Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁 🍷 ❄️ ⛄️

As I have said, Charles Hendricks is my favorite new world winemaker for Malbec. This 12 is perfect with chocolate truffles.

Many would not get this blind. They would call Napa Cabernet or Napa Bordeaux blend.

It is around its precipice. Ripe, juicy, lush fruits; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, strawberries, blueberries, mocha powder, dark chocolate to chocolate mousse, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, dry top soil, moist to dry clays, tumbleweed, some light dry herbs, chard barrel shavings, dark spices, black tea, black licorice, dark cola, dry, crushed limestone/rocks, leather, dry tobacco, dark, withering flowers, liquid violets-lavender, grand, round, acidity, well; balanced, structured, tensioned with a polished/elegant finish that lasts minutes and long sets on spice & dry earthiness. — 3 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I have never been disappointed by this producer, either in their proprietary Cabernet or their other wine this “The Sisters.” — 4 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

This is classic JP Quarter Moon.

The 18 has nice evolution while holding its vineyard characters. It shows medium dark fruits; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, nicely layered spice & baking spices, mid red flowers, excellent acidity and a finish that is elegant, well balanced-knitted and lasts 90 seconds.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! — 6 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁 🍷 ❄️ ⛄️

23 yrs since birth and 21 yrs in bottle and the evolution is beautiful. Perfect w/the ribroast.

Fruits still holding with excellent integration. Blackberries, black plum to pudding, strawberries, raspberries, black cherries, sandalwood, soft, dark spices with gentle heat, mocha powder, some milk chocolate, caramel notes, understated graphite, anise to some black licorice, gravel, dry stone, used tobacco & leather, mid berry cola presence, dry twig, moist clays, red, dark florals with a violet frame, excellent acidity, well; made, balanced, tensioned, structured with an elegant finish that lasts nearly two- minutes and falls of soft earthiness & soft spice. — 3 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Merry Christmas! 🤶 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄️

Previous notes still apply. — 4 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is the recent completion of the vertical, 13, 14 & 15. The 14 is my winner at this life stage.

Shows nice fruits , soft spice, very floral, well balanced and elegantly round with near perfect acidity. The 14 just offered more complexity & stuffing.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! — 6 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁🍾 ❄️ ⛄️

Nice mousse w/ pleasant, lively acidity. Blood orange citrus blend-orange with peel, lime, lemon, hints fresh of rhubarb, bruised, soft, strawberries, white spice, dry limestone, seabed, light yeasty notes, baguette crust, sun tea notes, wet stone, nice acidity, well balanced, good tension-structured, elegant finish that last a full-minute and lands on volcanics & spice. — 3 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Merry Christmas! 🤶 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄️

I haven’t found a better pairing w/ Honey Baked Ham. — 4 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Might be Bourgogne but it is from a very excellent vintage. That’s when you buy them.

The entry is a bit waxy, warm & inviting. Meyer lemons with a slight sour tone, tart green apples, lime with zest, soft, round, tropicals, dry, grainy limestone & chalk, white spice with some heat, hues of caramel, honeysuckle notes, mid saline, powered sea fossils, some wood here, yellow & spring flowers with greens, round, pleasant acidity, good balance-tension-structure and nicely polished & elegant finish that lasts 90 seconds & lands firmly on volcanics & spice. — 5 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

There is an origins story for me w/ this producer. You can read about it by clicking my post from 55 weeks ago.

This bottle fazed between 92-94 while enjoying. I opened it and let it breathe in bottle for 45 minutes and then decanted it in stages…a 1/3, 1/3 & 1/3. I believe that was the right decision.

This 97 still has not ridden off into the sunset, it is just the other side of its peak. 28 yrs from creation & 26 yrs in bottle. I look at a Cabernet/reds from when it went into bottle vs its birth yr. All my opening decisions are made from that point. Humans don’t count their time in womb, I see wine similarly.

The fruits are still beautiful & its evolution is amazing. There is a core of dark currants surrounded by cassis. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with heavy skin, black cherries, secondary; raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Cherry cola/licorice. Dark spices w/ a touch of heat-hard to find better, moist clays, soft, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark chocolate baking bar, mocha powder, caramel, anise to black licorice, dryish tobacco with ash, used leather, dry crushed rocks, limestone powder, volcanic ash, fire ambers, saline, some black pepper, tumbleweed, dry river stone, black tea, very lightly grilled pork, florals for days that are; dark, red, blue, lavender framed in violets, perfect acidity with a great balance, well structured/tensioned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on dry earth & spice as it long sets. Wonderful style!

To quote Robert Lewis Stevenson, “Wine is Bottled Poetry!” — 9 days ago