Recent Wine Tasting Notes

Chocolate-covered cherries, blackberries, licorice, smoke, vanilla, and coffee create the perfume. The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine is still a bit oaky, though once past the oak, you find plenty of round, ripe, dark, chewy, warm fruits on the palate and in the finish. 91 Points

Wow! This is what great wine is all about. The nose is intense with its blend of white flowers, spice, licorice, smoke, wet earth, and perfectly ripe, red, and black fruits. Texturally, this is incredibly sensuous with a finish that doesn't quit. There is weight and density, as well as balance, harmony, length, purity, depth, and most importantly, style and character. And that is what separates the good from the great wines. If you find a bottle or two, grab it, as less than 100 cases were produced. This should age for 3-4 decades effortlessly. 100 Points

Dark, dense, powerful, full-bodied, rich, and meaty, the wine gets you going with its earthy nose packed with grilled steak, black plums, cherries, licorice, smoke, spice, and coffee bean. Full-bodied, tannic, structured, and complex, you are going to need to be patient with this wine, give it 15 or more years in the cellar and this could score even higher. 98 Points

It's a bouquet of red, white, and purple flowers backed up by all its layers of supple, silky, opulent red and black fruits. The berries are ripe, sweet, fresh, and display a gorgeous sense of purity, smoky accents, length and complexity. This is going to age and evolve for 2-3 decades without any trouble, 96 Points

Medium-bodied, finesse styled, elegant, silky, and vibrant, the lift and energy in the sweet, ripe, crisp red fruits hit all the notes. The balance between edgy and refined is simply perfect. 94 Points

Deep and dark in color, the wine exudes smoke, black cherries, cigar wrapper, and peppery spice on the nose. Rich, round, fresh, deep, and vibrant, the wine delivers layers of ripe, dark smoky berries and curshed rock character. 96 Points

Oh yes, was all I could say after my initial sip. This has it all going on. The wine is full-bodied, intense, vibrant, silky, sensuous, and flamboyant. There is depth, complexity, and density, as well as balance. Multi-layered and multi-faceted, the wine leaves you with a cornucopia of red fruits that does not want to quit. Leave this for a decade and enjoy it for 20 years after that. 98 Points

Deep, dark, full, and concentrated, the wine is powerful, firm, tannic and reserved. You find numerous layers of dark, black, and red fruits with a peppery, smoky, crisp edge, but this is not going to be fun to drink in its youth. It will need at least 15 years of sleep before it is ready to deliver its all. 97 Points

The non-stop intensity here is off the charts. Kicking off with smoky black cherries, plums, thyme, crushed stone, espresso bean, and wet earth, the nose is more than enough to hook you. But it is on the palate that the wine really takes off with its layers of dark, perfectly ripe fruits, riper tannins, and seamless finish. Let this age for 12-15 years and you will have a thrilling Cote Rotie to enjoy for another 2-3 decades after that. 98 Points

Black, red, and hints of blue fruit with smoke, flowers, spice, and herbs paint a beautiful picture. The fruit on the palate is even better with its layers of ripe, velvety plums, blackberry, herbs, green olive and cherry nuances. Full-bodied, opulent, and polished, this is going to be just great, but be a little patient as this will take about a decade before it really starts to deliver its essence. 95 Points

Smoky, floral, earthy, and a bit savory, the wine is elegant, poised, fresh, vibrant, and packed with lifted, ripe, red fruits. This is racy in style, with a nice edgy character in the finish. 95 Points

Savory, bright, fresh, and juicy, the fruits are crisp, smoky, and vibrant on the nose and palate, finishing with elegant, smoky, red fruits and spice with a touch of olive on the backend. 94 Points

Full-bodied, earthy, and with a bit of a saline touch to the tannins, you also find loads of smoked red fruits, savory herbs, black raspberries and with a savory touch to the finish. This is going to need time to soften and develop. 93 Points

Inky dark in color, the wine exudes blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, flowers, smoke, licorice, herbs, and wet earth on the nose. Dense and intense on the palate, with a richness that coats your palate with black and blue fruits. Opulent, sweet, luscious, and long, even with all the levels of intensity, the wine is harmonious. As good as it is, offer a decade of age and it will be even better. 99 Points

Forward, medium-bodied, bright, and polished with touches of smoke, herbs, and cocoa that ride along with the savory, fresh red cherries and juicy plums on the palate and in the finish. 92 Points

Quite bright, fresh, crisp, and vibrant, the wine is medium-bodied with a peppery, savory edge to all the elevated red fruits in the nose, on the palate and in the juicy, fresh finish. 91 Points

With a solid depth of color, texturally, this is all about its sensuality, silky tannins, and exotic texture. On the palate, the wine is concentrated, rich, lush, opulent, and showy, truly putting on a display of smoked meats, flowers, olives, herbs, thyme, and fresh red berries. Give the 12 years in the cellar, more or less, and this could hit triple digits when it reaches maturity. 99 Points

Like walking into a flower shop located next to a barbecue stand, the smoke and flowers add a lot to the medium-bodied, sweet, ripe, silky, fresh, elegant, polished red fruits. The tannins feel soft and relaxed, making this relatively forward, so you can probably start drinking it within 5 years or so. Yet, even though it can be enjoyed early, it should age for at least 20 years or more. 94 Points

Deep, rich, opulent, silky, and polished, the ripe, smoky, red fruits taste as good as they feel. The wine is full-bodied, luscious, opulent, vibrant, long, and deep, with a caressing edge to the finish. As good as this is, and it is that good, your patience will be rewarded if you hold off for a decade, allowing for more sensuous textures and nuances to shine through. 95 Points

Medium-bodied, soft, silky, plush, and polished, the wine is loaded with ripe, fresh, sweet, slightly smoky red and black plums, cherries, spice, and olives. 94 Points

Had this twice over the past few weeks, and it was incredible both times. Sharp as a razor's edge, the wine is marked by its blinding, razor's edge of acidity. Crisp, crackling, bright, perfectly ripe, yellow citrus, crushed rocks, almonds, and brioche are all over the place. The resilient finish just keeps on going This is a Krug to age. 99 Points

This is developing in all the right ways. Full-bodied, rich, opulent, and voluptuous, as well as fresh, mineralistic, long, complex, and palate-staining, the wine offers incredible levels of intensity along with depth, weight, and energy. On the dark side of the red berry spectrum, the tannins are refined and the finish has a lot of stick-to-it resilience, as it stays with you for at least 50 seconds. Still, relatively primary, another decade of age will add a lot to the experience. 98 Points

Lighter-styled, fresh, forward, sweet wine with a lean to the orange, apricot side of the style range with accents of flowers, spice, honey, and vanilla bean. 90 Points

Still, quite a bit of wood on the nose, as the vanilla, dill and espresso remain front and center before you get to all the layers of black and red fruits. Powerful, full-bodied, long and dense, the wine still needs another decade before it integrates and softens. 93 Points

Loads of cedar, green herbs, forest leaf, underbrush, tobacco, cigar wrapper, and tobacco, with peppery, spicy red currants on the back end, on the palate, the medium-bodied, lighter-styled wine is rustically charming, with a peppery, bright red berry note in the finish. 88 Points