AN EPIC SUMMER WINE WEEKEND - YEAR 5 - (7/2/2026-7/4/2026)
Our usual group gathered for our fifth annual Canada Day blowout, where we bring our best bottles. This year started with a few bangers, then slow in the middle but finishing strong.
Starter Champagne
- NV Roger Coulon Champagne Premier Cru L'Hommée - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (7/2/2026)
[From Magnum] 2015 or 2016 base disgorged 2021. Followed over the course of several hours. This wine pours medium gold in the glass. The nose is straightforward showing candied lemon, vanilla wafer, white flowers, and faint applesauce. The palate is broad entering on applesauce. The acid is medium plus acid and reasonably focused balanced against what seems to be a light touch of dosage. All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable bottle of Champagne that is good, but in my view, nothing more. This magnum is showing better than a 750 I consumed four years prior. (91 points)
Rhys Pinot Horizontal
Our group adores Rhys Pinot Noir. Having consumed a lot from Family Farm and Alpine, we had never had Swan Terrace or Skyline and so it was thrilling for the Skyline to show incredibly well, blind. Sadly the Littorai thrown in as an outlier was a clear dog.
- 2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Swan Terrace - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This pours light ruby in the glass, with light bricking. The nose shows violets, lightly soapy florals, rose petals, red cherry, pomegranate, crushed rocks, and a little cigar ash. The palate enters on the lovely red fruit, with silky medium minus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish lingers nicely here with great breadth and length. In my view, quite clearly the third best wine of the flight, but fairly close in quality to the next wine. (94 points) - 2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This pours bright light ruby in the glass. The nose is initially just a tad more mute than others in this flight grudgingly opening to show the characteristic rich cherry fruit you often see from FF accented by plum, crushed gravel, light touches of smoky spice, and new leather. The palate enters on the red fruit that is fat and rich. The tannin is silky and medium minus, the acid is bright and medium plus. The alcohol is perceived as just a tad elevated in the finish. Akin to a Pommard expression, if you will, with the powerful and rich deep red cherry fruit. (93 points) - 2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This pours medium to light ruby in the glass, with just a hint of purple at the core. The nose is banging from the first pour showing mushroom, ginger, orange peel, fresh strawberry, cherry, forest undergrowth, sweet cedar, and peonies. One of the more floral and aromatically expressive wines of the flight. The palate enters on the bright and sweet red fruit. Perfect pitched with wonderful elegance. There is firm medium tannin and medium plus acid on the mid-palate giving this the most structured mouthfeel of the flight. The finish is long and complex. I called this one as Alpine, having had it twice before. A wonderful bottle of Pinot Noir with plenty of life ahead of it. (95 points) - 2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Home Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] Flawed. Too much evolution for its age with soy and broth showing just a little too much at this stage. Bad bottle. Sad as I expect it could have been in the top three of the flight. (NR/flawed) - 2007 Littorai Pinot Noir B. A. Thieriot Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This pours medium to light ruby in the glass, just a shade darker than the Rhys wines adjacent. The nose is also a decent amount darker than others showing medicinal cherry, cough syrup, spice, stem, orange peel, slightly stewed cherry, white flowers, and almond extract. The palate enters on the lightly cough syrup tinged deep and rich cherry fruit. The tannin is low and acid is medium plus, making this read as a tad more unstructured than the Rhys wines in the flight. The finish is long and elegant flaunting its core of dense red fruit, with just a little medicinal character holding the finish back a little. All in all, this stood out as quite clearly behind the other wines in this flight. While still enjoyable, the cough syrup note was distracting and the wine was missing some structure and overall complexity. (91 points) - 2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] Here we finish on the finest bottle of Pinot Noir I’ve consumed this year, and an all-time great that will be seared into my memory, up there with the greatest bottles of Pinot Noir consumed in my lifetime. This pours light ruby in the glass with slight bricking, one of the more pale-coloured wines of the evening. The kaleidoscopic nose is just insane here showing olive brine, “spice from another dimension”, smoke, incense, turned earth, orange peel, cedar, ginger, pomegranate, and sweet red cherry. The palate enters on the gorgeous pitch-perfect pomegranate, with medium minus tannin, and medium plus acid. The finish is long, floral, and earthy. Quite clearly the best wine of the flight, I correctly called this Skyline based on the fabulous notes I had read about this wine. I've visited this vineyard but never tasted a wine from it, and in fact this is one wine in the Rhys stable that this group of Rhys fans had never tasted. Watching the grins around the room as we all witnessed the greatness we had in our glasses was a moment to remember. Reminded me of a tasting where mature Dujac and Rousseau stole the show. (97 points)
Mixed Mid-90s Reds
- 1996 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours light garnet in the glass, medium bricking and a distinctive orange character at the rim. The nose is quite volatile with apple and vinegar notes poking through, not dominating, but distracting. Also on the nose: cranberry, dried orange peel, pickle brine, red cherry, and raw beef. The palate enters on super airy and elegant red fruit. Tannin is low and acid is medium with a finish that fizzles out a little short. While I wasn't totally sure what this was, I did mention Musar with its high volatility, light weight and sweet red fruit. It reminded me of a Musar tasted from the 70s, so this bottle has matured a tad quickly for its age. Upon reveal this was disappointing, though I expect and hope this is the victim of the bottle variation that Musar is infamous for. (90 points) - 1997 Tenuta Col d'Orcia Olmaia Cabernet - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This pours medium to dark ruby in the glass. The nose is of peanut shells, dark cherry, dark plum, burlap, eucalyptus, and dry dusty soil. The palate enters on the deep and rich fruit. The tannin is medium with medium acid. The finish goes lightly bitter and just a tad clipped, which holds this back a little. All in all, this comes across as a very good and enjoyable bottle of wine though the peanut shell and burlap notes and bitter finish hold this back a little. While hard to place, the group did collectively land on warm climate Cabernet Sauvignon, ultimately guessing California. This is a wine of depth and richness with clear heat units and light eucalyptus touches. (92 points) - 1996 Luis Pato Bairrada Primeira Escolha Quinta do Ribeirinho - Portugal, Beiras, Bairrada (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours medium ruby in the glass with very little bricking. The nose is of cassis, plum, decaying cedar, mushroom, old leather, and some vague tobacco notes. The palate enters on the deep and rich fruit with medium minus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is lovely and long replaying much of the nose. This group has discussed Trevallon a lot lately and so a few wondered if this could be one with its sunny dark fruit, yet retaining impressive freshness and wonderfully aromatic complexity. Upon reveal... Luis Pato strikes again with another banger. These are always too underappreciated and undervalued. This is simply a fabulous showing and a massive overachievement. Sounds like this was recently acquired at auction for a little under $100 CAD, which is a great purchase. While I couldn’t precisely place this, Provence or California seemed plausible. Wow. (94 points)
2017 Barolo mini-horizontal
- 2017 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Brea Vigna Ca'mia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This pours light and vibrant ruby in the glass, no bricking. The nose shows a touch of sweaty sock reduction, supported by red cherry, red licorice, crushed rock, and rose petals. The palate enters on the red licorice, with medium plus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is just a little clipped by the structure, but the red fruit and florals do pleasantly poke through. While this is good, the reduction holds this back a little for my palate. It's clearly Nebbiolo and an elegantly styled one at that. The purity of red fruit here reminded me of something like a Burlotto or Fletcher Barbaresco. (92 points) - 2017 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Cannubi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/2/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This pours light and vibrant ruby in the glass, no bricking. The nose is lovely and complex showing strawberry, red licorice, rose petals, tar, wet earth, and a touch of new leather. A very lovely, complete, and seamless expression that I pegged as the work of a modern day Barolo master. The palate enters on the beautiful red fruit with well-managed medium plus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is long and complex replaying much of the nose. Initially I thought this may not be Burlotto because it had just a little more power and a little less elegance than I'd expect, relatively speaking. Eventually I came around and threw out names like Brovia or Burlotto. Upon reveal, it all made sense with the warm vintage and coming from Cannubi. Considering that, this is quite well-managed. Can't help but wonder if a little more age would help bring this fully together. (94 points)
Mid-day Whites
- 2017 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (7/3/2026)
[From Magnum] This wine pours deep straw in the glass with flecks of green still remaining. The nose is lovely and classically Chablis showing crushed chalk, lemon, fresh cut green apple, basil leaf, slight sulphur, cold cream, and a faint kiss of old oak spice. The entry is on lemon accented by touches of old oak spice. Acid is crisp and medium, slightly green and sour. The finish is medium in length, and closes nicely chalky. All in all, this is a lovely and thoroughly enjoyable magnum of Chablis showing exactly what it should, but not enough more to merit a higher score. (93 points) - NV Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvée No. 745 Extra Brut - France, Champagne (7/3/2026)
This pours medium gold in the glass. Quite broad and oxidative styling here leading off with bruised apple, chalk, yellow flowers, burlap, and dried lemon peel. The palate enters on the bruised apple with medium plus acid that turns a tad sour and unfocused. The finish also fizzles out a little short. All in all, this is a perfectly serviceable bottle of Champagne, but certainly lacking complexity and excitement to merit a higher score, to my palate. (91 points) - 2019 Veyder-Malberg Grüner Veltliner Hochrain - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (7/3/2026)
This wine pours light gold in the glass. The nose is rich and complex showing marshmallow, yellow flowers, honey, ripe pear, and vague touches of white pepper. The palate enters on the expansive ripe pear accented by marshmallow. The acid is medium, and the finish is long and powerful. I generally prefer more crisp expressions but the power and balance here are undeniable. Still, I think this is objectively missing the nuance and complexity of something from a higher tier. (92 points)
Musar White Vertical
- 2016 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/3/2026)
This wine pours light gold in the glass. The nose is wild and exotic, leaping from the glass in a blaze of Turkish delight, rosewater, macadamia nut, white peach, and white cherry. The palate enters on the crisp white cherry and white peach notes. The texture is mineral and lightly chalky, while keeping the body light, airy, and focused. The rosewater explodes on the mid-palate offering up a wonderfully pleasing and intellectually fascinating expression that I personally loved. The acid is medium plus, and the finish is long and lightly floral. All in all I was captivated by this wine. A wonderful expression and every glass left an impression. How it can pack this much interest at only 12% is delightful. (94 points) - 2017 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/3/2026)
This pours light gold in the glass. The nose is entirely different from the 2016 poured previously. Very complex, loaded with non-fruit notes. Aromas are of waxy lemon, machine shop, preserved lemon, diesel, chalk, honeydew melon, and shoe polish. Aromatically it reminds me of aged Australian Semillion. The entry is on preserved lemon with sweet honeydew melon notes. The acid is medium to medium plus, and the finish is long and complex, lovely and waxy replaying the light shoe polish notes. This is another one that was incredibly unique and fascinating in its own right, and shocking to see at 11.5% alcohol. (93 points) - 2018 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/3/2026)
This wine pours medium gold in the glass, the darkest of the flight. The nose shows machine shop, shoe polish, leather, tangerine, toasted slivered almond, dried lemon peel, and again that lovely little rosewater note. The palate enters on the tangerine notes with medium-plus, focused acid, and a medium plus finish that is nicely mineral, though on the shorter end of this flight. Another very good wine that in some ways combines elements of each of the prior wines. (93 points)
Afternoon Wines
- 2007 Domaine François Cotat Sancerre Les Culs de Beaujeu - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (7/3/2026)
This pours bright light straw with a seemingly impossible tinge of green. The nose shows lilac, chalk, jasmine green tea, fresh linens, white currant, and lemon. The palate enters with this incredible focused sweet white currant fruit. The acid is medium plus accented by a lovely chalky mid-palate. The finish is long, floral, chalky, and complex. I poured this blind for the group and it showed incredibly well. In classic fashion the Chavignol origin here makes this less in-your-face obviously Sancerre. The plushness, the chalky mineral, and the floral notes all made this extremely compelling and, impressively, after a couple of minor detours, the group did finally land on Loire Sauvignon Blanc from a quality producer like Dagueneau. (95 points) - 2005 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours light garnet in the glass with medium bricking. The nose comes across quite tired, lacking fresh fruit, with sausage, stewed cherry, dirt, and rusty iron leading. The palate is fiercely tannic, medium-plus and very firm with medium acid. If there is a redeeming factor, there is a little sweet cherry on the finish. All in all, this is not a great bottle of wine and a total disappointment given the great experiences the group has had with this producer from older vintages. (89 points) - 2011 Domaine de Trévallon - France, Provence, Alpilles (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This pours medium to dark ruby in the glass with the faintest bricking. The nose is deep slowly unfurling to show cassis, eucalyptus, sun-dried tomato, tar, light caramel oak, and tobacco. The palate enters on the rich and inviting cassis fruit with medium firm tannin and medium acid. The finish is long and complex replaying much of the enjoyment of the nose in a cohesive, integrated package. In the end, given that we knew a Trevallon was in the mix it was quite obvious this was it. My first experience with this producer. Nothing stood out as particularly defining about the profile but it was very integrated, with every component nicely connected. Well made and thoroughly enjoyable with a long life ahead. It drank more like Cabernet than Syrah in my opinion. (95 points)
Musar Red Magnums
- 2011 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/3/2026)
[From Magnum] This pours medium to light ruby in the glass. The nose is lifted and complex showing pure red fruit accented with lovely seaweed, saline, Turkish delight, rosewater, and fresh turned earth. The palate enters on the gorgeous core of red plum and pomegranate. Tannin is medium minus with bright medium plus acid. The long finish is layered and complex with pomegranate and rosewater. All in all, this is a lovely young vintage of Musar, already showing some of its potential with lovely pure fruit and a complex note. From Magnum, clearly in need of a few more years tucked away in the cellar to fully show itself for my palate. (94 points) - 2012 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/3/2026)
[From Magnum] This wine pours medium to dark ruby in the glass. The nose is of baked plum, tar, black licorice, cedar plank, a little shoe polish, and port. The palate enters on the very sweet and ripe fruit. In fact there may be a touch of RS here. Tannin is medium minus with medium plus acid. The finish is built on the sweet porty fruit and is notably alcoholic. All in all, this is clearly a hot vintage for Musar. While there are some redeeming characteristics, it's just not my preferred profile at the end of the day. (91 points) - 2015 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/3/2026)
[From Magnum] This pours medium ruby in the glass. The nose is a very classical Musar expression of shoe polish, slight VA, cedar grove, cold steel, sweet cherry, and red licorice. The palate enters on sweet cherry with medium tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is long and complex replaying much of the nose. Again, much like the 2011, we have a clear winner here. A wine that is enjoyable today and one that will clearly benefit from further age, bringing out more complexity. (94 points) - 2017 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (7/3/2026)
[From Magnum] Corked (NR/flawed)
2014 Northern Rhone Horizontal
Needless to say this was a stunning flight. Leaving aside the bad bottles from Clape, the rest were fantastic. A testament to the wide open and thoroughly enjoyable 2014 vintage in the Northern Rhone.
- 2014 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This wine pours deep and youthful purple in the glass with no bricking. The reticent nose shows dusty attic, slate, and youthful blueberry. The palate enters on the fresh blueberry with firm medium tannin and medium acid. The finish is medium in length. With air time, the dusty attic notes became more prominent and began to bother me. On reveal the group was shocked this was the Clape Cornas. Another taster had this wine several times in the past year with significantly better results. It gets you wondering about cork taint here even if it's not clearly corked. Bizarre that the Clape Renaissance later in this flight suffered a similar fate. Bad night for Clape. (91 points) - 2014 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie Améthyste - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This wine pours medium to light purple in the glass. Lightest of the flight. The nose unfurls really beautifully showing oak varnish, olive, pickle, a light kiss of quality toasty oak, red currant, woodsy forest floor, black pepper, and fire pit. The palate enters on the juicy red fruit with slightly less tannin than other wines in the flight. Medium minus tannin with medium acid. The finish shows the lovely airy and elegant nature of the wine. While I wasn't totally sure what any wine was in this flight, I expected this was a Cote Rotie, given the more elegant profile, and guessed it might be the Champet. Extremely impressive showing for this bottle. Especially because I had tasted it one year prior and wasn't this high on it, and that this is the lowest tier cuvee from Levet. (95 points) - 2014 Cuchet-Beliando Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This wine pours medium purple in the glass, no bricking. The nose is centered on beautiful deep syrah fruit and wonderful floral notes showing plum, violets, blueberry, bubblegum, turned soil, lavender, black pepper, and crushed slate. The palate enters on the juicy and sweet blueberry fruit with medium tannin and medium acid. The finish is particularly strong here, with fabulous length and balance. Alongside #7 (Gonon) this had the longest finish. While not terribly confident I did expect this was Cornas with its deeper fruit and slightly more firm texture. Yet this is still beautifully enjoyable today. First experience with this producer and it was wonderful. (95 points) - 2014 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] Not very expressive. Paper notes. Like an old cardboard box in an attic. Not all agreed with me but surely this one is corked. (NR/flawed) - 2014 Domaine Champet Côte-Rôtie La Viallière - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This wine pours just on the light side of medium purple in the glass, no bricking. The nose feels very classically Cote Rotie with loads of bacon, blueberry, leather, earth, animal fur, and slate. The palate enters on the lovely airy and elegant blueberry fruit with medium tannin and medium acid. The finish shows that gorgeous bacon character with medium plus length. All in all, I'm a sucker for the bacon note in this wine, I think I had it one point higher than the others did in this flight. I had this pegged as the Jamet, and was pleased to see the Champet impress at such a high level. (96 points) - 2014 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This wine pours medium purple in the glass, probably narrowly the deepest color in the flight. The nose shows bandaid, barbecue, animal fur, turned wet earth, blueberry, blackberry, smoked meat, and black pepper. The palate enters on the blackberry and blueberry fruit with firm medium tannin and medium acid, a slightly harder texture than the rest of the flight. The finish turns nicely to the animal fur and smoked meat of the nose. In the end I wondered if this was Cornas with its firmer texture and deep fruit. The wine also is the most wild and animal, something I didn't recall being such a defining characteristic last time I had the wine. I love that element and so I loved this wine. One other taster had it as their wine of the flight. Funny that one of the few wines in this flight that I've had before, I didn't correctly identify. (95 points) - 2014 Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph (7/3/2026)
[Tasted Single Blind] This wine pours medium purple in the glass. The nose is simply wonderful, supremely elegant yet so true to Syrah, combining many of the best characteristics of the other wines in the flight to show slate, blueberry, black pepper, firepit, olive brine, and lavender. The entry is on the nicely floral tinged blueberry fruit with medium acid and medium tannin. Slightly higher tannin than most others in this flight. The finish shows a lovely little olive note that lingers nicely. One taster had this pegged as the Clape Cornas. I figured it must be Cote Rotie. What a nice surprise for the Gonon to be my wine of the flight. I was mentally prepared for the Gonon to be the dog of this flight figuring it must be over hyped. I've really only had young Gonon and while always good, it never blew me away. This is the first one that truly moved me. (96 points)
80's Beaucastel
Sad to find these were sub-optimal bottles.
- 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (7/3/2026)
While enjoyable, in my opinion this was not a totally sound bottle. Reserving scoring this, but if I did, I'd be ~93, which is far back from another recent showing from a perfect bottle. - 1981 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (7/3/2026)
This wine pours light garnet in the glass. The nose is of pure red cherry, with lovely little dried pink grapefruit zest, red cherry, old leather, and baked clay. The palate has lovely pure red fruit with low tannin, medium acid, and medium plus alcohol. The finish is medium plus in length. All in all, I've never had a sound showing from the 1981 Beaucastel, so this could be a representative bottle, yet the others from this lot have been questionable, so I can't help but wonder if this is sub-optimal. (92 points) - 1988 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (7/3/2026)
Corked (NR/flawed)
Late Night Bottles
- 1989 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe (7/3/2026)
Corked. Tragic. Should have been the best wine of the weekend. (NR/flawed) - 2014 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône La Pialade - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (7/3/2026)
Poured blind for the other tasters. This is wildly pale in the glass with a distinct orange character and medium bricking. Odd to see this much bricking with this little age. The nose shows dirty orange peel, compost, charcoal, white pepper, red cherry, and red plum. A very Reynaud nose that others commented on right away. The palate is lean and low tannin with sharp and bracing medium plus acid. The finish is medium minus in length, turning quite tart and lean. The 13.5% alcohol makes this a tricky one to place blind for the others it was poured blind for. The acid and palate weight makes this read as aged burgundy. The nose and the slightly elevated alcohol says Reynaud. Ultimately, the group landed on aged burgundy but had clearly felt a Reynaud wine was very possible. In the end, there are definitely better vintages of this wine, but it’s enjoyable and definitely a “drink now” experience. (93 points) - 1996 Taken From Granite Élégance - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, North Yuba (7/3/2026)
Corked (NR/flawed)
Mid-Day Sippers
- NV Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Blanc d'Argile Brut Nature - France, Champagne (7/4/2026)
This wine pours deep gold in the glass. The nose is of chalk, white flowers, green apple, green grape, and a touch of burlap. The palate enters on the razor-sharp and crisp fresh cut green apple. Acid is high and bracing with an obviously bone dry palate. The finish is moderate in length showing some green apple peel bitterness and some nice chalk character. All in all, while enjoyable I find this style quite ordinary and straightforward. (91 points) - 2005 Franck Balthazar Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/4/2026)
This pours medium to light ruby in the glass, no bricking. The nose is wildly aromatic showing fresh macerated blueberry, violets, lavender, rose petals, liquid smoke, and leather. Really quite a classic and wonderfully appealing nose. The palate enters on the lovely ripe and sweet blueberry fruit. The tannin is fierce and high, with medium acid. The finish is a tad clipped by the structure, cutting the length back just a little short, medium minus overall. All in all, the wonderful aromatic display combined with the sweet fruit on the palate carry this wine to this wonderful classic score, yet the fierce tannic structure holds this back a little. The most tannic Syrah I can recall tasting. (95 points) - 2013 Domaine Barge Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (7/4/2026)
This wine pours medium ruby in the glass, no bricking. The nose is hyper peppery and lightly green showing, black peppercorn, green peppercorn, plum, blueberry, animal fur, struck smoky flint, and firepit. The entry is on blueberry and blackberry elevated medium plus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish gets a tad clipped by the youthful texture here with medium minus length. All in all, the aromatics are lovely here, yet there is a distinct green element and relatively high tannin. While my instinct might to be to go a touch below 95, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and expect it is just in need of a bit more time. 10+ years should provide greater integration of the green notes and structure. (95 points) - 2017 Louis Sozet Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/4/2026)
This pours deep black/purple in the glass. The nose is extremely tightly wound showing tar, stewed black plum, and black liquorice. The palate shows the stewed fruit with firm medium tannin and medium acid. The finish is relatively short dominated by black licorice and tar. All in all, I did not enjoy this wine. I could see blinding this as Chateauneuf-du-pape given how rich and ripe it is. - NV Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvée No. 742 Extra-Brut - France, Champagne (7/4/2026)
This wine pours light gold in the glass. The nose is appealing showing applesauce, earth, wet soil, white mushroom, and crystalline candied lemon. The entry is on applesauce accented with lovely white mushroom notes and the candied lemon. The acid is medium plus with the low 1.5 g/l balancing things fairly well. The finish is medium in length replaying much of the nose. All in all, this is a nice showing. Again perhaps priced a little ahead of its quality. (92 points)
Afternoon Whites
- 2018 Alheit Vineyards Sémillon La Colline - South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours medium straw in the glass. The nose shows marshmallow, custard, lemon, melted butter, and a kiss of quality oak. The palate enters on the lovely sweet fruit with custard leading the way. The acid is medium plus. The finish fizzles out quite short and thin. I figured this might be white burgundy, but the thinness and short finish hold this back for me. I think I liked this just a bit more than others. (91 points) - 2019 Alheit Vineyards Nautical Dawn - South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch (7/4/2026)
This wine pours medium straw in the glass. The nose is of lemon drop, medicinal lemon, slight plastic, and green pine sap. The entry is on lemon drop with medium acid. The finish turns to lemon, with relatively little in the way of mineral notes. To me, this was obviously not Chardonnay, and subsequently guessed Chenin Blanc. A good, solid wine, but nothing special here. Another one I liked a tad more than others did, I think. (92 points)
2016 Nebbiolo Shootout
- 2016 Giovanni Canonica Barolo Paiagallo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours light ruby in the glass. The nose shows incredibly gorgeous and pure red fruit with red cherry, rosewater, new leather, dry dusty soil, bay leaf, and crushed rock. The palate enters on lovely sweet fruit with well managed medium plus tannin. The finish lingers impressively with great length. All in all, I figured this must be Nebbiolo and one person mentioned 2016 which was confirmed. I wondered about Roagna on this one due to the purity of red fruit, well-managed tannin and light new leather note. First experience with Canonica and a great one. (95 points) - 2016 La Ca' Növa Barbaresco Montestefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours slightly cloudy and clearly darker than everything else in this flight. The nose is really closed up and unenjoyable, almost a bit tired. Did not drink. The person who brought this mentioned he has some concerns with the producer. - 2016 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours light ruby in the glass, perhaps just a touch lighter than the lightest in the flight. This is another one where the nose just soars blasting red cherry, sweat, VA, strawberry, crushed dry soil, rosemary, and leather. The entry is on the gorgeous and lush cherry fruit with medium plus tannin, just a touch higher than wine 1 in the flight, and medium plus acid. The finish is medium plus in length showing wonderful breadth. The alcohol pokes through just a little on the finish, and as it turns out the wine is in fact 15%. Regardless, this wine was simply wonderful. While there is some relative power here, it is overall a wine of lovely elegance, so I didn't immediately go to Cappellano. Best ever young bottle I've had from the producer. Really shows the excellent vintage. (95 points) - 2015 Elio Sandri Barolo Riserva Perno - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours luminous light ruby in the glass with faint orange at the rim. The nose is supremely elegant and wonderfully complex showing strawberry, orange, cinnamon hearts, slight animal, and turned dark soil. The palate enters on the lovely strawberry fruit with medium plus tannin and medium plus acid. Another one with good tannin management. The finish is lovely with a lovely touch of orange rind and nice length. My best guess here was Cannubi as there was some underlying power. Turned out Monforte. First experience with Sandri and it was a great one. Unanimous wine of the flight. (96 points) - 2016 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours darkest of the flight, medium ruby. The nose continues the dark trend with black licorice, fennel, dark cherry, and plum. The palate enters on the dark fruit with high tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is quite clipped by the intense structure. All in all, this really stands out in the flight as a deep and rich monster of a wine. I can't say I really like this style all that much. My current school of thought is I generally like old Giacosa (call it pre-2003), and haven't yet had one from the newer era that I've really loved. (91 points) - 2016 Giovanni Canonica Barolo Grinzane Cavour - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours light ruby in the glass, on the lighter end of this flight. The nose shows sweet red fruit, sweet cedar, crushed dry soil, perfume, and faint rose petals. The lovely perfumed sweet red fruit turns up on entry with medium plus tannin and high acid. The finish is medium plus in length and perfumed. In the end, I didn't really have a guess on this one. I didn't hit the highs of the others in this flight yet was a lovely bottle in it's own respect. (93 points) - 2018 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Acclivi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours pale ruby in the glass with a watery rim. The lightest color of the whole flight. First sniff shows a touch of reduction, which does blow off. With aeration there is a wonderful aromatic display built on red licorice, nibs, peonies, strawberry, perfume, and sandalwood. The palate enters on the perfumed red fruit with medium-plus, and well-managed tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is somewhat clipped by the structure and reductive styling here, yet lovely touches of perfume show up to redeem things slightly. The elegant style conjures up Barbaresco, and I wondered if this could be Fletcher. Regardless, on reveal it was cool to have this wine poured blind after having had it a year before. Consistent note and score. (94 points)
Final Bordeaux Flight
- 1993 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours medium to dark ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose is just gorgeous showing a seemingly merlot driven profile of plum, iron, loads of tobacco, dark cherry, black truffle, and sweet cedar spicebox. The palate shows elegant and sweet plum on entry with refined medium minus tannin and medium acid. The finish is medium in length. Needless to say the whole group loved this wine, and we were absolutely shocked to see this was a 1993. Not exactly a vintage we think much of. I also expected this was Right Bank, but it's possible there was a little more Merlot in this vintage. (95 points) - 1996 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien (7/4/2026)
[Tasted Double Blind] This wine pours medium ruby in the glass with little bricking. The rather unevolved and taught profile shows black cherry, blackberry, pencil lead, graphite, and gravel. The palate enters on the deep and rich berry fruit with medium tannin and medium acid. The finish is centred on the deep and rich dark fruit again taught and structured. All in all, it was fascinating to have the 1993 outperform the 1996 on this night, tasting double blind. Leoville Barton is a producer I don't always love with its slow evolving and ungiving dark fruit. I think that's what's happening with this 1996. (93 points) - 1996 Château Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien (7/4/2026)
Corked (NR/flawed) - 1982 Château Magdelaine - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (7/4/2026)
This wine pours light garnet in the glass with light bricking. The nose is of red plum, rose petals, dank earth, wet hay, fire pit, charcoal, and thyme. The entry is on pure red fruit via red plum with medium minus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish is elegant and red fruited with lovely silkiness and length. All in all, the group and I simply adored this wine and it ended up in the top three for the whole weekend. It was great to experience this producer at an optimal point in its development. So elegant and complex. Wonderful wine. (96 points)
All in all, this was another wonderful year with many great bottles. A few very unfortunate flawed bottles that should have been amazing: '89 Montrose, '96 Poyferre, '89 Beaucastel. Yet on the other hand the '14 N Rhones blew me away, as did several Barolo, and the Rhys Skyline. Another great year in the books!