Few Spirits

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 1988

@derek's. Honey colored, few bubbles, tasted more like an apple cider than wine. — 4 years ago

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 2007

Shay A
9.4

Monthly WTF wine group night. Our theme was American oak vs French oak. All wines tasted blind. We started off with two bottles of bubbly and finished with two non-themed reds.

My contribution for the evening. I’m posting my previous review of this wine below as it’s been consistent the few times I’ve had it over the last 12-18 months. Love these wines!

Youthful. Icredibly perfumed with typical sweet dill and coconut American oak on the nose. Gosh, I could smell this stuff all day. Aside from needing time away, it needs roughly an hour of decanting to hit stride. Tobacco, cherry tart, and great herbal nuances on the finish.
— 7 years ago

Jack ThompsonRyan GWill Adams
with Jack, Ryan and 4 others
Mark, Dr. and 39 others liked this
Eric

Eric Influencer Badge

Thanks @Shay A . That makes great sense.
Philip Ficarra

Philip Ficarra

The 2009 is Spectacular!!
Mark Flesher

Mark Flesher

Between this and the 05 Cimarossa Ponente, these were my wines of the night. Love these bottles from La Rioja Alta. Dark black fruit, hint of sweet fig, chocolate, tobacco, herbs, spiciness on the finish. Elegant on the back end, yet had just enough grip and jagged edges that it makes you keep coming back for more. Nice. I'd really like to buy cases of these and just put them away and forgot it existed for 25 more years or so. Fat chance.
9.5

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1929

Tasted blind. Tawny brownish red color with amber rims. Huge bouquet in the nose of roses, berries, pencil lead, minerals and some dusty dirt. Light on its feet in the mouth. Round soft fruit. Better than the last bottle of this a few months ago. — 9 years ago

Keith and Matt liked this

Tenuta Sette Ponti

Oreno Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2011

Very BDX-like. Tight with drying tannins. Leave this alone for a few years. — 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

Philip Togni Vineyard

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

Excellent Cab; mint, herbs, pepper and berries on the nose. Big Cab integrated taste, just loaded and drinking great. Last bottle, had one on release which seemed all veg and they just got better with time allowing other elements to come out. Very few Napa Cabs left, too costly to replace. — 10 years ago

Barbara Raphael
with Barbara
David liked this

Proximo Spirits

The Kraken Black Spiced Rum

Favorite rum, perfect in a dark and stormy (ice, rum, ginger beer and dash of lime if you like) — 11 years ago

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1986

Crisp cranberry emerges after a few hours. Light acidity surrounds eucalyptus appeal. Oak tannins balanced and refined. Subtleties develop luscious progression. — 11 years ago

Yianni, Michael and 3 others liked this

The Prisoner Wine Company

The Prisoner Napa Valley Zinfandel Blend

Great blend! Tried it a few times - pairs well w/ steak & also went well with Italian dishes (pizza, veal or meat based pasta dishes w/ red sauce). Tried 2011 and 12: I prefer the 11 but both are great! — 11 years ago

The Prisoner liked this

Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

After a coffee chat at work yesterday that ended discussing Hillside Select I was motivated to open one for the holiday weekend. Initially I was very disappointed as the wine was flat and uninspiring considering the pedigree and price tag. Read some reviews that this 2013 needs A LOT of air and sure enough after hours the wine began to evolve and markedly improve. It is an intense wine that lingers in the mouth for a long time. Smooth tannins, red fruit and tobacco flavors. Not my most favorite wine and not at the $229 I paid, but nonetheless a very good wine once it had the chance to get some air for a few hours — 4 years ago

Jonathan liked this

Yaegaki Sake & Spirits Inc.

Mu Nothingness Junmai Daiginjo Sake

It’s me again, still lovin’ it — 7 years ago

Bryan, P and 7 others liked this

St. George Spirits

Terroir Gin

One of my favorite spirits of all time. Extremely herbaceous with rosemary, other herbs, and (I swear) fresh mountain air — 8 years ago

Tim Schroeder
with Tim
Paul liked this

Domaine Auguste Clape

Cornas Syrah

Great vintage for Clape showing black & red fruits, kirsch, smoked meats, blood & iron, very floral with licorice spices and black pepper. Needs another few years to shed some of its tannin structure but a wow wine in the making! — 9 years ago

Neal, Weijie and 7 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

I haven't had one of these in a few years. It's still amazing. Nice tannins, a little pepper, mineralogy, blackberry & leather. This is my wife's all time favorite wine. — 9 years ago

Bill Franzosa
with Bill

Jean Foillard

Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2013

My favorite dd! Probably had 2013 15+ times, and it never disappoints. reduction at first blows off each glass after a few minutes after pouring. Some Brett in these wines, that I seem to notice more recently, but still beautiful, floral, complex Beaujolais, with a very smooth texture. — 10 years ago

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1978

Still good after all these years - perhaps lost a little over time as it moved through a few cellars, but still an outstanding wine. Cedar, tar, a little licorice, berry fruit, earth - all discernible through nose and finish. — 10 years ago

Rob liked this

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2008

Complex and opens into a spectacular wine with richness across fruit balance and depth of body including a tannic edge. Wish I had a few more in the cellar. — 10 years ago

Hirsch Vineyards

San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2011

Really good Pinot. Lots of flavor. Could drink now or lay it down for a few. I would recommend letting it breathe for a bit before you drink. — 11 years ago

Caymus Vineyards

40th Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Robust, great wine. Definitely worth buying and storing for a few years. — 11 years ago

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2009

So hard to resist! Def tucking a few away for the 40th Bday...in 2023 — 12 years ago

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1979

Amazing that 40 years later it is still as tannic as it is! Took a few hours to open up but once it did, super well integrated. Very herbaceous (juniper, eucalyptus), plums. Love the opportunity to drink a birth year wine! — 7 years ago

Natasha Bray
with Natasha
Ryan liked this
Ryan Colthorp

Ryan Colthorp

Why didn’t you find a nice Michigan wine from 1979? 😜

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

Just had this in Bordeaux a few weeks ago. Like most wines of this vintage it took a bit of imagination to fully appreciate. It is clearly time to drink this wine, it may be on the downhill side of life. Overall a good experience for what was not noted as a premium vintage, but is a very solid wine. — 7 years ago

Andrew liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

Shay A
9.4

Our monthly 4th Friday event at the storage facility. No requirements, just wine you want to share with others! Always an enjoyable time.

Special place in my heart for this winery. A few months ago, I had an '88 go celebrate my birth year. It was STELLAR. This is pushing forward easily...after an hour of air, the fruit and secondary earth and funk notes came out. So good! Thanks Walter!
— 9 years ago

Mark Flesher
with Mark
Eric, Isaac and 37 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Mike R : Yes, it really was! Amazing stuff!
@Benjamin Keator : There were only a few wines after a while, but it was like once someone mentioned bringing out an amazing wine, everyone went and did the same.
Bret Barker

Bret Barker

Love this chateau. What a night!
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Special place for me as well. You need to pair a good older bottle with you favorite steak. Absolutely, my favorite pairing with a very good vintage.

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2000

In a great place...bursting with spicy, rich stewed raspberry fruit with a sultry finish. All around great wine, despite being in a 375mL. Wish it was a 500mL, could use another few sips of it. — 10 years ago

Daniel P. and David liked this

Corison Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Spectacular. Can't wait to check in on this in a few years. Yum — 10 years ago

Eric, David and 9 others liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

One of my favorite chateaus when we were in Bordeaux and the first that we visited. Still lots of layers to this beautiful Paulliac gem but it leans just enough towards the earthy notes of truffle and tobacco in addition to the typical wet rock and licorice. Just paired this with a truffle smoked ribeye, roasted carrots, and smashed cauliflower with a light gravy. Wishing this was a 3-liter and the weekend had a few more days. — 10 years ago

Anthony liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Very elegant with few tannins. Drink up! — 10 years ago

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1986

Very Pauillac like served blind and tasted next to the 86 Mouton. I guessed 86 Dominus as I have had this wine more than a dozen times over the last few years. — 11 years ago

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 1989

A little rough in the aromatics. Cork was suspect, looked and smelled a bit funky. wine was otherwise youthful in the mouth with raspberry, tar, spice and plenty of lively acid. Have a few more '89s and think its time. overall a beautiful wine still but perhaps in aromatic decline. - 1989 vintage — 11 years ago

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 1975

Fabulous 2003, not nearly as much brett as the 2001 I had a few weeks ago. Solid mature notes of cassis, cedar, fall leaves and loamy notes. The palate is elegant, but persistent with a fabulous attack the finish is perfumy and clean. #lebanonwine — 13 years ago