February 16, 2022 - Ruchè pour Homme
The January 2017 note remains applicable, particularly the rich mid-palate of raspberry preserves, and the comparatively brief finish. Hoisin, which might reasonably encompass the sweet potato and bacon also sensed. Not a lot of cherry. Tremendous for $25,
albeit the 2019 Parize VV Givry combines the relative opulence of this with the better integration of the B-MM Fussiere '11 for the same price, I've just happily learned a month later. That's the cheap 1er to get!
February 27, 2020 - Amazing nose right off. Medium body. Medium flavor – acidic. Good wine, not wonderful. Probably could go a few more years.
July 22, 2018 - This was quite an ugly duckling a couple of years back, but now its starting to mature and the angular and pointy tannins are backing down and the struck-match, tangy elements are not intruding on the rest of the wine. A streak of rusty nail-like flavour still hits the palate but it works really well with the celary-stick and meaty elements of the fruit. I think this will turn into quite a little funky beast in a few years - well worth holding some to see what happens.
Beautiful colour of this as well; it looks like a good wine as soon as it is poured. Very good for the price.
February 20, 2018 - Edit: after being open for 30-60 min, this shut down and became fairly unpleasant. Left on counter and tasted over the next 3 days with steady improvement. Have one other bottle that I will likely hold for at least 3-5 years.
PNP. Dark garnet, almost inky in the center of the glass. Nose is red and some black cherries, a bit of flowers and root beer. If tasting blind, I would have guessed Oregon. Less expressive in the mouth... notes of cherries and charcoal, medium bodies, modest acid and pretty long finish. I’d say 90 for the nose/finish and 88 for the palate. Splitting the difference.
September 9, 2017 - {First bottle of a case purchased on release, prof. storage, perfect bottle} Grantsky's note seems perfectly on target, positive notes to him/her. Nose and aromatics are of a wine in 87-90 range and yet in the mouth there is a muted quality on the initial attack (84-87) and one's initial impression, with still the promise of more acrobatics in the future.... while the mid palate size is substantive, length seems almost artificially shut down and a bit short. Flavors of big dark fruit. interesting! So for now 87 with some pluses for potential. My read is it will lengthen out and get more complex with a few more years on it. Glad to own it and wish to convey my belief that it has potential for improvement.
[$27 on release, in 2014 or early 2015.]
January 29, 2017 - Medium intensity on the nose; Mixed berry fruit, initial sour cherry transitioning to raspberry preserve, blackberry and dried plum. Intense floral notes of rose and violet, slight sauvage, with a nice sense of freshness and minerality.
Taut, compact but what seems to be a hiding, but generous mid palate. Similar fruits as the nose but higher toned than the palate would indicate, good nerve, loads of minerality on the palate, linear. Short finish.
From what i understand this is very long-lived wine. The wine does have good structure with the acidity maybe lacking a little on this vintage for 15+ years, but that would be consistent with the vintage
November 26, 2016 - Violet, rose, strawberry, earthy; light-bodied, somewhat watery, but mouth-filling, mild fruits, and rather long-lived
February 14, 2015 - This wine is dying in the bottle. We had some hints of what it once was for about 30 minutes, then it was gone. Cherry and plum, meatiness, wet earth, and dusty tannins.