Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2022 Cuvée Gabrius pours a ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart and ripe red and black fruit: blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, some pomegranate, green herbs, fine warm spices, and stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes in my nose. The finish is medium and full of character. This is so pretty. I’m looking forward to tracking this over the next 10-15 years. Drink now through 2037. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2006 Juliet pours a deep garnet/purple with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated dark fruits: cassis, blackberries, plums, tobacco, leather, mixed dead flowers, old wood, organic earth and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin (integrated) and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ with an attractive, plush texture. This is in a really good spot and fully mature. Drink now through 2031. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2017 Special Club pours, a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart, orchard fruit: apples, lemon curd, a touch of toasted brioche, some marzipan and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and creamy. A lovely Special Club from an often maligned year for Champagne though, my experiences have been largely positive. At a dosage of 5g/l, this vintage is technically Extra Brut. Drink now through 2037. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days; good on Day 1 and even better on Day 2. The 2022 Cuvée Zaccharie pours a deep garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart fruit: raspberry, black cherry, black licorice and stony minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Any Thivin is already up there with the best in Beaujolais; this Cuvée Zaccharie is phenomenal and gives me Foillard 3.14, Breton P’tit Max, and Metras L’Ultime vibes. Wow. Great now and will only get better, particularly after 2030 and through 2045+. — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. No formal notes but this left a similar impression to my previous experience with this wine earlier in the year. The 2013 Eclipse remains a wine of large proportions and deftly manages its high ABV. No way I could drink these often but they are fun in the right mood/setting! Drink now through 2028. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Opened the day before with half the bottle remaining. The 2007 CdR Villages pours a deep purple color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated dark brambles, red and purple flowers, open pasture land, olives, some black pepper, leather and organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. This is an impressive wine despite the rather modest designation, especially when you consider it’s nearly 18 years old! Then again, the talent behind this wine should yield a solid wine (Pegau & Cailloux). Drink now though it could easily see its 25th birthday if you must hold one longer. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Unscrewed and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2017 “Privat” pours a light greenish grey color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of gooseberry, starfruit, white pepper and rocky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! The acid is rippin’ and the minerals are heavy but so is the fruit which has enough generosity to more than balance the aforementioned. Drink now through 2032. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Delicious throughout. The 2016 Contra Costa County pours a deep, slightly hazy garnet/purple with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart, mostly black and blue fruit: blackberries, blueberries, plums, Montmorency cherry, purple flowers, black pepper, dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. I’m very happy to have holed away some bottles from the first few years of Sandlands. Not only do I believe these older vintages are showing well, but I also believe his newer vintages will be even better. Drink now through 2031. — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2021 pours a deep purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe dark fruits: blackberries, dark cherry, plums, purple flowers, cocoa, organic earth and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. A crowd pleaser to drink now but with enough substance to enjoy through 2036. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped in poured; no formal notes. The 2020 Pithos Rosso is, to my palate, a lovely Sicilian alternative to Beaujolais. Delicious, refreshingly fruity and just a touch wild. Sufficient structure to provide enjoyment for the near term, but I would just as well drink now. I really enjoy these wines.  — 3 days ago