Delayed In Glass

Domaine François Raveneau

Valmur Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay

Super fresh and precise on the nose. Packed with minerals- lime, slate, salinity. Quite a glycerin mouthfeel. Super fresh and compact. All the transparency of 2011 and Raveneau. Needs time in the glass to open up. Still a puppy, but spectacular and all in place. Benefitting from air. — 3 years ago

Walker StrangisTony GarciaDavid Schachter
with Walker, Tony and 1 other
Ira, Severn and 12 others liked this

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Too tight last night. Based on the small glass today I think it is perfect for me. Fruit, secondary and t tertiary notes. Pretty much all in balance.  I can only assume since I had the cork pulled yesterday that this still has a lot of years left. — 3 years ago

David and Mike liked this

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2002

David T
9.7

Now, this is a Champagne worthy of my last year in my current decade.

It’s not inexpensive but, there’s a reason for that.

From the moment I put my nose to the glass, I got a a sense of warm, inviting delicacy. There is; cream, soft ginger, fall green apples, mango, guava, slightly sour lemons, lime zest/candy, perfectly, ripe pineapple, white peach, green melons, lightly bruised pear, marmalade jam, as soft as white spice can be, grey volcanics, good chalkiness, vanillin, sea spray, lovely, melted caramel notes, yeast, bread dough to baguette crust, non funky cheese rind, toast, silvered almonds to nut skin with white & lilies, jasmine and spring flowers.

The palate enters like Tango dancers & cross-fades into ballet. Perfect richness, mousse & micro-oxygenation with gentle, absolute, perfect acidity. The minerality is fine, delicate & straight up in my wheelhouse. Cream, understated, melted butter, ginger, fall, Granny Smith apples, mango, guava, slightly sour lemons, lime zest/ peel/candy, perfectly, ripe pineapple, white peach, peach, tangerine, green melons, lightly bruised pear, some apple cider, marmalade jam, honeysuckle, herbaceousiness, a shade of mint, as soft as white spice can be, delicate, grey volcanics with limestone, good chalkiness, vanillin, sea spray, lovely, melted caramel notes, yeast, bread dough to baguette crust, non funky cheese rind, toast, silvered almonds to nut skin with, orange blossoms, white & lilies, jasmine and spring flowers. The long, amazing, well balanced finish is simply Mozart.

The 02 is a blend of 39% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay & 21% Pinot Meunier. This bottle spent at least 12 years in Krug's cellars, receiving its cork in autumn 2014.

Photos of; the House of Krug, their very tall & countless stainless steel tanks they hold still wine(s), fermenting or library bottles in their caves & Krug Clos du Mesnil Vineyard.
— 4 years ago

Eric, Vanessa and 39 others liked this
Ryan Vento

Ryan Vento

Very nice.
Sofia Jalilie

Sofia Jalilie

Lovely to share this Champagne with you as we celebrate your birthday
🥂🎂💕

Domaine François Raveneau

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 1990

Nice golden hue, looks heavy and rich in the glass. Honeyed fragrant nose. Notes of sweet apricot, mango, lemon, white clay, tan spice, and stones. Nice intensity in the mouth, with gobs of fruit matched against acidity that built over the afternoon. Telltale aged Raveneau honey, exotic today but not over the top. I brought this and it was the best of the couple or so bottles of it that I've had. Was at its best with ~5 hours of air, and leftover was still singing the next morning. — 5 years ago

Eric, Severn and 13 others liked this
David T

David T Influencer Badge

Very nice.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1994

Lost most of its fruit. Great nose, drank a little funky at first but came around after a little time in the glass. — 7 years ago

Emil EyvazoffEdward Balasanian
with Emil and Edward
Shay, Shawn and 4 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 1999

Very nice. Possible that some of the fruit is starting to fade. But with some time in the glass this still reveals a lot and of course finishes with very good acid and smooth, well integrated tannins. Very nice with a big grilled pork chop. — 7 years ago

Allison liked this

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2013

"I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon"... I can see why Nicolas Alexandre Marquis de Segur said these iconic words after having this wine in my glass. The nose is so inviting with warm spice, cigar smoke, embers, and toast. Raspberry syrup, plums, vanilla, and toffee on the palate. Nice thread of smoke throughout with nice balancing fresh fruit. What an enjoyable wine! 20 months in new oak - obviously the more accessible style the new owners are going for... the Pinot the other night gave an experience, this one tells a story. — 8 years ago

Ron, David and 5 others liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Still tightly coiled, giving its perfumed nose after 1.5hours in glass. Medium to full with a focus long cab fruit — 9 years ago

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 1975

Jason Heller
9.2

1975 - Perfectly aged and continually growing in the glass. Under $100 on the list too. — 9 years ago

Anthony, Kit and 7 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2004

Violet, vanilla, black currant and very cab franc like. Dry, dark fruit, tar and silky but bracing tannins. Vanilla and pencil lead notes, fruit developed in glass. — 10 years ago

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2014

Now I see how this wine can be so divisive. LOTS of brett at first, more band-aid than barnyard. Takes a while to get past it and then lots of exotic spices show up. But after 40 minutes in the glass still nothing primary. It’s got the funk I can appreciate in some good left bank Bordeaux but also feels somewhat single-threaded. — 3 years ago

Philip Togni Vineyard

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

1/21 This 1993 Cab was superb. It changed a lot in the glass gaining power and then losing it. It lost it’s power but it still had strength. This was a complex wine with a lot of minerality and very well balanced and a nice finish. 90 — 3 years ago

Clos des Papes

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2003

An assault of dried bacon fat 🥓 and kirsch liqueur. Give this time in the glass or long decant, gets better and better, and there’s a hint of prune there that I ❤️ but may turn some people off. — 4 years ago

Eric, Mike and 30 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

A big bold plumy purple bomb As dense and luscious as a wine can get in a glass. Decanted for 2 hrs and its still a baby with blackberry, dark chocolate licorice and pepper on the nose and on the palate. A long long finish and loads of tannins to sum it all up — 5 years ago

Bruce F Taub
with Bruce

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. — 5 years ago

Greg, David and 18 others liked this
Alan Weinberg

Alan Weinberg

This and 85 are unmatched twin titans. Always great.

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1949

A treat. Dark in color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose with dark, very mouton fruit. Incredibly aromatic, blackcurrant, mint,graphite, dried herbs, eucalyptus. The palate is extraordinary. So dense and powerful for a wine of almost 70 years. Dark fruit with a savory undertow- leather, thyme, sour cherry, dark chocolate. Really precise flavors and long. After an hour or two in glass there’s notes of coconut and soft wood. Extraordinary. Clearly there’s a lot of age on this but the sheer quality makes for a really dynamic wine. An exceptional bottle, and a teal treat. — 6 years ago

Howard HorwitzTony GarciaDavid Schachter
with Howard, Tony and 1 other
Eric, Daniel and 25 others liked this
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

Damn
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

What @Eric Shanks said 👆🏼
James Forsyth

James Forsyth Influencer Badge

Goodness! What a treat.

Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia

Unico Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 2002

Jason Chang
9.3

I feel as if this would be amazing if not following the Rayas. Great nose but pretty wound up and tight still. Didn't open up much after being in glass an hour. Need to revisit. — 7 years ago

Wai ChangChris ChangFlora Chang
with Wai, Chris and 2 others
Andrew, Velma and 34 others liked this
Ira Schwartz

Ira Schwartz Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Jason Chang The VS is a baby. The only wines that can follow the '05 Rayas and shine are other vintages of Rayas😊. For me those two producers are wine heaven and to have them together would be a very special treat. Thanks for sharing and happy holidays.
Ron R

Ron R Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Flora Chang @Jason Chang seasonal best to you both. Outstanding wines. Never experienced the Rayas, but yes, a Grenache is always going to dominate. Going European all the way - love your style! 🎅🏾
Jason Chang

Jason Chang Influencer Badge

@Ira Schwartz agreed! Need to pair better next time 👍@Ron R definitely need to give rayas a shot in 2017!!

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1954

What a treat. From the company to the antics of the cork removal, all was fantastic. Not surprised with some immediate mustiness on the nose, giving way to a rich but smooth aged blue cheese, mushrooms, soy sauce, earth, and just a faint hint of dried red fruit. Over the next 20 minutes the glass development was out of control, changing with each and every whiff and sip. Earthy umami, oxidative, and and slightly stewed reds to begin quickly opened to nice dried strawberries on the palate and nose, and advancing to moderately subdued ripened strawberries and cranberries- after 61 years and still kickin with fruit! Amazing. Then after about 20 minutes of rapid metamorphosis, it gave in and decided to fade to a very pleasant sipper...awesome. — 9 years ago

Rajiv AyyangarTim Herrmann
with Rajiv and Tim
Rajiv and Chris liked this

Vincent Dauvissat

La Forest Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2002

I felt like I needed a snorkel and fins when I placed my nose in the glass. I cannot recall a wine that showed so much seashell and saline. Laser focused compared to the 2005 Dauvissat's I recently tasted. Wave after wave of salt, minerals and citrus. A very long and fresh finish. No rush to open. Textbook. — 9 years ago

Jim and Flavio liked this

Giacomo Conterno

Riserva Monfortino Barolo Nebbiolo 1955

1955. Held in the glass nicely and a great nose. — 10 years ago

Lewis liked this

Louis Latour

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 1992

The wife is making fish so I oblige with this pull. Amber gold, a bit darker than past bottles of this which I’ve had several times. Viscous and heavy in the glass. A nice nose, it doesn’t appear to come across as old on the first smells. Notes of apricot, white stone, some spice and a little citrus. Great acidity and texture in the mouth. With a few hours of air it even gets a bit chewy and more powerful in its impact. Great showing for the color. — 3 years ago

Eric, Shay and 19 others liked this
Alan Weinberg

Alan Weinberg

I’ve given up on Latour whites, long ago on the reds. Maybe I should not have.

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

Beautiful, beautiful wine. The last 96 we had was maybe a smidge more together but it’s marginal. Quite dark in the glass. Deep restrained red fruit on the nose. Tannins are slightly dusty but overall very seamless. Excellent refreshing acid. Perfect with a dry aged strip steak. — 4 years ago

Jason, Severn and 5 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1992

Last night in MT at the lake. Gave this several hours of air. Nice dark tawny color. Vibrant in the glass. The nose is great right away and stayed on point through the evening. Notes of black cherries, warm raspberries, old cedar, some plums and a little leather saddle. Rich and silky in the mouth. Velvet glove. Long finish. Great wine. — 5 years ago

Ron, Shay and 17 others liked this

Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello

Monprivato di Castiglione Falletto Barolo Nebbiolo 2013

Il Ritrivo in Positano. Popped and poured. Light scarlet in the glass. Thin and translucent. This starts off very quiet, offering some ripe cherries and spice. With air it gains a little bit of body and adds some nice sweet fruit but never emerges fully to show what it’s got. Compared to the A Conterno Cicala next to it, this is delicate, feminine and a bit of a surprise it didn’t have more to show. Not sure about this. Probably just needs time. — 5 years ago

Alex, Eric and 11 others liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

Fortunate enough to have tasted this along with 6 other stunning wines last night during a cellar tasting. This 36 year old 2nd growth was nearly perfect, unusual but very pleasant mint, camphor, crushed sage and rosemary aromas with the same cooling delicate herbal initial palate. Dried but expressive red fruits mid- palate with a great structural graphite element throughout. Whiff of new leather. Changed in the glass showing different mellow facets. Pretty much intercepted at the exact right time. A real privilege to taste such a renowned vintage with folks who appreciates what was in front of them. — 6 years ago

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 1990

Garnet color with a slight orange rim. Nose of lead pencil, dried herbs, soil and red cherries, with a hint of green peppers. Medium+ body, complex palate with the same flavors, and long finish. This softened considerably in the glass over the evening. Great wine. — 6 years ago

Frankie Cohen
with Frankie
Eric, Amr and 5 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Wow, super jammy upfront for a Cab, and a '14 besides. Opens nicely in the glass though. Enjoying at the cabin in Pinetop - where its a brisk 26°F! — 8 years ago

Jim liked this

Vieux Château Certan

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

2003 vintage. From Jay. Very nice. Much better than expected. Goes down all together way too easily when you're surrounded by snow! Deep ruby core washing out towards the edges. No bricking...yet. Nose is a preponderance of dark fruits together with blueberries and ripe cassis with slight under tones of cloves and a hint of graphite. This is a very fruity affair- takes me back to Christmas. The wine expresses on the palate as it does on the nose. Layers of rich fruit with traces of brown spice. There's a lovely sweetness here that makes the wine a pleasure to drink despite the relatively modest acidity. The tannins are soft and lush. The finish is good with a continued preponderance of fruit right to the very end although it is moderate in length. This is a very quaff able wine...could be at this all night with pleasure just sit me down in front of an open fire and hand me a Montecristo! 92+/100. Drink now to 2028. NB - no need to decant. This wine can happily be poured from bottle post opening and allowed to open in the glass. — 8 years ago

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1934

5-Oh Bday Dinner... From a half bottle. Deep red and purple color. Mostly opaque and thick in the glass. There is still some good fruit in the nose with gravel and soil notes. Very round in the mouth. The wine hung in there over the hour it was consumed. Nice experience with an 80+ year old wine. — 9 years ago

Jacques Selosse

Initial Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne Chardonnay

It got better as the night progressed, always a sign of amazing champagne. Left it in the glass and as it opened up and got down to room temperature it got better and better. — 10 years ago

Ilida Alvarez
with Ilida
Gary and Dick liked this