Double-decanted prior to service. The 1988 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of cassis, brambles, tobacco, capsicum, leather, inorganic earth and a mix of herbs and fine spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. The label is beat to hell but the condition of the wine inside the bottle was perfect. Classic, old school Bordeaux from a classified growth. Drink now through 2043. — 8 days ago
Again quite deep ruby , with a wider garnet rim , slightly cloudy appearance. This is a little more smudged on the nose with , earthy , slightly swimming pool note , tobacco and some dried flowers . However with time this starts to gain stature and complexity with cigar box , cedar and grafite notes . On the palate this is a little rounder and deeper in style , a bit more generous . More cassis and blackberry , along with some cherry . Herbal tobacco notes , fresh acidity and more rounded tannins , perhaps better length that the Ducru too. This also is showing well , if not as young as the Ducru , from now and over the next 10 years in this format. — 24 days ago
2000 vintage. This is one of the better BDX 2000's I've had in the last decade. Opened not decanted. Tasted 1 hour and 4 hours after opening. Feminine body, masculine flavors. Plenty of stuffing and instructive markers laid down along the palate pathway. With apologies to Robert Zimmerman, you ain't going nowhere. 10.2.26. — 22 days ago
Garnet with transparency. Complexity including earthy forest floor. Chocolate nuance initially. Aged black fruits like berry cherry. Leather++ oak lots of spices like clove nutmeg. Creamy Fruitiness M Sweetness M Acidity M Tannin M+ Bitterness M Body M Finish M % Elegant Robust, still has aging potential Château Troplong Mondot St. Emilion Red Bordeaux Blend 17 @650, Enoteca, 260925 — a month ago
I always get excited when there’s a bottle of Calon-Ségur open. Classic Saint-Estèphe and, to my palate, these wines consistently deliver what I want from a Left Bank Bordeaux. I believe this bottle was double-decanted prior to service. The 1988 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with winsome notes of ripe, tart and dried fruits: cassis, mixed brambles, pencil shaving’s, tobacco, capsicum, a whiff of horse blanket, gravelly earth and a mix of herbs and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. I absolutely love it. This is the picture of Bordeaux in the dictionary. Drink now through 2048+. — 8 days ago
Let’s talk about SAVENNIÈRES!!!! 📣📣
Savennières is a small but mighty appellation (AOC), located in the Anjou subregion of the Loire Valley, France and specializes in still, dry Chenin Blanc wines. 🇫🇷
Its growing environment is apt for producing concentrated and ripe fruit, translating into wines with strong aromatic and flavor intensity and higher alcohol potential. 💪🏻 It’s no wonder this appellation is all about Chenin Blanc; Chenin has naturally higher acidity, which can help lend structure and balance to the final wine. ⚖️ 🙌🏻🙌🏻
The combination of these factors sets the stage for winemakers to produce some truly powerful and age-worthy whites that can improve, gaining complexity (and softening) with some time in the bottle. 🤔 🧐 Savennières has a reputation as a more serious, cerebral wine that is meant to be savored, especially when paired with a creamy seafood dish like Coquilles Saint-Jacques! 😋 🥘
🌿This particular wine is the Nicolas Joly, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant AOC (2019) hailing from the prized enclave of Coulée de Serrant AOC (within Savennières AOC), owned exclusively and farmed biodynamically by the renowned Nicolas Joly.
This wine is surely capable of aging for decades but tonight we opted to sip this golden wine during the golden hour with unseasonably warm, summery temperatures here in Minnesota.
🐝 🍯 In the glass, we found concentrated, layered notes of honey, beeswax, yellow apple, ripe apricot, quince, chamomile, dried & crushed white rose petals, toasted almond, hazelnut, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, acrylic paint, wet stones, salted caramel, & butterscotch.
It has texture (and finish) for days and a coating mouthfeel.
🫣 Its alcohol by volume clocks in at 15%!!! But it’s well-integrated and balanced by a crisp acidity and robust aromas and flavors. 👌 — 18 days ago


2003 vintage. *Full disclosure* Not the biggest Pavie fan as I've consistently found it underwhelming for the commanding pricing and eternally in need of yet "another hour" in a decanter. Great fill and opened with a Durand but feel that the cork (in great shape) would have come out decently easy with a standard wine key. Given my issues with Pavie in the past, brought over two decanters so as to agitate the wine between them four times. Initial pass, good amount of sediment with the vast majority of it caked onto the sides of the bottle. Yay! Great boysenberry/raspberry nose noted during the first decant. Tasted after two hours. Medium body. Some earth, the aforementioned berries and hints of rich chocolate cake, including frosting, on the scene. Despite all the lavished attention and fuss, still suspect this would show better twelve hours later at breakfast with waffles and Count Chocula cereal. High-maintenance for the bean-counters. 9.26.26. — a month ago
Initially, this was a bit closed with fruit notes dominating, but after an hour long decant it opened up nicely. The nose has mostly cassis and herbal flavors, and on the palate, cassis, tobacco, bay leaf, dried sage, dark chocolate, and graphite notes come through nicely. Has good acidity, and tannins are well integrated. Super tasty and paired well with rosemary and thyme roasted rack of lamb with potatoes and eggplant. — 10 hours ago
Drinking well that is still youthful. — 8 days ago
Very pleasant, liquorish, mild tannins. Went well with venison pot roast — 2 days ago
Jay Kline

Double-decanted prior to service. The 1989 pours a garnet/purple color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of cassis, brambles, tobacco, leather, cocoa, some graphite, inorganic earth and a mix of herbs and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. The fruit is generous and sort of the star of the show. There is no wonder why so many love Cos. Still years and years to go. Drink now with some air and through 2049+. — 5 days ago