Jane Nuss

9.2

Deep garnet. Blackberry, ripe black plum, cherry, and vanilla, layered with notes of black pepper, licorice, smoke, leather, and earthy spice. Full-bodied and fruit-forward on the palate with velvety texture and a long finish. Balanced with medium acidity and tannins. There’s a touch of rustic mustiness initially, but it opens beautifully with air. Let it breathe and you’ll be rewarded. It’s only going to get more interesting with age. — 5 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.0

Deep ruby in color; blackberries, lavender, and dried herbs on the nose; high acidity, high tannins; tastes like maraschino cherries, black tea, tar, and clay pots with a long finish. — 2 months ago

Raun Kupiec

8.9

Waft of fruit on the nose immediately, raspberry and cassis. Soft but with a dense round mouthfeel. Young tannins, front of tongue and sides. You can taste the Syrah coming through. Could use another year or two easily but very nice now. — 3 months ago

with Barbara

Michael Phillips

9.3

Mellow soft tannins and red berries — 10 days ago

Paco Suro

9.3

Still signing into day 3. Delicious. Plum. — a month ago

Raun Kupiec

9.2

Unusual. Delicious. Excellent minerality, nice heft and mouthfeel. There is a fruit coming through that I can’t quite identify. And some baking spices, but not oak or vanilla. It’s very nice and moves from a floral aspect through a pithy citrus and into a nice tail. — 3 months ago

with Barbara

Brad Kalish

9.5

J/h. Excellent — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Opened the day before with half the bottle remaining. The 2007 CdR Villages pours a deep purple color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated dark brambles, red and purple flowers, open pasture land, olives, some black pepper, leather and organic earth. 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 an impressive wine despite the rather modest designation, especially when you consider it’s nearly 18 years old! Then again, the talent behind this wine should yield a solid wine (Pegau & Cailloux). Drink now though it could easily see its 25th birthday if you must hold one longer. — 4 days ago

Raun Kupiec

9.2

Hard to properly rate, was not decanted and not open long enough. Deep red & black fruit on the nose. The tannins are quite strong, this still needs time. It’s too young. But a lot of complexity under that. — 3 months ago

with Barbara

Brian Hearty

9.3

2022. Picked to pair with the trout with saffron nage, and it was fantastic. Loved the wine as it opened up but it was gone too quickly. — 6 months ago