Maya

Blue fruit galore, slight fig, tobacco, coffee, chocolate, licorice.

@Tom Garland : Well, hmm. Opened alongside a ‘95 Pichon LaLande and this left us scratching our heads.

Tried a glass at pop…uber locked up. Revisited after an hour in the decanter…improved. After two hours, it finally came alive. Needing some oxygen, this became a beautiful display of potpurri and dark floral notes…so perfumed. It fleshed out to show a sweeter espresso, dark cocoa, and ripe black fruit aromatically. Elegant and refined on the palate, with red and black berry fruit, spice, mineral/graphite and a savory truffle flair. Fine yet undeniable tannin at the finish. Undoubtedly still young, to my surprise. This may need another 5-7yrs to really get going, but I’m honestly not sure. From the few Maya wines I’ve had (including the ‘11 not too long ago), I expected fireworks. Odd.

What a nose. Gorgeous soft red fruit. Plush and plummy with violets, black cherry. Very right bank bordeaux. Medium bodied, lovely balance. Length but quite subtle. Very good.

Dark fruit, some roasted plum, deep gnarly fruit. Characterful and intense. Fun.

This is in a great place. Still young, it’s packed with dark fruit, high toned cab franc, with pepper and lovely body fruit. Great stuff and years ahead.

Last week was a combo of 4th Friday and Open That Bottle Night on back to back nights. Needless to say, the lineup between both days was full of heavy hitters, so I’m only posting standout bottles.

This is one of the greatest California wines I’ve ever had, and may be the best aged California wine I’ve ever experienced. This is flat out jaw dropping. In fact, it tied the ‘82 Margaux for WOTN. Seductive floral aromatics with lots of dried flowers, baking spices and lots of herbal notes courtesy of the cab franc. So perfumed. Wonderfully integrated on the palate with supreme balance. Beautifully rich and pure fruit...nothing stewed/overripe or even tired. Mostly on the red and black fruit spectrum, nutmeg, cedar, peppercorn, potpourri, espresso and fresh fig. This is legendary type stuff. Is this at peak?

An exceptional bottle. Dark, fresh, funky and profound. Deep pure fruit with a hint of animal, some dried herb and fresh mint. Complex, seductive but still really deep. Wow stuff. One of the best 759’s I’ve had of this.,

Dark ruby red with garnet edges. Rich nose with dark currants, baking spices and a touch of damp earthiness. Full bodied and medium plus tannins (7.5/10). High acidity with flavors of dark berries, dark spices, cinnamon and a touch of vanilla. Tons of structure with a long finish. Drink till 2028+.

This is an absolutely killer bottle. Deep brooding blue fruit, still fresh and vivid with a bloody undertow and floral notes of violet, soft leather and black cherry. Really luscious but savory. Secondary notes are coming in but there’s no signs of fading fruit and nothing here is forced or confected. As good a US 1990 as I’ve tasted and superior to all but the very best Bordeaux- and with them it’s amongst equals

Very tertiary with some residual oak hanging around. Napa CF based wines always really highlight the savory/spice elements that the terroir brings with age. At this point in its life it’s really showing some OW character wrapped around that core of sweet red fruit and oak.