7/25/23, 3:57 PM - I tasted them side by side. I guess it might just be a matter of preference. For me, I find the 2018 just a touch more concentrated and polished than the 2017 which could be more complex when it is matured. But both are still in their youth and they could change as they age. If tasted blind, stylistically 2018 clearly reminds me of a Napa Cab while the 2017 reminds me of a classified growth Bordeaux in the left bank.
11/12/22, 3:54 AM - I am not sure if it was a bad bottle. For my taste, it had passed its prime. Hope the ones you purchased are fine.😃
11/10/22, 4:10 PM - Hi Sean, good to see you at the dinner that night. Agree with you that this is an interesting bottle.
10/1/22, 7:30 AM - Easily 10-15 years aging potential
8/9/22, 9:41 PM - I think so. My tasting was done from a magnum bottle, it probably would take a while longer than a standard bottle. This is a good value wine. Enjoy!
6/6/21, 4:45 PM - Thanks for the updated infor. A good Brunello doesn’t really need much oak influence to make it shine. In fact sometime I find it is very difficult to appreciate when it is aged in too much new oak.
6/7/21, 6:18 PM - Yes, many wine makers use the large and relatively neutral oak barrels for the purposes of aging only.
1/2/21, 5:45 PM - When first opened, all the elements were hiding behind the huge structure. Decanted for 2 hrs in a small decanter and then poured back into the bottle and drank slowly over 4 hours. The wine opens up more after an hour in the bottle and it was at its peak. By the 3rd hour in the bottle, the finish was fading quickly. My sense is that if we are going to drink it over a period of 3-4 hrs slowly, it is better not to decant at all, just drink from the bottle and let the decanting happens in the bottle. This would probably sustain the finish of the wine better.
9/30/20, 3:36 PM - Thanks for your comments. Good to know you like it.
12/22/19, 5:05 PM - After letting the wine sitting sometime in the glass, I detected that hints of salty, smoked and savoury meaty note which can be best described as smoked ham��. This is a familiar note I get with a good St Estephe.
1/29/19, 7:01 PM - Hi, I decanted for 30 mins only in a small decanter. I think the structure would open up more if you decant it for a longer period like an hour to two. However, given that it is not a powerful and intense wine, I won’t recommend that you do it in a big decanter as it could flatten the flavours too quickly. Cheers!
8/27/18, 5:40 AM - Hi, thanks for your sharing. Good to know that it keeps getting better even on the second day. I still have a few bottles of the 1998, will open one every 2 yrs to check it’s progress. Btw, I did a mini vertical of 1998-2000, found the 1999 the best among the three. Cheers!
10/25/17, 8:25 PM - You are probably right that the wine has gone to sleep for now. Hopefully when it wakes up a few years later, it is as good as the 2014.
8/25/17, 8:46 PM - Don't think you will get bored with the Grand Merlot. That day, I had a 2005 Moss Wood Cabernet, this was a very good Cabernet from Margaret River but when I switched to the Grand Merlot, it simply blew the Moss Wood away with its intensity and depth. And it was a Merlot not a Cabernet! I also had the 2005 Merlot Royale before, will post the notes shortly.
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