Mike Saviage

9.1

Bright scarlet, thin/translucent. Fun nose, with a fruit bias. Notes of ripe red cherries, smoked meat, dark soil, some kirsch and some tart cranberries. Light and some pucker in the mouth. A decent bottle from the Bicyclette list. — 5 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

From the Grasings wine list in Carmel, PnP. Light straw color, young. The nose jumps at you in the tasting glass from the Somm. Has that "dirty" fruit smell that I find unique in Niellon wines. Citrus, gravel rocks, earthy spice. Oily and palette staining in the mouth. Even more so with some air time. Great juice! — 13 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Popped and poured, and brought out to compare to the 2008. Similar color and brightness as the 2008, which is a good sign. Deeper and slightly more complex nose. Notes of citrus, sea breeze, some hazelnuts, some wet stone. In the mouth it has a bit more weight, and kind of an oiliness to it. Taste lingers for a while. Very nice and sad to later discover this was the last of a 6 pack I had - all of which were in good shape. — 13 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Dark and brooding in the glass. Deep fruit forward nose. Notes of black cherries, earth, and a little menthol. No signs of the fruit being overripe or scorched. Rich and smooth. Doesn’t come across as Cornas but everyone enjoyed this. — 19 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Straw gold. Nice hue. Tart fruit nose. Notes of grapefruit, sour lemons, stones, some spice and a little honey. Very nice in the mouth. Coats the mouth and it lingers. Lovely wine that fared better than the 98 of this I opened first that was over the hill. — 5 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Decanted for an hour. Dark ruby. Opaque. Big/deep nose. Notes of dark berries, smoked meat, dark unsweetened chocolate and some pepper. Good balance in the mouth. Long finish. Paired well with some steaks. — 13 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Popped and poured. Light gold, looks young and bright. Pretty nose. Notes of citrus, flint, white clay and some spice. Has it all going on. Fresh. With more air time I'm sure this would have blossomed but the team was thirsty and this went quickly. Bottles like this one can certainly improve with 5-10 more years of age. — 13 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Medium gold. Looks heavy and rich in the glass. Great nose. Notes of kiwi, apricot, wet river stones, some clay soil, some oranges and the telltale Ramonet mint. Rich and round in the mouth. Great zing. Lasting finish. This is exactly where it should be at this age and will easily improve with more time as it becomes more complex. — 9 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

So the Fevre Clos bottles were going down quickly and the conversation turned to Champagne. A guest stated her favorite was Cristal and I happened to have a bottle in the ready to drink bin. Light gold with nice mousse when poured that gives a smile-inducing bouquet in the nose. Notes of lemon and sweet citrus, brioche bread, some apricot, some almond and white chalk. Expands in the mouth, coating everything it hits. Hold it in a bit and your face goes flush. Everyone really enjoyed this bottle which is drinking very well now but will certainly evolve and improve with more age. — 13 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.2

Dark and opaque. Closed at first but opened up with air. Notes of black fruit, some menthol, some wood and some moist black soil. Nice in the mouth. One dimensional though and not particularly exciting. Probably needed more air. — 18 days ago