Delectable Wine

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9.9

The 2019 Ausone was picked September 20-27 for the Merlot and October 3, 5 and 7 for the Cabernet Franc, then matured for 20 months in new French oak with light toasting. This is very refined and focused on the nose, less opulent compared to recent vintages, and very sophisticated, with hints of Montecristo cigar interwoven through the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine but quite firm tannins that frame the lightly spiced black fruit. Touches of pencil lead and white pepper appear toward the prolonged finish. This very composed Ausone might actually drink earlier than other vintages but unequivocally has the substance to age with grace in bottle. There is an abiding sense of completeness here. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2022)
— 3 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.4

2015 Il Carnasciale is embracing the warm vintage with grace; Showing off with a deep but vibrant fruit that is eating up the expensive cooperage over its telltale gravelly minerality. An impeccable palate, sublime yet intense, powdery tannins and a pulsing fatigue with a nervy edge throughout a long and developing finish. Classy!
Have a taste and you’ll catch yourself jiggling over its profoundness. — 6 years ago

Lee Hill

8.9

Tannins, oak, and a boatload of fruit. Fun but not a lot of grace — 7 years ago

Jack Chester

9.2

Blackberry, tobacco, asphalt, and a nose of encompassing Bordelaise damp earthy funk. This may very well continue to evolve with grace, but is deep peak drinking right now. — 8 years ago

Lori Wilkinson

9.6

This is an excellent bottle of wine to drink after your husband crashes your brand new car into the side of our garage door. No he was not drinking prior to said accident — 9 years ago

mattswineworld

9.6

Many winemakers try to make Cabernet Franc taste like Cabernet Sauvignon. Here's a winemaker making a Cabernet Sauvignon that's more like a Loire Cabernet Franc. With red and black fruits, smoke, spice, and dry tannins, this is a stunning, complex, restrained example of Cabernet Sauvignon in its purest form. — 9 years ago

Cody Short

9.2

Still drinking great after all these years. Dominus ages with such grace — 9 years ago

with Suzanne and Holli

Karen Tripson

9.4

Love this wine! — 9 years ago

Jason Sliwa

9.2

Rich and elegant. Such a nice find in an excellent wine list. — 3 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Revisiting this before winter sets in... — 5 years ago

Riccardo L.

9.1

Body and grace. Beauty and beast? — 6 years ago

Thomas Brenner

9.3

I was quite happy with this super duper Tuscan. Quite, as it aged with grace and sophistication.
Pergolaia is harvested by hand in September from their Podere Serra all’olio and Podere Nocolino vineyards. Big, bombastic and mature flavors of plum, cherry, leather and cedar really shine in this smooth blend of mostly Sangiovese (with a small percentage of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Merlot. Elegant and well balanced drinking in every way, I'd say.
Owned by the Chateau Giscours and Chateau du Tertre guy. — 8 years ago

Martin G Rivard

10

@David A Lentine @Bill Bender @Ron R @Joe Lucca @Jody Scharf @Howard Greenfield @Holli Greenfield @Eric Shanks @Patrice Breton @Brian Messineo @Greg Ballington @Mark Carter @Drew Feinberg @Jason Chang @Jim Trobaugh @Paul T @Terri Walker @Kimberly Anderson @Kirk Alexander If this isn't a 100 point bottle of wine and a "10" Pic........I don't know what is!!! 💯💯😍😍💯💯. Some of you may remember the post that I did back in March over a truly incredible bottle of 2012 Nine Suns. I took a Picture of the cork that said "we love you already". My 1st granddaughter!! The angel is just a few days old. She's already leaning for a sip of Verite!!! Smart Girl!!! I actually sent a text to my friend Howard right after I opened it and told him "I don't get it". I gave it four hours and boy was I wrong. Truly seamless, truly integrated, true perfection. It's young and needed a little time. My friend Kirk tells me all the time "the sign to a great bottle is that nothing stands out". That's because everything is seamlessly integrated." He's 100% correct. This fires on all cylinders but does it eloquently with finesse and grace. The only thing you have to focus on is not what is evident and in your face but what can be relished through countless layers of taste profiles. All I can say to this is Bravo!! 1st and foremost to my daughter and her little Angel Colette. 😇. — 9 years ago

Greg Gregory

9.8

Here is the epitome of the Cheval Blanc style. The nose is a fragrant medley of ripe fruit, licorice, raspberries, a little smokiness, and floral notes. It is fairly dense and powerful as it opens, and the high percentage of Cabernet Franc with which it was made is evident. It is sweet yet undeniably elegant, red cherries, plums and herbs past the mid palate. The smooth tannins are charming, and the lively yet balanced acidity gives it great lift. The finish usually exceptional, was just a little dry on this showing, though it didn’t undermine the lovely symphony between fruit, acid and tannin. Asian spices and coffee lap at the palate in the aftermath. Overall, a wine of remarkable intensity that also has an ethereal grace that almost reminds you in that aspect of great Lafite. It is a signature Cheval Blanc of great breed and elegance. — 9 years ago

Rachel Mulholland

10

Aerate this vintage and enjoy! The taste is silky, jammy, velvety and delicious from start to finish. This pairs well with a spicy / salty charcuterie board, including fruit. Love. — 4 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

This has such a aromatic nose of alpine strawberry pie..

Medium to heavier bodied this mostly Cab Franc shines with boysenberry, the slightest hint of vanilla, herbs of thyme, saffron. Little acidity, and the tannins have faded as well. A very clean wine, and a winery worth stocking.
Another winner from Washington state. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.7

Got a chance to get a Corvin taste of this beauty! Wow! Blend, majority Cab Sauvignon, 84% with rest Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, aged for 24 months in French oak (75% new). Dense glistening red with full complex aromas of berry fruits and enticing spices. Black cherry and sweet currants grace the palate adding hints of spice, leather and sweet cacao. Great balance with structured tannins, lingering finish giving off mineral ending character. A tease opening the bottle now than wait a decade. — 7 years ago

Mikeycaru

9.2

Dark in the glass, Coup De Grace fades from a deep red/purple, almost black at it's inner core to a bright pomegranate rim. On the nose bright red berry, fig, licorice, sage and oak accents. The wine is rich and full of character with blackberry, licorice, spice and earth notes intertwined with soft oak flavors.
Blend: 64% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Sirah, 11% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc not to mention 15.5% alcohol but very smooooth! — 8 years ago

Willie Carter

9.2

Just an outstanding pour from a small production Washington winery. Gorgeous nose of red berries, floral notes, and less herb than I expected. This is a young, delicate wine that is quite Loire-ish in structure. Strawberries, cherries, plums, and herbs. Wonderful, wonderful acidity with plenty of greenness. I hope you don't love your Franc overoaked because this ain't it. Fresh is the word of the day here. This reminds me how much I love Cab Franc. — 9 years ago

Cody Short

9.9

I've had this several times but it's been a few years and this has really evolved beautifully. Still a fairly big wine but it wears it's weight with such grace. Wonderful notes of tobacco, graphite, leather and forest floor. This will last for many, many years and may actually improve over the near future but absolutely no shame in drinking now with some air. A truly memorable wine that made the evening incredibly special. — 9 years ago

with Holli