2018 Continued Notes

2013 Chevalier de Lascombes

Location:  Margaux, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc  

This wine was surprisingly quite nice for a Second Wine in an off vintage.  The wine was a dark purple in color with a bouquet of blackberries, black raspberries, cherries, toasted oak, smoke, and dried herbs.  The wine was full bodied with rounded tannins that gave way to a nice finish displaying hints of juicy black fruits, dusty earth, dried herbs, and toasted oak.  The wine is nicely balanced and very approachable now, but should soften a bit over the next few years.  Recommended!  

Tasted:  June 2018

2011 Chateau Tronquoy-Lalande

Classification:  Cru Bourgeois in 1932 

Location:  St.-Estephe, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot  

This beautiful dark purple wine had a lovely bouquet of black berries, currants, cherries, licorice, herbs, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with chewy tannins that gave way to a nice long finish giving off hints of fleshy black fruits, toasted herbs, dusty burnt wood, and chalky minerals.  The wine was complex with beautiful dark fruits that blended nicely with supple terroir notes.  This was quite a nice wine with good density and old world elegance.  The administrator of this estate is Herve Berland, the same as Chateau Montrose as they are both owned Martin & Olivier Bouygues.  These wines have shown great improvement since 2009 and are worthy of your attention.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  June 2018

2011 La Dame de Montrose

Location:  St.-Estephe, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon  

This is the Second Wine of Château Montrose, and is made with the same care as the first and with grapes from the same vineyards.  This dark red beauty had a bouquet of crushed cherries, black raspberries, dried herbs, chocolate, wood shavings, and toasted oak.  The wine is medium + in body with rounded tannins that give way to a concentrated palate showing hints of blended red berries, herbs of time & cumin, chocolate, and sweet oak.  The wine is complex with harmonizing flavors of fruit and earth that are nicely balanced.  The wine is in its plateau of maturity and drinking quite nice right now.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  June 2018

2011 Chateau Montrose

Classification:  Second Growth in 1855 

Location:  St.-Estephe, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot  

This powerful decadent wine was giving off a lush bouquet of black currants, blackberries, cassis fruit, tobacco, powdered chocolate, mint, eucalyptus, minerals, and toasted oak.  This full bodied wine had gripping tannins that gave way to a luxuriously long finish displaying hints of concentrated rich dark fruits, chocolate, tobacco, salted caramel, herbs, dusty limestone, and toasted cedar.  This is a big beautiful wine with complex layers of fruit and earth that that dance and play perfectly together.  The wine is still just a baby and should soften for those with the patience to cellar it for another few years or even a decade or two.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  June 2018

2017 Château Langoa Barton

Classification:  Third Growth in 1855 

Location:  St. Julien, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc  

I tasted this at the Estate and was quite pleased!  The wine had a lovely bouquet giving off aromas of black cherries, blackberries, cassis fruit, vanilla, burnt sugar, sage, minerals, and toasted oak.  The wine was medium+ bodied with rounded tannins that gave way to hints of plums, black cherries, cassis fruit, herbs, graphite, tobacco, and dusty earthy minerals.  The wine has a nice concentration of generous fruits that blend and harmonize with the earth terroir notes.  This wine was showing quite nice, but should be outstanding in about a decade.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  June 2018

1995 Château Lynch-Bages

Classification:  Fifth Growth in 1855 

Location:  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot  

I enjoyed this bottle of wine with some good friends whom indulged me with such.  The wine had a nice ruby color with a bouquet of black currants, plum, blackberries, chocolate, spice, herbs, minerals, and sweet toasted oak.  The wine was medium+ bodied with dissipating tannins and a velvety plush palate painted with hints of dark fruits, graphite, dusty chalky earth, dried herbs, and sweet smoke.  The wine is in its plateau of maturity and drinking quite nice right now.  This is an elegantly soft old world wine with nice complexity and a beautiful balance between fruit and earth.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  June 2018

2009 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

Location:  Margaux, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot  

I enjoyed this Second Label of Château Margaux at the Estate at the end of a tour; thus, it was a wonderful prelude to what was to come.  This wine had a floral bouquet giving off aromas of crushed ripe cherries, blackberries, cassis fruit, plum, sage, dusty gravel, and toasted cedar.  The wine was full bodied with rounded tannins that gave way to a generous finish displaying hints of plum, cassis, black raspberry, dried herbs, forest floor, gravel stones, and toasted oak.  The wine is beautifully balanced as the core black fruits harmonize nicely with the supple terroir notes.  This wine is approachable now but should soften over the next decade.  Truly a beautiful wine!  Highly Recommended!    

Tasted:  June 2018

2004 Château Margaux

Classification:  First Growth in 1855 

Location:  Margaux, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc  

I enjoyed this wine at the Estate after a lovely tour and found it to be intriguing with a seductive bouquet of red currants, cassis fruit, plum, mocha, black tea, herbs, salted caramel, graphite, earth, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with rounded but gripping tannins that gave way to a plush palate painted with hints of fleshy blackberries, red currants, black raspberry, chocolate, soft spice, refined dusty earth, wet river rocks, and a touch of cedar.  The wine was complex with supple layers of red and black fruits harmoniously blended with layers of terroir.  This wine is a show stopper and was bold, yet elegant with power and finesse.  The wine is extremely approachable now and is drinking quite nice; however, could continue aging for another decade with no problem.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  June 2018

1988 Château Mouton Rothschild

Classification:  First Growth in June 21, 1973 

Location:  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot  

This is a wine that when it first came out was underrated by Robert M. Parker Jr. (89 Points / tasted, 1/1993) in my opinion.  I recently tasted this wine along with the 1985, 1986, 1998,1999, and 2002 vintages; thus, this was one of the better wines in the lineup.  The 1988 vintage had beautiful aromas of black currants, cassis fruit, black cherries, vanilla, mocha, burnt sugar, pencil shavings, cigar box, exotic spice, minerals, and toasted oak.  The wine was medium ++ in body with soft rounded tannins that gave way to a velvety smooth finish that painted the palate with hints of dark berry fruits, crème de cassis, baking spices, vanilla, tobacco, coffee, vanilla, refined dusty minerals, and sweet toasted oak.  The wine is complex with outstanding layers of concentrated dark fruits that harmonize with the supple terroir notes.  The wine is somewhat rustic yet maintains its bold elegance.  This is one of my favorite vintages from a value perspective!  Extremely Highly Recommended!    

Tasted:  July 2018

1999 Château Mouton Rothschild

Classification:  First Growth in June 21, 1973 

Location:  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc  

This beautiful wine is just now starting to reach its plateau of maturity and should develop nicely for those with more patience.  The wine had a rich bouquet of currants, blueberries, cassis fruit, graphite, vanilla, tobacco, chocolate, cedar, and smoke.  The wine was full bodied with rounded tannins that gave way to a nice finish painting the palate with hints of red berry fruits, plum, cassis fruit, earthy minerals, sweet cedar, and smoke all being encompassed with velvety vanilla notes.  The wine was quite tight and seemed to be quite closed off; however, it did begin to evolve in the glass and continued to become more and more generous.  I wish this wine had been decanted several hours before approaching as it would have benefited from it immensely.  The wine is layered with rich fruits that dance nicely with the terroir nuances; thus, the wine is beautiful but needs more time to develop.  I would love to try this wine again in another 8 to 10 years.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2018

1998 Château Mouton Rothschild

Classification:  First Growth in June 21, 1973 

Location:  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc  

CORKED WINE  

Explanation: Unfortunately this wine was tainted with TCA (trichloroanisole) which is found when natural fungi comes in contact with certain chlorides found in bleaches and other winery sanitation or sterilization products.  This affects the smell and taste of the wine; however, is not harmful other than the disappointment of not being able to enjoy the wine.    

Tasted:  July 2018

2002 Château Mouton Rothschild

Classification:  First Growth in June 21, 1973 

Location:  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot  

This dark beautiful red wine had a concentrated bouquet of ripe cassis fruit, currants, blackberries, minerals, pencil shavings, vanilla, cigar box, leather, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with gripping but rounded tannins that gave way to an expressively curvy finish of dense dark berry fruit, fleshy red berries, tobacco, herbs, vanilla, baking chocolate, licorice, crushed minerals, and hints of cedar.  This wine is still quite youthful and will benefit from being decanted several hours before approaching. On first approach the wine was tight and closed, but as it evolved in the glass it became very lovely and quite expressively beautiful in a bold yet elegantly restrained old world classic style.  This is a wine that will continue evolving nicely for those with the patience to continue cellaring it for another decade or so.   Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2018

2016 Silverado Vineyards Vineburg Vineyard Chardonnay

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  100% Chardonnay  

The wine had a pale gold color and a bouquet of green apple, melon, stone fruit, citrus, minerals, and a very slight hint of oak.  The wine was crisp and clean with nice acidity, and a beautiful palate of milky minerals, soft pepper spice, green apple, pineapple, melon, and a hint of honey suckle on the finish.  This medium to full bodied chardonnay is well balanced and layered with oily minerals and crisp fruit.  The wine continued to open up and develop as it sat in the glass.  This is a beautiful wine.  Highly Recommended!    

Tasted:  July 2018

2016 Far Niente Chardonnay

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  100% Chardonnay  

Far Niente has been making wonderfully high-end chardonnay since 1979, and it was the first varietal cultivated and bottled by the winery.  This is a very nice vintage giving off a bouquet of ripe melon, peaches, creamy lemon curd, minerals, baking spices, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with balanced acidity and a creamy palate painted with hints of citrus oil, peaches, melon, nuts, minerals, light baking spices, and a touch of oak.  This is a beautifully layered wine with ripe fruit notes and a creamy oiliness, yet it maintains its elegance and brightness.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2018

2016 Robert Lloyd vineyards Chardonnay

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  100% Chardonnay  

The wine had a beautiful golden yellow color and a bouquet giving off aromas of pear, apple, vanilla, buttery oak, and roasted almonds.  The wine was crisp and rich on the palate with bright acidity that gives way to a plush finish of ripe apples, stewed peaches, guava, yeasty pie crust, creamy vanilla, hazelnuts, and oak.  The wine is layered with hints of fruit and baking spices that blend and harmonize nicely together.  The wine is powerful yet restrained, and is made in a new world style.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2018

2013 Domaine Dagueneau "Pur Sang" Pouilly-Fumé

Location:  Loire Valley, France 

Blend:  100% Sauvignon Blanc  

This was a complex and beautiful wine that gave off an expressive bouquet of lime curd, apple, mango, mimosas, dried violets, minerals, and soft spice.  The wine was full bodied with a nice creamy palate and hints of sweet orange, apple, kumquat, spices, sea salt, and chalky minerals.  This is a complex wine with layers of decadent yet bright fruit, that harmonize with beautiful baking spices and creamy minerals.  This is a beautiful wine with amazing power and elegance while maintaining its purity.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2018

2007 Château Haut-Brion

Classification:  First Growth in 1855 

Location:  Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc  

We got together with some good friends and both couples brought a bottle of Château Haut-Brion to the table to enjoy with our dinner; thus, we indulged in the 2007 and 2001 vintages.  Being friends with Master Sommelier Luis de Santos we went to his newly opened establishment called MORDEO Boutique Wine Bar.  Here we were advised that both wines would be decanted, but it was subjected to begin with the 2007 vintage, as delicious culinary compliments were created by Chef Khai Vu.  This was an extraordinary wine pairing that elevated our enjoyment of an already outstanding wine to new heights.  The wine had a floral bouquet of cherries, black raspberries, plums, sage, incense, olive paste, graphite, wet river rocks, and toasted oak.  The wine was medium ++ in body with fine tannins that gave way and painted the palate with hints of cassis fruit, cherries, plums, tobacco, crushed gravel, led pencil, soft spices, and toasted oak.  The wine was complex with layers of decadent fruit that harmoniously blended and played with the supple earthy terroir notes.  The wine was rich yet elegant with a nice intensity of reserved boldness.  The wine was showing no signs of decline and came across quite youthful, but is in its drinkability window.  Highly Recommended!    

Tasted:  August 2018

2001 Château Haut-Brion

Classification:  First Growth in 1855 

Location:  Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc  

We enjoyed this vintage along with the 2007 vintage, and this was served later on half way through our dinner.  We still had some of the 2007 left in our other glasses to compare, but the 2001 quickly became my favorite.  The order of serving these wines was suggested by Master Sommelier Luis de Santos, as we were enjoying our evening at his establishment, MORDEO Boutique Wine Bar.  Here his partner Chef Khai Vu indulged us with some delicious bites that paired beautifully with our wine; thus, nothing better than a Great Chef and a Master Sommelier working together to elevate the enjoyment of food and wine together.  This gorgeous purple wine had a floral bouquet of violets, black currants, cherries, licorice, crushed granite, herbs, graphite, baking spices, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with silky smooth tannins that gave way to a long luxurious finish of wild berry fruits, crushed minerals, cut herbs, exotic spices, refined dusty earth, and toasted oak.  The wine is complex and beautifully intertwines and plays with the layers of fleshy fruit and dusty terroir notes.  The wine is in its plateau of maturity and drinking outstandingly right now.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  August 2018

2015 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  100% Chardonnay  

This chardonnay was quite extraordinary with an exotic bouquet of pineapple, pear, ripe apples, mango, citrus, anise spice, honey, smoke, and light minerals.  The wine was full bodied with bright acidity and a palate similar to its aromas but more layered and simply beautiful.  This light golden wine is complex with harmonizing layers of tropical fruits and smoky minerals balanced with a hint of citrus oil that gives the wine opulence.  This wine was clean and refreshing yet complex with depth and character.    Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  August 2018

2015 Jean Edwards Cellars Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot  

Always a treat and never disappoints, this robust yet balanced wine had an alluring bouquet of cassis fruit, blackberries, cherries, herbs, chocolate, and toasted oak.  The wine is full bodied with rounded tannins that grip the palate and paint it with lush red and black berry fruits, roasted herbs, mocha, soft spice, dusty minerals, and smoky oak.   The wine is bold yet displays strength with elegance and has a luxurious mouth feel.  The wine is balanced and the layers blend and play beautifully together.  This is an outstanding wine and I’m always amazed that it is priced so reasonable; thus, it is a great quality wine for its price point.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  August 2018

1999 Chateau Leoville Poyferre

Classification:  Second Growth in 1855 

Location:  Saint Julien, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot   

The wine had a dark purple color and a perfumed bouquet of violets, dense cassis fruit, blackberries, plum, chocolate, truffles, cedar, minerals, and toasted oak.  The wine was medium ++ in body with silky smooth tannins and a long finish giving off hints of black cherries, cassis fruit, blackberries, dusty minerals, vanilla, chocolate, herbs, and toasted oak.  The wine is very elegant yet yields power and is beautifully complex with thoughtful layers that harmonize and blend nicely together.  The wine is in its plateau of maturity and drinking wonderfully right now!  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  August 2018

2013 Chateau Montrose

Classification:  Second Growth in 1855 

Location:  Saint Estephe, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc  

This beautiful dark ruby wine had a closed bouquet that opened after an hour to expose aromas of black raspberries, currants, cassis fruit, mint, graphite, tobacco, and toasted oak.  The wine was medium ++ in body and had rounded but gripping tannins that gave way to an elegant finish displaying hints of dense juicy fruits, sage, rosemary, caramel, mint, tar, minerals, dusty earth, and smoke.  The wine is powerful yet polished with complex layers of fruit and earth that have nice depth and balance.  The wine is still quite youthful and should benefit from further cellaring; thus, I would like to revisit this in another 10 years.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  August 2018

2014 Yount Ridge Proprietary Blend

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Malbec  

My Sommelier friends and I had the opportunity to taste all of the Yount Ridge wines side by side.  I decanted the reds about an hour before we approached them; thus, I knew we were in for a treat as these wines were made by the winemaker at Scarecrow, Celia Welch.  The wine had a deep purplish red color and a bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, cassis fruit, plum, mocha, graphite, cut herbs, baking spices, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with gripping but rounded tannins that gave way to a long finish showing hints of blackberries, black raspberry, plum, soft minerals, spices, leafy tobacco, and toasted oak.  The wine is complex with succulent layers of fruit and terroir notes that harmonize and blend beautifully together.  The wine expresses power in an elegant and sophisticated way and has a luxurious mouth feel.  This wine should continue to evolve nicely over the next decade and will reward those with a little patience.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  October 2018

2014 Yount Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Malbec, 0.5% Merlot  

Another great wine enjoyed with my Sommelier friends at one of our tastings.  The wine had a deep dark purple color with hues of red, and a bouquet exploding with aromas of blackberries, black raspberries, red cherries, cinnamon, vanilla, espresso, graphite, cedar, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with gripping tannins that gave way to hints of cassis fruit, blackberries, currants, baking spices, cedar, nutmeg, and ripe plum.  The wine was restrained yet boldly complex with a balanced structure of ripe fruits dancing with lush baking spices, and encompassed with soft cedar notes.  This wine should be enjoyed over the next 12 years.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  October 2018

2014 Yount Ridge EPIC

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon  

My Sommelier friends and I indulged in this opulent beauty (out of the Yount Ridge lineup) last, as it is the flagship for the Estate.  The wine had an opaque purple color with a beautiful bouquet of violets, cassis fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cinnamon, vanilla, cedar, minerals, and a hint of eucalyptus.  The wine was full bodied with finely rounded tannins that gave way to a luxurious palate painted in dark berries, plum, cinnamon, vanilla, dusty earth, minerals, soft herbs, and toasted oak.  The wine was decadent with supple terroir notes that blended perfectly with the ripe berry fruits.  This wine is complex with rich and bold layers that are elegantly structured with finesse and sophistication.  This is an outstanding wine that truly needs another few years in the cellar; however, it should last another two decades for those that have the patience.  Truly a masterful wine that will only get better with time!    

Tasted:  October 2018

2001 Daniel Moine-Hudelot Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru

Location:  Burgundy, France 

Blend:  100% Pinot Noir  

The wine had an old world Burgundy style bouquet of black cherry, raspberry, earth, leather, sandalwood, and soft wet forest floor aromas.  The wine was medium bodied with good tannins that gave way to an elegant palate painted with hints of cherry and lush terroir notes.  The wine was nicely balanced with layers of fruit and earth and had a touch of black tea on the finish.  The wine is in its drinking window and showing quite nice right now.  Recommended!    

Tasted:  October 2018

1997 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard  

Location:  Washington, USA 

Blend:  Cabernet Sauvignon  

I decanted this bottle to enjoy with some friends, and as I decanted it a lovely bouquet wafted up of blackberries, cassis fruit, black currents, black cherries, vanilla, baking spices, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with present but subtle rounded tannins that gave way to an elegantly refined finish displaying hints of blackberry, black currents, cherries, vanilla, crushed chalky minerals, and oak.  The wine is perfectly balanced with beautiful depth and complexity.  The wine displayed boldness yet is restrained, showing elegance and sophistication.  Although the wine was showing no signs of decline it is in a really nice drinking window right now.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  November 2018

2004 Turley Petite Syrah Library Vineyard  

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  Petite Syrah  

This wine was expressive and delicious; thus, it has matured beautifully.  The Library Vineyard is unique due to the fact that it is mainly comprised of Petite Syrah; however, you will also fine Peloursin, Cinsault, Syrah, Grand Noir, Grenache, Carignan, Zinfandel, Muscadelle and a few more grape varietals.  It is my understanding that this field blend is picked together to make the wine.  The bouquet was rich with flamboyant aromas of blueberries, crème de cassis, blackberries, led pencil, black pepper, vanilla, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with velvety smooth tannins that still gripped the palate and painted it with black cherries, blackberries, licorice, cassis fruit, dusty minerals, spice, and smoke.  The wine was complex with layers of concentrated dark fruits that blended nicely with the dusty mineral terroir notes.  The wine had no signs of decline, yet has matured elegantly and shows beautiful sophistication.  This is a beautiful wine that is drinking outstandingly right now.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  November 2018

2012 Albert Bichot Bonnes Mares Grand Cru  

Location:  Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, France 

Blend:  100% Pinot Noir  

This beautiful wine had a lush bouquet of fruit compote, black cherries, soft spices, dried herbs, and a hint of forest floor.  The wine was full bodied with ripe tannins and a wonderful finish painting the palate with notes of red and black cherries, cooked berry fruits, baking spices, soft toasted herbs, earth, and a touch of honey.  The wine is complex with generous layers of fruit and earth that harmonize and blend perfectly together.  The wine is showing a little tight and needs more time in the cellar, as another decade will reward those with the patience.  We decanted this bottle and after our first approach left it alone for a few hours; thus, on return it was more giving and had started to open up.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  November 2018

1989 Chateau Mouton Rothschild  

Classification:  First Growth in 1973 

Location:  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot  

I enjoyed this beauty from a magnum on New Year’s Eve with very special friends.  The wine had an expressive old world bouquet of blackberries, cassis fruit, cherries, chocolate, cigar box, graphite, leafy herbs, vanilla, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with silky rounded tannins that gave way to a luxurious finish displaying notes of plum, black & red berry fruit, baking spices, caramel, sage, nuts, and cedar.  The wine is complex with beautiful layers of fruit and earth that balance perfectly on the palate.  The wine is in its drinking window and is showing quite elegant right now.  Extremely Highly Recommended!    

Tasted:  December 2018