Ah So

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1985

No formal notes . Quite deep ruby , garnet , thin garnet rim . This is quite open and aromatic , with a spicy , herbaceous cassis , truffle , tobacco , grafite hints , very classic and serious but also really attention grabbing . On the palate this is quite rounded and juicy for Las Cases , good mineral , grafite tinged cassis , quite fine but present tannins , balanced acidity with a tobacco tinged finished and pretty good length . Drinking well now but also can go a while yet, perhaps over the next 10 or so years . — 5 months ago

Dave, Bob and 13 others liked this

Domaine François Raveneau

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2013

Not sure there are better 13 whites than Raveneau. Lafon also comes to mind. It’s an early drinking vintage (by Raveneau standards) while you wait for 12 and 14, and no Chapelot this year so it’s blended in here. A multi-hour decant has it showing superbly, wafting layers of créme fraîche, baking spice, crushed stones and a touch of botrytis influenced saffron. The palate shows immense power, concentration and depth of waxy yellow fruit chiseled with Chablisen minerality, brilliant tension and racy lemony acids. MDT always hits 🫰🏻 — 7 months ago

Jan, Tyler and 5 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1988

From a Napa vintage that I recall as being so-so, this wine shows the Howell Mountain terroir without the normally harsh tannins that were characteristic of Dunn HM wines in the 1980s. But, honestly, this is really lovely, suave, red fruited, with a medium-long finish, and seems way younger than I expected from a 37-year-old Napa Cabernet!! — 7 months ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Tom, ESF and 9 others liked this

The Prisoner Wine Company

The Prisoner Napa Valley Zinfandel Blend 2021

2021 vintage. A great red blend, a little harsh upon opening but with some time was smooth and full bodied. Picked this up at Buc-ee's for $20. Only had 2 so took both. Wishing they had more.... — 8 months ago

Paul Jaboulet Aîné

La Chapelle Hermitage Syrah 1983

Lyle Fass
9.8

Really just stunning. So nimble, so tight, so compact, so elegant. Brilliant! Didn’t taste the 89 sadly. — 9 months ago

Rob, John and 15 others liked this

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2011

It was Father’s Day and I had decided on grilled rack of lamb for dinner so I selected this bottle of 2011 Chateau Musar rouge from our cellar. According to Musar’s records, the 2011 vintage was one of the most challenging since the early 1990’s. It was ultimately a late-maturing vintage with harvest taking place on October 13th, the latest since the 1983 vintage!

I decanted this bottle about eight hours prior to dinner. It should be noted that immediately upon opening, the bouquet was strikingly gorgeous with powerful aromatics that were obvious from several feet away and this trait carried through until dinner time.

In the glass, the wine presents a deep garnet color. Slightly turbid with a near opaque core. On the nose, black plums, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, organic earth, exotic spices, leather, spiced meat, and pomegranate. I detect a touch of VA as well. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the nose with an added bit of red rope licorice. Lovely, long, savory…amazing. This was a brilliant compliment to the lamb (which was served with beets and goat cheese and fattoush) and everything I wanted in a Musar tonight. Drinking well now with a hefty decant and I expect well cellared examples to drink well past 2035.
— 2 years ago

Ira, Brian and 18 others liked this

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1949

A treat. Dark in color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose with dark, very mouton fruit. Incredibly aromatic, blackcurrant, mint,graphite, dried herbs, eucalyptus. The palate is extraordinary. So dense and powerful for a wine of almost 70 years. Dark fruit with a savory undertow- leather, thyme, sour cherry, dark chocolate. Really precise flavors and long. After an hour or two in glass there’s notes of coconut and soft wood. Extraordinary. Clearly there’s a lot of age on this but the sheer quality makes for a really dynamic wine. An exceptional bottle, and a teal treat. — 7 years ago

Howard HorwitzTony GarciaDavid Schachter
with Howard, Tony and 1 other
Eric, Daniel and 25 others liked this
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

Damn
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

What @Eric Shanks said 👆🏼
James Forsyth

James Forsyth Influencer Badge

Goodness! What a treat.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Sweet licorice candy, toast and oak, lovely herbal action, smoke, tobacco. Clearly more stubborn and reticent on the palate. So I think it needs a few more years of cellar time. — 10 years ago

Dick, Stef and 1 other liked this

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1958

Anthony Weytjens
9.7

Great wine! Took about 45 min to open up but when it did... Wow! So amazed with still having black fruit flavors behind the cigar and moroccan leather! — 12 years ago

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1992

So young and vivid and fresh….
Served single blind….; I thought this could be the Pontet Canet 2009…. 😱
— 6 months ago

Tom, Stef and 4 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Somm David T
9.6

I think if you read this nonsense I post, you know how I feel about this producer, past & present. This 07 is outstanding & top of its bell curve. It is so good to revisit these great vintages of Caymus Classic.

This is fresher than the 97. It is rich/lush, cassis to currents, ripe, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries & strawberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, classic, beautiful, Caymus Classic spice that I miss dearly in their new wines, black licorice, fudge, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanillin, most top soil, limestone, dry herbs, dry tobacco, barrel shavings, taut leather, volcanic grey clay, dark, fresh & slightly withering flowers, violets, beautiful round acidity, balance, structure, nice tension and elegant finish that last minutes and falls on spice and evoluted earth tones.

This bottle is in fine shape. Still strong and will last another 10 years of fine drinking. Phenomenal vintage and time to enjoy.
— 6 months ago

Rob, Vanessa and 14 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1959

From mag. meaty with dark plum and beautiful fresh balanced fruit. So bright and intense, with iodine, deep plum, salinity. Gorgeous stuff and an immaculate bottle. — 7 months ago

BOT Matt LichtenbergPaul Woolls
with BOT, Matt and 1 other
Ceccherini, Bob and 14 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2024

Wow. What a deep and complex story here. Very serious and austere, as usual. But this guy is gonna reveal so much interesting aroma with some evolution. — 8 months ago

Paul and Peter liked this

Enderle & Moll

Liaison Pinot Noir 2021

Wow! So glad I bought a bottle of this. Funky on opening. After 2 hours it is so good. Violets, roses, cherry, baking spice is in background, there’s an earth/herbal component I cannot pinpoint. It is so drinkable but evolves with almost every sip. Need more Pinots like this in my life. — 9 months ago

Vanessa, Austin and 9 others liked this

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Chardonnay Blend

So good! Kate/Gale/Richard Brunch — 2 years ago

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2014

jesus g
9.6

I’m really beginning to see this transition where the 2013s-16s of Rhône and Burgundy are already so drinkable and showing ripe fruit. Like they are making them to drink now, this winemaking style is showing a little more fruit extraction and from what I’ve seen here in Napa, you’re sacrificing the ability to age there for the early drinkability. Hopefully I’m wrong and these are all just warmer vintages. I just wanna see these wines reach their potential 10/20 years out — 7 years ago

Douglas, Eric and 34 others liked this
jesus g

jesus g Influencer Badge

Great acid structure as well.
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

Agree on this wine. Totally a young drinker.

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Big boys for my birth week. Ah, familiarity. — 9 years ago

Dave Wismer
with Dave
Mike, Jo and 2 others liked this
Paul T HB

Paul T HB

Your mom was in labor for a week!!
Kim Stanbro

Kim Stanbro

According to legend...

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 1988

What? So good. All the olive and pepper and leather that you would expect and plenty of game and mushroom as well. I don't suppose I'll have another chance to taste this, so I'll have to rely on memory of something so delicious. — 10 years ago

David, jesus and 10 others liked this

Corison

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

So good. These wines are my new obsession. — 11 years ago

Pierre Gonon

Saint-Joseph Syrah 2012

Been hanging on to this for 12 years; yikes. From Jason at Solano Cellars. At La Posta in Santa Cruz. Not quite past it yet! But waiting for the character. Tight on nose, not too past it lacking perspective so far. — 6 months ago

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah 2009

Only my second time with this wine, so so good. Decanted in glass for a 2-3 hours, opened up perfect. Had with masala burgers which worked great. — 7 months ago

Dave liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2003

So rounded and glossy. High toned with black cherry and some mocha and good acidity. Excellent stuff. — 7 months ago

Rick K
with Rick
Jay, Shay and 10 others liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

Silky silky smooth...so well made. Still young but very enjoyable. Has a long future ahead — 9 months ago

Bob, Ted and 10 others liked this
Jan de Weerd

Jan de Weerd

Wow. You are on a roll!
Andrew McIntyre

Andrew McIntyre

@Jan de Weerd was a good night! Sore heads the next day though 😵‍💫

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2023

So elegant Montrose. It builds up an epic journey in the aftertaste. Rich and opulent as usual but with a fine touch of incredible level.
Softer extraction resulted on a fruitier, more sapid and rounder wine than usual. It feels it’s going to be approachable in its youth.
— 2 years ago

Peter liked this

Krug

Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

Purchased on release around 2003 and from the cork code of M251, it appears to have been disgorged September/October 2002. A little nutty and lemony, but with piercing and intense minerality, still fairly young. I've had the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Krugs in the last month or so and this was comparable in quality to the 1996 and drinking better than the 2000 and 2004. A spectacular Champagne and proof of the ageworthiness of the Grande Cuvée, I've had it at least 15 years and have no doubt it will continue to excel for at least another 15.
An added bonus is that it has the beautiful old gold label, which I much prefer to the current iteration, so it looks as good as it tastes.
— 7 years ago

Kevin WoodsStan W
with Kevin and Stan
Shay, Giancarlo and 5 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Wow. More flavor, much better than their regular cab. Silky, velvet, smooth. Chocolate. Rich fruit. Big, full flavor, lots of flavor. Not old world style for sure, not subtle. It's a big bomb. We would pay up to $75 for this so a bit overpriced to us.
— 10 years ago

Roy, Jerry and 3 others liked this

Belle Glos

Meiomi Pinot Noir 2013

Loved this wine!! So smooth!! — 11 years ago

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1970

Gary Westby
9.7

Still so sweet! — 13 years ago

Cleora Campbell
with Cleora
Anthony liked this