It's critic bingo! (energetic, vertical, explosive beams of tannin)

[John_Morris]

Now I’m reading the other critics on the same wine, all in a K&L e-mail. The amazing thing is that there is virtually no overlap in the aroma and flavor descriptors, save for a recurrence of violet/lavender, blackberry and chocolate. But James Suckling gets orange peel and Neal Martin gets more red fruits.

99 points James Suckling
The ripeness in this wine is incredibly balanced and perfect with > plum and orange-peel > character, buttressed by the > ripe seeds of the grapes that give a hazelnut and coffee undertone> . Turns to violets. Full body with firm and very sexy tannins that are perfectly balanced and polished. Some > chocolate and dried black tea-leaf > character in the aftertaste.

97 points Decanter
This is deep and incredibly silky, with concentrated notes of > coffee grounds and cappuccino, liquorice > and a welcome touch of bitterness. There’s a whoosh of > menthol freshness and dark chocolate > through the finish.

97 points Wine Spectator
A horse of a different color among its peers in this vintage, featuring an extremely vivid core of > pastis-soaked plum, cassis and blackberry > fruit streaming forth. Muscular yet imbued with racy cut, the finish ripples along the edges, with > sweet tobacco, warm gravel and ganache notes.

100 points Neal Martin for Vinous
The wine takes a few minutes to open in the glass, but boy, is it worth the wait: it reveals > pixelated red fruit > (crushed > strawberry and raspberry> ) and > crushed stone, plus a hint of graphite > emanating from the Cabernets. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly chalky tannin that frames pure > black and red fruit infused with graphite and almost flint-like notes.

Warm gravel on the finish?
Pixelated red fruit?

[David_Glasser]

Like strawberry and raspberry versions of these?

[Otto_Forsberg]

Raspberry leaves is definitely a thing, I’ve had raspberry leaf tea many times. Consequently, I’ve used the descriptor also in my tasting notes.

The leaves smell very much like raspberry, but - unsurprisingly - just more green and leafy.

[Otto_Forsberg]

But that pixelated red fruit note.

Just what.

[Mark_Thompson]

But that pixelated red fruit note.

Just what.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Did VCC hire Rolland for 2016?

Some of those notes would give me pause were I in the market to acquire the 2016 vintage of what truly is one of my top five favorite Bordeaux estates.

[GregT]

This is what it tastes like:

And there’s a hint of graphite emanating from the Cabernets, while the crushed red and black fruit are infused with graphite. So apparently there’s graphite all over this baby.

But three of the TNs do overlap - Suckling, Decanter, and WS all found chocolate.

[John_Morris]

Yes, I mentioned the chocolate in post #541. Plums also come up a couple of times.

[John_Morris]

I’ve commented on this here and there, but Galloni has one particular tic that drives me nuts – his tendency to sum up his note with, “It’s as simple as that.” Definitely one for your bingo card.

For example:

This is a phenomenal set of wines that confirms Fèlsina’s standing as one of the great estates in the world. > It’s as simple as that.

The takeaway from this historic tasting is obvious: the Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is Fontodi’s flagship wine. > It’s as simple as that.
2014 Caterwaul ‘Regusci Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon ….
The 2014 is gorgeous. > It’s as simple as that.

2016 Pavie Macquin
The 2016 is a stunningly beautiful bottle of wine and one of the finest reds of the year - > it’s as simple as that.

Rhys is world class. > It’s as simple as that.

2016 Ch Pontet Canet Pauillac
The 2016 is tremendous. > It’s as simple as that.

And, in one creative moment, this variant:

100 points
2016 Vieux Château Certan … > Put simply> , the 2016 VCC has it all.

[Yao_C]

But that pixelated red fruit note.

Just what.

Yes I’ve been curious about that too. Sometimes it’s been rendered as “pixilated”

[Jonathan_Loesberg]

But that pixelated red fruit note.

Just what.

Yes I’ve been curious about that too. Sometimes it’s been rendered as “pixilated”

“Pixelated” and “pixilated” are different words. The first means what it is used to mean in this thread, fruit appearance reproduced by pixels. Why this would be thought to be a positive quality is also a mystery to me. The second is a 19th and early 20th century Americanism meaning somewhat addled. The root is pixies, not pixels. For those of you with a taste for old movies, the word appears in the trial scene in Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. I could sort of see why fruit that was metaphorically addled might be distinctive, at least, but I doubt that that’s what the reviewers meant.

[J.Vizuete]

But that pixelated red fruit note.

Just what.

D3F1CB80-5248-4DC0-B9F0-34C5901E1051.jpeg

Bwahahaha

[John_Morris]

“Pixelated” and “pixilated” are different words. The first means what it is used to mean in this thread, fruit appearance reproduced by pixels. Why this would be thought to be a positive quality is also a mystery to me. The second is a 19th and early 20th century Americanism meaning somewhat addled. The root is pixies, not pixels. For those of you with a taste for old movies, the word appears in the trial scene in Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. I could sort of see why fruit that was metaphorically addled might be distinctive, at least, but I doubt that that’s what the reviewers meant.

What a wonderful bit of etymology! Thanks for that. I assumed “pixilated” was just a typo. I must find an opportunity to use that word.

[Yao_C]

“Pixelated” and “pixilated” are different words. The first means what it is used to mean in this thread, fruit appearance reproduced by pixels. Why this would be thought to be a positive quality is also a mystery to me. The second is a 19th and early 20th century Americanism meaning somewhat addled. The root is pixies, not pixels. For those of you with a taste for old movies, the word appears in the trial scene in Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. I could sort of see why fruit that was metaphorically addled might be distinctive, at least, but I doubt that that’s what the reviewers meant.

What a wonderful bit of etymology! Thanks for that. I assumed “pixilated” was just a typo. I must find an opportunity to use that word.

Yes thank you! I’d bet money none of the wine critics knew that about the word

[David_Glasser]

I’d say use of “pixelated fruit” as a descriptor is evidence of critic pixilation.

[RichardFlack]

So what are the pixies supposed to have done to the fruit?

[John_Kight]

Haven’t you ever sprinkled Pixie Stix (a candy powder that comes in a straw-like container) over your fruit before, making it “Pixie-lated” fruit?

[Marcu_Stanley]

I think “pixelated” is somehow meant to be an analogy for the fineness and precision of detail of the fruit, so like you are tasting each individual bit of fruit that makes up the whole, like pixels in a computer image. (Before you comment – I didn’t say it was a good analogy!)

[Otto_Forsberg]

I think “pixelated” is somehow meant to be an analogy for the fineness and precision of detail of the fruit, so like you are tasting each individual bit of fruit that makes up the whole, like pixels in a computer image. (Before you comment – I didn’t say it was a good analogy!)

This really doesn’t make sense, if it’s supposed to be about fineness and precision. The more noticeable the pixels are, the lousier the resolution is.

[David_Glasser]

I think “pixelated” is somehow meant to be an analogy for the fineness and precision of detail of the fruit, so like you are tasting each individual bit of fruit that makes up the whole, like pixels in a computer image. (Before you comment – I didn’t say it was a good analogy!)

This really doesn’t make sense, if it’s supposed to be about fineness and precision. The more noticeable the pixels are, the lousier the resolution is.

I agree with both of you.