Spottswoode
Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
2020 vintage. Favorite since the 1991 vintage and that's saying a lot. Total surprise given the challenges of the Napa 2020 vintage. 8.15.23. — 7 days ago
Caymus Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
2001 vintage (great Napa cab year). Good, upper-shoulder fill. Dryish cork. Decanted with plenty of sed. Lots of color. Tasted immediately. Smoky plummy nose. Still medium-heavy body. Showing well with plenty of front-palate richness evident in the gums. Overt "oakiness" gone with only complimentary, flattering oak framing the composition at this point. A hint of tannins on the finish but you've got to know where to look. Summer-school hedonism. Slightly better than expected. 11.30.23. — 6 days ago
Barreri & Rovati
Riserva Barolo Nebbiolo 2016
2016 vintage. PNP. Decent nose. Light-medium body. Bit of oak afoot early on. Gets minimized fairly quickly and moves on to acidity and tannins along with unexpected balance. Some rose petal prettiness. Some earth. Good balance. Not the most, nor the least, structured. Should be able to handle a 15-spot without too much bother. Solid value and drinking well now. 11.28.23. — 8 days ago
Alain Hudelot-Noellat
Les Murgers Nuits-St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2011
2011 vintage. Solid aging cork in great shape along with a good fill. Decanted and tasted immediately and over the course of 1.5 hours. Threw zero sed. Light-medium body. Earthy, rhubarb, sous bois nose. Same in flavor profile with an additional, pleasant trace of dirtiness. Well-made and holding up very nicely but clearly on the subtle side of the ledger at this point. Any overt NSG fruitiness in the nursery is gonzo. Pretty but not in a youthful way. Aging very gracefully with another 5-7 years at this stage before changing addresses. 12.2.23. — 4 days ago
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
1995 vintage. Decanted and traced over the course of 1.5 hours. Nice, top-shoulder fill. Great cork. Throwing very little sed. Cocoa powder and crushed violets in a fairly reticent nose. Light-medium body. Soft entry flavors with acidity and remaining tannins picking up intensity on the concentrated finish. Holding steady now and likely for 7-10 years on this plateau. Not improving but not falling off anytime soon. 12.3.23. — 3 days ago