1/21/2021 - hhcave wrote:

Musty nose, balsamic glaze, meat, blood, herbaceous, very green, medicinal. Pronounced aromas but odd

1/20/2021 - hhcave wrote:

Pale ruby. Floral, violets, lifted, maraschino cherry, confected, red/black plum, minerality, some blue fruit - almost Loire cab franc-like with medium body? Some hot/stewed red fruit. Medium(+) tannins after air, plush mouthfeel, medium(+) acidity. Medium(+) finish. Will improve with age. Amazing QPR

1/12/2021 - hhcave wrote:

Deep lemon appearance. Tropical nose, white flowers, overripe melon, persimmon, pine needles, well integrated oak. Medium acidity,high ABV (14.5%), medium+ body, long finish. Outstanding QPR - would drink now (already showing development)

1/11/2021 - hhcave wrote:

Modern style, clean, precise nose. Cassis, blueberry, red cherry, vanilla, graphite a little wet leaves but more primary at this stage of development. Some development on rim, otherwise deep ruby appearance. High acidity, medium+ body, full but satin-y tannins, long finish
Fruit forward on palate - red fruit, raspberry, cherry

1/8/2021 - hhcave wrote:

Lots of primary fruit, lots of oak. Extracted style however not distinctly carmenere? Well made, long finish, ripe sweet tannins. Far too young

1/8/2021 - hhcave wrote:

Outstanding - great value - stalky, herbaceous, whole bunch, confected, bags of red fruit - cherry, cranberry. Medium+ finish, high acidity, minimal tannins. Drinking well now

1/6/2021 - hhcave wrote:

Almost bordeaux on the nose - bark, leather - blueberry on palate showing high cab franc in blend. Clean, medium+ body, tannins well integrated now, medium finish - high acid (relatively low ABV 13.5%) - Howell Mountain/cool vintage? Very polished

11/24/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Surprisingly complex, some tertiary coming through - bark, leather, overripe fruit. Balanced oak, well structured - good acidity. Medium finish. Drink now

10/1/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Golden colour. Not the most pronounced nose. Balanced on palate - pineapple, lemon, apricot, minerally, honey. Medium acidity, medium bodied, medium(+) finish - well made wine

9/29/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Tertiary nose - leather, earth, iron, milk chocolate with some cranberry and red plum fruit - more candied fruit than right bank Bordeaux? Deep ruby appearance with some bricking on rim. Some oak influence but well integrated at this stage and difficult to pick up. High acidity, medium satin tannins, high alcohol (14%), medium(+) body, long finish. Excellent, pure wine (biodynamic) not masked by oak which I sometimes find with the Super Tuscans. Drink or hold

9/15/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Deep ruby, pronounced nose - cassis, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, red plum, potpourri, dried flowers, oak not dominating but some vanilla. Rich mouthfeel, mouth-coating tannins - will certainly improve with age - milerally. Some meaty tertiary coming through on finish (almost Jonata Syrah-esque note?). High acidity

Amazing potential - concentrated fruit, good structure, balanced despite youth (oak does not overpower)

9/11/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium gold appearance, tastes like there is residual sugar but 12.5% ABV, thick mouthfeel, full bodied, hint of plastic, manuka honey, faint lychee - amazing value!

8/26/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Amazingly powerful but balanced - raspberry, red plum, black cherry, blueberry (high cab franc?), leather, vanilla, earth. Full bodied with rich but satin-y tannins - drinkable today but will develop further with age. Velvety texture in mouth - smooth, cooling, rounded, natural sweetness

8/25/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Very enjoyable - cool, dark fruits, vanilla, medium(+) tannins, medium(+) body, some sediment, refreshing

6/28/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Short decant - thick mouthfeel (almost Napa-like?), velvety, cigar box, tobacco, wet earth, forest floor, vegetal, cassis, black cherry, vanilla. Fresh acidity and solid structure - should improve with age. Long, lingering finish of primary fruit

50% Cab Sav, 45% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc. 13.5% ABV

6/24/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium ruby, Barolo-esque, masculine feel however slightly bitter note on back end. A little primary still

6/24/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium ruby, on nose - strawberry, cranberry, sour cherry, vanilla, herbs. High acidity, bold but refined tannins, medium bodied, soft on palate, long finish

6/9/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pale lemon. Lots of oak on nose, lemon, red apple, blossom, honey, white peach, butter, brioche. Fresh acidity, medium bodied and long finish. Perhaps too much oak but on palate remains complex and lifted

6/6/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium ruby. Cassis, blackberry, black cherry, mushroom, leathery, meaty nose, dense, some vanilla. High acidity, furry mouth-coating tannins still intact - a bit drying, medium(+) bodied, medium alcohol. Long finish. A bit of a hollow core? Should benefit from further ageing as tannins soften

6/3/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Focused nose of liquorice, cream, marzipan, ripe black fruit. Not overpowering with fruit or alcohol (14%) - balanced. Full bodied, highly tannic, long finish - excellent, would love to try again in 5-10 years

6/2/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pronounced and complex nose of green olives, blackcurrant, red plum, smoke, meat, wet earth, must, subtle oak influence. Deep ruby turning garnet on rim. Medium(+) acidity and body, high course grained tannins, long finish. Fruit has started to settle and the wine is entering its drinking window now - Would like to see how tertiary notes develop

6/1/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Fruit driven nose - ripe red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, red plum, bramble/currant, vanilla, wet leaves, faint leather/bark. High acidity, medium(+) body, high fine grained tannins, medium(+) finish. Still a bit primary and closed - would like to see this develop in bottle

First vintage with Vauthier (Ausone owners) on label however didn't have full control over winemaking until 2015

5/28/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Intense, savoury nose - stewed plum, meat, blood, herbs, cooking spices - blockbuster, Jonata style. Very high ABV (15.5%), mouth coating drying tannins, long finish. Too dense to drink now

5/28/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Cult cab-esque - dense, rich, bloody/earthy and herbaceous notes dominate, red plum, smoke, dark chocolate/cocoa, saline finish. Thick texture and dense, powdery tannins - way too young. Long finish - clearly a top quality wine. Over the top?

5/26/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium gold appearance. Pronounced nose of honey, honeysuckle, blossom, cantaloupe, pineapple. Full bodied, medium(-) acidity, long finish, excellent Alsatian riesling blend

5/19/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Grenache - overripe red fruit on nose, medium ruby, medium bodied, medium(+) acid. Minimal oak influence, pleasant

5/18/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pommard-esque minerality/wet stone, sour note, dark fruit. Medium/deep ruby, medium(+) bodied. Ripe fruit, easy drinking and complex. Enjoyable young

5/15/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Dense nose, still tightly coiled but can tell this is a restrained wine by napa standards. Bramble, black cherry, forest floor, meaty. Medium(+) acidity, high alcohol, full bodied, long finish. Bordeaux-like

5/12/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Deep ruby appearance, cloudy - non-filtered? Complex nose - raspberry, red cherry, red plum, bramble, vanilla, clove, meat/blood, forest floor. Tastes more cool climate than warm. High acidity, high alcohol, full bodied, rich velvety tannins, medium(+) finish
Would give this more time to settle down. Top quality showing from Israel

5/7/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Ripe raspberry, bramble, saddle leather, smoke, tar, dark chocolate. Drinking wonderfully - younger than its age. Drink over the next 10+ years
Sweeter/riper and more primary than the 1990 Cos D’Estournel we had earlier

5/6/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Deep ruby/some purple. Blockbuster nose - stewed plum, blueberry, mint, inky, vanilla, gaminess/savoury note, earthy. High acidity, medium(+) satin tannins, full bodied - very dense flavours on the palate. Long, pronounced finish. Huge wine in typical Jonata fashion - very dense, fruit forward and new oak used

5/5/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Extremely distinctive right off the bat on nose: very vegetal, gamey, bright red fruit, some blackcurrant, spicy, mineral/chalky. Pale ruby appearance (some cloudiness, some browning on rim), medium alcohol, medium(+) acidity. Long finish - marmite (love or hate) - strong winemaking influence
50-60% new French oak
50-60% whole bunch

5/4/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pronounced nose - vanilla at forefront, some heat / overripe red fruit, some bramble notes, underbrush, clove. Flamboyant, fleshy, distinctive. Medium ruby appearance, medium(+) acidity, medium (+) bodied, high alcohol. Long finish

4/30/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pronounced nose - red fruit, hot, vegetal (a little thin?). On palate - raspberry, cranberry (almost could be some residual sugar). Medium acidity, high alcohol, medium bodied, refreshing (whole bunch?)

4/28/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium ruby appearance, pronounced nose of bramble, raspberry, vanilla, clove - a bit fruit forward and simple. Youthful nose and appearance given age. Dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol (comes through on nose - thin?), high drying tannins. Medium(+) finish

4/28/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium tawny appearance, pronounced nose of bramble, black cherry, earth, tree bark, leather, tobacco, smoke, pencil lead, cedar. Amazingly youthful given 50 year age! Lots of fruit still left, drinking like a 1990's Bordeaux! Very little sediment and still deep colour - fining/filtering?

High acidity, medium body, medium(-) tannings at this point - faint hint of fur.

Long finish - excellent! Very balanced, easy drinking

4/27/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Medium lemon
NOSE
Pronounced nose
Primary: lemon, peach, apricot, blossom, honeysuckle, wet stones
Secondary: vanilla, toast, butter
Tertiary: honey
PALATE
Dry, medium(+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium bodied, pronounced flavour intensity, long finish.
Primary: lemon, peach, apricot, blossom, honeysuckle, wet stones
Secondary: vanilla, toast, butter
Tertiary: honey
CONCLUSIONS
Outstanding - excellent balance, length, intensity and complexity - intense fruit flavours complemented by oak/MLF/lees ageing and long finish, Suitable for ageing - tertiary flavours (honey) already starting to develop, citrus flavours should soften and more complex tertiary notes will develop - has enough acidity to keep the wine fresh as it ages,

4/27/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Pale lemon
NOSE
Medium intensity
Primary: lemon, lime, grapefruit, passion fruit, wet stones
Secondary:
Tertiary:
PALATE
Dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, light bodied, medium(+) flavour intensity, light petillance, medium(+) finish.
Primary: lemon, lime, grapefruit, passion fruit, wet stones
Secondary:
Tertiary:
CONCLUSIONS
Very good - balanced, with good length and intensity, possibly lacking in complexity, Not suitable for ageing - aromatic, fresh style would not benefit from ageing as primary flavours become muted and honeyed notes develop,

4/27/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Pale lemon
NOSE
Light intensity, simple
Primary: lemon, mango
Secondary: vanilla
Tertiary:
PALATE
Off-dry, medium(-) acidity, medium alcohol, medium(-) body, medium(-) flavour intensity, light petillance, short finish
Primary: lemon, mango
Secondary: vanilla
Tertiary:
CONCLUSIONS
Good - balanced wine and has some intensity of fruit flavours. Lacking complexity and length of finish, Not suitable for ageing - lower acidity levels won't keep wine lifted as it ages, simple citrus/tropical fruit flavours (with residual sugar) may become cloying with age,

4/26/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Medium ruby
NOSE
Medium(-) intensity
Primary: blackcurrant, red plum, black cherry
Secondary: vanilla
Tertiary:
PALATE
Dry, medium acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol, medium bodied, medium(-) flavour intensity, medium(-) finish.
Primary: blackcurrant, red plum, black cherry
Secondary: vanilla
Tertiary:
CONCLUSIONS
Good quality wine - balanced however lacking in complexity, freshness and intensity, Drink now - lacking acid and tannin structure as well as fruit density to support ageing,

4/26/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Deep ruby
NOSE
Pronounced nose
Primary: bramble, black cherry, black plum, blackberry jam, black pepper, liquorice
Secondary: clove, vanilla, cedar
Tertiary: leather, tobacco, earth
PALATE
Dry, medium(+) acidity, high ripe tannins, full bodied, high alcohol, pronounced flavour intensity, long finish
Primary: bramble, black cherry, black plum, blackberry jam, black pepper, liquorice
Secondary: clove, vanilla, cedar
Tertiary: leather, tobacco, earth
CONCLUSIONS
Outstanding - well balanced, intense and complex wine - concentrated fruit and savoury notes on the palate, long finish, Suitable for bottle ageing - this wine has the structure (tannins/acidity) and density (fruit flavours) to age - primary notes and tannins may mellow, oak will integrate as tertiary/more savoury aromas develop further - excellent,

4/24/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pronounced nose - bramble, blackcurrant, vanilla, clove, red cherry, sour cherry, gasoline, wet leaves. High acidity and grippy tannins, medium alcohol, full bodied. Long finish

4/24/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Pale lemon
NOSE
Light
Primary: lemon, blossom
Secondary: vanilla (oak chips likely)
Tertiary:
PALATE
Off-dry, low acidity, medium alcohol, medium bodied, light flavour intensity, short finish.
Primary: lemon, blossom
Secondary: vanilla (oak chips likely)
Tertiary:
CONCLUSIONS
Acceptable - balance wine however length, intensity and concentration of flavours are lacking, Not suitable for bottle ageing - low acidity will not keep this wine fresh, not enough fruit concentration,

4/24/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Deep ruby
NOSE
Pronounced
Primary: black plum, black cherry, violets, jammy strawberry
Secondary: smoke, dark chocolate
Tertiary: prune, raisins
PALATE
Sweet, medium(+) acidity, medium(+) smooth tannins, medium alcohol, full bodied, pronounced flavour intensity - rich/luscious texture on palate. Medium(+) finish
Primary: black plum, black cherry, violets, jammy strawberry
Secondary: smoke, dark chocolate
Tertiary: prune, raisins
CONCLUSIONS
Very good - balanced acidity, tannins and sweetness. Primary flavours dominate at present and finish could be longer, Suitable for bottle ageing due to high concentration of fruit and good acid/tannin structure. Tertiary notes should develop further while primary profile becomes more balanced,

4/24/2020 - hhcave wrote:

APPEARANCE
Medium pink
NOSE
Medium intensity
Primary: cranberry, redcurrant, watermelon, confected/candy
Secondary:
Tertiary:
PALATE
Medium-dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, light bodied, medium flavour intensity, short finish.
Primary: cranberry, redcurrant, watermelon, confected/candy
Secondary:
Tertiary:
CONCLUSIONS
Good - residual sugar is balanced with fresh acidity however flavours are simple and primary and short finish, Not suitable for bottle ageing as primary flavours subside - the wine is produced in a fresh/fruity/easy drinking style,

4/22/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Rounded, intense nose - strawberry, raspberry, stewed fruit, meaty/bloody/irony savoury note. Fruit forward on palate - whole bunch/carbonic? Well made - outstanding balanced wine

4/22/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pleasant - very vegetal, funky nose, lacking fruit and finish. A bit hollow. High acidity, medium(-) body. Very good

4/22/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Pronounced nose, intensely meaty, cassis, tobacco, leather, cooking spices, vanilla. High alcohol (16%), rich, mouth-coating tannins, full bodied - balanced and cooling on palate. Long finish

4/16/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Medium golden appearance. Pronounced nose of honey, peach, honeysuckle, apricot. Fresh on the palate with excellent density and purity of fruit. Thick texture but not sickly. Long finish - outstanding

4/15/2020 - hhcave wrote:

Loud, fruit forward, blockbuster style Californian blend. Pronounced nose of bramble, black cherry, red plum, violets, black pepper, blood, vanilla, some green/herbal flavours. Full bodied, high but fine tannins, high acidity. Medium(+) finish - excellent quality wine, albeit very Napa in style. A bit young - will benefit from further ageing as fruit and tannins settle

50% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petite Sirah, 8% Petit Verdot, 5% Sangiovese, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Viognier, 1% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Sémillon