Very light ruby, no edge. Big murky briar funk with glazed doughnut–no, JELLY doughnut and corn tortillas. Decanted vigorously. Late air transforms the pond-mud sorta funkiness into a L’occitane green-tea/citrus genre of sharp green weed-stem. It continuously evolves, showing a little here and al little more there, never playing the full hand. A classic BDX or–in this case–old-school CA situation. While giving up fair amounts of decent fruit, it never evolves into a silicon-enhanced bling-bomb, but then again: neither does the regular Forman. If there is anything more exciting than second labels, I don’t know what it is. I love the freedom, the assumed lack of reputation-staking concern, and of course the price. In the mouth, additional restraint big-city swag-drinkers would consider thin. Beautiful ripe-grapefruit balances a chunk of dense, black fruit, bubbling with pine-pitch and infantile tannin. An absolute infant, but prob not something destined for much over a decade.
2013 CHATEAU LA GRANDE ROCHE Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5
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