Better Half

Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Excellent! When opened I felt tannins. After a half our turned to a beautiful wine! — 6 days ago

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

The mocha is strong with this one. So is the mint. Let's call it a York Peppermint Patty.
Listening to Tripping Daisy. Was never a fan, but they killed it last night and I got to chat up the singer. Their music would be better with Gamay.
— 2 months ago

Tom, Daniel and 26 others liked this
Norman

Norman Premium Badge

Very cool

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007

Served too warm; clearly better when it was served at the right temperature. — 3 months ago

Tom, Stef and 3 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 🫰🏻 — 3 months ago

Jan, Tyler and 5 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

First bottle of the 2010. This is gonna be a really special wine but I think it need another 5-7 years. Tannins and softened, fruit is there, acidity is still strong, and don’t get me wrong it’s great now with a couple hour decant, but in a few years it’ll be really nice. Getting black, blue, and dark red fruit, ripe and juicy. Man so silky in the mouth. Graphite, stone, forest floor, cedar, hints of camphor, black licorice. Wonderful. Nice medium + finish. Really nice, only going to get better! — 9 days ago

Austin, "Odedi" and 9 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Believed this would have tasted much better if it had been decanted. — 2 months ago

Dave liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2004

Medium ruby garnet quite narrow terracotta rim . Quite herbal , dried strawberry and red cherry nose , touch of iodine , sous bois , dried mushroom notes , discreet roasted coffee note after a while. Quite pretty red fruits on the palate with good freshness , strawberry , earthy cherry and a marine , iodine like note , sous bois underneath . Quite elegant and well balanced acidity with fine tannic grip . Good red fruit , earthy tinged finish . This is showing more advanced than the 2001 Reserva , and would like to try another bottle of this , as I suspect this half is a bit below par. On the basis of this bottle drink now and over the next 5 or so years . — 3 months ago

Tom, Shay and 4 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2018

2018 vintage. Last tasted 04.08.23 (9.5), 12.01.22 from a 375ml (9.5) and upon release 06.07.21 (9.5). Decanted and tasted after 45 minutes. Mysterious, dark-fruited and dusty nose. Medium body with excellent darkness of night color. Previous baby-fat overtures approximately 90% gonzo. Slimming down and getting more toned. In a state of transition with undeniable tension that can easily be misconstrued as underperforming. Last wine I tasted that was under this sort of metamorphosis at this level was the 1996 Pichon-Lalande about 1.5 years ago. Such a privilege to experience world-class wines in such a vulnerable moment. Everything is laid out bare/naked before you and you can see where the wine is headed and whether it will be following a trajectory that agrees with you. Definitely unusual to find this occurring in a wine this youthful but the 21st Century is smashing the old 20th Century clay tablets and digitizing. For most wine enthusiasts sampling this wine now, expecting some disappointment in the scoring. For myself, this is currently in the perfect symmetry of past, present and future. Will it show critically better in the future according to the accepted trials, palates, judges and juries? Probably. Will they experience the potential, doubts, insecurities and questions? Doubtful. This kid stays in this exact picture for another 2-4 years imho before striking another pose and I would love to taste this again during that time frame. An above and beyond thank you to FLB (Friday Lunch Bunch) regular Todd. 08.15.25. — 21 days ago

Dave, Ruud and 19 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1984

Lyle Fass
9.2

Nose is mature with altoids, mushroom decay, meat, maderized a bit, palate is round, ripe and drying. It’s nice, but seen better days — 3 months ago

Iwan, Pooneet and 4 others liked this

Jean Foillard

Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2019

2019-Vintage a slight tawny edge , dried strawberry fruit roll up, earth, acetate, floral , very soft, my guess is that this won’t be getting better, but for the time being very complexing — 3 months ago

Austin, Bob and 5 others liked this
Douglas Braun

Douglas Braun Influencer Badge

13.5 % ABV