4/14/2024 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine:

This is 100% single barrel Cabernet Franc from one block in Rutherford. Labeled as 13.9 ABV. Decanted for 2h and back to bottle.

IMO there is too much oak on this wine. It still drinks quite young, so maybe that will recede and integrate better with time. There is nice freshness and acidity here with that hint of Rutherford dust on the tannins. I saved half the bottle for tonight and will follow up.

At least from Day 1, I feel confident putting this away for another 10 years.

Day 2: Nose is much more typical of CF. Nice complexity of dusty earth, fresh tobacco, red currants. Palate shows more of a "cool streak" to the red fruit, a typical freshness I associate with CF. Still has proper red fruit underneath.

Overall, the first day was more true to Rutherford and an oakier style, whereas the second day was more refined and more CF-like for me. For my last bottle I will be decanting for 1-2h then back to bottle for 24h. 92-93+

2/7/2023 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine:

2023 Napa; 2/5/2023-2/9/2023 (Napa with a connection in Houston): 2021 Theriot- from a non-Chardonnay aficionado who leans towards Chablis this actually pleased my palate. More ‘sophisticated’ on the palate than the Sonoma Coast, I found this quite good, a bit more texture and glycerin feel, more lemon curd, slightly less crisp. Buoyed my decision to buy RM Chardonnay at release for first time ever.

12/22/2023 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

54/20/20/6…Riesling/Pinot Noir/Pinot Blanc/Gewurtztraminer. Nicely aromatic, lychee, citrus fruit. Same on the palate, lean body, sweet and tart, along with a nice vinous character, I assume from the pinot noir. ~12%abv, crushable in the best way.

7/31/2023 - Maphill01 wrote:

Another flawed bottle. This one suffered from excess VA. Shame because there seemed to be some nice fruit underneath. But it was enough to be distracting, in a negative way, so down the drain.

6/26/2023 - Maphill01 wrote:

PNP. Plum and meaty notes on the nose, almost like a Syrah. More typical palate, blackberry, black cherry. Dark chocolate on the finish. A bit of a dancing bear, dark and brambly, yet medium bodied, with nice acidity. Approachable and interesting now, with stuffing and structure for another 3-5 years of development. At this price I may go back for more bottles to track its progress.

10/28/2022 - Maphill01 wrote:

Has the stuffing to get much better with time. But today, so primary, lacking complexity. Revisit in 2025+

7/25/2022 - Maphill01 wrote:

Splash decant, no sediment to speak of. Leather and cassis on the nose. Same on the palate, plus graphite. Some bitter tannins on the long finish.

3/19/2022 - Maphill01 wrote:

PNP. blackberry, blueberry pepper. Ripe fruit, full bodied, with fresh acidity and a bit of tannin providing balance. Straightforward, enjoyable Syrah.

2/11/2022 - Maphill01 wrote:

PNP. Pale straw color. Nice citrus. Touch of light oak. Creamy mouthfeel, yeasty on the back end. More full bodied, 14.5% ABV. Straightforward, but nicely done, entry level Sonoma chard.

6/27/2021 - Maphill01 wrote:

Plum, blueberry, blackberry and oak. Ripe fruit, slightly drying tannins. Not the best value, but this is well made in the modern style.

6/25/2021 - Maphill01 wrote:

Out of 375. Toast, brioche, citrus and apple underneath. More of a full, creamy mouthfeel, medium weight. Decent acidity keeps this from being too heavy. Benefited from a little air. A bit more going on than your average entry level champagne.

6/17/2021 - Maphill01 wrote:

Splash decanted for an hour. Aromatic nose of blueberry and raspberry. On the palate, cherry, cassis and vanilla. Crowd pleasing style.

4/9/2021 - Maphill01 wrote:

PNP followed over the night. This was delightful for the first five hours, elegant body, with lovely floral notes and red and black fruit, fresh and soft tannins. Wet earth and truffles. After 4-5 hours the fruit faded and this became more austere. Bottle was from auction. Update: came back into balance at the end of the night, interesting to see the evolution, overall a classic Margaux.

4/29/2021 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

PNP, best after a few hours. Black cherry and plum. Cocoa, vanilla, graphite. Long finish of dark chocolate. Nice balance of powerful dark fruit and Rutherford dust. Open for business, a great modern Napa cab.

2/26/2021 - Maphill01 wrote:

Decanted 1 hour, fair bit of sediment. Cloudy brick color. Sappy red fruit, raspberry, strawberry. Some cola, baking spice and earthy notes. I did get the same effervescence mentioned below, but it blew off after an hour. Nicely aged classic Pinot.

12/30/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

Decanted for sediment. Inky color. Lovely aromatics of plum and boysenberry. Rich forest floor and cocoa. Hint of menthol. Sensual, with perfect ripeness, still elegant and fresh. Sweet tannins on the long finish. In a perfect place of early maturity.

12/27/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

Decanted an hour. Inky. Nice aromatics, matching the palate. Cassis, blackberry, wet earth, tobacco. Sweet tannins, very slightly bitter, chewy. Medium+ body. Still mostly big dark fruit, nice acidity for lift. Delicious alone and with food.

12/15/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

PNP, started thin, but opened up after an hour in the glass. Classic old world Pinot profile. The pale magenta color belies the ripe, but focused fruit, along with some earthy soil. Cranberry, orange peel, strawberry. Nicely balanced with clean tannins and fresh acidic lift. Only 12.9% ABV. This was fun and interesting to drink, at a great price.

10/30/2020 - Maphill01 wrote:

PNP. Nose of black cherry and plum. On the palate ripe black fruit and black currants. Notes of coffee and licorice. Smooth tannins, long slightly bitter finish. 90%+ merlot. 15% ABV.

5/31/2019 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

Dark garnet color, beautiful nose of damp purple fruits... plum and cassis. Some dark cocoa and cedar. Lush and juicy, but not jammy or hot. Still some (fine) tannins, almost a bit dry, but subtle and integrated. Ready to go, but still early drinking window.

5/13/2020 - GrapeScott wrote:

Even while (slowly) pouring a glass with the Coravin, the seductive jammy aromas from this wine jumped out of the glass. Has the peppery, brambly aromas of zinfandel with pronounced minerality, and some floral and red fruit notes from whatever other 30 grapes are in the blend. Rich and complex, yet not a bruiser and surprisingly light on its feet, finishing with moderate silky tannins. Big peppery black raspberry fruit profile, accented by herbs and crushed rocks. A paradoxical wine that is both assertive and subtle, in your face and sneaky. As good a young zinfandel-based wine as I've ever had. This vineyard produces ageless wines, and I have one of Morgan's father's OH zins that is 20 years its senior. If I had a time machine I would try them both side-by-side today, and each at 20 years of age.

5/16/2020 - jviz wrote:

Awesome nose, blasting with cherry and a little green tannin. Light in body and good now or in 10 years. Impressive

5/11/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

PNP opaque color. Dark fruit, berries, cocoa and chocolate. Lush mouthfeel, slightly chewy tannins. Rich intense palate. Ready to go. Well made, modern style, for the hedonistic types.

3/7/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:

Pale gold. Medium sweet. Citrus lemon. Peach and apple. Honey. Finish of minerals. A special zing I can’t place, this is my first aged Riesling, could this be the petrol I hear about? Delicious.

10/14/2019 - Maphill01 wrote:

Pnp, opened up after an hour. cassis on the nose. On the palate, Black fruit, oak, chocolate. Getting a bit of astringent or pepper at the end. Others mentioned Jalapeño, some combination of strong herbs and the alcohol. A tough year but this lacked focus and structure. I would not buy again at this price.