Estate Reviews

Sweet-toned, crisply and delicately bright. Strawberry, orange, meadow flowers, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Gently brisk acidity; light but very silky mouthfeel. Strawberry and cacao nib in particular carry into a tartly sweet finish.

Spectacular and juicy. The aroma starts quietly: orange, flowers, honey, a crisp hint of juniper. Round, sweet, brilliantly lively acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. In the cup lavish honey, orange, lychee, rose-like flowers, and a smoothing hint of chocolate. Rose and lychee in particular carry into a refreshing, resonant finish.

Richly and intensely floral throughout the profile, with supporting notes of crisp roasted cacao nib, cedar and apple. Round, sweet-toned, muted acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is impressive: long and deeply floral-toned.

Reviewed as espresso. Quiet, round, chocolaty. Butter, dark chocolate, plum/apricot and a hint of raisin in aroma and small cup. Smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. A hint of chocolate carries into a delicate, drying finish. In three parts milk the dark chocolate continues to dominate, with a backgrounded apricot-like fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. In the small cup both Ken (91) and his co-taster (92) admired the bright, refreshing fruit (strawberry in particular) rounded by a fudgy chocolate, an impressively syrupy mouthfeel, and a flavor-saturated but clean finish. Vivacious in three parts milk: orange zest and caramel.

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (93) and his co-taster (88) went rather different ways on this deep, sweet, brandyish, lightly herby dried-in-the-fruit profile. Ken enjoyed the overripe, fermenty fruit notes in aroma and cup; his co-taster was not greatly impressed. Both had good things to say about the mouthfeel (co-taster: “huge and enveloping”); on the other hand, neither were impressed by the rather astringent finish. Ken admired the impact in three parts milk (“juicy and rich”) more than did his co-taster, who found it pleasantly berryish but a bit too tart.

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (91) and his co-taster (91) recorded identical scores and very similar readings for this lively, balanced espresso: in aroma and flavor sweetly tart fruit (orange, lemon, kiwi) rounded by flowers for Ken and “sweet pea” for the co-taster; smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel; most impressively a very sweet finish with chocolate and cinnamon suggestions. Delicately chocolaty in three parts milk (“pure milk chocolate” according to the co-taster).

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (92) showed considerably more enthusiasm for this intense dried-in-the-fruit profile than his only mildly respectful co-taster (89). The co-taster associated the usual fermented fruit notes with wine and spiced cider, Ken with bourbon whisky (which he likes). The co-taster found the fermented fruit notes complicated by “sweet hay and malt,” Ken by a more decisive “fresh-cut cedar.” Ken rated the lightly syrupy, perhaps buttery mouthfeel a bit higher than did his co-taster. Both found the shot pleasantly chocolaty in three parts milk, additionally nuanced by malt for the co-taster, by cedar for Ken.

Balanced structure, complex and rather unusual aromatics. Orangy citrus, butter, roasted nut, lush flowers, a hint of sweet chocolate in aroma and cup. Crisp, juicy acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. The finish is gently rich, buttery, sweet-toned.

Delicate, complex, refreshing. Flavor-saturated aroma, balanced structure. Flowers, butterscotch, roasted cacao nib and an intriguing note suggesting rye whisky in aroma and cup. Smooth acidity; silky mouthfeel. Rich, flavor-nuanced finish.

Gentle, balanced, quietly complex. Spicy, rose-like flowers, fresh-cut fir, hazelnut, a hint of nut-toned chocolate in aroma and cup. Softly bright acidity; lightly plush mouthfeel. The chocolate and spicy floral notes in particular carry into a smooth finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Intricate and lush; tartly sweet. Caramel, hibiscus and rose, candied ginger, honeydew melon in aroma and small cup. Lean though smooth mouthfeel. Floral notes in particular carry into a remarkably long, complex finish. Flavor carries intact into two parts milk, where a hint of grapefruity acidity is juxtaposed with the milky sweetness.

Sweet-toned with an exotic shifting complexity. Golden sugar, tart apple, sweet plum, lush flowers, mixed spices (turmeric, tamarind, cumin), brandy, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Richly juicy acidity; silky mouthfeel. Quietly but profoundly flavor-saturated finish.

Intensely and extravagantly aromatic. Lavender, honey, mango, crisp roasted cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Brisk, delicately tart acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor carries deep into a long, balanced finish.

Crisply sweet-toned, delicately pungent. Honeysuckle, fresh-cut cedar, walnut, black currant in aroma and cup. Balanced, gently brisk acidity; silky mouthfeel. Hints of flavor carry into a sweetly balanced finish.

Intense with distinct whisky-like notes. Dry, nut-toned chocolate, raspberry, rye whisky, fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Rich, delicately bittersweet acidity; silky, lively mouthfeel. The dry chocolate note in particular dominates in a crisp finish.

Rich, deep, pungently complex. Blackberry, cherry, fresh-cut fir, a hint of cinnamon bark in aroma and cup. Gently tart, juicy acidity; round, buttery mouthfeel. Floral notes emerge in a very sweet, long finish.

Intensely aromatic, finely structured. Orange- and papaya-like fruit notes, dark chocolate, crisply lush floral notes in aroma and cup. Bright, balanced acidity; syrupy but lively mouthfeel. Sweet but drying in the short finish, with a chocolate note that rings on far into the long.

Intricately sweet, delicately complex. Ripe strawberry, orange, candied nut, vanilla-toned flowers in aroma and cup. Gently crisp acidity; light but smoothly silky mouthfeel. Very sweet, lightly flavor-saturated finish.

Sweet, pungent, complex. Night-blooming flowers, a sweetness half way between honey and molasses, fresh-cut cedar, grapefruity citrus in aroma and cup. Lively, bright, though balanced acidity; delicate, buoyant mouthfeel. Rich, grapefruity tartness carries into a long, resonant finish.