Chateau Grand Bel Air

Domaine William Fèvre

Les Clos Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 2007

Medium gold. Nice weight. Citrus and sea shell nose. Also notes of white stones, sweet kiwi and some tan spice. Rich and powerful in the mouth, a bit disjointed, but it began to come together with air. Shows a little more age than I would expect but its a nice drink now. — 7 years ago

Alex, Tom and 15 others liked this

Château Villa Bel-Air

Graves White Bordeaux Blend 2015

Honey and flowers. Well-integrated oak. Rather lovely. — 7 years ago

Alsu Shakirova
with Alsu
Keith, David and 1 other liked this

Domaine Lafarge Vial

Bel Air Fleurie Gamay 2014

I had to carefully decant this, as it had a lot of that light, floaty sediment that starts zooming around if you even look at the bottle the wrong way. It’s got a light color, and loads of tangy cherry/ berry fruit, accented by a musky floral note and some stony minerality. In the mouth, it’s quite fluid and gulpable. Bone dry, but with nice pure fruit and lingering minerality. Deceptively complex. — 8 years ago

Lyle Fass
with Lyle
Lyle, Hermes and 28 others liked this
Lyle Fass

Lyle Fass Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Love this stuff
9.2

Château Brane-Cantenac

Grand Cru Classé en 1855 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2012

Valentine's Day 2018. Paired with Roasted Butterflied Lobster Tail, and a Chocolate Truffle Torte. Notes to come:)

- - Brane-Cantenac is a special wine to my wife and I. It is the first Bordeaux Chateaux we ever visited on our honeymoon. It is this little modest estate sitting in the shadow of the oversized Chateaux of Cantenac Brown, but it couldn't be more opposite when you bring the wine into the mix. Classic Margaux nose but less funk and more fruit. Terrior is hard to define, but if you have been somewhere memorable, and have a wine or food from that place.. it's when you have it again and it transports you back that to that place and time that defines that for me. It smells of the cool clean air and morning dew, sunshine, gravel dust from the road we had just driven in on, leather and wood from the barn, and the fresh overtones of fruity wine just beginning fermentation in the production facility that make up the core character of the wine. It is the terrior of Cantenac, and more specifically of Brane-Cantenac.

Paired this with Roasted Butterflied Lobster, and Broccolini, and a little left over for the Chocolate Truffle Torte I made as well for Valentine's Day.
— 9 years ago

Matt, Velma and 21 others liked this

Moraga Vineyards

Bel-Air Red Bordeaux Blend 1990

I don’t want to, but this is a damn good wine - 1990 vintage — 9 years ago

Château Gromel Bel Air

Bordeaux Supérieur 2015

Soyka special delicious wine — 10 years ago

Domaine Taupenot-Merme

Bel-Air Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Pinot Noir

Prototypical 06 burgundy. Good stuff. — 10 years ago

Domaine Leflaive

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Chardonnay 2001

2001 vintage. At Chez Simon in Flagey-Echezeaux. Medium golden hue. On the nose, stone fruit and almond profile, hazelnut and honeyed. On the palate medium acidity and body - silky and slightly oily. Good concentration and long, but not overly so. Very refined. Slightly disappointing relative to expectation. Drink now until 2026+. With air, mineral wet stone and honey character to the fore. Suggest opening for a day before drinking. — 10 years ago

Château Tour Bel-Air

Montagne-Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

Very complex yet still very drinkable. Absolutely love. — 13 years ago

Bouchard Père et Fils

Le Corton Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2002

Decanted prior to my arrival. Initial taste showed a bit muddled and nondescript. Time and air gave it lift. Flavors of dark cherry and sous bois, with nice balance. — 7 years ago

Bill, Paul and 33 others liked this
Shawn R

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Stop it

Vincent Dauvissat

Les Clos Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 2009

Took it's time to open up. Had a sweaty reduction when first open, which eventually developed into this smoky flinty tone. Ripe fruit, big, concentrated, oily, and dense. Air brought out more classic citrus and oyster shell notes, as well as some honeyed and yoghurt-like characters. For me, this is certainly a wine of it's vintage. While the length is impressive, I think it could do with more nerve and tension. Perhaps time will bring it more balance (like the 00' Butteaux I had recently - both from warmer years and more muscular sites, although 00' is perhaps a better vintage). — 8 years ago

Bob, Amr and 14 others liked this

Domaine Ramonet

Bienvenue Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru Chardonnay 1986

Tasted blind. Straw gold. Knockout nose. Notes of apricot, lemon, wet river stones, tan spice, minerals and a little bit of iodine. Rich and impactful in the mouth. Great acidity that is equally matched by the fruit. With air time, notes of the Ramonet mint come on in a wonderful way. Guessed 93 Ramonet Montrachet. Super impressive and still youthful. One of the best whites I’ve ever had, and certainly the best BBM. — 8 years ago

Severn, Ken and 5 others liked this

Château Bel-Air Lagrave

Cru Bourgeois Moulis en Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 1990

Rick K
9.0

Cedar, iron, tight knit, but enjoyable. Opening with time to plum, graphite. A little thin but nice. Reconditioned in 2017. — 9 years ago

P and Keith liked this

Domaine Henri Boillot

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 2007

Still young. Needs air.
Great after an hour in the decanter.
— 9 years ago

Thijs, Dick and 6 others liked this

Château Haut-Bailly

Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Tasted at Chateau.
70% CS and 26% M 4% CF

Deep crimson with slightly bricked tint. Youthful and compact rim.

Charming nose of creme de cassis, dark fruits, leafiness, with slight smoked meat on the background.

On the palate, things start to come together. Substantial but not at all spiky tannin, med plus acidity, med plus bodied, dry. Classic PL mouthful of gravelly tone, dark fruits with good ripeness, cassis, good acid keeping the freshness rather dimensional, good dose of mineral character.

Superb wine that will go the distance. Now with lots of air, ideally in 10 years time. 91+
— 9 years ago

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Chateau Latour is my favorite 1st Growth, they demand patience and inspire not just hedonistic pleasure but also analytical thought.

Both amazing but need massive amounts of air or another 15-20 years minimum in the cellar. I get the feeling they both will hit a plateau once they blossom and slowly move towards full maturity for decades.

The nose on the 2005 rose with little agitation and shot from the hip to nose with ease. By far the most youthful and I tense nose of the evening.

The 2000 was not dissimilar in its progression, if a bit more refined from the extra few years in the glass. A cerebral wine that was also deeply pleasurable, it kept bringing me to what this wine will be like in 15-20 or more years. Easily a 50 years wine from a macro view.

Epic #latour 2000 and 2005
#pauillac
— 10 years ago

Riddley, Julien and 12 others liked this

Domaine Leflaive

Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru Chardonnay

2001. Cooler vintage that is slowing grace in ageing. Still lively acid with strong primary fruits. Showing hints of honeysuckle and acacia tones with air. Fascinating wine, showing the grace and tension of great charging — 11 years ago

Corey liked this

Château Bel Air la Royère

Blaye Merlot Blend 2010

Lyle Fass
9.2

Really a nice little wine. Lots going on. 2010 is a great Bordeaux vintage it seems for little wines like this. — 12 years ago

Joe liked this

Vincent Dauvissat

Les Preuses Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 1989

Tour d’Argent. Surprisingly young color, light gold. At first it’s soft and delicate. With air it shows notes of citrus, tan spice, white clay, minerals and some cardamom. Starts with great fruit and has structure and acidity that builds with air. There’s a sweetness that stays with it over 3 hours. Great wine. — 7 years ago

Mark, Byron and 14 others liked this

Bonneau du Martray

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 1986

Deep yellow gold, heavy in the glass. Great leesy old white burg nose. . Notes of sweet lemon, apricot cardamom spice, more lemon peel and some river stone. Rich in the mouth. Tons of structure and acidity. Needed 5 hrs of air to really come on. — 8 years ago

Greg, David and 18 others liked this
Alan Weinberg

Alan Weinberg

This and 85 are unmatched twin titans. Always great.

Domaine du Bel Air

Grand Mont Bourgueil Cabernet Franc 2012

Bay leaf, chambord, wet clay — 8 years ago

Bill, Mike and 4 others liked this

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1976

Tasted blind. Brownish red and cloudy. Opaque. Nose of cola, earth, cherry and Heath bar. Ok in the mouth but unfulfilling. Short finish. Tannins completely resolved. Liked it at first but with more air this collapses to notes of just soy sauce and port. Interesting to try. — 9 years ago

Severn, Brian and 9 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Margaux was going through a bad patch then. Rebounded under new owners in82

Domaine François Raveneau

Clos Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 1988

Light gold. Heavy in the glass. Memorable nose with notes of lemon, cardamom spice, white stone, mint and a little honey. At first, quiet and shy. After 4-5 hours of air this blossomed, and the structure and acidity came on. Lasting finish, coats the palate. Not the biggest of Clos, but still a really great experience. When you hit on one of these, it's a great night regardless of the other bottles. — 9 years ago

Jason, Eric and 11 others liked this

Domaine du Bel Air

Bourgueil Cabernet Franc

If a wine can be honest (& a farmers wine to boot), this is it. Even threw off a bit of sediment for such a youngin'. Much much better the 2nd day. Doesnt have the acidic snap that some of my fave Bourgueils do, but Im rootin for it — 9 years ago

Château Dasvin-Bel-Air

Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Very nice surprise. Especially for price paid. Nice black cherry fruit with some oak and cedar hints. Not a ton of mouthfeell but very pleasant. — 10 years ago

Bill, TheSkip and 8 others liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1998

I was concerned that this was too young and indeed it's absolutely best days are ahead of it but with plenty of air and a good decant it opened up very nicely and showed its class. — 10 years ago

Domaine François Raveneau

Blanchot Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 1989

Boyz Raveneau tasting. From a very well kept bottle with a high fill. Light to med gold/straw color. More closed than the others. Rich and viscous in the mouth. Some heat in terms of the presence of alcohol. With air this really opened up. After 3 hours this was singing. — 11 years ago

Greg liked this

Domaine du Bel Air

Cuvée Les Marsaules Bourgeuil Cabernet Franc 2006

I wish we could of made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower, I was so jealous of the couple that we saw get engaged. — 12 years ago

Jamison Smith
with Jamison