Benito y c murgia joes dc — 21 days ago

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2022 “Le Domaine” pours a deep purple/ruby with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart, dark fruits: cassis, blackberries, purple flowers, Poblano pepper, horse blanket and a mix of organic and inorganic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. I always find this expression to be charming, albeit a bit rustic, and easy to love young while the single vineyard expressions are often backward for many years. Drink now through 2032. — 4 days ago
Acker auction @ marea — 20 days ago
1985. 40 years young. Gave it an hour to open up before dinner (paired orange ginger glazed duck with pistachio apricot farro). Thankfully my partner is a master of the Durand. There’s very little for me to compare this too - most aged whites are preserved by acid; Chave relies on glycerol here. It gives the wine gravitas but also life and freshness. Pleasant wood veneer/wood shop notes, dried apricots at first (become fresher with time), yellow plum, truffled earth. Salty poached apricots and timelessness. In a perfect world, we’d be sharing this with my dad. Strange & sensational. — a month ago
Delicious. Love this wine. Super funky, but with finesse. Great earth, bell pepper, hits the spot. — a month ago
Jay Kline

Splash decanted immediately before service; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2018 pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of blackberry, fig, black pepper, bacon fat, lavender, aromatic wood resin, warm spices 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. This is already an absolute banger and hides its 15% alcohol as well as any wine I have ever encountered. I almost gasped when I saw the ABV on the label because I couldn’t believe it. This is beautifully balanced, and I feel privileged to try this wine in its relative youth. Drink now with a splash decant and through 2052+. Bottle No. 15902. — 3 days ago