Jay Kline

9.0

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of cassis, Poblano pepper, horse blanket, purple flowers, tobacco, herbs and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet Sauvignon (or based blend), Cabernet Franc (or based blend), Merlot (or based blend), Carmenere or Malbec from France, Italy, Chile, Argentina and I guess the USA but unlikely due to the style. This was a tough one for me. I considered the Loire (Chinon) as a possibility but I stead, went with my gut. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from France, Bordeaux, Haut Medoc, Cru Bourgoise from 2017. Ooof…Bourgueil! I get it. I’m also liking this producer the more I try them. Drink now through 2032. — 10 days ago

Michael Younkins

9.4

Wonderful French rose’. Excellent. Crisp clean red berry on palate. — 4 years ago

Timothy Lynch

9.3

Perhaps the most refined Cab Franc that I have ever had the pleasure to pour. Just delicious. — 5 years ago

Phil Gurin

8.9

Surprising and satisfying — 6 years ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.2

Clear, medium ruby in color with a hint of garnet on the rim; on the nose, it's clean with medium intensity primary aromas of raspberries, potting soil, and flowers; on the palette, it's dry with high acidity, low tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and medium intensity primary flavors of red currants, sour cherries, and strawberries with a long finish. This wine has enough fruit to balance the acidity. It's complex and balanced. Overall, I rate this wine as very good.Nellie likes it too. — a day ago

with Nellie

Peter C

9.3

Wow. Beautiful “perfumed” bose - literally. — 9 months ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.4

Smells like fresh oil & jet 🛩 fuel, oh wait thats the Airshow & Oil spill here in Huntington Beach🙄 again.
K&L notes

This is a fresh, snappy berry-driven rosé with delicate floral notes. It's bright and crisp, delicious with or without food. Domaine les Pins has been family run for five generations. They are a small artisanal producer that oversees every stage of the production from start to finish. They have roughly 30 hectares of Cabernet Franc spread out through the Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil regions. They practice sustainable farming, and each and every vine gets singular attention throughout the year. Vines of an average age of 25 years are planted in sandy, clay and gravel soils. Cabernet Franc makes for an excellent rosé. Not only does it bring an array of new flavors into the pink world, but the wine has depth and weight that a Grenache or Pinot based rosé could never achieve. This lovely little wine has aromas of fresh raspberry and white pepper with a subtle presence of culinary herbs in the background. On the palate it has great weight and a stronger red fruit presence than you might expect. The note of white pepper persists and carries through to the crisp and clean finish. — 5 years ago

Doug Powers

9.4

OK, I’ve posted on these “older” Baron Louis CdR from Montfaucon before, not certain the exact year that Rodolphe (Rudi) des Pins sought DOC for this cuvée as Lirac (2014??), but my understanding is that the earlier vintages were also (mostly? all?) Lirac grapes (dating back to 1998, at least, since you KNOW I likely still have a bottle of that 1998)!! Anyway, label says 40% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Counoise.

At age 18, this would give a heck of a lot of older Gigondas/CdP a run for their money, lovely color, still quite youthful and structured, quite a long finish, my congrats to Rudi (who is my brother’s close friend, but I consider Rudi a friend as well, plus I’ve been in the historic, 1,000-year-old Chateau de Montfaucon on the Lirac side of the Rhone River across from the vineyards of CdP).

A poor man’s CdP, it’s that complex and age-worthy!! — 7 months ago

with Jim

Tom Garland

9.2

30 min decant(little cloudy sediment). A formidable medium garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: perfumed notes of raspberry, vanilla, forest floor, and cedar. Taste: A creamy, juicy, balanced wine with red plum, smoke, touch of blueberry, minerals, earth, spicy vanilla oak, and a medium finish. Sticking pins in my Packers doll and crossing my fingers, let's see what happens. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

BaliRain

9.1

Sweet smooth and long lasting taste — 6 years ago