2023 NAPA - Napa with a connection in Houston (2/5/2023-2/9/2023)
Things I thought I might be thinking
Age is catching up with us. 11 tastings in 2.5 days was brutal but worth it.
It was colder in June 2021 than February 2023.
2021 will be a good year but yields are way down almost across the board.
2022 will be difficult across the board, I’m curious to see the menagerie of wines that will result. My two favorite WTF stories were rumors of blocks being picked at 38 Brix or even higher and another of grapes found to be fermenting on vine. A discriminating buyer would do well to look close at 2022.
Money, money money. A lot of money is rolling around buying up land and grapes. Does not bode well for a pause in inflationary pricing in the coming years.
I’m glad we missed the Pineapple Express, but water was everywhere after days of rain. I always wanted to see Napa in the yellow winter bloom, but I think prefer the leaves on the vines and in the trees. Next time we’ll visit in April or May before the summer warming.
Torc had the best duck breast entree I have ever eaten. Otherworldly!
My favorite wine of the trip was one I brought with us from HTX for a special meal—a 2013 Cresta Velia cabernet from Howell Mountain. Go figure!
Had to fly in/out SFO. Ugh! United—get your act together and put reasonably timed Sacramento flights back on the schedule.
If you’re heading out soon, note there is a lot of road construction in the southern part of the valley.
People make the visit, not the wines.
Sinegal Estate
Beautiful property in St. Helena, Tyler was a gracious host who poured us through some great wines and gave us a tour of the property. Two other wines we tried below in addition to the formal notes.
21 Rose of Grenache-nice opener, but neither a rose nor a Grenache fan
2021 Pinot - Young and in need of time to calm down. Black cherries and smoky notes. Unfair to score, PN is not our thing.
-
2021 Sinegal Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/5/2023)
Somewhat unique in its profile, pears, hint of red apple, grapefruit, crisp without being bitter and overly acidic. Mrs loved it. Bought. 91 pts (91 points) -
2018 Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/5/2023)
Belle of the Ball. Red and black fruit is nice harmony, though young and somewhat tannic, this has potential as it ages and unfurls further. Most expressive nose of the wines we tasted today. Already bought. 95 today. (95 points) -
2019 Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/5/2023)
Good not great, still very young with GIII fruit being overt at the moment. Needs time to integrate the oak. 92 at this infant phase with upside into mid 90s. (92 points) -
2019 Sinegal Cabernet Franc - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/5/2023)
Lots of stuffing here. Still primary, but somewhat restrained. Earthy notes dominate the fruit on the palate, but there is a lovely floral component that shines on the nose and compliments the earthy notes on the nose. Bought one and would have bought more if they let me! JD and AG both gave this a Benjamin and I can see why, but lest these rest for 5-7 years minimum for maximum reward. 94 today, still plenty of upside. Time will tell if the 100 pt award is earned, but killer value for the juice at 225ish. (94 points)
Schramsburg - Cave tasting.
First time for us to hit bubbles in Napa. Great visit and very informative, Lisa was a great host. Biggest takeaway—we don’t like aged bubbles. YMMV. Blanc de Blancs and extra brut are our wheelhouse, but Blanc de Noirs are delicious too. No notes. Bought Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut and Cremant Demi-sec.
John Anthony
John Anthony-dropped in before dinner at Cole’s for a quick visit and forgot about time.
Also tasted 2 Chardonnays and a Syrah.
-
2018 John Anthony Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Twisted Oak Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District (2/5/2023)
Oak Knoll hillside fruit, red fruit, hint of blue, lovely spice component (cinnamon/cardamom) that really made this stand out. Very young, needs 5-7 yrs for everything to integrate. Bought. -
2018 John Anthony Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/5/2023)
A blend of the best barrels from Twisted Oak and Coombsville, this wine was my favorite of the tasting and I think has the most potential with age. This wine was better than the sum of the parts. Sometime blends have dominant components early on, in this one, the parts seemed integrated. Bought. -
2018 John Anthony Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (2/5/2023)
From a 4 acre plot just outside the city of Napa, darkest wine of the single vineyards, blue and black fruit, well managed tannins, smooth flow front to back, no hard edges, but needs 5-7 years sideways. Bought -
2018 John Anthony Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon GnR Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District (2/5/2023)
Oak Knoll fruit, needs significant airtime or more time sideways. Muted fruit but a sharp attack on the front of the palate that needs time to resolve itself. Hard to judge. Outshone by its brethren in these early stages, but seems to have potential. -
2018 John Anthony Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon R/D Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District (2/5/2023)
Oak Knoll fruit, the most muted of the wines, did not show much if anything. Hard to judge.
Dinner at Cole’s Chop House
-
2013 Cresta Velia Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (2/5/2023)
Stunning, just absolutely stunning! We could not find a flaw in this wine other than I think it can get even better. At age 10, we PnP’d this at Cole’s Chop House and it was open from the start. Oak and tannins integrated. Black cherry, damp forest floor, every Howell Mountain marker showing up on the nose and palate. Swirled thick in the glass like pen ink, yet flowed seamlessly front to back with a 30 sec finish that left one yearning for more. Enough acid and remaining tannic backbone to age gracefully for years. 98 pts. (98 points)
Flint Knoll
-
2019 Flint Knoll Chardonnay Commonwealth UV Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/6/2023)
Wente & Calera clones from UV Vineyard. Crisp, light across the palate, Chablis like. Evolved over an hour of drinking. Not Chard fans, but will buy good wine that fits our palate. This was good and we bought a three pack. (92 points) -
2019 Flint Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon Commonwealth - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (2/6/2023)
Clone 4 from Las Posadas. 2.5 hr decant, black cherry, evergreen green forest, damp forest floor, a mineral streak working in conjunction with a tannic backbone holding this together. Patience will be rewarded here for those willing to wait 7 more years into 2028. Mrs Geaux’s favorite, my second favorite. -
2019 Flint Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon McLintock - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (2/6/2023)
Clone 7 old vines from the Keenan Vineyard / Spring Mtn. Locked down even after a 2.5 hr decant, somewhat muted, clearly a well made wine, but needs a much longer decant, or more likely, 7-9 years sideways to demonstrate what I think is high potential. Even parmesan couldn’t help unlock the tannins keeping this closed. -
2019 Flint Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (2/6/2023)
Clone 15 from Keenan Vineyard / Spring Mountain. Locked down even after a 2.5 hr decant, with the help of parmesan, we were able to open the palate up a little bit to show red berry mountain fruit. Already bought two, glad I did. Needs time sideways. -
2019 Flint Knoll Royal Appointment - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/6/2023)
Clone 169 & 337 from Caspar Vineyard / Rutherford. 2.5 hr decant, seemingly open without oak or tannins muting everything else. Still somewhat primary with a nice tannic backbone carrying darker fruit, cassis and some blackberry on a medium length finish. Bought (94 points) -
2019 Flint Knoll Noble Right - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/6/2023)
2.5 hr decant. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, around 75/25 blend from Shifflett and Keenan. Delicious, the Cabernet Sauvignon softens the edges on the young Merlot. Will age well and likely be ready for prime time in 3-5 years. (93 points)
Lunch with Roy Piper @ Brix
Roy was kind enough to meet us at Brix for lunch and bring two wines and share a wealth of knowledge on his wines, happenings in the valley and the craziness of what is the wine business in general. In the end, he even joined us at Colgin after Brix.
-
2019 Morlet Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Les Petits Morlet - USA, California, Sonoma County (2/6/2023)
First time to try a Morlet white. Over oaked, high alcohol, little fruit, may need time sideways or a long decant, but unimpressive and never improved over 90 min. Based on prior scores and notes for this wine, I may have had an off bottle. No score. -
2017 Roy Piper Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
Pop and pour, very well developed for a ‘17. Explosive nose of floral notes, black currant and Asian five spice. Big on the palate, which has not caught up to the development on the nose, but this was definitely delicious, with additional blackberry notes carrying on to a 20-30 second finish. Moulds strutting its stuff right now in a big way. Bought a three pack. (94 points) -
2019 Roy Piper Cabernet Sauvignon 60th Anniversary - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
Pop and pour, mix of Houyi/Greer/Mould, soft edges, mix of red and black fruit, went well with steak & frites. I think this will drink well younger and be a go to choice while waiting on the flagship. That being said, I’ll lay mine down for a few years in any event. 92 for now, upside to mid 90s for my palate in due time. (92 points)
Colgin Cellars
Beautiful property, gorgeous tasting scene overlooking Lake Hennessy. Danielle was a very accommodating host, and a shout out to her for an awesome visit. A plethora of sports memorabilia from prior visitors, more basketballs than anything else. It was neat sharing this tasting with Roy and getting his insights on the wines as we drank.
-
2014 Colgin IX Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
2014 IX Estate - as I drank this, I pulled up my note from June 2022 and wondered if I was drinking a different wine. This was a much better showing. Black and red berry fruited, not as structured as the last bottle, a much softer feel across the palate. Hint of blood orange and florals on the finish. I’m guessing this had much better air treatment. (96 points) -
2018 Colgin Cariad - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
2018 Cariad- nose and palate screamed St Helena, with red berry fruit and a lovely mineral streak. Denser and a little darker than the IX Estate. Will be really good at 10 years, likely better at 12-15 yrs. -
2018 Colgin IX Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
2018 IX Estate - I was surprised at how open this was for drinking, more darker fruit and a bit of white pepper. Not as much red fruit or herbals as I find in other Pritchard Hill wines, but I expect significant development between now and 2028 when I plan to open the first of my bottles. This is going to be great with time.
Christopher Tynan Wines with the Man himself
Chris hosted us in the cellar for our last tasting of the day. Again another winemaker with HTX connections and a great story of how Texans end up going great things in Napa. Such a down to earth and humble guy. This was one of our favorite visits, and the collection of wines Chris is making now rival the stable of anyone in the valley.
We also tasted through separate blocks of a new wine the 2021 Game Farm in barrel, both old and young vines. As individual components, the old and young vines were delicious on their own, and I can’t wait to see what the blend will look like. This is a buy when released.
-
2021 Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
2021 MG - After the 2020 fires, 2021 yielded only two barrels of this heavenly concoction. It was outstanding from barrel, reminding me of the 2012 without its boisterous fruit and balanced attack. A fabulous effort. This is a peek into what these wines are before they go to sleep in bottle and what can become after they awake from a 10 year slumber. -
2018 Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
2018 MG - more structured and reserved than any of the other wines we tried, but do not be fooled, this is going to be great in due time. Reminded me a lot of the 2013 in how the pieces and parts fit together, so I will guess it’s optimal drinking window won’t open until 2030+…if I can wait that long. Really good now, better with time. 96 for a combo of now and later. (96 points) -
2018 Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside blocks C. Corbett Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
2018 Corbett - This wine seemingly got lost in the commotion and intensity of everything else Meleagris Gallopavo and Game Farm. No specific notes, but I remember liking it—this is going to be a great wine. Buy, buy, buy. (94 points) -
2011 Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/6/2023)
2011 MG - Wow! Not as boisterous as its brethren, this is a specimen of beauty and elegance. Pop and our, no decant was needed. Explosive nose, lovely fruit on the palate with a nice menagerie of secondary notes wafting through the nose and gracing the palate. Hitting on all cylinders, this wine is screaming ‘drink me now’ but whispering ‘good things still await!’ (97 points)
William & Mary with Will Segui
A visit with Will should be on everyone’s bucket list during a trip to Napa. Will was gracious enough to host us up at the 810 Foothill facility next to Rivers Marie and was kind enough to give us a quick walkabout through the RM facility before tasting the ‘21 goodies. Spent our time bs’ing about wine, business and most importantly college football! Before we knew it our time was over and off we went.
-
2021 William & Mary Cabernet Sauvignon Shifflett Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District (2/7/2023)
Barrel sample. Most closed and tannic of the three wines at this infantile early stage but the stuffing is clearly there. Definitely in the same class as prior vintages. Again, I’m a buyer and you should be too, but please exercise patience in its early years as there is significant structure already showing. -
2021 William & Mary Proprietary Red Shifflett Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District (2/7/2023)
Barrel sample. This was the most giving of the three wines with the Cabernet Franc proving an expressive floral nose softened out by the Cabernet Sauvignon. This is still very primary and early in its development. Buy with confidence, but please exercise patience in its early years as there is significant structure already showing. -
2021 William & Mary Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/9/2023)
Barrel sample. A new wine for William & Mary in 2021 from Vine Cliff in Oakville. More darker fruited than the Shifflett wines, a bit softer at this early stage but only slightly less muted than the Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m excited about this wine because I’m a sucker for Eastern Oakville and cannot wait to see what this becomes in a few years time (maybe more than a few years). That being said this will need some time to unfurl so patience is a virtue here. -
2021 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/7/2023)
From a non-Chardonnay aficionado who leans towards Chablis this actually pleased my palate. This would be a fun wine for everyday white drinkers. A screaming deal at the release price. -
2021 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/7/2023)
2021 Theriot- from a non-Chardonnay aficionado who leans towards Chablis this actually pleased my palate. More ‘sophisticated’ on the palate than the Sonoma Coast, I found this quite good, a bit more texture and glycerin feel, more lemon curd, slightly less crisp. Buoyed my decision to buy RM Chardonnay at release for first time ever.
Arrow & Branch
Michael Ploetz was kind enough to host us for a great tasting with a mix of great wines, young and aged. Great and exciting things happening at Arrow & Branch—if you’re not on this list, you’re missing out. A big thank you to Michael.
-
2015 Arrow & Branch Cabernet Franc Red Wine "Right Bank Blend" Arrow & Branch Estate Lewelling & Stagecoach - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (2/7/2023)
A nice start to the reds—the Cabernet Franc is dominating with earthy notes in charge at the moment, a touch of spice and heat on the back end. Tannins and oak integrated. Some bricking already apparent along a crimson core. -
2015 Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/7/2023)
2015 Black Label - the Black Label never disappoints my palate and the streak continued. More fruit forward than the 2015 Right Bank (as expected) but also a bit more structure carrying everything along. I preferred this ‘15 over the ‘15 Right Bank. Some bricking. A touch of spice and heat on the back end appeared as the wine warmed. -
2019 Arrow & Branch Petit Verdot Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (2/7/2023)
Opened late in the tasting and not something often found was the 2019 100% Petit Verdot from the Dr. Crane Vineyard. Big and brooding with high pitched fruit and spicy deliciousness. Needs time to integrate. I can’t wait to see what this is like in 7-9 years when it awakes from slumber in my cellar. -
2012 Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (2/7/2023)
An aged elegant beauty. Oak and tannins completely integrated, some brownish-red bricking apparent. Unlike many versions, I find the A&B wines to perfectly dial in Dr. Crane with a more balanced mouthfeel instead of high pitched fruit and bittersweet chocolate. Black cherry liquer, dark chocolate, hint of white flowers, crushed violets, starting to develop some secondaries. In the prime drinking window for my palate. Time to open mine. (93 points) -
2019 Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (2/7/2023)
A great contrast to the ‘12 Dr Crane we tasted alongside. This is the ‘12 but with everything amped up while beautifully balancing fruit and elegance. Still a fair amount of tannins and oak in play. This needs 5-7 years. Michael compared the ‘19 to the ‘13, and if he’s right, we are all in for quite the treat as this ages and gains complexity into a sophisticated and elegant beauty. More dark fruit for now, hint of violets, the small amount of Petit Verdot provides a nice spice component on the nose not found in the ‘12. High 90s potential on this one. I’m in.
Evidence Wines
We had an awesome chill, relaxed visit with Jason Court at his new downtown Napa tasting salon near Mark Herold’s tasting room. The salon has a great antique Texas vibe that we loved.
-
2017 Evidence Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Evidence of divine intervention - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (2/7/2023)
The 17s and 18s are consistent year on year. Definitely Coombsville, darker fruited and a hint of herbal components. The 17 was more integrated with no greenies. The 18 was more structured and will need more time to unfurl. The 18 also showed a green bell pepper note not found in the 17. While I don’t like bell pepper notes, this actually did not interfere with my enjoyment. Both wines were Coravin pours and we swirled and aired out as we drank. Can’t wait to see what these do with extended air. -
2018 Evidence Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Evidence of divine intervention - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (2/7/2023)
The 17s and 18s are consistent year on year. Definitely Coombsville, darker fruited and a hint of herbal components. The 17 was more integrated with no greenies. The 18 was more structured and will need more time to unfurl. The 18 also showed a green bell pepper note not found in the 17. While I don’t like bell pepper notes, this actually did not interfere with my enjoyment. Both wines were Coravin pours and we swirled and aired out as we drank. Can’t wait to see what these do with extended air. -
2017 Evidence Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Evidence of the matter - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (2/7/2023)
As with the Coombsville wines, the 17s and 18s are consistent year on year. Mount Veeder profile in place, these wines will likely need a few years to completely open. The 17 was a little more open and showed a touch more fruit and forest, while the 18 was more structured and will need more time to unfurl. Both wines were Coravined pours and we swirled and aired out as we drank. I love Mount Veeder wines with age and can’t wait to pop these at 9+ years old. -
2018 Evidence Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Evidence of the matter - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (2/7/2023)
As with the Coombsville wines, the 17s and 18s are consistent year on year. Mount Veeder profile in place, these wines will likely need a few years to completely open. The 17 was a little more open and showed a touch more fruit and forest, while the 18 was more structured and will need more time to unfurl. Both wines were Coravin pours and we swirled and aired out as we drank. I love Mount Veeder wines with age and can’t wait to pop these at 9+ years old.
Caldwell Vineyards
Last visit of our trip in the famous Caldwell cave, ornate and beautiful. A place we’ve been wanting to visit for many trips and finally managed to make it work. We started with a sparkling which was good and a Sauvignon Blanc that had a flavor profile unlike any other SB I’ve ever had. Different, but didn’t fit our palates. Four wines stood out for us, which we bought, along with some stemware for good measure.
Also tasted a 2020 Dessert Wine, a mix of brandy with Syrah port, this was delicious. Will likely be better as a dessert accompaniment than alone.
-
2016 Caldwell Platinum - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/7/2023)
2016 Platinum - a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cardamere, we were intrigued when poured and somewhat curious when told the blend, but it works. Some blackberry and black raspberry, but more red fruited, integrated and open for business than the 2018 Gold, but that should have been expected. Bought -
2018 Caldwell Cabernet Sauvignon Gold Caldwell Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (2/7/2023)
A lovely mix of red and black fruits, still a somewhat tannic backbone carrying it along to a nice finish. Bought -
2020 Caldwell Carménère Clone 2 - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/7/2023)
No apparent impact from the fires, this was the first time for us to taste a designate Carmenere wine. Red fruit and spice, interested to try this again with a little more age and a lot less palate fatigue.
Lerner Project
A chance bump into Stu Lerner at baggage claim in Houston led to dinner the following night with a lovely stable of awesome Lerner wines. Great dinner, better wines, and even better group of people to share dinner.
-
2019 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve - France, Champagne (2/9/2023)
A lovely opener, dry as it should be with enough fruit and brioche to keep it interesting—agree with prior notes. -
2016 Lerner Project Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/9/2023)
First wine of hit the night. Black cherry, incense, delicious, multiple revisits, some regret in not buying. Finished 5 of 7 for the evening, but stiff competition -
2017 Lerner Project Cabernet Sauvignon RMS - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/9/2023)
2017 RMS - candied fruit, but otherwise not all that forthcoming, served second tonite, but finished 7 of 7. Don’t cry for this wine, it was like being the Big 12 champ in a playoff with NFL elites -
2019 Lerner Project Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/9/2023)
This wine suffered the most from having its peers on display. Somewhat locked down and need more air than we gave it. I know this wine can and will do more in the future, so unfair to really compare, but that being said, 6 of 7 tonite. -
2019 Lerner Project Cabernet Sauvignon Sugarloaf Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/9/2023)
On its own it was spectacular and I am a big fan of the ‘18. Tonite, it was delicious, but completely outshined by its brothers. Sugarloaf at its finest on display. In all fairness this was my 4 of 7 tonight, and by all fairness I mean completely unfair, but the chips fell where they should have. That being said, Mrs Geaux had this at 2 of 7, so guess who is buying more. -
2019 Lerner Project Cabernet Sauvignon Armstrong Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/9/2023)
Wow, really good, lovely spice component mixed with Diamond Mountain red berry fruit. Loved this wine, loved the ‘18, loved this even more. Time to buy more. My 3 of 7. When served I would have immediately put this as WOTN, but. . . . Then the Il Don and Reserve showed up (96 points) -
2019 Lerner Project Cabernet Franc Il Don Sugarloaf Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/9/2023)
I had popped one a few months back so had a few pre-conceived notions of what to expect, so much for pre-conceived notions, this exceeded them and this wine has gained complexity and deliciousness factor since my last taste. A nice floral mineral nose with a touch of fruit, but such a balanced with fruit and florals riding on an somewhat earthy undercurrent. When served I would have bet money this would have finished WOTN, and then I would be poorer yet. My 2 of 7 tonight. Time to buy more. (97 points) -
2019 Lerner Project Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/9/2023)
Truly outstanding, served last and I hope by design. With two tired palates and 7 red wines in, it was easy to say ok, whatever, but we did, and said ok, whatever, serve the best wine last. Oh dear! Seemingly the most integrated of everything but the 2016s, this was on another level with black and red fruits begging you to sip once more, without a hard edge, oak or tannin getting in the way at this young age. It’s crazy for me to say this, but this was one of the best showing 2019s I have had the chance to taste. Guess what? Mrs Geaux’s 1 of 7, my 1 of 7. Time to buy. (98 points)
Time to dry out
Posted from CellarTracker
