Another one...

Could have stuck around for the '03 Phelps Backus, but chose to come home instead... did have the 1999 Chateau Latour, however. What a beautiful wine!!! I'd forgotten how good this wine is... of course, I should note that Latour is certainly one of my favorite Chateau in the world... lots of black currant, game, leather, tobacco, cigar box, dusty dried leaves, black plum, cocoa and a long, long, long finish. A great 1999 and accessible at this time.

California Dreaming...

Some nice California wines the last few days... 2001 Harlan Maiden is youthful - baked anise, black plum and dare I say it??? Somewhat of a finesse wine(!)- clearly a Harlan Estate wine and a different breed than the 2003 Bond Melbury, which is black fruit, but less refined, more fruit-driven and intense. Bold flavors here. The 2003 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon is the same as it has been, though the deep, dark dusty plum notes are most welcome. Nice, nice, nice.

A completely different wine and style... the 2001 Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti Romaneé St.-Vivant Morey Monge was one of my favorite RSV's I've ever tried... lovely, earth and bright red fruit spiced nose, with wonderful length and class on the palate. Truly a great wine and is drinking well now... I've said it many, may times now... the 2001s are great, terroir-driven bottles of wine. They do not have the structure to age effortlessly like the 2005s, 1999s, and 1990s. An awesome, awesome bottle...

Best of the Year (so far...)

So, it's time to recap my favorite wines I've tasted/drank this year so far...

Bordeaux - 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1955 Chateau Haut-Brion, 1990 Chateau Latour, 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1988 Chateau Le Pin, 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, 1996 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

Burgundy (red & white)- 1989 Remoissenent Gevery-Chambertin "Cazetieres" Premier Cru, 1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne, 2002 Bonneau de Martray Corton-Charlemagne, 2006 Louis Latour Batard-Montrachet, 1983 Faiveley "Clos des Myglands" Mercury

Rhone - 2000 Guigal Cote-Rotie La Mouline, 2001 Chapoutier Les Granits St. Joseph Rouge, 1999 Delas La Landonne Cote-Rotie, 1999 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote-Rotie, 1998 Chapoutier Hermitage "Le Meal" Blanc

Other White - 1976 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese, 1983 Bischofliches Konvikt Piesporter Goldtropchen Riesling Spatlese, 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederick Emile Riesling, 2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex Blanc Fume de Pouilly

Champagne - 1992 Krug Clos du Mesnil, 1990 Krug, Krug Rose MV

Spain/Italy - 2004 Tignanello, 1995 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo, 1998 Alvaio Palacios L'Ermita Priorato, 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, 2001 Gaja Sperss

California/ Australia/ Chile/ NZ- 1999 Clos Apalta, 2004 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2004 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah, 2005 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah, 2005 DuMol Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir (RRV), 2000 Penfold's Grange, 2005 Blackbird Merlot, 2003 Harlan Estate, 2004 Penfold's Kalimna Block 42 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Sweet/ Port - 1975 Chateau Suduiraut, 1999 Tirecul Cuvee Madame Monbazillac, 1937 Quinta da Noval Colheita (2000)

Here comes another one...

just like the other one... another great night last night... The 1994 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (two bottles) was nice... a bit herbaceous, which suprised me from this vintage. Still some lovely black fruit, black plum, eucalyptus and dusty earth. Nice, but if you have some - drink up. The 2006 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio (for those that think I don't ever taste Pinot Grigio...) is fruity, balanced, and a nice sip. The 2006 J Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley is fat, ripe, and round with lovely tropical fruit. Nice finish on this one too. The 2002 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes is at the extreme end of Pinot Gris... super fat, off-dry - almost sweet baked apple pie, apricots, Asian spices and a long, powerful finish. Some like Olivier Humbrecht's approach to the classical Alsacian varietals, others say he is crazy... He is the Dagueneau and Raveneau of Alsace - makes terroir-driven, expressive, extracted, long-aging wines. I like them, even if he does not make "typical" wine. There - three Pinot Grigio/Gris!

On to the meat... unfortunately, had a terribly corked bottle of 1979 Chateau Cheval-Blanc... no fun on this one... tried it a few hours later to see if the TCA had blown off - nope, only worse... oh well. The 1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel was all that it should be from this ripe, new-world styled vintage. Lots of toasty oak still prevalent on this bottle, but lovely black plums and black currant, dark chocolate, and a classic Cos d'Estournel herbaceousness on the finish. Very long wine as well... nice stuff. Tasted next to it was the 1996 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. This is still a baby, but is open and enjoyable right out of the bottle.... its sibling, the 1995, is still very tight and closed. Which will be the better wine? Who knows, but I still think the 1995 will be a longer lived wine. Tons of graphite, cassis, leather, toasty oak, black currants and a long, long cedary-spice box finish. Nice. The 1993 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg has a beautiful nose!!! What elegance, power and depth right in the glass... red cherries, beetroot, cranberry and exotic spice box... this is definitely a food wine however, as the high acid needs food to bring balance back to the wine. Good? Yes. A great Richebourg? No. With food? Potentially... For me, the wine of the night was the 1990 Krug. Sugar and spice and all things nice on this one... lovely baking spices, autalysis, ripe golden apples... this has become tight and closed as it begins to enter a level of maturity. The bubbles are starting to shy away on this one, bringing so much to the surface. I think this is the better wine of the 90/96, with both still needing a long, long time to come out... amazing amount on minerality on this wine. Love the slightly oxidized note on vintage Krug. Certainly a benchmark wine and one of the great Champagnes ever produced.

A Classic Pair...

Not food and wine, but wine and wine... Two of the great bottles of my life came yesterday... Both of which I have tasted before, but neither had ever been like this... The 1982 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, tasted half a dozen times before, was at its most aromatic opulence... dusty, cedary, cigar box, spice box, leather, dried leaves, mushroom - all on the nose. The palate was a fruit wonderland, balancing out the tremendous earth that can only be Lafite. Latour is power... Mouton is graphite and black plums... Lafite is the lady... she is pure elegance. The 70+ second finish on this still evolving wine is stunning... I tasted this several times over the course of 3 hours and the wine continued to improve each time. First, it was earth. Then it was fruit and tannin... finally... it was a glorious combination. Stunning bottle, really... more aromatic and complete than the others I've tried. I didn't want to taste anything else after this, but then... an amazing bottle of 1955 Chateau Haut-Brion appeared. I opened - cork in one piece, completely soaked through, somewhat soft, but still firm. Stamped correctly, etc. I poured it into a glass... orange/brown rim going towards a ruby red center... beautiful. The wine is still youthful. The nose on this was a bit muted compared to the other bottles of this I've had, but the palate was special. Cassis with the wonderful bacon-fat, stony/rocky minerals that I expect from this wine. A long, long, long finish... the wine is still young! The best 55 HB? Doubtful, but certainly #2...

Celebration!!!

Lots to be thankful for in the last little white (sorry about not writing... had more important things to attend to...) Had some great wines in the last little bit though with all the celebrating going on... First, Perrier Jouet NV Brut... clean, crisp, slightly toasty - everything you could want in a NV Brut... but my favorite (other than Krug...) is Bollinger NV which was rich, full and clean. Not as evolved as some bottles I've had of this, but very lovely with anise, orange blossom and baked apples. Nice stuff... the 2005 Alex Gambal Bourgogne Blanc continues to impress... see earlier notes. The 2005 Emeritus Pinot Noir is again, to me, the best value Pinot Noir in the US. Done. The 1989 Chateau Talbot was a beauty!!! Lots of cedary game, leather, bright red cherry, a hint of mint... nice, nice stuff here. The 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling is amazing... so lemony - this is still so tightly wound, it will take a decade to come out. It was still openening 2 days later!!! Lemon minerals. The 2001 Livernano is a great bottle - full of black currants, dusty black truffle, mushrooms, stewed cranberries and cocoa beans. Long, long finish. Did not care for the 1999 Remoissenet Clos Vougeot... now, I'll admit that I've never been the biggest Clos Vougeot fan - I just don't get the elegance out of the vineyard that I feel I should with Pinot Noir... every so often I'm blown away by one, but mostly not so much...

Tried two great California Cabs next to each other last night... first was the 2003 Shafer Hillside Select. I've had this quite a few times now and the wine is shutting down slightly... notes of black currant, licorice, dusty earth, black plum and full of power. A beauty... not as appealing as the youthful and bright 2005 Scarecrow, however. This wine was a baked blackberry pie with black raspberries, cinnamon, black currant, bright black cherry and nutmeg. Massive tannins, but ripe and full. A bit hot, though this should meld in time. Don't drink for another year.

Plethora...

not a lack of things I tasted this week...

2004 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon is spicy as always... nice wine, not great though... the 2003 Stags Leap Wine Cellars "Fay" Cabernet Sauvignon has the most inviting nose... beautiful black currant with hints of cedary dust. Nice stuff. The 2004 Tignanello continues to blow me away... I have tasted every vintage made of this wine and I think this is the best one to date. The 2004 Flor de Pingus is coffee, mocha and a whole lot of goodness... awesome stuff, and to imagine Pingus is even better... The 2005 Pahlmeyer (I think it was 05...) Pinot Noir is big, powerful, and a bit overdone on the alcohol. Good wine, but not tremendous. Our last bottle.

Dessert for dinner...

Had some awesome sweet wines yesterday... the 1977 Barros Colheita Port was good, but not mind-blowing, like the 1937 Quinta da Noval Colheita - which is one of the great ports I've ever tasted in my life (and I try it about once a week, I just rarely write about it...) so long... Also tried the 1920 Favilia Viera Malvasia Madeira, which is awesome, but see earlier tasting notes. The 2005 Royal Tokaji Wine Company 5 Puttonyas Tokaji is nice - oxidized and sweet caramel cherries. The two star sweet wines were the 1998 Domaine Bott-Geyl Grand Cru Sonnenglanz Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive was awesome... sweet lychee, spice box, citrus rind, orange blossom, honeycomb, and ginger. Long, long, long finish. But, not as great as the 1999 Tirecul Cuvee Madame Monbazillac which I have written about many times before and continue to laud as one of the great sweet wines in the world... see previous tasting notes as this is still the best.

Two dry wines last night as well... the 2002 Araujo "Eisele Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc was a point... So beautiful, spicy, creamy and citrusy with sharp acid. Nicely balanced... reminds me of the great Caymus Sauvignon Blancs of the 90's... The 2004 Domaine de la Janesse Vieilles Vignes Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a big, sweet, ripe wine. Awesome... starting to open up a bit and revealing more oak and earth notes, balanced by hot, sweet bing cherry and broken dried twigs.

Long week...

2003 Pahlmeyer Red Blend was good - huge bottle of wine - massive tannins, loads of graphite, black currant, broken pencil, and a nice dustiness. Not my style... The 2006 Ken Wright Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir rocks... a wonderful strawberry "prickle" on the palate, beautiful, sweet fruit nose. Awesome stuff... 2004 Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot is tight, closed and full of cocoa spice... 2004 Duckhorn Estate Merlot is downright awesome. Silky smooth texture, loads of cocoa bean, lush ripe black cherry, red currant - great wine!

It's Alive!!!

Two great wines last night... first was the 1983 Faiveley "Clos des Myglands" Mercury... this wine should have been dead long ago, but it was beautiful! A wonderful underbrush and funk. Awesome stuff, with a bit of cherry fruit still left. Still stunned it was this good... but, as good as it was, it wasn't even close to the 2001 Gaja Sperss... one of my all-time favorite Gaja's (and it's not even begun to age yet!), this "Barolo" from Serralunga d'Alba is powerful, hedonistic Barolo... Dried saddle leather, bright sweet cranberries, violets, underbrush, dried plums... a stunning example of this wine... the texture is what gets me though. Like a great Musigny... the silky smooth texture just coats your palate... amazing, amazing wine.

Last week was the 2005 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon - which, as usual, was really good - but not as good as the 2003 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon which just overpowered it (!!!)... See several previous tasting notes on the 03 Hillside. The 2002 Bonneau de Martray Corton-Charlemagne was fabulous... honeysuckle, hazelnuts, and liquid Granny Smith apples... still a baby with tons of minerals... needs to come together a bit more, but the wine rocks.

Also tried the 1999 Chateau Pontet-Canet and was happier with this bottle than the last one. Good, but not great. The 1995 Domaine Louis Latour Corton-Grancy rocks... a bit tighter and more tannic than the 1996, this shows beautiful underbrush, bright ripe cherry, strawberry and raspberry. Still a while to go on this one. Great texture...

Muller...

Egon Muller... and his 2002 Scharzhofberger Kabinett... stunning stuff. Egon is the stuff of legend and even at the "basic" kabinett, the wine is rich, oily, and full on length with amazing balance... killer wine.

The Name is Bond...

Two bottles of the 2003 Bond Vecina tasted the same... loads of anise, black plum, black currant and a nice dustiness. This wine has finally blossomed...

V

Mouton's seem to be falling out of the sky lately... the 1988 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was faily light, but still the classis graphite & cocoa bean nose. Not very intense, certainly more to the elegant side. A bit tannic? While it had the typical Mouton notes, the power was not there - but clearly from the 1988 vintage. The 1999 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Beze had finally opened and was an incredible wine... lovely clove and earth with exotic spices - lovely cherry and wild strawberry fruit as well.

Stellar Lineup...

A nice lineup last night... the Krug Rose MV (more recent bottling) is so beautiful... strawberry, toasted brioche, anise and hay on a long, clean, crisp finish. I do think that the Rose is the least appealing of Krug Champagnes, if only because their other wines set the bar so high, and whereas I have a hard time finding a better Champagne than their Vintage, Multi-Vintage and single-vineyard offerings, I can name a few other Roses that I think are better than this... The color is lighter than most Roses (which has been my experience with this wine over time). Still, an awesome bottle. For me, the wine of the night was the 2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex Blanc Fume de Pouilly (that's fancy for Pouilly-Fume). Along with Haut-Brion Blanc, this is the purest expression of Sauvignon on the planet... amazing concentrated nose of bell pepper, grapefruit, gooseberry, wet polished rock, and tart green apple. The wine is stunning... the finish so clean and pure - like a razor blade. Absolutely mind-boggling... The 2004 Drouhin Clos des Mouches Blanc is still a baby and mostly primary at this point. Lots of toasty new oak with a crisp mineral backbone. Hazelnuts, almonds and tart Granny Smith Apple dominate this one with a sharp lemon-curd finish. Give it time, give it time... The 1989 (?) Charmes-Chambertin was old, tired and after holding in the glass for 10 minutes, finally died... nothing noteworthy here. The 1989 Olivier Leflaive Pommard Epenots 1er Cru was still holding on - barely. Lots of toast, coffee, and dried, dusty leaves. As I described it at the table - it was "really cool" as the wine still had outstanding structure, but didn't appear as if it would open. It did open, barely, then slowly faded over the next two hours. The 1989 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild took a long, long time to open up. The 89s are tough... some are great, some are faded. I first thought this was not going anywhere, but opened after 1 hour and was still getting better when I last tasted it 4 hours later. Cocoa, graphite, anise and leather (my Mouton signatures) with a powerful finish. This one kept adding length and mid-palate depth as the night went on. Still very dark, could go for a few more years ;-)... the 1983 Chateau Margaux had a touch of TCA on it (I've now had 2 corked bottles of this legend) and was not as good as the last bottle I'd had of this. Cedary black violet and a long, silky finish. Nice wine, but there are better bottles of this around. The 2006 Inniskillin Riesling Icewine is good, a bit cloying, but still beautiful. Tons of orange blossom, apricots, honeysuckle, (did I say orange blossom?), petrol and minerals. Nice, but not great. Also had a 1971 Pedro-Ximinez (PX) Sherry (I'll have to get the producer... I actually have a bottle of this in my cellar)... amazing, amazing wine. Black earth, toasted prunes, roasted walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. What length... almost syrup in its texture. The 2005 Faust was good, not great. A bit too much anise for me on this one, but lots of dusty earth as well. Too concentrated.

Different Styles...

Three great red wines - three completely different styles. The first - the 1986 Vieux Chateau Certan was cedary with tons of fruit... I almost can't believe this is 22 years old. An amazing wine, still dark ruby red with hints of purple. Long, long, enticing, elegant finish. Great wine. The 2004 Antinori Tignanello (my last bottle!) is a blockbuster. To me, the best Tig since 1997 or even 1990. Full of black, dusty earthiness with lots of black cherry, red berries and anise. A beautiful wine. The 2005 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is still so concentrated but is such a joy to drink now. Powerful stuff - mint, black plum, and black currant. Nice.

Had lunch with a fellow MS the other day... tasted through Betts & Scholl (produce wine on 3 continents)... The 2007 Eden Valley Riesling is so dry, clean and crisp... a great glass. The 2004 Hermitage Blanc is fabulous. Loads of honeysuckle, burnt caramel, orange blossom, acacia and nectarines. Long, rich finish. The 2001 Hermitage Rouge was showing so well... Black Olive Tapenade on lardon being cooked on a rock... so beautiful. Continued to open over the course of 1 1/2 hours. The 2005 Barossa Valley Grenache gives credence to this as an up-and-coming varietal outside of the Southern Rhone. Sweet cherry, black spice and bramble. The 2005 Chronique Grenache was even more powerful, stunning wine. One of the best new world Grenache's I've had. The 2005 Cali Syrah was good, classic California Syrah. The 2005 Black Betty Shiraz from Australia was all brown sugar and molasses with minty-eucalyptus and black plum. Intense wine, but not overdone. Bravo!

Been a while since...

I've tasted the 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and wow has it changed... I think it's been at least a year and a half. The last time I had this wine it was impenetrable for hours, only to slowly open. This bottle showed what a bit of time has really done... Pure pencil lead on the nose immediately after opening - slowly revealed the beauty that can only be Mouton. The wine is at once elegant and powerful - full of grace and finesse and still able to pack a punch. Notes of cassis, pencil shavings, graphite, leather and cedar were perfectly in sync. The tannins, though present, are well integrated. This wine is still a baby at 26 years of age. Certainly the greatest Mouton I've ever had (though anyone who wants to donate a '66, '45, or '47, I'd gladly cook you a steak or lamb chops...) Incredible length that goes on forever. The scary thing is I think this wine is only getting better - will not reach maturity for another 15-20 years and will age for a century easily. The 1994 (producer not noted, but I will find out this week) Niersteiner Spiegelberg Grauburgunder Beerenauslese was very cool... (Grauburgunder = Pinot Gris). So youthful and showing so much RS, the pinkish-sweet wine was incredibly viscous (as one would expect with a BA). Honeyed caramel, baked apricots, ginger and Asian spices... nice stuff, especially for a Grosslagen wine.

Had a drink with a few friends at a newer restaurant after work last night... Forte di Asprinio. Very cool atmosphere - almost art-deco, but not. Perfect for Clematis Street. Great wine list (some really rare gems here... DRCs, 34 Lafite, etc), nice drinks (ok, anyone who has Anchor Steam is good in my book...), great food (had a few bites of this and that). Started with a glass (or two) of Duval-Leroy Brut Rose... pretty stuff. Bit of raspberry, strawberry and brioche. To stick with the "Leroy" theme... had a bottle of 1999 Leroy Bourgogne (rouge). Pretty, pretty stuff. Amazing how structured this 9 year old "basic" Bourgogne was. Not powerful, needs food, but a great, great bottle. Took 45 minutes to open up. The mid-palate was enrapturing though... I wish more producers could make Grand Cru Burgundy as well as Lalou Bize-Leroy makes her Bourgogne. A steal... Of course finished with an Anchor Steam. I'll definitely be going back time and time again... if you're in the area, check it out. I'm having lunch there on Wednesday and needless to say, I'm excited.

Ja! Ja! Ja!

Riesling!!! After a long period of relatively non-overly-exciting wines, a glass of 1976 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese was handed to me... my guess (I tasted it vintage blind - I knew the producer, just not the vintage) was 1983 (!). The wine was so fresh I could not believe my eyes when I looked at the label and saw 1976... The wine is still so young, so fresh with vibrant petrol, orange blossom, honeysuckle, stony-slate, mouth-coating minerality. Amazing, amazing wine. One of the great Rieslings I've ever tasted, and better than the 1964 Beerenauslese I had from this winery a year and 1/2 ago. I can not believe it... tasting almost bone dry, the wine didn't appear to have darkened at all in color yet (!!!!!). This is why Riesling is the greatest white grape varietal on the planet. The 2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia Magnum was beautiful as well... lots of dusty cocoa, black plum... very Phelps. Better than the pre-release of the 2005 a few weeks ago. The 1996 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace was Pauillac - California style. Tons of cedar, cassis, black cherry and dusty earth. Almost Lafite-like in its elegance.

Go Cats!!!!

So much fun to watch your alma mater go this far... go Wildcats!!!

Too Much...

Had a great meal the other night at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach's new "Bistro". Awesome food, great service. Very clean, fresh, simple ingredients that came together so perfectly. Had a glass of Perrier-Jouet Blason Rose Brut Champagne... nice and bone dry with strawberries and rhubarb. Nice. The 2005 S.A. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese was rich, oily, and immensely thirst-quenching. The 2004 Alex Gambal Chambolle-Musigny is drinking so well right now. Perfectly silky with soft turned earth, rhubarb and beet root. For drinking in the next few years, but a good wine.

This Week...

Been another one of those crazy busy weeks and it's not going to get any better... I'll go in order... the 2005 Poet's Leap Riesling from Washington was nice, clean and crisp - slightly off-dry, just a hint of residual sugar, but classic petrol and white flowers here. Nice. The 2001 Potel Chambertin Grand Cru was a rockstar...I love the way the 2001s are drinking right now. They are so terroir specific with plenty of weight. They might not be the long-lived monsters that 1999 or 2005 will be, but really nice wine. Classic Chambertin power with truffled earth, sweet rhubarb and cranberry. Awesome, long, long finish. The Jamesons I had after dinner was a nice salute to St. Patrick's Day... The 2006 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre was good, but does not seem as minerally-intense as in past vintages. A slightly fatter style perhaps? The 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederick Emile Riesling was intense petrol, minerals, peaches and orange blossom. Really nice wine here... completely bone dry. The 2005 Russian Hill Tara Vineyard Pinot Noir is nicely balanced, spicy and clean. Nice wine. The 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico has turned so mushroomy and sweet with dark black plum I didn't recognize it. An amazing bottle, this wine is just beginning its maturation. A long, long lingering powerful finish. The 2001 Jarvis Finch Hollow Reserve Chardonnay is a blender full of honeysuckle, buttered popcorn, and lemon rind. Really long, caramel finish. Nice (see, some California Chardonnay's DO age). The 1985 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion was delicious... dried underbrush, tons of rocky/stony minerals, and leathery charachter. Lacking a bit of fruit, but a decent wine. The 1999 Tirecul La Gravieres "Cuvee Madame" Monbazilliac is simply amazing... one of the great sweet wines on the planet. A slightly oxidized style, putting the tons of botrytis in line with the rich sweetness and baked, dried apricots. Awesome, amazing finish. The 2004 Penfold's Kalimna Block 42 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is mindblowing... without question the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever tasted from Australia. Black pepper, white pepper, over-ripe black plums, graphite, pencil shavings, black currant, and a thick-oily texture that literally coated the glass. There is so much sediment in this wine it must be decanted. The tannins are so sweet and well-integrated, as is the monstrous alcohol, that this could easily go a few decades. After 4 hours in a magnum decanted, the pepper-quality lessened and the wine really blossomed. Awesome.