No, I’m not going all Ovid still on you folks. I was with a good friend for dinner, the 2015 Realm Cellars is his baby. I can see why people like it, big, glossy, perfumy, all dark fruit and chocolate with oak vanilla. While youthful, I did not find it overly tannic. And ready to go, all things considered.
We decanted the 2004 Conseillante at his house for about an hour, poured it back into the bottle, then walked over to the club for dinner. This wine is singing. Has a wonderful wet mossy earthy nose, cool dark fruits and a bit of floral. Palate is medium weight, not as silky as some years like 2000, more with a slight rustic grainy texture that I actually enjoyed, expressing earth, crushed rocks, plums and other dark fruits, soy, and some sweet tobacco leaf. Nice structure to the overall package, tannins resolving. I have no reservations opening and enjoying this wine now. An interesting contrast on CT between Levenberg and Shin on this wine (apparently from the same bottle?), and while I normally seem to align more with Keith than Kevin, I like this Conseillante a lot more than Keith did. (92 pts.)
My friend’s wife is quite the wine afficionado, but they are like 99% California in their cellar. It was pretty cool to see her expression and hear her talk about the Conseillante. They asked me for some Bordeaux recommendations that night. Always fun to put together a go-to list for friends. And they are introducing me to their wines as well.