Kapyrick Wine

9.5

v12. Don’t know why I still had this, but I lucked out. Delicious! Sharp, fragrant “barrel sample” nose. Fresh, rich, deep black currant, blackberry, cassis and plum fruit. Structured, yet velvety smooth whipped chocolate finish. At peak, very well balanced. — 8 days ago

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9.6

The 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a fragrant, perfumed and classier bouquet than Hudelot-Baillet's Bonnes-Mares: well-defined with clever use of stems. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins. Lovely symmetry and poise build towards a linear yet intense finish. It will require 4-5 years to subsume the oak, but there is great potential, and it has a sense of statesmanlike class. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, October 2024)
— 2 years ago

ESF

9.1

Nifty little wine, Sangiovese dominated in the blend - tasted like a really nice Rosso di Montalcino. Effortless & elegant, beautiful balance of flavors w/dusty cherries & sweet soil, worn leather, tomato leaves, peppery… tannins & acidity in perfect symmetry. — 4 years ago

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10

The 1982 Latour is the most consistent of the First Growths in this auspicious vintage. Tasted from both bottle and magnum in the UK in recent months, this note comes from an ex-château magnum tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux. It exudes class and majesty on the nose with its copious but brilliantly focused black fruit laced with cedar and graphite. To use a phrase I have written before, it is blue-blooded...regal. That comes through on a palate that has a haunting symmetry and a killer finish that is brilliantly defined and audaciously long, graphite lingering on the aftertaste. Quite simply, claret does not come better than this. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 4 years ago

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9.9

The sample of 2019 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande sent to me last year was an absolute show-stopper. The bouquet needs a few minutes to open up, delivering intense black fruit, crushed stone and incense with time in the glass. Yes, the nose does remind me of Latour! The medium-bodied palate is endowed with unerring symmetry and poise. This is a powerful, multi-dimensional Pichon-Lalande, extremely precise, very deep and long. The 60% new oak is seamlessly integrated and feels just right. It reminds me of the 1996 in some ways, but with more finesse on the finish. Stunning. 14.12% alcohol (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2022)
— 4 years ago

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9.1

Deeply alluring with dusty purple-tinged florals, sweet spices and black currants. The 2017 Ripasso is silky with cool-toned textures, further accentuated by vibrant acidity. There’s beautiful symmetry and persistence here, coming across as powerful yet remaining energetic throughout. $22.00 (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2021) — 5 years ago

Vanessa

8.9

Deep ruby hue. Noticeable tearing and extraction. Nose offers intense, round red and black fruit aromas such as black cherry, blackberry, raspberry, plum, and spices such as anise, molasses, nutmeg, with a strong floral undercurrent and delicate peat moss, tobacco, and leather notes. Palate is largely consistent with the nose, offering a medium body, medium tannins, medium+ acidity, and tart but flavorful impact with that hint of spiciness. Definitely worth a breathe after opening to let the intense flavors integrate and settle a bit. Medium finish. Interesting new world take in Cabernet Franc (100%) from Southern Oregon. Vintage 2018. ABV 14%.
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I imagine this may pair well with grilled brats or burgers or pork chops where the fruitiness is a contrasting complement to the savory dish and the smokiness lends some symmetry with similarly intense flavors. Thoughts 💭? — 6 years ago

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Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2018 vintage. Last tasted 04.08.23 (9.5), 12.01.22 from a 375ml (9.5) and upon release 06.07.21 (9.5). Decanted and tasted after 45 minutes. Mysterious, dark-fruited and dusty nose. Medium body with excellent darkness of night color. Previous baby-fat overtures approximately 90% gonzo. Slimming down and getting more toned. In a state of transition with undeniable tension that can easily be misconstrued as underperforming. Last wine I tasted that was under this sort of metamorphosis at this level was the 1996 Pichon-Lalande about 1.5 years ago. Such a privilege to experience world-class wines in such a vulnerable moment. Everything is laid out bare/naked before you and you can see where the wine is headed and whether it will be following a trajectory that agrees with you. Definitely unusual to find this occurring in a wine this youthful but the 21st Century is smashing the old 20th Century clay tablets and digitizing. For most wine enthusiasts sampling this wine now, expecting some disappointment in the scoring. For myself, this is currently in the perfect symmetry of past, present and future. Will it show critically better in the future according to the accepted trials, palates, judges and juries? Probably. Will they experience the potential, doubts, insecurities and questions? Doubtful. This kid stays in this exact picture for another 2-4 years imho before striking another pose and I would love to taste this again during that time frame. An above and beyond thank you to FLB (Friday Lunch Bunch) regular Todd. 08.15.25. — 10 months ago

Vanessa

9.2

Tonight, we’re sipping a delicious Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (2012).

The vineyards of Poggio Antico are situated on some of Montalcino’s highest hills (>1,500 ft elevation), overlooking the beautiful, sun-soaked landscape of Tuscany.

In a warm climate, high altitude sites like this benefit from a comparatively lower air temperature, greater diurnal range (warm days, cool nights), and enhanced solar intensity, particularly when vines are planted on hillsides, angled towards the sun.

These conditions (among others) are important for quality winemaking, for example, the intense sunshine promotes grape ripening (sugar accumulation; development of flavors, tannins, color), while the cooling influences help retain acidity and more delicate aromas in the grapes; they also enable a longer ripening period overall, setting the stage for a well-balanced, concentrated wine.

It was interesting to learn that Poggio Antico vinifies and matures its Sangiovese according to detailed soil units, leveraging what it calls a “geological symphony,” as a significant part of the terroir expression. It later blends (or “harmonizes”) these units with the aim of creating balance and complexity.

As a Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, this wine must be 100% Sangiovese and could not be released from Poggio for at least 5 years from the harvest, during which time it aged for at least 2 years in oak. Poggio exceeded these legal minimums by aging this wine for 4 years, including 3 years in traditional Slavonian oak barrels and one year in bottle.

We paired this wine with a homemade Bolognese. The spices of the sauce lent symmetry to the spice (nutmeg, clove) notes in the wine, which didn’t compete, but, rather, complemented each other. Also, the fat in the ground sirloin (along with the salty parmesan and decade+ of maturing) helped smooth the high tannins of the Sangiovese, enhancing our palates’ experience of other delicious dimensions.

It was molto bene! Cheers! — 3 years ago

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J. Kim

8.9

No question about the complexity and the concentration, but the acid structure is uneven, not enough inner brightness, resulting in a lack of symmetry. — 5 years ago

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9.1

The 2016 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Ca'del Laito boasts a seductive and perfumed bouquet, with notes of brown spice and tobacco blossoming further to show raspberry coulis and a lifting hint of fresh mint. This is quite savory, with silky textures ushering in cool-toned red and black berries and inner herbal tones. Sweet tannins come forward through the long finale, balanced by a concentration of primary fruits, promising years of positive evolution in the cellar. The Ca'del Laito is matured in a combination of 50% third-pass tonneaux and 50% large, 25-hectoliter barrels for 23 months. There’s beautiful symmetry in this gorgeous Ripasso, but don’t expect it to perform like a baby Amarone. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 5 years ago

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9.7

The 2010 Château Margaux performed far better at this horizontal than at Farr's blind tasting a few days later. It has a beguiling bouquet, highly perfumed with crushed violets infusing the blackberry and crushed strawberry scented, hints of pencil box and cedar emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. There is a wonderful sense of symmetry here with a silky elegant finish that is amazingly persistent. It is one of the best wines that Paul Pontallier ever made. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2020)
— 6 years ago

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9.6

The 1990 Lynch-Bages remains the towering Pauillac it has always been, even if Jean-Michel Cazes personally prefers the 1989. It has a riveting, graphite-infused bouquet that is brilliantly defined, very focused and sharp as a razor-blade. Poured directly against the 1990 Lafite-Rothschild, this Fifth Growth beats it hands down. The palate is very well structured; this is an aristocratic Lynch-Bages with impressive grip after 28 years. There is a symmetry underpinning this wine, a sense of energy undiminished by the passing years, that makes this 1990 Lynch-Bages so compelling. Just awesome. Tasted during the Christmas Dinner at Noble Rot restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2019)
— 7 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Quite deep ruby garnet core and medium ruby garnet rim. This is showing more development, with cedar , cigar box , cassis and blackberry richness , aromatic and enticing from the very beginning . On the palate with is well balanced with a good mineral backbone , grafite and blackcurrant hints , really good symmetry and balanced , refreshing acidity , polished fine tannin . Long finish . Showing well now , in a really good spot where this has development on the nose but no lack of fruit of backbone on the palate . Will certainly continue at this level for another 10- 15 years . — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.3

Tonight we opened the 2020 Domaine Labet Lias Les Juvéniles made with Chardonnay grown on blue clay and limestone soils (known as ‘Lias’), hailing from 30-60 year old vines in the lieux-dits of La Pellerine, Le Crêt, Arteau. 🌱

It underwent fermentation with wild yeast followed by 17 months aging on the lees in 228L oak barrels.

The color is a luminescent golden hue. After giving it a swirl, the aromas and flavors are singing!

It offers notes of flint, toast, fresh quince, honeydew, starfruit, yellow apple skin, juicy white peach, lemon peel, white blossom, chamomile, cream, sage, and hazelnut.

On the palate this wine is dry with structural symmetry and textural richness. It is mouth-coating with a long-elegant finish.
— 2 years ago

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9.5

The 2018 Léoville-Poyferré performs similarly to the bottle tasted a few weeks earlier in the UK for my in-bottle round-up, although here I sense more opulence on the nose, perhaps more florality. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, broad and sensual, plummy with that beguiling symmetry on the finish. It needs several years in bottle but it will be well worth the wait. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 4 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Deep red color. Aromas of violets, crushed stone, toasted eucalyptus and red berries. Dark cherry fruit on the pallet with hints of earth, coffee, grilled herbs and spices. Touch of toasted almond and firm tannins on the finish. Fresh and lively. Well balanced with nice symmetry. Though rich and full bodied, there is also an elegance to this wine. — 4 years ago

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9.6

The 2018 Montrose delivers on the promise that it showed from barrel. I gave this a three-hour decant before broaching, since Montrose is always backward, albeit far less ferociously than even just a decade ago. It offers copious blackberry and blueberry scents on the nose, plus pressed violets and a light estuarine scent that becomes accentuated with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky-smooth texture. Finely chiseled tannins frame multilayered black fruit infused with crushed stone, and it has retained that subtle graphite element that lends it a Pauillac-like personality, though less so than out of barrel. This is a beautifully defined Montrose with entrancing symmetry, and it should drink earlier than other recent vintages thanks to a little more pliancy. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2021)
— 5 years ago

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9.6

The 2018 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru has an intense bouquet of black fruit with veins of blueberry, infused with crushed rock and rose petal. Full of tension, this is classic Ruchottes. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, and lightly spiced, displaying an unerring sense of symmetry toward the saline finish. It needs bottle age to fully knit together, and whether it will surpass the 2019 we will have to see. Still, this is a superb Ruchottes that will evolve over 20–30 years. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2020)
— 6 years ago

J. Kim

9.2

More forceful but remains in scale and maintains wonderful symmetry. He seems like a master of restraint and refinement. — 6 years ago