Art In The Age

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2004

The 2004 Dom Perignon Champagne is sinfully good at fifteen years of age. Showing off its downright sexy golden hue, the wine evolves quickly once in the glass displaying a dazzling array of aromatics, from orchard fruits to peat moss and toasty brioche as well as shades of salted Marcona almond that all nicely meld together. The palate yields a wonderful combination of richness and tension. There is a lovely ripe, almost unctuous texture to this aged Champagne. Flavors of salted macadamia nut, ripe pear, kumquat zest and shades of Shiitake mushroom with lighter biscuit undertones all combine brilliantly. This is a satisfying, downright hedonistic champagne that will be extremely long-lived. Drink 2019-2040- 97 — 6 years ago

Dr., Peter and 22 others liked this
Dr. Owen Bargreen

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@P A Cheers to the weekend 🍾
Dr. Owen Bargreen

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@Clive McNish Thanks so much. Such a beautiful 🍾
P A

P A

@Dr. Owen Bargreen Dr. And the same to you Cheers 🥂

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1992

Cedar. Tannins made silk. Deep colour, only the meniscus gives you a clue to the age in the visual. Fruit hiding behind dark leather. Feels more alcoholic than 13.4 on the label. Would've called Left bank in my sleep. — 8 years ago

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 1971

1st vintage if this wine, so a real treat to try. A little shrill and sharp at the front. Lovely fruit. Still some fresh notes but in a good place age-wise. Doesn't hang together as well as the wines beside it. — 9 years ago

Matt LichtenbergPaul Woolls
with Matt and Paul
Ara, Ira and 4 others liked this

Masi

Contemporary Art Costasera Amarone Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2011

Literally best bottle of wine I've had in years! Thanks for my birthday wine! — 9 years ago

Serge liked this

Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Great wine, impeccable balance and in a good spot. No sign of age but my preference is to drink them younger, 15 years is fine but I would not hold for 25 — 10 years ago

John, David and 3 others liked this
David L

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A great bottle!
Mike Davila

Mike Davila

Our anniversary, plus sentimental value behind purchase of the bottle.
David L

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Happy Anniversary. Enjoy!

Cantina Bartolo Mascarello

Barolo Nebbiolo 1985

Jason Heller
9.4

Everything you hope on the nose and palate. Started to slide in the nose within the first 30 min, though the palate stayed strong throughout. Love me some Nebbiolo with age. — 11 years ago

Christopher, Anthony and 15 others liked this

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1964

Showing well for the age. Texture was pure silk. Good bit of fruit still left in the old bones. Can't wait to show Jean-Louis Carbonnier. — 11 years ago

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2014

Great Torre in the making. Still very primary and upon opening shy nose with acidity and tannins dominating. After 30min slow-ox and getting up to temp the nose opens revealing hints of whats coming with florals, red berries, some forest floor. Similarly fruit picks up in intensity, tannins soften and wine turns to nice young nebbiolo balance. This is very much red fruited with gread mid palate intensity and additional depth still lurking in need of bit more bottle age. After 2h the wine begins to shut down confirming it's still work in progress. If you like excellent young barbaresco and empty your bottle withing 2h feel free and pop. However I'll store my remaining ones for 2-3 more years to get bit more complexity and developed notes I adore in Produttoris bottlings — 7 years ago

leon liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

VINTAGE: 2004
BOTTLE: 375ml
APPEARANCE: Deep red, garnet meniscus, viscous legs.
NOSE: Allspice, white pepper, bell pepper, dark fruits.
MOUTHFEEL: Round, medium - acidity, medium + tannins.
PALATE: Cinnamon, tomato leaf, leather, hints of vanilla.
FINISH: Long with sandalwood throughout and some cocoa at the very end.
NOTES: Picked this up in December of 2017, thinking the 375 bottle will have made this ready to drink immediately. Was not wrong, it is drinking well, but there is sufficient backbone left in this wine to age for many more years to come, even in a 375. Nice layers of complexity that were fun to tease out, but still many notes that I don’t yet have the ability to properly identify. I look forward to trying again with more years under its belt.
— 8 years ago

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Punch in the mouth up front. Lots of fruit and tannins that need time to soften but have great potential for age — 9 years ago

Anthony and Kevin liked this

Heitz Cellar

Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Heitz has still got it baby, 1998 Napa cab standing up nicely at 18 years old. The color is only just showing signs of age. The nose is full of mint and lamb. In a strange spot since its not especially lush or fruity and yet hasn't fully developed the tertiary notes you would expect. But has the bones to go longer still. — 9 years ago

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 1972

This was the vintage Serge sipped as bombs fell in Beirut in '76.

Moderate ruby-garnet to an orange rim. It was phenomenal straight out of the bottle, with tertiary dark blackberry essence leaping from the glass. It doesn’t show much oxidation at all. Savory integrated brett, complex tamari and blackcurrant notes. Rounded softened tannins, but still present. I can’t believe how good this is!

Overall the character was similar to the ’95 but with an added tone of brilliant blackness. Slightly toasty, blackened and charred blackberry essence. Also at various moments, dried apricot, orange peel, amaro herbal notes, anise, flemish sour notes, like a rich BFM brew.  

Age with power. Complexity with playfulness. Wisdom with unpredictability. 
— 10 years ago

Gence AltonTim Herrmann
with Gence and Tim
Anthony, Will and 1 other liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

I know these wines well and even for Dunn Napa, this wine is very light in its structure and mid palate. I love these wines with a bit more age on them. I feel like this is in an awkward in between stage. Softer than a young wine, but still too fruit focused to appreciate the nuances and lean finish that makes these wines brilliant. Hold it! — 10 years ago

Domaine Tempier

Bandol Rosé Blend

Enjoyed with our steaks at the chophouse in Ann Arbor. In decanter well we had a glass of white. The robust nature of the Mourvèdre comes through loud and clear. Silky tannins make this very approachable at this young age. — 11 years ago

Douglas and Steve liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1981

After a spirited tussle between myself and the Durand vs a dry and crumbly cork I was able to double decant this and segregate away the remnants of floating debris. I was immediately struck by the bouquet which was unmistakably borne from Cabernet Franc (and I believe this blend is less than 10%). It was a positive sign. The wine is completely intact and boasts ample fruit albeit waning acidity. Simple Concord grape, bruised black plum and sweet oak flavors are holding on 2 hours in. This has some time left, but not much. This is a testament to Opus One quality in the early days (I believe this was the 3rd or 4th vintage) and while I think the ‘87-‘97 era was their best, this is an profound example of an exemplary wine at age 37! — 8 years ago

Bill, Shawn and 52 others liked this
Paul T HB

Paul T HB

7th grade for me, my math teacher is probably 81 now, I’ll give her you’re number
Bill Bender

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First year of kindergarten @Severn Goodwin ? How many years did you spend there!!?
Bill Bender

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I don’t discriminate on age @Paul Treadway Huntington Beacher Bum but I draw the line at Algebra lovers. No thank you.

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 2005

Once it opened up a phenomenal wine. Incredible nose. Strong aromatics, dried fruits, oak, hints of pepper. Smooth but firm tannins. Cherries and vanilla develop in the mouth. Long, warm finish. Drink now or let it age. — 8 years ago

Mark Parsonson
with Mark
Matt, Colin and 1 other liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend

This wine needed about 3 hours to release. Initially tight with uncomfortable medicinal nose which then totally dissipated. Drinking now next day and you get the age of fully integrated but not fading tannins. Nose has a delightful dark fruit and smokiness. Great fit of nose and taste, meaning - when tastes after smelling the experience is consistent and not jolting. I think the color purple in a subdued way. Very nice. Memo to self: decant and watch for sediment, and enjoy three hours later. — 9 years ago

Cynthia LangstaffChris Langstaff
with Cynthia and Chris
Chris liked this

Beaulieu Vineyard

Reserve Tapestry Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1996

Somm David T
9.5

I under estimated this wine last weekend as I didn't decant it. Some concern over a 20 year old CA Cabernet. However, this wine is still all there. There's something special when the right wine hits 20 years of age and there is simply no shortcut or substitute. The evolution in this wine is spectacular. Ripe plum, blackberries, dark raspberries, cooked strawberries, amazing baking spices, sweet dark earth and minerals, swede and soft leather, tobacco leaf, great balance, an amazing elegant finish and perfect acidity. I would have not expected this much from a Tapestry but there you go!!! Holding my 07's for much longer than I expected based on this 96. — 9 years ago

Ron, "Odedi" and 13 others liked this
"Odedi"

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Nice review

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 1979

Proof that one does NOT have to spend a lot of money to acquire wines that will age gracefully into a beautifully mature wine 36 years of age. The usual pepper note is there that tells you are with a Cabernet Franc from #chinon, but the real beauty unfurls with the elegant spices of tobacco leaf and old leather, notes of forest floor, subtle mint, dried red currant and cassis fruits. Simply beautiful and I will now go buy a case of 2010 and say goodbye to it in storage for at least ten years. $20-25 retail for the recent vintages. #1979 #smashingpumpkins #raffault — 10 years ago

Anthony, Trixie and 3 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2002

Lopez killed in 2002 with the Tondonia. Has acidity to age beautifully. — 11 years ago

David, Andie and 5 others liked this