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In Excelsis: Château Latour 1887 – 2010 (Jul 2018)

The 1996 Latour is a wine that I often find overrated and did not achieve everything that might have been possible in this favourable growing season. That said, this might well be the best of around two dozen bottles I have encountered over the years. As usual, the 1996 is decidedly austere at first, standoffish,…

1998, 1997 and 1996 Bordeaux (May 1999)

Saturated ruby-red. Dark berries, violet, licorice and a note of torrefaction. Explosive, pure flavors are almost too big for the mouth. Finishes with big, sweet tannins and expanding, exhilarating flavors of pruneaux and crystallized dark berries. Perfectly integrated oak. A great Latour.

Life on the Margin: Chablis 2019/2020 (Oct 2021)

The 2020 Chablis Village comes from 50 different plots around 50 years old, the majority planted at the end of the 1960s. The simple but well-defined bouquet of Granny Smith apples is light and airy. The palate is crisp and taut with citrus lemon and saline notes. Very citric on the finish, and not long,…

The 2019 Napa Valley Cabernets: A Deep Dive (Jan 2022)

The 2018 Promontory is another riveting wine from the Harlan family and winemaker David Cilli. It has been nothing short of spectacular in two recent tastings. “What is a 100-point wine?” I am often asked. Well, it is a wine that is complete, where nothing sticks out, and where all the elements are in perfect…

Napa Valley: The Frantic 2020s & Stunning 2021s (Feb 2023)

The 2018 Promontory is as phenomenal as it has always been, but it, too is going through a period of reticence. This dark, brooding Cabernet is packed with character. Time in the glass brings out striking inner perfume and sweetness. There is a feeling of stark minimalism in the 2018 that I find compelling. Constantly…

Napa Valley Trilogy: 2014, 2015 & 2016 (Dec 2016)

The 2013 Promontory was utterly spellbinding when I tasted it last year. Since then, it has totally shut down after its recent bottling. Beams of mountain tannin and salinity give the wine its vibrancy, energy and pure mineral-driven intensity. Graphite, leather, game, smoke and dark stone fruit overtones start to take shape, but the 2013…