February 15, 2024 - Quite enjoyable on the first day. Nose is not very developed. Palate is a bit more. I'd say this is full bodied. It has quite an amount of extract but it's feeling a bit too ripe for me, especially on the second day. The notes of licorice are turning into prunes. Not sure if time will do this any good. I'm glad I popped now.
December 24, 2023 - Soft and smooth. 90 minute decant. Blackberry, hints of leather and cocoa. Very nice wine with a beef tenderloin.
November 23, 2023 - Once the initial notes of flowers and black raspberries have settled in, you find licorice, cocoa, and black cherries to fill in the spaces. Medium-bodied, elegant, lifted and still softening, this is a good time to start opening a cork. The wine blends 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2023-2040.
October 1, 2023 - Nose of smoky fig jam with hints of clove and supple leather.
Palate has blackberry and licorice notes with powdered baking chocolate on the front. Middle has smooth grippy tannins with tobacco, toasted vanilla, and tart strawberry. Finish shows dark raspberry and a soft acidity.
This is a medium bodied elegant and soft wine.
September 23, 2023 - 4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Double blind. Notes of ripe plummy dark fruit, leather and underbrush. Full-bodied. The ripe dark fruit carries through on the palate. I guessed zinfandel and I think just about everyone was surprised to see Bordeaux here. This is definitely a forward, “modern” style of Bordeaux. I might hold it another five to ten and hope for some old world character to develop. (J&S)
February 3, 2023 - 15.5% ABV. Deep ruby appearance, some garnet at the rim. Poured in a decanter and served after an hour.
Ripe red fruit and oak influence at the forefront. Dense on the palate. Ok acidity with round and mostly resolved tannins. Alcohol is apparent in this and could have been integrated better. Medium length finish.
The lack of focus of this wine and borderline imblance from the ripeness of fruit and alcohol level left a lot to be desired.
August 2, 2022 - I certainly expect ripeness when I drink a St. Emilion especially from this era but this goes too far for me. I can smell and taste the alcohol and the fruit tastes very ripe to the point of being slightly cooked. I don't think this is an off bottle. More recent vintages of this wine are much more balanced and better than this.
May 21, 2022 - Buy again!
Awesome flavor !
Smooth, bold, perfect with the New York steak we grilled!
April 22, 2022 - Decanted and drank over two days. Medium to full body, little sediment. Day-1, gave it two hours of air before drinking. Nose of tobacco, oak and cloves. On the palate oak treatment is more evident than the nose, along with vanilla and cedar. Day-2, better, more fruit on the nose along with Grandpa's old tool box, the palate has much less oak than day-1 and presents iron, wet granite and drying tannins. I would decant all day or over night and enjoy. Drink or hold up to five years or so.
May 5, 2020 - First tried at a dinner with the winemaker who was very proud of this vintage, and the 2015. To me the 2010 was the standout, 15.5% alcohol, very full bodied but amazing well balanced tannins, a mouthy rich feel that would be perfect with a barbecued rib eye, absolutely at its prime now in my opinion.