Estates Reviews

Sweetly pungent, quietly complex. Honey, tangerine, dark chocolate, hints of clove and lilac in aroma and cup. Round, backgrounded but vibrant acidity; lightly syrupy, resonant mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around lingering hints of tangerine and clove in a sweet-toned, balanced finish.

Crisp, delicate, complex. Deep, lush floral notes (plumeria perhaps), honey, roasted cacao nib, peach-like fruit in aroma and cup. Gently crisp acidity; light but very silky mouthfeel. Flavor quietly persists in a resonant finish.

Deep, syrupy, resonant. Fresh-cut cedar, dark chocolate, apricot, honeysuckle, hints of tangelo-like citrus and nutmeg in aroma and cup. Roundly tart acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a richly drying finish.

Intense yet delicate; crisp, graceful. A tightly layered, utterly pleasing fusion of lavender-like flowers, roasted cacao nib and a hint of blood orange carries with clarity and consistency from aroma through finish. Lyrical, animated acidity; light but silky, lively mouthfeel. The finish never seems to stop; the floral-cacao-citrus notes ring on and on.

Resonant and complex from aroma through finish: roasted cacao nib, vanilla, apricot, hazelnut. Crisply bittersweet acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The long, deep, flavor-saturated finish is particularly impressive.

Delicate, soft, lively. Distinct honeysuckle-like flowers, apple, caramel, walnut, a hint of roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Gently crisp acidity; lightly plush mouthfeel. Sweet-toned, quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Sweetly crisp, cleanly layered complexity. Dark chocolate, peach-like fruit, hazelnut, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Gently lively, flavor-nuanced acidity; silky mouthfeel. Dark chocolate in particular carries into a long, deep finish.

Richly and sweetly tart fruit – suggesting açai perhaps – dominates in aroma and cup, supported by dark chocolate, pungent cedar and rose-like flowers. Deep, sweet-toned acidity; big, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor rounds and consolidates in a crisply drying finish.

Opulent, deep. Fresh-cut cedar, dark chocolate, vanilla, ripe orange in aroma and cup. Richly bright, slightly tart acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a rich, roundly drying finish.

Pungent, deep, exotic. Honey, night-blooming flowers, tartly sweet black currant and strawberry rounded by an almondy dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Rich, roundly tart acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor rings on and on in a long, balanced finish.

Sweetly tart, crisply juicy. Cedar, orange, blackberry, a hint of roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Bright but sweet acidity. Syrupy mouthfeel. Rich, deep, gently drying finish.

Syrupy, pungent. A particularly fragrant cedar, orange zest, grape, honey and a hint of carob-like chocolate in aroma and cup. Round, resonant, slightly drying acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a round, quiet finish.

Elegant flower-bomb. Exhilarating, refreshing meadow flowers, roasted cacao nib, almond in aroma and cup. Delicate, balanced structure. Soft but lively acidity; smooth, plush mouthfeel. Gently but decisively flavor-saturated finish.

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 (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. 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.

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.

Rich, intense, sweetly and pungently citrusy. Melon, grapefruit, sandalwood, musk, caramel in aroma and cup. The acidity is round and pungently tart; the mouthfeel smooth and lightly syrupy. Sweet-toned, flavor-saturated finish.

Intense, heady blueberry and lush, lily-like flowers with deepening suggestions of cedar and brandy in aroma and cup, and a savory hint in the cup. Impressive structure: sweet-toned acidity; full syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is sweet and blueberry-toned with a continuing savory edge.

Big, sweetly bright, classic. Honey, tangerine, rose-like flowers, a hint of roasted cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Grand, lushly bright acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. Rich, resonant, floral-toned finish.