Community Tasting Note

csimm wrote:

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 - 2018 Colgin, Harlan, Eisele, Bryant (and........ Chappellet): Blind. The Bryant was my fourth out of five. Normally that might create the impression it somehow had a bad showing or failed in some way. This is the problem with comparison tastings. There’s always a winner and the rest are second-best. All four (of the five) wines performed beautifully. These notes are more for proportional and relative perspective.

This is a great wine, though this bottle’s showing was not as amazing as the previous experience I had with it back on Halloween. It’s “just” a 96-97 point showing this time around, with slightly less drive than I recall from my first encounter with the 2018 Bryant Cabernet. A ton of deep blackberry fruit, rich black cherry, and a slightly dusty encapsulation make for a strong and gorgeous showing that is simply out paced by the few others at the table. Somewhat ironically, the tail has a slight bitterness, but it is overcome quickly by the waves of yummy fruit. Certainly, this is more opulent than the others, and likely the most accessible of the lot, but slightly predictable the same way a Realm Crane is predictable. (Ok, everyone just calm down. I know those are different wines and all, but once you’ve had one Realm Crane, well, you know…). Wait, that reeked a bit of self-snobbery – a thousand apologies…).

In any event, this bottle of Bryant shows a stunningly gourmand profile. Its richness makes it a right-now wine in many ways, but it certainly has the frame (and a nice hit of minerality I might add) to go the distance. Ideally, hold for a few more years to curve the edges even more.

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