Shay A

9.5

Wow. This is aged Australian Shiraz at its finest. So rich, dense, voluptuous and flavor packed...all at 17/18 yrs old! As it was being poured, you could smell the eucalyptus/mint notes from half a table away. Incredibly perfumed, alongside dark chocolate covered cherries and blue and black fruit compote. On the palate it retained the Andes mint-like sweetness with black cherry liqueur, tar, mixed berry pie and fig. Sporting an ABV of 16.5% (!), it didn’t come across hot at all. Powered through being open a couple hours without a problem. No rush here. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing @joe leatherwood . — 2 days ago

with joe

Shay A

9.4

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

We thought it would be fun to open this alongside the Horsepower for a small comparison...as an ‘05, this was shockingly young. Gorgeous aromatic display of dried red flowers, herbs de Provence, underripe blackberries, and a touch of iron. On the palate, it unfurled a bit towards the end of the evening, revealing black currant, raspberries, coffee beans, smoked meats and a tangy mineral driven finish. This needs another 5 years and at that point, this may start approaching triple digits. Thanks @Shawn R . — 6 days ago

with Shawn

Shay A

9.5

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

Without a doubt, this is one of the most unique and complex rosé champagnes I’ve ever had. It’s more still wine like than it is champagne. I opened their Blanc de noir last month and while it was good, this has got so much more going on. Sporting that classic saignee deep watermelon color in the glass, you expect to be greeted by lots of ripe and juicy fruits, but instead, there is a lot of barrel char, giving the fruit (loads of black cherries) a smoky note. Super lively on the palate with racy acidity. Charred black cherries, peppercorn crusted rhubarb, ripe strawberries and semi herbal too. A Rosé champagne that keeps you thinking the entire time. Great bottle from @Shawn R . — 6 days ago

with Shawn

Shay A

9.4

Some recent Friday bottles...

Having tried the No Girls Syrah and Grenache, I was excited to give this a whirl when @Keith Fisher brought it down to open. It needed about an hour to open up and express the typical Rocks funk that I expected. Yet, the funk wasn’t overwhelming...roasted meats, soy, and green olive aromatically but gave way to baked black cherries, rhubarb, currant and spicy peppercorns. Nice weight here. Loved it. — 14 days ago

with Benjamin, Dan and 1 other

Shay A

9.6

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

Finally getting to try this wine! A wonderful winemaker (Julien Fayard) meets killer fruit (Mt Veeder). A perfect marriage for these two as I think JFayard has an incredible skill set at working with quality Cabernet fruit. Inky purple in the glass with sexy aromas of fresh squeezed blue and black fruits, boysenberry jam, baking spices, dark chocolate shavings, and sweet smoke. Rich and decadent on the palate with a very “cool” type profile, like an Andes mint. There is an American oak type note like coconut, but this seems too rich and full of baking spices (French oak) to have American oak used. Velvet and plush with fine grained tannins. A touch of red fruit added to the palate compared to the dark profile aromatics. Little bit of licorice here too, so maybe a touch of malbec is added. Such a lengthy finish! This is a stunning bottle of cab. Thank you so much for bringing it @Shawn R . — 6 days ago

with Shawn

Shay A

9.3

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

My second bottle to pop of the evening. In my experience with PM, this seems to be the most elegant/finesse bottle I’ve had. Of guessing blind, I think I would have gone to burgundy. And it has sub 14 ABV! I always assume PM is ripe, rich and full bodied but this was restrained. On the nose it was very tropical showing stone fruits, mango, sugar crusted guava and ginger shavings. Reminiscent of Aubert’s Larry Hyde & Sons Chardonnay on the palate as the acidity is really energetic. Crushed limestone, powdered lemon bar and a cotton candy like sweetness toward the finish. No problem popping these now. — 6 days ago

with Shawn

Shay A

9.3

Some recent Friday bottles...

Was only able to have this at pop and pour (and I heard it opened up more later in the evening, as expected), and while it has TRB’s signature ability to pull the entire fruit spectrum (red, blue and black) for these wines, it is tightly coiled, more so than the others in this lineup. Coming from some of Larkmead’s choice fruit, after the sweet and pure fruit notes on the nose, it is decidedly savory with graphite and crushed rock on the palate followed by potpourri and violets. Like many ‘15s, it is uber concentrated and hasn’t developed complexity yet. There is no doubt that this will unfurl and express beautifully in the next 2-3yrs. Thanks for opening @Weston Eidson . — 14 days ago

with Dan, Benjamin and 1 other

Shay A

9.5

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

My third bottle to pop of the evening. These are love it or hate it style wines, and I fall on the “love it” side every single time. The type of wines that can express the terroir of this area is just incredible. In true to Cayuse/Christophe Baron style, this is a savory packed punch wrapped in elegance. This is actually the inaugural vintage for HP, and even at 8/9 yrs of age, this is still quite youthful. Aromatically, it’s a heady display of soy, teriyaki, green olive, peppercorn crusted smoked meats, currant and spicy rhubarb. The palate shows just a touch more heft than most traditional high end northern Rhône Syrahs, but aside from that, it’s a dead ringer. The savory/iron driven components from the nose continue, but there is great acid followed by herbs de Provence and lots of wildflowers/potpourri for a floral finish. I followed this over 48hrs and it powered through the entire time. So much complexity here. My thanks to @Bill Bender for helping me try this. — 6 days ago

with Shawn

Shay A

9.4

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

What a bottle brought by Shawn! I asked him to bring a killer bottle of burgundy that he thought would impress and he nailed it. At 23/24 yrs old, the concentration here was impeccable. Surprisingly dark in the glass with a slightly fading rim, wafting from the glass were muddled and stewed raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate, clove and forest floor. Acidity carries this well on the palate with a resolved and balanced profile. Slightly chewy, showing the power of the fruit, with sweet tobacco and cedar at the finish. This still has years to go! Nice @Shawn R ! — 6 days ago

with Shawn

Shay A

9.6

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

I was ecstatic to open this and it ended up being one of the most spectacular champagnes I’ve had in recent memory, and possibly one of the most spectacular champagnes I’ve ever had. This single vineyard Blanc de noir from EO spent 6 years (!) on the less and was disgorged July 2018. Gorgeous golden straw color in the glass with minuscule bubbles. A totally dizzying aromatic display of ginger shavings, toffee, caramel dipped golden delicious apples, red berries, orange honey roasted cashews and some beautifully oxidized notes. Rich without being dense, a gorgeous palate profile of hazelnuts, lemon cream, brioche, chalky limestone and a finish that just doesn’t want to stop. This is a marriage of Krug & Taittinger Comtes. Stunning! — 6 days ago

with Shawn