This small Calistoga producer falls largely under the radar. I am thankful. The 12 vintage brings such fruit. However, this 12 Sisters rides the fence of 12 & 13. Shows dark currents, concreted mouthfeel in addition to its ripe, rich opulence.
The nose ascends with rich dark, purple, blue fruits, dark spice, violets framed in lavender for days.
The palate is ripe, ruby, lush, concentrated fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, boysenberries, very dark cherries, creamy raspberries, in & out strawberries & blueberries. Big, heated, dark spice-box, round, meaty, sweet tannins cigar ash, led pencil, tarriness, anise, moist, fresh tobacco, black licorice & cola, dark, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanilla, rich soil w/ dry leaves, dry, crush rocks/limestone, dry herbs-bay leaves, sage, parsley, notes of eucalyptus bark shavings, tree bark w/ hints of sap, touch of black sandalwood to barrel shavings, pepper, moist, volcanic clay, fresh & withering; dark, purple, red, blue floral bouquet framed in violets & lavender, excellent acidity with a lush, rich, big, round & meaty structure, still shows great tension, well balanced with endless polish & finish. 10 years of life ahead…properly stored. Wine post 4,600.
Such a deal at the Benchmark Bin Sale. @Paul T- Huntington Beach if you find any of this, just tell me about em, don’t buy em. 😂🤥 — a year ago
Another night, another insane Krug. Tessa’s palate has certainly been calibrated for this because the blind was instantly untangled by her - this is Krug… 02’ perhaps? Boom! Thanks for sharing this, Toni. Typical Krug opulence, yet so energetic. Just starting to mature, it combined ripeness, great structure, and phenolic grip, with deep mineral drive and acidity. Just hitting it’s stride, but I reckon it still has a long way to go. Love it! — 2 years ago
Nose: Bordeaux plus lilacs.
Palate : sweet fruit. Crushable. Hint vegetal. Not opulent on opulent on open. With air more serious. — 2 months ago
Lambert’s high end Chardonnay and wow what a wine in 21. Nose is nutty, mineral, green apple and pear. Ouille style so zero ox. So aromatic and focused. Some wood shavings and a hint of spice. Palate is super focused with tons of angles and green apple skins and some flesh but not much. Juicy and incisive. Really long and just the right amount of flesh. Great energy and high acids. So compact and lean but also has a hint of opulence that keeps you wanting one more sip. Very complex and wow this will wake you up in the morning with its intense acidity and minerality. Let’s see what air does. So clean and astonishingly pure.
With some air this got more fleshy, more acidic and more concentrated with a complex clearly defined saline note. Puligny look alike. — a year ago
Glorious and elegant. In am amazing spot. More later.
Nose is granite and flowers. Hit of opulence. White pepper blizzard. So stunning. Some olive and bacon. So integrated and expansive. Palate is elegant and juicy. Sappy and clean. So gorgeous and pure. Really resolved and one of the first 15’s I’ve had that’s in secondary land. It’s so beautiful. Awesome freshness and energy. Great granitic intensity. 9.4 to 9.5 overnight. Wow. Gorgeous meatiness to it now. Nose has stunning olives. Wow wine. — 2 years ago
Day 2 notes. Mineral and tropical nose. Sea salt and an airiness. So elegant. Juicy palate with razor sharp acidity and a wonderful opulence in the mid palate. Awesome purely. Like a Riesling drop (riffing off of gum drop.) Long. Just wonderful. Flavors of pink grapefruit, peach and apricot. So clear. — a year ago
The 2020 Gabbro is gorgeous. Montepeloso's bold Cabernet Sauvignon delivers tons of varietal character and savory intensity with less opulence than in most years. Dark fruit leather, licorice, smoke, tobacco and incense build into the somber finish. Here, too, the tannins are bruising. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, August 2023)
— a year ago
Great wine. Nose of ripe apple, wild mint, some ML aromas and gorgeous pear. So pure and refined. Wow such great acidity and sweet, ripe Chardonnay fruit and gorgeously defined minerality and ample opulence in the mid palate. So juicy and energetic and finishes salty. Deceptively long finish. — 2 years ago
"Odedi"
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.
Light nose of cedar, blueberries, black currants, coffee and chocolates.
Full-bodied with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing red and black fruits with cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, chocolates, diet cola, herbs and black tea.
Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 5 year old Napa Cabernet is drinking very nicely now. Bold and fruit forward.
Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better after 90 minutes of airtime.
A nice sipping wine.
91 points. — a day ago