Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

BSR don’t come to the African bush without it. Just like American Express, don’t leave home without it. Missed it!

All my previous notes apply.

Photos of, the nearly 20 Lions we found on our afternoon game drive. Three Males (one of them featured with the big yawn) four Lionesses and 12 or 13 Cubs, the completion of seeing the “Big Five” experience with this Buffalo on our morning game drive and most of the Lion pride laying in the sand awaiting the evening hunt.

9.3 on the BSR and a perfect 10 on our game drives.

@Severn Goodwin This ones for you! 🤣 Cheers! — 6 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.4

Beautiful fragrant nose composed of pepper, green olives , game and very dark fruit. A wonderful transition of those aromas to the palate. Very pure and fresh . — 7 years ago

Alan Doughty

9.0

Savory dark berry fruit with notes of game and herb. More dense thsn expected. — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say about this wine. But...here goes. This has to be one of the worst QPR wines I've ever had, but I'm also taking into account how young this wine is. I have to remember that I'm rating the WINE here, but the price tag and hype just can't help but to get in the way. Drank over 6 days. Poured initially from Coravin and let sit for about an hour. I will tell you that I was excited initially, as the nose of this wine overpowered the grass fed beef burgers that were just cooked about 2 feet away from where the wine was being poured. DENSE blackberry and vanilla rolling out of the glass. The entry of this wine is silky, but also has that gritty Napa youthfulness. POWER. Fruit forward monster, ripe blackberry, graphite, mineral and spice rich middle with cherry blossom and finish with a very deep, dark core of blackberry, black pepper spice. The finish is where chocolate covered blackberries and minty notes come out, but the wine was still rather tannic. Developed a bit more after I uncorked it at the end of the week. I blind tasted my wife on this one who guessed that it was a '13 William Harrison cab (vineyard is only 2 miles away as the crow flies, maybe, although Hall's is elevated 750 feet). That cab is $50. This one still has a **LOT** of integrating to do which I am taking into consideration which is why the other bottle is locked up tight, and this one just might not have been on its A-game. — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This had a floral elegance with lots of black cherry, a deep core of mineral, game, iron, dried herbs & violet. The Somm recommended doing the Fourrier shake because of his usage of co2 where she opens the btl and then puts the cork back in, turns the btl upside down & vigorously shakes the btl. She then pulls the cork back out & there is a sound of spritz. Seemed to be effective. — 8 years ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.0

V16. Pretty good. Soft vanilla nose. Creamy apple and honey kissed apricot fruit. Clean finish. Nice weight and balance. Certainly on par with GOT! — 6 years ago

Mark Morgan

8.9

Cellar time has done it well, though still needed some air to soften the tannins. A bit of game on the nose, light in body for a C-H. — 6 years ago

Michelle Connely

9.8

I’ve had two bottles of this and absolutely love it. Runs about $50, and I’ve been buying it at world market. — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.1

Seems to be in a good stage of development- nicely softened tannins. Juicy blackberry, game and violets. Drink this with bloody steak or by a winter fire. — 7 years ago

Robert Stefan Wood

9.7

Really good I was shocked — 7 years ago

Elizabeth Rice

9.0

Perfect way to end a Friday afternoon at work. Sipping a fresh aromatic delicious Magnum of a white wine blend with fantastic work colleagues. We played the varietal guessing game which no one got right. — 7 years ago

Emma Forster

9.0

Delightfully untamed, savage, aroma of well-hung game (which you know you like). This baby stinks but give it a few swirls in your glass and it’ll start to sing sunshine like it’s chateauneuf neighbors. — 7 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.3

I had 2 or 3 bottles of this in last few years & was consistently underwhelmed, was a disjointed, ugly duckling. Well, the ugly phase is over. Gorgeous deep black currant color w red rim. Resolute & length, medium weight. Game, currants, & cooked herbs (sage?). Uber enjoyable w beef stew & potato pie. Threw off alot of sediment- should have decanted, but luckily was a good pour — 8 years ago

with Owen

Severn Goodwin

9.2

Likely the most savory of aromas I've experienced from Burgundy, this is our first experience with 2005. Nose has savory cherry, hints of rich/concentrated tomato sauce, maybe some light game meat and saturated oak.

Palate has ripe cherry, light oak, the savory notes continue and seems like fresh red pepper/basil blend, oak on the medium finish.

This has changed since the decant, initially it had a fun bacon/cherry nose, so I expect it to continue to evolve. We'll be pairing this with duck confit over a green lentil salad.

Food pairing update: Perfect! Savory notes mellowed, cherry fruits picked up. Food pairing with this bottle is 9.3+. — 6 years ago

James Forsyth

9.7

Rich, cream, game, violets. Softened tannins. Bacon fat on the finish. One hell of a wine. — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

Dark red with a pale rim. Ripe red cherry, licorice, underbrush and a hint of game on the complex nose. Ripe but suave, offering nuances of aromatic herbs and tar that complement spicy red currant and blood orange flavors. Soft-textured and slightly marked by some alcohol-derived warmth (14.5%), this finishes long and ripe. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, April 2018) — 7 years ago

Nick Woodhams

8.9

Richer and riper than expected. Dark fruits, black and blue. Lots of new French oak, game and a touch of spice. Finessed but I’m looking for more acid. — 7 years ago

Christian Ramirez Romanini

9.0

It shows an aristocratic aromas and flavors of black fruits, forest undergrowth and leather, which enhance a polished, velvety character on the palate, before firm but noble tannins to a great finish...

Would say it goes well with roast beef, or game meats, and/or aged hard cheeses. — 7 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.2

In game, with curry. Such a fortunate one to drink a bottle of this every year. Even if it is only one bottle, considering myself lucky. — 7 years ago

Shawn R

9.4

Maggie was once a student under Manfred Krankl, this bottle was her second vintage. Shows a restrained nose even after 3 hours after the decant. Hints of wild game and blackberry compote on the nose. Sweet tannins that integrate well and provide backbone. Layers of cassis, plum and wild flowers set up a stellar finish that sails for over a minute. — 8 years ago