Dark Waves

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2018

Classic color, fragrances, and dark cherry on the palate. If you drink this wine at less than 5 years old, you might be disappointed. But at 7 years old, it is amazing. August 2025. — 17 days ago

Dave liked this

The Prisoner Wine Company

The Prisoner Napa Valley Zinfandel Blend

Deep ruby color and great nose. Velvety on palate with rich dark fruits. Soft tannins and a lasting finish. Good blend of Zin, Cab, Petite Syrah, and Syrah. — a month ago

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Opened a few hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of an hour. This bottle of the 1986 was re-corked at the chateau in 2011. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and some dried dark and red fruits: black currants, brambles, black plum, tobacco, pencil shavings, some dried flowers, green pepper, leather, some earth and a gentle mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This seemed evergreen and this bottle spending most of its life in the cellars of the chateau likely has a lot to do with that. Fabulous stuff. Drink now through 2046. — 2 months ago

Dave, Douglas and 18 others liked this
"Odedi"

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Good stuff

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend

Leather and spice up front, with a trace of dill that softens into dark cherry after an hour in the decanter. — 3 months ago

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Dark and brooding. Tangy plum fruit, roses, blood and dried herbs, iodine. Very intense and serious. Blackcurrant and black pepper with plum and black cherry. Long and quality. — 3 months ago

Bex GreenMajor-General Sir William Biddles CurranDavid Schachter
with Bex, Major-General and 1 other
Mario, Shay and 12 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010

Somm David T
9.4

2010 is a vintage to leave to your children if you bought this at 50 years old forward. This is a 50-60 year wine with proper storage.

The nose shows nice ruby, fruits of; dark cherries, cherries, strawberries with a dark currant center, blackberries, black raspberries & raspberries. Chocolate mousse, melted, milk chocolate, light caramel, moist sage, warm, slightly sweet dark earth with withering dark & red florals.

The palate is warm, inviting & beautiful. Easy to drink. Dark cherries, cherries, strawberries with a dark currant center, blackberries, black raspberries & raspberries. Red cola/licorice, dark chocolate, melted, milk chocolate, light caramel, moist sage, warm, oak barrel shavings, moist, dark earth w/ dry leaves, celery, used leather, moist tobacco, with withering dark & red florals. Perfect acidity with an excellently balanced, nicely knitted, perfect tension & structure with elegance for days the falls evenly on ripe fruits & soft earthiness.

94-96 in another 10 years. Outside chance at 97.
— 4 months ago

Rob, David and 24 others liked this
"Odedi"

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Great wine from a great vintage

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2021

Decant and pour. Restrained notes of dark fruit, smoke, leather, tobacco, grilled bell pepper. Taste: cherry, blueberry, currants, crushed granite, truffles. A young wine that I would luv to drink again in 15 years. — 4 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Somm and 20 others liked this

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Always drinks well. Robust without being overpowering. Dark purple, blackberries, graphite and pencil lead. Fine minerals. A little pepper. — a month ago

Tyler liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Pretty deep garnet ruby , garnet rim . This is pretty open and aromatic, with smoky creme de cassis , grafite , blackberry and cedar , light herbal touches , really quite classic and noble . On the palate this has good balance and density , good freshness also . Ripe , very fine but perceptible tannins . Dark fruits , grafite , tobacco , long and detailed slightly mineral notes on the good length finish . Really elegant , though quite serious and traditional, not easy to pull off. This is drinking perfectly now (Coravin might have helped here , I would certainly decant if I had a full bottle) , though still quite fruit driven with some tertiary complexity coming through . Really harmonious and complex . From now and over the next 15 years, maybe more . At Doppo Restaurant, Soho . — a month ago

Tom, Dave and 15 others liked this
David White

David White

Wow 🚀 that was an exciting line up of wines and it seems like the Pichon, Brunello and Lynch Bages were the cream of the crop
Somm David T

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Had one of mine two years ago. Didn’t think it was ready like a lot 2000’s I’ve had so far. Think it is either a forever vintage or just not living up to the hype of 2000? Cheers! 🍷
Andrew Cullimore

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I thought this was really quite excellent @Somm David T , it did seem quite open , though this might be to do with it being under Coravin.. I would certainly decant for a while if opening a bottle . Or alternatively leaving for another 5-10 years will do no harm at all . One of the better 2000s I have had , in some ways it is a bit of a hit or miss vintage .. but the peaks are very high . Hope you enjoy your other bottles !

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Somm David T
9.6

I think if you read this nonsense I post, you know how I feel about this producer, past & present. This 07 is outstanding & top of its bell curve. It is so good to revisit these great vintages of Caymus Classic.

This is fresher than the 97. It is rich/lush, cassis to currents, ripe, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries & strawberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, classic, beautiful, Caymus Classic spice that I miss dearly in their new wines, black licorice, fudge, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanillin, most top soil, limestone, dry herbs, dry tobacco, barrel shavings, taut leather, volcanic grey clay, dark, fresh & slightly withering flowers, violets, beautiful round acidity, balance, structure, nice tension and elegant finish that last minutes and falls on spice and evoluted earth tones.

This bottle is in fine shape. Still strong and will last another 10 years of fine drinking. Phenomenal vintage and time to enjoy.
— 3 months ago

Rob, Vanessa and 14 others liked this

Château Gruaud Larose

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1962

Slightly medicinal notes. Dark fruit, leather, cedar, plum and bitter cherry. Soft and long. — 4 months ago

BOT Paul WoollsMatt Lichtenberg
with BOT, Paul and 1 other
Jan, Ceccherini and 7 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

From MAG

2 hour decant. A striking purplish dark garnet color. On the nose: beautiful notes of dark fruit, pencil shavings, herbaceous, vanilla, cloves. Taste: creamy, polished, structured wine with blackberry, dark chocolate, minerals, bell pepper, leather, and a decent herbal/potting soil finish. Drinks surprisingly well with the decant at this age, and of course a few more years it will improve. YUM!
— 4 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Tom and 18 others liked this
Paul T HB

Paul T HB

Only about 10-15 years too soon

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

Medium ruby garnet , narrow garnet rim . Quite deep spicy tobacco , cassis , redcurrant , grafite , smoky herbal notes on the nose. On the palate this is quite restrained and elegant , with a mix of red and dark fruits , cassis , blueberry , red currant , touch of menthol also . Good refreshing acidity and slightly gritty tannins , good length with grafite and tobacco stained finish . This is showing well and is probably at peak at the moment , no rush as it will stay here for another 8-10 years or so . — 5 months ago

Jeroen, Jan and 11 others liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2012

Somm David T
9.3

From 375ml.

A very good Rhone producer visited in 2015.

At pop & pour, the fruits almost had a mid berry bubble gum character. That toned down almost immediately. Fruits are ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, baked plums, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy strawberries, chocolate bar to fudge, grilled, smoked meats, black pepper, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, iron pan, black tea, a touch of rubber toy, slight tarriness, dry herbs, roasted chestnuts, tobacco leaf, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, hints of mint, dark, red flowers, violet’s, nice acidity with a well balanced-structured, stiffly tensioned with a lush finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on earthiness & spice.

Plenty of life left in this 2012, even in 375ml.
— a month ago

Jay, Scott@Mister and 18 others liked this

Faust

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Rich dark fruit, blackberry/raspberry tone with no tannins. Full bodied. Expensive, but worth the price. A special occasion wine — 2 months ago

Stags' Leap Winery

Napa Valley Petite Sirah

Dark ruby. Aged in American Oak. Full bodied on the palate with mild tannins. — 2 months ago

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Solid! Beautiful deep purple color. Aromas of blueberry, leather, black cherry cassis and cocoa. Amazing dark and blue flavors, very well balanced. — 2 months ago

Dave, Tom and 10 others liked this
Ron R

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👀

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2012

Great vintage for Jamet showing dark cherry, berry, meat, graphite, olive, savory spice, mineral & violet — 3 months ago

Tom, Shay and 10 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1955

From mag. Dark intense gravelly fruit. Leather and sour cherry. Serious and bridging still. Great aged Bordeaux. — 4 months ago

BOT Paul WoollsMatt Lichtenberg
with BOT, Paul and 1 other
Ceccherini, Bob and 13 others liked this
Jay Kline

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🐶

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

Quite light spices , coffee , sous bois , herbal hints . On the palate this has good density and spicy , menthol , dark coffee stained fruit , some slightly gritty tannin . It comes across as quite ripe but with balanced acidity and quite good menthol tinged length . This was served blind from a half bottle . I was putting this in the 80s and Napa , not Bordeaux! This had to do with the texture and quite ripe , generous fruit profile . Drinking perfectly now , I wouldn’t wait any longer — 4 months ago

Ira, Tom and 11 others liked this