
2013 vintage. Onsite off the list purchase courtesy of @romo. First go-round with this Monopole. Curiously enough...have never had a younger Domaine Michel Gros offering so all my experience with this Domaine (approx 20 wines?) all on the 12-20 years old side of the ledger. Opened with a Durand. Sweet cork. Decanted and tasted after 30 minutes. Medium body. Black cherry, dark plum and cola flavors along with clove, Mormon Tea and spearmint riders. Fruit was mostly front-loaded initially but spread, as if on bread, later on. Light-medium tannins upon first impression but the astringency pooled on the back-end of the palate. Got the sensation that the acidity/tannins were actively separating from remaining spice components now vs integrating. Super-complicated Burg bleep now and not for casual, pinky-raised, sipping. Easy to get an "Incomplete" or "Fail" in this particular class but dial me in for retaking next semester. Loved it for the chutzpah and the corresponding apology. Enjoyed because it involved thought versus immediate response. Get 3-5 wines a year out of 3,000+ tasted that garners similar, keep digging, action. This is one of those 3-5 wines a year. Probably missed the top of the bell curve on this one by 1-2 years but still super-instructive, thoughtful and interesting. Maan, would love to rip through a vertical of this producer from this plot. Didn't think I would be saying that before tonite. One bottle left. 11.8.26. — 3 days ago

2017 vintage. Medium-heavy body. 11.6.26. — 5 days ago
2009 vintage. Onsite off the list purchase. Have almost ZERO experience with older Roty Burgs and wasn't 100% sure how to play this. Given village status and the age, didn't decant but don't think it would have harmed this. Used a Durand but cork was in pretty good shape. Tasted after 20 minutes open. Spring greens nose. Medium body. Slightly frontal fleshiness. Dimmed cranberry/rhubarb flavors in charge with streamers of varied orange citrus peels accentuating. A dash of forest floor. Undeniably and surprisingly vibrant. This wasn't long for the night but wonder how it would have held up over course of an hour. Two. Presh and fresh. Only had access to one bottle but would pick up again in a heartbeat if available. Nice experience for a bargain price. 11.8.26. — 3 days ago
2019 vintage. Last tasted 10.7.26 (9.3). Same. 11.7.26 — 4 days ago
2023 vintage. Go back with this baddie to the 1988 vintage. IIRC…this climbed up to resto cost around $27.33 a bottle at the high in the late 90’s/early 00’s. Picked this up the other night (and last few years) at $15.99 a bottle. 69% Grenache. 15% Syrah. 14% Cinsault. 2% Petite Sirah. Medium/medium-heavy body. Nice balance between fruit/structure. Really hard to beat at the price and perfect for a Thanksgiving red. 11.6.26. — 5 days ago
2018 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Phenomenal concentration. Going for the one. Did not suck. Racing with you crashing through the rudder. 11.6.26. — 5 days ago
2009 vintage. Onsite off the list purchase. Nice fill. Opened with a Durand. Perfect cork. Decanted and tasted after 45 minutes. Super-dark color. Heavenly plummy, orange aromas. Mixing serious know-it-all/imma move out vibes with why are you kicking me out/jobs are a dead-end crutch rationalizations. Medium body. Currently in (with apologies to Van The Man) a period of transition. Body enroute to Burgundy-styings whilst spices bundling and pushing to the palate forefront. Catching this in a moment of relative weakness is fantastic because these massive wines rarely show vulnerability. Enjoy the intimacy, conversation and subsequent exploration(s). One bottle left. 11.8.26. — 3 days ago
2012 vintage. Courtesy of @romo (nice to see you again). Cork needed very little coaxing for removal. Tasted after 30 minutes open. Savory fragrances. Less acidity than expected given the product/producer but tasted temp was in the upper 40's-low 50's. Light-medium body. A little crisp but not crispy. Could swear there was some Earl Grey in there somewhere dancing with impunity. No overwhelming, final boss component ultimately responsible for the accolades; it was more of a compendium of Etsy subtleties coming across as a hand-crafted effort. This is absolutely firing. And now. Cellar it as expected if you like but not 100% necessary as befitting a few previous vintages over the last three decades. 11.8.26. — 3 days ago
2024 vintage. Medium-heavy body. 11.6.26. — 5 days ago
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2023 vintage. Last tasted 9.30.26 (9.2). Even better this time in the 60 degree zone. 11.9.26. — 2 days ago