8/8/2022 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear medium ruby
Blackcurrant, strawberry, cured meat, woody earth, hints of grass and VA (lesser than I expected, but apparent nonetheless).
Medium+ acidity, medium+ body. Medium intensity of dark fruits, strawberry, raspberry, cured meat, earth, touch of florals and stems. Medium+ firm tannins.
Fully open for business. Less flavour intensity on the palate than other Musar I've had. Wouldn't keep this for much longer, save where storage has been impeccable.

7/3/2022 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear medium ruby
On the nose: Blackberry, dark cherry, leather, savoury meat, pepper spice, dried herbs.
On the palate: Medium+ acidity, medium+ body, fairly pronounced intensity with blackberry, sour cherry, leather, meat, spice box, oak, and a little sour prune that dissipated somewhat with air. Medium+ smooth tannins, medium+ finish.
Expressive bouquet upon opening, but more muted on the palate with a slight sour note apparent on the finish. After 2 hours of slow ox in bottle this smoothened out a fair bit. Reasonably good but jury is still out on whether this is a representative bottle - will try again in a year or two. 92-93 pts on this showing.

1/14/2022 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear medium gold.
A nose of sweet orange, mandarin peel, apricot, honey, hint of grapefruit and spice.
Medium+ acidity, full lush body, pronounced intensity of orange, apricot, grapefruit zest and marzipan. Barley sugar would be an apt descriptor. Long finish.
Very sweet and unctuous on the palate. I feel like this particular vintage could benefit from a little more acidity.

1/14/2022 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear deep ruby.
Pronounced nose of blackberry, dark cherry, garrigue, fairly in-your-face barnyard that blew off somewhat with air, violets, oak.
High acidity, medium+ body, pronounced intensity of dark cherry, sweet spice, garrigue, oak. High fine-grained tannins, medium+/long finish.
Lovely complexity; fruity, aromatic, spicy and herbal. Elegant mouthfeel, albeit a tad leaner than expected, and therefore perhaps not built for the longest haul. Certainly in a drinking window.

1/14/2022 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear medium lemon.
On the nose, golden apple, young peach, cinnamon spice, musk, jasmine, osmanthus, buttery oak.
Medium+ acidity, full body, pronounced intensity of peach, white flowers, pungent spice, apple, oak. Medium+ floral finish.
Bigger on the palate than the nose, which feels like it is still developing. A serious wine that calls for due attention, although I am not sure it is worth the typical asking prices these days.

1/1/2022 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear pale lemon.
An initially somewhat shy and just slightly reductive nose opened up fairly quickly to ripening apples, lemon, youthful peach, white florals, with hints of seashell pebble and toast.
Searingly high acidity, full body, medium+ intensity and a long finish. In the mouth this came across as much more elegant rather than opulent.
While not closed by any means, the wine wasn't all that giving relative to what its reputation would otherwise suggest. It feels like this might put on more depth later on and could still use a few more years. An easy 93-94 now.

12/3/2020 - ozyloy wrote:

Brief note.
Popped and poured.
Blackcurrant, dark plum, tobacco, earth, spice box, oak. Hints of cigar smoke.
Ample body, ripe and rich; full tannins - a little thick and grippy; long finish. 92-93 pts. Still improving (and it certainly didn't help that we did not give this much airtime - the bottles in the entire case were polished off in quick succession)..

9/4/2020 - ozyloy wrote:

At Wolfgang (SG).
Decanted and drank over 2.5 hours.
Clear medium ruby. Slight bricking on the rim.
On the nose: Red cherry, dark cherry, rose petal, savoury brush, mature tobacco and leafy herbs.
On the palate, this had high acidity, medium+/full body, pronounced flavour intensity of (somewhat tart) cherry, strawberry, rose and tar. High firm tannins, long finish.
Very nice. An impressively elegant and supple mouthfeel. While the fruit was clearly there, it did not feel all that ripe. Still, this was short of mind-blowing. Perhaps it needs even more time to further integrate and soften?

10/31/2020 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
Clear deep ruby.
Nose: Blackcurrant, underbrush, cedar oak, licorice, talc / flowers, spice. Ample dark fruit.
Palate: Medium+ acidity, full body, fairly strong flavour intensity of blackcurrant, blackberry, cedar oak, spice. Medium+ grippy tannins, long finish.
This needs more time. Stuffing is there. Good fruit weight, but less expressive on the palate. Try again in a few years' time.

10/29/2020 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured, from flute. Brief note.
Clear medium lemon. Fine-beaded mousse.
Zesty lemon, apple, almond and yeast. Bright acidity. Flavour profile was lighter than expected. This should have been given some time before drinking. No rating from me.

9/16/2020 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
Clear medium ruby.
Nose of dark cherry, strawberry, savoury earth, hints of sweet spice and medicinal herb; more sweet red cherry appeared with air.
High acidity, medium+ body, pronounced flavour intensity of sweet red and dark cherry, earth, touch of woody stem and oak. Grippy tannins and a long finish.
A pleasing profile dominated by clean, sweet red fruits - this was a strong performer on its way up. 92-93 pts.

7/7/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
Clear, medium ruby.
Nose: Cherry, earth, violets, gentle oak. A touch of brett that blew off after 10 minutes in the glass.
Palate: Medium+ acidity, medium/medium+ body - initially a little thin, but the wine put on weight with air. Medium+ intensity of crunchy red fruit, dry earth, violets, mixed flowers, oak. Medium firm tannins, medium finish.
Pretty Chambolle floral profile, with good concentration for a village; this was really rather nice to drink, but the finish could have been longer. Give this a couple more years. 90-91 pts.

7/7/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear, pale lemon.
Nose: Sweet lemon, lychee, pear, floral petals (oily yellow flowers).
Palate: Medium+ acidity, medium+ body, medium+ intensity of pear, lemon, red apple, yellow flowers. Almost - but not quite - off dry. Medium+ finish.
Not an overly complex wine, but very delicious for what it is. 91 pts.

6/29/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Splash decanted.
Clear, medium lemon-gold.
Lime, melon, golden apple, honeysuckle, acacia. Medium acidity, medium+ intensity, medium+ finish. Hints of oxidation and scorched earth.
Very enjoyable, though somehow I felt that the complexity did not quite scale the exalted heights one would expect from this producer - nor did this feel like an issue of inadequate bottle age. Palate fatigue perhaps.

6/29/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Slow ox.
Clear, medium ruby.
Nose: Dark cherry, violets, forest floor, red cherry, strawberry, stony minerality, oak. Developing.
Palate: High acidity, medium+ body, medium+ flavour intensity with dark cherry, red cherry, floral bouquet, saline / stony minerality. Medium+ firm tannins, long finish.
This wine was remarkably good. Lovely balance and finesse. Less masculine than the Cacheux Echezeaux, less feminine than the Prieur Echezeaux. Showing very well, and still on the way up. 95-96 pts.
I had carted this back from Burgundy, having acquired it ex-Domaine (at fantastic QPR). Makes you wonder how much of what we taste in bottles of fine wine is due to influence from storage conditions over the years, even if said wine had not been damaged in any way. The answer is, probably, quite a lot.

6/29/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Slow ox, served blind.
Not clear (some haze), medium garnet.
Aged red cherry, cranberry, plum, savoury earth, tea leaves, spice. This was probably better half a dozen years ago. Fruit is still present, but fading fast. Do not hold. 91-92 pts.

6/29/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Slow ox, served blind.
Clear, deep ruby.
Nose: Dark cherry, red cherry, strawberry, earth, forest floor, oak, dry stems, spice, violets. Developing.
Palate: High acidity, medium+ body, medium+ flavour intensity with dark and red cherry, earth, forest floor, woody spice, oak. Medium+ firm tannins, medium+ finish.
Rather dark and brooding, with more wood and spice than one might expect. As befits the vintage, this probably requires a good few more years in the cellar before it starts to properly hit its stride. 92-94 pts (this wine should improve).

6/29/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Slow ox, served blind.
Clear, medium garnet.
Nose: Savoury earth, red cherry, strawberry, forest mushroom, floral bouquet, oak.
Palate: High acidity, medium body, medium+ intensity with tart red cherry, earth, mushroom, hint of oak. Less tertiary around 3 hours in, with freshness more apparent, and strawberry and plum becoming more discernable.
This is serious stuff and will probably develop in an interesting way over the years. 94-95 pts.

6/29/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Slow ox, served blind.
Clear, pale ruby.
Nose: Clean ripe strawberries, damp earth, woody branches; gentle aeration brought out dark cherry, violets.
Palate: High acidity, medium+ body, pronounced intensity of strawberry, dark cherry, earth, red cherry, woody stems, faint violets. Medium soft tannins, long finish.
Elegant profile, with nice pinot fruit, if still a little strong on the woody notes. The tannins are already integrating well. May be better in a few years, but I rather doubt this will stretch well past another decade. 92 pts.

6/29/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
Nose: Lemon drop, almond, yeasty dough.
Palate: High acidity, medium+ body, medium intensity with citrus lemon, lemon drop, almond nuts. Medium finish.
Pleasant flavours and nice to drink, if a little short on depth. 90-91 pts.

2/7/2020 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear deep ruby. Bouquet is fragrant and sweet, with blackberry, blackcurrant, red cherry, licorice, sweet spice, blueberry pie, oak, and a little streak of saline running through the top. Medium+ acidity, full body, medium smooth tannins, medium+ finish. This is probably not for aging, but nice enough to drink now if a little short on depth. Fruit-forward and probably better with some food.

1/30/2020 - ozyloy wrote:

Splash decanted. Drank over 1.5 hours.
Clear deep ruby, throwing a little fine sentiment.
On the nose: Bright red strawberry, raspberry, toasted oak, rocky minerality, spice, licorice and earth.
On the palate: High acidity, medium+ body, pronounced intensity with very ample red fruit, spice, oak, rocky minerality, and a little savoury herb. High firm tannins, long finish.
Initially very rich and intense on the nose - almost new world without the Aussie- style alcohol. This settled down after some time in glass, and became quite balanced albeit still on the lushly fruited side. Tannins have quite integrated and while I think this wine can still mellow a little more, it is good drinking now with perhaps a short decant.

7/20/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Slow ox 3 hours before drinking.
Clear, medium ruby.
Nose: Blackcurrant, dark cherry, savoury herbs, earth, spice, tobacco, cedar, oak. A little plum and stems as well. Developing.
Palate: High acidity, medium+ body, and a pronounced flavour intensity of dark fruits, plum, cedar oak, herbs, spice. High firm tannins; long finish.
Still tight in the glass and this could probably have used some decanting instead. A somewhat austere structure, yet plentiful fruit, in an old-world sort of style. On the way up and needs more time, perhaps another 3-5 years.

7/13/2019 - ozyloy Likes this wine:

Slow ox for 3 hours then poured. Tasted blind.
Clear, deep ruby.
On the nose, this had a whole melange of dark fruit - blackberry, blackcurrant, dark cherry, even plum. Coffee, cream, vanilla oak, spicebox and tobacco. Some alcoholic heat.
High acidity, medium+ body, pronounced flavour intensity of blackberry, blackcurrant, vanilla oak, chocolate mocha, coffee nibs, sweet spice, cedar wood. High firm yet smooth tannins; long finish.
A basket of lush, opulent fruits supported by plentiful creamy oak. In all honesty, Napa would have been a pretty good guess at this stage. The South African Meerlust next to this was more classically left-bank Bordeaux in comparison. Lovely tannins and great potential; to revisit in 10 years (although I rather doubt my ability to wait that long).

7/13/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Decanted for 1 hour then poured. Tasted blind.
Clear, medium/deep ruby.
On the nose, this had blackcurrant, blackberry, (somewhat medicinal) herbs, earth, oak, green leaf, stems. Hints of green pepper and coffee.
On the palate, high acidity, full body, medium+ flavour intensity, medium+ grippy tannins, and a long finish.
A fresh and elegant profile, although the bitter herbal notes are rather dominant at this point. Strong fruit depth and I get the sense this should be better in half a dozen years' time.
Bordeaux-style. Very good QPR.

7/6/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured. A pretty nose with gentle aromatics - dark cherry, blackberry, soft earth, cedar oak, tobacco leaf. Medium acidity, medium body and medium firm tannins. A little bit light but quite smooth on the palate, ending in a mellow, medium(+) finish. This wine is solidly in its drinking window now.

3/28/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Tight, but with a strong citrus / mineral base and good potential. Drink ~ 2022 onwards.

7/2/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured over 2 hours.
A heady nose: Blackberry, blackcurrant, mocha, vanilla oak, licorice, grilled herbs - supporting notes of floral aromatics and vegetal leaf.
On the palate, this had high acidity, a full body, medium(+) flavour intensity of dark fruit, cherry, cedar oak, mocha, vanilla and herbs. Medium(+) grippy tannins, medium(+) finish.
Quite voluptuous already on the nose, albeit with a tinge of green that wafted in and out with air. This raised expectations, which were then moderated somewhat upon sipping, when it became apparent that the wine needs more time to resolve into a greater whole. The oak has yet to fully integrate and the tannins, while acceptable now, will further smoothen with time. Impressive ripeness for a less-than-stellar vintage. 92 pts now; should improve.

7/2/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured over 2 hours.
On the nose, this had blackberry, strawberry, dried herbs, oak, spices and dairy cheese. Over time, there also developed hints of prune, jammy fruit and honey.
High acidity in the mouth, with a medium(+) body, medium(+) flavour intensity of sweet & ripe red fruits, dark fruits, oak, garrigue and a faint touch of spice and black olive. Full rather firm tannins, medium(+) finish.
The materials are all there, but this still has quite some way to go. The fruit depth is good but on the strong side and the tertiary notes have yet to properly emerge. Give this a few more years or a good decant.

6/9/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured. This was initially very closed on the palate and needed some time to open up. Muted golden fruit, white nuts, metallic minerality, woody oak, and a hint of reduction. High acidity, medium+ body, medium+ intensity with apple, lemon, lime, nuts, oak. Medium+ finish. Flavours tick the box, but this lacks precision and I don’t think time will help that. Would not buy.

6/9/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Decanted for an hour.
Dark fruit, pencil lead, licorice, sweet spice and tobacco. Medium+ acidity, smooth tannins and medium+/long finish. Fairly rich on the palate but not cloyingly so. 92-93 pts.

5/13/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

At Hacienda San Augustin de Callo, Ecuador.
Gentle nose for a syrah. Red and morello cherry, blackberry, licorice, pebbles and a touch of floral aromatics. Some raspberry, strawberry and pepper spice on the palate as well. Smooth with little noticeable heat - this was 12.5% abv. Medium/medium+ acidity, medium soft tannins, medium/medium+ finish. Not the most structured, but good drinking over a meal. 88-89 pts.

4/13/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured (which maybe was not a good idea).
On the nose: Cherry, meat, spice box, licorice, tobacco. Sweet and a touch of heat.
Full body, and slightly grippy tannins, still being resolved. The wine finishes medium+ to long.
Not the best Pegau I've tasted; this bottle was a little heavy on the mouth - but I imagine this is probably still a few years too young. 91-92 pts.

4/13/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Splash decanted.
On the nose, this had dark fruits, earth, herbs, saddle leather, oak; a touch of sweet spice and red cherry. Developing.
Palate was medium(+) acidity, full body, firm tannins and a medium(+) finish. Supple mouthfeel that is to me one of the hallmarks of a well-made wine, but otherwise this was still very young, improving only slightly after an hour in the decanter.
Probably not the best vintage, but can still see this going up to 93 points easily. Give it a few more years before popping one.

4/13/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Splash decanted.
Plums, red fruit, green stems, spicy earth, oak.
Medium(+) acidity, medium(+) body, strong grippy tannins. Decent structure, with bite. Better with food at this point. A touch one-dimensional when it comes to flavour on the palate. Is this because it is young, or is it because it is one-dimensional..? Poor QPR at this point, whatever the case.

3/24/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
Clear deep ruby.
This was all about juicy and ripe dark fruit (blackcurrant, dark berries). The oak was present but not too obtrusive. There was also some faint chocolate and mint. An almost youthful nose.
Medium(+) acidity, high slightly grippy tannins and a medium(+) finish.
A fruit forward style, but thankfully not full-throttle or jammy. Very good paired with cheese (aged gouda). However this wine could use more complexity. It is probably on the way up and was popped a little too young. Drink from ~2021 onwards.

3/24/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
Clear, pale/med lemon.
A fairly unctuous nose with green fruit, kiwi, Chinese pear, lemon-lime, elderflower and honeysuckle. More florals appeared with air.
Medium+ acidity, medium body, medium flavour intensity with green fruit and lemon-lime; medium finish.
While not unbalanced, this was distinctly richer on the nose than on the palate. The crisp mouthfeel cut through Malaysian-style Hokkien mee rather well. 89-90 pts.

3/16/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
On the nose this was full of blackcurrant, sweet earth and oak, along with some vanillin, graphite and tobacco. Developing.
High acidity, full body, medium(+) flavour intensity with dark fruit, licorice, earth, and touches of tobacco and oak. High firm tannins, and a medium(+) to long finish.
A fragrant bouquet and ample structure. Still on the way up but starting to be open for business. Not the ripest vintage, but you can't say the stuffing isn't there. Try again in 2 or 3 years' time.

3/16/2019 - ozyloy wrote:

Popped and poured.
Clear medium lemon.
On the nose, this had grapefruit, lemon drop, flinty minerality, oil, and a little reduction.
High acidity, medium(+) body, medium(+) intensity of grapefruit, apple, lemon, flint, acacia. A nice medium(+) finish.
Smooth and tasty with a classic Burgundian complexity, and that puligny precision was apparent. Should improve, and the reductive note should blow off, with a few more years. 91-92 pts.

7/13/2017 - ozyloy wrote:

A rounded mouthfeel with ripening red apples, some nice complexity (yeast, white nuts), and just a touch of oxidative notes on the front-palate. The whole is lifted by good medium(+) acidity, and finishes medium-long. A good champagne that does not require, and probably would not benefit overly much from, aging. 90-91 pts.

7/13/2017 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear, medium ruby.
Blackberry, sweet plum, sweet spice, cedar oak on the nose.
Medium(+) acidity, medium body, medium(+) flavour intensity with a little red fruit joining the mix, along with woody oak. Sharp tannins and a medium(+) finish.
This seems to be showing a little better in terms of structure than the earlier notes. Makes you wonder about how limited accuracy can sometimes be when predicting the evolutionary path of a wine.

7/13/2017 - ozyloy wrote:

White flowers, citrus lemon and whiffs of almonds and pine nuts on the nose.
Medium(+) acidity, medium body, medium(+) flavour intensity of citrus lemon, grapefruit, white flowers and a hint of oak. Medium(+) finish.
Balanced, if a little light on the body, not unexpectedly.

4/15/2017 - ozyloy wrote:

Fine pétillance. Ripe fruit and a hint of biscuit. Fuller-bodied, somewhat reminiscent of the Krug style. A very good bubbly, but not the best pairing with fresh oysters - give this something heavier to go with.

12/27/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear, medium ruby.
Nose: Dark and red fruit melange, pepper spice, licorice, oak, tinges of iron and barnyard wafting in. Developing.
Palate: Medium+ acidity, full body, medium+ intensity, medium+ firm tannins, medium+ finish.
Delicious all around. Still on the way up.

12/27/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear, pale/medium garnet. Fine sediment towards the end of the bottle.
Nose: Stewed red fruit, black tea, forest floor.
Palate: Medium acidity, medium/medium+ body, medium+ intensity of plums, raisins, raspberry. Medium grainy tannins, medium+ finish.
Such age, and yet the fruits are still lively, almost dominant, and in fact somewhat stewed in character. Odd for such an aged bottle! Judgment reserved..

12/27/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear, pale lemon-gold.
Nose: Golden apple, saline minerality, grapefruit, Burgundian butter and oak.
Palate: High acidity, medium/medium+ body, medium+ intensity of apple, sweet lemon, ripe grapefruit, buttery oak. Long finish.
Very good stuffing. Somewhat rounder and less precise than I initially expected. But certainly still nice drinking, and I expect this to improve with a couple years more age.

12/5/2018 - ozyloy wrote:

Splash decanted.
Agree with Papies - this is a solid 90. Gentle and pretty on the nose with hints of eucalyptus, damp earth and dark slate alongside the soft blackcurrant. But rather light on the palate, particularly for an 09. Grainy tannins and a medium+ finish.
90-91 pts.

5/7/2017 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear medium purple/ruby.
Dark cherry, blackcurrant, red cherry, blackberry, brett, earthy minerality, sweet spice, oak. Hints of violet and pencil lead. Developing.
High acidity, full body, pronounced intensity of blackberry, cherry and dark fruits, violets, chalky minerality. Medium+ fine grained tannins, long finish.
Now this is interesting. A Napa cab sauv with rich dark fruit but supported by almost Burgundian secondary tones of earth and florals. Limited bottling from the specific block in the SLV vineyard. Hard to say how this one will go as it ages, but it will certainly be interesting to retaste.

5/7/2017 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear medium/deep purple.
Very richly fruited on the nose - blackcurrant, dark cherry, chalky minerality, sweet spice, licorice, as well as some earth and blueberry. Developing.
On the palate: Medium+ acidity, full body, medium+ intensity of black and blue fruits, cigar box, chalky minerality, licorice, oak. Medium+ firm tannins, long finish.
Whooo! This has some serious (yet not overpowering in the full-throttle Barossa way) fruit; sweet and smooth on the nose, and lush in the mouth. Good structure, and although quite youthful, the wine is not out of balance even at this early stage. Aged 21.5 months in 90% new French oak. Not cheap, but may be better QPR than some of its closer competitors.. Hope it stays that way..

5/7/2017 - ozyloy wrote:

Clear medium ruby. Fat legs.
On the nose, this had blackcurrant, plum, red cherry, cedar oak and sweet spices.
On the palate: Medium+ acidity, full body, medium+ intensity of plum, blackcurrant, cedar oak, and a streak of brighter red fruit running through the mid-palate. Medium+ tannins, long finish.
A slightly more early-drinking wine compared to the other Cab Sauvs. This is 98% cab sauvignon, 1% merlot, and 1% malbec, aged for 17 months in oak.