3/28/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Oxidized or heat damaged

3/23/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Light and zippy but with good depth and bite. Light stone fruit, essence of lemon. Finishes tart with just a hint of biscuit. Needs some more time to round out, for my palate.

3/22/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Much better than the last bottle. Saline and cooked lemon on the nose. Palate shows more lemon with nice depth and acid.

3/26/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Funky red fruit, slightly herbal notes. Reminds me a bit of a Chinon in some ways, but with a much lighter body. Tasty!

3/16/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Similar to the last bottle this showed a very pretty nose with plenty of reduction, but the palate was nowhere near as angular. A beautiful wine with plenty of life ahead.

3/16/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Cork was soaked almost all the way through but came out in one piece. Up against a '94 Cos this showed significantly more age...given some of the other notes here perhaps excessively so. Regardless, still very enjoyable with its aged balsamic, high-toned red fruit and leather notes. Seemed to actually improve through the evening, in fact. I have one more bottle, should probably open it sooner than later.

3/17/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Oxidative style but so much freshness, depth and verve. Highly perfumed nose of apricots and peach with vanilla, flan and a light sherry background. Much of the same on the palate along with savory caramelized apple, fresh pear and golden raisins. I wasn't sure what to expect with this wine but really enjoyed it.

3/17/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Dusty black fruit, dark plum, lots of underbrush, slightly floral, Indian spices on the nose. Palate shows black fruit and tar. Finishes quite tannic; needs food to show best.

3/21/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Similar to my last bottle, but perhaps showing a little more depth. Pours light red, lots of red cherry, great acid, good depth. Killer QPR.

3/7/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

No detailed notes, but really enjoyed this bottle. Made in a lighter style than most zins, with a mix of red and black fruit.

3/8/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Initially I got a mix of red and black fruit, but it was a bit flat and quite woody. I made a mental note to hold my remaining bottles until some tertiary notes begin to appear. Three hours later it started to open up and I got primarily black fruit with anise and floral notes. As with other 2005s, this wine probably needs more time to show its best.

3/9/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Spectacularly good right out of the bottle, with sweet red cherry fruit and a beautifully perfumed nose with layered fruit and aromatics. Drank well with extended air, although a hint scorched earth showed up later. I'd say this is at the tail end of peak but should hold strong for several more years. Recommend not decanting if you have these. Last bottle of 7 and would love to source more at the right price.

3/14/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

So fresh, with sea air, light lemon and light stone fruit on the nose. Nice depth on the palate with a long and lingering saline finish. Great acid. Drinking beautifully, this seemed to have the extra gear I was looking for in the first bottle.

3/2/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

No detailed notes, but I got a lot of oak upon first opening. After decanting for an hour or two the oak felt better integrated, but my overall impression wasn't as strong as with the last two bottles.

3/2/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

On day one gravel and herbal notes slightly overpower the brambly red fruit and give the impression of a lean wine. Similar to my last bottle this showed notably better after a day or two under vacuum seal in the fridge. The herbal qualities retreated a bit and the fruit came to the forefront, resulting in a much more balanced flavor profile. Note to self: give these some time in the decanter in the future.

3/5/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

A unique rose, in my experience. On the nose I get some light tangerine and thyme notes. Light and viscous on the palate but with deep acid and a savory tang - tangerine, grapefruit and lemon combined with some light red fruits. Lots of mineral too. I like this a lot. 91+

2/24/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Out of magnum. This took some time to open up. Gamey red fruit; seems like it's in a good spot now. CdPs seem to be more hit and miss for me these days and while I wouldn't search this out again, it was solid.

2/27/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Pop n' pour. No detailed notes, but this showed beautifully right out of the gate, with an intense and yet incredibly pretty red cherry perfume. Really nice wine that's ready to go now but will likely drink well for at least another decade.

2/25/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Decanted about two hours. Red fruit, olives, dry herbs and raspberry with a gamey finish. I liked this, but others seemed to like it a lot more, including my wife.

2/25/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

I double decanted this at home for sediment and then gave it an hour or so of air in the bottle. Same bottle as rocknroller, and similar reaction in terms of this bottle not being quite on form. Good depth, with game and red pepper notes complementing the usual funky Pegau fruit, but also some scorched earth and iron notes that were less welcome.

2/28/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Citrus, honeycrisp apple. some light toasty notes that becomes more pronounced with air. A very nice champagne at the price point.

2/9/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Initially this shows high-toned yellow fruit, toast and a slightly waxy character to the fruit. With some air it gains complexity and I got more biscuit notes. Better with food than by itself, especially upon opening.

2/8/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Tasted right out of the bottle and then consumed about an hour later. On first taste this showed dark fruit and good length, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the oak, which completely overwhelmed. An hour later it showed much better, with more discernible dark berry notes and dried herbs. Definitely recommend giving this some air.

2/10/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Very similar notes to my last bottle - high-toned red fruit with leather, forest floor and just the right amount of herbal pyrazine character to add interest. I loved this. Flighted with the 1990 Clos de l'Olive. The Clos d'Olive was also red-fruited but leaned darker - black cherry vs red cherry - and showed more earth and mushroom notes. Both excellent and I scored them similarly. Would love to buy more of both if I ever found them on the market at a decent price.

2/5/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

My last bottle of 8. This was such a good vintage for Fevre; an earlier bottle held its own against a couple of Fevre's premier crus. Lots of sea spray and light citrus. An easy bottle to reach for when looking for something fresh, consistent and affordable.

2/4/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Fruitier than I was expecting - mostly cantaloupe with ginger and tangerine accents. I get a bit of that artificial watermelon jolly rancher flavor that I don't care for. Refreshing, but not especially complex. Lacks the mineral and depth of Baudry's rose, which is my benchmark for the region.

2/6/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Darker and denser than the 2015, this shows dark red and black fruit on the nose with hints of mineral, earth and that typical Chinon herbal character. Again, riper and more fruit-forward than the 2015, but still has a nice balance between fruit, herbs and acid. 92 now, with good potential for another point or so down the road.

2/2/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Complex nose with sea spray, ginger, citrus zest; slight reduction. So elegant on the palate with mixed citrus, light flowers, tons of acid, nice depth.

1/27/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Really nice dark fruit and mushrooms on the nose. Soft on the palate, very tasty. Slightly short on the finish.

2/3/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Brick red color. Beautiful, funky nose with black soil, cooked mushrooms, saddle leather, fresh tobacco and tart cherry. More of the same plus some mint notes on the palate. Some would find this a bit lean I'm sure, but for those like me that enjoy tertiary flavors it's really a nice wine. Reminds me somewhat of a high quality aged Chinon, but more leather and less herbal. I didn't have high expectations for this bottle given the vintage, but clearly the provenance on this bottle (birthday gift a couple years ago) was great, and it really impressed me.

1/29/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Tasted double blind in the first of two pairings of red wines from anywhere. Initially placed it as Bordeaux, but second-guessed myself and said Napa. Regardless, this had great depth and balance, with darker red fruit and earth notes. Really tasty now, but still on the younger side. I understand it had been decanted about 4 hours.

1/22/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Grassy and herbal, with some light stone fruit and saline on the nose and palate. Mouth watering acidity, finishes slightly tart.

1/21/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Nose shows deep mixed berries, bramble and vanilla to start, with dried sage and earth emerging with air. Clear oak influence, but not overdone. Fruit forward on the palate, mostly darker fruits, but good balance and tasty. Medium tannins. Still plenty of life left, but not sure whether this is an ultra long ager.

1/29/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

On day one this showed very little on the nose or palate - just some mineral and light lemon notes. After a day under vacuum seal in the fridge it revealed a lot more - white and yellow peach, grapefruit and baking spice on the nose and waxy lemon notes and pear on the palate. Good acidity and a long but slightly bitter finish. Solid but not remarkable. For whatever reason I obviously liked my earlier bottle better. 88 on day two for this one.

1/20/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Light red color. Nose shows red cherry, cranberry, spices and vanilla. Soft cherry fruit on the palate. A pretty wine, just lacking the depth and acidity of Kelley's single vineyard wines.

1/29/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Pours a lovely light red color. Complex nose of red berries, earth and green herbs. Same on the palate. Very approachable now, with a nice balance between fruit, acid and herbal character.

1/18/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Pleasant nose of yellow flowers and lemon. Mostly white peach and lemon on the palate. Quite lean and slightly simple to start, but improved a bit with air. Better with food.

1/13/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Wow, I'm impressed by this. Perhaps as close to Bordeaux as I've found in Napa? Lots of funk and mushroom, but still fresh at the same time. Delicious!

1/18/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Great nose of mixed berries with hints of mineral, earth and dried herbs. Mixture of red and black fruit on the palate. Very silky mouthfeel. Fresh and young, but at the same time fully accessible now.

1/18/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Intoxicating nose of gunpowder, mixed citrus and key lime pie. The palate is much more angular and lean than the nose would suggest, with primarily lemon and lime notes. Hopefully with time the palate will flesh out a bit, as that nose is killer.

12/18/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Hints of ginger on the nose, as well as lemon, white peach and lime pith. Zippy, lean and spicy on the palate. Really nice, glad to have more.

12/18/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Brought back from the winery several years ago. This showed nice balance and lots of depth, with red apple, toast, gingerbread and lemon-lime notes. One of my top two wines in a tasting of eight champagnes.

12/10/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

This poured almost brown and the nose showed a strong sherry character upon opening, so I thought it might be flawed. But the palate showed promise, so I decanted it. Five hours later the sherry character dissipated significantly and notes of earth, tar and anise emerged. More of the same on the palate. Still some tannins present, which makes sense for the bottle age, but seemed incongruous with the color and flavor of the wine, which I would have called blend as something from the 60s or 70s. Based on other notes, sounds like this may be intentionally made in an oxidative style. Not my favorite style for sure, but interesting.

12/9/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Apples, peaches and white flowers on the nose, with hints of vanilla and baking spices. More of the same on the palate. Quite elegant but less concentration than I prefer.

12/11/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Pretty, albeit light, nose of tropical fruit, lemon zest and white flowers. Understated on the palate, with lots of lemon and slightly under-ripe pear. Quite acidic and the finish is fairly short. Leaner than I would prefer.

12/13/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

No detailed notes, but this was really good, with red and black fruit and bramble.

12/16/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Big and bold, with lots of blue and black fruit. Too young for my preferences, but it's what I had on hand to pair with ribeyes for an South American theme night dinner. Others seemed to really enjoy it.

12/16/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

I initially though that this was well over the hill, but it came back from the dead with an hour or two of air. No detailed notes, unfortunately.

12/21/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Initially muted this opened up beautifully after two hours in the decanter. Elegant and layered nose. Palate has yet to show much secondary or tertiary development, but I still enjoyed it. Definitely approachable now with a decant.

12/8/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Oxidized or heat damaged