Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 2015 Harbison Estate ‘The Trail’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a simply magical wine at this young stage in its development. The aromatics of the wine are quite powerful immediately, as the wine showcases mocha, tar and exotic spices with creme de cassis and shades of black tea all entering the fray. Dense and plush, with a chewy mouthfeel and wondrous texture, this silky wine is not only rich but shows great freshness and finesse. Intense creme de cassis, espresso bean, dusty terroir, creosote with minerals all impress on this gratifying palate. An absolute delight to savor in its youth, this beautiful wine will provide drinking enjoyment for decades. Drink 2020-2045- 97 — 15 hours ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

The 2016 La Rata Red Wine is a one of a kind, simply sumptuous new wine by superstar vigneronne Elizabeth Bourcier. The final blend she chose was 59% Grenache with 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah. The wine was largely aged in third use demi-muids as well as some stainless steel prior to bottling. The nose is downright intoxicating as the wine shows off red cherry preserves, underbrush, Umami, blood orange zest and shades of wet stone that all shine brightly on the bouquet. The freshness and tension that run through the core of wine is truly outstanding. Bright guava puree and high toned Mandarin orange peel flavors collide with minerals, wet stone, seaweed and green olive tapenade. This finishes exceedingly long with cran-cherry and blood orange zest. A resounding success, this true heavyhitter of a wine will drink marvelously in its youth and will provide drinking enjoyment for a decade or more. Drink 2019-2029- 96 — 7 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.9

(Tasted on 7/30/18 with Christophe Baron at Cayuse)
The ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache is a stunning new bottling by superstar vigneron Christophe Baron and assistant vigneronne Elizabeth Bourcier. The head-turning bouquet entices with potpourri, wild strawberry, tobacco leaf, wet stone and shades of Umami with blood orange zest and charcuterie on this highly complex and satisfying nose. The palate is lithe and light on its feet, as the wine simply dazzles across the palate. The marvelous salinity produces gobs of mouth-watering acidity. Leather, tarragon, orange zest, red cherry candy and shades of guava puree with white truffle shavings all round out this highly gratifying palate. The range imparted in the wine is second to none. The texture to this wine is also absolutely gorgeous as the wine has a seamless quality that gracefully dances across the mid-palate. Monumental, profound and a delight to savor now, this ‘Sur Echalas’ Grenache up there with the best of its kind in North America. Drink 2019-2029- 99

— 12 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

The 2014 ‘Villa de Corullon’ by Bodega Palacios is a superb showing from this storied Bierzo estate. Sourced 50-100 year old Mencia vines from the municipality of Corullon, just south of San Martin, this incredible new wine shows really good aromatic range, from white pepper and vegetal tones to black tea, black currant purée and exotic spices that all are marvelously woven together in the glass. Beautifully textured, the wine shows off a soft and inviting mouthfeel. Chinese black tea, wild blackberry preserves and suggestions of pipe tobacco and leather all come together on the palate. Hugely enjoyable in its youth, this outstanding wine will cellar well for the next fifteen years. Drink 2019-2035- 93 — 2 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

The 2016 'In The Hills' Syrah is a gorgeous showing in this vintage from Matt Reynvaan. This begins with inviting aromas of blackberries, smoked meat, wet rocks, Umami, bacon fat and blood orange rind on the highly perfumed nose. The palate shows an absolutely incredible mouthfeel with wonderful freshness and streaks of minerality. The combination of richness and tension is hard to resist right now as the stony character and herbaceousness seems to take center stage. Flavors of black tea, wild blackberry, orange zest and a just a touch of milk chocolate continue to build on the palate. While this should cellar well for a decade, it is simply stunning right now. Drink 2019-2028- 94 — 4 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

The 2016 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Artist Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best ‘Artist Series’ wines I have sampled in the past twenty vintages of tasting this wine. On the nose this hedonistic Cabernet Sauvignon takes on Turkish coffee, alongside black cherry cordial and shades of sandalwood aromas that all are delightfully woven together in the glass. The palate evokes a plush and decadent edge, unveiling a silky mouthfeel and beautifully soft texture. Dense flavors of Black Forest Cake, tar, black tea and shades of exotic spices all dance on the mouth. While enticing and seductive in its youth, this outstanding ‘Artist Series’ Will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2019-2033- 93 — 11 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.1

The 2011 ‘Le G’ by Chateau Guiraud is simply gorgeous from this great vintage for white wine in Bordeaux. Balanced and silky, with a plush mouthfeel, the wine delivers bright Gravenstein apple, cantaloupe, and brandy and clove infused Bosc pear flavors that mingle with minerals and shades of wild mushroom. Outstanding now, I can’t imagine this improving with age, as this is best enjoyed over the next several years. Drink 2019-2024- 91 — 17 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 2016 ‘The Factor’ Shiraz is a monumental wine from this storied estate. Aged for twenty four months in 40% new French oak, this Shiraz weighs in at 15.0% alcohol — but it shows outstanding poise considering the obvious heat of the vintage. On the nose this wonderfully perfumed Shiraz takes on suggestions of rose water and potpourri with red currant jelly and shades of kirsch and licorice that all meld together in the glass. The palate is dense and plush showing a wonderful sense of minerality and tremendous depth. Layers of mocha, exotic spices, creosote and espresso bean flavors run rampant with the high-toned bright red fruits and minerals. A simply stunning effort, this beautiful Shiraz is outstanding in its youth and has decades to go. Drink 2019-2040- 97 — 3 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

The 2016 ‘Gowan Creek Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is another gorgeous bottling from this storied estate in the Anderson Valley. This Anderson Valley Vineyard is known for its steady coastal fog and is planted to eight different clones of Pinot Noir. The wine opens with good range on the nose with milk chocolate and sassafras to wild blackberry cobbler and red currant with earthy undertones that all connect in the glass. The soft mouthfeel entices here as orange rind melds with red and dark berry flavors alongside shades of peat moss and exotic spices. This is seriously good now but will only build as it ages over the next ten to fifteen years. Give this a long decant prior to enjoying. Drink 2019-2033- 93
— 9 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

2015 ‘Buisson Renard’ by Didier Dagueneau, is a spectacular effort. Now headed by Didier’s son, Louis-Benjamin, Dagueneau wines continue to set the standard for the Pouilly-Fume region. The wine shows wonderful flinty and damp earth tones with lemon oil drenched sourdough bread on this marvelous bouquet. The rich, almost unctuous texture to this wine, truly satisfies. Lemon zest, beeswax, ripe pear and starfruit flavors with wet stone and smoky mineral undertones all nicely amalgamate on the palate. Intense and showing beautifully in its youth, this dazzling Sauvignon Blanc will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. Drink 2019-2033- 94 — 15 days ago