What a wine. One of the finest in Crozes today. Nose is smokey, leathery and full of deep blackberry fruit. Tons of granite and stones. Some nice black and kalamata olive but needs air to express itself. But this is ultra serious. Palate is deep, dark and ripe but so elegant and nimble with astonishing purity. A bit closed now as many 19’s are but wonderful, ripe and mouth coating tannins. Man the tannins are so fine here. Tiny berry intensity but also a bit acrid as it’s closed and there is so much material. Burst of freshness on the finish but this is need of mega air. 9.3 for now but will ride with air. Man the fruit is so dark on this one but also squishy in a good way. With air nose is becoming confectionary. Smells like purple cotton candy. Really coming into its own. Palate is getting silkier but it has a ways to go. This is barely opening and seems to be a “tomorrow” wine. — 2 years ago
Pop and pour. I like my Viognier a little more floral. That being said, this is still a ovely example. On the nose: soft herbs, pollen, maybe soft dried wildflowers. On the palate: good acidity, lovely density, maybe slightly advanced with lemon, dried herbs and cucumber on the palate. Not oxidized, but just lacking lift. — 2 years ago
Great Viognier-Mission Wines — 2 months ago
2020 vintage. Tasted via Coravin around 72 degrees. Great frontal richness and mid-palate was in the moment and present. An 8.9. Finish dropped off substantially tho. Took it home, chilled it down to 60 degrees and popped it. All the difference as the wine gained weight and rang true throughout. Could taste the craft and love. 8.28.24. — 9 months ago
Had at Vic & Anthony’s. Excellent wine with well balanced smoothness and tannins. Not overly fruity, still very bold — 2 years ago
Excellent, bon goût de Syrah. Puissant et fruité. — 4 years ago
Cruze 2021 Olivier — 3 months ago
Gorgeous stuff and the new top St. Joseph at Alexandrins. Nose is awesome. Floral and complex with such lift. Bittersweet cocoa, granite, almost an old school Bordeaux vibe, totally classy and classic. Really compelling. So complex and almost dizzying. Smokey and spicey as well. Wow. Palate is ripe and insanely juicy with extremely clean and classy black fruits that are ultra vivid and pure. Such great cut and length. Unreal tannins and minerality but all framed by top notch elegance. A great wine. Really concentrated and dense. Just explosive. Tiny berry intensity. — 2 years ago
Soaring, elegant nose of peach flesh, guava, pineapple and persimmon. So focused and shows off the exotic fruit so vividly. All on a bed of pungent granite. So clean, elevated and pure. Awesome. Nothing like White Hermitage. Palate is super mineral and fresh but obviously young and needs air/years to get more together. Amazing fruit presence that mirrors what is on the nose and also long and grand. Gorgeous focus and an almost tannic impression on the finish. Grippy and fruit and mineral saturate on the finish. Terrific and excited what air will bring. Air brings this from a 9.4 to 9.5. So focused now and the nose just emanates from the glass. World class wine. Top notch finesse. — 2 years ago
Pooneet K
Really very nice. Was a bit worried that the 2018 wouldn’t drink that well, but decided to pair it with some delicious balsamic bbq glazed spare ribs I made. Held up very well. Still get the classic northern Rhone Syrah profile, but with enough generosity of fruit to stand up to the food. Quite nice indeed. — 14 days ago