Andrew Will

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

Somm David T
9.4

I haven’t had a Bordeaux in a while. Especially, with a Ribcap. So, why not an 82? The vintage Robert Parker made his career as the only critic who called it correctly.

Very good 80’s Bordeaux were my first true wine love. Their style & 12-13% ABV will always be my cherished infatuation. Wished it had never changed.

Bought this Calon Segur on the secondary market several yrs ago. Tricky cork. Used my Durand. All good. Fill line perfect, no bottle neck tannin burn but plenty of velvety sediment.

If any of you ever wondered why there is a heart on the label. Here is the interesting reason…

It symbolizes the estate's deep-rooted history and the affection of its former owner, the Marquis de Ségur. Despite owning prestigious estates like Château Lafite and Château Latour, he famously declared, "I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon." His sentiment is immortalized by the heart emblem on the label.

Opened it and let it breathe from the bottle for 45 minutes. Tasted it and decanting it in stages. Then, stopped 1/2 way through and poured the bottom half of the bottle from the bottle.

82 is such a grand, classic vintage. For the most part, I drink Calon Segur’s too early, even at 20 yrs of age. I don’t want to say it is a long in tooth as its neighbor, Montrose, but it is close. This 82 is drinking perfectly w/ 41 yrs in bottle and will hold another 5 yrs. Such soft, perfectly darkish spices with elegantly ripe fruits.

This 82 glides over the palate. There is only beautiful elegance, nothing bites back. The fruits are older (not old or past their prime), ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums but lean plum vs black, dark cherries, crazy, outstanding, hoovering raspberries with notes of blueberries & shades of freshly picked rhubarb. Some black cherry cola, anise to understated black licorice, dark chocolate pudding, caramel, layered, gentle baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, touch of sun tea, old leather, dryish to fresh tobacco w/ash, charcoal, elegant graphite, dry limestone powder, dry river pebbles, black, rich earth w/ dry leaves, magical, dark spices, grey volcanics, dry stems, just a hint of dry herbs, dry top soil, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, red roses, grand acidity with perfect; balance, tension, structure and a grand, gentle finish that goes on & on and eventually lands on an amazing soft buffet of earthiness.

This is a wine that is technically a 94, but w/ evolution & style a 97. Amazing bottle that you don’t want to end.

$500 a bottle today through the app. Somewhere around $10 upon release.
— 4 months ago

Somm, Jay and 22 others liked this
Somm David T

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@Jay Kline Grand love for 82 & the Left Bank. Cheers! 🍷
Somm David T

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@Peter van den Besselaar Thank you. Happy to bring it. Cheers! 🍷

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2020


Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this .
— 7 months ago

Tom, Tom and 23 others liked this
Somm David T

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My first Bordeaux producer love back in the day. Still great.
Andrew Cullimore

Andrew Cullimore

One of mine too @Somm David T , had a few vintages quite recently , all have shown really well

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2022

Current release. Still need much time in the bottle, but will show well in about a decade. — 7 months ago

Tom, Peter and 10 others liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend

Somewhat disappointing for a great producer in a great year. Medium body medium color, dark fruit hint of tobacco.
Hopefully a few more years will improve this wine.
— 4 years ago

Michael liked this
Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips

the Beaucastel was the 2007

Andrew Murray

Tous les Jours Central Coast Syrah 2018

A beautiful Syrah paired with Braised Beef Short Ribs — 5 years ago

Milissa liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

An excellent wine. Smokey, Rich, powerful, blackberry, currants, and fig. Drinking beautifully now, but will last for years (just sorry I drank my last bottle). — 8 years ago

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2007

If there were ever an archetypical Syrah, Jamet's Cote-Rotie would be a strong candidate. To me this is a pure expression of a classic Northern Rhone Syrah. It is not a single site, but a blend of terroirs, encompassing over 20 sites mostly from hard rock schist bedrock with little to no topsoil. There is NO Viognier in this wine like one might expect from most Cote-Rotie that might have 1-5% co-fermented.

Importantly, there is also a lot less of the oak character that can dominate and overwhelm many Northern Rhone wines. The oak maturation, while not short at 22 months, only uses 15% new oak with no trace of it on the palate as it is perfectly integrated. Grape bunches are whole cluster fermented and macerated for up to 3 weeks.

The 2007 we have here was drinking superbly for a young wine, showing lively and racy layers of peppercorn spice, roast beef, and warm blackberry and currant fruit from the hot 2007 vintage. While from a warm vintage, not a hair is out of place. Density and purity exude from the nose and hint at what a brilliant future this wine has. Perfect acidity and fleshy ripe tannin provide the backbone structure for father time to peel back the layers of this beauty. I will be chceking back in 5 years at the earliest.
— 9 years ago

LM, Jim and 11 others liked this
LM Segal

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Nice note. 🍷
Tom Kobylarz

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Thanks! 🍷

Andrew Rich

Prelude Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2013

Well done Mr. Hat. — 10 years ago

Peter and Evan liked this

Andrew Will

Sorella Horse Heaven Hills Red Bordeaux Blend 1997

Jonathan Klonecke
9.6

fantastic showing. no reason to wait here. — 11 years ago

Josh and Drew liked this

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

2020 vintage. With @Beth Novak . Decanted and tasted after one hour. Medium body. Nose practically leapt out of the glass with plenty to discuss. Flavors a bit more subdued but definitely present. Just enough back-end, tannic presence to hold court. This should be absolute dynamite in 3-5 years. Initial visit a bit over two years ago (9.5) and was more explosive but will cede that to the last impression getting more air time. Said then that this was my fave since the 1991 vintage and sticking by that. 1.2.26. — 4 months ago

Ted, David and 21 others liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2012

Somm David T
9.3

Something for my Wagyu Burger.

I do enjoy this producers style/craft. Also, enjoy the elegance of St. Julien. 2012 is a vintage Sofia & 1 worked harvest at Clerc Milon. So, the 2012 vintage will always be a special vintage for me, even if it was only one that was good to very good for the right terroirs and producers. Just wasn’t special like; 00, 05, 09, 10, 16 or 19 etc..

Having said all that, this Ducru is not the 2012 star of the region. It’s elegant but falls short on depth, character & umpf, which are things I have grown to expect and have experienced from this producer in many vintages.

The palate shows, soft, round & velvety M-M+ tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, some of both plums, slightly baked strawberries & circling raspberries. Slightly dry tobacco w/ ash, soft leather, sandalwood, mid, dark, rounded spice, nutmeg, clove, some cinnamon & vanillin, dark most earth with clay & dry leaves, herbaceous notes, very soft & elegant graphite, a touch of of mid berry cola/licorice, dark withering flowers, red roses, nice acidity with nicely balance, good tension/structured, elegant finish that last nearly two minutes and long sets on rounded dark spice.

@EmiratesLoungeDubai
— 6 months ago

Paul, Scott@Mister and 20 others liked this
Somm David T

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Yes, amazing the Emirates lounges are an entire floor of all their terminals. Always a great experience. Cheers! 🥂
Jay Kline

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My first bottle of Musar was purchased in the Duty Free at DXB back in 2012. I think it was the 2001 or 2002 vintage.
Somm David T

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Some of their prices aren’t bad.

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2021

Bright medium ruby , quite thin violet rim . Quite discreet and fine, reserved on the nose . Red cherry , cassis , mineral tinged blackberry, after a while pomegranate. On the palate this is very detailed and precise , great freshness and with more red fruit, cherry , red plum , blackberry , wet slate , saline oyster shell with very fine tannins . Long mineral finish . Very young obviously but incredibly elegant and fresh . Will need time , this closed up quite a lot after time in the decanter . Better in 10 -15 years , will last well a further 10-15 . Incredibly promising . — 7 months ago

Tom, Vino and 16 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Wow! 👀
Bob McDonald

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@Andrew Cullimore You’ve certainly had many of the Tuscan stars Andrew.

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2018

Estate is the Napa Valley property of Bordeaux producer Christian Moueix; wine is bottled at historic Napanook Vineyard. A blend of 89% Cab Sauv, 6% Cab Franc & 5% Petit Verdot, aged in 40% new French oak, dark Ruby with aromas of dark currant-like berries, tobacco and cedar. On the palate layers of ripe blackberry, black cherry and cassis with vanilla, cacao and espresso. Well balanced, fine soft integrated tannins, long finish ending with floral, fruit, mineral and slight earthy character. Needs a half dozen years in the bottle but will last 20+ years! As good as Cab gets! — 4 years ago

Peter, Paul and 10 others liked this

Paul Jaboulet Aîné

La Chapelle Hermitage Syrah 2013

Had the 2011 and the 2013 tasted together at the visitor center - deciding which to buy...The 2011 is ready for drinking, smooth tannins. Full notes when we will open at home. — 4 years ago

Ericsson, Alex and 7 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014

Really solid wine. Great to bring to a party because it never will let you down. — 7 years ago

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 1999

Will get even better with 5 years of age. Drinking beautifully now. So why wait. — 9 years ago

Andrew Will

Sorella Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2011

This was a true representation of the Champoux vineyard. Yum . — 10 years ago

Curtis liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

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

Very powerful, extracted. Will still improve, as it took over an hour to open up. Good with food, but I clearly see why I drink less and less Bordeaux. — 10 years ago

Andrew Will

Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Franc - Merlot Blend 2007

Still showing a tad too much new oak but well structured and loads of fruit — 11 years ago

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

Violets, violets and more violets aromatically, after sitting in the decanter for 15 minutes, this wine decided to show its still youthful tannin, likely to inform me that it was still way too young to drink, long finish, but ideally needs more cellaring, one of my favorite Bordeaux ever, I have some more bottles so will wait on those, amazing!! — 4 months ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Andrew, Jonathan and 19 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

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Never had the ‘83! (I had no $$ when these futures were offered or when released 🤷) Said to be legendary!
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Tom Casagrande, I purchased a case of this on futures after some of the wine guys I knew in NYC in the 1980s touted Palmer — one guy was a doctor who had cellared Palmer for decades served 1961 & 1966 Palmer in splits at a wine dinner in the Village, blew my socks off, he said the 1983 would be the next GREAT Palmer and I just listened and bought (as you know, those 1980s Bordeaux were not super expensive). I opened one of these 3-4 years ago with 1982 Pichon-Lalande and a few other outstanding 1980s Bordeaux, and that bottle of 1983 Palmer blew everything away — this bottle showed more tannic structure, though amazing violet aromatics, and definitely needs more cellaring. I LOVE Palmer!!
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Tom Casagrande, one other LOL about this Palmer yesterday — I asked my wine friend to open and decant, he pulled out his Durand — and the bottom 1/4 of the cork decided it’d rather stay in the bottle!! That’s why I like the olde English tradition of super-heated Port tongs to take the glass above the neck off that way!! 🤔🤷😂

The Mascot

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

This will be a day 2 wine. 1 glass today and it just has that day 2 feeling. — 6 months ago

Tom, Jeroen and 22 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 1999

Medium deep garnet core , medium wide garnet rim . This shows very well still with some sous bois , dried herbal hints and cherry . On the palate this shows good freshness , red cherry again, freshly cut herbs , touch of tobacco and black tea . Balanced acidity and lightly dusty but resolved tannins . Good length and presence on the palate , with enough fruit still , good balance and a black tea stained finish. This is at peak , and will probably stay here for a few more years , so no immediate rush, but is unlikely to improve further . — 7 months ago

Tom, Rob and 13 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2003

Not for beginners, it feels easy to say this is oxidized, but it’s so much more if you pay attention and do not drink it all in one sitting, which will be difficult. — 9 months ago

Peter, Paul and 11 others liked this

Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards

Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Paul J
9.4

1hr plus decant. Dark red color. Cassis and dark fruit on the palate. Very sweet, like candy in a glass. Huge depth. Different style than most Napa Cabs but who doesn’t like candy! — 4 years ago

Brooke Weaver JakubowskiGeoff Parrish
with Brooke and Geoff
Milissa, Scott@Mister and 5 others liked this

Andrew Will

Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc 2016

The nose on this is ethereal & elegant. Fruity notes with some leafy undertones. The palate shows a much bigger frame with rich dark cherry notes and some blueberry character on the back end. Tannins are present, but well balanced and the palate weight gets more elegant with air. — 6 years ago

Shay, Paul and 33 others liked this

Andrew Will

Champoux Vineyard Red Bordeaux Blend 2011

Welcome to Easter weekend and lets start the weekend off right with a wonderful Bordeaux Blend from Andrew Will, the 2011 Champoux Vinyard continues to impress. This is a right bank blend of 54% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The nose is beautifully expressive with notes of blackberry, black cherry, black currants, tobacco, licorice, chocolate, herbal notes, spice, violets and fresh tilled soil.

On the palate there is well balanced notes of black cherry, blackberry, black currant, green bell pepper that I love oh so much, chocolate, graphite shavings, and floral notes.

This is a full bodied wine with medium + acidity and firm outstanding gripping tannins. This wine does not disappoint.

Everyone have a great Easter weekend and please take thing easy, be safe. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷
— 9 years ago

Eric, Mo and 19 others liked this

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

Aristotelis Protopapas
9.5

Outstandgly balanced. Savory yet still fruit will appear in its most delicate dark ripe plum that has smashed against earth and let dry for few hours. The fact that is a magnum btl has benefit in its evolvement perfectly to one of my favorites ever! — 10 years ago

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Charlie Beatty
9.4

Bordeaux like this 2000! Soft plush tannin, really good fruit expression, surprisingly really good with Andrew from Hently Farms! Shawn Dore and Karen B — 11 years ago

David, Eric and 3 others liked this

Belle Glos

Meiomi Pinot Noir 2013

2013. Surprising Pino. Let is sit for a bit and you will have a drinkable balanced wine. Will buy again. $15 at Kroger. — 11 years ago