1/17/2016 - vegasoenophile wrote:

The Mouvedre seems to be leading the nose on this wine. Crushed lavender, Indian spices, graphite shavings, and plum skins. Tightly wound and acid-driven, so I feel this was opened too early. It's a tad astringent for my taste at the moment. Cranberry, pomegranate, plum, under ripe blackberry and hints of tarragon and other green herbs. It has a spice note of Asian/Indian spices. Bits of black tea and violets/lavender notes. Mellow tannins, but the acid at this point, is out of balance for me. Hold.

12/3/2022 - Tobinski wrote:

So I have this habit of opening Monsanto CCRs around the 7 year mark. Typically they just taste shut down on PnP but not particularly imposing, and then start singing after a 1-2 hour decant. Not so here. Very primary at first with a nose dominated by an aroma resembling burnt rubber. This remained tightly coiled and edgy with air—the palate never revealing much more then dense underripe plums. Needs much more time, but I suspect it will always be an atypical version, never reaching the understated harmony that is the common thread of both cooler vintages like 13 and 14, and warmer vintages like 11 and 12.

5/11/2021 - bwillia Likes this wine:

With two hours air this was still flat. Four hours in it opened up to dark bing cherry note and stone. The nose was muted throughout.

8/6/2018 - dyuhas Likes this wine:

Perhaps the best port ever.