Better Half

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Needs two days! Better than most! A great buy at $50.99 a bottle. — 2 months ago

Dave, Tom and 17 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Somm David T
9.4

I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.

I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.

Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.

In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.

I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.

The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.

This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.

M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.

94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer.
— 3 months ago

Andrew, Rick and 9 others liked this
Joe DAscoli

Joe DAscoli Premium Badge

The 07 such a great wine

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2015

Rob N
9.5

Always a treat. Green apple. Better flavor than Cristal but Cristal has better mouth feel. — 6 months ago

Dave, Andrew and 11 others liked this
Neil Valenzuela

Neil Valenzuela

Great vintage! Cheers!

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2015

Sweet and Smokey. Loved this. Perfect mix of ripe dark fruits and kick. Great length. Half bottle. Awesome! — 7 months ago

Dave, Jean-Philip and 22 others liked this
Audrey Nadeau

Audrey Nadeau

Wine Glory!

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 2014

Medium light lemon straw colour , very fine constant bubbles . Quite restrained and mineral on the nose , with some light toasty notes , white flowers , lemon oil . Quite closed . On the palate this is really quite intense and mineral , oyster shell , chalky , limestone hints . Some lemon pith and a lightly toasty with a saline hint , fresh acidity , long and detailed , refined and very balanced . Really young still , needs time to open and will be long lived . Better in 5- 10 years and will last well a further 5-10 years — 8 months ago

Ira, Jan and 17 others liked this

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1988

jesus g
9.4

Way better from large format — 2 years ago

Shay A
with Shay
Shay, Vanessa and 32 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

This makes me want to cry.

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2012

These used to be cheap - not any more 40$ for the new vintage this was 26$. Classic and super elegant. A ton of tannins left: 14%. Fermented dark olives. Dark cherries. Way better than the 2013 chianti reserva I popped for our italian dinner club. These are the wines kids should try - but hey our brillant marketing 🤡 priced them out of trying quality nebbiolo so they switch to cocktails and beer! Well done. Will go for 5-10 more years with ease. — 2 months ago

Daniel, John and 9 others liked this
John Howard

John Howard Influencer Badge

@Pinotman /// Andreas always so good. The single vineyard ones used to be the best high end values in the world imho. Not anymore. Still great though.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

2019 vintage. Better than expected as the last few assorted vintage Artemis bottles I’ve had have been less than good. Medium-heavy body. Decent spice and tea flavors on the caboose. 2.12.26. — 4 months ago

Somm, Dave and 15 others liked this
Dave

Dave

I thought 2018 was very good. You?
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Dave 2018 a great vintage along with 2019. 2019 is more approachable tho. Can't remember if I had the 2018 but this steady producer/effort had lost my trust. This example semi-restored my faith.
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Marchesi Antinori ownership now.

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This is always better with age. — 5 months ago

Jose, Ted and 6 others liked this

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2016

Can this get better? Difficult to imagine but not implausible. — 6 months ago

Brian, Ted and 9 others liked this

Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

We had to the 2019 Vintage on 11/22/25. A very good full bodied wine. The bouquet and flavor profile are darker and more subdued fruit compared to a Napa floor wine. There is some mocha and minerality. This wine would be better in five years. — 6 months ago

Bob, Serge and 6 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Medium deep garnet ruby , quite thin garnet terracotta rim . This is quite classic and more austere on the nose after the 1990s , grafite , cedar, sweet spice , earthiness and mint. More dry and four square on the palate compared to the 1990s but enough stuffing to fill out. Cassis , plum and blackberry , coffee , grafite . Refreshing acidity , slightly grippy drier tannin. Sous bois , grafite , herbal character with good length and earthy cassis finish . This got better with time in the glass and probably should have been decanted . This shows there is some upside , from now , with time in the glass, and over the next 10 years. The wine that improved the most during the dinner , quite impressive . — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister, Ira and 12 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

A previous, all-time fave. Haven't had it in a larger format in the last decade which I feel would yield a 9.5-9.6 now. Out of a 750ml package currently, feel like the 1996 (difficult to source) is the superstar right now.
Andrew Cullimore

Andrew Cullimore Premium Badge

Yes @Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego I would imagine in large format this would be spectacular, in regular bottle still needs a little time to show its full colours . I remember having this at my 21st birthday party in 2001 …. Everyone complained it was too young and tannic , typical 1986 , though in 12 people (and pretty light drinkers I might add) we still managed to struggle through 7 bottles !

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 . — 8 months ago

Tom, Vino and 16 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Wow! 👀
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

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

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2019

Already so lovely, but still so young. Medium ruby red in the glass with long, lusty legs and a wide brim. The nose is exactly what you think a classic Left Bank Bordeaux should be. Cassis, plums, and tobacco immediately upon opening. New leather and oak with just the right amount of earth. Very nice.

Big, powerful, and virile. Amazing balance and purity for a wine so young. Still a bit tannic at times but decanting certainly helps with that. Pretty fruit on the palate with blackberries and cherries. Soft vanilla undertones from start to finish along with licorice and more earth on the tongue.

Very impressive with such depth and such personality. As good as this is today it will be so much better if you can show patience. Put these away and try your best to forget about them and you will be rewarded.
— 3 months ago

Douglas, Ruud and 12 others liked this
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

Very nice wine

Penfolds

Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2019

Referred to as the “Baby Grange,” blend of 53/47 Cab Sauv & Shiraz, aged for 12 months in American oak, partly in previous-vintage Grange casks. Dark Ruby with aromas of fresh black fruits, complex with sweet spice. On the palate flavors of juicy black cherry and blackberry flavors with notes of cacao, oak and toasty spices, from cooler vintage. Well balanced with acidity, full ripe tannins, long ending with smoky spice, fruit well integrated with oak, drink over next 10 years+, will only get better. Nice! — 4 months ago

Ira, Daniel and 3 others liked this

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Enjoyed this wine eight years ago. Wine is so evolved now. Tasting so much better. There’s deep notes of cedar and cooked fruit. — 5 months ago

Rob, Juan and 14 others liked this
Peter van den Besselaar

Peter van den Besselaar Influencer Badge

Nice pull with more cellar years 👌

Domaine François Raveneau

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 1988

Cork broke in half (actually 6-7 pieces), initially some “old cork” flavors show through, yet after 5 minutes in the glass those dissipate and we’re left with a lovely aged Raveneau with mature fruit, some lemon and mineral notes as well, very nice complexity and length, I’ve always been very lucky aging my Raveneau, this is clearly a success (shaky cork notwithstanding)! — 5 months ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Dave, Tom and 11 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Sounds ok to me!!!
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Wow! So cool. I have ZERO experience with Raveneau and ZERO Raveneaus in my cellar. ☹️ so your advice is purely of a hypothetical nature for me. (I’ve been lucky enough to have a few Dauvissats, however.) Did you use a Durand corkscrew? I use that with any 20 year or older bottle. Essential.
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Tom Casagrande, I did not, but the cork broke into so many pieces that I don’t think what cork puller I used mattered (shrug)!

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2006

Better few years ago — 7 months ago

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 .
— 8 months ago

Tom, Tom and 23 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

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

Andrew Cullimore Premium Badge

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