Jay Kline

9.2

Brought to Tasting Group. The 2021 Estate Grown pours a pale ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful with notes of strawberry Jolly Ranchers, cranberries, raspberries, some VA, a light kiss of baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium(+?) acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is an elegant wine with notable texture and in some serious need for time in the cellar. Fun to try now but this will be better after 2026 and should be full stride by 2031. Expect a long life. Only 200 cases produced. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days. Best on Day 1 as it started to lose balance on Day 2. As such, these notes describe Day 1. The 2014 “Etichetta Bianca” pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet color with a translucent core. Medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of bright, funky red fruits: cherries, raspberries, strawberries, with red flowers, leather, mushroom and a pleasant whiff of barnyard. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish long and full of zippy, tangy fruit. This is hitting right and showing remarkable character. Drink now. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured. The 2019 RTW “Lodi” appears a deep ruby color with a slight magenta tinge and a near opaque core. Viscosity is medium with no obvious staining of the tears. There appears to be some very light sediment. On the nose, whoa…this is way funkier that I recall in its youth. It smells like there’s some whole cluster being used and I love it! There is a mix of red and dark fruits; brambles and cherries with purple flowers, garrigue, dried herbs, black pepper, crushed gravel. I just want to keep smelling this. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium (+?) acid. The body is medium. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, peppery and laden with minerals. Brilliant. I knew there was a reason to hold some of these RTW’s back to see how they develop…and now I feel validated. This is so awesome. There is so much soul! Sadly, this is my last 2019. Drink now and through 2030, easy. — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Popped and poured; enjoyed over several hours. The 2020 Champet “Les Fils à Jo” pours a deep purple color with a magenta rim and a nearly opaque core. Medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, whoa…all. of. the. berries. There are also black plums with some cigar box, new leather, lavender, bacon fat and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium+ tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. Finish long and super spicy with a generous helping of black pepper. Even though this is super primary, the quality is on display which makes this a fun wine to try in its youth. That being said, this is built for the long haul and to my palate, the best is yet to come. Best after 2030 and should be great well past 2045. — 10 months ago

Al Shikoh

9.7

opaque, very dark ruby, prominent glass staining tears; lifted aromatics, black cherry, cassis, lavender, menthol, cardamom, sage, oregano; very concentrated, ripe red and black fruits, long finish with nicely textured tannins; full bodied, dry, prominent tannins, medium + acidity, 14.7% ABV; made from blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot; $200 — 2 years ago

Matté

Manager The Wine Cellars

9.3

This is the Tibaani bottling.
On the nose there’s a wonderfully complex mix of treacle tart, apricot pastry, sticky toffee pudding, Manuka honey, warm terracotta pot, flapjack, gingerbread, yellow raisins and toasted almonds.
The palate shows spicy apricot, turmeric and gingerbread character, the tannins are sapid, firm but chalky and quite fine, certainly a wine that works best with food.
(Worked all with a chicken curry). — 3 years ago

Ben Norman

8.9

Good, weird — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. It was very good on Day 2 but I think it was more interesting on Day 1 after about 90min of air. The 2015 Donjon pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, developing with notes of dark brambles fruits, some bruised strawberry, some garrigue, some stony minerals and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium acidity. Confirming the notes from the nose with a touch of cracked black pepper there too. The finish is medium. To my palate, this has entered that awkward, quiet stage that some CdP’s enter between year 5-10. It’s trying to show some secondary character but it’s just not willing to use its voice. A lot of the ingredients are there though. Drink now with some patience and grace otherwise I wouldn’t try again until after 2025. FWIW, it was a lovely pairing with cassoulet. — 4 months ago

Megan Ryan-Wright

9.7

Wonderful semi-sweet white wine! Pear flavor with a hint of honeysuckle taste at the end. Great wine to share with others! — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured from magnum; enjoyed over the course of two days. Best on Day 2 as the wine came into better balance. The 2015 “Caravina” pours a deep ruby with a nearly opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. One the nose, the wine is developing with notes of black cherry, brambles, tobacco, violets, herbs, and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine with dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and the acid plays a significant role, giving some real lift to the lush fruit. And while we’re on the topic, I’ll just share an observation that the acid is a significant characteristic for Seavey. In their youth, they are somewhat tough to fully appreciate (Ridge also has this reputation). I’m not suggesting Seavey is an analogue to Monte Bello, rather just stating they seem to be playing the long game…and I’m here for that. That being said, these are good now but will be more pleasurable in another couple years (at least in this format) and should be lovely through 2035. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured. The 2019 Terre Nere, Rosso di Montalcino, pours a deep, garnet color with a nearly transparent core. Medium+ viscosity with very moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment or particles. On the nose, powerful aromas of ripe Morello Cherry, blood orange, licorice, porchini, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, red flowers, fresh green herbs, and maybe the faintest hint of baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dr with medium+ tannin, medium+ acid, medium+ alcohol…pretty much medium+ across-the-board. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory…maybe a touch hot for my liking but there is a lot to enjoy here. Though I sense this is a bit more modern than previous vintages, it’s another lovely RdM from this producer. FWIW, their BdM’s lean more traditional and they are outstanding. Drink now through 2030. — 9 months ago

DANIEL SMITH

9.5

A deep red yellow. Smells like fish by the sea. Juicy fresh flavor with texture. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Since my buddy brought over the 2015 Pipparello, I thought I would reciprocate by opening a Bea from the cellar and figured the 2009 Pagliaro would be fun. Turns out, I was not misguided. Bottle #3729/9570. The wine pours a deep garnet with a nearly opaque core. Moderate staining of the tears; medium+ viscosity. Quite a bit of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is high intensity, extremely expressive, bursting with dark sweet and tart fruits, blackberry pie, exotic spices, and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+, bordering on high, acid. The 2009 Pagliaro dances on the palate, redolent with dark fruits and a meaty, ferrous, sanguine character that’s utterly beguiling. The finish is long and lovely. This is a drop dead gorgeous wine that’s absolutely hitting its stride and still has a very long and exciting life ahead of it. — 2 years ago

Keith Eddleman

9.4

Great vintage great value. Juicy mid pallet gives way to a very nice long finish. Mostly Merlot so you don’t get much oak or spice. You taste the true dark fruit that comes from ancient old world vines. This wine is a dArk, rich purple color to the rim. No staining on the tears. Notes of soft baking spice, clove on the nose. All around beautiful Bordeaux bottle. — 4 years ago

with Jill

Jay Kline

9.1

Brought to Au Courant from our cellar to celebrate our daughter’s 15th birthday. As far as I can tell, 2009 was the first commercially available vintage of Thibault’s foray into Moulin-a-Vent so this was fun to try since I’ve been a big fan of his work there.

Poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service. The 2009 VV pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity and some light staining of the tears. There were some signs of sediment but most had been decanted off. On the nose, the wine is…well…pretty wild with notes of horse blanket and there’s just a touch of varnish in there too. For me, it’s teetering on the edge of, “is this charming or is this overbearing”? However, since there was more there than just a cow pasture and I don’t get any gerbil cage, I’ll leave this in the “charming” camp but I digress…back to the notes from the nose. The wine is developing, with dark crunchy berries, dark cherries, sandalwood...some pepper, some leather and light notes of potting soil. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. The first glass showed a touch of effervescence like there could have been a slight refermentation in the bottle. Confirming the notes from the nose though it seems cleaner on the palate with some granite minerals on the finish. Interesting, it’s almost like this was semi-carbonic but as far as I know, Thibault has been making these wines using the same methods as he does his GC wines in Nuits-Saint-Georges so I don’t know. And this is why I like this wine. It’s making me think...and it’s been enjoyable throughout the meal, working particularly well with our strip steak. Yum! A really fun wine for those that enjoy something a little more rustic. That being said, I know it wouldn’t have pleased everyone. There is plenty of gas left in the tank and while this drinks very well now, I would expect that this will continue to drink well through 2029 with ease. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.0

As far as I’m concerned, these School House Mescolanzas are like, the anti-Napa Zinfandel. They are just so different from anything else out there. Until they get close to 10 years from vintage, they are backward; lean, green and mean. But if one has the patience, they eventually become quite charming. For this bottle, I did not follow my own advice.

Popped and poured, consumed over four days. On Day 1, this was completely coiled and the oak seemed a bit out of balance. I finished my glass and placed the cork back in the neck of the bottle. I checked in for a small taste on Day 2 and 3. By Day 4, it had opened enough to really enjoy. The 2016 School House “Mescolanza” Zinfandel Blend pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. There appears too be some very faint signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing. Expressive of dark bramble fruits, stone minerals, and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is medium(+). This has all of the trappings for very nice expression of this wine but it’s a little young to my taste. Best after 2025 and these will drink well through 2037…and possibly longer. — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; consumed over three days. The first half of the bottle was enjoyed on Day 1 and the second half was enjoyed on Day 3. Best on day three when it freshened up and had time to stretch its legs. The 2000 Tignanello pours a deep garnet color with a slight orange-ish rim; slightly turbid with an opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, deep ripe, black cherry fruit with leather, pipe tobacco, teriyaki, espresso, and earth. On the palate the fruit and non-fruit characteristics are confirmed. The wine is dry with medium+ tannin (which has all but integrated) and medium acid. Finish is medium+. A lovely 23 year old Tig that, remarkably, benefits from a good breather to get its best. Drink now with an extended decant but will continue to hold for at least another 5-10 years given good cellar conditions. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured, the 2020 Cinsault pours a bright ruby with a transparent core; slight staining of the tears. Medium viscosity. Redolent of red and purple flowers, strawberry, orange, coffee, dried herbs, spices. It’s dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. The finish is savory. Fresh. Juicy. Awesome. This is what Sandlands is all about. — 2 years ago

jochen rueckert

9.0

Nice cheap orange not crazy — 4 years ago

Sam Duke

9.0

Definitely some funky waxiness with just the right amount of acid. Surprisingly easy to enjoy without being obvious. — 4 years ago