Penner Ash
Venge Vineyards
Bone Ash Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
The epitome of smooth and majestic.
Not easy to find on the secondary market, but worth securing a bottle at the right price. Notes of mocha and espresso on the nose and mid-palate segue to polished tannins and moderate acidity. The capstone is a nice balanced weight and mouthfeel. Never disappointed with this botting. — 6 months ago
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Etna Bianco Carricante Blend
Floral lemon custard with ash — 5 years ago
Penner-Ash
Pas de Nom Pinot Noir 2014
Earth, sweet cherries, dash of herbs and baking spice. Not a bad wine, drink now. — 6 years ago
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1985
Still going strong at 34 yrs showing black & red berry fruits, cassis that has an elegant, polished feel with cedar, leather, mocha, licorice & cigar ash. Well stored btls have many years left. — 7 years ago
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1966
Always a great La Mish experience drinking their 66. This was in perfect condition drinking half its age showing red & black fruit, smoke, cedar, leather, sweet savory spices with cigar ash & tobacco — 5 months ago
Penner-Ash
Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir 2022
Full bodied with raspberry cherry notes and nice finish — 7 months ago
Jones Family Vineyard
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
I have posted a number of older vintage Jones Family Cabernets. Many 20 yrs and older. Three to four 97’s…none better than this one. I give few wines a score above 96. This is different. It is so close to perfect. Some might give it a 100. I struggle to give a wine a perfect 100. I have only done it 4 times in an estimated 25k wines tasted or bottles I’ve enjoyed. One was a port made before 1886 and tasted in Oporto at Taylor Fladgate’s tasting room in 2015, it was their Scion. Only sold there and at the time 5k at bottle. You end up there purchase the Scion taste regardless of the current cost. They put on a tasting show for you. I am half tempted here to give out a 100 but will refrain.
I am not sure what to add to that but will attempt to do so.
The nose is a beautiful, perfectly evolved Napa Cabernet. Nothing overpowers any of its singular components. I think the word I am looking for is harmony. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best, mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a flutter note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue & framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets.
The palate wire to wire is even & stupidly, gloriously, grand. It mirrors the nose very closely. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box w/ some light palate heat, best I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, kirsch not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, beautifully layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, caramel, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco w/ a hint is ash, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, dry, crushed rock powder, dry top soil, crushed limestone powder, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a fluttering note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets, perfect, rainfall acidity, extremely well balanced, even & subtle tension-structure that stands up on the long set, refined elegance with a finish that goes on and on and eventually lands on spice & beautiful, refined earthiness.
What a bottle! 98 that leans into 99. I paid somewhere between $80-$90 on the secondary market for this bottle. — 7 months ago
Château Cantemerle
Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2004
Second time I’ve had Cantemerle, this time the 2004. I think this was a great choice and I found this one a bit more refined and mature than the 05 which is probably a few years from fully settling down. This one has plenty of cassis, vanilla and wood on the nose. The palate is smooth with a medium finish that is very nicely balanced. I would describe this as a masculine wine, with leather, tobacco and ash blending with the fruit, it is not floral or overly delicate. Probably approaching it’s peak but visually no real significant signs of ageing. Worth a try if you have the chance. — 6 years ago
Château Pontet-Canet
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996
I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.
This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.
The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.
The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.
A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.
This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.
ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 5 months ago
Penner-Ash
Zena Crown Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir 2015
Last bottle of 15, still dark fruit, great berries, cherry, black and Razz. Great spice wish we had more!!! — 4 years ago
Penner-Ash
Hyland Vineyard McMinnville Pinot Noir 2017
Still young took 45 minutes to open Up, deep spice, earth tones and dark fruit!! Couple more years be wonderful!!! — 5 years ago
Penner-Ash
Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015
[Tasted on June 19, 2020 at Home]
Purchased wine at winery during visit in October 2017. Pomegranate and tart cherry, with notes of tea, clove and spice. — 6 years ago
Hayden Hamilton
Very easy to like. Not one of the big hot years I love (2006, 2009, 2015) but not a Burgundian 2007 either. — 3 months ago