Reviews

Super-ripe black cherry, crème de cassis, sweet French oak, graphite, licorice and mint infuse Jean-Charles Boisset's 2015 Knockout. Powerful and ample, with considerable aromatic nuance, the 2015 has a lot going on. It will be even better in a few years, once the tannins soften.

The 2015 No. 10 is one of the more polished wines in the range. The No. 10 isn't quite as flamboyant as some other wines in the range, but it more than makes up for that with its persistence and shapely feel. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate and bright floral notes are some of the signatures.

Sweet dark cherry, plum, chocolate, espresso, lavender, cloves and licorice all run through the 2015 Generations. Ample and flamboyant, with silky, plush tannins, the 2015 will be easy to drink and enjoy pretty much upon release. Most of the fruit is sourced from a vineyard in St. Helena.

Raymond's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena emerges from a vineyard on the southern edge of town, where the wines tend to be radiant and flashy. That is exactly what comes through here. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice and new leather all flesh out in this voluptuous, racy Cabernet Sauvignon. This is one of the better wines in the range. Silky tannins add to the wine's considerable appeal. The 2015 finished with enough substance to suggest it will drink well for many years to come.

The 2015 No. 1 is dark, plush and inviting. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha and sweet spice all flesh out in this racy, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon from Jean-Charles Boisset.

The 2015 Leopard is a deep, powerful wine laced with the essence of sweet red cherry, pomegranate, licorice, white chocolate, spice and new leather. Pliant and unctuous, but with plenty of tannic clout, the 2015 has much to recommend it.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a tasty entry-level offering from Raymond Vineyards. I would prefer to drink it sooner rather than later, while the red and purplish berry fruit remains vibrant.

Laced with violet and black currant aromas and flavors, this is silky and elegant. A firm backbone of acidity and tannins lends support and spice. Mineral and smoke accents emerge on the finish. The aftertaste goes on and on.

Already showing notes of game and decaying fruit, in the best sense, this delivers macerated cherry, plum, animal, licorice and woodsy flavors. Stony and chalky on the finish, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit, licorice, earth and chalky mineral. 

Grégory Patriat makes the wines at this negociant firm, and a number of his 2015s are remarkable, including this selection from a grand cru on the Gevrey side of Morey-St-Denis. Treated to 100 percent new oak, this vintage took it in and returned a wine with floral refinement, the oak turning its power toward elegance. The fruit reaches a near-tropical ripeness, edged in herbal notes, somehow feeling zesty and cool. The contrast is fascinating, sustained over the course of several days, predicting a complex evolution ahead.