8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

Kern is an interesting counterpart to the Stirn. Another old-vine parcel of the Kupp vineyard - this one shows more yellow fruit and more autumnal ripeness. Ginger and grapefruit dominate, with peaches and zesty powerful finish. While technically a bit dryer than the Stirn - it shows itself riper and richer.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

As usual - my favorite in the "Feinherb" style here - almost a Kab level of RS (at 36g). This is amazingly well balanced already, showing both pear and apple notes as well as the richer quince and peach. Long powerful middle - with aging potential. Needs time to really show itself but once again will be a beauty.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

very bright and dry style here - with only 11.7RS - mineral and peach dominating currently. serious mid, if showing slightly closed right now, lots of white peach and pear toward the back and leading into a dry, zesty finish.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

Really! A GG from this tiny vineyard... and it is superb. Very different from the other GGs offered, it really shows that softer herbal notes the vineyard is becoming known for. Green peppercorn, salty crackers, with hints of richness reminding of pinot blanc... loong herbal and zesty finish. WOW.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

One of our top young wines from the trip and probably the top young GG we tasted. Florian knocked this one OUT of the park. Super fresh, showing layers of slate on the nose. Deep, with stone and spice dominating the palate. already complex and surely to develop further. 95+++ stunning wine.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

Softer than the Kupp, showing white flowers and almost Chablis like notes. mid is full of Mirabelle plum, sage and stone. Broad wine with great power. Needs time.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

deeply floral nose, rich and powerful. palate follows through with rich notes, slate and peach (white). long earthy finish.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

It is hard not to see the power of 21s. Excitingly classic nose of pear and peach. extremely long mid into a hint of exotic finish. already killer and will only get better with time.

8/22/2023 - Mlermontov wrote:

This was a fantastic start to the "high end" wines from Lauer. Salty, highly structured, showing layers of slate and stone. Deep already with excellent potential.

8/26/2022 - Mlermontov wrote:

Bright fresh wine - simply love this stuff. Lemon curd and white flowers on the nose - hint of spice, the palate is a mega hit of citrus and ripe stone fruit. Really fresh but richer and creamier toward the back leading to a lovely ripe citrus and curd finish. Delicious!

8/9/2022 - Mlermontov wrote:

Delicious, ripe red fruit, sour cherry. Still young.

1/8/2022 - Mlermontov wrote:

Beautiful .

6/12/2021 - Mlermontov wrote:

Perfectly mature, nose of rose, cedar and red berry. Rich palate - dark cherry, more plush than expected, rich tasty spices. Definitely more modern in style but very good!

5/1/2021 - Mlermontov wrote:

Wow. Golden but bright color. Nose of guava, ripe peach, mineral notes in the back. Rich and dense. Palate is bright, light citrus, Meyer lemons, long and dense, with a delicious dollop of sweet citrus right before the fresh zesty finish...

1/24/2021 - Mlermontov wrote:

Excellent.

1/2/2021 - Mlermontov wrote:

Stunning - deeply savory nose, with leather and iron, but the cherry fruit is there as well. The palate is all power and juice - dark cherry, rich acidity and lovely tannin. Serious but not overpowering. Still young in the glass - developing as it stays open. The finish is silk and cherry. Long savory and sweet note. Complex and layered. Simply excellent.

12/11/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Bright, lemon and lime, with hints of mineral. Laser mid, light but with hints of sweet apple and Carmel. Long spicy and citrus note on the finish. Delicious.

11/21/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Dark colour, hint of spice and plum on the nose. Mid is ripe with black fruit, savoury notes and warm spices. Fully resolved, medium finish. Really pleasant if not fantastic. Let’s see how it shows in a few hours.

With time - more depth, more mushroom and forest floor. Really coming on with time. More brightness and fresh tart cherry. Deeply complex. Showing so much better now! Absolutely delicious.

11/1/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Wow - lighter and brighter than expected. Nose is raspberry and a bit of pepper. Mid is bright as well - light red fruit and deep herb and spice background. Fresh acidity with Rhône-ish notes toward the back palate. Deep garrique notes, with hints of pepper and blackberries. So sexy.

8/16/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Fantastic- see earlier note. Uber powered auslese type. Not overly sweet - but humming with orange peel and citrus. The color looks like it was bottled yesterday. Simply stunning complexity and rich chalky tangy fruit.

7/25/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

more resolved now but with no signs of slowing down. riper sweet fruit up front. more structured on the palate. great length and power.

3/7/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Ripe cherries and spices on the nose, hints of herb, quite young still. The palate is really fresh, with ripe black cherry, hint of spice, chewy and rich toward the back - quite powerful and yet the candied cherry and bright acidity keep it fresh. Long savory and tangy finish. Super!

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Absolute surprise of the tasting - this was the "regular" Merlot from Palmer Vineyards - not the reserve. And yet - it showed quite well, an elegant, refreshing example of a well aged, cool climate red wine. Still well structured, with fresh acidity, red fruit and a zip of spice. The crunchy red berry follows through to the finish. Perhaps lacking a bit of intensity - but not at all tired.

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

This was fully resolved, but showing well for its age. Nose was herb, cedar and leather. The palate is light, with red fruit and bright, crunchy acidity balanced by the structure. Savory tones rounded out the finish - very enjoyable.

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

i have consumed my share of these over the years, and it was a pleasure to have it out of magnum - and with winery storage to boot. Still showing young, with bright cherry, red fruit, hints of herb and tobacco. The palate is classic, mineral and acid driven but with great cherry and raspberry tones. Still has a lovely tannic grip, and the tangy finish is quite refreshing. An excellent showing.

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Savory, with rich herb and cherry tones. The nose shows mainly secondary notes, but quite compelling and the fruit balances out the spice and smoke. The palate shows ripe cherry, with leather and savory herb. With time - the wine began to show a note of plum and sweet dry cherries. While clearly in its drinking window, it is balances and retains fruit as well as structure. Quite classic and classy.

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

the wine opened funky and earthy on the nose, showing leather and tertiary development. With time - showing balsamic notes as well. The palate was fresher, with tangy red fruit, herb and surprising tannin (well - partially surprising knowing that this is PV). Mainly red fruit on the palate, with a nice texture and a medium long tangy finish. This was the most developed wine from the 2010 group

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

This was easily in my top 3 wines of the day. Having tasted this wine 6 months ago - I must say it has not moved much. (56% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 2% Petite Verdot). The hint of savory notes on the nose are the only indicators of age. Rich ripe plum, spice and herb on the nose. Mid is quite ripe - black cherry, plum and blackberry, but the earthier tones and the structure keep the wine quite fresh. The finish is long, with savory herb and juicy black fruit. This wine needs a lot more time to get to its peak - i would give it at least 5 years but i can see it showing at peak long after that. Simply excellent.

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

A dark, powerful wine, with blackberry joining the sweet cherry tones on the nose. Richer palate, plusher oak and fruit, but with a bright note to keep it fresh. Tannins are quite resolved, adding to the texture but not intruding. Otherwise no signs of age - perhaps the most ageworthy wine in the flight. Sweet ripe fruit in the mid, balanced by the power of the finish keep one coming back to the glass.

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

The wine opens with black cherry and cedar, adding notes of herbs and spice. The palate is generous, with plush dark cherry and hints of savory tones showing development. The oak is well managed though quite present here, adding a velvety texture to the tannin. The hint of warms leads to a savory and juicy finish. Definitely drinking well now - and opening up in the glass.

3/4/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

Dark red berry on the nose, with time - mint, hint of cedar and tobacco. On the palate - ripe soft red cherry, rich chocolate note leaning to a hint of balsamic touch toward the finish. With the 60/40 % of French to Hungarian oak and 15% new - I would say that the oak is well balanced here. It adds a richness to the palate and some spice to nose and finish but never takes over. While I would think this is a good time to drink the wine, there is no hurry. Secondary notes are well balanced by the primary fruit. Powerful red wine, but retaining cool climate markers that keeps it fresh.

2/9/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

excellent pet syr. power. blue and black fruit. loads of fresh ground pepper. acidity keeping it fresh. structure and fruit - hard not to love this baby monster.

2/9/2020 - Mlermontov wrote:

stunning. early in its maturity scale. pure - tropical, mango and citrus. lots of minerality. grapefruit (yellow) in mid. juicy and long.

1/18/2020 - Mlermontov Likes this wine:

Funky, cherry and spice, hints of cherry in liquor, ripe juicy blackberry and mulberry. Mid is bright, herbs over candied cherry, sweet pomegranate, touch of tobacco, sexier toward the back, sweer with warming spices. Long complex herb and black fruit finish. Yum!

1/18/2020 - Mlermontov Likes this wine:

Rich sweet cherry on the nose. Ripe but powerful, dark, rich black fruit. Serious and complex on the palate, ripe juicy and well balanced. Great herbs and spices on the back. No sign of heat. Just plain sexy and delicious!

1/18/2020 - Mlermontov Likes this wine:

Rich tropical fruit mixing with pepper and stone on the nose, with air - more fresher lemon notes as well. Palate is ripe but saturated with grapefruit pith and zest, along with notes of dry pineapple and mango. Long zesty and chalky finish, deep and quite complex - has years to go.

11/16/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Raspberry, Rhône-ish notes, dark, juicy but really savory and spicy, high acidity, totally balanced, mid is cherry and raspberry, long savory herb, brambles, long finish. Excellent

11/16/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Herb and spice on the nose with the sweetness, ripe sweet plum, serious. Plum and cardamom on the palate. Candied cherry, savory herb, sexy notes but with a delicate, elegant touches. Long sweet and herb finish with hints of rhubarb.

11/16/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Wow, power and black fruit, ripe but nuanced between the red and black fruit. High toned blackberries, raspberries and hint of sweeter notes. The palate is all savory and power. Herbs, dark berry, rich cherry notes. Serious wine - quite balanced for all its power and fruit. Not a hint of alc ( for a wine with 15.9!!) - simply awesome.

11/16/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Roses, tar, ripe cherry, dark notes on the nose. With time - rosemary, hints of mint. Really expressive and compelling. Bigger on the palate, power, sweet cherry, really dark macerated cherry notes, sweet sweet cherry with hints of cedar. Deep finish, riper but with a mineral core. Great balance for a big wine. Perhaps a hint of more modern approach - but just the right hint of polish and fruit.

11/16/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Stunning floral notes of honey and soft fruit, ripe and rich, hint of orange peel, rich mid palate, honey, yellow peach, mineral and hint of nutty ness. Back of the palate is drier, stone and zest, hint of yellow grapefruit. Prickle if cranberry next to the finish. Delicious

11/10/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Really young, bright red fruit, serious but with bright and fresh acidity. Hint of bramble on the nose. Herbs and savory note. Good finish. Bright cherry and tobacco.

11/10/2019 - Mlermontov Likes this wine:

Rich ripe citrus, light white flowers. Mid is gorgeous- citrus and mineral, light and crisp but with the Oregon sweet citrus undercutting the brusque acid. Savory and herbs on the back, long tart finish.

11/9/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Wow. Ripe fruit, deeply mineral, long savory herb note, layers of fruit and mineral. Dryer toward back. Hint of maturity.

11/9/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Ripe peachy notes, lovely and fresh, bright mid. Long - mineral forward . Slightly young still...

8/3/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Still amazingly youthful, but what a powerful wine! Very proper sangio nose - iron, hint of leather, ripe black cherry, deeply aromatic. Mid is ripe, serious and structured. Sweet and tangy cherry, notes of spice, deep mid with tannic and oak moments but very fresh. Long savory sweet finish. Excellent!

8/3/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

Dark spicy notes, cinnamon, clove, ripe red cherry, bright mid, spicy cherry tones, sweeter toward back, black cherry, nice chewy finish.

8/1/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

In need of time - it showed a lot better after a few days. Nose of Mayer lemon and vanilla, still a clear hint of oak influence. The palate is ripe, with a tropical core, juicy and showing good mineral and saline component. Still showing incredibly young but should improve with more age.

8/1/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

In a good place now, with rich lemon custard on the nose, but a juicy, fresh palate of mineral, savory herb and citrus. Broad mid palate offers power along with the mineral notes leading to a long and tart finish of lemon zest. With time, the wines shows more tangy peach and yellow grapefruit.

8/1/2019 - Mlermontov wrote:

These wines clearly need time - as the oak is rather prominent on the nose here, with sweet vanilla covering the ripe yellow peach and floral notes. The mid is ripe and rich, with broad palate offered by the oak. Ripe tropical fruit, but balanced with good acidity. Even after being open for several days, it showed little development. Lemon custard on the palate is quite nice and there is a hint of peach on the back but it is currently masked by the power of the oak influence.