Reviews

Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Gorgeous, nose-filling aromas of dark stone fruits, pie spice, vanilla and subtle toast. Delicious flavors of cherry, raspberry, pie spices and vanilla with a subtle savory note in the background. Bright and seamless, with a sturdy finish of welcome length. A real charmer. 

Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. The aromas of black cherry, earthy flora, leather and toasty oak blend together nicely. Tasty flavors of black cherry, black raspberry and blackberry energize the attack and mid palate, persisting on the finish with lip-smacking goodness. A well-crafted wine with married tannins, deft oak integration and overall joy.

A new offering from the Sonoma-based producer meant to recall the estate’s original founding in the Napa Valley, this wine sources from across that appellation and impresses right away in its succulent and soft approach to the variety. With a backbone of cassis and vanilla, it’s expansive and lengthy, velvety in texture and very satisfying. 

Powerfully extracted, this needs long exposure to air before the hard edges relent, moving from mineral oil, heat and black tannins to a smoother, softer feel. The texture becomes round and lush, while the mineral notes in the tannins keep it to an elegant line.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru was missing some complexity on the nose compared to the Bonnes-Mares from Bruno Clair, with sweet red cherries and a touch of kirsch. Yet it needs to show more mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe red cherries and strawberry and showing quite a lot of structure towards the finish that grips the palate. I would just like more persistence to show through here. Tasted September 2016.

The surreal packaging of this wine with its baroque bottle and kissing heads suggest something very unique. Indeed. It shows balance and pleasure with black currant, spice and cedar undertones. Give it three or four years and see the love.

Presenting an authoritative message, this is a dense, muscular, extracted Cabernet loaded with dark berry, graphite, crushed rock and tobacco notes, cloaked in chewy, detailed tannins and ending with a long, full finish. 

“The crisp nose conjures up shades of green: meadow and fresh apple peel, fresh foliage and lime, but also has some honey and oatmeal. The palate remains crisp but has a toned lithe note of pure lemon that sings. This is taut, shows backbone and rounds itself out wonderfully on the palate, finishing with harmonious note of apple and shortbread.” – A.K. 

The standout among all the Bourgogne rouge we tasted for this issue, this smells like Burgundy ("Tart and stinky," said Sarah Looper of SevenFifty.com. Burgundy needs to stink. It shouldn't smell like the buxom fruit of California.") It's a blend focoused on clay soils, from two parcels in Gilly-lès-Citeaux (east of the D974, near Vougeot and Chambolle), and two parcels in Beaune (one-quarter of the blend comes from Montèe Rouge, where the vines date to the early 1950s). Harmonious, red fruited, with bright sour cherry flavors, delicate herb flavor tannins and meaty notes, this is soft on acidity in the end, even as the aroma draws you back for another sip.