Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2024 CCC pours a deep, ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity, with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with attractive, fresh notes of crunchy blackberries, black plum, lavender pastilles, Kiwi fruit, black pepper, crushed rock and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and mineral laden. So fresh and easy to love. Drink now through 2034. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2023 (S) pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe strawberry, Bing cherry, red and purple flowers, red rope licorice, rocky earth and cool spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This vintage of Lapierre shows the warmth of the vintage and oozes generosity. In some ways, this reminds me of the 2015 vintage. Drink now through 2033+. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Both days outstanding but slightly different experiences. Day 1 was about power. Day 2 was about balance. The 2020 “Cuvée Réservée” pours a brilliant garnet with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with heady, slightly funky notes of ripe brambles, garrigue, red & purple flowers, bacon fat, licorice, and dry rocky earth. On Day 2, everything was more open nit and the fruit showed more bruised with a slightly stewed profile. Lavender was the predominate floral profile too. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is textbook Pégau and I love it. Drink now through 2045+ — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.6

What a special treat to have an entire flight dedicated to the one and only Noël Verset. All three wines were opened prior to dinner and serially enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Stylistically, all three wines were similar and most importantly, sound! The 1999 pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with slightly desiccated, wild, mixed, mostly red brambles, some horse blanket, dried purple flowers, cracked black pepper, Kalamata olive tapenade, old leather bound books, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Tonight, the 1999 seemed like a younger, bassier version of the 1992. It was a profoundly deep and guttural wine with the most substantial structure of the three. Drink now through 2039. — 13 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Poured into a decanter for about an hour prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2023 RTW CCC pours a deep ruby/purple color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of mixed brambles, purple flowers, Fig Newtons, black pepper, dried green herbs, and silica rich, rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and comes across like laser cut steel. Drink now with patience through 2038. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two hours. The 2019 pours a dull ruby color with a slight brownish tinge; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears and signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, pomegranate, mushroom, and gravel. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This is fantastic and squarely in the zone. Drink now though, it’s not going to fall off a cliff on the next couple years. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

I have dreamed of the 1981 Grange for many, many years. Why? Well, it’s quite simple: I’m an ‘81 baby and that year doesn’t have the strongest reputation for producing great wines. Spain and Italy faired better and of course, there were always exceptions. However, most have long been drank or forgotten as it was a tough year in many of the classic wine growing regions. All of that being said, Australia didn’t suffer the same conditions and Penfold’s managed to make a very good expression of Grange in 1981…if only one could find it and then of course, afford it. But, sometimes you just have to put it out into the universe and she answers. Tonight, a dear brother in wine who also happens to share 1981 as a birth year, provided this bottle from his cellar to share. And while my 45th remains a couple months off, we were celebrating life and friendship tonight!

Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1981 pours a deep purple color moving towards a garnet rim and a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and desiccated tart black, red and blue fruits and rotundone: blackberries, raspberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, black olive, cocoa, coffee, eucalyptus, leather, toasted coconut, earth and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is looooong. What a stellar showing and this bottle certainly lived up to hype. Drink now through 2041+. — 7 days ago

Alex Mutch

9.0

juicy red fruit, a little funk, dry earthy finish — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2013 pours a deep garnet with an opaque core and a rusty brown rim; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and significant sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with desiccated dark fruit, salmiakki, leather, espresso, and a Maillard reaction thing. On the palate, the wine is dry it’s high tannin and medium acid at best…probably medium-. The finish is medium. Drink now. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Best on Day 2. The 2017 Caravina pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of cassis, blackberries, plum, tobacco, violets, cocoa, well-oiled leather baseball glove, Poblano pepper, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and ashy. It’s been almost 5 years since my last 2017 and I’m just as excited about it today as I was back then. Drink now with some patience through 2037. — 2 months ago