July 28, 2023 - 14.8% w/Laurtal at Indie. Cork 1.5cm soaked through.
Pre-decant: Vibrant opaque ruby with a hint towards magenta. Deep blackberry fruit. Elevated alcohol and acid. Medium satiny tannins. Hint of savory tamari blackberry. Just a flash that reminds me of Musar.
Shortly after decanting, a hint of brett and mushrooms earthy fruit emerges. Some oxidative character. Like a young, primary Musar.
It’s exploding! Toasty firecracker. Raw peppercorns still on the tree. It’s amazing.
Dried rose. Dried raspberry. Wet leaves.
Now it tastes kinda like an old cab. Suggestions of stewed green bell peppers? Stewed tomato? Oh I know! It’s eucalyptus!
In some ways this tastes like I imagined - interesting, evolving, delicious.
July 24, 2023 - Solid
July 3, 2023 - Dark purple-red with faint translucence. Lavender and blueberries on the nose. Intense and elegant on the palate. Blackberries, blueberries, anise. Fine tannins, brilliant acidity and balance. Long finish of spice, anise, blackberries. Nice minerality across the palate. At peak and will stay there for another 5 years and continue to drink well for another 5+ years beyond that. Glorious wine.
December 23, 2022 - Dark red color, no fading. Brooding nose of blackberries. Bright, intense fruit, blackberry, currant, eucalyptus. Sweet cherries on the mid-palate. Fine tannins, good balance. Finishes long, long with dark fruits. Smooth, lush, yet precise. Just a bit of heat as it airs. Drink next 5 years.
November 23, 2022 - Very dense and intense petite sirah character at the open, with that menthol and earth dominating. With an hour or two of air it really went very elegant, with dense creme de violette, licorice, tobacco, and saucisson. Always a potent wine, with some heat on the finish, but walked a line between rustic and elegant very well. Lots of life ahead.
April 1, 2022 - Deep red color with slight fading at rim. Fragrant nose of plums and violets. Lush but still well-defined fruit on the palate. Plums, blueberries, rare roast beef, pepper. Fine tannins, bright acidity, great balance. Finishes very long and delicate with blackberries and warm spice. Just a beautiful bottle, bright and fresh. I'd drink over the next 5 to 7 years, but I could see it going longer depending on what you like in an older wine.
March 9, 2022 - Give them so air before drinking (hour minimum). Nice brambles and dark fruit with rich spices and a wonderful finish
October 12, 2021 - Smoke and spice with menthol on the nose. Deep dark black fruited. Very nice and in prime drinking window.
January 3, 2021 - Strong bramble fruit with hints of herb on the nose. An excellent accompaniment to a mushroom lasagne, but little real complexity or depth at this stage. The acidity and tannic finish suggests that it will get better.
March 21, 2020 - Very tough with a menthol aroma until it had an hour to breath, but then started to open up and lost the breath-mint note. Brambly black raspberry and currents, toffee, apricots (!). A powerhouse but in a good way.