Dr. Loosen, Blue Slate, Riesling Kabinett 2025
A familiar wine now, a staple of my wine cellar which I'm always coming back to year in and year out. 8% abv, delicately off dry, pure German Riesling fun from the Mosel. There is an effervescent, slighlty petroly thing on the nose at first. My daughter told me it tickled and almost stung her nostrils. Behind it, you can smell lemon juice, lemon curd, a tiny touch of green apple, some pineapple, some honeysuckle and a bit of a minerally note (crushed rocks?) in the back. The palate is not as acid driven and fresh as in previous vintages, but the acid drive is doing its part and gives a frame to the wine. Lemon curd and green apple juice notes blossom all along, amidst a nice, sweet, delicate sweet note which creates a bit of layer turning into a grippy back palate in the rear. The finish is fresh nonetheless, with nice lemony notes and some nice persistance. This is a superb value, as always, even if I'd prefer more tension. Good stuff 👏
89 out of 100. — 2 months ago
The house style is still here with ripe, slightly over extracted blue fruits, baking spices, cocoa, and a plush velvety palate. But the fruits become less confectionary and some savory components have emerged. Acidity seems more apparent. Really nice integration.
I think Pinot bottlings from Belle Glos are at their best with 5-8 years bottle aging. This is another proof. — 2 months ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Golden in color.
Strong nose of citrus, yellow apples, light pineapples, spices, light cedar, earth, herbs and white pepper.
Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with limes, light grapefruits, spices, light oak, earth and herbs.
Long finish with limes and almonds.
This delicious 10 years old Chardonnay from Napa Valley is still drinking beautifully. Very complex, elegant and nicely balanced.
Still showing enough fruits to balance the earth notes. Nicely aged, and will not get better from this point on.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime.
It's always nice to try these kind of aged wines. Good by itself as a sipping and with food.
100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in (34% new) French Oak barrels for 8 months.
14.2% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$75. — 3 months ago
Doing an Alaskan cruise@w Regent I get 2 bottles a day and have really enjoued@it@ Will@repeat — 5 months ago
And now a Bordeaux blend expression from… well Bordeaux! Left bank that is. Our favorite left bank Bordeaux fantastic quality for reasonable price. This wine was intense, still rather edgy tannins but already great complexity of waves of dark and red fruit laced in subtle pipe tobacco and spiced oak. — 6 months ago

This is the 2022 Block 296 version of this vintage. Truly excellent. Sour cherries and oregano on the nose. Spicy! Sour cherries on the front. Medium to heavy tannic structure. Tangy on the mid palate. Long finish. Not your typical overpowering Napa Cab. — 7 months ago
This is a delicious Riesling from Oak Knoll District in Napa Valley.
Rich and fruit forward, elegant and nicely balanced. Feels like a Mosel Riesling. Fresh, crisp and easy drinking.
Already drinking beautifully, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.
100% Riesling grapes.
11.7% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$25. — 13 days ago
It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Strong nose and full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate and already very complex.
Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, light earth, chocolates, tobacco, spices, peppercorn, coffee, cola and licorice.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This young Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap District in Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully. Rich and extracted. Fruit forward, elegant and nicely balanced. Soft and smooth.
In your face kind of wine, with a teeth staining color. Bold and beautiful. The high alcohol is still noticeable, but will integrate with time.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after a few hours of airtime.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years. Showing good potential to become a 95+ point wine.
Wine Spectator 93 points. Robert Parker 99 points. Wine Enthusiasts 97 points.
A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged for 28 months in all new French oak barrels.
15.5% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$300. — 5 days ago
Love this wine! Thick long lasting legs. Bouquet rich with raspberry and blueberry, very jammy! Smoooth flavors with a rich finish, slight hints of oak and charcoal on the back end. Great wine!!! — 2 months ago
There are a number of things I can say about Leoville Barton. For me, it is a storied property and experience.
To this point, I have had quite a few 2000 Bordeaux’s, none of them ready as this one. Given what I know about Anthony & his legacy, most of his good vintages were made for your children. So, color me surprised.
While this 2000 is drinking well, it is far from its precipice. There is another 20 yrs plus of road here.
Sofia and I have had the pleasure of dining at the same table with Anthony Barton and his wife in the early teens of 2000. He was a salt of the earth gentleman. His wife, lovely. At dinner that night, he told us a story I will not forget. A story prompted by a question from my wife. He and his wife drove from France to Switzerland. They were stopped at the border and asked to get out of the car as they had a case of wine with them. At that time and maybe still now, you can’t take wine over the border into Switzerland. The border guard called the powers to be and recanted the story of them trying to bring wine into Switzerland. He told them their name. The person on the other end of the phone said, who? They said, Anthony Barton. The reply, was let him through. That’s respect!!!
His daughter Lilian has taken the helm. She is also salt of the earth and a great Bordeaux Ambassador. May Anthony RIP.
This 2000 is classic Bordeaux in every way.
The nose shows steeped & candied fruits that are; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, black cherries, purple & blue fruit hues (classic Barton). Graphite, dry tobacco, dry leather, dry limestone bits, dark Asian spices, dry herbs, dry river stone, dark, rich, forest floor, anise to black licorice, mid colas, fresh, candied to withering florals that are; dark, red, blue and violets.
The palate shows, M+ rounded, fine grain tannins. The nose mirrors the palate in many ways. Steeped, candied, ripe, juicy fruits that are; brambly blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, black cherries, raspberries, purple & blue fruit hues. Leoville Barton shows purple & blue fruits more than most other left bank producers. Graphite, dry tobacco, cedar, dry leather, dry limestone bits, dry top soils, saline, caramel, mocha powder, German chocolate cake, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, dark Asian spices w/ some heat, dry herbs, touch of black pepper, grilled meats, dry river stone, dark, rich, forest floor, anise to black licorice, black tarriness, mid colas, fresh, candied to withering florals that are; dark, red, blue and framed in liquid violets, acidity is grand, well balanced/structured, highly toned, elegant & smartly polished finish that lasts minutes and settles on earth & dark spice.
Decanted 90 minutes and enjoyed over nearly three hours.
Appreciated the 12.5% ABV. Many would say that is not possible in the modern wine era. Anthony says otherwise w/ his 2000.
95-96. — 4 months ago
Butter, oak, lime? — 6 months ago
Knocked the dust off this beautiful bottle to pair with ribeyes, cream spinach, and family time. Superb, super juicy/fruity. Tannic, fantastic pairing with a fatty ribeye. — 15 hours ago
Lemon, brioche, oak, and green apple. Crisp and bright. — 18 days ago
Dark ruby/ inky in color with a short reddish rim. Not showing age at all.
Strong nose of black currant, blackberries, black plums, black cherries, cedar, vanilla, licorice, tobacco, light earth, herbs, mediterranean spices, black tea and peppercorn.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, light cedar, earth, cherries, light vegetables, tobacco leaf, black tea, herbs, light vanilla, mediterranean spices and dark chocolates.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Elegant and nicely balanced with great complexity.
Needs 2 hours in the decanter to open up properly, so be patient. Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.
This 17 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is starting to drink at its peak, although I'm drinking out of a Magnum.
Showing a beautiful nose with lots of complexity. Rich and extracted, elegant and powerful.
Robert Parker 97 points. Wine Enthusiasts 96 points. Wine Spectator 91 points.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.
A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. Aged for 24 months in all new French oak barrels.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
95 points.
$450 (Magnum). — 4 days ago
Dark ruby in color with a wide purplish rim.
Earthy nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing red and black fruits with cedar, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, mediterranean spices and chocolate notes.
Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and raspberries.
This Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is extremely young and needs 10 years in the bottle to mature properly. Elegant and fruit forward, yet restrained.
I've had many different vintages of this wine, but never had it so young. Not as powerful as some other vintages, but already complex and nicely balanced.
Feels like a good quality Left Bank Bordeaux, and will continue to age nicely, and get better in the next 20 years.
Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.
A good sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months.
14% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$490. — 2 months ago
It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Dark ruby in color with a purple rim.
Beautiful nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing red and black fruits with cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee and light green vegetables.
Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This iconic Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Santa Cruz Mountains in California is still very young, but already delicious, even by itself.
Needs a few hours to open up properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 30 years. Showing good potential to become a 95+ point wine.
A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Lamb chops.
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in American oak barrels for 20 months.
13.8% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$300. — 4 months ago
2023 vintage. Crisp apricot and pear aromas on the nose, light oak taste on the palette, decent finish. Great afternoon wine with cheese, salami, and hummus. — 5 months ago
"Odedi"
This is a very elegant Chardonnay from Oak Knoll District in Napa Valley. Very tasty and easy drinking, without the oaky Chardonnay feel.
Nicely balanced and complex, but doesn't show like a Napa Chardonnay.
Wine Enthusiasts 91 points.
Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. Will continue to age nicely in the next 7 years.
I had the 2023 vintage not too long ago, and this vintage is drinking better.
Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.
100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in (9% new) French Oak barrels for 9 months.
12.8% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$30. — 5 days ago