Wow, nice find. Such a lascivious note. I feel dirty now
Maybe LPB can invent a new set of ratings that scale from one to five eggplants
I was at a tasting many years ago where someone described a very lush Chardonnay as “a real Lana Turner of a wine.” I guess this is a real Elizabeth Taylor of a wine.
If a male critic had written that note, it would have been highly sexist. From LPB, it’s just over the top.
She’s not exactly the first person to suggest the connection between pleasure and sex. Maybe you guys just need to get some. I’m surprised you didn’t underline “full-bodied” too. You come off sounding like horny teenagers.
I’m actually impressed she managed to keep the metaphor consistent and suggest that the imagery of Cleopatra came from the tasting impression itself; “rolling,” “emerges” and “after a few moments…bursts” all relate to the Cleopatra in a carpet story dating back to Plutarch.
Damnit, and I also missed the creme note! I was too excited early on.
Personally, I think she ought to have used the golden barge metaphor, since the carpet has also been referred to as a simple linen sack. So pedestrian.
![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
Sheesh. Now you guys are going all literary on us.
there are plenty that lap up this dramatic hogwash; she’s not the only one to tell people what they want to hear. Sad commentary.
After having read a few other tasting notes on the 2018 Pontet Canet, I was struck that LPB, Galloni and Leve all used the same image to convey the sense impression of the flavors: “bursts” (LPB), “explodes” (Leve) and “explosive” (Galloni).
Johnny will love love Galloni’s notes . . . .
The 2018 Pontet-Canet is a freak of nature.
The 2018 soars out of the glass
Quite simply, I have never tasted anything like it
I wonder what Uncle Rollo is putting in that amphora.
The exact same thing as he always uses…
Bursts with nuance. Explodes with subtlety.
Reminds me of an old NY congressman who, outraged by a proposed bill, exclaimed “This will derail the ship of state!”
Should have been a wine critic.
Those explosion metaphors started to get really common about a decade ago as “critics” pushed the boundaries of hyperbole. Makes me think of a hand grenade in the glass, loaded with shards of dark chocolate and cherry, ready to go off in your mouth. A room full of pasty middle aged critics dodging wine shrapnel as glasses of the latest vintage of the century detonate around them.
These two notes on the same wine crack me up, like polar opposites:
Wine Advocate Notes
92-94 Points, Neal Martin, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: ““The 2015 Petit-Gravet-Aine is located west of Canon-la-Gaffelière, a blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, one of the highest proportions of Cabernet on the Right Bank. This has a very attractive bouquet, > the Cabernet Franc exuding freshness and complexity > with mineral-rich black and red fruit, > cold rock > just tucked in nicely. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, great depth, just a > touch of bell pepper infusing the red fruit> , > superb precision > and real gusto on the structured finish. What a fabulous Saint Emilion wine from proprietor Catherine Papon-Nouvels.”” 4/16"
Antonio Galloni
90-93 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: ““Catherine Papon-Nouvel’s 2015 Petit Gravet Ainé > boasts serious richness and intensity > from start to finish. Mocha, espresso, raspberry jam, white pepper and mint are some of the many notes that are pushed forward in this > unctuous, super-ripe > St.-Émilion. > The summer heat appears to have baked out the Cabernet Franc aromatics > that are such a signature here. Today, the 2015 is incredibly tightly wound. It will be interesting to see where things ultimately shake out. For now, the 2015 is an embryonic wine built on intensity and ripeness. > I would like to see a little more of the finesse > this site is capable of. Petit Gravet Ainé is 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot done in 100% new oak. Tasted two times.”” 4/16"
Like night and day.
Well, he did say Lisa Parody Brown.
While Cleopatra slithers around on a carpet at their feet.
Wow. Perhaps they were offered different barrels.
Martin’s comment that “The 2015 Petit-Gravet-Aine is located west of Canon-la-Gaffiliere” made me wonder if the 14 and 16 are located to the east.
Blasting past oxymoronic to moronic.
My scouts in other cities remain vigilant!
We need to add “built like a brick house” to the Perotti-Brown bingo card:
96-98 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The > 2018 Lynch Bages > is made up of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot aging in 75% new barriques. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose is quite coy and restrained to begin, fanning out to offer pure, ripe blackcurrants, black cherries and preserved plums with wafts of red roses, cigar box, incense, cardamom and fenugreek with savory touches of black olives, Marmite toast and smoked meats. Full-bodied, > the palate is built like a brick house> , with a solid foundation of very firm, very ripe, grainy tannins and superb freshness supporting the generous black fruit layers, finishing long with provocative ferrous suggestions. (LPB) (4/2019)94-96 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the > 2018 Léoville Poyferré > begins sporting a veil of cedar, opening out to reveal profound notions of crème de cassis, warm kirsch, Black Forest cake and Indian spices plus hints of chargrilled meats and Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied and > built like a brick house> , the taut, muscular black fruit has a solid frame of firm, ripe tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of savory nuances. Aging is anticipated to be for 18 months in barriques, 80% new. The current blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. (LPB) (4/2019)
I wonder if she’s familiar with the form of that phrase that includes a second adjective?
What does it mean to say a wine shows a “pure” eleven ingredients (blackcurrants, black cherries, preserved plums, red roses, cigar box, incense, cardamom, fenugreek, black olives, Marmite toast [ed’s note: is that distinct from Marmite pain grillé?] and smoked meats).
And, as a bonus:
97-99 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The > 2018 Palme> r is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. Grapes were harvested September 13 to October 15, and the wine has a 3.83 pH and 14.3% alcohol. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose is a little reticent to begin, but with coaxing, it slowly emerges to show > fragrant violets, underbrush, mossy bark and iron ore with exponentially growing notions of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, plum preserves, hoisin, Christmas cake and red roses with wafts of dusty earth, Indian spices and cracked black pepper. > Full-bodied, concentrated and downright powerful in the mouth, it has a solid structure of firm, wonderfully plush tannins and masses of fragrant accents, finishing very long and very spicy. By the time I finished tasting this, the nose had exploded in this fragrant bomb of fruit, earth and floral notions. This is one of those 2018 wines that has a beguiling brightness that comes from the many floral, spice and mineral accents among all that rich fruit. WOW! (LPB) (4/2019)
I have to say that the combination of Black Forest and Christmas Cake with charbroiled meat, Indian spices and Sichuan pepper sounds revolting.
While I was away from my desk, one of my overseas scouts forwarded this.
As we all know, some wines speak to you. This one seems like a downright chatterbox:
The 2014 Barbera d’Alba is an intriguing wine in that it > speaks more to the personality of the estate than to the year, or even to Barbera. > The 2014 is a Cappellano wine, and that’s pretty much all there is to it. Succulent, pliant and > expressive> , the 2014 > has a lot to say> . On the palate, the 2014 > expresses > the mid-weight style of the year. Dark chocolate, plum and spice meld into the > super-expressive > finish.
– Antonio Galloni
This barbera doesn’t taste like barbera. Check! “That’s pretty much all there is to it!”
“Pliant” seems at odds to the entire note, no? Sorry to express myself so expressly but I felt expressive.
His persistent use of closing phrases like “it’s as simple as that” or that’s “all there is to it” is becoming, or has become, rather Forrest Gumpish.
Back to the forest, lest I lose sight, I noticed that I used the reference to “forest floor” in three out of five wines in one night recently, close to hitting my bingo card, except that I left “apogee” to MarcF. Now in my defense, I’m a hack and admit it, and they were mature Chinons and Bordeaux.