Black Kite Cellars

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2017

Getting ready to leave France, so let's go out with a bang! It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, black plums, black cherries, tobacco, cedar, light vegetables, licorice, chocolates, coffee and light peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, cherries, plums, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, light vegetables, black pepper, tobacco leaf, earth and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 8 year old Merlot based blend is still very young. In most vintages, it is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, but in the 2017 vintage it was a little different.

Spicy and entertaining. Well balanced and complex, but a little tight and restraint right now. Much earthier than I expected it to be.

Needs 5 years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

A good food wine right now, that will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Aged in (70% New) French oak barrels for 18 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$450.
— 4 months ago

Dave, Jose and 22 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

Shay A
9.3

(Two previous 1983 vintage wine reviews never made it on here, so copying from CT).

My experiences with 1983s has been fairly positive, and this PL certainly is among the better I’ve had from the vintage. Holding color nicely with deep ruby and slight bricking around the rim. Started off a bit dense and muddled, but hit stride about 30mins later with a mix of red and black berry fruit, cassis, a streak of herbal green down the middle (something I always get with PL). Excellent example of the fruit showing lots of flavor without being overly ripe. Leather, sweet pipe tobacco, graphite, and still some vibrancy at the finish with tannin structure. Clean and elegant at this stage. Showed well over the course of two hours. Drink up and enjoy.
— 8 months ago

Scott@Mister, Jan and 34 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Happy New Year Delectable!

Double decant and pour. A splendid tawny red color. On the nose: dark fruit, cigar ash, cedar, smoked meat, pencil shavings, mint. Taste: soft, silky, elegant, still fresh wine with dark red fruit, worn leather, graphite, loamy soil, spiced herbs, minty black tea and a dry medium finish. YUM! What a fun wine to end 2024 with. A wine bought at auction, and a cork which was not in the best shape, so not sure if this is a true representation of where this wine is at.

FOOD:
Island creek oyster and cavier
Lobster butternut bisque
Pan roasted duck breast
Braised beef short rib
Black forest chocolate cake
— 9 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Bryan and 25 others liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo

2016. Red and black fruit with firm tannins. More of a traditionalist style but very approachable now. Rich. A lot of body without being heavy. — 5 years ago

Cupcake Vineyards

Black Forest California Decadent Red Blend 2014

2014 vintage. Surprisingly well balanced for such an inexpensive wine. Fairly tannic with luscious dark berry/cherry notes and quite a bit of spice. Long and lovely finish. Good value red blend. — 8 years ago

Black ink

California Red Blend

Super easy to drink! Will be finishing this bottle tonight. Or at least I wouldn't be surprised if I did. It's not over powering or spicy. Just very very light, a tad sweet, and a tiny sweet finish. — 10 years ago

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2003

So rounded and glossy. High toned with black cherry and some mocha and good acidity. Excellent stuff. — 5 months ago

Rick K
with Rick
Jay, Shay and 10 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Considered by some to be the Wine of the Vintage, the 2005 Léoville-Barton
Is a full bodied mouthful of black currants, minerals, spices, grippy tannins and enough energy to evolve for another decade.
— 7 months ago

Neil, Paul and 4 others liked this

Paul Jaboulet Aîné

La Chapelle Hermitage Syrah

Exceptional wine - deep ruby color with a huge bouquet of violet, plum, black pepper, black cherry, licorice, vanilla, clove, prune and dried rose petal. Velvet tannins, the alcohol is well balanced with the fruit and full-bodied texture. Still in its infancy but already delicious, this wine has a stunning future — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister, Paul and 4 others liked this
David White

David White

Are you going to try the new La Chapelle Grange blend at $2000 ++?

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 1999

Jamaica allspice submerged in black cherry, black raisin, African violets, red roses, cooked poppyseed, grilled, wine marinated steak with rosemary garnish. The palate is silky with medium mouthfeel and stealthy tannic hooks are whisked away like burrs and prickles on a satin sock. Sweet Connecticut wrap of tobacco is assisted by a minute mocha and black peppercorn. This took a while to open, surprisingly, but well worth the wait!


#sassicaia #marchesiincisadellarochetta #bolgherisassicaia #1999 #tenutasanguido #bolgheri #vinorosso #italianwine #imbottigliatoallOrigine #italia #supertuscan
— 3 years ago

Daniel, Severn and 5 others liked this

Casella Wines

The Black Stump Durif Shiraz 2019

Nice dark red colour. Blackcurrant on nose.
Ripe berries little bit too much acidity then pepper taste in the middle and silky creamy finish
— 5 years ago

Agharta Wines

Black Label Syrah Blend 2004

Joe Carroll
9.3

A bit too much oak for me but otherwise great. Also drinking much younger than its 21 years — 6 months ago

Rob, Ceccherini and 1 other liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Incredible depth and breadth on this 25 year old. Still boasting tannins that are round and firm. Meaty, chewy and impeccable, with a bresaola nose, dried blackberry, cassis, chocolate, espresso, cedar and tobacco. Black cherry, graphite, maduro cigar, blackberry, and bay.


#pichonlonguevillebaron #pichonbaron #bordeaux #deuxiemescru #bordeauxrouge #paulliac
— 6 months ago

Bob, Daniel and 14 others liked this
ESF

ESF

👌

Gnarly Head

1924 Limited Edition Double Black Lodi Red Blend 1924

Pehmee, vahva maku, ei tanniininen — 8 months ago

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2004

heavy pencil shavings and cigar smoke on the nose. black olive and green bell pepper too. color is definitely what you’d expect in a 20 year old wine. palate is consistent with nose, very bordeaux-lite. heavy cigar box. a lot of olive and herb tapenade character. some black pepper on the finish too. very savory overall. — 3 years ago

Pooneet, Severn and 3 others liked this

Gnarly Head

Limited Release Authentic Black Red Blend 2018

I think it’s a great day drinker — 4 years ago

TwiLea Fletcher
with TwiLea

Trader Moon

Moon X Black Pinot Noir 2016

Slightly too sweet, and I like it! — 7 years ago

Paul liked this

Lanson

Black Label Brut Champagne Blend 2000

At least pre 2000. Beautiful. Caramelized white sugar, acid to balance. — 10 years ago