First course. Vegetable soup that has a chicken broth/red wine/port base.
Also, working with 2nd course, pumpkin spaetzle with squash, brown butter, parmesan, sage & crispy brussels sprouts.
Beautiful poached strawberries & cherries with fresh & slightly candied, bright dark & red florals.
Great soup & spaetzle from our friend Chef Hedy! Find her @plateandbottle
Christmas with live Christmas music 🎶 🎵 🎼 Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🤶🦌❄️⛄️ — 5 years ago
My first #chateaurayas and now I understand the hype. Very Burgundian in style but this is just a unique wine deserving its own category. This wine had profound complexity and was perfectly balanced. It is so young. #chateauneufdupape #southernrhone #rhonevalley #grenache #ctbucklinwine — 9 years ago
Great subtle gamay. I've always loved this wine (produced organically with no added yeast). I first tried this wine around 1992. Loved it then (bought a case) and it's still great today. This family knows what's it's doing with this wine. — 9 years ago
This was poured through a Zazzol aerator and just spilled out Cassis, black olive, cigar box and vanilla/brown sugar from the glass. Should she well for another 8-10 years. Delicious! — 10 years ago
Tasted blind. Dark reddish tawny. Mostly translucent. Amazing nose. Powerful. A spectrum of notes including red fruit, cola, pencil lead, black truffles, coffee, blood sausage and some dry dark soil. Animalistic. Massive fruit and structure with a long finish. Someone says "honey ham" as a note in the nose and we all agree (first ever note involving the word "ham"). This was a wine where everyone's score or appreciation greatly improved over the evening. A best ever Unico for me. (M's 60th bday 4th of 14) — 4 years ago
Fressssshh — 5 years ago
Magnum 2006 Harlan. HB for Barry M. No way to decant, but it opened up a lot in the glass. Drinking great now. — 6 years ago
First bottle of the evening on New Year's Eve. Top rated wine of 2015 in Wine Enthusiast. Available at Target and Trader Joes $19.99 — 9 years ago
Needs to breathe a bit at first, but drinks well. Tastes more expensive than it is. Good red! — 12 years ago
Aroma is uncanny; a perfume of rose petals and coconut cream wafting from the glass. Totally beguiling. Vanilla and marzipan lead the way with fresh and dried red berries, red cherries, dried flowers and orange peel. So polished, but this needs more time for the oak and fruit to integrate. The 2010 Ardanza remains my favorite now for its classical balance. — 4 years ago
1994 Screaming Eagle. Dinner w J&L B and D&M H while staying with D&M in Santa Ynez. Opened and waited about an hour. Decanted right before serving. Tons of jammy dark fruit. Opened more in the glass. JB mentioned full palate and balance. Great finish. Preferred this to ‘91 Dominus once this opened up. — 5 years ago
Rose petal and violets mixed with fresh nectarine. Medium-full body for a rose and with nice dry texture on the long finish. — 7 years ago
First taste reminded me of Firenze in that the leather belts and purses were on the nose. Lots of floral arrangements now, solid round, very nice as always. Shout out to my 1 follower @Bill Bender ... it's my birthday and my goal is to be drinking at your level next year!
94 points — 9 years ago
Great wine with pork or chicken — 12 years ago
Vino Joe
Pleasant at first pour but underpowered. Needed 45 minutes and decant to start. Improved over time. Darker red than I was expecting. Young wine and quite smooth. Some racy notes at the perimeter but more of an easy drinking succulent Nebbiolo than a brooding one. — 10 months ago