Jan de Weerd

9.2

Okay. Again the same dilemma. If a wine does not meet expectation is it basically bad (for me)? 🤔 because in life everything is relative, right? Any thoughts on puzzling matter??The wine was well balanced, dark red fruit flavors, polished, smooth tannins, good intensity and concentration, but limited length and lacking any meaningful complexity… Eight year old left bank Bordeaux. A fourth or fifth growth winery, maybe not, can’t remember for sure. Do remember what I paid though, $120. Definitely too much for what we experienced this evening…. as to our expectations. — 20 days ago

with Tammy

Ray Vanderhoff

9.2

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (24%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petite Verdot (5%). Dark Ruby/purple color. Aromas of blueberry, black currants, violets and tobacco. Black fruit (blackberry, black currant, black plum) on the palate with hints of chocolate, black licorice, baking spices and black pepper. Medium-plus bodied and a slight note of mineral/graphite on the long flavorful finish. Well integrated oak, creamy texture and lively acidity. — 5 months ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.2

Dark ruby hue with slight brickish tinge. Big bouquet of dark fruit (including blackberry, cassis, and plum). Plus body, plus tannins, plus acid. Elegant with a medium-length finish. Exemplary Right Bank Bordeaux. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. — 6 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium deep garnet core with slightly wider terracotta rim . Quite exuberant nose , more dark fruits than the Barton , spicy , cedar notes , touch of funk , swimming pool note also . On the palate quite spicy more intense black fruits , cassis , sous bois , coffee , saline , mineral tinged sea spray notes . Balanced acidity and quite rounded but noticeable tannin . Long and denser on the finish than the Barton . Showing well now but can go another 10 years no problem — a month ago

Todd Anderson

9.3

Drinking very nicely at present, so enjoy now or see how it evolved in the next 3-5 years. Prost! — 4 months ago

Daniel veit

9.5

Peaking, exquisite example here of a perfectly aged bottle from an outstanding right bank vintage. — 6 months ago

Pippa

9.0

If one person in the relationship likes salinity and minerality and reads The New Yorker. And the other likes perfumey but still dry whites and reads The Economist. Well this is your wine. Cloudy/unfined. Unripe peach, honeysuckle, and salt. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

It has been a little over a year since my last note on the 2018 vintage. Popped and poured, enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2018 pours a pale garnet with transparent core; medium+ viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with delicate notes of funky cherry, rose water, tar and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. A touch thinner than some of the “bigger” vintages but no less charming. I’m sort of a sucker for the 2018 vintage in how enjoyable these are to drink in their youth. Drink now through 2038 — 3 months ago

Erica Gamble

9.4

First impression of lush dark fruit that transitions to strong, earthy gravel with a dry and spicy finish. Really impressive. — 4 months ago

Shay A

9.2

Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.

Fun to open birth year wines around your birthday, especially when you can do a Bordeaux and Napa side by side. While not a great vintage, this held up well after a few hours and presented as expected. Clean and zero Brett. Great color! Deep ruby with hardly any bricking. Leather, cassis, vanilla pipe tobacco on the nose. Sporting a good bit of dusty red and black fruits (mostly tart raspberries and blackberries), there was a little savory truffle note mixed with an herbal and mocha finish. Still quite grippy. Pretty. — 5 months ago