Tasted this at the property & bought three & three of the 14 Moose. It is even better than I envisioned at this stage and will only continue to evolve to something even more grand.
The nose shows a little paraffin wax at first with gentle, beautiful, elegant floral, ruby, ripe, fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black plums, black raspberries, plum, baked strawberries & hints of raspberries. A weave of faint; molasses, brown sugar & dark chocolate, some of the sexiest, gently layered baking spices of; cinnamon, clove, even lighter cinnamon & vanillin, hints of sweet tarriness, blossoming tree sap with a touch of bark, melted caramel, amazing, caressing, Marilyn Monroe, mid, dark spice, steeped fruit teas, limestone volcanics, a little dry, crush rocks, black licorice with gorgeous, candied, ruby, florals that are fresh & slightly withering; dark, red, blue that are set in violets & quiet lavender.
The body is wet, supple, rich and as good as it gets. She is flat out gorgeous with perfect viscosity. A little paraffin wax with gentle, beautiful, elegant floral, ruby, ripe, fruits of; blackberries, dry dark cherries, black plums, black raspberries, plum, baked strawberries & dry cranberries & hints of raspberries. A weave of faint; molasses, melted, brown sugar & dark chocolate, some of the sexiest, gently layered baking spices of; cinnamon, clove, even lighter cinnamon & vanillin, hints of sweet tarriness, blossoming tree sap with a touch of pine bark, melted caramel, dark cola, amazing, caressing, Marilyn Monroe, mid, dark spice with perfect, soft heat, steeped fruit teas, haunting here & there fresh herbaceousness, understated eucalyptus & mint, Christmas pudding over a touch of Christmas fruit cake, limestone volcanics, a little dry, crush rocks, black licorice with gorgeous, candied, ruby, florals that are fresh & slightly withering; dark, red, blue that are set in violets & quiet lavender. The acidity is simply insane. The finish falls into fantasy. Itβs; sexy, gorgeous, elegant, round, rich, the definition of balance that persists for minutes falling on to a spice ending.
Most interesting Pinot of the year(s).
This will add a couple of points in 5 years.
The one is another bottling of Christmas Magic. Shots around the house on Christmas Eve-Eve. Yup, I even have a Wine Santa to enjoy wine with my Wine Snowman.
Merry Christmas Eve-Eve. πππ
βοΈπβοΈ
@Jason and Jennie Thank you for the introduction to DR Stephens. The 14 Moose is still better & will further stun one day but, their 15 Pinot is outstanding now. We will hold our other two bottles of their 15 another 3-5 years before opening. The first 14 Moose in 2026.
12/23/20 β 4 years ago
Big mountain viognier from the Santa Cruz mountains. I like it! β 3 years ago
Nicely done. I like the Amphora texture and acidity. Queveri-ish. Good food wine. For on its own enjoyment, would love to see lightly topped with late harvest Roussanne. Lemon+Honey π
I also want to bury the Amphora ceremoniously, with you (Bradley) and Randall Grahm.... on an eclipse/lunar biodynamic magical night, you already got the patio with a firepit to fulfill the bonfire... cow horns and crystals for everyone :) haha β 4 years ago
Yellow grass. Mineral Water ran through a Randall of quartz. Buttercream. β 6 years ago
Very excited to try this Grenache from Randall Grahmβs new project. Itβs super young and was too tight to really evaluate on night 1, so these are night 2 notes.
The color is light-ish, but the nose is inviting, with loads of bright cherry/strawberry fruit, spice, and lovely crushed gravel minerality. Soft in the mouth, the flavors are relatively intense but it maintains a medium weight and silky feel. Great purity and balance. Not a dense wine that will demand attention at a tasting, but a really fine dinner accompaniment (Iβm having beef tacos). β 3 years ago
Randall Grahm wonβt be making this anymore but itβs a terrific wine. New world CdP style blend that has layers of depth and flavor but also a precise and refreshing delicacy. So much to love. Delicious now but with years ahead of it. β 5 years ago
Smoky tobacco, savory syrah, that Mr. Randall Grahm structured well! Wish I could find more! β 6 years ago
So old world in its interpretation and how it showed with graceful age here in 2019. Very little intervention in the winemaking as I have come to understand it from Randall and getting to know these wines past and present. A surprise winner of the bottles opened as part of dinner in good company. I will keep my eyes peeled for more bottles of the 1980βs vintages from LG as I have seen a few pop up across Sonoma Countyβs wine honey holes π― β 6 years ago
Robert Stackowiak
A bright Pinot from Randall Grahm with cherry and raspberry on the palate. Likely the beginning of a great offering. January 2023. β 2 years ago