Popped and poured. The 2021 “Cuvée Réservée” pours a deep ruby color with a deep but transparent core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe red and black brambles, spiced meat, black pepper, some purple flowers and stony minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This comes across lighter and more Burgundian than the last handful of vintages; almost giving me some 2014 vibes (which is a vintage in the last decade that I adore). It’s really good and shows a bit more elegance that I quite like. Looking forward to tracking this vintage as time goes on. Drink now with some patience and should be cracking through 2041 with ease. — 2 months ago
+1 hour decant(some fine/cloudy sediment). A prodigious medium ruby red color. On the nose: red fruit, licorice, herbs, sandlewood, smoked meat. Taste: Still youthful and energetic with red raspberry/plum, dark currants, tea, earth, and a clove/dark chocolate med plus finish. YUM! — 3 months ago
This wine is aging beautifully. Color just starting to brick at the outer rim. Laid-back nose shows warm, smoky gravel, smoked meat, rich plummy berry fruit, braised collard greens. Subtle and showing secondary flavors in the mouth, some fruit but mostly stoney, minerally notes. Soft texture, with acidity still keeping this fresh. Only 13.7%. Delicious. — 2 months ago
A bottle I contributed during a trip to Napa’s Premiere Napa Valley week. This was opened at Torc, alongside a ‘97 Leflaive Les Pucelles, ‘11 Leroy Blagny, ‘89 La Chappelle and two young Napa cabs from Simon Estate. La Mouline is always my favorite due to the amount of co-ferment with Viognier.
Deserving of a 1-2hr decant, this got about an hour open in bottle by the time we got to it. I opened the ‘04 La Turque just a few weeks prior, so I had a reference point to work with. Heady aromatics, as expected…dark potpurri, spice, mesquite and mocha. On the palate, the youthful bacon-fat of Cote Rotie was gone and had channeled the classical tangy barbecue profile alongside black olive, peppered red and black berry fruit, and smoked meat at the finish. Whereas the LaTurque was almost Burgundian in profile (elegant, light), this was somewhere in-between the “bigger” LaLandonne and LaTurque…big, but balanced, likely due to vintage. Aromatics and finish here were standouts. Open now with a quick decant or hold another few years. — 2 months ago
Brenda Terzich-Garland
A garnet-purple color and expressive nose with that initial Cayuse funk and notes of red berries. smoked meat, herbs, bark and dusty like minerals. Taste: beautiful silky and soft feel. Red berry fruit stands out with gamey meat, iron & bitter chocolate notes and a metallic medium, plus finish. Was looking forward to opening this 2016 again and it did not disappoint! — 6 days ago