4/20/2018 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Still young, complex and with loads of that funky note I associate with Ch Musar. Pine, paint, black fruit and finegrained tannins. Lots of fruit from the sunny side of southern France, yet still with good potential for the future. Probably good for another five years if you want to keep some primary fruit to mix in with the tertiary aromas.

5/5/2018 - Christian_B wrote:

Lovely, structured Malbec, with the signature bergamotte and black tea notes that I love in the Balbo Malbec. Had 2014 last year, drank 2015 this year, still a really good wine in this category!
Lots of black fruit tempered with ripe, grippy tannins and fresh high-altitude acidity to balance the ampleness of it.

4/7/2018 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Complex, full of potential for the future, with lots of ripe red fruit to balance the tannins and acidity. Lovely notes of cherries, cranberries, liquorice, violets, tar, black tea, cigar box, leather, and so on!

7/16/2016 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Deep ruby colour, lots of cassis, green bell pepper, cedar, chocolate, tobacco, coffee and dark plum. Aromas are developing into more of meaty, chewy, ripe fruit notes.
Very well balanced; fine-textured tannins, a bit on the grainy side but with round fruit making it smooth and lovely. Ripe black fruit, oak, tobacco, green bell pepper, coffee, complex and very much a wine in its prime! Will keep for at least 10 years in total.

6/15/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Don't usually go for Rioja but this one was good! Lots of dark fruit, coffee, vanilla and spices. Ripe tannins, medium acidity and with elegant, medium body. Very young though, a few years should do the trick!

5/19/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Very much Cab. S with hints of oak, green pepper, plum, vanilla, cedar and cassis. Good balance on the palate, a bit dry tannins, lots of dark fruit, oak, pepper, plum, vanilla, minty spice and cedar. Medium acidity, medium (+) tannins, medium alcohol, medium body. Long finish. Very nice Bdx but perhaps not the best.

5/3/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Youthful and purple in colour, with aromas of black pepper, grilled green bell pepper, smoky notes, cassis, oak, vanilla and stony minerals. The stone and the smoke go hand in hand, making this a wine I really appreciate for its elegance!
The wine is dry, with medium acidity, smooth tannins, well integrated alcohol at 14% ABV and with a medium body. Finish is medium (+). Flavours are dominated by black pepper, green bell pepper, smoke and cassis, then more subtle notes of oak, vanilla and stone come along to finish it off!

4/28/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Appearance: Clear, deep intensity purple colour. Thin and slow legs forming. No deposits.
Nose: Clean, youthful, medium intensity aromas of blackberry, wild raspberries, hints of stems, liquorice, raw meat, black pepper, along with notes of vanilla.
Palate: Wine is dry, medium acidity, a bit dry medium tannins, medium alcohol, medium (-) body. Elegant, medium intensity flavours of blackberry, raspberries, pepper, oak, liqourice, herbal notes of stems. Finish is medium (-).
Conclusion: Wine of very quality, high-priced. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing. A few more years should do the trick; I like the depth of the wine but it’s clearly not Hermitage level. Nose is better than palate.

4/24/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Clear, pale intensity lemon colour.
Clean, medium intensity aromas of white flowers, peach, canned apricots, ripe apples, macadamia nuts, stony minerals. Youthful.
Wine is dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) body.
Medium (-) flavours of white peach, flowers, apricots, apples, nuts and dusty stone.
Wine of good quality, high-priced. Can drink now, but has potential for further ageing. Perhaps not a great year or just too young...

4/18/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Beautiful Pinot, velvety and with a great, youthful minerality. Very elegant!

3/19/2015 - Christian_B wrote:

Appearance: Clear, medium intensity ruby colour, slow legs forming. No deposits or other debris.
Nose: Clean, medium intensity aromas of blackcurrant leaf, burnt wood, oak, green pepper, slightly medicinal notes of herbs, fennel and cacao. Wine is youthful.
Palate: Wine is dry, with medium acidity, medium tannin, medium (+) alcohol and of medium body. Medium intensity flavours of green pepper, oak, unripe raspberries, herbs, notes of blackcurrant leaf and hints of chocolate. Slightly heated, medium finish.
Conclusion: Wine of good quality, mid-priced. Can drink now, but has potential for further ageing. A few years for the heat. Decanted for an hour.

3/7/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

More or less a good Chablis, not the very best I've had. I prefer the more mineralic ones and this one had a more fruity approach. Green apples, hints of mineral, chalk, bone dry of course, lemon and lime. Nice but not my style!

3/6/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Medium intensity golden colour, small bubbles. Aromas of chalk, yellow apple, white flowers, citrus, hints of maturity. Taste is somewhat "lesser" than expected, with the lacking acidity being the most obvious part, but very nice! Apples, citrus, dusty chalky mineral, toast, flowers. A very decent Champagne!

2/21/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

A bit closed at first, better after an hour in the glass and at its best after two. Lots of cedar, pencil lead, tobacco, sweet vanilla spice along with toasted oak. Fruit was a little dry, dried red cherries, cassis, hints of plum, with a good crushed stone/gravelly minerality. Very drinkable but not the best of Bdx.

1/31/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

I had the impression this was an Australian Shiraz when I poured the wine, but closer inspection of the bottle said South Africa! Very elegant wine, deep intensity purple colour, aromas of blackberry, raw meat, wet granite rock and hints of oak. Flavours of dark fruit, blackberry, wet stone, oak and leather. Very enjoyable to drink now but has potential for a few more years of maturing.

1/31/2015 - Christian_B wrote:

Decanted for two hours. Wine is of deep intensity purple colour, good aromas of blackberry, very floral with violets being the dominant flower, liqourice and a subtle oak. On the palate a somewhat shallow wine, more dark fruit and violets and a mellow tannin structure. Some heat from the alcohol. A decent wine, probably good for a bbq!

2/1/2015 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Lemon colour with hints of gold, lovely aromas of wet stone, barely ripe apples, white peach and white flowers. Still young. Dry, fresh acidity and nice small bubbles. Flavours of stone, peach, apple and notes of nougat. Lovely wine!

10/14/2014 - Christian_B Likes this wine:

Appearance: Clear, pale gold colour, thin legs forming, no deposits though small fragments of cork.

Nose: Clean, medium (+) aromas of chalky stone, petrol, peach, hints of honey, candied lemon and leafy notes of fresh cut asparagus. Wine is developing.

Palate: Wine is dry, with mouth-watering medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol and with a medium body. Medium (+) flavours of stone, petrol, slightly unripe peach, honey, lemon, lime and grass.

Conclusion: Wine of very good quality, mid-priced. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing. Will probably show more of fruit with time in cellar, and with a more refined mineral character!