Blind Taste Wine

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1997

Rod
9.0

For my taste, the 97 has peaked. It did open up after a while with mild spices, yet remained very earthy. — 3 months ago

Pétrus

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 1999

First wine of 2026 and had to open something fun.

Double decant for sediment and pour. A wondrous deep garnet with some bricking. On the nose: Expressive nose captivates with some perfumed red fruit, stewed meat, mint, wet earth, vanilla toast. Taste: Elegant, seamless, balanced wine with red plum, graphite, green bell pepper, cinnamon, tobacco, and a long mocha dark chocolate finish. YUM!!
— 5 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Brenda and 21 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Hate to be a typical wine drinker, but there was a smooth and velvety taste with a continuous bite at the end. Completely coats the tongue with flavor from start to finish. — 6 months ago

Dave, Robin and 2 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Somm David T
9.2

The 2006 Bordeaux vintage. The vintage while wasn’t Bordeaux’s best, it certainly wasn’t one of its worst. It had the unenviable position of following a grand 2005 vintage. I think better than 2000, maybe 09 & 10? Jury is still out. The Bordelaise also got greedy and raised their prices from 05. That was a mistake when it came to selling the 2006 vintage and it laid another layer of bad taste in consumers minds.

I really enjoy Pichon Lalande’s style/craft. The 06 is good, not great. In fact, I enjoyed this better w/o the lamb.

The fruits are just ripe. Velvety, rounded M+ tannins. Brambly blackberries, dryish black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, some raspberry hues, oak barrel shavings, graphite, dry soils, dry tobacco & leather, dry clay, soft but dark spice, some dry herbs, soft baking spices- clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, light milk chocolate, caramel hues, black tea, anise, some mid berry cola, dry & withering, dark & red flowers, violets, decent, round acidity, balanced, neatly structured/tensioned with an elegant finish that lasts just over 90 seconds and falls on dry earth and soft, dark spice.

Still acceding and has 15 plus yrs of good drinking ahead. Could make a case for rounding up to 93.

Paired w/ Grilled Rack of Lamb, Served with Rosemary Jus, Fondant Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli.

@EK148
— 7 months ago

Ira, Ceccherini and 21 others liked this

Carnivor

California Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

At 9 years old very smooth and nice taste of cherries. paired well with a filet and a variety of red meats. drank in August 2025. — 10 months ago

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Smooth, well-balanced, medium tannins. Strong smell and taste of cocoa and lush dark cherries. — 4 years ago

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2000

Tasted blind, I would’ve guessed a mature Bordeaux. Fantastic. — 7 years ago

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2007

Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red color. On the nose: jumping from the glass are port drenched cherries, pencil shavings, tobacco, toffee, balsamic, and cinnamon. Taste: silky, balanced, still fresh wine with currants, little dried cherry, tobacco, earth, dried herbs, and a spicy saline graphite satisfying finish. YUM! In the home stretch, drink. — 4 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Ira and 16 others liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

2 hour decant. A marvelous medium garnet color (decent fine sediment). On the nose: dark berries, cassis, forest floor, sandalwood, pencil shavings, chocolate, and cigar box. Taste: layered, balanced, still young wine with dark cherry/plum, cedar, dark chocolate, charcoal, and a lingering tobacco/leather finish. YUM! No hurry, a long distance Las Cases. — 6 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Andrew, Iwan and 18 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2011

Finally talked this dude into drinking.

I don't know, maybe I'm getting old but aged Riojas are starting to taste/feel weighty to me. It's very good. Muddled fruits, resolved tannins, nice and round, leather notes. But somewhat boring. Probably my mood.

92+ points
— 6 months ago

"Odedi", Serge and 6 others liked this
Rob Brobst III

Rob Brobst III Influencer Badge

I love AI

Quilceda Creek

Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

1 hour decant(decent chunky sediment). A striking dark purplish magenta color. On the nose: mellow nose that hints at what's to come with black fruit liquor, pine needles, black olives, floral, smoke, potting soil. Taste: still big and bold with dark plum, dark currants, graphite, chocolate mocha, black pepper, and an earthy cherry infused medium plus finish. YUM!! more time to go, unfortunately my last bottle. — 8 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Rob and 15 others liked this
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Tom Garland One of my favourite US Cabernets. I see Robert Parker gave this wine 100 points. Lucky I have one left.
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

@Bob McDonald It's very good with time to go, though from my novice/rookie opinion, not a hundy good...that RP score was probably back in Jeb D. time and that guy never met a wine he didn't want to give a high score to. Cheers! Always enjoy reading your wine reviews.
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Thanks Tom.

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Flight #3 of our 1997 Retrospective. Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #3 was vinous and in great shape. The only wine in the group that showed stronger notes of coconut and vanilla than the others. Called Silver Oak. Drink now and through 2030. — 2 years ago

Shay, Tom and 4 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Crimeny...27 years later and the oak still hasn't settled down. Grrr...

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

First time having opus where I did not get a perfume after taste — 8 years ago

Rombauer Vineyards

Carneros Chardonnay 2021

Amazing taste, great Chardonnay, very similar to Chablis style. Long aftertaste, ver well balanced wine! — 5 months ago

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Sweet smell, earthy taste, black berry — 5 months ago

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

2010 vintage. Decanted and tasted after 30 minutes and 1.5 hours. Light-medium/medium body. Silky, supple and supremely beautiful-for Bordeaux. Regal closure on a lengthy finish. So much attention to detail without it being overtly obvious. Exceptional beauty and a fave, cutting edge BDX producer-along with Durfort-Vivens in Margaux to taste the possibilities of the region. For Pauillac, nearly as gorgeous as Pichon-Lalande...a very close second. This was so stunning. 12.5.25. — 6 months ago

Andrew, Paul and 24 others liked this
Paul K

Paul K

👍

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

2 hour decant(little fine sediment). A splendid dark magenta with some bricking. On the nose: subdued but enticing notes of blackberry, cassis, cigar wrapper, clove, pine, maybe a touch of brett. Taste: silky, still youthful at 20 wine with blackberry, red fruit, graphite, spice, and a medium smokey licorice tar finish. YUM..good but expecting more for the year..will wait a few years for next attempt. — 7 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Douglas and 18 others liked this
Rob Brobst III

Rob Brobst III Influencer Badge

@Tom Garland I have a small collection of 2005 Bordeaux. I might need to get a bottle this from ya!
Rob Brobst III

Rob Brobst III Influencer Badge

@Tom Garland and hold a private dinner to explore possibilities!!!
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

@Rob Brobst III Sounds fun! Pick em carefully...as Andrew said, some drinking well, while others need more time even at age 20. Cheers!

Whitehaven

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Luna - 9.4
Shervin - 9.2
Haven’t posted on here in a long time :( We haven’t been drinking much wine (or any alcohol rly) but this bottle put us right back into it! Super light, dry, fresh and (Luna thinks has floral taste). Great wine!
— 10 months ago

Apothic

Inferno Red Blend

Very dark red, nose is vanilla, ripe cherry and whyskey, taste of vanilla, a lil oak, ripe cherry and jam. — 6 years ago

Bodega Catena Zapata

High Mountain Vines Mendoza Malbec 2015

Explore Chile and Argentina wine class! The only one I want to remember. Bold nose, SP and PG get "happiness". Herbs, leather, some vanilla, almost a chocolatey taste. Stewed black plums. Lots of tannins, some minerality. — 8 years ago