and dark underripe fruit. I would like to try it again if given the chance.

4/20/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Very powerful wine. Nice balance and smooth. Raspberry, coffee, and tobacco. Chocolate covered raspberries. I had this with the 2014. I prefer the 2014 slightly, but it is probably because of the age and some secondary characteristics coming out.
Very balanced and drinking well for a young wine.

4/20/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Dark ruby red color
First thing that pops out is raisin, and red currant. The thing I really like about this wine is the balance of the fruit, smooth, delicious. Some dark chocolate, and some herbal notes. Very enjoyable. Weight medium plus, acid medium minus Seemed to have aged a bit more than I expected.

4/7/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Opened for a couple hours.
Dark dark ruby red.
Nose is intense. You can see where this wine is going, and it’s impressive honestly. Medium plus weight. Lots of power, lots of structure, feels very young.
Ink, dark chocolate, hint of tar, blueberry skins, blackberry juice, and almost watermelon smell, hint of dill, some tobacco. Slight bitterness to it, maybe due to the youth? Dark olive. Tannins are very strong still. These 13 bonds need another 10 years note for other bottles. Raspberry on the nose. Now curry coming out. Great wine, but I did expect more. I was hoping for a bit more subtle features, but this wine is a bull in a china shop. Great wine, but I wish I waited another 5-10 years. Luckily not my last 2013.

4/7/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Another killer showing. This continues to be a great cost performance chardonnay. Loving the nuttiness, and hints of cheese. This one seemed a bit creamier than the last couple bottles, but still great acidity and sharpness on the finish. I will keep buying them while I can.

3/31/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Great minerality to it. Steel, lemon zest. Olives, and a nice sweetness to it. Strawberry, and powder sugar. Enjoyable wine.

3/31/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decanted 1 hour
Dark ruby red.
It needed the decant. Very tight.
Cherry, wax, red rope licorice, a bit of dusty boot, green pepper. Still feels very young amazingly. Hints of secondary characteristics coming out. Great mouthfeel and mouth coating. Cherry ludens. Very good wine

2/13/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decent wine for the cost. Juicy wine with lots of fruit and oak flavors. It seems a bit manipulated, but not a bad especially on a random day or a final wine for the night.

2/11/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Opened 2 hours
Light red, with hints of brown.
I was considering a decant, but it did not need it IMO. Nose is really nice, black cherry, hint of mushroom and forrest floor. Alcohol a bit high at 14.5 slightly annoying, but very tasty wine. Leather, Parmesan rind, slight asphalt, chocolate covered cherry, dried flowers, almost a chocolate covered orange comes out as well. Nice wine especially for Italian food pairing.

2/4/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Opened for 1 hour.
The nose on this from the jump is amazing. Big fruit, but nice mix of chocolate, fig, and black olive. The color is a bit lighter than normal, but light ruby colored. Decided to decant after first tasting, as it seemed a bit tight. Wine seems to be in a little awkward phase, some diet soda flavors which I am never a big fan of that flavor. Nose is great with typical iodine from Les pavot, but flavors not as sharp as I usually like for Pavot. Still a nice wine, just not as gripping as I expected. Hint of raspberry, cherry cola, chocolate. Good wine, but not in a great spot IMO. Give it 5 years to transition.

1/4/2024 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Creamy, buttery brioche. Toasted almonds, lemon zest overripe pear, hint of pineapple on finish , still good structure and very good mouth feel. Probably peaks in 5 years. Good bottle for the price.

12/26/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Opened for 3 hours
Ruby red with slight brown color.
Black cherry, leather, hints of cheese, dried prune, tree bark, some nice spices a little bitterness on the finish. A bit of walnut, some pepper. Nice Brunello.. Tannins are relatively strong, but not overpowering. I would say this peaks in the next 5-8 years.

12/26/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Slow ox 4 hours.
Dark purple, with hints of brown.
Nose is a bit muted. Distinct Troplong nose dirt, slight funk, mushrooms, forrest floor, bacon fat, sour cherry. Red licorice. Really like the red licorice coming out. A bit awkward, but nice transitions to secondary characteristics quite enjoyable.

11/26/2023 - RickyT12 wrote:

Very manipulated bottle of wine. Tastes OK, but you can feel that this wine was twisted and adjusted to make it taste big. Chocolate, and fruit, but not enjoyable for me.

11/24/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

PNP
Dark red, thin clear rim, looks quite young still.
This wine is still very powerful. Some secondary characteristics coming out but still a lot of fruit. Very floral, dried violets, cherry cough drop, slight notes of struck flint, hint of leather, red fruit with dark chocolate comes out. Prune. Saving last bottle for at least 5 years later. Really enjoyable wine and powerful wine. 95+

11/18/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Good jammy shiraz. Good for BBQ. Had some bitter flavors to it, but always a consistent Jam forward Shiraz.

11/18/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

This bottle was a bit underwhelming. Had a hint of flatness to the wine. Seemed dead.

11/18/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decanted for one hour.
Dark burgundy color.
Lots of heat on this wine. Decanted hoping it would blow off a bit, but unfortunately it did not. Raspberry and blackberries, tar, some vegetal flavors on the finish almost seaweed on the nose. The alcohol on these wines seems to be a little overpowering as it ages.

11/6/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

This is my second bottle. The first was good but did not live up to the hype.
The second bottle does seem to live up to hype. Slightly hazy light yellow color. I see what he is trying here. Ever so slight oak, has a lot of traditional characteristics, dried apricot, lemon, lemon zest, nuts, some hints of cheese, Good acid to age well. Finish is very impressive. 30 second finish with very nice mouth feel. Lemon creme characteristics. It could be a good idea to buy a bunch and sit on them 5 years or so.

9/3/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decanted for 4 hours. Very young. Needed the decant.
This is a decent steak wine for the cost. I picked up a bottle for $45 which is a good price for this wine. The wine is a bit overoaked and flabby, but enjoyable for a simple steak wine. Blueberry cream, vanilla, a little bit of greenness to it as well. Hint of bell pepper.

9/3/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Another good showing from this Champagne. Nice creamy flavors. Similar to last tasting. Very good value.

9/2/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Enjoyable, but not at the level I was hoping. I enjoyed the Morgan VV more for similar price. Cola, good mineral component, slate, strawberry. It was lacking depth and a bit of weight IMO. Worth trying again.

8/27/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Not an amazing Champagne, but for the cost it is very good. Much better than the mass produced big three Champagne producers. Not a special Champagne that will have you considering the meaning of life, but good for a random Champagne dinner or getting a person who is not very familiar with Champagne into bubbly. I would definitely buy it again. Nice creaminess and brioche going on. Not much on the fruit side.

8/27/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Raspberry, black cherry cola. Hint of pepper. Really nice raspberry. Almost an orange zest type flavors. Very fresh good mix of fruit and vegetables. Also really nice floral component.
Fresh, simple and enjoyable wine.

7/2/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Lemon curd, cream, hints of pineapple. A little too sour for my liking. I feel it is lacking mouthfeel and depth. The rosé was much more enjoyable. Better than you mass produced Champagne, but I think Schramsberg sparkling is better for my palette at a similar price point. A bit of apple skin, almost an omelette mixed with butter on the nose.

6/25/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decanted 1.5 hours
Ruby red color.
You can tell this wine is young from the nose. Good mix of herbs with fruit. Ripe cherry, some prune, some sage and black tea. chocolate covered orange, Eucalyptus, some meat drippings. Nice mouthfeel and coating of the mouth. It is a shame to drink this wine at this point of its life. I have had many Poyferre with 15 years plus of age, and they smooth out so much nicer than drinking young. You can tell this wine will evolve well. Tannins are very strong. Nice wine, but wait 5 years at least.

6/24/2023 - RickyT12 wrote:

Decanted 1hour.
Dark ruby red..
Lotta heat on the nose, pepper, soy sauce, stewed fruit is very prominent, a bit over the top, lacking elegance, very in your face. Alcohol seems a bit much. Has that astringent nose that you hope blows off, but it doesn’t. Acid is very high. Obtuse mouthfeel. Unripe cherry. A bit of raisin Just really lacks a smoothness that more enjoyable California wines I enjoy have. My biggest issue is that this is not 100% cab, it is supposedly a Bordeaux blend, and if it was a proper blend then they should have been able to smooth out the flavor profile for this wine. Not terrible, but disappointing.

6/22/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Pleasant wine. Has a nice smoothness to it. Priced well for what you get. Not a bad basic cab drinker.

6/19/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Hint of strawberry, rose petal, subtle notes and not overly sweet. I really enjoyed this wine. Going back for more.
The cost performance for this champagne is outstanding.

6/19/2023 - RickyT12 wrote:

Bummer. Flawed from opening, and it never blew off.

6/12/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Beautiful perfume nose, chalk, wet slate, fresh ocean, lemon zest, hint of cilantro. Really enjoyable. Honey suckle on nose.
This is a really nice white pairing wine especially for sea food.

6/4/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decanted for 1.5 hours
Dark ruby red color with still a tick clear rim.
Great nose. Leather, fig, plum, floral, old handbag type leather characteristics notes. On first opening it has a great nose, but you can smell the structure and tannins. Rigid and definitely needs a decant. Classic aggressive St. julien profile. Beef drippings, hints of some pencil shavings, mushrooms and a slight hint of tar. Would be great with a nice steak or red meat. This wine is missing the fruit component that most first growth's have with their other characteristics. That is why they tend to be a better caliber of wine. Rose petal, hint of underripe cherry, but not as much fruit as I would have hoped. Enjoyable wine and cost effective.

5/29/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Very light ruby red. Nose and color have very similar Pinot Noir characteristics. rose, underripe cherry, anise, slate there is kind of grass or something vegetal on the nose of this wine. Good minerality, but seems a bit too manufactured. No unique character to it compared to other producers from Etna that are at a lower price point IMO.

5/21/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Light ruby color. Nose has really nice cherry, rose-hip flavors mixed with earthy characters, cheese, mushroom, and decaying wood. It was drinking nicely. Very nice table wine especially went well with a bit of a spicy pasta. Good cost performance. I would definitely try again.

5/15/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Opened for 1 hour from a magnum
Definitely peaking or even on slight decline. Acid is very well integrated into the wine and the tannins are round and soft. Most of the fruit is gone, but you do have some juicy overripe blueberries still there. Almost a bubble gum type flavor along with minerality, iodine, sea water. Really enjoyable wine. Good mouth feel. Drink them if you have them.

5/15/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

PNP
Not as impressive as other QCs I have had, but then again it is clearly very young.
Vitamin flavors, good mineral characters, mixed with black fruit. Weight was medium plus. Definitely would do well with another 5 years of age.

4/2/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Cos
Decanted 2 hours. Needed the decant. It was very bitter of a test pour pre decant.
Drunk with an 03 Poyferre. The Poyferre was the better all round wine. The Cos felt younger though.
Big nose, coffee, black chocolate, truffle, soy sauce, iron, nice weight. Strawberry, raspberry with dark chocolate comes out after 2 hours. Very sophisticated, but heavier than expected. Medium plus weight, acid medium. Long 20 second finish. Tannins are still strong. Missing some complexity. A little one dimensional. There were not much changes in this wine while it was drunk. Very nice wine.

4/2/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decanted 1.5 hour
Drunk with an 03 Cos d' Estournel. The Poyferre was the better all around wine.
Leather, dusty boot, underripe cherry, beautiful mouth coating, hints menthol, chocolate covers cherry, very classy, alcohol is a bit high for Bordeaux, but not annoying. Hints of mushrooms, and soy sauce. Hints of coffee start to come out after 3 hour mark. I don’t see the forward fruit character other members mentioned. I get nice secondary characteristics. Enjoyable and classy wine. The alcohol is slightly hot indicative of the warm 03 weather. But overall a wonderful wine, probably close to its peak in my opinion. The weight was medium minus acid medium.

3/26/2023 - RickyT12 wrote:

PNP
Started out overly sweet, next glass was overly bitter, third glass mellowed out and profile is enjoyable now. Cinnamon, plum, some cream, but tannins and heat are a bit too much. Totally a fruit stew, which is not bad, but not my cup of tea. Seems awkward and disjointed. Like a dessert that is way too sweet which kills all the nuance of the natural fruit flavors.

3/13/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

PNP
Almost a dark violet color, Olive, white pepper, blueberries, almost a cheese cake component. I like this wine, but it did not really have anything special grab me. Enjoyable, but not exceptional.

3/12/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Cherry cola, chocolate covered cherries, black berries, cranberry. Some strawberries. Acid medium plus. An enjoyable wine. Probably peaking.

3/5/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Caramel color
Nose is wonderful. Lemon, bergamot tea, hints of maple syrup, honey, a bit of new plastic pool toy, a bit of orange cake on the nose. Definitely peaking, no upside from here IMO. Weight is medium on its way to light. Flavor tea component is major and really nice. I feel it lacks a bit of depth that I have seen with some of the great aged sauternes. Honey suckle, nice floral component, slight orange zest. Enjoyable, and in good showing, just not top tier wine.

2/26/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Opened 2 hrs
Ripe cherry with nice mid aged Bordeaux. Some very fruit driven mushrooms, violets, butter, roast beef, old leather, beautiful cherry component. Slight hint of tar. After hour 4 starting to come undone slightly. Maybe just past peak. Weight medium plus, acid medium. Great Howell Mountain characteristics. Delicious wine, but seems to be at the point where it needs to be drunk.

2/26/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Nice young wine.
Cherry, currant, olives.chestnut, wood
Not a lot of depth, but good cost performance.
Weight medium minus, acid medium plus.

2/19/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Decanted 2 hrs.
As per other member review, I can see the fruit stew mentioned, but, I find this wine rather enjoyable. Almost a blackberry and strawberry compote type profile. Marshmallow, blackberry, raspberry. Acid is medium plus. Weight is medium plus. Alcohol felt a bit high for my liking.
Bitter vegetal finish. It had its moments. Not amazing, but pretty good.

2/19/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

Nice light yellow color, and sharp nose. Acid is high, weight medium minus.
Lemon, lemon zest, sharp cheese, really nice wine for the price. Seems like a nice light summer drinker. I enjoyed it.

2/7/2023 - RickyT12 wrote:

Decanted an hour. It’s very tight. Fruit seems weak. Might be a subpar bottle. A black tea, prune, sour cherry. Nose is classic Bordeaux, but just not the fruit I expected.

2/7/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine:

This wine is drinking like a champ. Perfect window for drinking. Fig, raisin, cinnamon, earth, wonderful fig component .