David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This is another 91-92. 92-93 w/ a few more years of cellaring.

Pinot Noir grown in Rutherford. 😮 Bold. 689 cases produced. Thomas Keller at dinner told Burt George Owner of Joseph George retail shop in the South Bay that this was one of the most unique wines he’s had in quite awhile.

When I first put my nose to the glass, I got a good presence of barrel char, smoke, cinnamon stick, glove, nutmeg, vanilla, black licorice, darkish cola, strawberries, blackberries, dark cherries, hints of blueberries, dry hay/straw, dark spice, hints of black pepper, fresh, bright, dark, red flowers/florals.

The palate is fresh and settles after about 10 minutes in the glass. Black licorice, darkish cola, strawberries, blackberries, dark cherries, pomegranate, dry cranberries, hints of blueberries, dry hay/straw, dry brush, smoke, cinnamon stick, glove, nutmeg, vanilla, dark spice w/ some heat, hints of black pepper, dry top soil, dry crushed rocks with limestone, fresh, bright, dark, red flowers/florals. Good acidity, balanced, well tensioned, neatly structured and a nicely polished finish that lasts nearly 90 seconds.

There is some alcohol heat on the finish but it should fade in another 3-5 years. Be good to revisit it then and 5 years more down the road. — 2 months ago

Leo Gentile

9.3

Awesome wine. Held up very well beyond expectations. Poured from a jeraboam (double magnum. Tons of black fruit, understated tannins and alcohol. Served with turkey on big green egg smoked with cherry and pecan. Perfectly paired with a Geyserville!
Drink now, fruit@may be beginning to fade — a year ago

Byron Hewett

8.9

Easy. I think the fruit here is starting to fade a bit. — 3 years ago

Bryan Kesting

9.2

Drink up. Fruit starting to fade. — 5 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.0

The 2018 Isosceles is youthfully understated yet darkly alluring, with black cherry and spiced citrus nuances lifting from the glass. This washes across the palate with ease, cool-toned and with a pure mix of red and black fruits. It finishes with admirable length while maintaining an energetic feel. Blackberry hints slowly fade. (Eric Guido, Vinous, May 2023) — a year ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.6

Medium garnet, the 2000 Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jaques Perrin is a sexy beast. Although there are clear traces of brettanomyces, they fade after two hours in the decanter. The nose is loaded with dried provence herbs, dried black cherries and black plums, dried figs, iodine, game, forrest floor, leather and hints of black truffle. Full bodied, very concentrated and with ripe but slightly chalky tannins, this Châteauneuf-Powerhouse closes with a long finish. Not quite at the heights of 1990 or 1998, but still a hedonistic treat. Drink now until 2030 — 2 years ago

Ryan Mullins

9.7

Started out seeming fade but gained fruit and become more tightly woven with 45mins. A remarkable bottle of wine — 3 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens slowly in the glass, inward and darkly floral. The nose hints at black currants, underbrush, exotic spices and crushed ashen stone, as if the soils of this Tavernelle estate have been imparted into its bouquet. This soothes with textures of pure silk, stepping lightly, as a wave of ripe red and black fruits easily flow across the palate, guided by saline-tinged acidity. Orange notes add contrast. The 2016 finishes staining and long, placing its minerality front and center. A saturation of fine tannins frames the experience as traces of licorice slowly fade. It's like liquid earth, yet juicy. Wow. A fantastic performance. (Eric Guido, Vinous, December 2023)
— 6 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Taken to Napua at the Mauna Lani. Dark tawny color. Old Bordeaux nose. Notes of tobacco and cigar, black fruit, mocha, wood desk, and some barnyard gravel floor. Tannins faded, yielding a smooth mouth feel. Fruit starting to fade. Still a great drink, paired with a ribeye. — a year ago

Paul J

9.3

1hr+ decant. Definitely starting to fade. Classic Neal nose and flavors that are always distinctive. Very similar to previous notes. Depth starting to thin out. Wine was very different later in the evening. — 3 years ago

with Brooke