Intense sweet cherries, ripe black plums, perfect blackberries, almonds, milk chocolate, flowers, hint of maybe allspice, faint background of leather, faintest hint of licorice. Gentle tannins. Lovely and very long aftertaste. Enjoyable even immediately after opening, but needs well more than an hour in the glass to be at its best (the score was significantly lower earlier). Just a lot of fun. No hurry at all, but also no reason at all to wait. [Tasted over almost two hours from the Jancis Robinson glass. The description reflects this glass and combines notes from the entire 2-hour period--at any one time, most, but not all, of these descriptors would make sense. Very briefly tried several other glasses--too briefly for it to be fair to mention them by name--and, although the wine was still enjoyable, little of the complexity was present from those glasses. I gave this bottle a week upright to allow any sediment to settle out, but I suspect that this was more than was needed.]
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Deep ruby color. Absolutely fantastic bouquet, redolent of black sherry, red currant, wet gravel, chocolate, tar. eucalyptus and rose petals. Smooth and supple, medium-full bodied, with flavors of red and black fruit, streaked with hints of menthol, earth and spice. Lingering dried fruit finish, supported by fine-grained tannins.
Perhaps a little tight still, and could benefit from a few more years of rest. But a very solid wine, regardless.
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Lovely wine. Upon opening it was tight but nice, fruit showed through but a touch astringent. I decanted the bottle for 3 hours - 2 would have been fine as well. After decanting the wine was perfect with prime quality New York strip and lamb chops. Tar, tobacco, blue fruits - intense bit food friendly. I drink a bottle each year on my father's birthday (it was his favorite). It's fun to watch the case I purchased evolve year after year. I think the wine may be at peak or in a dumb faze, it's not as energetic as in the past but is really delicious.
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@BTWINE nailed the notes. Enjoyed over steaks at a friends house at a wine dinner. Extremely warm heat wave but controlled the temperature with ice Great bottle. I apparently have one more left in my cellar. Need to locate it and likely will have it soon so I enjoy this bottle at or near its apex.
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2/1/2024 - SpenceP wrote: 93 Points
Intense sweet cherries, ripe black plums, perfect blackberries, almonds, milk chocolate, flowers, hint of maybe allspice, faint background of leather, faintest hint of licorice. Gentle tannins. Lovely and very long aftertaste. Enjoyable even immediately after opening, but needs well more than an hour in the glass to be at its best (the score was significantly lower earlier). Just a lot of fun. No hurry at all, but also no reason at all to wait. [Tasted over almost two hours from the Jancis Robinson glass. The description reflects this glass and combines notes from the entire 2-hour period--at any one time, most, but not all, of these descriptors would make sense. Very briefly tried several other glasses--too briefly for it to be fair to mention them by name--and, although the wine was still enjoyable, little of the complexity was present from those glasses. I gave this bottle a week upright to allow any sediment to settle out, but I suspect that this was more than was needed.]
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9/15/2023 - bigbass250 wrote:
opened after a fruit bomb so hard to judge but only had a tiny bit, tonight will be the real test
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7/2/2023 - daveyk39 wrote: 92 Points
Gave about 2h air, based on TNs.
Deep ruby color. Absolutely fantastic bouquet, redolent of black sherry, red currant, wet gravel, chocolate, tar. eucalyptus and rose petals. Smooth and supple, medium-full bodied, with flavors of red and black fruit, streaked with hints of menthol, earth and spice. Lingering dried fruit finish, supported by fine-grained tannins.
Perhaps a little tight still, and could benefit from a few more years of rest. But a very solid wine, regardless.
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7/1/2023 - kdart000 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely wine. Upon opening it was tight but nice, fruit showed through but a touch astringent. I decanted the bottle for 3 hours - 2 would have been fine as well. After decanting the wine was perfect with prime quality New York strip and lamb chops. Tar, tobacco, blue fruits - intense bit food friendly. I drink a bottle each year on my father's birthday (it was his favorite). It's fun to watch the case I purchased evolve year after year. I think the wine may be at peak or in a dumb faze, it's not as energetic as in the past but is really delicious.
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9/4/2022 - travelme wrote: 93 Points
@BTWINE nailed the notes. Enjoyed over steaks at a friends house at a wine dinner. Extremely warm heat wave but controlled the temperature with ice Great bottle. I apparently have one more left in my cellar. Need to locate it and likely will have it soon so I enjoy this bottle at or near its apex.
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