Jay Kline

9.2

I opened this bottle of the 1971 Taurasi Riserva with a Durand and, to be honest, I don’t know how the cork could have been extracted, intact without it. The cork was fully saturated and super gnarly looking. I poured a small taste to check color and see what was happening on the nose. It came across a little lethargic and funky so I poured the bottle into a ship’s decanter, careful to manage the sediment, and allowed it to stretch its legs for about four hours prior to dinner. The process of decanting filled the room with a wonderful perfume; this was a good sign! It turns out, it needed all of that air because it transformed into quite the darling.

In the glass, the 1971 showed remarkable color for being over half a century old. It presents a rudy, garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of desiccated cherries, Balsamico, dried leaf tobacco, leather, Mexican birria, and volcanic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins (all integrated) and medium+ acid which is keeping this very much alive. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and has a saline finish. This bottle ended up being a very lovely experience and a fine compliment to a simple dinner of filets prepared in cast-iron and some spaghetti carbonara that I made with some pancetta made by my brother-in-law. After looking at the label a little closer, I realized that this was back when Taurasi had only achieved DOC status. In fact, they had only just received that status the year before in 1970! Taurasi has since been awarded DOCG (1993). Drink now and enjoy! — 7 months ago

Mark Farrell

9.9

Second time having this wine. Dark ruby with a nose of blackberries, cassis, violets, and lavender. Also picking up notes of anise and vanilla this time. Perfectly balanced, everyone is playing well together on this wine. The acidity, tannin, and fruit are in perfect harmony across the long, powerful finish. Had to pair this with a nice steak. Did a steak tasting along with this wine. Cast iron seared Snake River Farms(SRF) ribeye medallion, SRF sirloin, and a local grocery store NY strip. I would have expected the ribeye to be the winner, but the sirloin was the favorite for all of us. All that being said the wine paired perfectly. Also had a glass of this wine with my wife’s pot roast the day before and it was divine. Hearty beef is a perfect pairing for this powerful wine. — 2 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.1

N: Black currants, plums, a bit shy.
We slo-oxed for 90 min.After 11/2 hours , much more generous. Black/Red fruits. Sappy.
P: lots of tar, nicotine, black cherry.
Really well integrated tannins w ample acidity. Perfect w a cast iron Ribeye.
Thanks @ Fassselections.com — 4 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

Typically brilliant #chianticlassico 85% #sangiovese 15% #merlot. Red / violet floral + woodsy nose, classic earthy-iron varietal aroma, bright acidity, soft tannins and a bit of roundness courtesy of the Merlot, some spice on the finish. Brilliant pairing with Chicken Paillard topped with blue cheese which brought out the spice in the wine, interestingly enough. — 9 months ago

with Walt

LM Segal

9.4

Tart plum jam with a core of cast iron. My go-to for a Canadian Fall evening, HNIC and a 🔥 going…. Surprised at how nicely these age, needed 45 min decant. — a year ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

This was a real surprise. Pale gold in the glass, quince paste, tangerine, floral, a touch nutty, but with real acidic verve—not even remotely tired or flabby. Not quite on the level of Gonon Oliviers but really fantastic. Maybe I should rethink my biases re: rhone whites. Excellent with cast iron chicken with olives and artichokes — 3 years ago

Phil Orlandini

9.0

Plums and cloves, pairs well with cast iron steaks, pitbulls in tortilla blankies, and God of War Ragnarok — a year ago

Shay A

9.3

As a die-hard fan of the Rocks funk, the profile of these wines are totally up my alley. That being said, even I admit that these desperately need food to be at their best. This was no different.

Followed over two days. Two hr double decant day one.

60/30/10 cab/merlot/Tempranillo. Up front, signature Cayuse funk (iron, savory whole cluster herbal profile). Tempranillo really shining. Nothing BDX about this. Thin, spicy, peppery. Black cherry but mostly underripe with a metallic finish.

Day two, I paired this with food (grilled chicken and beef) and this wine transformed in to a totally different wine. Much more heft and core of sweet, ripe fruit. Like a cool vintage left bank Bordeaux but without Brett. Floral, soft pipe tobacco, dark fruits, fig. The overly savory vibe of day one is non-existent on day two.

Perfect example of a wine that simply needs time to evolve for those who find the Cayuse funk too intense (I don’t mind it, but also appreciate it as a layer, not a main player in a wine). — a year ago

Erik Longabardi

9.2

Paired with a cast iron spatchcock chicken. Delicious — 3 years ago

Aimalohi Gray

9.4

Aged in cast iron, aged in French oak.
At via locusta in Philly — 4 years ago