Abreu's first venture with Cabernet Sauvignon was from the Madrona Ranch, which is essentially the lower hillsides of Spring Mountain, just northwest of St. Helena. The dense purple-colored 2006 Madrona Ranch (55% Cabernet... Read More
The 2006 Thorevilos exhibits an extraordinary floral aroma backed up by scents of blueberries, blackberries, espresso roast, and an incredible liqueur of rocks-like component. The compelling floweriness, blue and black fruits,... Read More
WA 92 (12/2009): The sexy, opulent, floral, blackberry and black currant-scented and flavored, medium to full-bodied 2006 Syrah Eisele Vineyard displays a seductive quality that is hard to ignore. I would opt for drinking it over... Read More
One of the handful of candidates for wine of the vintage is the 2006 Ausone. In fact, while tasting it, I was thinking, is there any estate in Bordeaux that, since 1998, has made as many legendary wines as proprietor Alain Vauthier... Read More
One of the handful of candidates for wine of the vintage is the 2006 Ausone. In fact, while tasting it, I was thinking, is there any estate in Bordeaux that, since 1998, has made as many legendary wines as proprietor Alain Vauthier... Read More
This is a wine that I appear to have badly misjudged when tasting out of barrel. I had the bottled 26 Bellevue several times, and it was consistently hard, austere, and lean. Generally I love what this great terroir, surrounded... Read More
This tiny, 5-acre vineyard with nearly 50-year old vines produces only 4,000 bottles from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The broodingly tannic, backward 2006 is remarkably concentrated, pure, and deep. It is an... Read More
A very strong effort, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a sweet perfume of blue and black fruits intermixed with hints of toasty oak, graphite, truffles, and forest floor. Full-bodied, rich, and concentrated with remarkably silky... Read More
The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc (80% Roussanne and the rest Marsanne, Picpoul, and Bourboulenc) possesses classic notes of orange marmalade, honeysuckle, and rose petals, a full-bodied, unctuous texture, gorgeous purity and... Read More
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate appears to have completely shut down, not surprising as Montelena's Cabernet Sauvignons typically need plenty of time. The 2006 reveals medium to full body, austere tannins and lots of red... Read More
The brilliant 2006 Cheval Blanc performed better from bottle than from barrel. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot grown in a superb vineyard site facing La Conseillante and l'Evangile at the very edge of the... Read More
Proprietor Berenice Lurton continues to turn out one of the utterly profound wines from the Barsac Sauternes region. The 2006 is not up there with their perfect 2001, but it is a beautiful wine and stands out as one of the top... Read More
WA 98 (10/2008): The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape is one of the two or three candidates for the wine of the vintage. An extraordinarily great wine, the 2006 is far superior to the 2005, which was amazing, and while made in a different... Read More
From the Pritchard Hill Vineyard, the 2006 IX Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. The good news is that there are 1,500 cases of this cuvee. It, too,... Read More
Not to be forgotten are the 400+ cases of Colgin's Estate IX Syrah. The French-styled 2006 IX Syrah Estate offers an exotic nose of roasted meats, bouquet garni, and flowers, silky tannins, and full-bodied blackberry and cherry... Read More
The refuge of the Lur Saluces family after selling their beloved Yquem, this is an Yquem-like wine that sells for a fraction of the price fetched for the most famous wine of the region. Rich, honeyed citrus along with creme brulee,... Read More
Tasted at the Sauternes 2006 ten-year on horizontal in Bordeaux. The 2006 L'Extravagant Doisy Daene has a rich, opulent and honeyed bouquet that seems to not so much seduce the olfactory senses, but get down to business straight... Read More
This classic, backward, tannic St.-Julien is made in the style of the 1996 and 1986. The 2006 Ducru Beaucaillou possesses a dense purple color along with a sweet perfume of graphite, black raspberries, cassis, licorice, and subtle... Read More
While not at the level of the phenomenal 2005, Grand-Puy-Lacoste has produced another classic wine with the creme de cassis fruit that I often find in both Mouton Rothschild and Pontet-Canet, yet both of those vineyards are closer... Read More
The 2006 Haut-Brion performed even better from bottle than it did from barrel. Sixty-four percent of the production went into this wine, and while it displays the vintage's powerful tannins and structure, it possesses superb... Read More
The dense purple-hued 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard exhibits classic notes of creme de cassis, charcoal/creosote, chocolate, and subtle toasty oak along with beautiful ripeness, sweet tannin, and a full-bodied mouthfeel.... Read More
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard has a medium garnet color and leaps from the glass with stunning black cherries and blackberry pie scents with crème de cassis and mocha plus touches of charcuterie and beef drippings.... Read More
One of the greatest wines of the vintage is, not surprisingly, from proprietor Denis Durantou. A remarkable effort in every sense, the 2006 l'Eglise Clinet is not far off the quality of the prodigious 2005. Its inky/ruby/purple... Read More