Brilliant Mistake Wines
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
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
Louis Roederer
Cristal Brut Champagne Chardonnay Pinot Noir Blend 1990
The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
Bolgheri Red Bordeaux Blend 1988
Krug
Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend
Bruised golden apple, pineapple, golden raisins, ginger ale, brioche, citrus blend, touch of honey, yellow lilies, quince, orange peel, nut skin, toffee, brilliant acidity, chalkiness and rich long finish. — 8 years ago
Caymus Vineyards
Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
2010 Vintage...just brilliant — 9 years ago
Thomas
Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2008
A brilliant wine from my favorite Oregon winery. — 10 years ago
Egon Müller
Scharzhofberger Kabinett Riesling
Heavenly! Crushed rock, citrus, white flowers, hint of petrol. I can't stop putting my nose in the glass. Bright, juicy red apple and melon flavors. Medium bottle with sugar kept in check by brilliant acidity. Finish sails on for a minute plus. Truly one of the best! — 10 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
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
Nikolaihof
Vinothek Wachau Riesling 1997
Finessed, terrific complexity, bruised white peach, petrol, wet stone and a bit nutty along with tea leaves on the finish. Such a brilliant expression of Wachau. — 7 years ago
Jean Foillard
Cuvée 3.14 Morgon Gamay 2013
So silky, whiff of Brett blows off quickly to reveal pure and bright black cherry fruit. Brilliant — 7 years ago
Brilliant Mistake Wines
Taylor Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
The second year of this great wine. '14 yielded twice the production of '13 and expanded from Stags Leap to Rutherford. This resulted in a RP rating of 94 pt. Congratulations John and Stacey. Dark berries with hints of cocoa, tobacco and cinnamon. Adding to my collection! — 8 years ago
Ridge Vineyards
Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2000
Brilliant. — 10 years ago
Azienda Agricola Fontodi
Flaccianello della Pieve Colli Toscana Centrale Sangiovese 2007
Six hours and quadruple decanted and it's brilliant — 11 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
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
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
Château d'Yquem
Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1989
Lemon creme brûlée in a bottle, with more acidity than I would have predicted 20 years ago. For a long time this was my third favorite of the brilliant 1988 to 1990 run, but it may have passed the 1990 and is closing in on the 1988 as the balancing acidity becomes more and more apparent. — 7 years ago
Jérôme Prévost
La Closerie Les Béguines Extra Brut Champagne Pinot Meunier
Lime and limestone. So savory. Brilliant acidity. Great with petrale sole. — 8 years ago
Brilliant Mistake Wines
Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon
Each time I have this 13 I like it more and more. Shared with family who hadn't tried it before and they also loved it. The finish on this is long and focused just love it. — 9 years ago
Azienda Agricola Le Ragnaie
Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2009
It was the best Italian wine I have ever had. Brilliant. Excellent depth and tannins. — 10 years ago
Weingut Keller
Hubacker Riesling 2010
Infanticide, I know... brilliant nevertheless — 10 years ago
Screaming Eagle
Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
'92 screaming eagle- sensational noise jammy black currants and oak-full body ripe intense fruit- brilliant finish — 11 years ago
Delectable Wine
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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