Tom Casagrande

9.2

This is a fun wine. Big, boisterous nose on this. Loads of granitic earthiness up-front and lots of very ripe dark cherry behind. Terrific whack of pure and rich Beaujolais sappy juiciness hits the palate quickly. It’s a little loose and sexy, which is a very good thing, but its open-knit nature lacks a little of the coiled core that would ensure aging. So I’d drink these sooner rather than later for their guilt-free sensory promiscuity. — 3 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Delicious. Nose has that mineral “stank” that I associate with Auxey in spades and love. Deep fruit, sidling up from the apple side of the spectrum to the peach side, along with nice wet straw notes. Hint of melted butter. On the palate it’s concentrated but nicely balanced. Nice length and intensity. Best vintage of this wine I’ve had yet. — 9 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Fragrant and structured. Densely colored with no bricking. Lovely nose shows rich cassis fruit, a bit of scorched earth, a little clovey oak (not too much), ashy cigars, and a note that reminds me of collard greens simmering with a smoked ham hock. Very youthful in the mouth, with vigorous tannin giving lots of structure. Clingy but somewhat austere in the mouth. This plainly needs more time than I thought it would. It’s still nice on its own before dinner, but should be better with rich food.

UPDATE: Now, after two hours open, this has become soft and friendlier than it was. Still nicely structured, but the fruit is more welcoming. — 15 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Another superb bottle of this. My notes from a few months ago still fit. Delicious. — 4 days ago

Tom Casagrande

8.8

Post-dinner short note. Showed what seemed to me to be more Semillion character than Sauvignon. Still fresh, very nice balance. — 6 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Drinking well right now, but with a lot of stuffing that will ease it into the future and very likely improve. Nose shows very intense cassis, a little mentholated. There’s also some of that classic Saint-Estephe cooling, wet-clay-infused earthy minerality. Intense and weighty, bit a little tightly-wound still in the mouth. Lots of tacky but soft tannin still embedded. Nice finish. Very nice value, as this property usually is. 9.1 for now but I think it will warrant a higher score in 5 years or so. — 10 days ago

Tom Casagrande

8.8

This Estate Syrah is grown only 3 miles from the Pacific, and it’s coo climate character is evident. Nose shows bristly scents of cracked peppercorn, pungent mountain berries, and Texas Rio Red grapefruit flesh (I know, I used to grow them in my backyard in Houston). Savory, soft, and lively in the mouth. There’s very good acidity, but there’s almost no fruit component to the palate. And I’d like a bit more depth and length. Still, very fun to drink and should go well with fusilli with brocolli rabe and salsiccia. — 13 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Day 3 notes this time (after closure under a vacuum seal). This is arguably better than it was on night 1. Made from a certain percentage of partially dried grapes, as I understand it. The dried cherry notes sing through. Also Alpine dried twigs and flowers. Elegant and persistent in the mouth. Excellent acids. Since the Patriots aren’t doing well, I’ve turned off the Super Bowl and have put on what I think may be my favorite piece of music: Shostakovich’s Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87, for piano. Listening to Sofia Sacco’s 2025 recording. Wonderful, but I’m not sure it hits me quite like Keith Jarrett’s 1992 rendition, which transports me somewhere else. — 5 days ago

Tom Casagrande

8.9

Nose is a little reticent at first, giving shy whiffs of Granny Smith apples and crushed rock. Just the barest hint of Chablis “brothiness” as I like to call it. As it airs and warms, it’s a bit more forthcoming. In the mouth it’s on the lighter side, but certainly showing Chablis minerally character. Acids medium low. A nice aperitif Chablis but color me a bit disappointed, for now, given the producer. Will try to check back in after a few hours.

UPDATE: After several hours, showing noticeably more fruit and depth. — 6 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

This remains a really nice, fruity, bouncy weeknight dinner wine. — 11 days ago