December 29, 2022 - Still a big, dense, dark wine that demands 4+ hour decant to soften and allow some fruit to balance out all the dark earthy elements. When hitting its stride, it becomes smooth with great minerality and a long finish. I'm seeing a trend in these Lede BTK bottling that I may enjoy them more at a younger age before they dive into beast mode and the fruit is still front and center.
August 28, 2020 - This is seriously good. Needs at least an hour to open up, otherwise there is a bitter/astringent situation happening on the finish, but I found that blew off after some air and the fruit really came through. Smooth as silk, super precise, ripe without being overdone, drinking well now with air but has many years ahead to continue to evolve.
June 10, 2020 - Oh my!! I have several bottles of 15, 16 and, 17. I busted out the the 15 with a long time friend . It was in a word , Awesome! This has to be the most under appreciated bottle out there. Inky dark and just incredible depth with a nose that left me wondering what could be better. Pure excellence !!! After we drank it I actually wished I had not shared it. Can’t imagine how good it will be in a couple of years !!
April 22, 2020 - Our favorite from Cliff Lede!!
November 29, 2018 - From a comparative side-by-side BTK tasting with this Cliff Lede, a ‘16 MACDONALD, and a ‘15 Purlieu BTK (which ended up being an off-bottle it seemed).
Black currant, asphalt, bitter blackberry, unsmoked cigar, and graphite notes made their place keenly in the palate. Linear and overtly direct on its attack on initial PnP, like it was holding its breath and being held underwater. A bit of a suffocating, clenching presentation at first, but backing off on its frame-first delivery once it was able to come up for air.
It didn’t take long before it started to open up, never breaking stride once it got going, but never fully blossoming either at this stage. Still maintained quite a bit of grip, but did so in a purposeful way, studiously releasing some its handle as it worked its way along the palate, allowing the fruit to open up some more, bit by bit. Finished slow, but fairly long, continuing to latch on to the back end with its mindful clenching of the core.
There were indeed some similarities between the MACDONALD and the Cliff Lede, primarily in the overall profiles related to scaffolding. However, the MACDONALD was no joke when it came to its next-level flavor complexity and perfect structure intensity. The MACDONALD showed a bit more pick-me-up, especially on the tail.
Ideally, hold the CL for another 3-5+ years.
October 9, 2018 - On the nose; very ruby, floral plum fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, Thompson raisins, fresh dates and prunes. Black licorice, creamy dark fruit cola, caramel, milk & dark chocolate, soft beautiful dark spice, touch of eucalyptus, fresh herbs, limestone, soft presence dry crushed rocks, a whiff of pepper, fresh lavender, violets and dark withering floral bouquet.
The body is full and lush. Fine meaty, tarry, tannins. Very ruby, floral plum fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, Thompson raisins, fresh dates and prunes. Black licorice, creamy dark fruit cola, caramel, milk & dark chocolate, soft beautiful dark spice, touch of eucalyptus, fresh herbs, limestone, soft presence dry crushed rocks, suede leather, dry clay, dry top soil, dry underbrush, a whiff of pepper, fresh lavender, violets and dark withering floral bouquet. The acidity is very nice. There is good structure, tension, length and balance that needs 10 years plus to flush out. The finish is good, well balanced with fine powdery sticky tannins.
September 14, 2018 - This is a brilliant wine, but you need to give it at least 5 hours of air before consuming. Unlike many BTK's that are built for the NOW, this wine is amazing at present but really built to last. I spent about 5 mins with my nose in the glass on this baby. Just so wonderfully aromatic. All the hallmark To Kalon traits on steroids - creme de cassis, violets, blackberries and spice box. Extraordinarily dense, layered and packed chock full of dark fruit on the pallet. The tannins are super fine grained, but they support a tremendously well built spine that will allow this wine to last for a long, long time. This actually reminds me of the 2015 MacDonald, perhaps with a bit more fruit - a super high compliment in my eyes. The finish here goes on forever, and the purity is basically perfect. Not sure this could get much better. 99+