4/13/2024 - cbuhlman wrote:

golden
high tension out of the gate, lemon, quince, zippy acidity and puckering.
This wine needs an hour+ decant for it to round out and settle down. Tartness and acidity mellow out considerably.. petrol and hazelnut and jasmine with mouthwatering crisp green apple and super long finish. Textbook.
excellent.
94-95

4/12/2024 - cbuhlman wrote:

1 hour decant.
rich and ripe, full palate but a bit foursquare. No secondary characteristics.
lacks personality and typicity. Long uninteresting finish.
88-90

2/20/2024 - cbuhlman wrote:

One of the few CA Chards I know of that could fool even the experts on place of origin. As good as this is, I'm afraid at best, its peer group is Village Meursault.
minerality and slight reduction on the nose, pears and baked apple slightly creamy oak, but not at all out of balance, palate coating yet balanced and not even the slightest bit hot.
A decent finish.
Drink up
89-90

2/11/2024 - cbuhlman wrote:

Golden yellow, big bubbles. Baked apple, apricot, caramel and mineral nose, slightly oxidized, dry finish.

not a fan for the price point.
86-89

1/26/2024 - cbuhlman wrote:

this wine has changed my wine about what is possible for Maryland wines. IMO, Black Ankle has no peers in MD winemaking.
Ruby red, ever so slight bricking, balanced, elegant, medium weight clean fruit, good verve, great finish
89-91

12/15/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

Phelan Segur is easily 5th growth Cru classe quality.
PnP, dark garnet.
medium weight, creme de cassis, espresso and leather notes,
approachable and fleshy in the mouth with good lift and a nice finish.
88-90+
should keep well for at least another 5 years.

12/10/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

super plush heavy fruit bomb. monolithic and clumsy. I will give it a B- for at least some lift.
The quality of the 2017 vintage fruit didn't merit the heavy extraction.
2017 is the worst Napa vintage in many many years.
87-89

12/4/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

Here's a contradiction, intense chardonnay fruit yet restrained and elegant. Tell-tale hazelnuts, a bit of oiliness and toast. Lively and long finish.
love it.
This Meursault is a crazy bargain IMO.
94-96

12/4/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

Bought at the Barcelona Duty Free,
amber orangey red,
This bottle was in excellent condition, lots of candied cherry fruit with savory notes and saddle leather, and slight cedar box, Really elegant and balanced with a old left bank Bordeaux like finish.
This has completely changed my perception of Rioja.
93-95

10/6/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

What a shame that Tench's inaugural bottling occurred in what was probably the worst Napa Vintage year in recent history.
I'm afraid the wine isn't nearly as good as 2018 and 2019. The Petit Verdot in the blend seems also quite high and lends a very bitter plum aspect to the wine. There also seems to be a black rubber like quality running through it. pinched finish.

5/20/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

saturated ruby, Medium full bodied weight, clean concentrated fruit with some smokiness and leather. with good structure and finish. very traditional and a great value, I believe this is 3rd growth quality
92-93

5/20/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

Saturated purple...supercharged high octane cabernet fruit with a
super long mouthcoating finish with a notion of cognac and a bit of burn.
totally over the top. This is either an aperitif or after dinner drink, nothing you would ever pair with food.
no score

5/19/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

super saturated purple in glass, near black. floral nose, silky smooth, yet powerful and structured. A truly elegant wine. Incredible follow through on the finish.
most of all...delicious.
98-99

5/14/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

weak effort all around.
If this were $15, I'd say it was a decent village Burgundy, but at $30, it's
a terrible value and quite disappointing.
82-84

5/14/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

very impressive. Did not know, this one of Napa's oldest designated vineyards (1970)
PnP, 30 minute wait.
dried flowers, cassis and slightly oaky vanilla nose
On the palate, layers of sweet mouthcoating cabernet fruit with enough lift and mineral character to keep it both interesting and youthful. Tannins are very abundant, and fine textured. very long finish.
There is a long life ahead for this wine.

93-94+

5/14/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

golden straw, red delicious apple, creamy, full and round with heat and tingly finish. not nearly enough lift to keep it together
84-85

4/22/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

Golden straw, neutral oak, very aromatic with honeysuckle, lanolin.
On the palate, mineral laden rich chardonnay fruit with apple and apricot, slight petrol whiff (oiliness) This is not racy or lean Chablis, but rounder and fuller on the palate with enough lift to keep it together.
excellent. 91-93
Thanks Brooks!

4/22/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

consistent notes,

90-91

4/21/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

An excellent St. Emillion Grand cru. Excellent merlot and cab fruit with power, weight and great balance. a fine persistent finish. I dare say an
incredible value here at $50
92-94

4/14/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

PnP
saturated purple, new world Bordeaux, rich, smoky creme de cassis fruit with a savory persistent finish and good lift. There is definitely a fruit forward decadent "Magrez" house style here. I like it and a good value at around $110
92-94

4/11/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

What a shame that Tench's inaugural bottling occurred in what was probably the worst Napa Vintage year in recent history.
I'm afraid the wine isn't nearly as good as 2018 and 2019. The Petit Verdot in the blend seems also quite high and lends a very bitter plum aspect to the wine. There also seems to be a black rubber like quality running through it. pinched finish.
reserve judgement

3/28/2023 - cbuhlman wrote:

magnum
Still drinking remarkably well. Well balanced, traditional Medoc with clean medium weight cabernet fruit. light cigar box, slightly savory spicy finish.
showing no signs of decline.
really good, not just for a humble Medoc, but with higher priced classifieds.
90-92
One mag left.

12/23/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

A decent right bank Merlot dominant wine. I think its a great deal at $28, when one considers the near impossibility of finding a California/New world Merlot even drinkable at this price point.
87-88+

12/23/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

Decant 1 hour. ruby garnet bricking. strangely, zero sediment.
Medium weight, nice left bank nose but lacking mid-palate strength and weight. tannins softening up nicely and drinking well. This paired nicely with the rib roast, but would have a tough time distinguishing itself without food.
This is a food friendly wine.
87-89

12/5/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

Wente clone chardonnay fruit. Very light straw yellow
fresh and elegant citrusy fruit with a touch of butter and lanolin, with a full palate persistent finish. great balance with all these Bac. offerings.
really good.
90+

12/5/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

tasted at winery, very pale straw,
rich and elegant chardonnay fruit with good lift, and secondary brioche and lanolin. a very nice finish. A Meursault ringer.
92+

12/1/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

White head of lively fine bubbles, lemon zest, apples and a little smoky brioche. nice lift and dare I say, verve.
really good.
This is our new go-to NV champagne. I prefer Pol Roger Brut Reserve NV by a slight edge, but it's hard to find.
90+

12/1/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

Medium-bodied with weak fruit with a pinched finish. 2 bottles tasted.
On day two, more ox than fruit.
The Vauthier family owns this, and should do better.
86-87

10/8/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

obviously the reviewers (JD et al) were either hyperbolic or tasted a different bottling/lot
Apricot, lemon curd and creamy (malo) praline. Could use a more lift and juiciness to cut through the heat and sweetness.
88-89

10/8/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

Flash decant. dark garnet, medium weight, nice aromatics, no bricking still fresh with juicy blackcurrant and cassis, cigar whiff and leather. Very elegant and surprisingly lengthy finish. Not sure what I paid for this, but judging from the other poster's comments, an absolute bargain.
90-92

7/29/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

Decent Napa cab with heavy cabernet fruit and mouthfeel, not a lot of nuance or complexity. slightly hot finish.
87-89

7/29/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

blackberry jam, fruitcake and orange peel nose,
juicy and primary with firm tannins and clean and abundant high toned Syrah fruit, long finish. This wine has a long life ahead of it.
92++

7/29/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

over extracted hot junk.
75-80

6/11/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

Light garnet/ orange rust
Amazing bouquet of rose petals, jasmine and orange peel
Medium full bodied sinewy fruit with good lift and persistence on palate and finish. Great balance.
Just exceptional
94-96

4/15/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

silky smooth, high polish, showy bouquet, fruit forward modern style. Really delicious but lacking soul at this point. One curious aside is the prominent vanilla creaminess.
on day three (sitting on counter with a cork half stopped) it has blown off completely and remains quite drinkable with zero oxidation, and a bit more verve, which quite a feat.
very long mouthcoating finish.
Obviously, not at all ready to drink as this needs time to come together. 2024+
92++

4/13/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

cellar clean out candidate
hot and nasty

4/13/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

Cellar clean out
An average Languedoc past it's drinking window. that said nothing special here,
drink up/ throw out

4/13/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

cellar clean out
hot and extracted beyond belief
throw away all bottles

4/13/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

cellar clean out
hot and nasty
throw out all bottles
no score

4/13/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

cellar clean out
undrinkable, throw out all 5 bottles
no score

4/13/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

cellar clean out.
medium light weight, nothing remarkable here, use for cooking or throw out
7 bottles
no score

4/10/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

dark garnet, slight bricking
lively and fresh for a 20 year old napa cab. packed with polished cab fruit with cassis, framed by gentle notes of cedar and leather with a touch of salinity, no soy notes though. I dare say perfect balance, with impressive length and finish.
94-95

3/27/2022 - cbuhlman Likes this wine:

Ripe and juicy with great balance and length.
A bargain for an exceptional Pritchard Hill wine.
delicious
92-94

2/21/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:

This wine was really singing tonight.
Excellent terroir driven classified Medoc especially given the hot vintage. Sweet savory cabernet fruit with great balance with a persistent mouthcoating finish-not at all hot.
today showed why La Tour Carnet is a 4th growth.

92-93

12/31/2021 - cbuhlman wrote:

You get what you pay for.
Overall, not a bad wine, but not really up to the quality of an "every day wine" level.
82-84

12/31/2021 - cbuhlman wrote:

dark garnet,
At first glimpse, a somewhat vegetal wine with a Jalapeno nose and racy cabernet fruit and a lot of verve and terroir complexity, later you get a bit of chilean like earthiness and garrigue on the finish as well, ultimately, the Jalapeno nearly completely blows off....offering a cool weather Medoc like wine with a bit of green pepper on the backend-again not in a bad way.
So this is not a typical Napa area wine, and for that the winemaker could be called a bit of a maverick. As I said, if you're looking for a plush napa fruit bomb, this is not your wine, but if you have an open mind and want to see the non-traditional edges of good wine making, I highly recommend.

88-90+

12/31/2021 - cbuhlman wrote:

The 2014 Gandona is powerful, lively and balanced with great mouthfeel and an intense lingering finish. The cabernet fruit is simply amazing and very expressive.
I find no fault with this wine.
I dare say I think the 2014 Napa/Pritchard Hill vintage is underrated. After having a 2014 Morlet, I'm beginning to think the 2014 is a better vintage than even 2013 and 2015
I can definitely say, I prefer this Gandona over 2012 and 2013
95-99

12/31/2021 - cbuhlman wrote:

1 hour decant
dry tawny port with orange peel and very stewed with slight oxidation and a tannic finish. No sign of cork taint.
borderline flawed.
84-86
Yet, another example of holding on to CnDP's too long. There are vintage exceptions, but I've found 10 years on, many of these wines begin to decline.

12/31/2021 - cbuhlman wrote:

nice clean and vibrant champagne, good bubbles nice finish. As someone who does not care for yeasty notes or bread, this was really good.
a small step up from the basic Veueve Cliquot offering.
90++

12/29/2021 - cbuhlman wrote:

very expressive nose
super saturated garnet
perfectly ripe, powerful cabernet fruit, notes of black tea, and some garrigue.
really smooth, and mouthcoating with a polished persistent finish, all with good balance and structure.
this bottle got crushed by the 4 of us way too quickly!
Love this wine.
95++