The color is striking. Light red. Almost translucent. 13.6% ABV. Beguiling nose of red fruits, baking spices, citrus and forest floor. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Light, crisp and fresh with structure in spades. Cherry, cranberry, black tea, nutmeg and earth on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. There is a contingent of Thomas buyers who won’t open these bottles with less than 10 years of bottle age. Such a shame as they are breathtaking at 6-8 years of age. I’ll stick to my plan of buying a six pack with the intent of checking in on at least one bottle on the younger side. This will cellar well for another decade.
Popped one of these the other night. Youthful and very tasty. Quite red fruited with noteworthy restraint for the vintage ripeness. Excellent balance and length. Accessible and a bit less structured than some years. Yes, quite tasty to drink now…but still in it’s ascendancy IMHO. YMMV.
I was VERY fortunate to get on the list 3 years ago…I had somehow gotten Mr. Thomas’s number and got lucky that he answered his phone. I literally begged to become a list member, pointing out that he probably didn’t have a member from Louisville! It worked and now I order “The Full Monty” every year!
