Jay Kline

9.5

It’s been six years or so since I had the 2003 and my goodness has time been kind to this! Decanted two hour prior to dinner. The color was a very striking dark ruby with very little sign of deterioration. There was sediment but decanting helped mitigate most of it. The nose was magnificent: dark cherries, blackberries, baked apples, cinnamon, nutmeg...and there was spiced meat with paprika. On the palate, it told a very similar story. The finish was looooong and remarkably savory! Positively mouthwatering. There’s no doubt in my mind that the 2003 has got a decade or more left in the tank. What a treat. — 10 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Out of a 375mL. Fine mousse, bruised pear, toasted mallow...some real zip on the finish. Refreshing and lovely. The new packaging is also win for this producer; much better looking. — 13 days ago

Jay Kline

8.8

Cloudy. Autolytic. White flowers, stone fruits, minerals...pleasantly zippy. Figured this would be a lot more out of control. Instead, this was quit pleasant indeed! — 21 days ago

Jay Kline

8.9

I gotta say, this was not at all what I expected. My second King Family wine (the first was their rather sublime Viognier) and first of their dessert wines. This is not at all some cloying mess that so many dessert wines end up being. Instead, it’s got great acid that gives the sensation that it’s almost dry. Might be one of the easiest-to-drink 17% ABV wines I’ve ever had. Even HRH, who hates dessert wines, took a sip and then poured a glass. Color me impressed. — 11 days ago

Jay Kline

8.7

I thought this was really delightful and super easy to drink. Cassis, plums, tobacco...and quite supple. If you just need a Bordeaux that tastes like an honest Bordeaux and won’t break the bank, this is a great candidate. — 11 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

First time drinking Xavier’s wines and I’m really impressed. Stone fruit, apricot, peach, pineapple, white flowers...and continues to open with air and comes up to temp. Really delicious and reminds me a bit of Sandlands Chenin. — 13 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, grapefruit, freshly cut grass, nail polish remover, hint of barnyard...this is what Pinot Noir can do when you have the land and a soft hand. Brilliant. — 21 days ago

Jay Kline

8.3

The dampest of forest floors, with some mushrooms growing in a fallen, rotted out tree. It’s all earth. If your try really hard, you can conjure up some plums...but just barely. Not bad, it’s just not that exciting. Perhaps that’s part of its charm though. — 11 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

One of the better “Seconds” I’ve ever had and surprisingly open for business right now. Blackberries, tobacco, charred jalapeños. Very primary. After a few hours, this started to recoil a bit which leads me to believe these will shut down at some point and re-emerge with some real strength down the road. Calon-Segur is one of the few properties in Bordeaux that have my attention anymore. They age with some real grace and just win, win, win no matter what. — 13 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

I found this to be a really impressive bargain for a sub-$10 bottle of wine. In fact, it needs a lot of air. Day 1 is was good but it was at Day 3 that it showed best. Dark, tart brambles, pomegranate, sumac, and even a little lemon citrus. Very impressive actually. Give this air and it will reward you. — 19 days ago