Oh my. Punched by a caress? Sneaky finish? And less more please.
![[scratch.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/4/42a16863a8714da3c1604419e3eb9206bb87aa50.gif "scratch"){kind=small}
It’s in my post above.
I actually appreciate — no joke — the description of a sneaky long finish. Some wines have a sense that they are fading in the mouth only to linger or have a second persistent but gentle wave of retronasal effect.
None of the phrases individually are that problematic…
The old Black Forest Cake elements again! But with sage, cardamon and cumin! ![[barf1.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/3/3bc5658c317a0577c61d52d4162027a79254f7e3.gif "barf1"){kind=small}
2018 Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon State Ranch
“Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon State Ranch was aged for 18 months in French oak, 50% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is redolent of > chocolate-covered cherries, blackberry preserves > and black currant jelly with touches of wild sage, cast iron pan and cardamom with a waft of cumin seed. Full-bodied, the palate bursts with crunchy black fruit and loads of spicy accents, supported by firm grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and lively.”-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW - Wine Advocate, 95 points
Cast iron pan? Seasoned? Rusty? Clean? Dirty? New? 4 generation old?
She’s moved more generally to using chocolate/cherry descriptors rather than black forest cake probably in response to this thread.
Wow! You might be right. The last examples I find in my emails are from notes last year:
2019 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Leognan
“The blend this year is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, harvested from the 17th of September to the 10th of October. The wine is aging in French oak barriques, 60% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte is downright hedonic on the nose, rolling sensuously out of the glass with notions of warm cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, > Black Forest cake > and black raspberries with nuances of cinnamon toast, lilacs, camphor and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate juxtaposes remarkable energy and brightness with densely packed, rich, ripe black fruits, framed by wonderfully ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastically invigorating freshness, finishing long with mineral-tinged fireworks. Stunning!”-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, WA 96-982019 Cos d’Estournel, St. Estèphe
“Harvest for the grand vin began on the 23rd of September and finished on the 7th of October. Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot (with no Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc this year), yields for this wine in 2019 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it is aging in 55% new oak. It came in at an alcohol level of 14.02% and an IPT of 67. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cos d’Estournel soars out of the glass with vibrant black raspberries, > Black Forest cake > and crushed blackcurrants scents plus nuances of red roses, wild sage, dark chocolate and cast-iron pan with a waft of woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and built like a skyscraper, with firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the concentrated black fruit flavors, finishing with incredible length and depth. This wine so beautifully, clearly captures the juxtaposition between the periods of dry heat and those hallelujah moments of refreshing rain - the hallmarks of this great vintage. It’s a vinous masterpiece in the making.” 97-99+
She used Black Forest cake more recently, too (I think in a 2020 Bordeaux review), but in general she has used chocolate/cherry combos.
Yes, another reflexive, free bingo square term. Note that it comes up in the other two notes I just quoted:
2019 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Leognan
“The blend this year is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, harvested from the 17th of September to the 10th of October. The wine is aging in French oak barriques, 60% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte is downright hedonic on the nose, rolling sensuously out of the glass with notions of warm cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, > Black Forest cake > and black raspberries with nuances of cinnamon toast, lilacs, camphor and > iron ore> . Medium to full-bodied, the palate juxtaposes remarkable energy and brightness with densely packed, rich, ripe black fruits, framed by wonderfully ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastically invigorating freshness, finishing long with mineral-tinged fireworks. Stunning!”-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, WA 96-982019 Cos d’Estournel, St. Estèphe
“Harvest for the grand vin began on the 23rd of September and finished on the 7th of October. Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot (with no Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc this year), yields for this wine in 2019 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it is aging in 55% new oak. It came in at an alcohol level of 14.02% and an IPT of 67. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cos d’Estournel soars out of the glass with vibrant black raspberries, > Black Forest cake > and crushed blackcurrants scents plus nuances of red roses, wild sage, dark chocolate and > cast-iron pan > with a waft of woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and built like a skyscraper, with firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the concentrated black fruit flavors, finishing with incredible length and depth. This wine so beautifully, clearly captures the juxtaposition between the periods of dry heat and those hallelujah moments of refreshing rain - the hallmarks of this great vintage. It’s a vinous masterpiece in the making.” 97-99+
And many prior notes:
2009 Dominus
“The 2009 Dominus is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet colored, it rolls easily, sensuously out of the glass with evolving fruit notes of baked blackcurrants, plum preserves, mulberries and fruitcake plus underlying suggestions of charcuterie, camphor, chocolate-covered cherries and candied violets with just a touch of > cast iron pan> . Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in balance, with loads of emerging black fruit and earthy layers and a solid line of finely grained tannins, finishing very long with a perfumed lift.”-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, WA 99 points2019 Chateau Beausejour Duffau St. Emilion
“Composed of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) was harvested from the 24th of September to the 7th of October. Yields were 45 hectoliters per hectare this year with about 60% of production going into the grand vin. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is deceptively forward to begin, giving a wonderful intensity of Morello cherries, wild blueberries and boysenberries scents, soon unfurling to reveal more and more layers: pencil lead, > cast-iron pan> , wilted roses, oolong tea and charcoal with a hint of garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energetic, crunchy black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing very long and minerally. If this delivers on its promise, it should be very long-lived indeed!”-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, WA 96-98 points
Desserts clearly resonate with her because they crop up frequently in her tasting notes, even where it might not necessarily make sense. For instance, why blueberry pie rather than just blueberries (or warm or cooked blueberries if she wants to distinguish from fresh blueberries)? In the example I have in mind (if not at my fingertips), the pie reference was in a wine that one wouldn’t expect there to be any kind of dough. When I used “apple turnovers” in a note, it was because it was a sparkling wine and it had a dough flavor, together with apples and some sweetness.
Pie=fruit, plus butter (in the crust), plus the browned notes
I could see it, but would not use it lest John Morris haunt my dreams like Jacob Marley.
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I get ferrous notes in some wines, notably from the grape called Fer, but also Pinot Noir. I never thought the flavors were specific to a frying pan
Browned crust = pain grille, perhaps? I hadn’t thought about the butter component.
Pain grille = toast. I don’t think butter is implied.
Curious as to what words critics are allowed to use. 
Pain grille is just kind of pretentious.
Lots of these words are fine in and of themselves, but suffer from ridiculous overuse.
“So much to offer” is a case in point. Nothing wrong with it as a phrase, until it gets added in almost reflexively.
2015 Keever Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is a very beautiful wine, especially within the context of the year. Sweet red cherry and purplish berry fruit, lavender and spice are nicely woven together in this very pretty, understated wine. Medium in body and classy, Keever’s Cabernet has > so much to offer> . Above all else, the 2015 has a good bit of freshness, something that is rare in this vintage.”“The 2018 Syrah (Santa Barbara County) is shaping up to be fabulous. I am not sure I have ever tasted a Tensley Syrah with this much energy and focus. Lavender, mint and spice meld into a core of blue/purplish fruit. Medium in body, nuanced and vibrant, the 2018 has > so much to offer> . I can’t wait to taste it from bottle. The 2018 has all the makings of a real overachiever.
2016 Vine Hill Ranch VHR Cabernet Sauvignon
“Vine Hill Ranch’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is flat-out epic. Look for the 2016 VHR to be one of the benchmark wines of this great Napa Valley vintage. A year ago, the 2016 was powerful and dramatic. Today, the 2016 is super-polished and regal in bearing. Vertical and deep, with tremendous complexity, the 2016 has > so much to offer> . A rush of black cherry, plum, menthol, licorice, sage, dark spice and earthy notes build as this statuesque Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its magnificent pedigree. The 2016 is a monumental, towering wine. That’s all there is to it.”“The 2015 Carmignano Riserva Piaggia is another flat-out gorgeous wine from the Vanucci family. Bright, lifted and wonderfully focused, the 2015 has > so much to offer> . Red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, sage and anise all add layers of nuance, but the 2015 is one of the wines where everything just works. Alluring in its beauty. The Riserva is a wine of pure and total class that balances fruit richness and energy, as the best Piaggia wines do so eloquently these days.”
2018 Peay Pinot Noir Estate Scallop Shelf
“Another gorgeous wine in this range, the 2018 Pinot Noir Estate Scallop Shelf is laced with pretty floral and mineral notes that work nicely with the wine’s taut, mid-weight frame. Bright, focused and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 has > so much to offer> . I very much like the wine’s sense of energy, but it needs time to be at its best.”2016 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Bussia
“The 2016 Barolo Bussia is a wine of tremendous character and complexity. Menthol, lavender, black cherry, graphite, cloves and leather all open up in the glass. Virile and layered, with tons of depth, the 2016 Bussia has s> o much to offer> . A few years in the cellar will help the tannins soften, but the 2016 is already quite expressive. It is also one of the very finest wines I have ever tasted from Fenocchio.”“The 2016 [Azelia] Barolo Bricco Fiasco is a glorious wine. Sweet red cherry mint iron rose petal and blood orange are some of the many aromas and flavors that grace this exquisite beautifully layered Barolo. A wine of subtlety nuance and grace the 2016 has > so much to offer> . I don’t remember ever tasting a Bricco Fiasco with this level of finesse and nuance. Two thousand sixteen is the first vintage in which the Bricco Fiasco is aged part in cask and part in barrique. All I can say is: Wow!”
2016 Gianfranco Alessandria, Barolo
"The 2016 Barolo is bright, floral and beautifully lifted. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry and mint all grace this subtle, nuanced Barolo. Medium in body, with lovely freshness and good depth, the 2016 has s> o much to offer. > This is a very pretty, and refined straight Barolo. The 2016 has the potential to be a real overachiever. I especially like the wine’s inner sweetness and perfume. "“The 2016 [Sandro Fay] Valtellina Superiore Carterìa is a wonderfully complete wine that captures the brightness and energy that are so typical of Nebbiolos from Valtellina, with an extra kick of mid-palate sweetness and overall body. Expressive, nuanced and inviting, the 2015 has > so much to offer> .”
Christophe Mignon, Champagne Brut Nature ADN De Meunier, NV
“Orchard fruit, Mirabelle, chamomile, dried flowers and licorice are all laced together, but it is the wine’s drive that really stands out. Ample, creamy and super-expressive, the Brut Nature has > so much to offer> . This is a striking wine from Christophe Mignon. This release is a blend of equal parts 2015 and 2014.”
The Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet also features “vertical,” “pedigree,” “towering,” and “that’s all there is to it” - maybe at this point it would be easier if all those players who didn’t hit a bingo raise their hands.
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The reason for using pain grillé, I expect is that it sounds like it tastes better than toast. Maybe it does. It is widely known that the French cook everything better than we do. Maybe that includes toast. After all, doesn’t une tartine sound better than bread and butter.