Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Vieux Château Palon – 2021
Montagne-Saint-Émilion AOC – Right Bank, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinctive Right Bank Bordeaux, this cuvée flips the classic Merlot-dominant Saint-Émilion script. Instead, it is crafted from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc, making it unusually bold, structured, and aromatically lifted for the appellation.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, and cassis dominate, with graphite, cedar, and tobacco leaf from the Cabernets. Subtle violet and peppery notes emerge from the Franc.

Mouthfeel
Firm tannins, medium-plus body, and a long, savory finish. More muscular and linear than many Montagne-Saint-Émilions, leaning toward Left Bank style but with Right Bank elegance.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb chops with rosemary, cassoulet, duck confit, aged Comté or Tomme de Savoie cheeses.

Verdict
An atypical but fascinating Montagne-Saint-Émilion that highlights Cabernet structure over Merlot plushness. For those who love Pauillac or Saint-Julien, this bottle is a bridge into the Right Bank world. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Montagne-Saint-Émilion is one of the four “satellite” appellations of Saint-Émilion, known for offering excellent value Bordeaux reds. Few estates here lean so heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes Palon stand out stylistically. — 6 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Another favourite Australian Red but this 2014 vintage not showing as well as it normally does. I put it down to the vintage. Aromatically it is spicy but subdued; digging deeper there is earth and clove with herbs. With time, meaty aromas emerge. Perhaps more time will reveal more and provide more depth on the palate. — 2 years ago

Daniel Ciolek

9.1

Honestly I was expecting a more approachable Nebbiolo on opening at this point. The nose is shy and the tannins are dominant.That said - this seems to be a complex and multi layered wine with leather and earth dominant over clearly present dark cherry and raspberry notes that are begging to emerge. I suggest a bit more aging to make this outstanding. — 2 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Opus One 2011
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A Bordeaux-style blend from one of Napa’s most iconic estates, co-founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The 2011 vintage was a challenging, cool year in Napa, producing wines of lower alcohol, more restraint, and higher acidity compared to the opulent, sun-soaked vintages before and after. Blend typically centers on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

Aromas & Flavors
Opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and dried cherry layered with graphite, violets, tobacco leaf, and hints of cedar and espresso. As it evolves in the glass, notes of leather, savory herbs, and cocoa powder emerge.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied compared to more powerful Opus vintages, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins. Elegant and balanced, showing more finesse and structure than richness. The finish lingers with red and black fruits, spice, and a touch of earth.

Winemaking Notes
Aged in French oak for 18 months. The cooler season resulted in smaller yields, but a style closer to classic Bordeaux restraint rather than plush Napa ripeness.

Food Pairing
Beautiful with herb-crusted lamb, grilled duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses like Comté.

Verdict
A vintage that divided critics due to its lighter profile, but for those who enjoy elegance and classical structure, the 2011 Opus One is a refreshing outlier. Drink now, though it still has a few years of graceful life ahead. Cheers!
— 2 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

The 2019 Corton Grand Cru has a rather conservative and earthy bouquet, but is well-defined with slightly darker fruit than its peers. Faint touches of fresh tobacco emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit and a fine thread of acidity, but is a little stocky, as you might expect of a Corton. There’s a slight abruptness on the finish, but time should shave its corners. Give it another couple of years. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 2 years ago

David Shaw

9.1

Last bottle of vintage. Excellent clarity but only light to moderate pigment extraction, consistent with the varietal. Cherry and grape candy flavors, aroma of phenol and a finish of barrel smoke. Slightly rough skin tannins on initial pour, but not too intense. Seedy bitter finish after ten minutes but should resolve later. After an hour, blueberry and blackberry flavors emerge with a cocoa-like texture on the finish. An expressive version of this varietal. — 3 years ago

Ming L

9.4

An elegant bouquet of dried violets, blackcurrant, and tobacco, with hints of cedar and earth. The palate is rich yet polished, with some fresh cherry notes still lingering around. The tannins have softened into a velvety texture. Subtle spice and leather emerge on the long, harmonious finish.
Don’t get to drink well aged Super Tuscan often. This is a beautiful expression of Cab Franc led blends at its peak. — 7 months ago

David Shaw

9.3

Intense ruby red with brilliant clarity, moderate-to-high pigment extraction. Bramble, raspberry, cedar/baking spice aromas. Raspberry Pez flavor with some seed tannin bitterness and red fruit/black currant finish with real length. Light acidity and body, some puckering of inner sides of back of the mouth cavity. After 30 minutes, menthol, mint and spearmint emerge in the finish along with fine grained tannins and slight skin astringency. — a year ago

Ming L

9.4

The nose starts off with gentle and persistent dried herbs, leather, incense, and light barnyard. After about an hour decant, beautiful bright yet ripe fruits emerge. The palate is luscious and seamless with fresh acidic spin. Silky tannins lead to a lingering finish.
Drinking beautifully now. No need to wait. — 2 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

This is excellent! It's nice to be able to buy a well-cellared wine. Cedar, spice, clove, and cherry tobacco nose. Medium weight, perfect medium acidity, medium plus alcohol. Spearmint starts to emerge at the end. Cherry dominates the finish which is long and well balanced with soft fully resolved tannins. The wine is ready now. Drink up and enjoy.

93 points — 3 years ago