Blind Corner

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2011

I have favoured Haut-Brion in blind tastings before, but not this time. This is not the most praised vintage by any means but still. Haut-Brion still comes with some expectations. It’s solid and well made, but fairly closed. There are of course signs of class and aristocracy shining through but too underwhelming at this occasion. — a year ago

Andrew, Fabian and 3 others liked this

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)

La Tâche Pinot Noir 1988

Tasted blind. Dark tawny color. Sweet, candied fruit nose with notes of dark raspberries, some spice, some mocha, some gravel stone and a little soy sauce. In the mouth, there is a dryness to it when compared to the great nose and smells this gives off. Very masculine. Punches you in the face. Guessed 89 Rousseau Clos de Beze. Great juice! — 3 years ago

Bob, Severn and 25 others liked this
Michael Herzog

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Holy moly!
Alan Weinberg

Alan Weinberg

88s coming around. This and other 88 DRCs were cheap back in the day.

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé

Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Musigny Grand Cru Pinot Noir 1990

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny. Nose is closed and not yielding much. I get cranberries, some cherries, iron and stones, some wood. Has a high pitched character to it. Has some pucker in it yet. Tight with ample acidity. I guess 97 Vogue Bonnes Mares. In my experience this wine has had some variations in its performance. Today it was better than most, but suffered by not getting ample air before it was served. — 5 years ago

Martin, Tom and 20 others liked this
Alan Weinberg

Alan Weinberg

too Cabernet-like. Not a fan past 30 years.
Mike Saviage

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@Alan Weinberg Try the 98... Their harvest was well timed that year and the juice is great

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 2007

Shay A
9.4

Monthly WTF wine group night. Our theme was American oak vs French oak. All wines tasted blind. We started off with two bottles of bubbly and finished with two non-themed reds.

My contribution for the evening. I’m posting my previous review of this wine below as it’s been consistent the few times I’ve had it over the last 12-18 months. Love these wines!

Youthful. Icredibly perfumed with typical sweet dill and coconut American oak on the nose. Gosh, I could smell this stuff all day. Aside from needing time away, it needs roughly an hour of decanting to hit stride. Tobacco, cherry tart, and great herbal nuances on the finish.
— 6 years ago

Jack ThompsonRyan GWill Adams
with Jack, Ryan and 4 others
Mark, Dr. and 39 others liked this
Eric

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Thanks @Shay A . That makes great sense.
Philip Ficarra

Philip Ficarra

The 2009 is Spectacular!!
Mark Flesher

Mark Flesher

Between this and the 05 Cimarossa Ponente, these were my wines of the night. Love these bottles from La Rioja Alta. Dark black fruit, hint of sweet fig, chocolate, tobacco, herbs, spiciness on the finish. Elegant on the back end, yet had just enough grip and jagged edges that it makes you keep coming back for more. Nice. I'd really like to buy cases of these and just put them away and forgot it existed for 25 more years or so. Fat chance.
9.5

Whetstone Wine Cellars

Catie's Corner Viognier

My first viognier with some age on it. Major coconut cream pie, with other stone fruits as supporting cast. Still noticeably high alcohol, but maybe because I usually drink fairly low alcohol whites. Interesting and tasty wine. — 7 years ago

Colin liked this

Domaine Armand Rousseau

Chambertin Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2014

No. 6 in the Gevrey lineup of 9. Tasted blind as stated previously. Lovely perfumed nose of ripe fruit and balanced oak. Classic Burgundian palate. I thought perhaps Charmes at the time as I found the palate light to medium weight and was amazed when revealed as a Rousseau Chambertin having had zero experience with this famous Cuvée and expected something more full bodied. Savoury tannins with some tartness. Jancis says drinking window of 2024 to 2045! — 7 years ago

David, Amr and 8 others liked this

Heitz Cellar

Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1974

Tasted blind. Dark tawny color, mostly opaque. Eucalyptus nose. Also notes of black fruit, dusty earth, some wood and sweet spice. Well balanced in the mouth, with fruit and structure in harmony. I guess 78 HMV. Great wine! One of the best Cal Cabs I've had. — 2 years ago

Shay, Sharon and 16 others liked this

Domaine François Raveneau

Clos Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 1990

Tasted blind. Light gold color, youthful and heavy in the glass. Notes of citrus, white clay, sea shells, wet river stone, kiwi and some honey. High pitched. Massive fruit and structure. This powered along all night and never slowed down. Easy to guess as the 90 Raveneau Clos as we've had this many times. A debate ensued about what is a perfect white burgundy and where this sits... it would be really hard to get better than this, IMO. Spectacular. — 3 years ago

Shay, Andrew and 24 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Great Raveneau Les Clos is as good as it gets for me as well!

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2014

Capsicum, peppercorns, and cedar. Silky red fruits. A blind taster’s dream Chinon. Always good, but a stunning value in great vintages. Happy to have half a case of this. — 4 years ago

Ira liked this

Arbe Garbe

Benandants Catie's Corner Vineyard Malvasia Bianca 2018

Lemon zest, candle wax, sea salt, almost ripe nectarine...what a glorious dinner companion. Round, almost viscous, but zippy acidity and a long caressing finish. I am smitten with white Italian varietals nurtured in California and largely unoaked. — 5 years ago

Bryan, Josh and 3 others liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Shay A
9.4

Monthly WTF guys blind tasting group. This month was our annual, and famed, Left Bank vs Right Bank theme. All wines served blind as usual. Started off with a Rosé and a champagne. Great night.

This was one of my favorites of the night. One of the best young Bordeaux’s I’ve tasted. Ripe and modern nose (fruit forward) with smoked meat and baked blackberry pie. The palate revealed cocoa/dark chocolate, baking spices and a hint of blue fruit wrapped by black fruit. Big. Will obviously get better, but was shocked how good this was now. I called this ‘12-14 Left Bank.
— 6 years ago

Andrew HeffleyJack ThompsonMichael Rariden
with Andrew, Jack and 6 others
Jack, Michael and 37 others liked this
Somm David T

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So young! Just a new born.
Shay A

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@David T : Couldn’t believe how good it was! 4hr decant certainly helped.
Severn Goodwin

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Very nice!

Dark Corner

Durif Shiraz 2021

Love it. Juicy, sweet-ish, great with dinner — 3 years ago

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1945

Tasted blind. Deep purple color. Looks very young, compared to the 45 Margaux next to it. Almost opaque. Notes of black fruit, cracked walnuts, sweet fruit, raspberry and some cedar desk. Super rich in the mouth. Seems young and is firm, but tannins are softened and the mouthfeel is velvet touch. Long finish. It peacocks all night. The walnuts thing leads my guess to Latour, but can this be the 45? Is it a 61 or 82? Could be... I go with it being a 59 given how young it seems. Just an amazing bottle of wine, open for ~9 hours by the time we left, it seemed to effortlessly power along. Thanks Stan! — 3 years ago

Shay, Andrew and 28 others liked this
Brent Young

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Wow 😯. Fantastic. 9+ hours is impressive 👍

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1961

Tasted blind. Light reddish/scarlet and mostly translucent. Notes of red fruit, tobacco leaf, violets. Very linear in its delivery, with no tannins and a mid-palate that is very light. Very refined. Guessed 61 Mouton. A good but not great Lafite... the critics are correct in marking this a level below some of the other 61 first growths. Drink up. (M's 60th bday 11th of 14) — 4 years ago

Jan, Sharon and 32 others liked this
Ron R

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Excellent. Sorry it wasn’t quite there for you on this occasion.

Château Rayas

Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenache Blend 1985

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny color. Edges suggest its old. Notes of strawberry, raspberry, iron, roses. Some zing and power in the nose. Slaps your face when tasted. Sappy. Powerful impact. Long finish. Other guesses were in Burgundy land eg Griotte but I went with 90 Rayas. Bingo. — 5 years ago

Alex, Shay and 14 others liked this
David L

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Incredible

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1955

Tasted blind. Tawny color, translucent with amber rims. Notes of black cherry, cedar, some spice and a little barnyard floor. Sweet fruit in the mouth, with tannins fully resolved. Guessed 1955 Calon Segur. Perfect looking bottle, the cork revealed this bottle was reconditioned by the Chateau in 2000. — 6 years ago

Shay, Eric and 16 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

Easy to blind taste and guess it’s old world. Just that consistent Opus flavor I love....old world earthiness but new world brightness. Still has years to go. — 7 years ago

Paul, Paul and 13 others liked this

Pétrus

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 1964

Tasted blind. Deep dark and opaque. Red center with amber rims. Looks young. Very rich and luscious in the mouth. Black cherry, forest floor, tobacco leaf and a hint of old wood. Amazing impact out of the gate, but this declined in what it gave as the night went on whereas the 53 Lafite got better. — 7 years ago

Ken, Daniel and 9 others liked this
Ron R

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😮