October 19, 2022 - Eight years since the last note, and the wine is much the same as then - there's pungent olive and citrus, effusive floral notes, and a small core of musky red fruit on the nose, which is lovely. On the palate, more of the same on a rather light frame, brisk acidity, and a slightly flat finish that comes off a little like gout-de-souris nattiness. With air the wine deepens and more brewed rasperryish fruit comes forward. With more this started to crack up and the nattiness became more prominent.
October 15, 2022 - Quick decant, pure St. Joseph, light, but serious, lots of pepper and tapenade. Unfortunately this bottle the barnyard is just turned up a bit too much and overpowers the rest. So it goes.
July 29, 2021 - Fantastic nose of earth, blood iron and slight spicy from what I am assuming is a light touch of Brett. Carries through to the medium weight mouth and very savory long finish. Truly outstanding for the price.
P.S. Left a glass of it out for 24 hours. The brett overwhelmed it, which makes me think this won't age well for much longer.
December 21, 2018 - This was super aromatic. In an excellent place.
February 12, 2017 - Pure joy - but serious and proper at the same time. Smells like olives and tastes like bacon - spice and structure - all there. Real treat.
January 28, 2017 - This continues to be ridiculously good and ridiculous value. Drank the bottle over 4 days, and it just got better with time.
Rare steak, herbs and olives on the nose. Flavors of muted red fruit, brined olives, beef blood, mineral tang. Perfectly balanced acid and tannin.
June 19, 2016 - First time I've tried this wine ...must get more. Delicious ripe fruit that somehow straddles the line between richness and restraint while being balanced by the savory, mineral notes as described in other CT notes. Delicious now, and perfect with a juicy steak or other rich meat, with good tannic structure that benefits from decanting. Certain to evolve further, but this offers great drinking now. Memorable.
November 30, 2015 - A rare dud from Selection Massale. Volatile
acidity threw me, had a sour taste that never went away. The acid and tannins just couldn't cross the bridge to each other. Perhaps I should have waited another 6-12 months on this, judging from other notes here.
November 2, 2015 - Wonderful. Full of olive and herbs and minerality. Nice medium-long finish. Wish I had more!
April 25, 2015 - Nose: The nose is wide open with black cherries, olive tapenade, black pepper, leather, and some briny notes. There is excellent depth with a real black pepper streak.
Taste: Medium/Full bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. The feel is balanced and polished with meaty notes, black pepper, black cherries, and olive tapenade.
Overall: This utterly rocks. This has been open for a couple of days and is showing beautifully.