Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I need to start w/ a little preamble.

For me, Pessac-Leognan was a late comer Bordeaux region. The last one I gravitated to in my 26 yr Bordeaux experience.

Nearly all the previous 2000 Bordeaux’s I’ve had up to this point needed a lot more cellaring. Mostly 1st & 2nd Growths, some 3rd. This 2000 started lean…lacking depth & a bigger tannin profile. But that is not entirely uncharacteristic for older Pessac’s. It seemed slightly more late in its drinking window. It picked up weight in the decanter at 2 1/2 hours and then showed more weight & depth w/ my Ribcap.

This started elegant w/ soft Bordeaux characteristics. Beauty & elegance as I understand it in Bordeaux’s from this region and this kind of age. But lacked 2000 earthiness & depth. For me, this is a 3rd tier Pessac producer, my terminology. Not up there with Haut Bailly or Pape Clement and of course Haut Brion.

2000’s up to this point have shown great depth & deep characteristics. Most needing longer than anticipated aging.

This was beautiful, elegant but lean based on previous definitions. Early on it seemly felt like it was a drink up in the next 3 yrs w/o the steak. With a longish decant & steak, more 7-10 yrs.

The nose shows muddled to slightly stewy; dark currants, blackberries, black cherries, both plums to pudding, poached strawberries, black raspberries and haunting blueberries, red cola, dark chocolate, dry herbs, dry leather-tobacco, softened graphite, moist clay, hints of pepper, some mushroom notes, rich, darkish soils with dry leaves, steeped tea, limestone/sandstone, dry twig, dry pebbles-top soils with dark, red, withering flowers.

The palate shows beautiful elegance with nothing that bites back. Perfectly resolved velvety tannins. Ripe, juicy, somewhat ruby fruits. Yet, have slightly stewy characteristics. Dark currants, blackberries, black cherries, both plums to pudding, poached strawberries, black raspberries and haunting blueberries, red cola, dark chocolate, softly layered & even baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, mid, dark, Asian spices, dry herbs, dry leather-tobacco, softened, nearly sweet graphite, moist clay, hints of pepper, rich, darkish soils with dry leaves, charcoal, volcanic ash, steeped tea, limestone/sandstone, dry twig, dry pebbles, dry top soils with dark, red, withering flowers, near perfect acidity, well balanced w/ softened structure/tension, great length and an elegant finish that goes on and on and long sets on spice & clay.

Almost new cork and little to no sediment.

92-93 with a long decant & a rich, fatty steak-Ribcap. First taste after pouring into the decanter, 90.

Photos of; Haut-Bergey, Paul Garcin-Managing Director and Francois Prouteau-Cellar Master. — 3 months ago

Shay A

9.1

I’ve been wondering when to open this wine, and when a local group decided to do a Pinot theme blind, I thought this would be a fun contender.

My second time with this wine in the last year, and I remain impressed at how this 13yr old Alsatian Pinot is holding up. Translucent ruby in the glass. Doesn’t seem to show much bricking, actually. Aromatically, it’s bretty…smells more Bordeaux like than anything else. Leather, herbs de Provence, underripe black cherries. The palate shows a small bit of carbonic character (not with the bubble gum vibe, but more of that cru bojo wintergreen profile). The fruit shows a faded/muddled profile due to the age, but there is plenty of dirty raspberry, black cherry and a savory red clay like note. Good acidity still. While this is on the downside, I’m hard pressed to say this is way over the hill. It’s actually a really fun and delicious wine to enjoy over an evening (especially with food). — 4 years ago

Matt

9.8

Fucking glorious Garnacha. Sous bois, turned earth, wet leaves, cinnamon, ground cloves, pepper, allspice, tar, crushed black plum and cherry fruit, almost dried tones mixed in, burnt earth, dried herbs, wilted flowers. Nose is subtle, but definition is there. Plate is a kaleidoscope of dark spices, savory earth, and gorgeous muddled fruit. Exotic, alluring in every sense, structured w/ powerful tannin almost reminiscent of Nebbiolo. A captivating wine in terms of texture and elegance. — 5 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.5

Well, after 3 months of keto and having lost a grand total of 54 pounds I’m finally back to drinking wine 🔥 My wife suggested we celebrate by drinking Aaron Pott’s single vineyard Cabernet from the Kicu Ma vineyard in Spring Mountain. Fantastic pick, Babe (@Krystal Vento)

Upon visual analysis the color is deep and rich in its youthfulness. On the nose a lovely perfume of dried potpourri, lavender, plum, clove, graphite, and sweet vanilla. The palate...the palate absolutely blew me away. Incredibly suave and velvety with arguably one of the most plush yet lively mouthfeels I’ve experienced in years. Stewed blueberries, blackberries, and plums with muddled spices. I also detect the inorganic trappings of graphite, along with moist wood shavings. This is truly a sensuous and extravagant wine that is Spring Mountain on full display in all its glory. — 6 years ago

with Krystal

Matt

9.2

Crushed red cherry, baked red plum, Ceylon, clove, animal (brett), licorice root, wilted flowers. There’s a really muddled and savory dimension. I think the brett laces in really well and is balanced. There a lot of fine tannin and length, departing with textural mineral notes and spices. Great synergy from the co-ferm. — 7 years ago

Pooneet K

9.1

Nice SLB especially for the price. Still not singing on all cylinders, I felt, even with a lengthy decant. But expresses lots of deep red cherry pie type of fruit with solid earth and acid. Finish is maybe a smidge more muddled than I was hoping. Still a nice wine. — 4 months ago

Shay A

9.2

One of the bottles I provided for a co-hosting with Mark at the City Club wine group.

Always a treat to open a birth year wine. I had this last year and this bottle seemed to have more stuffing. It was less muddled/clay driven and more distinctly black fruit and spice heavy. Next to a ‘79 Montelena, it wasn’t as full-bodied, but it certainly had more tannin. The tannic finish was quite pronounced and bolstered throughout the lunch. Mid-palate was herbal and black currant with faint tart red fruit and tobacco. Fun to drink. — 3 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.0

N: Dense cinnamon and licorice.Cherry.Fresh, wet trodden leaves, autumnal, red, bright in the glass, muddled on the nose.
P. Tobacco, bright red fruits, soft, some acidic grip but not much tannin.
Neighbors gift.
Thanks @ Trent. — 3 years ago

Randy Lampert

9.2

Our table quite enjoyed this wine, we had it served slightly chilled. Nice mineral and herb notes on the nose followed by citrus and earthy taste. The finish was a little muddled but long and delicious with some light honey. — 5 years ago

Matt

9.8

Birthday/birth year vibes 😎. Alive, structured, focused and fruit clear still. Muddled black cherry, dried black plum, blackberry fruit leather. Notes of wood smoke, ash, cedar, juniper and pine, toasted oak, lovely sous bois character. Then the spices, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorn, cloves. Herbals, but very subtle, dried flowers, bay and thyme. Perhaps some mushroom or truffle. Iron, dried beef, jerky, a little hoisin, but perhaps the most alluring is the velvety notes of milk chocolate and mocha throughout, almost coaxing some sweetness out of this wine. It’s upright, postured, and still showing some goods. The acidity is lively, tannins are still holding with a fine firmness, you get the feeling that this has always been a wine with a tight dry finish. Glad to see that has melted a bit. Can sense the chaptalization, but I wouldn’t mark it on that aspect. Cork was impeccable. Certainly in the running for one of the best wines this year, mainly for its contemplative nature and elegant deliciousness. Perfect with homemade tagliatelle, braised lamb shank, and a shit load of perigord truffles. — 6 years ago

Pooneet K

8.9

Less good than the 2015 that I had a bit over a year ago, but still a nice expression of Grenache. Beautiful pale red in the glass. Flowers on the nose, quite restrained red fruit on the palate. A bit muddled and surprisingly tannic on the finish. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Got to pop some special bottles when my good friend Shawn came in to town!

What a bottle brought by Shawn! I asked him to bring a killer bottle of burgundy that he thought would impress and he nailed it. At 23/24 yrs old, the concentration here was impeccable. Surprisingly dark in the glass with a slightly fading rim, wafting from the glass were muddled and stewed raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate, clove and forest floor. Acidity carries this well on the palate with a resolved and balanced profile. Slightly chewy, showing the power of the fruit, with sweet tobacco and cedar at the finish. This still has years to go! Nice @Shawn R ! — 6 years ago

with Shawn

Nick Arensdorf

8.9

Muddled dark cherries and blackberries, maybe currant(?), tobacco leaves, subtle licorice. Somewhat astringent/tannic, not as balanced as I’d expect. *used coravin on bottle about 2 weeks prior before opening, may have influenced* — a year ago

Shay A

9.3

Had this a few times, but I was finally able to sit down and analyze it over an evening. Their only cuvée produced in 2014.

Upfront, rollercoaster aromatics initially…rich, then mellowed out with an hour of air. After a few hours of air, a much more ripe CdP profile came out. Great bridge wine from Cali GSMs to bigger CdPs. Deep red in the glass with aromatics of fig, brambly red and black fruits. On the palate, big but not unbalanced. No trace of brett. Soft fig, muddled underripe black cherry, garrigue (smoked herbs); lengthy finish. Kiss of black pepper. Big Grenache vibe here. Lovely with air. Probably best in the near term based on the fruit forward structure. — 3 years ago

Guillermo Gonzalez

9.1

Wet flowers. Muddled berries, hint of vegetal notes (mint). Lean and focused. Great with left over tacos. — 4 years ago

Pooneet K

9.0

Nice Brunello but not quite singing - even with a decant it’s surprisingly rustic and slightly muddled in the finish. Nice deep red fruit on the nose, lots of earth. Excellent pairing with a big grilled meal. Finish is long, but doesn’t have the lifting acid I was hoping for. — 4 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.5

Deep purple. Green bell pepper and eucalyptus nose. Muddled blackberry, anise, and white pepper. All of that carries over beautifully to the palate. Dry, medium minus acid, medium plus alcohol, tannins are medium and supple. After some time, I am also getting rare meat on the nose. This is a top 10 of 2020 for me. MELKA is one of the best in my book.

95 points — 6 years ago

Matt

8.9

Deliciously juicy muddled and leathery fruit, root beer, wilted flowers, earth. A traditional feeling Langhe Nebbiolo that has rustic charm and punches above its weight every time. — 6 years ago

Vanessa

9.1

Deep ruby hue with garnet rim variation. Mild extraction on the glass with heavy tearing. Nose offers red fruit, such as fresh cherry and raspberry, also muddled blackberry, leather, tobacco, tomato leaf, cured meat, vanilla, and cinnamon notes. Consistent notes on the palate, with mouth-watering acidity and soft tannins. Medium+ finish. Vintage 2011. ABV 14%. #Pergolaia #caiarossa #toscana #winesoftuscany #Italianwinelover #supertuscan #sangioveseblend #winedownwednesday — 6 years ago

with Deked1

Shay A

9.2

Monthly WTF wine group night. Our theme was American oak vs French oak. All wines tasted blind. We started off with two bottles of bubbly and finished with two non-themed reds.

Posting my review from a few months back as my experience was the exact same.

Very ripe and integrated. Full spectrum of red and black fruit, cassis, pipe tobacco and worn saddle leather on the nose. Structure was still very solid with plenty of tannins at the finish to keep this upright. Round on the palate...dark cocoa dusted dates, roasted plum, cardamom and muddled raspberries. Drinking really well but will probably hold in this window for a few years. — 7 years ago

with Jack, Mark and 4 others