January 5, 2024 - What an absolute treat!
Opened this up and put a small splash in a glass before throwing the rest into a decanter. This one is definitely not a pop and pull, but you are rewarded if you have the time and patience to give this one at least 3 hours of air. If you're in a pinch, 90 mins would work, but I wouldn't want to drink this any sooner.
The nose is intoxicating. Dark fruit dominated with swaths of minerality, hints of tobacco, and a good balance of oak driven vanilla. The palate carried forward everything from the nose, and there's no mistake this is quite a brooding wine, while still managing to have the precision and depth you come to expect with Francoise. We consumed this over about 90 mins and the last sips saw this bottle turning more red fruit dominated with the tannins becoming a bit drying.
If you're opening now, I think the sweet spot for this wine is between 3-6 hours of air, preferably drinking near the 4 hour mark after the decant.
If there is knock on this wine right now, it's that the nose had a bit too much vanilla for my liking after an extended decant. It's not something I've noticed on the 16s or 19s I've tried more recently, and I don't recall this when tasting with Bruce back in 2021. Hopefully with more time in the cellar, it won't be an issue, but wanted to acknowledge it, as it was a surprise.
97 now with potential for 2-3 more points of upside in the next 2-5 years!
December 14, 2023 - 6 hour decant. Sipped at 3, 4 and 5 hour mark too. Deeply saturated purple to magenta color. Pronounced notes of bramble berries, rock dust, charred earth, tar and brooding minerals. Slowly settled to red cherry jam, toasted plum skins, sautéed spices, white pepper and flowers. Chalky acidity, softening tannins on long finish. This wine has a great muscular structure and incredible fruit.
December 3, 2023 - Imma have to start calling your secretary! (Sunset District): I looked at it.. I was just passing by.. I noticed it, came to a stop, and looked at it.
Aromas of ripe dark red and black fruits, with the profile of the fruits becoming more serious being propped up by dark graphite, pencil shavings, and deep earth. A good floral airiness graces the fruits with aromatic earthiness.
Palate showed black and dark fruits with a backing of savory graphite, dry tree bark and deep earth. There's a gentle but firm woody spice like cedar. The fruit is brooding, with restraint. Plenty of life ahead and would love to see how this shows in another 4-6 years.
July 28, 2023 - Don't even look at it. Just keep walking.
A scuffed label BWG discount led to a justification to kill this bottle early. 2018 has shut down and the fruit is hidden behind a wall of puckering tannins. The backdrop of the Grand Tetons and all their glory sure did make for a nice picture to send to Bruce. He always appreciates how well these bottles travel so not a complete loss!
On day two the fruit was showing a bit more but tannins are still formidable and imposing on what will be a 100 point wine one day.
Hold
July 15, 2023 - Beautiful wine right now with a solid decant. Amazing upside if you wait.
June 4, 2023 - Same 2 hour decant as in Nov 22, however not the same. Seemed much less approachable. Will hold off for awhile before I open another bottle. You might want to do the same.
May 6, 2023 - Blind Santa Barbara pinot tasting (FermentedBeast's Lair): N: Intense black fruits that overshadow dark blue fruits, wet earth after a rainy day, and damp tree branches and stems.
P: Black fruits, savory earth, dark and almost black graphite, dark bitter minerals.
Rich and coating but that impression could be due to all the pinots we have been tasting before this. This would've done much better if given more air time but unfortunately, this was pulled a little later into the evening.
December 12, 2022 - 95 now after some time in the decanter but will still benefit from a couple-few years to settle down and integrate. Very young, rich & fruit forward but not as powerful as those descriptions might suggest. It'll continue to develop into a beautifully balanced wine.
December 8, 2022 - VHR Tasting in Phoenix, AZ (Anhelo (Phoenix)): Decanted for 4 hours then served about 2 hours later (total of 6 hours of air) I love this wine and this vintage, but the wine seems like it is starting to close down a little. Everything is there, but it still needs to integrate. I feel like this wine will be the best of the bunch, but it will take a few years to strut its stuff! Plenty of dark fruit with some red fruit, and unbelievable structure. I fell in love with this vintage because I feel it (and other 18s) show so much structure and balance with pure fruit, tannins and acidity. This is already good (and even better at the end of the night), but still has so much more potential. I think this will eventually flirt with perfection! Aside from the fruit, there were hints of tobacco and earth, as well as notes of chocolate and toasty oak. 95+ today, but loads of potential. Hold this one for another few years then enjoy for a long, long time!
Note, my benchmark is 98 points.
November 4, 2022 - 2 hour decant - Plum, wet stone and lots of spice. Maybe green pepper? In balance, structured but too tight. Dry. After 4.5 hrs, opened up. Coats mouth with velvet. Full bodied and floral. Not as much oomph as some other 18’s I’ve had but that’s ok, you can sense the potential. But hey, what do I know?