Mission Hill Family Estate
Chappellet
Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Popped and poured; no formal notes. This 2006 Chappellet “Pritchard Hill” Cabernet Sauvignon was enjoyed alongside a 2001 St. Supery “Dollarhide” and a 2005 Beaulieu Vineyard “Georges De Latour”. All three were well stored examples from the same cellar. The 2006 “Pritchard Hill” is easily the biggest wine we enjoyed on this night. Big and bold with ripe (and maybe some stewed) black and red fruits, some tobacco, leather and baking spices. Good structure. An impressive wine for lovers of the more modern style of Napa Cabernet’s yet, there is something for all because the quality of the Pritchard Hill fruit is undeniable. Drink now and over the next 5-10 years. — 2 months ago
Grosset
Polish Hill Clare Valley Riesling 2019
Top notch Aussie Riesling, class of it’s own. Best of the Grosset sites. Heavy kerosene on open that off-gassed to lime leaf and talc. Palate of lime, white flowers, and melon. Clean honey crisp apple acidity. — 2 days ago
Vine Hill Ranch
Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Spectacular. Decanted for four hours. Beautiful bouquet and soft tannins. Cassis, black raspberries, plums, and a bit of chocolate. Velvety with a long, satisfying finish. — a day ago
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Graves Red Bordeaux Blend 1998
Still youthful that needed some air to open showing red & black fruit, smoke, menthol, black olive, graphite & cigar box. — a month ago
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2002
By no means one of La Mission Haut-Brions most praised vintages but this one holds together very nicely just over 20 years of age. Pleasant aromas and medium bodied. Plums, black currant, coffee, pencil shavings, leather, earth, orange zest, cacao. Only 13% abv but still quite ripe. It’s lacks some length to be a really great wine. It’s a classically styled Bordeaux with many years left. — 2 months ago
Henschke
Hill of Grace Vineyard Shiraz 1998
Sunday lunch, where we always drink the best wine of the week. A perfect match with roast lamb. Lighter in colour than expected - almost transparent. Quite barnyard with the aromatics surprisingly with a little tobacco and dark chocolate. The opulent black fruits of its youth have transformed into a much more savoury wine after 25 years. This brings into question the age old query as to when to pop the cork on old wines. This was a terrific old wine but it left me thinking I would like a bit more fruit on the palate before those silky soft tannins. Still, it remains one of the world’s great wines in one of the most iconic vineyards with 140 year + old vines. The 2018 has just been released amid several 100 point scores and touted as one of the great H of G’s but at $950 I will pass. — a month ago
vinokeeno
2006 vintage. Had the 2008 vintage of this last night and it was rocking. Tonight, more reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel. Potential and the promise of entanglements throughout but no smoking gun. Decanted and tasted over the course of 4 hours. Medium body and always seemed on the verge of unveiling new depth and understanding but never did. The tease was still pretty worthy. 5.28.23. — 7 days ago