My first time trying this (available only in Magnum), it was obviously young and needed some time to open. The  is made from 100% old vine (80 to 100 years old) Clairette grapes.  Very concentrated and unique.  The nose shows almonds, limes, some peach and wax.  Full bodied.  It seemed a bit blowsy.  On the palate, almonds and limes come thru along with some wax.  It is very concentrated yet also has some volume to it.  With every sip my palate adjusted and I enjoyed it more and more.

Tasted from Magnum.  Great showing.  In the world of semi-affordable Champagne, this is one of the top Rose's.  Ruby/copper in color, clear and bright.  A steady steam of tiny bubbles form a pretty mousse.  The nose has strawberries, slight orange peel and just a hint of currants.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  Fresh and clean.  On the palate, the red currants really come out along with a bit of red raspberries.  Nice finish.  This drinks easily and served as a wonderful prelude to a long dinner, both stimulating the palate and working well with Potato Pave.  Drink over the next few years

Nice to revisit this with some age.  It is doing fine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dust and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is still a bit youthful.  Plenty of cassis and oak showing.  Deep.  It probably needs another five years until fully mature.  Still drinks great today with some air.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with a grilled steak.  

Purple in color, opaque but flat.  The nose is dusty with cassis.  With air some dark cherries come out.  A slight minty note on the end.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, black cherries, some cassis with a velvety lush texture.  The nose full mature and a probably a bit past prime.  Good balance.  Still drinking well.  Drink up.  This will work better with food.  Roast chicken is a nice choice.  

Always a pleasure to try this wine although it underperformed expectations for the  wine in this vintage.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  Nice mousse with lots of tiny bubbles.  The nose is toasty with slight lemon and a hint of smoke.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has tart acidity.  Green apples with slight lemon.  Very long on the finish.  This is very tasty.  It seems to be about at peak or at least turning from a young vibrant Champagne to a mature one.  Drink  over the next ten years unless you like them old.  This is very food friendly and would work with just about any fo

Yellow/green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has slight diesel with lemons and wet rocks.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet (much less than expected).  Slightly viscous.  Lemons with nice minerality.  Long finish.  Great on its own it will work well with lighter salads or with savory desserts.  drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot from the Eisele vineyard in Calistoga.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, cigar box, cloves and dust.  Firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this has cassis, cedar with an underlying char.  Long finish.  This is young and will still get better but it is delicious today.  Maybe about five to eight more years until peak.  It will drink well for the next fifteen to twenty years.  Great on its own or with food, lamb chops would be a nice choice.  

Shafer Hillside Select is quite simply a First Growth of Napa Cabernets.  Every vintage is always one of the top releases from Napa.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, smoke, cedar, graphite and dust.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, there is cassis with layers of graphite, cedar and smoke.  Nice complexity. This is just about fully mature at this point. Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work well with roasted meats and veggies.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

Stunning wine.  This had a few hours of air prior to serving.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with Mocha.  With a bit of air cassis, red licorice and the very slightest note of prune (but not stewed or in a bad way).  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Seamless texture.  Juicy acidity.  On the palate, this is elegant.  Yes, it has 15.5% abv but there is no sign on the palate.  Smooth in every way.  Flavors of cassis, dark chocolate and char.  Velvety.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is not yet at peak but getting closer.  It should drink amazingly for the next fifte

Wow.  This wine is stunning and yet, still on the young-ish side.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is explosive with cassis, dust, mocha, and smoke.  Full bodied.  A seamless texture.  Very firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis, anise, dark chocolate and slight char.  Long finish.  This wine had some air prior to serving but still kept improving over the few hours we enjoyed it.  This should continue to improve over the next five to eight years, but in any event, will drink well for at least another twenty.  There is plenty of fruit to meld into the tannins as they resolve