Dagger Leaf

Château Beychevelle

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2018

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Nice color of dark ruby with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices, earth and black tea.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, coffee, herbs, chocolates, light oak, licorice, spices, light earth, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot based blend from Saint Julien. Elegant and spicy. Fruit forward and chocolatey.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent and always delicious, especially with age.

This 7 year old 4th growth Bordeaux is starting to drink beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Well balanced, complex and interesting. Rich and inviting.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.

A blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Aged in (60% new) French Oak barrels for 18 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$150.
— 9 months ago

Dave, Doug and 16 others liked this

Heitz Cellar

Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

A bit linear. Cranberry!!! Strawberry, strawberry leaf, strawberry yogurt. Long finish, medium+/elevated acidity. Silky tannins that — 4 years ago

Douglas and Ira liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Bosconia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 1995

This went well with the tapas I had for lunch. Notes of soft, sweet red fruits, leather, spice, rose petal & hints of tobacco leaf. — 5 years ago

Severn, Juan and 10 others liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1994

Dark reddish tawny. Herbal nose. Heavy tobacco leaf, black cherries, cedar, smoke, plums, and cut Cuban cigar. Angular in the mouth. Needed five hours to find its groove. Big and powerful wine, paired perfectly with smoked prime rib. — 5 years ago

Paul, Shay and 20 others liked this
Stephen Redenbaugh

Stephen Redenbaugh Premium Badge

Love this vintage of Dominus...

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

Youthful & drinking like a 10 yr old Cab. Lots of red & black fruits, cassis, menthol, cedar, leather, licorice & tobacco leaf. — 6 years ago

Shay, Severn and 17 others liked this

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 2007

La Rioja Alta 2007 Grand Reserva 904- cherry, forest spice, forest red and black berries, cinnamon, slight leather, mushrooms, bay leaf, dried herbs, sousbois, smooth drying resolved tannins that are fondue like, a small element of astringency. The color has fallen out yet very traditional style Rioja. — 7 years ago

Ira liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

VINTAGE: 2004
BOTTLE: 375ml
APPEARANCE: Deep red, garnet meniscus, viscous legs.
NOSE: Allspice, white pepper, bell pepper, dark fruits.
MOUTHFEEL: Round, medium - acidity, medium + tannins.
PALATE: Cinnamon, tomato leaf, leather, hints of vanilla.
FINISH: Long with sandalwood throughout and some cocoa at the very end.
NOTES: Picked this up in December of 2017, thinking the 375 bottle will have made this ready to drink immediately. Was not wrong, it is drinking well, but there is sufficient backbone left in this wine to age for many more years to come, even in a 375. Nice layers of complexity that were fun to tease out, but still many notes that I don’t yet have the ability to properly identify. I look forward to trying again with more years under its belt.
— 8 years ago

Pertimali (Livio Sassetti)

Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2014

Ming L
9.2

Nice BdM from a weak vintage. Lively red and black berry fruits upfront followed by cedar, fresh herbs, incense, and autumn leaf. Juicy palate with supple texture. Dusty powdery tannins. — 2 years ago

Tom, Severn and 1 other liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2008

A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Full bodied and elegant.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing red currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.

Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.

Robert Parker 95 points.

I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.

A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55.
— 2 years ago

Iwan, Severn and 30 others liked this

Château Bel-Air Lagrave

Cru Bourgeois Moulis en Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Surprisingly youthful for 35y, served from a magnum.
Still deep in colour, with not much evolution towards the rim.
Uplifting aromatics with cigar box, tobacco leaf, cedar wood, some kirsch, but also some black currant jam.
Medium bodied on the palate with nice balance, the tannins still surprisingly grippy, though a touch dry.
Nicely poised, with good flow and high drinkability.
What a surprise!
— 4 years ago

Daniel and Ira liked this

Bodegas Faustino

Gran Reserva Faustino I Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2010

Vanilla is known as ‘the salt of the baking world’ and this wine embodies that. Velvety smooth vanilla, maybe black cherry or Concord grape, peppercorn, tea leaf. I was skeptical at first finding an 11 year old wine in 2021 that had bottle gimmicks like fake gold wire, but is worth the 30$CAD if you can find it! — 5 years ago

Milissa, Trixie and 1 other liked this
Trixie

Trixie

Sounds good! Cheers!🍷

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1955

Great vintage for DB that is still showing up at 65 yrs with notes of dried cherry, berry fruits, cedar, leather, savory spices, dried herbs, forest floor, lead pencil & tobacco leaf. — 6 years ago

Ira, Severn and 22 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1978

Beautiful drinking claret showing red berry fruits, leather, tobacco leaf & rose petal wrapped up in an elegant & floral style. — 7 years ago

Shay, Arden and 8 others liked this

Black Ankle Vineyards

Leaf-Stone Syrah 2012

Aging beautifully! Still loads of currant and lavender. Add a touch of iodine and some more black fruit, mix with lean tannins and fine acidity. Here is to Maryland wines! — 8 years ago

William, Velma and 9 others liked this
James Cahill

James Cahill

I’ve enjoyed this wine as well. Thoughtful winemaking here.

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2011

2011 might be a forgotten vintage but this CB is really memorable. Did a pop and pour and it had great aromatics straight away. Medium to full bodied. Velvety. Layered. Dark berries, herbs, black tea, licorice, bay leaf. First wine on the trip to France. Great start! — 2 years ago

Andrew, Ron and 2 others liked this

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2000

Last bottle of this vintage. Heavenly. Rum raisin, cranberry, old strawberries, carob, fig, earth, tobacco leaf. Silky, delicate, and resolved. Loads of sediment, not out of life but on its decline. — 3 years ago

Severn, Ely and 2 others liked this

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2003

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide red/brick rim.

Pretty nose of currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, herbs, light vegetables, pencil lead, light vinaigrette, olives, peppercorn, leather, tobacco leaf, earth and dark coffee.

Full bodied and elegant, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cooked black plums, ripen cherries, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth, light vanilla and black pepper.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Tuscany. Smooth with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

This 19 year old is Interesting and tasty. Not from the best vintage, but still very yummy, and at its peak right now.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 3 hours of airtime.

Thank you Judy for sharing this with me.

Robert Parker 92 points. Wine Enthusiasts 91 points.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 24 months in oak barrels (30% new).

14% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$350.
— 4 years ago

Scott McNamara
with Scott
Ira, Shay and 29 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1953

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 6 years ago

Tom, Alex and 28 others liked this
Iwan

Iwan

Amazing
David L

David L Influencer Badge Premium Badge

One hell of a pull

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2001

Outstanding and ready for business. Bay leaf and tobacco nose led a lush, velvety and completely integrated rainbow of dark red fruit, cherries and nutty earth. Perfect display of the potential of Tig in the good years. — 7 years ago

Melissa Shabinsky
with Melissa
Severn, P and 28 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009

Delicious. Blackberries, forest floor, tobacco leaf, anise, pepper, cloves, mint with bitter chocolate. Decanted 90min and the tannins were an excellent foil to a prime tomahawk ribeye. “Save the neck for me Clark!” — 7 years ago

Shay and Sylvain liked this