"The 2015 Petit Manseng "South River Vineyard" was recently seen, but I was interested to see what would happen to it with a few months in bottle. It does seem quite different. The fruity aspects have calmed, folding into the whole, while the structure is now more impressive. Don't misunderstand--it is rather unctuous and succulent, but those aren't the dominating features any more. It seems sterner and drier, but the backbone and the finish seem far better. It is more focused and complex, completely transparent now, too, with a big, tense finish. It is a much more interesting food wine now than a porch-sipper. The question now is simply whether it will settle in for a while or keep becoming more austere. The first missing layer of baby fat wasn't missed, in other words. Losing it might have helped--this acquired some gravitas. Stage two will tell the rest of the story. Still, I have to lean up now instead of being conservative. Important tip: Don't drink it too cold. It kept getting better as it warmed. This isn't light and simple. - Mark Squires"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 226), 92 pts