Bordeaux, France
Château Léoville Barton
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1988
Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.
Fun to open birth year wines around your birthday, especially when you can do a Bordeaux and Napa side by side. While not a great vintage, this held up well after a few hours and presented as expected. Clean and zero Brett. Great color! Deep ruby with hardly any bricking. Leather, cassis, vanilla pipe tobacco on the nose. Sporting a good bit of dusty red and black fruits (mostly tart raspberries and blackberries), there was a little savory truffle note mixed with an herbal and mocha finish. Still quite grippy. Pretty. — a month ago
Dom Pérignon
Brut Champagne Blend 2009
Half off wine Wednesday. At less than retail - we couldn’t resist. Was solid but not spectacular — a day ago
Domaine François Raveneau
Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2013
Not sure there are better 13 whites than Raveneau. Lafon also comes to mind. It’s an early drinking vintage (by Raveneau standards) while you wait for 12 and 14. Also, no Chapelot this year so it’s blended in here. A multi hour advance decant has it rocking, stunningly aromatic, soaring with layers of créme fraîche, baking spice, crushed stones and a whisper of botrytis influenced saffron. The palate shows immense power, concentration and depth of waxy yellow fruit chiseled with Chablisen minerality. Brilliant tension and racy lemony acids provide a seamless balance to its power and richness. MDT always hits 🫰🏻 — 12 days ago
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave
Hermitage Syrah 2008
Excellent 08. Chave and Allemand really nailed the difficult vintage in Northern Rhône, and 2008 Hermitage is showing beautifully tonight, fresh, elegant and detailed with aromas of juicy red berry fruit, bacon, roasted herbs and smoky minerals. While not an exceptionally deep and concentrated rendition in 2008, it’s really a considerable success, and it’s fully open, giving and ready to drink. — 20 days ago
Château Margaux
Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1992
Thoroughly integrated tannins in an aged wine that has started its decline. Dark fruit, vanilla oak and cedar on the palette. Classic Bordeaux on the nose. — 12 days ago
Louis Roederer
Cristal Brut Champagne Chardonnay Pinot Noir Blend 2002
Medium lemon yellow , persistent fine perlage . At first quite shy , needs a bit of time to get going . Then buttered pastry , confit lemon and roast nuts , quite bold and rich , just a hint of chalky minerality . On the palate the richer , deeper theme continues , those pastry and buttery notes , confit lemon and a creamy mouthfeel . Long balanced finish , the chalky acidity really helping to cut through richer , mouth filling profile . Coming back to this at the end of the meal , having sat 6 hours in the glass , this still shows remarkable freshness and life. This seems young to me still , certainly has everything for a long life ahead , better in 5 years perhaps and will show well a further 10-15 perhaps . — 20 days ago
Domaine Jamet
Côte-Rôtie Syrah 1998
When Jamet with age is on it’s really on. ‘98 is showing beautifully tonight, fully open and giving wafting seductive and perfumed aromatics of ripe blackberry fruit, smoked meats, camphor and exotic spices with an elegant, satiny palate with melting tannins and a stunningly long finale. Beautiful wine, and for my tastes at its peak. — 5 days ago
Château Gruaud Larose
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1995
Vintage 1995 | Vanilla, forrest wood, true to type, well balanced but also tannins - very good effort — 18 days ago
Jacques Selosse
Initial Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne Chardonnay
Clean. Nice balance of brioche notes and airy fruit — 3 days ago
Ron Siegel
Drinking well can’t see this getting better with a long life ahead showing red fruit, graphite, spice, earth, mint & tobacco — 15 days ago