Slight brown tinge. Very light in color. See picture. Between the 16’ and the 18‘ this is the lesser vintage. Plenty of acidity and tannins left. Seems tight and austere upon opening. Lime, cranberry and some red currant. Would drink this with asian food. Give it 1 hour of air. — 5 months ago
Flight #2 of our 1997 Retrospective and these were the thoroughbreds. Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #2 had great color, was developing, fresh, focused, balanced; great structure. One of those glasses of wine you didn’t want to end and, for me, a tough call for favorite of the flight along with Wine #1. I vacillated between this being Dominus or Monte Bello; ultimately calling the former. This is in a beautiful phase of life. Monte Bello is one of those wines that needs decades to show its best. Drink now through 2040. — 9 months ago
Niagara Peninsula Cab Franc is hard to beat. More proof of that in this bottle. — 4 months ago
1975 vintage. From magnum. Decent fill and cork. Decanted and tasted after two hours. Medium body. Nose remained angular and sharp throughout but flavors vacillated between finesse and brutish. Not the star of the night, yet impressive nonetheless. Out of magnum, looks to have 5-10 more years left of quality in store. 3.5.24. — 8 months ago
This was fantastic, strong, and yet still seemingly understated. Although I am no fortune teller, this seemed strong and young. I couldn’t place all the flavors I experienced, but to my palate there was raspberry, blackberry, smoked meats, soil after a rain, and portobello mushroom all matched with a beautiful color to stare at between sips. Long pauses to enjoy the long finish. — 9 months ago
Farmers market visit this morning dictated this after finding some decent Heirlooms awaiting my organic garden ones and deserving after cleaning the damn gutters all afternoon. .
Like this Rosé quite a lot. The price for it, not so much. But, worth it once in a while and this one has been laying down a number of years, so… If you haven’t had a good Tempranillo Rosé worth acquiring.
I like it as it is not overtly sweet like many Bandol’s & Californians.
The nose shows; blood orange, not quite ripe tangerine, baked rhubarb, strawberries, red not dark cherries, ripe, yellow peach with skin, hints of watermelon at the rind, limestone marl with orange & red flowers.
The palate shows nice viscosity. Blood orange with peel, not quite ripe tangerine, baked rhubarb, strawberries, red not dark cherries, ripe, yellow peach with skin, hints of watermelon at the rind, touch of pink grapefruit, something in between Cointreau & Grand Marnier, sun tea, very soft chalk & white spice, limestone marl with orange & red flowers, rainfall acidity, nicely knitted, a fair amount of tension for an aged Rosé, excellent balance & structured with a smartly polished, elegant, lush finish that lasts nearly two- minutes.
This 2010 is in high cotton and not slowing down. Another 8-10 years with maybe more. Leans into 95.
Pairing; Organic Heirloom tomatoes grown in a greenhouse topped w/ di Stefano Burrata, Spanish Ricon Subbetica Olive Oil, Tondo Balsamic Vinegar (the best period), organic fresh basil, Companion Simple Sourdough Crustini’s. — 4 months ago
John Van Trijp
A Perfect Score in future — 3 months ago