Better Half

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This is always better with age. — 7 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. — 9 months ago

Brian, Ted and 9 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.

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Deeper ruby , narrower rim , just touch of garnet . Quite deep and rich , deeper darker fruits , quite mineral. More cedar and dark cassis , grafite , iron fillings , touch of mint quite ripe rounded but present tannins . Good balanced acidity, robust but very long on the palate . Also needs more time really though is surprisingly enjoyable now because of the roundness of the fruit and ripe tannins , better in 10 years and will last well over the next 20- 25. Bigger boned , fatter and more robust and powerful than the Lafite 2000, though still hugely complex and satisfying. — 3 years ago

Severn, Tom and 19 others liked this
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

👌🍷👌

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Chardonnay Blend

Somm David T
9.3

The White Burgundy was excellent but, still have to have my BSR 375ml. It’s been awhile for us.

It is a little better tonight following the Burgundy & soft white cheese.

The nose on this bottle really flows out of the glass tonight. Beautiful lean fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp volcanic minerals, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals.

Everything on the palate sings just a little louder tonight as well. Fruits are even a little richer than normal. Ripe & slightly gummy not as normal leaner fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp and grippy, volcanic minerals, beautiful softer, powdery chalkiness w/o quite the sharper edge it normally has, soft, hints of Provence herbs, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals. The acidity is crisp, lively and dead on as alway. The long, rich, well balanced finish is deliciously refreshing and persists minutes.

Photos of; one of their Grand Cru Vineyards at sunset & inside and the Estate grounds of the House of Billecart,
— 7 years ago

Daniel P., Paul and 28 others liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

Delectable Wine
9.5

The 1989 Pichon-Baron repeats its performance from the vertical tasting in May 2018. It storms from the glass, bearing copious blackberry, cedar and perhaps a little more mint than I noticed on the previous bottle. There is so much youthful zeal to this harmonious, refined Pauillac that you would barely guess it is 30 years old. Long and tender with a graphite-infused finish, this bottle might be even better than the ex-château example. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2019) — 7 years ago

Dick, yoav and 6 others liked this

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano

Top year 904 @ £75 that was drank in Zalto burg glass as its like an aged burgundy

🐽 Paired w/ Iberian Ham 😍

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick

👃 Smoked burnt oak, soggy earthy leaves, leather, dark cherry & figs w/ balsamic & damson

👄 Med body of creamy stewed cherry w/ earthy balsamic & slight mocha

🎯 Med finish of above w/ earthy balsamic linger

Reaching peak but I preferred the 95 904 over this but the 890 94 was better than the 95!
— 9 years ago

Chris, Ellen and 15 others liked this
P A

P A

@Chris England Chris the total package sounds great Cheers 🍷
Chris England

Chris England

@Phil A especially as we brought them both back from Barcelona 🎉🍷

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2008

Lighter body. Fresh, spicy, kirsch, and leather. Better than expected — 10 years ago

Giancarlo liked this

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah

Darn. Not showing tonight. Dominated by acid and tannin. Fruit just isn't ripe enough to hold up. Did better with food — 11 years ago

Jon MaxwellMichael OchsnerJon Robinson
with Jon, Michael and 1 other
Anthony liked this

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)! — 8 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)!

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 . — 10 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

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 !

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2003

2003. Last bottle was 3 years ago, and this one I liked better. Starts out austere with evidence of a difficult hot year. But after hours in the decanter it cycled thru some almost port like caramelized tapenades and ended the evening with a somewhat strange but delicious red crème brûlée thing. So if you have one… I suggest patience thru the awkward opening hours to get to the awkward good part. Cheers. — 5 years ago

Jason, Andrew and 11 others liked this
Trixie

Trixie

Like the sippy cup! 🥤 Cheers!

Corison Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1991

Holding up very well. Magnum helps. Keeps getting better with time. Not even beginning to fade. Wine Tasting at Andy and Elaine’s. — 7 years ago

Bonnie Hodur
with Bonnie

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2006

Shay A
9.6

Last night’s “Evening With Krug” event, where they officially released their 2006 vintage. Beautiful evening with many different Krug offerings paired with a delicious meal.

The reason for the occasion. Loved trying this next to the ‘04 as they are completely different beasts at the moment. This is strutting Krug’s classic style of round, rich and opulent profile. The warm vintage has this totally open for business now, but obviously only getting better. Bakers yeast, toffee, and lemon pastry aromatics. Very fresh and inviting on the palate revealing golden caramel dipped apples, honeysuckle and nougat. Delicious.
— 7 years ago

Jason Jjoe leatherwoodDan Fitzgerald
with Jason, joe and 3 others
Severn, Stephen and 32 others liked this
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Solid.

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

As usual, the blend is a better buy than the single clones. This wine is too young but still shows ok. Deep ruby color, black fruits, nice tannins and good balance on acidity. — 8 years ago

Eric Bennett
with Eric

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2002

I love how in Spain you can go to a restaurant order a half bottle of Rioja and a 14 year old wine comes out aged perfectly. This is drinking great right now and can't imagine it's going to get any better. — 10 years ago

Anthony liked this

Jean Foillard

Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2012

I like this wine but wasn't so good with holiday meal PN was better! — 11 years ago

Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

The first bottle my wonderful hubby and I shared all those years ago. Great then. Better now. Smooth and slightly tanen with a touch of dryness. — 11 years ago

George M Wood
with George
Lee liked this
Lee White

Lee White

Go Nury and George! Better with time!

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. — 9 months ago

Dave, Andrew and 11 others liked this
Neil Valenzuela

Neil Valenzuela

Great vintage! Cheers!

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. — 9 months ago

Bob, Serge and 6 others liked this

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 2013

First time with Taittinger. Crisp with overall lighter mouthfeel. Taste notes include flesh of white fruit. Maybe would be better with some age on it. — 2 years ago

Meghana Kaloji
with Meghana
Jan, Ira and 5 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend

One of my favorite Ridge Wines, drinkable now or will only get better. — 3 years ago

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1978

Birth year vintages are a roll of the dice but luckily I landed on a pretty solid classic - 1978. So for my birthday this year, we opened an LLC and wow was this perfect. The sommelier was surgical in removing the cork which split in half but he managed to extract it. The nose on this wine was a 10 - loads of cassis, licorice, dusty library and leather. Palate was extracted cassis, leather and great acidity and liveliness, just like my 44 year old self. It’s just pure magic when bottles this old perform - happy Friday everyone. — 4 years ago

Ira, Jan and 6 others liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1967

Decanted and really opened up in little more than half an hour. 54 years and still has vitality. There’s still some fruit but it is mixed with subtle acidity and soft tannins. A delight to drink and share with friends. Our friend was given the wine and wanted to share it. We all were quite happy.👍🍷🍷 — 5 years ago

Joe Becerra
with Joe

Krug

Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

166th much better than 167 — 7 years ago

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 1990

Delectable Wine
9.7

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 8 years ago

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay

Really delicious. Even better as it opened up. — 10 years ago

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1996

Showing terrific now. Better than last bottle opened 2 years ago. Honeyed richness, good length. Shows class joy would expect from the house. — 10 years ago

Erin RyanNed Gray Creed
with Erin and Ned
Eric, Ira and 2 others liked this
Ned Gray Creed

Ned Gray Creed Premium Badge

I don't get much Yquem in my life. Had some older bottles but this was right in the pocket for my happiness.
9.5

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1998

Love is blind tasting. A much better showing than the 89. Pleasant and smooth. Pleasant for $169 is just not worth the special occasion price. — 12 years ago