Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2023 (S) pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe strawberry, Bing cherry, red and purple flowers, red rope licorice, rocky earth and cool spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This vintage of Lapierre shows the warmth of the vintage and oozes generosity. In some ways, this reminds me of the 2015 vintage. Drink now through 2033+. — 24 days ago

Tight, structured, took over an hour to really open up. Crushed raspberries, balsamic. — 2 months ago
[Tasted on March 19, 2026 at Home]
Blackberry and black cherry fruit, with vanilla, chocolate and licorice notes. Plush wine which has aged well. — 4 days ago
This wine is testimony to great California Chardonnay that is also rare in style. No oak not malolactic fermentation. Hence the longevity. This 2011 is showing a bit of age with a deeper straw color than previous bottles from the same year. Still, only a hint of oxidation in the glass and on the nose. The pear and quince have evolved to a bit of caramel and butterscotch. Delicious to drink and I admit this might be the upper limit. I will drink remaining 2012 and 13’s in the next few months. — 2 months ago
Beautiful wine full of fruit and structure. The nose is delicate but I am pulling baking spices, violets and dark fruits. This wine brings balance and finesse that can easily go many more years. Tannins are elegant but strong, not grippy but structured. Delicious leading with dark cherry but developing into an elegant display of terroir and artistry!! Enjoy!! — a month ago
Drinking alongside the Sliver, the ‘21 Chalk Hill comes across as richer and more extracted, offering dense layers of blackcurrant, blackberry paste, dark chocolate, and roasted herbs. The palate is deep and mouth-coating, showing ample oak sweetness and firm tannins, but the concentration slightly outweighs its sense of balance. Power and ripeness dominate, giving a bold, muscular Bordeaux style expression. — 2 months ago
This bottle of the 1984 Insignia was opened about 30min before service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The wine pours a deep garnet with a slightly browning rim and an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and plenty of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of desiccated black fruits: blackberries, black cherry, Chunky beef stew, mushroom, eucalyptus, leather, organic earth and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A mature wine what’s still lovely; full of secondary and tertiary notes. Drink now. — 9 days ago
This is what I think of when I think of Rioja. Dried cherry and cranberry is what I get right away, and then it has more savory/earthy notes like leather and mushroom. When I tasted it I said “it tastes old.” That is a compliment. Hints of vanilla and spice. Felt elegant with a long finish. Had it with fatty new york strips. Tannins and acidity balanced it well. Not a loud wine, but a great one. — a month ago
Marc Melser
We had a vertical tasting of 2018 and 2020 Little Hill Single Vineyard PN. Both have similar bouquets and palates. Black cherry and minerality. 2020 is a little more floral. 2018 has a more darker tone; and that is good. Both have nice mouthfeels with smoothed out tannins. 2018 is a little more velvety. Both very good. It seems these PN need more time in the bottle — a month ago