Forbidden Fruit

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

With air this developed nicely showing mostly black fruit, cassis with sweet spices, graphite, cedar, leather & tobacco — a month ago

Daniel, Ted and 18 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

A knockout left bank Bordeaux. I’ve read that the 2005s may go longer than the potentially even more vaunted 2000s and I might agree based on this bottle. Decanted 5 hours. Cork in perfect shape. Amazing depth of fruit and a ton of Bordeaux earth. Nose goes on and on as does the finish. Was an excellent pairing but a very good but simple roast chicken. — a month ago

Ira, Neil and 20 others liked this

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

2 hour decant(little fine sediment). A splendid dark magenta with some bricking. On the nose: subdued but enticing notes of blackberry, cassis, cigar wrapper, clove, pine, maybe a touch of brett. Taste: silky, still youthful at 20 wine with blackberry, red fruit, graphite, spice, and a medium smokey licorice tar finish. YUM..good but expecting more for the year..will wait a few years for next attempt. — 2 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Douglas and 18 others liked this
Rob Brobst III

Rob Brobst III Influencer Badge

@Tom Garland I have a small collection of 2005 Bordeaux. I might need to get a bottle this from ya!
Rob Brobst III

Rob Brobst III Influencer Badge

@Tom Garland and hold a private dinner to explore possibilities!!!
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

@Rob Brobst III Sounds fun! Pick em carefully...as Andrew said, some drinking well, while others need more time even at age 20. Cheers!

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1989

Tangy dark fruit. Bloodiness with a dark plum and iron. Rounded and resolved but intense. Very good — 2 months ago

Matt LichtenbergDavid Schachter
with Matt and David
Jay, Bob and 14 others liked this

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2013

Well. These vintages are becoming rarer and rarer now that Beyoncé and Jay Z popularize it. Plum, graphite, tobacco on the nose. Poised and elegant on the palate, with silky fruit, fine grain tannins and a minera edge to it 👌🏻 — 3 months ago

Ira, Peter and 11 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1997

Thought we’d had our last bottle 4 years ago but then found this one. Probably better then, but still very nice. Definitely quite secondary, but the core of fruit and acid carries through. Wonderful pairing with dry aged strip steaks and wild mushroom risotto for our 10 year anniversary. — 3 months ago

Zach, Tom and 5 others liked this
Seth Masterson

Seth Masterson

One of our local stars.
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

❤️👍🏼
Jason Gelman

Jason Gelman

happy 10 and lucky find!

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Artemis is the gateway wine of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, one of Napa’s most iconic producers, remembered for its Judgment of Paris triumph in 1976. The 2014 vintage sits in a sweet spot: accessible, polished, and still carrying the hallmarks of Napa’s valley-floor fruit. This blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with small percentages of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot layered in for balance.

Aromas & Flavors
Inviting notes of ripe blackberry, cassis, and black cherry lead the way, accented by cedar, vanilla, and hints of graphite. Subtle secondary notes of mocha and baking spice emerge as it opens in the glass, showing both freshness and depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with supple tannins and balanced acidity. Polished, silky textures glide across the palate, finishing with a long echo of dark fruit, oak spice, and a touch of savory herb.

Winemaking Notes
Aged around 15–20 months in French oak, Artemis strikes a balance between power and approachability. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ style is always about elegance over sheer force, and this vintage highlights that philosophy.

Food Pairing
Perfect with grilled ribeye, herb-crusted lamb, or hearty mushroom risotto. Its elegance also makes it a great match with aged cheddar or gouda.

Verdict
A graceful Napa Cabernet that proves why Stag’s Leap remains a benchmark. The 2014 Artemis is in a perfect drinking window now—refined, approachable, and still true to the estate’s legacy of elegance.
— 3 months ago

Ted, ESF and 1 other liked this

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 1990

Lovely, sweet mature fruit (dried redfruits), there might be a touch of Brett (but less than the 1995 Beaucastel I posted last week), suave and complex on the palate, lingering finish, excellent Chateauneuf-du-Pape at its peak!! — a month ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Dave, Brian and 11 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Usually awesome, but a 1990? Wow!
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Dave, I got lucky and caught this at its peak, more cellaring would have been a mistake!
Dave

Dave

That's a great feeling. Congrats! 💪

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2017

So silky, pepper and herbs balance the glou glou of the fruit and refined gentle but present tannins — 2 months ago

Jae liked this
Jae Cho

Jae Cho Influencer Badge

I haven’t opened this since 2021, but your note gives me a sense I should soon.

Château Gruaud Larose

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

Inky and dark. Powerful fruit with iodine, salinity and a cold dark plum. Very fresh and pure. Savory — 2 months ago

Bex GreenWalker StrangisDavid Schachter
with Bex, Walker and 1 other
Bob, Jan and 7 others liked this
Alan Weinberg

Alan Weinberg

I remember buying this for $9 about 1985 . . .
Conrad Green

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Those were the days! These wines age so glacially

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1945

a slight tang. Lifted fruit but slightly fading. Still in really good shape given its age — 2 months ago

Matt LichtenbergPaul Woolls
with Matt and Paul
Jay, Juan and 7 others liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2006

2 hour decant. Shredded cork. Filtered the wine.

Wow. This was just gorgeous and smooth. Tannins very well integrated and the fruit was excellent.

One of my favorite vintages with some age
— 3 months ago

Somm, Dave and 9 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Yeah, the 2006 is top of the pops currently. Miss it.

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Medium deep ruby , quite thin garnet ruby rim . Cassis , blueberry , blackberry , iris , pain grillé. On the palate this is quite dense and rounded , with more dark fruits , cassis , blackberry and a savoury , saline seaweed tinge on the finish . Fine but noticable , sweet tannins , and fresh acidity , quite rounded and richly fruited but very balanced . Good length with grafite , mineral and creme de cassis . Polished and quite decadent but all elements very balanced . Just drinkable now with time in decanter , really fruit driven still, but will improve well over the next 10 or more years and last well a further 10-15 . This shows some of the ripeness and exuberance of 2009 paired with the flamboyance of Mouton , makes for quite a pairing a very promising future ahead. — 3 months ago

Tom, Ira and 13 others liked this

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

From a 5 Bordeaux grape blend: 81.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.8% Merlot, 1.8% Petit Verdot, 1.4% Cabernet Franc & 0.4% Malbec, aged 24 months French oak, 85% new. Deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits, floral and toasty spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry, cherry and plump blueberries with notes of herbs, baking spice and toasty notes. Fine soft tannins, long finish ending with cacao, toasty oak, fruit and earthy mineral tang. Very nice, aging well, but time will reward! — a month ago

Rob, Juan and 7 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2012

NOSE: muted, red fruit, oaky vanilla, graphite

TASTE: super smooth, the fruit is candied and dried (cherry and maybe some fig?), mild spices and earth and fragrant wood — still enough acidity to keep it balanced. I like more fruit and oomph, but it is good. 92.
— 2 months ago

Dave, Douglas and 11 others liked this

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Deep ruby color. Red fruit, black currant, and cedar on the nose. Dry and bold. Flavors of blackberrt, chocolate, oak, and coffee. Medium+ tannins and acid with a great finish. Number 2 in top 100 in Wine Spectator. — 2 months ago

Bob, Ron and 2 others liked this

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

From mag. Almost inky… soft sweet fruit with dried herbs, a bit of blood and iron, white pepper and a meatiness. Really complex and interesting. A fantastically complex and clean bottle. — 2 months ago

Bex GreenWalker StrangisDavid Schachter
with Bex, Walker and 1 other
John, Bob and 9 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1989

1989 vintage. Opened but not decanted. Tasted after one hour open. More structure than the 1990 version tasted side-by-side but leaner with slight, vegetal tones, less fruit and better tannic structure than the 1990. Couldn't find this in my Delectable reviews but feel like I've tasted this once in the last 6 or so years. Apples (1990 version)/Oranges (1989). As with the 1990, the 1989 is in a good place for another few years in the 750ml format but if you want to truly visit a 35+ year old vintage at the height of its' powers, opt-in for a large format experience. 10.10.25. — 2 months ago

Jeroen, Dave and 24 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Opened this in 2019 for my wife’s 30th and I still think about that wine six years later. Stunning.

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017

Drinking very well now. Black fruit, great mouthfeel. — 3 months ago

Neil, Dave and 5 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Wow 👀

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 1999

Medium deep garnet core , medium wide garnet rim . This shows very well still with some sous bois , dried herbal hints and cherry . On the palate this shows good freshness , red cherry again, freshly cut herbs , touch of tobacco and black tea . Balanced acidity and lightly dusty but resolved tannins . Good length and presence on the palate , with enough fruit still , good balance and a black tea stained finish. This is at peak , and will probably stay here for a few more years , so no immediate rush, but is unlikely to improve further . — 3 months ago

Tom, Rob and 13 others liked this