11/15/2020 - grafstrb wrote:

-- double decanted shortly before tasting --
-- tasted blind over approx. 40 minutes --

NOSE: alcoholic; young-smelling; red-fruited.

BODY: ruby color of great depth; medium bodied.

TASTE: tannic; high acidity; red-fruited (strawberry); alcoholic; not good at all; had it pegged as a poorly-done $20 wine; gobsmacked at the reveal. Rating: 1/5. Easily the worst wine of the mini blind tasting (and probably cost as much as the other three bottles combined, which goes to show you that more $$$ does not always equate to a better wine).

2/25/2024 - grafstrb wrote:

Champagne at FMIII's: -- March 2021 disgorgement --
-- 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir --

Light apple aroma. High acidity matched with rich fruit. Dosage is immediately apparent, but I don’t find it to be too much. After a fair amount of discussion, I got on-board with Astrid’s “mandarin” call on the palate --- concentrated mandarin. Young-but-relaxed. Wish I had some in my cellar.

1/27/2024 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 2 hrs. on Day 1; revisited on Day 2 --

Ripe, plush and soft. Dark-fruited and oaky, with soft tannins. Labelled at 13% alc., which is pretty amazing for how boldly-flavored this is. Medium-low to medium acidity. I imagine this will age well, on the strength of its fruit and low alcohol. That said, its flabbiness robs it of any true excitement at this time. Drinks well now if one is looking for a young bold Bordeaux -- perhaps to pair with a juicy steak -- but best to Hold.

9/11/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 1 – 1.5 hrs. --

NOSE: strawberry water; slightly savory; medium-light to medium expressiveness.

BODY: coppery salmon color; medium-light body.

TASTE: lightly red-fruited; a touch leafy, and a bit powdery; medium-low acidity; alc. not noticeable (13.5%). Overall, disappointing for this bottling, but there’s always the possibility it simply needed more air, or perhaps just more cellar time.

1/6/2024 - Frank Murray III wrote:

After seeing Charlie's note, I decided to open a bottle last night. Charlie has an experienced palate so I was curious to see what the wine has been doing since I opened one 4 years ago. Upon opening, it was wild. Yogurt and melted butter, the Marguet herb (from the oak?), citrus and mineral. After an hour, it really settled down and refined the wild side, with a leaner, cleaner profile, with the same light herb shading, plus the citrus. I liked the two expressions, and have enough left for a glass tomorrow to do a final check and wrap up the note....retaste on Day 2, I can see where Charlie's perceptions may be coming from. There is not a lot of flesh here, as this is squarely middle weight. Yet, I don't find it austere. Lemon peel, tart green apple, mineral and what I want to call either mushroom or loam, maybe a combo of both. And from the wood, a mix of light caramel and clove. Overall, perhaps like with Charlie, some people are not gonna like this wine, as the mix of tart, mineral and the spice may not appeal but I find it fine to drink.

7/14/2022 - NickA Likes this wine:

Carignan and on and on (Piccolino): This was a complete outlier, in the context of tonight's line-up, Carignan generally, perhaps even out of all the wines I've drunk - but very successful with it. An incredible pale colour, such that it looked infused rather than extracted. So pretty and, indeed, sleek and racy on the nose, which reminded me of peach ice tea done just right. Very complex and elegant on the palate: exotic soap, blackcurrant, violets, pink grapefruit, orange peel. Silky smooth but with a crisp bite too, the whole package effortlessly seasoned with an air of mystery.

10/21/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 1.5 hrs. --
-- 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay --
-- dosage: 3 g/L --
-- disgorged: Nov. 2021 --

NOSE: rich and moderately chalky; hints of honey and grass.

BODY: rose gold color; medium-sized bubbles; light to medium-light bodied.

TASTE: quite good; dry, but not austere; some baking spice; a bit appley - Fuji; obviously not a BdB; great pairing with sushi rolls.

9/20/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted approx. one hour before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hours --

NOSE: crunch, carbonic, red fruits; Campari.

BODY: garnet-magenta color of medium depth; medium-light body.

TASTE: light red fruits; fine tannin; medium+ acidity; strong, pronounced mineral note; a hint of "natural wine" signature; juicy red berries, and some powdery potpourri; slight little mousey note -- very slight -- eventually, but it's light enough that I can easily overlook it. Possibly room to improve, but it doesn't come across as super dense or structured.

50, 5, 13, 15, 7 = 90

10/1/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- tasted non-blind on Days 1, 2 and 4 --

NOSE: initially, pretty flat; light Sherry-esque aromatics -- along the lines of a Fino. Never blossomed or unfurled in any kind of dramatic fashion over 4 days.

BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; medium-rich golden yellow color -- perhaps leaning into amber territory.

TASTE: medium+ to high acidity; oaky, but this is behind a more front-facing, juicy, mineral-forward (wooly) Viura presentation; very slightly oxidative; alc. is hidden (13.5%); as with the Nose, faintly Sherry-esque on the palate; this was possibly at its best on Day 4, by which time a little Strawberry Runts note had emerged. In the context of this LdH bottling, this vintage is certainly on the more subdued end of the spectrum. I'm hoping it simply needs more age, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at all nervous ... we'll see. For now, best to Hold.

9/28/2023 - Frank Murray III wrote:

5 X 5 X 5 100% Pinot Noir BdN (My House): Disgorged May 2020, with three grams of dosage, 100% Pinot Noir. Mostly 2017 (as the base) with 20% reserve wine. Golden apple and white pepper aroma. The fruit core is for me strawberry and blackberry, a more snappy type that is less ripe, more firm (thank you Astrid for that nuance). Overall, I found the wine on the crunchy side, and delicious. Retasted the next day, this maintains the delicious quality. Cranberry and fleshy strawberry, with good balancing acid. This exhibits a crunchy, juicy style that suits me well.

9/23/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted approx. 1 hr. before tasting --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --

I last had this wine in 2011 --- that bottle remains the best Napa Cab. I've had. Fast forward 12 years, and we have this bottle here. Cork in pristine condition. Fill was bottom neck. Quite youthful color, considering we're talking a 30 yo wine. Aromatically, this is at peak --- dark, giving, and well into tertiary territory -- beautiful aromatics. On the palate, this was very tasty -- excellent -- but I sense that it is coming down off its peak, as it was a bit lacking in drive. Drink Now and over the near term.

2/10/2023 - pjaines wrote:

Maturing but less exciting that when it was in its youth. Leathery red fruit with some horse-poop. Softening. Not bad, but I'm coming to the mind-set of drinking Chateaneuf in its youth.

7/5/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured on Day 1 --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 hrs on Day 1; revisited on Day 2 --

NOSE: ripe, red berries, with a little bit of a green/leafy note; smells like we're into tertiary territory now. Day 2 aromatics did strike me as being a bit "cleaner" than on Day 1, so perhaps it just needed some air to sort itself out a bit, and come together.

BODY: ruby color with slight bricking throughout; color is of shallow depth; light bodied.

TASTE: high acidity; ripe fruit, but quite light; leathery -- perhaps slight brett -- regardless, a bit funky --- could be aged Pinot funk; less funky at the 2 hr. mark on Day 1; long finish; no apparent tannins remain; underlying leafy/bitter element. I like this, despite it being more rustic/earthy than pure/crystalline. Day 2: better today --- less leafy/dirty and now fruitier. Day 2 showing suggests this needs lots of air if drinking now -- and for reasons I cannot pinpoint, other than to say "gut instinct", I do feel it's better to drink now with lots of air than to continue holding. A bit vexing, but ultimately enjoyable.

5/11/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted approx. 15 min. prior to initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 hrs. --

NOSE: tight/reserved; red Twizzlers; strong wet stones mineral note; unfurling at the 30 min. mark; nice mineral-fruit balance; faint hint of cumin seed; had moments of awesome, but was mostly very good and a bit reserved.

BODY: garnet color of great depth; medium bodied.

TASTE: medium-fine tannin; flat out of the gates; light vanilla oak; medium+ acidity; suddenly awesome at the 45 min mark (could be that this is when I started pairing it with food (steak and wild rice)); with a little bit of air, this is in a beautiful-but-youthful spot right now; alc. not noticeable; elegant for a Pauillac; Drink or Hold but best to Hold.

50, 5, 13, 17, 8 = 93+

4/23/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted 25 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --

NOSE: red-fruited; high-toned; oaky.

BODY: rustic ruby color of medium depth; medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: high acidity; tart; red-fruited, and with noticeable oak; little hint of garrigue on the finish (not funky); drinks amazingly young for its age! 12.8% abv. well-hidden. Fine to drink now, but no apparent need to.

4/14/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 1.75 hrs. --

NOSE: expressive; "winey"; floral/green/grass/plastic note.

BODY: medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: apple; high acidity; back-end hint of lychee gummy; 13.5% alc.; this bottle came across as needing a couple years to sort itself out -- it seemed a bit scattered.

3/28/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted 15 min. before initial taste on Day 1 --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hrs. on Day 1; revisited on Day 3 --

NOSE: DAY 1: very oaky; reserved red/purple fruit mix; faintly floral; buttery/garlicky Utz pub mix; transitioned to a more pure purple fruit profile around the 2 hr. mark. DAY 3: reserved/tight/closed; purple fruited; some smoldery oak.

BODY: medium bodied.

TASTE: DAY 1: oaky; pleasant savory note; very gentle tannins; acidity is adequate -- juicy; despite being oaky, this is quite elegant, approachable, and moreish; strikes me as a good medium-term ager (15 - 25 years). Paired well with beef pot roast and root vegetables (carrots; parsnips; rutabaga; mushrooms). Needs time to come into focus, but there's no harm in opening a bottle now to see what you're working with. Gut impression score: 92 - 94.

3/6/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted 45 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2.5 hrs. on Day 1; revisited on Days 2 and 7 --

NOSE: savory; tons of freshly-cracked black pepper; rich and complex.

BODY: medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: high acidity -- nearly a touch tingly; tannic; purple-fruited --- soil & plums; very savory/stemmy/peppery; wouldn't mind if the savory/stemmy-type note recedes somewhat with age. Day 2: pepper notes turning to garrigue & Kalamata olive now, but this is largely the same as on Day 1. Day 7: not appreciably different than on previous days. 13.4% alc. is well-hidden. This strikes me as a wine that will age on its acidity and tannins more than anything else --- I'm not sure it has the fruit to go super long, but a couple decades wouldn't surprise me. For my preferences, this is a Hold for now.

1/30/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple days --

NOSE: very light; not much going on.

BODY: moderately hazy orange-pale yellow color; light bodied.

TASTE: lightly-flavored; a touch tart; tastes like a low-alc. fruity/slightly tart wild ale, but no mouse, brett, or funk. 11% alc. is hidden. No meaningful movement since my previous bottle in 2019. I continue to be baffled by this wine, which smells and tastes of very little.

12/21/2022 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured on Day 1; revisited on Day 13 --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 – 3 hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 13 --
-- from 375 mL --

NOSE: very light aromatics; light botrytis; light marmalade; not much going on here.

BODY: medium amber color; full bodied.

TASTE: weird: it's sweet, but without much flavor; medium acidity; very light kumquat; there's both a green aspect and also a weird plastic-y note --- not offensive, really, but not good, either; 12.7% alc. is a little noticeable; overall, not much of anything really here. Day 13 did bring some glimmer of promise, with a new orange marmalade note that was not present on Day 1, but this isn't enough to wildly change my mind. Not sure what final conclusion to draw from this experience --- maybe hold for a very long time?

Day 1 score: 50, 5, 10, 13, 5 = 83
Day 13 gut impression score: 85

EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that this bottle may have been slightly TCA-infected. That had not previously occurred to me, but now that I take that thought into consideration I believe that is the most likely explanation for the experience I had.

11/13/2022 - grafstrb wrote:

Here we are, 11 months out from my previous bottle, and the little bit of extra cellar time has done this absolutely no harm, and maybe even did it some good. 100% Pinot Noir with no dosage. This wine is simply firing on all cylinders right now. November 2019 disgorgement. Happy to have two more bottles; and also really sad to only have two more bottles.

5/13/2022 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted 15 before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours --

NOSE: ripe; dark-fruited; a bit closed at first; clean (no brett); dark boysenberry, dark raspberry, and blackberry; no obvious mineral or bell pepper.

BODY: garnet-violet color of great depth; medium-full bodied.

TASTE: ripe; gently/moderately tanninc; medium+ acidity; it's a ripe Cab. Franc --- very nice, and will improve with age, but this is not a classicist's C.F.; background earthiness and typical C.F. character --- little bit of tanned leather on the finish; a touch inky; can taste alc. a bit (14.1%). NEWSFLASH: if you're down with this, then you like CA/FR crossovers --- and there's nothing wrong with that --- just be honest. Possibly tons of room for a higher score 10+ years from now, but, as it presents today, I score it right at the line that separates "very good" from "excellent".

50, 5, 12, 16, 7 = 90+

2/7/2022 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted about 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 hours --

NOSE: initially very tight; carbonic-esque; cool raspberry/strawberry combo.

BODY: medium-light bodied; slightly hazy/dirty garnet color of medium depth.

TASTE: light concentration of fruit; garrigue; light, fine tannins; a touch bitter; little dusting of cinnamon/oak; fine, but didn't really grab my interest at all; my last bottle was on 01/08/17, and this didn't develop in any of the ways I was then hoping it would.

4/12/2022 - grafstrb wrote:

-- TN from Day 4 --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: inky red/purple berries; wet stones; moderately expressive; hint of ballpoint pen ink.

BODY: fine particulate matter present; garnet-violet color of great depth; medium bodied.

TASTE: concentrated plum; medium-fine tannins are drying; some drying oak flavor; 13.8% alc. well-hidden; drinks fine now, but hoping some time in the cellar absorbs some of the oak.

6/13/2022 - grafstrb wrote:

-- tasted a couple pours, non-blind, after bottle had been open for about 30 minutes --

Quite ripe, and loosely-structured. Seemed sloppy. I frequently love Musar, but apparently not this vintage, as this is the second disappointing bottle I've had.

1/27/2022 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours --

NOSE: bright, rich, lemony Chard.; perhaps a light pineapple note; pretty expressive.

BODY: vibrant, pale yellow color; medium to medium-full bodied.

TASTE: moderately rich; little bit of oak; medium+ to high acidity; 12.6% alc. not noticeable; medium-light mineral note on the finish; drinking very nicely now, and one of the best Bearwallow Chards I've had.

50, 5, 12, 17, 8 = 92

10/3/2020 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours --
-- 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot --

NOSE: tight; "dark" -- stony/pencil shavings; hint of mesquite.

BODY: violet-garnet color of medium-deep to deep depth; medium to medium-full bodied.

TASTE: decent acidity -- surprising; red-fruited a bit, but mostly a dark presentation --- it must be the Merlot lending the red-fruited facet to this wine; 14.8% alc. is a little warming in the belly; quite young; good; Drink or Hold --- I will wait 5 years before checking-in again. Gut impression score: 90 - 91.

11/6/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

Blech!!! Likely the most vile-smelling wine I've experienced. Strong, piercing, and persistent burst of mold on the Nose --- bloomy rind cheese kind of mold. Some nasty, decaying, mushroom in the mix, too. I struggle to imagine this is how this wine is supposed to be. The cork was pushed, saturated, and had hardened mold at the top, but was successfully removed with a Durand. I did clean the bottle lip thoroughly before pouring the wine. A night in the decanter proved the experience was not simply bottle funk that needed to blow-off. 100% disgusting. The smell is so bad one must be careful not to snap their neck in recoil. This bottle had obvious signs of past seepage (not advertised as such when sold, irritatingly). I have one more bottle of this disaster --- not sure if I'm going to request a refund, or just uncork it soon to, at a bare minimum, clear-up one more bottle of storage space. 0 points.

10/13/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --

NOSE: tight and oaky.

BODY: medium bodied.

TASTE: good acidity; non-descript dark red/purple fruits; would have benefited from more air.

9/27/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted approx. 1.25 hrs. prior to initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind for 2.5 hours after the decant period --
-- 375 mL --

NOSE: ripe, dark red and purple fruits; not funky; no pencil shavings; a touch fumey; not complex, as it shows today.

BODY: dark violet-garnet color of great depth; sediment present; no bricking; medium to medium-full body.

TASTE: dark fruited; medium-low to medium acidity; cedar/oak; floral hint; concentrated dark cherry; very fine tannins -- tannins are mostly resolved; labelled at 13.5% alc., and it's a bit noticeable in the form of a warming sensation in the belly -- I wouldn't be surprised to find this is closer to 14.5% than it is 13.5%; it's a big, albeit not gloppy, wine; still young, even from this 375mL; a touch bitter; not nearly as thrilling as the barrel sample I tasted many years ago. It will be interesting to see how this ages: I am a bit concerned, on account of the low-ish acidity, and the lack of much behind the fruit, the alcohol, and bitter nature of the fruit. GPL is one of my pet favorite producers, so this was a rather surprising, and disappointing, experience. Hopefully things rebound with time.

50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88

9/19/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- vigorously decanted --
-- tasted non-blind over 2.5 hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 3 --

NOSE: faint fruitiness, with some sandalwood; light powdery element; not much going on. Didn't unfurl much, if at all, by Day 3.

BODY: light bodied; medium amber color.

TASTE: dry; spicy woodsiness --- incense and sandalwood; light orange wine character; light and delicate; slightly tangy; not much flavor; 10.67% alc. not noticeable; very little flavor; fruit maybe not ripe enough?; I just don't get it. Day 3: a bit more giving now, with medium+ acidity, but still not much going on; there's a little something there, but that little something doesn't seem complex, interesting, or forthcoming. This wine is, and always has been, terribly vexing for me --- maybe it just needs more time, but that's a possibility I don't really believe in. Drink now if you're into lightly-flavored mineral water, keep holding if you believe time will ultimately unlock some secrets here. As it drinks today, my gut impression score is probably in the 70s ---- I really want to like this, there's just not much in the way of aroma or flavor to like (or dislike, for that matter).

7/26/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 3.5 hours --
-- 2/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Pinot Blanc --
-- code etched on bottle: LP15 D0119ND --

NOSE: moderately rich and vinous; chalky/mineral; light, crisp, and a bit leafy/green all at once; Chard. aromatics that lean towards the lighter end of the spectrum --- perhaps from the Pinot Blanc?

BODY: rich, golden yellow color; light to medium-light bodied.

TASTE: very dry; nice front palate richness of fruit, dissipating as it moves to the rear palate; steely; very interesting; light Sweet Tarts flavor at the 2.75 hrs mark; Ashley and I both liked it, but she re-buys at $40, and me at $55, so not a re-buy at $80. In the end, very good to low-level excellent, but not exciting.

8/16/2021 - pjaines wrote:

Slowly maturing into a beautifully balanced wine; this bottle was in great condition with pure and clean palate of black/red fruits and some garrigue notes over a silky smooth finish. Not big nor blowsy, just balanced and calm.

5/10/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
-- 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir --
-- code etched into bottle: LM080719 --

NOSE: Nose is dominated by a strong, snappy apple aroma; hint of kelp.

BODY: med.-light green-yellow color; medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: this is the Extra Brut, but nonetheless is far from wanting for richness; this is rich without being sweet; nice acidity; tart apple; hint of raspberry; lemon-lime soda; consistent with my previous bottle, which did not receive as much of my attention as this one did; a very nice wine, and a superstar QPR champion at $40. This may be the best Champagne I've had at this price point. Seems like it would age very well.

4/11/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours --

NOSE: rich and buttery with a background herbal element.

BODY: medium golden yellow color; medium bodied.

TASTE: rich, but not heavy; medium-strong fruit flavor with pleasant supporting saline note; high acidity; popcorn; white grapefruit; rich and salty/umami; 13.1% alc. not noticeable. I grabbed this bottle, in part, because it had a slightly pushed cork. The cork was pretty spongy upon removal. My fears of an advanced wine were quickly dashed: this was utterly stunning, and may be the best Rhys Chardonnay I've had (pretty sure I felt the same way when I opened my first bottle back in 2015). No *need* to drink now, but I highly recommend it, anyways, especially for folks with more than one bottle.

50, 5, 12, 19, 10 = 96

3/21/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- May 2019 disgorgement --
-- 100% Pinot Noir --

NOSE: light/fresh; medium-light, fresh (not oxidized) apple.

BODY: very active bead; light-to-medium-light bodied.

TASTE: very austere; crisp, light cherry; better than last bottle in December, but I still have a clear preference for the Efflorescence.

3/20/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

Very nice. Nose a bit more expressive than the bottle from December, three months prior. Dry. Excellent bottle of bubbles.

4/15/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
-- 100% Chardonnay --
-- no dosage; disgorged: Feb. 2019 --

Airy, bright Nose with juicy Fuji apple dominating. Light/airy, and dry on the palate. Very dry, but the fruit here is rich, juicy, and crystalline. Remarkably stunning from the first sip to the last. This comes across as clean, refreshing, and delightfully focused. Extremely moreish. Gut impression score: 95 - 96. Absolutely spectacular! I struggle to imagine how a no-dosage blanc de blancs could get much better than this. Not sure I'd age this very long, and with how good it is today I don't really see the point in doing so, either. Unbelievably delicious!

5/31/2020 - Frank Murray III wrote:

There is just something off with this bottle. The color is an orange/salmon, and there are some sherry-like notes and perhaps even a touch of TCA, although I am not certain it's corked. Overall, I didn't care for this and have taken some photos of the wine to shoot off to Dominique Laurent at the domaine to get her thoughts. I'm wanting to think my other bottle is not like this, and at $90 US, I want to taste something much better in my glass than what this wine is showing.

2/4/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted 15 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 2 --

NOSE: strong black pepper; firmly planted in the savory/green olive camp; hints of dark raspberry and oak. Day 2: same as Day 1.

BODY: magenta-tinged garnet color of medium depth; medium to medium-full bodied.

TASTE: medium+ acidity; very stemmy; very tannic; Ash didn't like it on account of the intense stemminess. Day 2: same as Day 1. 13.3% alc. not noticeable. I liked this, but, quite frankly, it tastes like a typical stemmy/savory St. Joseph, and lacks any apparent distinctive qualities at this time. Extremely strong HOLD recommendation on this one --- I'm burying mine in offsite for at least 5 years, unless I start seeing inspirational TNs from others before then.

1/24/2021 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted immediately before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 3 hours --

NOSE: extremely tight; a touch savory; just not giving much at all ---- perhaps a faint blueberry/dark cherry combo.

BODY: light bodied; garnet-violet color of medium-light depth.

TASTE: thin; on the watery side; dried provencal herbs; not funky; medium+ to high acidity; seems shut-down; some drying tannins; alc. not noticeable; not showing well at all, really. If scoring as how this drank today, it would be in the low 80s. I'm hoping it blossoms with cellar time, and it's my understanding this wine typically requires age, so there's hope. HOLD.

12/18/2020 - Eric wrote:

Disgorged November, 2014. Definitely showing more maturity for the NV than I am used to. The creamy verve and sheer Vilmart energy have mellowed with age. Toast on the nose, moving to green apple and bitter almond on a still racy, precise, yet rather delicate palate. It finishes out with some nuttiness sprinkled with lime zest and a squeeze of grapefruit. The power of youth has been replaced with a far more subtle and delicate wine after 5 years in the cellar.

10/20/2020 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted approx. 2 hours before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 1.5 - 2 hours --
-- 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc --

NOSE: "dark"; purple-fruited; musky/smoky/leather; light oak; slight green note (green bean, not bell pepper); seems to be reserved, as this never became more than moderately expressive --- or, perhaps, just needed more air.

BODY: garnet-violet color of great depth; medium bodied.

TASTE: dark; earthy; something slightly savory/earthy/musky --- but not funky; tannic; adequate acidity; slight mushroom and black cherry aspects, along with some plum; pencil shavings; paired excellently with steak and wild rice --- quite frankly, the food pairing improved the wine drastically. Seems pretty complex, but in need of more time: wait 5 years until next bottle. Drink 2025 - 2040, if not beyond.

50, 5, 11, 18, 8 = 92, with room to improve.

10/1/2020 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Tempranillo (80%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano, the grapes sourced from the El Bosque vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in old and very large oak fermenters, aged for 5 years in barrels and then for a further 3 years in bottles before release. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind.

Quite dark, somewhat translucent and relatively youthful deep ruby red color with a pale garnet rim. Fragrant, sweet-toned and somewhat perfumed nose with aromas of wild strawberries, some raspberries, light wild floral tones, a little bit of exotic spice, sweet developed hints of wizened red fruits and marmalade and a floral touch of violets. The wine is dry, firm and relatively acid-driven on the palate with a medium body and precise, elegant flavors of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some savory old wood spice, a little bit of marmaladey raspberry, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of ripe black cherry and a touch of farmhouse funk. The wine has a lovely, silky texture yet it sports wonderfully precise structure with its noticeably high acidity and somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is firm, moderately grippy and very long with complex, dry flavors of sour cherries, some leathery funk, a little bit of crunchy cranberries, light notes of savory wood spice, a hint of sweet-and-sour lingonberry jam and a touch of earth. The bright acidity makes the wine end on a quite mouthwatering note.

A wine that came across as noticeably different from the other red wines in our Spanish Tempranillo half-blind tasting. If such an analogy makes sense, all the other wines felt more "Cabernet" in style - the classicist coming across as Bordeaux, the modernist more like Napa Cabs - while this wine was the only one that was distinctively "Burgundian" in style - lighter in weight, more delicate in taste, wonderfully perfumed in the nose and sporting beautiful, Pinot Noir-like acidity. Many said this wine was underwhelming and most likely not going to age that well in the cellar, but I guess they were just expecting a more robust style of wine; for me, this was a classic, well-made Bosconia showing outstanding freshness, precision and sense of sophistication. Still a mere baby at the age of 14 years, I expect this wine to age gracefully for another two decades or so. Excellent value at 22,25€.

6/21/2020 - grafstrb wrote:

-- decanted 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours --

NOSE: dark; earthy; smoldery; dark red fruits; brooding.

BODY: medium bodied; lots of fine particulate matter present.

TASTE: lightly tannic --- notably gentle for such a young Bdx.; typical 2014 approachability; oak noticeable, but not obtrusive/distracting/overdone. This was my third time with this wine, and I've loved it every time. It's alluring now, but I like the future even more. Thank goodness my remaining bottles are at off-site, because this is seriously difficult for me to keep my hands off of right now! Sleek, elegant, and powerful --- and without being light/thin/underripe. Understated excellence. Not a blockbuster, so unlikely to garner the highest of scores (even I prefer the soaring, rock-solid sky-scraper vintages), but don't get me wrong: this is *solidly* excellent. Drink Now through 2040, at least. Note to self: next bottle in 2029. Gut impression score: 94 - 95.

7/6/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote:

Mixed Bag at Kevin's (Minneapolis, MN): Drinking well with earth, raspberries, stones, floral and dark berries. Medium plus finish. Drink now to 2025. This wine is drinking better than the last time I had it.

12/12/2012 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 days --

NOSE: very expressive; tawny; salinic; old wood furniture; some oak; hint of dried/candied ginger; could smell this all day long.

BODY: amber-tinged dark tan color; medium bodied; some sediment in the bottle.

TASTE: Wow! Very salinic; powerful presence; LOL!; almond and toasted almond; Bergamot tea; the power really belies its medium weight; hint of toffee on the long finish, which is of medium-strong to strong intensity; acidity is high and almost surprising in its assertiveness; each sip is worth 5 minutes in heaven; intense salinity and acidity; some oak; 19% alc. is not noticeable; LOL-good stuff right here. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!

B: 50, 5, 14, 19, 10 = 98

5/29/2020 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 3 to 4 hours --

NOSE: expressive; strong mineral; intense floral stone fruit; hint of soft spearmint.

BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; under Nomacorc; green-yellow color of light intensity.

TASTE: juicy acidity; strong mineral aspect, too, but it's situated behind plenty of ripe, expressive, fruit (peach donut ring gummy candies); 13.7% alc. is a little noticeable. Very nice. Should never be mistaken for a Vouvray or Saumur. Bought a bunch for summertime quaffing.

4/20/2020 - grafstrb wrote:

-- cork pulled 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --

NOSE: mineral; lime; light peach; moderately expressive. Preferred this out of the Grassl Mineralite over the Liberte.

BODY: Diam10 cork; light to medium-light body.

TASTE: dry; lots of mineral; high acidity; medium-light fruit flavor, which is a bit reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc, which Riesling sometimes does for me. Really solid. At $30, I don't see the QPR unless this ages well, as there's other trocken Rieslings out there that are very similar for closer to $20. But this does seem like it would age well, so I'm in.

3/28/2020 - sfbikeguy Likes this wine:

The Panoplie is an interesting wine. It is very enjoyable right now. You have that super odd 'fizziness' the first 15 min, but then that blows off and you're left with a nice wine with a lot of earth. Interestingly, I have a lot of the 2007 Esprit de Beaucastels. For these, the fizziness does NOT go away. I think my public comment was that I wanted Tablas Creek to explain what is going on. I won't buy their wines anymore until they do. Too odd of an issue. I had a case of both wines.