This is spectacular and built for the future. Needs a 2 hr decant, but once it has breathed it punches you square in the face with strawberry compote, earl grey tea, earth, and dusty fine tannin. Exceptional balance. Integrated. In 10 yrs this will be monumental. — 3 years ago
Just rock-solid Châteauneuf, this is exemplary and for me personally my exact sweet-spot in terms of the varied styles from this region. The nose takes a little coaxing, but has a great yin / yang profile of pure, fresh blue fruit, liquorice, violets, and garrigue, versus seared meat, iron and loamy earth. This all puts it square in the middle of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ schools, broadly speaking, and it’s a wine that has the best of both worlds as a result.
The palate is huge, an iron fist in a glove of velvet and so much more, but in no way imbalanced or over-extracted - not overtly alcoholic, at a modest 14%. It spreads out in waves across the palate, ripples which are felt long after the finish. This is clearly a baby now, but it drinks well and will see its 20th birthday in damn fine fettle. Excited to have a case in the cellar.
Decanting not required nor recommended. — a year ago
William Harrison cabernet franc 2016. Their best cab by far!!!!! I am so happy to have discovered this small family winery. The bouquet is lovely with aromas of dark berry pie. The initial palate brings an immediate flourish of blackberry jam and rhubarb. This is followed by a rush of leather, mineral soil, moss, and oak. The finish then comes dragging in with a beautiful chocolate and spicy finish. This will be perfect with a nice square of Dove dark chocolate. Hang on… Oh yes!!!!! A perfect compliment. It takes a little finesse to make a very good cab Franc and this Family has done an incredible job of it. Im ordering 6 more bottles right now! — 3 years ago
Bright medium ruby to the rim. Very ripe aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice pastille, bitter chocolate, cocoa powder and minerals, lifted by a note of lavender; just this side of liqueur-like. Dense, sweet, silky and firm, with wonderfully suave, dense flavors of dark berries, bitter chocolate and violet dominating. This savory wine finishes with a slowly building whiplash of flavor and the sophisticated seamless tannins to support a long evolution and graceful evolution in bottle. I still give the edge to the 2016 for its energy and lift, but this very deep, youthfully medicinal wine is potentially great as well. Real nobility of texture here (it saturates every square millimeter of the palate) and outstanding palate-staining length. Lots to come! (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, December 2020) — 3 years ago
Flavorful Barbera with medium acidity and tannin, served with a square pizza at Figs in Boston — a year ago
Bought at Apple jacks in Colorado. gentleman recommended this when I asked him for another type that I couldn’t get. Happy to say, it’s delicious! — 2 years ago
Served blind by me at Sue Bell’s dinner party with Bruce Redman. After being tricked by Sue all week with blind tastings at the winery I was determined to get square. She was up to the task getting just the state wrong. Once I said Adelaide Hills she knew it was a Gruner. Hahndorf Hill are acknowledged as the best producers of Gruner in Australia. Taking its lead from the GV’s of Austria’s Kamptal region. Grapefruit, Citrus and stone fruit. A multi award winner on the Australian Show circuit. A gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards London 2020. — 3 years ago
Nate Miersma
Strong but good. Venice in St Mark’s square with Stephan, Kevin McLeod and Pat Beyer — 10 months ago