April 22, 2022 - Decanted 2 hours before taking to HMCs for dinner, tonight. The darkest garnet of the three wines tonight, with just a hint of the ever so thinnest ruby meniscus at glass edge. First nose is a mix of deep red/black fruit with sweet tobacco leaf and some brown herbal components. Maybe some Fall leaves/forest floor? First sips......medium plus weight, and dense, dark mountain cab fruit. I think there is some great Cali Redwood in my glass! Really, I think I saw it! A big hint of tannin and astringency remains from mid palate thru the ending. Slightly mouth puckering at the end but the fruit is sooo good. 1-2 hours of air might be all this one needs. Will check back in one hour.
Coming up on one hour of air and this is really moving.....cassis in spades! Tannins are receding. What a luscious, mouthwatering wine! Great acidic backbone giving all the support it needs. Just beautiful. Back into the bottle under cork into the cellar for the next hour.
Over the next two hours, this was the WOTN, to me. The depth, power, concentration and make up of this mountain fruit was the easy winner tonight. This '13 is absolutely in its window right now. Unfortunately, this is my last of this vintage. What a treat, to cellar these until they hit drinking windows like this......
April 3, 2022 - Drank with Chase after making Carbonerra
February 20, 2022 - Well balanced and aging nicely. No hurry, I think it had some room to mature
May 30, 2021 - fantastic
October 24, 2020 - A nice bottle opened for the 2nd half of dinner with Andrew and Kayla. Nice at the pnp with plenty of lead pencil and cedar. It roughened over 90 minutes open at the table. Became a little more coarse in the mouth and little more unbalanced with oak. Maybe drink this the first 30-40 min it's open? But then again, I don't know what it would have done 6 hours later......
March 27, 2020 - PNP the first evening and found quite tight and although good wine, really overly dry. Corked and waited 24 hours and it is still tannic but nuances are now developing. Pencil shavings and floral are now more noticeable. Would really suggest letting this sit or very long decant.
March 9, 2020 - fantastic. lots of character but not overpowering
December 21, 2019 - 92....but just barely.....it's weight carries it. The acidity and tannins are integrating well, I just wish there were more depth here. But there isn't.
I want more layers, if I can get it. Is that too much to ask?
December 16, 2019 - Been a year or more since last taste. Wine is I improving. I swear the wine is growing in the bottle. Cork had a good layer of crystals. Big, dry with hints of tobacco, sherry, and blackberry. Coating the tongue with silk.
May 5, 2018 - Wonderful flavors