Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1998 vintage. Cork a little dry near the bottom so called out the Durand for a rescue. Less meniscus than expected. Dusty, earthy nose. Medium body. Heaps of allspice/sandalwood, prunes and baking chocolate hovering about in the medicinal/oily nose and (mostly) in the flavor profile. Ridiculously reminiscent of an aged (‘80’s-‘90’s) Branaire-Ducru St. Julien BDX. So much so that, if blind tasting, that is the guess. This is gliding along. No highs or lows to navigate currently. Not a showstopper by any means but one helluva ringer in a blind tasting. Some bretty influences here and there but nothing warranting a red card/dq. Picked up slightly more body and a noticeable cinnamon/clove note on the finish after being open for an hour. Also...some muddiness along with a sudden frontal-palate richness (at the 1.5 hours open mark) reminiscent of Petit Verdot involvement/influence. WTF?!?! Bring it! 4.21.24. — 3 days ago

Dan R

9.0

Here's a pretty Loire SB, very mineral driven, chalky, PF / Sancerre like, with a smoky edge and nice verve on the finish. Nice fruit / acid balance here, with just enough ripeness in the latter, with a lime / passionfruit / tart green apple character. Just excellent and another ringer from the great value regions of the upper Loire - though not for long. — 3 years ago

Evan Bienstock

9.3

Wow. The nose is a dead ringer for Cornas. And then the palate totally delivers also. Not quite as rich and dense as an equally young N. Rhône, but man is this amazing. Fresh and light but complex and interesting. A real pleasure. I was stunned. — 4 years ago

Shawn Drenning

9.2

Really enjoyed this. One of the few times could actually taste the things in the tasting notes (lots of cherry here). Very fruit forward, but not sweet, decanted for an hour plus — 2 months ago

Juan Pablo Perez

8.9

Nariz: cereza, frambuesa, algo de ciruela, fósforos, tierra

Boca: Tanino M, Acidez M, Alcohol M.

Buen “ringer”. — 2 years ago

Robert Rothfield

9.1

Amazing qpr and a dead ringer for a village wine — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Dark ruby with purple tints. Dark cherry and foresty aromas combined with earth and stalks. Good extraction but not overly so - medium ++ intensity verging on profound intensity. I am a long time fan of Bass Phillip who are based in Gippsland - this wine is from Gippsland made by gifted young winemaker, William Downie This is a very good new world Pinot Noir - easily of Premier Cru standard. Still with more complexity to give with 4 to 6 more years cellaring. The following night - a dead ringer for Bass Phillip Premium with those earthy dark cherry aromas and that delicious sappy palate of M+ Intensity. Wonderful. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Again, these are love it or hate it style wines, and I fall on the “love it” side every single time. This was part of a blind lineup for “Rhône style wines”. These wines are a bit difficult not to identify in a blind lineup due to their distinctive aromatics.

My note here is pretty similar to the 2011 I opened a year and a half ago. In true to Christophe Baron style, this is a savory packed punch wrapped in elegance. Aromatically, it’s a heady display of soy, teriyaki, green olive, peppercorn crusted smoked meats, currant and spicy rhubarb. At 10yrs, the palate is almost a dead ringer for high end northern Rhône Syrah. The savory/iron driven components from the nose continue but there is great acid followed by stems, herbs de Provence and lots of wildflowers/potpourri for a floral finish. I found the 2011 to have a lighter/more floral profile, but this one certainly has more stuffing and aging potential. This seems to just now be entering a peak drinking window.

Also in the lineup was a 2014 Hors Categorie (also from Christophe Baron), and I found the 2012 HP to taste younger, while the 2014 HC had a bit more heft in the mid-palate. Love both. — 2 years ago

Gregory Fulchiero

9.2

Dead ringer for Willamette Pinot... if not even more reductive and old world. So much has been said about this producer. I get it. Young at 2018 but I get it. This is built for short and mid term drinking. Pop this bottle and make friends. — 3 years ago

Big Wave Dave

9.2

Dark and luminous. On the nose, this is a dead ringer for a big Gibbston Valley pinot. Red and black fruit, cherry, but the spice is the overriding trait. A very spicy cherry character with lovely silky mouthfeel. Broad but a little less structured and a bit shorter than a Valli or Gibbston Valley, but at $52, much better value. — 4 years ago

with Racquel