1/15/2024 - MRonan83 wrote:

Anyone feel the new release price on the Elysian is high along with other releases? Years past they have flown off the “shelf” with an allocation of 3 max but now with an allocation of 6, you can still buy. It never use to get to second tier allocation available. I’d love to support Mike and Leah because they are great people and at this price it’s becoming unobtainable for their long time supporters. Just me thinking this?

6/16/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

An awesome wine that is aging well. Very smooth and balanced, a superb Napa Cab.

1/28/2023 - Yack Man Likes this wine:

As with the first bottle, this wine is very approachable right out of the bottle, I didn’t decant it was a Coravin pour and very good from the start. The color is a dark, intense purple-burgundy color with a nice floral nose. On the palate the approach is bold, there’s ripe dark fruits, blackberry and other dark fruits, some black cherry, some slight hints of cedar aroma. Nice concentration and graceful extraction, this 2019 is slightly improved but it will continue to evolve to a better place. 97 Points. A fantastic wine but is it worth the price of admission? You decide, but a good number of wines of this caliber are beginning to exceed my purchasing threshold.

1/6/2023 - Rebs in Chicago wrote:

So perfect. Violets, lavender, dried tart blackberries , raspberries , baking spices, mocha, tons of well integrated tannins, good acidity, a backbone of cherries…

It has years of life left and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for my other bottles

1/1/2023 - atilathehun wrote:

In advance of the January offering for the ‘21’s thought I’d check in. I don’t know if the envelope is being pushed even more extreme on the sugar scale over the past few years, maybe it’s the vintage, or maybe my palette is just maturing and growing tired of this extracted style. Used to love it. Now regret given the cost. It’s like in competition BBQ you start with high quality meat but then aggressively manipulate it with extra flavor and extra sugar designed to be an extreme representation of what the judges are eating as they only get one bite before they need to move on to the next contestant. Better blowout their tastebuds in 1 bite. I think that explains the high critic scores for wines like this. I personally found it tedious to drink more than a sampling. In that sense probably the perfect bottle to share with friends.

11/12/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

Wine weekend in the Twin Cities; 11/10/2022-11/12/2022 (Where the frosty air is refreshing.. kind of): N: Elegantly deep honey with an incredible acidity that pierces through the gentle sweetness. Everything is gently honeyed: oak, minerals, stone, fruits, oats and white flowers sprayed with morning honey dew mist (if there was such a thing). If honeycombs were perfectly sweet with its slightly bitter wax, it would smell like this. I got scents as if I am standing next to a pristine waterfall with white flowers at its base, crashing mists of honey and rocks made out of melon rinds (not watermelon).

P: This is the complete opposite of cloying, with acidity coursing through its veins with verve and energy, carrying the fruit on its back. Intense yet subdued acidity that’s integrated but somehow carries the fruit so well, never allowing the flavors to become too sweet. Pleasantly spiced honeycomb wax, intensely bitter minerals coated in light honey and honeydew melon lightly drizzled with, you guessed it, honey - gentle, pure, unrefined honey.

This shatters my reality of what I thought the world of Sauternes could be. The amazing acidity, where it's just the right amount (so not so much a searing one), gives this wine an incredible and awesome life on the palate. I was afraid any extra acidity might break the balance, like the balance of what the ‘09 had, but it doesn’t. Rather, the acidity broke my boundaries and showed me new realms to explore. I used to wonder how does one enjoy a whole 750ml bottle of a Sauternes by themselves, and now I wonder no more. I can totally spend a whole evening with this. Spent 4 hours with this and it kept getting better, showing more speed and swiftness with each passing hour. Holy shit, if the gods had a dessert wine, it would be this. Thank you 'I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine' for treating me with this, I absolutely hate what you have done to me.. every time he asked me do I want more, I felt bad for saying yes every time but man alive did it taste oh so good! Ahh yes, the benefits of a Coravin.

9/12/2022 - Beeck10 wrote:

bwaaa what a bottle, I had the chance to drink this wine in primeur and it was the best in his class at that moment, it is still now, really , the wine is already so enjoyable to drink now ! what a balance , that's what I'm looking in wines , what a great bottle , Pomerol is not my number one appelation , but this wine is so great that sometimes I hesitate , maybe the full and round texture, what is so typical for pomerol is not so prominent and you will find some elegancy typical from the left bank ! it is still young and the wine will age well, I think even better in 5/10 years, so to + the wine is permit ! love it !

6/28/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

Napa day trip (Adamvs, Almacerro) (Napa): Aromas of dark roses, dark red fruits and black berries, deep earth, purple flowers like violets or lavender, some chocolate with some time and subtle black olives with more time. The olive note was quite nice.

Flavors of deep dark fruits, earthiness, softly spiced oak, dark minerals, great intensity and a bit of wildness in a good way. There is a freshness to this that brings swiftness on the palate.. thinking that's the mountain fruit showing off. 97+

The heat might've had some affect on the aromas and flavors. I might've enjoyed this a bit more if it were cooler around cellar temp and let it slowly come to room temp. It was quite toasty outside.

9/4/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

Love that Rutherford dust. Rich, lush, great frame, cassis and blackberry, dark chocolate, slate, earth, coffee and a nice finish. Structure is nearly evolved. Beautiful.

9/4/2022 - sean7711 Likes this wine:

Last tasting was exactly a year ago. Had this for LDW Sunday paired with steaks on the grill. This was a winner among all family members tasting. Much more accessible and starting to enter a great drinking window. I don’t know how well Carters age because I can’t keep my hands off drinking them young. Really great wine -you get the hallmark notes of LPV.

8/5/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

This wine confines to over deliver. What an amazing wine - decant for a min of 1.5 hours before taking a sip and then thank me as the wine blossoms into greatness. Won’t repeat previous notes. 94/95.

8/13/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

Last minute audible.. (Far from the Lair): Aromas on the nose brings darker red and black fruits, wet earth, and dark graphite.

Flavors of the dark fruit have much more depth here, showcasing a brooding aspect that I really enjoy. This will need air time if opening now. Tasted this next to the '19 Materium, which initially showed better out the gate. However, this '18 caught up and surpassed the '19. Developed hints of tar that added to intrigue but sadly all of this was mostly gone. Revisit in another year or two. Strong 97+

7/9/2022 - Geaux Tigers wrote:

Took 3 hrs in a decanter to finally open a bit, after an hour of intermittent sips. Until the 3 hr mark, this was a mess and just not good. When the air finally cracked it open, black and blue fruit along with earthy dirt and charred embers, with some tannins still in the way. Not much else to report here—a mix of disappointment and some user error. My only and last bottle of the ‘12 KE

I thought 10 yrs and 2 hr decant would open this—the KE’s either need 12-15 yrs or minimum 4 hrs in the decanter along with a warning label on the bottle to remind me of that.

8/2/2022 - blarmston Likes this wine:

Opened a 375 of this last night, gave it about 2 hours of decant time.

I didn't sneak a sip upon opening, so not sure how much it evolved in those 120 minutes, but this seems to me to be in a bit of a shut down phase.

The nose never really showed up, and overall the flavor profile seemed a bit muted. Either Covid decided to make another appearance or this has decided to go for a little nap, I'll go with the latter.

I was going to open a '18 Amoenus tonight to celebrate The Return of DeGOAT to a MLB mound (THANK GOD, HE'S BACK!), but I will hold off.

7/31/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

Speakeasy /w FermentedBeast & Co. (Diamond Heights, San Francisco): Aromas of pure, fresh fruit, clean and intense berries with white and blue flowers. Nice intensity from both fruit and flowers.

Flavors of dark, rich fruits with amazing swiftness, pure flavors of fruit, rich earth, nicely fruited minerals, graceful intensity with lovely richness. There is this nice sprinkling of earthy minerals that add to intrigue.

Loved the swift energy and tension this provides, such a lively play of all the flavors. This hits a lot of the right spots. Will be fun to see how this unfolds down the line. 98+

4/11/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

Napa Trip - Trying new wines and meeting new people; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022 (Napa): New wine for me and what a stunner. Had this next to the '19, which took the lead initially, but this '18 caught up like no other. Flavors of fresh yet dark red fruits, amazing forest floor and graphite. This had an amazing energy to it, so refreshing yet serious with flavors. With just a little bit of time, this turns darker while maintaining swiftness. There was a touch of asphalt that added a nice complexity to the wine. Love the style of this, great tension and flavors now which keeps me curious as how this will develop. The only thing that sucked was being able to try something that you can't buy.. oh, the heartbreak.

4/8/2022 - MuddyBear Likes this wine:

Drank with BP with dinner from Froggys. 4 hour decant. We also had the 09 lalande, which I think is great. This was significantly better. This wine is in the zone and a phenomenal example of modern Napa. Juicy black fruit but not over the top. Well integrated oak. Beautiful long finish. Shocked at the elegance and finesse of this wine. Absolutely love it.

4/2/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

No formal notes.

This was amazing. Took about 10-15 minutes to open up.

Nose of fresh dark red and black fruits, soft and deep earth, tree bark and twigs. The fruits turn macerated after some time (something that I have missed for a while now), soft chocolate and dark green shrubbery appears.

On the palate you get an abundance of dark red and black fruits, this pleasurable creaminess to the fruit (not vanilla but more of like the white milkiness you get in a berry smoothie), deep black earth, softly bitter graphite, a touch of asphalt and steeped tea.

Like any young wine, this showed a lot of fun youthfulness but acted mature for its age. There's depth behind the macerated fruit that indicated great structure and hidden layers, waiting to be revealed with time. I hope they will eventually bottle this in 750s, it would be nice to follow this through time.

3/29/2022 - mliszt Likes this wine:

about as good as a bottle of wine can get. had along side a clos Solene and both good but Saxum to me stands near alone. smooth, balanced, and just thrilled i still have some more.

1/28/2022 - LiteItOnFire wrote:

Very enjoyable. Nothing new to add from a month ago.

11/19/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:

Double decanted back into the bottle with about 4 hours of air total. This is a big vintage and a big wine. Very Aubert in every way - concentrated, complex, fairly massive and a bit overwhelming this young.

Aromas of pears, passion fruit, lemon zest, brioche and nutmeg. Full bodied, super concentrated, with many layers of flavor that will take a little time to unfurl, this wine is showing almost like a young cab that needs a couple years in bottle to calm down. Creamy texture, decent acidity and a ridiculously long, spicy finish shows the massive potential here. Lots of upside in the next few years.

1/3/2022 - csimm wrote:

I wrote quite extensively on my experiences with the 2020 Myriad barrel samples back in March 2021, so I’ll focus these most recent notes straight toward the issue everyone is likely concerned about. The following are a list of 2020 Myriad samples I had a chance to revisit; smoke taint was not directly detected in these four samples.

1. Dr. Crane: Whether this particular sample goes into the Elysian or the standard Crane has not been determined yet. Given that I’ve been fortunate enough to try many samples of Dr. Crane from essentially all of the producers pulling fruit from this site since at least the last decade or so, I can say that the front end of this sample is fairly indicative of what one would expect: A large front-end push of black cherry fruit (fairly fruity) with notable concentration mid-palate (though less intensity than the Myriad Cranes of past Goldilocks vintages). The back end of this sample was a little sleepy, with a muted and pared finish that slowed the cadence of the flavor push and clipped the tail. Was the finish a result of smoke taint, you ask? No, I do not think so. There was no straight astringency present, and I didn’t get that bitter pinch at the back of my jaw and top of my throat that I often associate with smoke influence (and that was considerably obvious in a couple of the other samples).

2. Georges III: The nose started off with a bit of an interesting funk, but the palate was all GIII. Plush, lush, and slathering fruit (the most overt of the samples). Jammy and fruity, with a complete attack that swelled into a broad and enveloping finish. Juicy and toothsome.

3. Peterson: Mostly muted, but with air it began to slowly open into a direct shot of controlled dark berry fruit. The Peterson was in a more academic mood with this sample. Finished direct and focused.

4. Kenefick: Rich grape jelly, with a jammy attack that was almost as plush as the GIII. A lot of yum factor with this sample. The finish geared down considerably into a more trimmed tail.

PS: I did taste two 2020 samples that I can confidently say were smoke tainted and/or flawed in some way: A Syrah and a sample from Steltzner. The Steltzner was especially interesting because it had all of the wonderful hallmarks of that site that I absolutely adore all the way up until the final tip of the finish, where it then abruptly became harshly astringent and bitter to the point that it washed away the front end fruit flavors.

PPS: I understand the 2020 Myriad Crane release is coming out this month. My 2 cents on that is pretty simple: buy what you feel comfortable with. If it stresses you out so much that you’ll lose sleep wondering if your bottles will turn into scary monsters in the middle of some dark and stormy night, then maybe pass this time around - and maybe see a therapist while you’re at it (since wine is a luxury item and is supposed to be fun and all). And if I know one thing about whatever you decide to buy (and this is true of any vintage), if it ends up that when you finally crack the cork and there is some goofiness in the bottle, always hit up the winemaker to discuss reparations. As I’ve said a million times, any winemaker/proprietor worth his/her salt should always replace the bottle or refund your money. I know some disagree with me on this (to include some winemakers who think it is unrealistic to “guarantee” their wine to the extent that any flawed wine should be replaced), but as a lowly peasant consumer, I think it is a reasonable expectation given the quality I think should be necessitated from these higher-end products.

12/24/2021 - iamandyc Likes this wine:

They should rename this wine OMG! This bottle was as amazing as my last one on Christmas 2018 and like that year, bested a MacDonald (2012 this time). Hit its stride with about 2 hours of decanting and kept improving in the glass until the end. It just has everything -- nose, glorious mouthfeel, dense yet weightless body, multifaceted fruit, layers of flavors, dusty minerals, beautifully integrated tannin/acid, long finish... Just keeps changing and makes me smile on each sip. Glorious. Saving a 100 point rating just in case I ever taste something better but hard to imagine. Only one left 😬

12/2/2021 - Jofie wrote:

A thoroughly great wine that is already a lot of fun to drink. Precise fruit, notes of chocolate, coffee and tonka bean are incredibly fine and densely interwoven with subtle wood spice. The wine is absolutely outstanding in its harmony and smoothness, has a lot of volume and long finish. With a little more maturity and complexity, this is probably 100 points.

10/31/2021 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote:

Really excellent (especially with several hours of air). Ripe black cherry, juicy strawberry, slight earthiness and spice. It has a very dense weight to it but the freshness gives it lift. Still needs time and has potential for a higher score.

8/18/2021 - BadOyster wrote:

Had to “check in” on this wine. Decanted and replaced into the bottle for 12 hours, decanted again for 2 hours and served.
While it had been 5 years, I still disagree with AG’s note. “Tightly wound”, “reticent”, and “lack of charm” do not describe this wine at all. They didn’t upon release, and they still don’t. The initial blast of crystalline red fruit and florals is still there, opening up to a mouthwateringly bright mid-palate of black cherry and red-fleshed pluots. A smidge of savory cigar and black tea keep it interesting before the seductively long finish. Things are coming together nicely right now - could use a few more years, but while some might start counting in decades, I just think if you wait too long you’ll miss out on the liveliness of the wine, which would be a shame.

8/15/2021 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine:

Was my contribution for a good friends 65th BD, and man oh man, did this wine give a great showing.

To set the stage, other wines opened that night '18 Rivers Marie Panek, 2018 Bevan Dr. Crane, 2018 Maybach Matrium, '19 Aubert Eastside, '14 Kisler, '18 & '19 Kindred Roses.

As for the reds, all were fabulous and at the end of the night, any one of those bottles opened on their own would have been a great night of drinking, but definitely interesting when compared up against each other.

It was unanimous from all in attendance, the '14 Elysian was noticeable better than the others in the line up and definitely the WOTN.

The Elysian got an hour or two decant, than was consumed over 5 hours (have no idea how we were able to portion pours to have it last that long!!) and the other wines except for the Bevan, all got the same treatment.

The Elysian was a mixture of Black, Red and Blue all seamlessly intermingled what i would assume was just like tasting a Wonka Everlasting Gobstomper!

In as it was a Birthday celebration rather than a tasting, didn't have time to jot down the components, but had an amazing mouth-coating feel from the first sip to the last 5 hours later, and just seemed to get better and better in glass. The mid palate was substantial and had at least a minute finish.

By far the best wine ive had all year!!

As we were drinking it, we messaged Mr. Smith who was telling us that '14 was a bit of a difficult year, but not one of us would ever have guessed it, as this bottle was 'outta the park'!! Bravo Mike!!

If you've got one, its a treat, and think this bottle has many many more years of excellence. Definitely looking forward to trying the other two in coming years to see if it might just hit that elusive perfect score!!

7/27/2021 - csimm wrote:

Vice Versa weekend and dinner: I got all ramped-up to write about this wine and then just re-read my notes from 4/30/2021 that basically say it all (so, refer to those notes if you want to read my novella from April). This was probably my favorite wine of the weekend. It is just so perfectly balanced, smooth, and complex. The depth is extraordinary, as in EXTRA awesome. A 2015 Promontory (as well as a number of the amazing Vice Versa wines) were nipping at the heels of this Harlan, but I can’t deny my complete adoration and affection for this amazing wine. It is an emotional response for me.

When CT’er Cristal2000 said he was considering popping the cork on this bottle, I tried to play it off casually, like that would be a wine “worth exploring” or some sort of snobby academic reply that made me think I was saying something only mildly suggestive as to the merits of opening it for “the other people.” Of course, what I really meant was, “Um, I want. Me drink. Now please.”

And yes, I hear it constantly. “But is it worth it, really?” Hell, I dunno. Generally speaking, it doesn’t put a roof over my head or cure me from cancer, so in that vein, I guess it’s not worth it. It is for me. Well, is it a bummer that it is in the top price bracket that it is…as in, it’s own bracket, leaving almost all Napa Cabs in the fiscal dust for only the elite to sample? Of course it’s a bummer. But if a Ferrari was inexpensive and everyone had one, it wouldn’t be a Ferrari. Regardless, if I (meaning me…not anyone else) had to have just one wine before I die kind of thing, this is at the top of my list.

7/31/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

Didn’t have time to decant but wanted a great glass of wine and an excuse to use my new purchased Plum wine dispenser. Tasted at PnP while cooking and then let another glass decant for an hour. First off love my new toy that 100% don’t need but… do I need $250 VHR wine, no anywhoo

Wine is not showing as well as it did last year nor as well as recent reviewers but perhaps it’s the shorter decant or the recent Bordeaux tastings- regardless it’s a beautiful wine. Hold next bottle for another year.

7/1/2021 - City Squirrel Likes this wine:

97+. Blind tasted against a '17 MacDonald, '16 Vine Hill Ranch (VHR), '16 Cliff Lede Poetry, '14 Abreu Las Posadas, '13 Abreu Madrona Ranch. This and the Poetry had the best bouquet, ironically similar, but the Top 3 were for the majority of 6 drinkers was the VHR, Cliff Lede BTK and the Abreu Madrona. Hard to call a WOTN, but the VHR and Cliff Lede were both top contenders.

7/15/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

2021 Bordeaux Tasting Trip; 7/12/2021-7/16/2021 (Bordeaux): A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.

DAJ in the below tasting note put it best and I should leave well enough alone but that’s just plain silly, like a sign over the big red button that reads don’t press so here I go…

Vieux Chateau Certan is not a Trophy wine that Americans buy to throw their junk on a table and show off (crude I know but reality), it’s a wine that really only knowledgeable wine drinkers are aware of and not well known to Americans. Further they do not advertise or market or do any publicly at all, they are farmers/winemakers and that’s what they know (FYI going forward same winemaker as Le Pin GT). If there was an ounce of marketing they would be priced 2x++ what it is today. First we tasted the 2020 second wine, La Gravette de Certan, then 2020 VCC, then 2010 and then the 2019 (requested a comparison after the fact). The suite of wines were outstanding, period- and they know it with a shy smile and a nod.

While the 2020 had the large price increase (like others) it made other much more expensive wines look like they were playing in little league baseball while VCC just won the championship. While I am not familiar with Petrus or Screaming Eagle (only familiar with the second wine) nor truly understand Burgundy, I can say without a doubt VCC was the wine of the trip and the best wine at the price- and one of the best wines we have ever had - and the 2010 brought home the top spot and will only get better.

The 2010 stole the show, still very young, but is one of my top wines I have ever had and it will only get better from here. I had the 2000 (too young and didn’t decant with MP) and two 2009s this year and while the 2000 was just ok, the 2009 was very very good (first one in Maui want decanter long enough), the 2010 is out of this world and at entirely different level … and 2020 might even surpass 2010… although might be hard to do.

The wine is near perfection, a chorus, better yet a symphony from the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. I won’t use flowery fluffy words to try and fail this wine, it just wouldn’t be right. It’s an amazing wine experience that is incredible now and will continue to involve and add complexity for decades. Wow.

If you have never heard of VCC, you will soon enough. If you haven’t tasted one, you are missing out on what wine is all about. If you haven’t had one in its peak drinking window, regardless if early or towards the end, I don’t think one truly has experienced all of what wine has to offer (while it may not be affordable, either save up and stop buying other wine or find a friend or pool some friends together and chip in to buy one- and if doing that, buy the 2010 as it’s firing on all cylinders and will only continue to get better every day- IMO (I purposefully left out humble). 99-100 Cheers!

6/28/2021 - watcheslover Likes this wine:

Re-tasted yesterday, for me the best Figeac ever made just behind the future legend 2019 and better than 2018 and 2020

7/5/2021 - haldolugr wrote:

Decanted the magnum and wow. Just wow. Not sure what else to say. Everyone who tried it - loved it. Just a stunning wine. Depth of flavors balanced on a easy to drink core with a smooth as butter finish. Spice and fruit mixed with a touch of vanilla. Blue and black fruit driven. So delicious.

7/1/2021 - City Squirrel Likes this wine:

97+. Blind tasted against a '17 MacDonald, '16 Vine Hill Ranch (VHR), '16 Cliff Lede Poetry, '14 Abreu Las Posadas, '13 Abreu Madrona Ranch. This and the Poetry had the best bouquet, ironically similar, but the Top 3 were for the majority of 6 drinkers was the VHR, Cliff Lede BTK and the Abreu Madrona. Hard to call a WOTN, but the VHR and Cliff Lede were both top contenders.

6/27/2021 - DrewWyman Likes this wine:

The best 2017 Napa Cab I've had to date. Night #1 was still pretty tightly wound but you could tell had mounds of beautiful fruit and a lot of power. Night #2 was eye opening, velvet smooth, fruit for days, just incredible. While I know there was been some question of '17 Napa, this should be tucked away for 10 years or given an 8+ hr decant.

6/13/2021 - tonyhuang wrote:

Over ripe, overly oaky and spicy. the score is a reflection of my personal taste. It is well made, and it pairs well with risotto. But in its own, it is not a style that I like.

5/10/2021 - Yack Man Likes this wine:

The 2016 Carter Weitz is a lovely wine. This could have easily be a pop an pour experience, but I allowed the wine to breath for a couple of hours and that was beneficial. When I pop the cork there was thick purple saturation/ build-up on the cork… Good sign? In the glass intensely rich purple crimson color with an attractive violet/ floral bouquet. On the palate, dark ripe yet elegant berry fruit and good energy. Blue and blackberry fruit, dark cherry and cassis. This wine is full bodied with lovely extraction yet elegance and focus. This Weitz may be the best vintages yet from Carter Cellars and a few years in the bottle has benefit this wine. 96+ Points.

4/27/2021 - csimm wrote:

It’s been nearly two years since I last had this wine. I’m absolutely loving it. The oak influence is so subtle that it’s barely detectable over the beautifully proportioned yellow citrus fruit flavors and accompanying acid. A top shelf Puligny-Montrachet with an extra bump in intensity. Outstanding!

2/26/2021 - Matt Scott Likes this wine:

Decanted for two hours. A Golden, lightly honeyed colour. Papaya, flint, ground lava, mineral, pineapple, Granny Smith apples and fresh cut lilies. Full-bodied and an entry that is focused, with the ability to go completely panoramic. The finish sails for many, many seconds, and the mineral, along with citrus on the enticingly fruity palate is enchanting. Decant now or wait a few years, this has the backbone and pedigree to age. Possibly my favorite Eastside yet. So individual. Drink 2025 - 2039.

12/20/2020 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Eight hour decant. Very deep purple magenta color. Cherries jubilee, strawberry shortcake, rice pudding, cola, and subtle rye on the decadent, fruit forward nose. Dry, satiny palate. Firm, full tannins on the very long finish. This is already drinking great, but there’s room for improvement in the coming year or two.

2/3/2021 - Winegeek83 Likes this wine:

Such great character and structure to this young wine that is just starting to open its eyes. Loads of dark fruit with Blackberry and Blueberry dominant, sweet violet florals and black licorice lend nuance with a kiss of earth. Beautiful wine that will continue to excite for many years. Give it a good decant now.

1/21/2021 - bubbachumps wrote:

Ken's High Flying Hermitage (Ken's Castle): Extraordinary wine! Massive scale and polish at the same time. Ripe berries, cassis, blackberry, currant and a touch of smoke, displaying a very complex bouquet. Gobbs of fruit on the palate without a pinch of excess. Very well put together, expansive and seamless. There is a alot of wine here, this should age very nicely but very good right now too. Drink or hold, you won't be diappointed!

1/3/2021 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Stood up for an hour. Got some air under cork for another hour.

Just a stunner. Bright, gorgeous purple fruit. Great balance and finish that left you wanting more. Well paired with filet mignon. Can lay down for a bit, but lovely right now. Exceeded expectations (which were high!).

12/12/2020 - Yack Man wrote:

The last bottle that I opened of this vintage was in November of 2017 and this much anticipated vintage for this label has been disappointing to say the least. Perhaps seven years in the bottle is not enough for this O'Shaughnessy? Over a 2 day period this wine is still showing tight, restrained with unresolved and under developed, with a slightly bitter aspect and some acidity. Perhaps this wine is an old school, built for longer term cellaring. Popped and poured, great dark color with aromas on the nose. Dark purple crimson color and on the palate, underdeveloped dark berry fruits black and blueberry showing mediocre fruit intensity. Some oak/ cedar aspects and tannins. I believe there’s hope for this wine, but when it will start to reveal it’s inner character and expression remains a mystery for now. 90.7 Points and disappointing. Not bad, just Meh!

12/7/2020 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine:

Popped open the last one of these in my cellar and thoroughly enjoyed the nuanced spice profile that was front and center on the foundation of fully integrated fruit. This was like an acapella group hitting all the right notes and being flawlessly in sync. There seemed to be no individual elements here, but rather a fully formed drinking experience. Potpourri notes and a sachet of aromas as well.

11/30/2020 - Niagara wrote:

Amazing. Tasting this is like the moment the Wizard of Oz changes from black and white to color.

11/21/2020 - City Squirrel wrote:

Pnp 1/2 bottle over an hour. This is an oak monster...can’t recall the last time I’ve had a bottle with this much upfront oak (..and I drink mostly Napa Cabs). Certainly well made and there are gobs of dark black fruits buried beneath the oak...and you can easily sense the purity & potential this has with 5-10 yrs of further integration, but the oak is just dominating. I did enjoy the texture and mouthfeel of this wine along with its chewy tannins, but for now, stuck the cork back in the bottle and will see how this evolves over the next several days. NR.

11/19/2020 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine:

This is just a great damn bottle of wine! Not sure if they are for the long haul. So I am going to keep enjoying them now.

11/8/2020 - Yack Man Likes this wine:

The 2018 Becklyn an exceptional wine right now and will get better as it integrates with time. This may be the only 2018 Cabernet that I have tasted that is singing right out of the gate (thus far anyway). In the glass the wine exhibits an intense, a dense dark reddish purple color along with a very nice nose. On the palate it’s full bodied with ripe red and black fruits, dark berries, dark cherry, cream de cassis, with some plum and some hints of chocolate. The fruit purity is excellent for a standard Napa Cab. 94++ Points now and only because it a baby. This 2018 doesn’t show as sweet as the 2017 and shows a bit more finesse.

11/18/2020 - cbuhlman wrote:

This is a luxury cuvee of Napa Cab, but as I said on a previous note, many of these Carter Cellars wines are not food friendly. This OG is way too flamboyant, sweet and rich to pair with food. I mean the palate weight is unreal as well as the finish, which is easily, 2+ minutes long. (complaining about the richness and purity of this wine reminds me of the Snowbird ad campaign where they posted critical reviews tongue in cheek, of their terrain being "too steep" and "way too much powder")
I am beginning to reconsider my thoughts about the Carter cellars style, they are impeccably made, and delicious, but maybe as a Bordeaux lover, who values the relationship between wine and food, I will never be able to reconcile this dilemma.
Perhaps these wines calm down in another 5-10 years...
Love to know what others are thinking..
I said I cannot rate this wine, but will offer two ratings instead. I did not mention this wine was paired with steak au poivre, roasted potatoes and a beet salad)
98-100 drinking one+ glass on its own.
88-89 with food.