RyanJames

Tasting Notes

• 2015 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

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  1/6/2024 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 96 Points

  I don't even know what the right score is for this, but some might argue this is a perfect wine. Clearly marked by terroir (there's this tree bark+tobacco element I love), incredible balance and a finish+intensity that at 45 seconds is 15 too short to just call it a 99-100 pointer, but I'm nitpicking here. The black fruit - cassis, blackberry, but in no way jammy, perfectly balances the savory elements - this is world class wine from a world class site and deserves a spot next to the 1st/2nd growths of Bordeaux all day long.

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• 2019 Dureuil-Janthial Rully Chêne Blanc

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  4/30/2023 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 91 Points

  These wines, starting with this one in the "lower tier" of the range, are all spectacular and may be the best value (for now) and quality in white Burgundy. This is what CA chardonnay should aspire to be - some flinty reduction, richness from the oak, but balanced by a core of acidity, white and yellow fruits and frankly it's just really tasty. This non 1er cru lacks the complexity and depth of the greater bottlings, but embarrasses many other producers' villages and even some 1er crus of more famous cote d de Beaune brethren.

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• 2014 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes

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  1/29/2022 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Just classic Volnay, impeccably made, and highlighting why 2014 is an underrated vintage. If you're looking for rich, large-scaled Pinot/Burgundy, look away. Red berries galore, leafiness, spices and a very clear sense of soil/terroir. This is as old-school and grand as they come.

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