January 5, 2024 - Still at the top of its game after 30-60 mins in decanter or 1-2 hours breathing in bottle. I wasn’t sure when I first opened it-seemed tannic but less impressive. But once it opened up, as good as the last 2 bottles I drank in 2022 & 2023. It is my 5th bottle out of a case I bought-great juice!! I’m not sure it will improve, but it still has a long life at this level.
December 25, 2023 - Opened for Christmas dinner; let it sit for about 2 hours before sharing. Followed for about 2 hours.
Dark purple color. Nose shows dark fruits and a bit of VA. That blows off.
Powerful and rich, perhaps a bit too much.
Concentrated and with depth. Layers of flavor.
Showing a little bit of heat.
A powerhous eof a wine that can improve with more age,
November 16, 2023 - Deep ruby red. Dark and fruity nose with dark chocolate with baking spices and blueberries. Medium bodied and very well integrated with medium tannins (6.5/10). Similar notes on the palate with dark fruit and spices. Definitely a little over its peak. If you have it drink it. Medium to medium plus finish. Drink now.
November 16, 2023 - Not blind.
Fruity nose and initial attack.
I think this is starting to decline. It was unfair to compare tonight to 3 wines all 96+.
July 9, 2023 - Double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, black cherries with a touch of vanilla on both nose & palate (the oak has almost fully integrated), med/firm tannins (typical 13), long finish; outstanding, drink or preferably hold (I will wait at least another year for my last bottle)
June 27, 2023 - Amazing! Having this as a pop and pour out of a magnum reminded me of this wine’s earlier days from the 750 ml bottles. Powerful, rich, smooth, flavorful, with a long finish. A sad day at the end, however, since this is my last bottle of this…
June 25, 2023 - Silky smooth. Like velvet.
March 12, 2023 - This is a wonderful mature New World wine, full of black and red berries, nutmeg, oak, dark chocolate and licorice. I could drink this all day and would score it a point or two hire if not for the slight lingering heat on the palate. At 13.5% ABV this wine would've been electric.
September 3, 2022 - PnP and drank over 2 hrs.
On open this was earthy with topsoil, drying tannins, macerated blackberries and powdered cocoa. This lasted for 30 min. Shifted to our other wine, a ‘14 Colgin Tychson Hill, before reverting.
40 min after opening, a completely different wine, and I’m not sure I’m happy about it. Gone were the secondary/tertiary notes and out popped a stripper from a large fake birthday cake. Blueberry, blackberry, hint of crème pie, big and boisterous. Frankly almost too much after the Colgin.
I’m not scoring this because I’m still processing how this wine behaved. Both sides of the transformation were equally delicious but the shift in palate was frankly confounding! I’m angry and ecstatic at the same time and then I’m ecstatic and angry on the other side. Early on I would have said drink up, past prime, 40 min later I would’ve said let it rest. My brain is garbled. . .
August 7, 2022 - Drinking brilliantly right now