Blue Rhin

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Not sure I’ve had any other 2006 Bordeaux but decided to pull this to give it a go at nearly 20 years of age. Nice wine but perhaps not one that justifies the price point. At first quite tight, but after a 5 hour decant this really comes into its own. Lots of leather and dark blue and black fruit. Oak is really only apparent in structure now. Great acid. 13% which is nicely balanced. — 9 months ago

Severn, Andrew and 15 others liked this
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Oh yeah! Our favorite S-J producer ❤️
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Severn G That’s a big statement!

Wein-Erbhof Stein

Blue Slate Dry Riesling

Dry, good acidity which is a little unusual for a Riesling. Good weight, bright color, this wine is delicious! — 5 years ago

Sarah Peters
with Sarah

Two Hands

Bella's Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz 2010

Somm David T
9.4

Our friends also brought Tri-tip to cook on the Green Egg. Not just any Tri-tip. This is the Cardiff. On the packaging, it refers to a website called CardiffCrack.com and can be ordered from https://order.seasidemarket.com/ @Paul T- Huntington Beach you are going to want to try this without question or hesitation and have some older Shiraz with it.

This is the most tender & flavorful Tri-tip I’ve had...all of us. For me, most are too seasoned/salty and not all that tender. You could almost cut it with a fork. I’ll be making this again & again. This is Goldilocks third porridge...just right.

I find Two Hands to be in the conversation of upper echelon Barossa producers.

I thought this would be a good classic pairing for Tri-tip. This slid into the perfect pairing for the style of the Cardiff. They hugged each other nicely. Really good.

For me as it is with may other big red wine regions, this wine needs 10 years plus to start showing how incredible they can be and has another 7 plus years of good drinking ahead of it.

This was smooth, elegant with round supple tannins. Broad spectrum of ripe, black, purple & blue fruits. It’s core dark with sweet tarriness, expresso roast, pepper, fresh tobacco, dark spices & limestone minerals. Dark; red, purple, blue florals framed in a field of violets & lavender. The acidity is excellent and the wine wire to wire is supple, has great balance, elegance with long staying power & persistence.

Photos of our 2017 visit toTwo Hands. Tasting room approach, fountain on the back grounds and view from their tasting patio.
— 6 years ago

Shay, Daniel P. and 40 others liked this
Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

Which one ? Burgundy Pepper or Chipotle?
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Burgundy Pepper Crack.
Joseph Barsky

Joseph Barsky

Looks the same as our visit there in 2006. Bought some 2004 Bella’s and have loved it. Still wear my Two Hands ball cap bought there.

Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars

Okanagan Valley Gamay Noir 2016

Earthy and tons of red berry goodness. Classic pencil eraser on the nose, great Gamay! — 8 years ago

P and Danny liked this

WALT Wines

Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2014

Generally I pass on California Pinots, however this one is well worth the time — 8 years ago

Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Dark and juicy. A stanky minerality. Very rich, hint of blue and poised. Good stuff of its type — 9 years ago

Paul Woolls
with Paul
Eric, Jay and 18 others liked this

Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars

Okanagan Valley Chardonnay

Fresh and well balanced. Not over worked. Lovely Chardonnay. Paired nicely with fresh pasta, Okanagan to Matt and hand peeled shrimp. — 9 years ago

Thomas and Debra liked this

Corison Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Paul K
9.5

👃 is incredible. Black and blue fruit + olive.
Medium+ body, chewy mouthfeel. Blackberry, currant, black cherry, touch of dust, and acidity that is Corison. This is my favorite Napa Corison. Different than the ‘14s, ‘16’s, and 18’s that I love. Thanks
@Cathy Corison !!
— 4 years ago

Mark, Eric and 23 others liked this
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

2013 Napa 🎇

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005

Somm David T
9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in.
— 6 years ago

Christina ChampagneJames
with Christina and James
Shay, Ira and 47 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Somm David T
9.4

I corvined this last weekend and put it back in storage for tonight. I had a very different experience & thoughts on this wine last weekend un-decanted. This is wine comes from a period when I loved Caymus. After 2011 when they started picking later and at higher brix’s, they lost me but, got higher Parker scores and rave words from people that like sweeter Cabernet that drinks young.

Last weekend without a decant, very dominate bright cherries and vanilla.

Tonight, the nose reveals, dark, slightly syrupy currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy, black raspberries, blueberries, black plum with lots of skin dominate, baked strawberries, black licorice, vanilla, some clove and a touch nutmeg, underbrush, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, volcanic minerals, black tea, touch of black coffee expresso, liqueur/dark berry cola, used leather, hints of graphite with ruby, fresh, dark, fresh, dark, red, blue florals with violets.

The body is full, sexy, gorgeous and voluptuous. The structure, tension, length and balance are at the start of its high point with another 7-10 years of good drinking ahead. Dark, slightly syrupy currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy, black raspberries, blueberries, black plum with lots of skin dominating, baked strawberries, black licorice to deep anise, vanilla, some clove and a touch nutmeg, caramel, mocha, dark chocolate, dark spices with just a touch of palate heat, underbrush, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, volcanic minerals, black tea, touch of black coffee expresso, liqueur/dark berry cola, used leather, hints of graphite with ruby, fresh, dark, fresh, dark, red, blue florals with violets. The acidity is like a needed waterfall shower. The long finish is, deep, dark, well balanced, elegant, ruby, ripe, polished and persists endlessly.

It’s been awhile and I’ve missed it. This is a very good example of why I used to adore Caymus.
— 7 years ago

Ron, Paul and 23 others liked this
P A

P A

@David T David you have a good weekend as well. Regarding the basketball game I am from Canada. Cheers 🇺🇸🇨🇦
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@P A Yes, that thought popped into my head after hitting send. It just might be their time/year.
P A

P A

@David T All good, according to the sports news 4 million Canadians watched the game on TV. But our real sports are hockey 🏒and drinking Canadian Beer 🍻 Have a great weekend Cheers 🇺🇸🇨🇦

S.A. Prüm

Prüm Blue Kabinett Riesling 2015

Excellent Riesling! Bright acidity. Dry and some citrus on the palate. — 9 years ago

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2019

Absolutely singing after 2 days. Beautiful floral nose with black and blue fruits, and tinges of cut grass, roasted meat, pepper, smoke, and liquorice. Dense and chewy in the mouth, with a long and smooth finish. Banging, as one might expect of Jamet! — 4 years ago

Josh, Jan and 23 others liked this

Blue Fin

California Pinot Noir 2016

Fruity, not heavy or too sweet — 5 years ago

Domaine Ostertag

Vignoble d'E Riesling 2016

Pairs well with sushi and mochi! — 6 years ago

Blue Vin

Mosel Riesling 2015

Delicious w/ grilled pork chops and roasted cauliflower. Smooth, with a hint of sweetness, I want more! 3/13/20 at home w/ Chas — 6 years ago

Lynn Derbyshire

Lynn Derbyshire

Also great with shrimp scampi and roasted asparagus. At the lake w/ C, CV & friends, 3/19/20.

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009

Delectable Wine
9.2

Bright, dark red with ruby highlights. Very dark aromas of black cherry, cassis, blueberry and licorice. Then rather plush, sweet and full for Opus One, conveying a chocolatey ripeness to its dark berry flavors. Finishes with smooth tannins that build without going dry. This wine was broad and smooth from the outset. Today it's a generous mouthful but a bit clunky compared to some more recent vintages. This was reportedly the first vintage to include a significant percentage of Petit Verdot, and that may explain the wine's emphasis on black and blue fruits. (14.5% alcohol) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 7 years ago

Sharon liked this

French Blue

Bordeaux Rosé Blend 2017

crisp and strawberry-y — 8 years ago

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

Somm David T
9.2

When it comes to my B-day, there is only one fit, an old Pichon Lalande with my Ribeye. As a lover of Bordeaux, these two are my favorite pairing. It’s a very slow walk to the finishline. A small bite of steak and a sip of 89 Pichon Lalande. Then, repeat until finished. I had some concerns about this bottle. A slightly slippery and crumbling cork. The first sip was not bad, but not what you want or are expecting. After some time in the decanter, it really started to shine. On the nose; ripe, ruby, floral cassis, blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, baked strawberries, blue fruit hues, dry cranberries, baked rhubarb, saddlewood, soft, used leather, bay leaf, touch of sage, hint of spearmint, eucalyptus, vanilla, cinnamon, crushed dry crushed rock powder, black turned earth, dry brown soil with clay, tobacco leaf and perfumed red florals with violets. The body is full, round and silky. Tannins are well resolved at around 80%. The texture, length, tension and length are in a sweet spot. The fruits are ripe, ruby & expressively floral. Blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, baked strawberries, blue fruit hues, dry cranberries, baked rhubarb, saddlewood, soft, used leather, bay leaf, touch of sage, hint of spearmint, eucalyptus, vanilla, cinnamon, crushed dry crushed rock powder, black turned earth, dry brown soil with clay, scorched earth, tobacco leaf and perfumed red florals with violets. The acidity is just a little off but still nice. The finish is divided nearly equally in fruit, earth, florals and herbaceous. It’s very enjoyable but falls just a little short in longer, lingering length. This bottle had good storage, not great. Even so, still has another three to five years ahead. A bottle with excellent storage has another five years beyond this one. Photos of; the backside of Pichon Lalande, angled terrace view of their vines right next to Latour, my steak & twice baked potato (so good) and CEO Nicolas Glumineau. — 8 years ago

Sofia, Eric and 22 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Severn Goodwin Would love to get to that region at peak fall. I’ve never done it. Alway wanted to drive the east coast up to Maine.