Cyrus Kay

9.3

Immediate tart fruit nose - raspberry and blueberry, rhubarb; gives way to ripe blackcurrant. Hints of charcoal.

Lovely palate - beautiful balance. Very smooth texture - very well integrated tannins. Starts with more tree bark-sequence notes, herbaceous and cinnamon undertones, before fading into rich, soft black and purple fruit, with exceptionally bouncy black currant again a dominating theme, and with minor forest floor undertones to add the equivalent of subtle crows feet.
It's like it tells you it's age first, then proceeds to flirt with you. This is a cougar wine: it snares you with a sense of mature yet bouncy fun and then proceeds to beguile you with a mix of old and new in both aroma, taste and texture. A slightly high level of acid from its advanced years is a low price to pay for drinking it all.

Lovely long finish that gives beautiful chewy fruit, yielding to herby zest after seemingly long time.

Only criticisms are a slight muddling of fruit flavours, and a slight preponderance of acid on the front of the tongue. — 8 years ago

with Aimie

Cyrus Kay

8.9

Toasty lees nose with hints of fennel and very subtle fruit. Light, fluff mousse; lovely soft acid descends into vibrant rhubarb, with notes of raspberry and red currant. Enough sweet on the palette to function as a dessert wine with some puds, but working nicely as aperitif here. — 8 years ago

Cyrus Kay

9.0

A good supertuscan, good Bordeaux blend but with the rough-and-ready leather of Sangiovese wrapping it all up. 09 needs another 5 years or so to really allow acid to settle down and fruit to open up but is still a lovely drink now. Enjoyed very much with grouse, and even more so wth wild boar ragú. — 9 years ago

with Aimie

Cyrus Kay

8.5

Sparkling red, 100% Cab Franc.
Would drink all day but might struggle to sell.
N-cranberry, hedgerow, plum, hints of chocolate and smoke
P-massive red fruit punch - damson, quince, tart cranberry - gives way to soft acid and well integrated tannins which offset the sweetness.
F- sweetness grows (to borderline unpleasant levels at end of bottle) and fruit drops fairly fast, but well balanced.
Lovely chilled late summer/early autumn wine. Saleability might be tricky though(?) — 8 years ago

Cyrus Kay

8.8

Cab Franc.
Sample from Maj.
N-rhubarb, gooseberry, hints of strawb and rasp. Very powerful and perfumed!
P-a little unbalanced, despite sharp
beginning settles into floral/meadow sweetness. Hints of rose, red pear, raspberry.
F-good length, smooth and creamy.
Good spring summer wine, lovely and fresh.
Good with our trout blinis, scallop &a pistachio.
Would stock. 12.2.17 — 8 years ago

Cyrus Kay

8.9

Great with simple prawns. Well integrated wood and fruit, not too sweet, well balanced. — 8 years ago

Cyrus Kay

9.4

Marzipan and raisin spicy nose; complex red fruit palate with tart raspberry and sweet almonds, becoming ha my and spicy as it breaths. Long smooth finish with some spice at the back. A perfect Cote du Rhone, the 09 will happily last another decade in bottle. — 9 years ago

with Aimie

Cyrus Kay

9.2

Phenomenal NZ Bordeaux style blend. Good French profile but unmistakeable kiwi chacteristics.

N-fine leather, overripe dark forest fruits, trace of forest floor
P-blueberry, red currant, plum, gives way to chocolate. Exceptionally smooth tannins. Very subtle well integrated oak. Good structure from Cab S.
F-long and rich.
Acid still a little high at back - drink dates probably 2019-23 for optimum. Would serve now though.
Mid autumn - winter wine — 8 years ago

Cyrus Kay

8.7

N: floral and then 'key lime pie' - green citrus balanced with MLF style creaminess. Gooseberries and subtle minerality.
P: lots of raw fennel, tart Apple, quite prominent lees, good bounce at back of mouth from piq.
F: good but not outstanding length
Phenomenal with our crab flatbread
Spring/summer, would stock — 8 years ago

Cyrus Kay

8.9

Stylistically very Italian, little resemblance to Californian Zin. Warm nose has kirsch cherry, damson, marzipan and smooth oak. Thoughtful wine lacking the classic hefty whack of fruit. Smokey notes and oak ('Slovanic' oak, whatever that is) are powerful, and along with slightly granular tannins they work to add subtlety to the powerful red cherry fruit. Finish is neither short nor long, but is merely satisfactory in terms of length - although the final notes of fruit are its best. Close to peak now I'd wager. — 8 years ago