Brilliant Mistake Wines
Domaine Ghislaine Barthod
Les Cras Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2015
A bright Ruby red in colour. Red florals, touch of violet with red cherry and notes of compost heap. A dusty component to the nose Barb thought. Not as much perfume as I was expecting in a Premier Cru Chambolle. Medium bodied and latent. More mineral, dusty and earthy than a new world Pinot Noir. A perfect match with Duck a l’Orange. One of the 1001 wines. This was a major stuff up. I meant to drink the 2013 and picked the 2015 by mistake which is nowhere near ready. — 3 years ago
Domaine du Pegau
Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2018
Brilliant ruby. Smoky, mineral-tinged aromas of raspberry, cherry preserves, garrigue and exotic spices show excellent clarity and acquire a gamy nuance as the wine opens up. At once rich and energetic in character, offering well-concentrated red berry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors and a sweetening touch of candied lavender. Shows fine definition and finishes gently, spicy and impressively long, with repeating florality and steadily building tannins. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, October 2021)
— 4 years ago
Page Springs Cellars
Mules Mistake Grenache Blend 2019
828 cases made, 50/21/20 blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese plus minor additions of Counoise, Petite Sirah and Barbera. Medium extracted pigment, very good clarity. Fruity nose, lightly tannic, cherryish flavors with notes of tangerine, mint, spearmint and white pepper. Pioneers of wine growing in Cochise County AZ. Paired it with grilled chicken and red mole, and also grilled salmon. Artisanal yet tasty — 4 years ago
Brilliant Mistake Wines
Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Current vintage from BM. The 18 is more approachable. Sherbet nose with urgency and tension on the palate. Let this rest a year before approaching.
Wifey’s donut holes. First time making these, and they were top drawer. — 5 years ago
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
The 2016 Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande is simply sensational in this vintage. This brilliant wine is made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc and it exudes sheer class and elegance. It begins to impress with its beautifully pure aromatics of fresh dark currants, exotic spices, coffee bean, spring florals, graphite, tobacco all taking shape in the glass. On the palate this is medium to full-bodied with remarkable structure, balance and depth. It further impresses displaying striking precision and definition through the long, graceful finish. The 2016 may require a decade of cellaring, but it is such a beautiful wine and clearly has the potential to be an all-time classic from this legendary Château. — 6 years ago
La Rioja Alta
Reserva Viña Ardanza Rioja Tempranillo Garnacha 2015
The 2015 Viña Ardanza is only the third vintage of this wine that I’ve tasted, yet it has quickly become perhaps my favourite Rioja - for quality, value, style, and sheer pleasure. This is a match for the brilliant 2010, with an outrageously pure and beautiful nose of balsamic paste, bitter orange, black cherry, fig and vanilla. The palate is supple but firm, quite dark in character, with a gorgeous medley of black and red fruits, perhaps slightly fuller bodied than the 2010, and carrying through to a long, bitter orange, tar and tobacco-laced finish.
This is just such superb stuff, and to say it sells for around £20-30 a bottle, it’s a cellar must. — 2 years ago
Tenuta San Guido
Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2008
Sweet, ripe black fruit. Charcoal, fresh and elegant acidity, brilliant balance. Starts very strong, then perhaps lacks a little length (in comparison to the Pichon Longueville ‘08). Powerful, but truly beautifully balanced, gorgeous exotic sweetness in the nose. — 3 years ago
Azienda Agricola Valentini
Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2013
Utter bliss. Vibrant, clean, mellow and intense at the same time somehow. Just brilliant — 4 years ago
Realm Cellars
Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Can’t afford to buy Realm anymore - their prices went through the roof right after their scores did the same a number of years ago - but as one of their original customers from the 2002 vintage I still have quite a few of the earlier vintages in my cellar. This 2009 Beckstoffer is absolutely fantastic. Classic Napa cabernet with great aromatics, great fruit along with some secondary flavors, and impeccable balance leading to a long, lingering finish. Just brilliant. — 4 years ago
Heitz Cellar
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
I bought 3 or 4 bottles of the 06 Heitz Napa. I think this is my first bottle. I either have none or one left. Better gets notes tonight! I think I gave others away. What was I thinking? Wine is meant to be shared.
What is better than paying around $33 for a bottle of wine, forgetting about it for twelve years and having it blossom on your palate the way it is tonight? This is a prime example of two things; you don’t need to spend a hundred(s) for a really good bottle of wine and their is absolutely no substitution for appropriate cellaring time.
The nose reveals; steeped, dark fruit wading in fruits of ripe/ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked, black plum & strawberries, hovering raspberries with pomegranate, light liqueur notes. Mild alcohol vapors, black licorice, sweet tarriness, mixed dark fruit cola/licorice, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, saddle-wood, graphite, dark rich souls, forest floor with dry leaves, dry crushed rocks, dry twigs, tree sap, mint/eucalyptus, soft leather, dry tobacco with ruby, brilliant, fresh & withering, candied; dark, red, purple florals with a field of violets.
The body is, rich, ruby and creamy with fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked, black plum & strawberries, hovering raspberries with pomegranate that shows light liqueur notes. Mild alcohol vapors, black licorice, dark, steeped, black , assorted fruit teas, sweet tarriness, mixed dark fruit cola/licorice, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, caramel, mocha, saddle-wood, graphite, savory grilled meats, dark rich souls, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clay & top soil, dry crushed rocks, dry twigs, tree sap, mint/eucalyptus, hints of Provence herbs, soft leather, dry tobacco with ruby, brilliant, fresh & withering, candied; dark, red, purple florals with a field of violets. The acidy is like a cool waterfall on a warm day. The beautiful, elegant, extremely well knitted balance is in the realm of “forget about it”. Sometimes the right wine, when it’s right, moves the entire body. Such as it is tonight.
The tension, structure, length and balance have just hit their high point and will remain there for another five years into a slow decline over the next 10-15 years, stored impeccably.
This might be the best Napa Heitz I’ve bought & stored. It’s stunning and way over delivering its price point. One complex wine!!!
Photos of; Heitz Winery, tasting bar, tasting room garden patio and the Hwy 29 signage for the tasting room with the valley floor vines that surround their tasting room. — 5 years ago
Château Palmer
Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
The 2016 Palmer is a brilliant wine from Thomas Duroux, though I feel it will ultimately be surpassed by the 2018. You cannot argue with the nose: intense black cherries and raspberry fruit, crushed violets and crème de cassis (as if there was a touch of Pauillac in there). The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, sensual tannins, perfect acidity, velvet smooth with layers of chocolate-tinged black fruit, hints of black pepper and cedar towards the sustained finish. It is a fabulous Palmer that will give much pleasure. Tasted at the Palmer vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 2 years ago
Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005
Served blind alongside what was eventually revealed to be the 1971 Mouton Rothschild. This almost had me leaning Napa by a classic producer due to the gorgeous fruit and generous, scratch that, lavish use of new French oak. After careful deliberation with those at the table with more experience drinking Mouton both young and old, I was able to come alongside the others that this was indeed young Pauillac. All the cassis, cigar box, tobacco and baking spices ones heart could desire with some of the loveliest acid. Speaking of, the structure still has quite a grasp of this one but with all the lovely fruit, everything is in brilliant balance, even at 18 years young. Given that, I expect this wine to drink well for decades to come, particularly since secondary characteristics have hardly entered the chat. Definitely a wine I hope to enjoy many more times over the years but so grateful I got to try now. — 2 years ago
Brilliant Mistake Wines
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Very Good well recommended! — 3 years ago
Jean Foillard
Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2011
Brilliant. No notes but more of a PSA to age your cru bojo — 4 years ago
Château de Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 1981
Try to find this 1981 Beaucastel. You will never forget the experience. Even better than the brilliant 1978. Beaucastel in Excelsis — 5 years ago
The Standish Wine Company
Single Vineyard Shiraz 2003
So, many of you have not had the pleasure of having Dan’s wines. It is largely due to the fact he doesn’t have a US importer. He sells all his mid production level wines through his mailing list. That makes importing from his mailing list as restrictive as the import fees. They are equal to the price of the wines you order. Not something you’ll do. I didn’t. You need to find his wines on the secondary market to be cost effective.
We had the privilege of visiting his Cellar Door in the Spring of 2017. What a fantastic visit and walk of his Estate with him. The age of his Estate vines are 100 plus years old and their yield is less than a ton per acre which, does not make for a lot of wine but, instead a very concentrated wine.
Dan traveled to and worked in many of the key wine regions before settling in as Torbreck’s Winemaker and then marching to his own drum doing his own thing as “The Standish”, his way. No compromises.
The first thing you need to know about Dan’s wines is you can drink them early but, that would be a huge mistake. This 03 is sensational now but, is worthy of more cellaring. It has 10-20 years of life ahead of it...proper storage of course.
This is a second night wine for us and it is still big.
The nose reveals smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous, dry crushed rocks, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender.
The body is full, round, lush & ruby. The tannins are still big, round, tarry & meaty. The structure, tension, length & balance are just there & yet still not there. It is still a monster on day two. Smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, grilled meats, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous-sage & rosemary, used charcoal, graphite, dark spice with palate heat, burned ambers, incense, rubber toy, dry crushed rocks, moist clay & top soil, dry stone, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender. The acidity is round and a rushing river. The extremely long finish is, big, round, elegant, floral, well balanced, runs juicy to dry with persistence for days falling onto earthiness & dark spice on the long set.
Photos of, a plaque that hangs above my kitchen sink that speaks to me always, Dan Standish, his Cellar Door and surrounding buildings. — 5 years ago
Jay Kline
Girl. Sup? Shoot. This was utterly brilliant tonight. Classic Bordeaux yet, even at 26 years young, somewhat precocious still. A beautiful mix of deep, dark and red fruit with currants, blackberries and cherries with chocolate, purple flowers, green pepper, tobacco, earth, leather and awesomeness. Plenty of structure to keep this strutting for years to come. Fabulous balance and complexity. Drink now through 2047+. — 10 months ago