Got this on closeout from a local distributor for $4/btl wholesale; original retail is $100. Needless to say, I bought a whole case for myself, and I am successfully retailing the remaining 44 bottles otherwise for $23.99 for $20/btl in profit for my retail store. A deal for me, the consumer, and apparently the distributor.
Agglomerated cork, so no risk of TCA taint which is a huge plus. On first whiff, nose is very primary and very California ,straight blueberry, almost exactly like the jam my in-laws gift me at the holidays. Some digging rewards you with blackberry, cedar and that classic Rutherford dust.
Palate is ripe with primary flavors, black and blue fruit, a touch of tobacco, and extremely fine tannins. Decanting for 2 hours actually made the wine worse; I’m not quite sure what’s with it, but it came out more acidic, less full-bodied, a bit limp.
Finish is full of those chalky, dusty, fine tannins, easy-drinking straight out of the bottle right now— “smooth AF”, if you will.
This wine is beautifully vibrant and showing stupendously at only 6-7 years old. I would drink now and only hold for maybe 1-3 years more, max.
92 points, if you care about that sort of thing.
by Captainaddy44