Fortunate Son
Mitolo
7th Son McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz 2012
Purchased at the winery about 4 or 5 years ago, we thought this was excellent - much better than some of the ratings we saw in the trade magazines. Intense but balanced, complex fruit with hints of eucalyptus that for me is a great trademark of wines from this region in Australia, this was really terrific. — 3 years ago
Riverside Vintners
Powell & Son Barossa Valley Shiraz 2019
Big fruit balanced by earthiness. Spicy, substantial. Nose of tar and wet kangaroo. Solid. — 15 days ago
Château Palmer
Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2017
Similarly austere to the 09, the youth showed in slightly more tightness. Shared with Cameron to celebrate his beautiful son Palmer — a year ago
R.L. Buller & Son
Premium Fine Tokay
One of my all time favorites. So happy I found this in NM. — 2 years ago
Rene Rostaing
Ampodium Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2010
For all of you that drink; SQN, Cayuse & Horsepower, if you haven’t tried a well aged Rostaing, you are missing the best aspect of Syrah.
Côte de Rôtie translates in English into Roasted Slope. That’s exactly what this wine defines.
The Ampodium is a blend of 7-8 different Rhône vineyards. 2010 a dynamic vintage in Northern Rhône.
I bought this recently at auction and it has been decently stored but not quite ideally stored.
The nose reveals; roasted chestnut, stewed; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries on the high nose & backend of the fruit, used coffee grounds, soft leather, dry tobacco, savory meats, dark, moist soils, anise to black licorice, fresh sage & bay leaf with candied; dark, red, blue, purple florals in a field of lavender.
The palate is; fresh, ripe, juicy, elegant and nicely resolved. The structure, tension, balance and length are perfect. It is for the palates that love elegance & beauty, not brawn & ABV. Roasted chestnut, stewed; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy, ripe strawberries backend of the fruit, used coffee grounds, soft leather, dry tobacco, savory meats, smoke, dark, moist soils, anise to black licorice, light purple cola, fresh sage & bay leaf with candied; dark, red, blue, purple florals in a field of lavender. The acidity is round & stream like. The finish is in perfect balance, harmony that settled softy yet speaks volumes.
Paired with the Cardiff Chipotle Tri-tip. The best Tri-tip we’ve had. You can order at CardiffCrack.com. Not inexpensive though. The best never is!
Photos of; me in the La Landonne Vineyard, Rene Rostaing and our tour with Pierre Rostaing in their La Landonne Vineyard. What an afternoon!
Producer notes, Pierre (son of Rene & now Winemaker) uses up to 100% of the stems - believing they contribute to Côte Rôtie’s ineffable perfume. Macerations last from 7 to 20+ days, and the wines enjoy a long élevage in a mix of barrels and time-honored pièce for aging, so that no more than 15% of a given vintage sees new wood. — 3 years ago
Riverside Vintners
Powell & Son Barossa Shiraz 2011
Made me realize how much I love Australian wines! Nice: up front and forward still — 8 months ago
Andy Hall
I am starting to come around on this wine. This is the third time for me with this wine and I like it better each time. I think it is way too early to drink though. It should come into its own with another 3-5 years of bottle aging. — a month ago