This wine (or at least this bottle) seems to be a bit better than a prior bottle which is saying a lot.  It mostly the difficult 2011 vintage but includes almost two hundred different wines going back to the 1995 vintage.   Forty-two percent of the cuvée is made up of Reserve wines.  The final blend is 47 % Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier.

This is in a great place right now.  Ruby in color with slight browning.  The nose has cherries, slight raspberries, slight tar and slight forest floor.  Medium bodied.  Tannins are mostly resolved.  On the palate, nice cherry notes with some forest floor underneath.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is at peak.  it should be consumed over the next five to seven years.  It goes great with pasta and cream sauce and will work well with meat based dishes too.  

Another winner from Denner.  A blend of 96% Syrah, 2% Roussanne, 2% Viognier.  Inky purple in color, a thin ruby rim.  The nose is big and warm.  Black raspberries, black pepper, slight roasted meats, slight black olives.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Full bodied.  Black raspberry fruit, roasted meats and herbs and a bit of black pepper.  Lush texture.  Long finish.  This is easy to drink.  On its own, this is perfect, however, it will continue to evolve over the next five to seven years and be more complex and food friendly.  It will go well with roasts and meat casseroles.  

This is an excellent cooler climate Syrah.  Reasonably priced too.  Purple in color.  The nose has boysenberries, leather, roasted herbs and an interesting camphor note.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the boysenberries come thru over a bed of char and slight earthiness.  This needs two or three more years to peak and then should be good for another ten to twelve after that.  It will pair well with roasts and grilled foods and also Indian cuisine.  

Peter Rosback will occasionally pull a barrel that is at a higher level and bottle it as a Reserve.  Such is the case with this bottle.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is great with sour cherries, black cherries, baking spices and slight cedar.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Lush, yet with plenty of vibrancy.  Juicy sour cherry fruit over some earthiness with a bit of char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This should continue to improve for five to seven years and be good for a decade or two after that.  It will work well with fowl or heartier sea food dishes.  

Russell Bevan's wines are outstanding but they can get expensive.  This is expensive too, but half the price of his single vineyard releases.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose has cassis, cedar, slight tobacco and spice.  Young, of course with firm tannins.  Wonderful lush texture.  Lots of juicy cassis fruit with some graphite and char.  Long finish.  This is delicious now but will continue to improve for the next five to ten years and be good for ten to twenty after that.  It will go well with roasts or heavier dishes.  

This is a relatively newer producer in the Rhone whose wines should be on your radar.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, roasted herbs and a slight violet note.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Delicious.  Black raspberry fruit over smoke and nice minerality.  Long finish.  This will go great with roasts and casserole but also Indian and more robust Thai food.  It still will continue to improve for the next five to seven years and should be good for ten to fifteen, at least, after that.  

This is one of the better houses making sweet dessert wines in Barsac.  This one was no exception. Light copper/orange in color.  Perhaps a bit darker than expected but not an issue.  On the nose, there is tropical fruit, slight each and a slight kindling smoke note.  On the palate, this is rich.  Plenty of Botrytis but good acidity to offset the sweetness.  Honey and tropical fruit on the palate.  Clean.  Long finish.  This is great on its own or with a more savory dessert (no chocolate).  It should easily last another fifteen to twenty years.  

This is one of my favorite Chianti's.  Normally, I let the Rancia's rest a bit while I drink the "lesser" Felsina wines.  But, I had been hearing such great things about this wine, that I wanted to try one young.  Good move.  While this should improve, this was wonderful.  One of the top Chianti's I have ever had.  And, while this is not inexpensive for Chianti, it is for a wine of this quality.  Deep ruby in color, a bit lighter at the rim.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, some anise, and some tea leaves.  On the palate, this has juicy acidity.  Big cherry fruit over a forest floor

This is a blend of grapes from Steiner Ranch, Devoto Vineyard, Walker Vine Hill and Perli Vineyard.  It is middle of the road on a California Pinot Noir scale.  Ruby in color with some purple swirls.  On the nose, this has nice cherries with some raspberries along with some nutmeg.  Medium to full bodied.  Nice texture.  The raspberries are more prevalent on the nose and even some boysenberries.  A bit of tea leaves underneath.  Good finish.  An interesting Pinot with some level of complexity.  It probably won't get better but should last another ten to fifteen years at it mature and trades