Matthew Cohen

9.2

Nose: bright. Cranberry. Floral. Pink roses.

Palate: lovely sweet fruit. An unusual red fruit tasty.

* 6 pack

Grapevine: 38.50 7 cases — 5 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.4

Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg 2014

This is my second time trying a Richebourg from the Gros family-previously, I’d tasted one from AF (Anne-Françoise Gros), and the first Frère et Sœur was a 2020 brought to a blind tasting. None of my friends guessed it correctly!

The 2020 showed ultra-fine tannins, bursting with floral aromas (violets and roses) after just an hour, and the perfume lingered for over four hours. If not for the blind bag, many would’ve mistaken it for a rising-star winemaker’s work.It had layers of plum, cherry, and a hint of Indian spices, with a subtle mineral note—something I didn’t find in this 2014.

Now, the 2014:
- Upon opening: Notes of cooked meat and blackcurrant (I wondered if temperature fluctuations during storage had affected it).
- After 2 hours of decanting: Secondary and tertiary aromas emerged—cinnamon, smoke, cedar, and cigar box, with only faint fruitiness. A stark contrast to the floral-dominated 2020, which I personally preferred.

I re-corked it and waited until dinner. At the 4-hour mark:
- The tannins turned silky-smooth.
- Flavors of red fruit, black pepper, and a touch of umami (mushroom and savory notes).
- Acidity:Well-balanced. The wine was cleanly made, though the aromatics faded slightly by then.

Overall, a very solid bottle, but next time, I’d love to compare it with a 1990s vintage to see how it ages! — a year ago

Kyle Turner

9.2

One of my faves! — 3 years ago

Chris Durall

9.4

New Belgium /Four Roses. Special Release Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale. 9% ABV — 4 years ago

Willem Booij

9.3

Tasting with Eddy Faller: more delicate nose, roses mixed with lychees. Sweet entry in the mouth (res sugar 30gr) it’s goes round and round, smoke comes in the back of the aftertaste. After the tasting my overall opinion is that the wines are pure, salty and silky. The fat around the backbone of all the wines make them quite approachable and less nervous then their opponents from Germany. It’s an other style and that’s good four the cellar 🤣🤔 — 5 years ago

Conrad Green

9.8

I’m not really a bourbon guy, but I’ve tried most of the ‘greats’. This was a very generous gift from a friend. I’ve had it before, and this was just as epic. It’s a stunning bourbon. Screw your Pappy’s, this is the real deal. There’s roses and floral notes at the start. A freshness you really don’t expect given the intensity of the alcohol (waaaay overproof) then an intensity of taste on the midpalate with all the caramel, and depth you’d expect of a great bourbon, but loads of complex secondary stuff. It’s a trip on the palate with a midpalate would be brutal in other hands given the alcohol level, but here it really sings. I’m a wine guy. This is incredible once you get over the shock of the alcohol. If you only splurge on one bourbon, for me, this is the one. — 6 years ago

Matt Sterr

9.0

Jack and Four Roses barrels. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.3

Nose has deep, ripe black cherry, mashed red cherry, old roses, baking spice (light) and dry earth. The cherry nose is quite overpowering, very intense.

Palate has sweet black cherry, under-ripe red cherry with mild tannins, sweet spice on the trailing end of a very long finish. Fruit is rich and silky, but still somewhat tight after a 6+ hour decant. This bottle still needs years, revisit post 2022+.

I am always delighted when drinking bottles from any of the Gang of Four, but their top-tier bottles are always the most special and unique. I think at a 10-year birthday, this bottle will easily rival some of the best Pinot Noirs to the north in Burgundy. The best in Beaujolais generally need many years to come together, Morgon is no exception, needing the most cellaring for satisfaction, in my experience. Take note this wine comes from a plot of 90+ average year old Gamay, in only a 2 ha plot (just under 5 acres in USA speak), not many bottles will come from that effort. (It wasn't even made in 2016 due to low yield after the frost.) Seek, have patience and be rewarded. — 7 years ago

Norman

8.9

Hmm. Not my favorite upon opening. It’s a bit astringent and it comes across bitter as well. Little burnt rubber on the nose but it’s all very light at first. Maybe a bit more with air but not a lot. Tip of the tongue and sides for the finish. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of four days. Best of Day 4. The 2020 Classico pours a beautiful garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart and ripe red fruits: strawberries, cherry lozenges, pink roses, tar, talcum powder and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose though the fruit comes across more ripe than tart. The finish is long and saline. This is an elegant, sexy Barolo with sneaky power that’s only revealed with enormous exposure to air at this stage. Drink now with patience and through 2040. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Popped and poured; consumed over six day and best after day four. The 2016 Sottimano Barbaresco, Currá pours a garnet color with a translucent core. Medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, bright red cherry fruit, pomegranate, cranberry, cumin, spiced Middle Eastern meat, tar, roses, oiled leather baseball glove, gun powder (never pulled that before), dried earth, dry green herbs, and some tobacco. On the palate, the wine is dry with extremely high tannin (Day 1 was rip your face off distracting and the most I have experienced from Barbaresco) acid is medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. Medium+ alcohol. Super duper long, savory mineral finish. A “legend” in the making. Drink from 2026 through 2066+. — 3 years ago

Matt Sterr

9.9

99 POINTS for @Alex Bacon ‘s Christmas 🎅 Beer.Cold brew coffee and honey Stout aged in ex-Barrel Project (Four Roses 7 Year) single Barrell bourbon cask. — 5 years ago

with Vance, Travis and 40 others

Jay Kline

9.5

This bottle was the fourth and final bottle part of our Barolo ensemble, generously shared and curated by our friend Tim.

Served blind, like the others, after a lengthy slow-ox. We were all aware that we were drinking Barolo but all other details were hidden from us. This bottle showed no visual signs of age. It was actually quite gorgeous to behold with a deep ruby core and bright disk. The bouquet was powerful; the most powerful of the four we experienced on this night. Cherries, strawberries, raspberries, exotic spices, tar, roses, dried herbs...even a bit of an umami thing was happening...everything was on full display! The finish was long and savory. Almost gave me the feeling of a buzz button which, I have only encountered once before in wine.

Of the four Barolos, on this night and to my palate, this exhibited the most sizzle. I was well and truly smitten. When this was revealed to be the 2012 Cappellano “Pie Rupestris”, it became an Archimedes moment for me...short of running through the town naked. Until now, I had only tried Cappellano’s Barbera d’Alba and Chinato; both extraordinary wines. This fits squarely into my wheelhouse and has become a new benchmark for me; recalling a similar experience to my first Lignier “Clos de la Roche”. A monumental wine that is already drinking so well but has everything necessary to age with grace for decades to come. Scary thing? There remains upside, I’m sure of it. — 6 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.6

# 3 from Whiskey advocate,
Notes not from me,

The limited-edition releases from Four Roses are always top-notch, but this bourbon—a permanently available addition to the lineup—proves itself every bit the equal of its rarer brethren. Made with the distillery’s F yeast strain, among others, it has a perfumed nose, with orange blossom, cedar chest, berries, spearmint, tobacco leaves, sassafras, licorice, and layers of earthy spice. The palate is consistent and deep, with flavors of cherry Coke, cough syrup, orange oil, leathery dark fruit, black pepper, chili flakes, and chocolate, shifting into a minty finish replete with pepper, cinnamon, dark chocolate, cooked berries, and roasted walnuts. Full, rich, and utterly satisfying. —S — 6 years ago

Dave

9.6

I had a bottle of this limited edition in 2021, and at the time it was one of the best bourbons I'd ever enjoyed. Got my hands on a bottle of 2025 and it now costs considerably more. Really great juice. Although 109 proof, this does not throw too much heat. It tastes very much like a wheater (which it is not), yet the rye content is also prominent from the nose through the sip. Cherry, leather, cornbread, and cigar box. Best way I can describe it is that EH Taylor and Pappy 15 had a baby. It's very good.
Listening to Cheap Trick — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Initially popped and poured and holy smokes, this is green! The nose is youthful but not without charm, with tart red and black fruit and fresh cut roses. On the palate however, this was simply too green; too tart. So I ended up decanting for a couple of hours before returning to the bottle and checked in on it over the following four days. Probably best on Day 4 but it remained pretty youthful.

After four days of being open, the 2017 “Vare Vineyard” pours a ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful with pretty notes of bright, underripe fruit: blackberries, raspberries, red currants, cranberries, fresh leaf tobacco, Anaheim pepper, roses, dried herbs and autumn forest floor. On the palate, the wine is dry with sneaky medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from nose. The finish is medium+. Overall, this is a very young wine that’s full of energy and needs many years to come into balance. Better after 2027 and drink through 2042. 12.3% ABV. Yes, you read that right. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

The 2020 vintage presented many challenges for wine producers around the world but the fires in California added a layer of complexity that nobody needed. Many of the producers I enjoy didn’t even make red wine and if they did, it was never released. For some, the effects were more catastrophic. Unfortunately for McHenry Vineyard, the situation was the latter. Not only was the entire crop lost to smoke taint in the CZU Lighting Complex Fire but the winery and most of the structures on the property were destroyed. They even lost some of the majestic redwoods that have surrounded the vineyard for centuries. Despite the pandemic and the destruction, Brandon and Annelisa were resolved to rebuild. However, with the crop lost and nowhere to make wine for the foreseeable future, they had to enlist some help. In the near term, Brandon was able to purchase fruit from the Christie Vineyard in Corralitos (the longtime source for Storrs Winery & Vineyard) and John Benedetti of Sante Arcangeli came in the with the assist; just as he had in the production of the 2019 vintage. The fruit from Christie Vineyard is more Dijon heavy than McHenry’s estate vineyard but John did a great job of honoring the McHenry approach and style. The results were remarkable.

Popped and poured and enjoyed over a four hour period, the 2020 McHenry “Christie Vineyard” pours a bright, luminous ruby color with a transparent core. No obvious staining of the tears; medium+ viscosity. On the nose, bright ripened cherries, raspberries, roses, cloves and other spices. The wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. The finish is long. The overall impression is fresh, juicy and full of life. Like all vintages of McHenry, production is minuscule with only 150 cases produced.

As a sort of epilogue, Mother Earth giveth and taketh away. For all of the gifts that California’s climate brings to the production of wine, they are not immune to the whims of nature and these sorts of stories are becoming more and more common. With that being said, there have been at least two other occasions in McHenry’s past where they have been forced to purchase fruit or choose not release wine due to fire or pests. Unfortunately, this will probably not be their last but as long as they are determined to make beautifully balanced Pinot Noir way up on Bonny Doon Road, I will be drinking them. — 4 years ago

KA

9.0

Four Roses made specifically for the Japanese market. Very light in color. Very soft and mild for a bourbon. — 6 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 2011 | When it is hot weather, I find a Trousseau a nice wine. It has an elegant structure and there is a lot to enjoy and discover. Half transparant, a bit strange colour, tuilé, Italian tileroofs, but not bright, cloudy. The smell is awesome: roses, tobacco, lakritz, and after aeration in the glass also minerals, plums, a hint of cherries. The taste is licht but frivolous. Love this. Drank it four years ago, this bottle has aged and it seems to gain in attractiveness. ❤️ 💥 | Paired with toast and mushrooms, farmers Gouda cheese afterwards — 6 years ago

David Kline

9.5

Pecan pie, caramel glass, bourbon nougat, peach blossom and molasses cookies. Orange zest, warm apple and pear; cedar, fine tobacco, lemon and magnolia aromatics. Warm lemon and orange citrus, cinnamon, clove, sweet tobacco, light coffee, and medium chocolate flavors, wrap the palate as heat brings pepper oak and cedar and gunpowder tea to the party. # fourroses #elliotsselect #bourbon #barrelstrength #barrel47iv #2016fourroseselliots #whiskey #whisky #BrentElliot — 7 years ago