Opened this one 24hrs ago, yet it still comes across as primary and youthful. Big wine, full bodied, baked fruit cobbler, vanilla, baking spices, ink, licorice, black pepper. Beautiful and balanced, also due to a judicious dosage of fine acidity. Long, uplifting finish with wonderful tannines - dusty and ripe.
‘Unvintaged’ blend of 2017, 2016, 2015 and a pinch of 2012. — 9 months ago
Bonnie’s favorite Pinot Noir, with good reason. It’s just beautiful. — 5 years ago
Takes 2 hours to open up but then cherry and soft tannins. — 6 years ago
I love this vintage now. Cedar, camphor and pine as well as dry roses and pot pourri. Long finish full of elegance. The marker of Pauillac for me is blood sausage/iron/cured meat and here it was just exploding. Great bottle, classic, perfect for a blind tasting. — a year ago
The NV Brut 7 Crus is a very pretty, entry-level wine in this range. Bright, mineral and intensely vibrant, the 7 Crus is all energy. All the elements are so well proportioned. A blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this captures all the house signatures with tons of energy and better overall balance than in some previous editions. White flowers, chalk and citrus linger. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June, 2023. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2023)
— 2 years ago
The weekend upon us and we're hosting another dinner party for a couple of friends. Tonight's theme was Rhone wine, so good stuff on deck, with age.
Notes pending... (Entertaining guests first 😉)
Absolutely perfect, yet only coming into it's zone, decade to go here...
Notes from +24H open:
Nose has ripe cherry, dried cherry, dried blackberry, red velvet cake, ripe plum and dry, mineral-ly earth.
Palate has silky-sweet cherry, ripe red currant, (light) cigar wrapper, dried cherry, faint eucalyptus, faint wood notes, dry earth, faint iron notes on the long finish. Mild tannins persist today. Expect to enjoy this vintage another +10Y when held in proper storage.
This bottle was singing at the top of its register last night, slightly diminished today. Absolutely perfect cork, no Durand required for extraction. Acquired a mere two years ago, from a local retailer beginning to close down his shop. He purchased a case on release, stored in his cold cellar; when I got to hunting it only a single bottle remained.
I've had the 2000 vintage before, and it was a treat in a more youthful stage, but a delicacy with our meal last night. We baked a 3lb beef tenderloin (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) coated in an herb paste then an herbed panko crumb crust with parmesan. About a 50m cook, 30m rest yeilded a perfect 130° center. Served alongside smashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts with thick cut bacon. We had fantastic company, connecting again with a wine trade friend and his wife after a few years break in our dining schedules. — 4 years ago
Dry, complex, dynamic food pairing — 5 years ago
Bought this in 2014 from Lsat Bottle. Should have bought more, it was a steal at the time and it has gotten even better in the last 5 years. Not too acidic, good amount of yeast, and overall excellent sparkling wine. 69% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay — 6 years ago
Excellent on a stand alone basis or in mimosas!! Slight brioche, caramel, butter, and a hint of apricot. Just as good at bottle opening as it was a couple hours later! — 2 years ago
If I had rated this one the night I opened it, I would have given it a slightly lower score. At first, I caught aromas of leather and meat drippings and flavors of sundried tomatoes. A couple of nights later, the wine had opened up nicely and had more floral and spice aromas and flavors of red berries and earth. Needless to say, an interesting wine, indeed. And from the Canary Islands! Huh. 90% Listan Negro, 10% Castellana Negra. 9/1/22. — 3 years ago
Nice Chardonnay. — 4 years ago
Donald Williams
One of the best Chardonnays on the planet. Typical of Iron Horse. — 7 months ago