Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

If Sassicia is 💯 points for 2016 you had to figure their other wine was good as well, give it another 5-10 years without any issues. 2016 was a great year over-there. This at $45 or 2016 Sassicaia at $400.00 if you didn’t buy at $175.00 early
Wine Advocate 94+ review as follows,

This wine is showing exceptionally well in this classic vintage. The 2016 Guidalberto (Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller percentage of Merlot) opens to a full and generous bouquet and a beautifully rich and velvety appearance. This edition of Tenuta San Guido's mid-level wine offers a bigger aromatic profile, more texture and more volume as well. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, tar, leather and sweet fruit at the end. The mouthfeel is elegantly shaped, silky and nuanced. This may well be the best vintage of Guidalberto I have yet to taste—and you can get this wine at a great price too.
Just south of Livorno, Tuscany, lies the Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, and the Tenuta San Guido estate, where Sassicia is produced. The estate was originally owned by Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta, and has been managed since WWII by his son, Niccolo. A true pioneer in the Italian wine industry, his experimenting with the introduction of non-native varieties to Italy, resulted in the world-famous Sassicaia. In Italian, Sassicaia means "the place of many stones" and is used as the proprietary name for the estate's Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The vines of the Sassicaia vineyard were originally planted with cuttings from the prestigious Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. The wines of Sassicaia were so instrumental in creating the "Super-Tuscan" sensation that 1994, the Italian government granted Sassicaia its own DOC status in a sub-zone of the Bolgheri DOC. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats, and the wines are then aged in French oak barrique for 18 to 24 months prior to release. Sassicaia produces a second label called Guidalberto and recently released a third wine, Le Difese, that is virtually unavailable in the U.S.
— 5 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Nicely done. Another year. Blue black. Nice full fruit, Well paired with tenderloin. Oldest son's birthday (17) in lockdown. Making the most of it. Thanks to @Antonio Galloni for the zoom meetings this week they were great.

93 points — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth and pencil lead.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, raisins, vanilla, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon is always enjoyable. Drinking nicely now as a 3 years old.

Fruit forward with nice balance. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows the tannins (45 minutes).

Nice enough to drink by itself, but pairs nicely with food too.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$17. — 7 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

8.9

Single vineyard pinot noir from Coastal California. Very deep purple for the grape. Viscous. Medium plus bodied. Perfume, floral nose notes but to me they are a bit overrun by oak. Belle Glos website says that this wine boasts bright acidity, but I would disagree. In the palate there is a ton of red fruit, almost candy, and very little acidity. Some residual sugar, and low to medium tannins. This is a good wine, but an odd Pinot. To me, it's almost like someone delivered Pinot Noir grapes to Ravenswood for processing as a Zinfandel.

PS it's giving me a headache.

DAY2 UPDATE: So I don't throw out wine, I'm giving it another whirl tonight. Done with dinner. If I wasn't on the Keto diet I'd slam this with a big 2 slices of cheesecake and I bet it would be perfect. The point is-- besides the fact that I miss cheesecake--this is a way over the top Pinot Noir, residual sugar and it's still at 14.6% abv!!! I'm adding the plus because I believe this was made with purpose, just not what I'm looking for.

89+ points — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a great Cabernet from Washington State.

Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, figs, light oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, pencil lead, black pepper, dark chocolates, dark coffee, earth and leather.

Medium to full-bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, herbs, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, dark chocolates and pencil lead.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Cabernet from Columbia Valley. Nicely balanced with great complexity and mouthfeel. Smooth, elegant and very tasty. This 4 year old is peaking now.

This is not an expensive wine, but with proper short term aging, it drinks wonderfully. Worth giving it a try.

Good right out of the bottle and so much better after 2 hours in a decanter.

I paired it with cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and light appetizers.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$15. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Lynch Bages is one of my favourite wines & clearly it’s too young to open this 98 pointer 09 but I’ve found a stash @ £120 so wanted to unleash a bottle for the community 😁 oh and me 😉

📍 Chateau Lynch Bages 2009 Pauillac

🏵 94 points now but 96+ potential in 3-5yrs

🍇 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, & a dollop of Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot

🍷 Opaque blackened ruby

👃 Gravel, flint & pencil lead infused soft smoked oak through earthy blackcurrant w/ wet leaves, red liquorice & mocha

👄 Med body of rich ripe blackcurrant infused with minerals, blackberry, blueberry, red liquorice & mocha w/ fine dry tannins

🎯 Long touch dry vibrant earthy blackcurrant & blackberry, red liquorice, blueberry & mocha mouth coating w/ a mineral stone linger — 8 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, sweet strawberries, plums, wood, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, pencil lead, peppercorn and tobacco.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Smooth with long legs.

Dry on the palate, and fruity with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, earth, meats, green vegetables, herbs, chocolates and peppercorn.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

What a great Zinfandel from Sonoma County, California. Getting into the drinking range now. Well balanced with nice complexity and interesting acidity.
Good as a sipping wine, all by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).

This is not the jammy Californian Zinfandel one might be used to. Spicy and interesting. I really enjoyed it this time.

This 4 year old is drinking very nicely now. I had this vintage a couple of years ago, and it was not very enjoyable. What a difference a couple of years in the bottle has done...

Could use a few more years to become even better.

Wine Spectator 92 points.

14.8% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago

Scott Abernethy

9.2

2009 vintage. — 11 years ago

Katie Sciabica

9.4

Yummy pick by Jerry! — 13 years ago

Billy L.

9.7

JEB 💯 Points / Very good not 100 tonight. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.7

Celebrating 20K on Instagram with this beautiful wine!

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim. Doesn't show age at all.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, figs, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cloves, cola, chocolates, mocha, caramel and black pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, mocha, coke, light earth, peppercorn, leather and tobacco.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Napa Bordeaux blend. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel. Nicely balanced and fruit forward.

A fantastic wine from a great vintage. I've had a few different vintages of this, from older to younger, and this 2012 vintage is so nice right now. Will be even better in the next 10 to 15 years.

Thank you John for sharing this with me.

Rich yet elegant. Opulent and luxurious. Delectable and delicious.

Robert Parker 96 points.

Good right out of the bottle and much better after 3 hours of airtime. Fun wine for parties if it's in the budget. 😉

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged in New French oak barrels for 24 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

97 points.

$250. — 6 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Deep inky put purple color. Blackberry, smoke, eucalyptus nose, with a hint of pine/mint in the background. Initial attack is from the greenery, then quickly moves to the black fruit. Some acidity. Medium tannins, slight pruney finish. Excellent!

93 points — 7 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Predictably predictable.

93 points — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

This is a very aromatic Left Bank Bordeaux, with a great fruity nose and great complexity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, dark chocolates, vinaigrette, coffee, black pepper and spices.

Drinking nicely now and will be better in 5 years.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cranberries, with a soft and elegant mouthfeel.


This 9 year old has good aging potential of another 15 to 20 years.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show all that complexity.

I paired it with Brie cheese and Italian meats.

Robert Parker 93 points.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit verdot.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$120. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

One of my favourite well priced Pauillacs @ £55 in a great year that keeps evolving lovely 👍 I’ve always loved the label and we call it “The dancing men” 😁 what do you think they’re doing?

🏵 94 points

🍇 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot & 12% Cabernet Franc

🍷 Opaque blackened ruby

👃 Crushed wet minerals & pencil lead through soft elegant smoked oaky black berries w/ spiced plum jam , light mocha, herby tea, soggy earth & wet autumn leaves

👄 Med bodied smooth rich mocha infused & earthy driven dark berries & plum with a soft liquorice tone

🎯 Med+ earthy mocha dark berry liquorice slight dry mineral linger w/ a black tea smackeroony — 8 years ago

S L

9.2

Nice with grilled honey Aleppo chicken (more so then the Tuscan herbed), and a Jose Llopis cigar. Very pleasing Rhone blend from Paso Robles. — 8 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.2

First time with the 2010 vintage. Have had at least a case of 2009. Still having sinus troubles...

Some greenery, subtle licorice, nose.
Quite acidic. I bet this will be better than the 2009, needs more time to develop. Gonna buy and hold some.

92 points — 9 years ago

George Chen

9.1

2001 in Mag...was RP 100 but really have no idea what that means now. Robust fruit lead profile but less pronounced than other RP100 Napa's. Guess good price for the points but I do generally like 2001 vintage. — 10 years ago

Jill Hill

9.6

Parker gave this 100 points today! Hooray Jason delicious!Kevin insisted on drinking it tonight — 11 years ago

Nestor Tsioustas

9.3

Very interesting nose. French barnyard smell, tough to describe. Capsicum - red fruits. Colour more earthy then 86. Leathery, showing some secondary characters. Long polished finish. Flavours carry on but I actually thought this was older then the 86. Strange? 94-95 points. — 12 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

It’s time for some Merlot on this#MerlotThursday.

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

On the nose, plums, black currants, strawberries, sweet cherries, light cedar, licorice, vanilla, earth, herbs, chocolates, tobacco, spices, dark coffee and black pepper.

Medium plus in body and soft, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with currants, black plums, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, light vegetables and herbs.

Medium finish with fine tannins, tangy raspberries and peppercorn.

This young Bordeaux from Saint Émilion is already showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Tasty and interesting. Tangy and rich. Needs a couple of hours to open up properly.

Still young, but starting to drink nicely now. I am surprised of how approachable it is already. Still a little unbalanced, and needs another few years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

This 2018 vintage is showing a lot of potential. A little lighter than the 2016 I had a couple of weeks ago.

A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years.

I paired it with Brie cheese and crackers.

A blend of 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$55. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.7

Cheers to my 6,000th review on Vivino. A Big milestone deserves a big wine. This was on my wishlist for a while now. Go big or go home!

Deep inky in color with a short brick rim. Unbelievable. Not showing age at all.

Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, black currants, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, leather, earth, Mediterranean spices, beef jerky, peppercorn, cedar, leather, vanilla and licorice.

Full bodied, bold, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet plums, vanilla, cedar, light vegetables, spices, smoke, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, cola, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon based, Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity and a great mouthfeel. Big with bold tannins. Delicious and yummy.

This 19 year old is drinking very nicely now, and really shows like a young wine. Has at least 15 years in it.

After 3 hours of airtime, forest floor notes come in on the nose. Tasting like an aged left bank Bordeaux.

Wine Advocate 100 points.

This is a Fabulous wine to share with good friends. Very enjoyable by itself or with food. I paired it with BBQ ribs.

Thank you John, for sharing this phenomenal wine with me.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

97 points.

$1,200. — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

This is a delicious Cabernet from Napa Valley. Showing black currants, blackberries, chocolates vanilla, cedar, light earth, light alcohol and espresso.

Tangy finish with nice tannins.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature, but already very yummy. Still hot on the long finish.

15.1% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$53. — 7 years ago

Joe Gillies

9.4

Decided to pop this baby, while the 09, and 10's age more. Decanted for 30 minutes. Drinking very well right now. Black fruit and earthy aromas. BlackBerry, plum, smoke, leather and earthy flavors. Very good right now and will improve a couple points over the next 3 to 5 years. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.3

My favourite Cotes De Bourg wine in a top vintage @ £60 😁 will keep improving 👍 If you’ve never tried this tiny region of Bordeaux you should check it out as there are some great value bottles here; this being one of the more expensive as made by the folks behind Tertre Roteboeuf 😎

📍 Chateau Roc De Cambes 2010

🏵 93 points

🍇 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Malbec

🍷 Deep opaque ruby

👃 Cracked mineral rock & gravel through blackcurrant, dark plum & raspberry w/ cocoa, soggy earth, black cherry & herbs

👄 Med body of rich creamy plump fruit filled blackcurrant w/ dark plum, cocoa, dark cherry & raspberry liquorice

🎯 Long ripe dark fruit blackcurrant burst w/ a raspberry mocha liquorice cherry smacker of a kiss
— 8 years ago

Chris England

9.5

I 💗 Tig & this 06 gets better & better 😍 For £70 paid now £115 it’s a special treat to pop one of these beauties 😎

📍 Antinori Tignanello 2006

🏵 95-96 points

🍇 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Cabernet Franc

🍷Deep ruby with brown garnet edge

👃 Soft oak infused stewed dark cherry & spiced blackcurrant w/ mocha, earthy wet leaves, herbs, black tea, minerals & smokey tones

👄 Med body of super silky dark fruit berries & cherry in creamy mocha w/ dry minerals

🎯 Long slight dry dark fruit finish with a coffee & chocolate mineral linger

Yummy Tignanello one of my (many) favourite go to wines 👍 — 8 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.5

Finally... these hills have gold!!!
@Trattoria Il Leccio Sant'Angelo in Colle.
Small place, Big wine list.

Asked for recommendation.... blown away.

Age and alcohol showing in clear-gold-garnet rim. A beautiful cherry nose, with a hint of anise (but not licorice!). Stand by for more...

Rounded out beautifully, very soft silky tannins. Spectacular.

95+ points — 9 years ago

Rich

9.2

Sold this bottle for $170. my guest asked for a great CA Cab. Blend that needed to paired great with both Australian Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu. 🔱
77% Cabernet Sauvignon
12% Merlot
11% Cabernet Franc
91 points with Robert Parker, " It's a medium to full-bodied, supple, pure and balanced effort that offers lots of toasted spice, cedar, tobacco leaf and cassis-like aromas and flavors. Showing hints of chalky minerality and plenty of tannin on the finish, it will have 10-12+ years of longevity."
— 11 years ago

Charles Hetzel

9.5

1990 Chateau Pape Clement apes sac-Leognan Bordeaux - outstanding #Bordeaux great balanced wine with deep ruby purple color, big rich fruit with hint of tannins with ripe berry undertones. Finished 2nd of 11 1990s. 95 points — 11 years ago

Ron Studer

8.9

Very nice table and casual wine — 12 years ago