Greater Than One
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
2005 vintage. Almost tastes like it could have been released last week. Super youthful with dark berry and plum blasts. Decent structure but not oppressive. Catching this one just below the top of the bell curve. Hopefully, you’ve got more than one bottle kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown. Other-worldly now but methinx it’s about to get even better. Last tasted in mid-June and same score but this bottle was slightly better. Seek this out-now. — 2 years ago
R. López de Heredia
Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2005
This is one I'll leave to those greater than me to argue about. — 3 years ago
Penfolds
Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2002
I had one of these only 3 weeks ago - see previous notes but will add a few here. Have another 10 of these so will only record every 3rd one over the next 5 years or so. Looks way younger than 17 years apart from the tawny edges. Mocha, Chocolate and fading Black Currant. Some herbal notes finishing with powdery Tannins. 389 is a good example of choosing between youthful power and black fruits or more savoury balanced aged characters. No answer is correct - up to the individual. I can see the charms of both approaches. After a couple of hours in decanter - intoxicating aromatics. Excellent Wine. — 5 years ago
El Coto de Rioja
Crianza Rioja Tempranillo 2014
Not the greatest of tempranillos, could use more of a full, buttery, oaky finish, but certainly a strong middle of the pack contender for tempranillos with more red fruits than one would expect. In other words, well above the unsophisticated, acidic edge you’ll find in poor tempranillos, but not the type that will linger in your mouth and mind, with a robust finish. — 6 years ago
Ridge Vineyards
Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007
2007-ridge - soil, manure smell, a bit bolder than the 2006. I liked this one but needs to open up a lot. Can stand many more years of cellaring. 9.0+ $260 — 6 years ago
Château de Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2001
I’ve often struggled to appreciate Beaucastel, particularly when young. However, the more often I drink older Beaucastel, I find myself slowly starting to understand why these wines are so important.
Opened about two hours prior. The 2001 Beaucastel pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet with a watery rim. Medium+ viscosity with signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Strawberry preserves, leather, bacon fat, and some chicory. On the palate, medium tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Is this the most powerful expression of Chateauneuf du Pape? No. But it’s balanced, complex and it makes me think and I like that.
As a sort of epilogue, I was able to enjoy this bottle with someone who drinks old Beaucastel more regularly than I do. He described this bottle as being one that is in-between plentitudes; which makes sense as some of the tertiary characteristics are beginning to show themselves. Subsequently, you can drink now but this will likely enter a new dimension in the next few years. — 6 months ago
Château Montrose
Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2000
Served blind alongside what was eventually revealed to be a 1997 Freemark Abbey. This was the easiest of the pairings to get our heads collectively around as we felt confident this was Bordeaux and the other was from Napa. Unfortunately, I no longer have my notes for that wine but this was particularly memorable because I had held back a glass of the 1970 Montrose and had a lovely time tasting the two of those wines side-by-side. It was remarkable how much they had in common with one another. In fact, the only real difference between the two was that the 2000 just had more of its structure in tact. Other than that, the Montrose DNA was undeniable with loads of all the darkest, blackest fruits: currants and blackberries with coffee, tobacco, and graphite. At nearly 23 years young, the structure remains positively monumental. Despite all of that, it was ever so winsome. The finish was long with wonderful acid and lovely, ferrous minerals. Drink now with patience and over the next handful of decades. — a year ago
Rivers-Marie
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Much better than my last go at the wine (was good last time as well) and the past couple of months have really done it some good as it feels much more balanced and the red and blue fruit showing very well with a bit more mocha showing itself this time I feel. Glad I have one more bottle - but will try and give that a few more years. — 4 years ago
Billecart-Salmon
Brut Rosé Champagne Blend
It has been a great day hanging out with my love & best friend for Valentines Day. If I could give anyone young enough advise on selecting partner, marry your best friend you love. Greater degree of happiness & success. ❤️😍😘🥰
Love you Sofia and raise a glass of one of our favorite N/V Rosé Bubbles in celebration. Cheers! 🍾🥂
Happy Valentines Days everyone. Hope you are with the wine & one you love the most.
@Oswald — 4 years ago
Viña Almaviva S.A.
Almaviva Puente Alto Red Blend 2013
My third Almaviva vintage and another bullseye. This one takes a bit longer to open up than the ‘14 and is a little sweeter and fruitier than the ‘09. Very smooth from the get go and fruit develops over the first hour and continues to come to life. Aromas of blackberry, spice and liquorice with faint caramel and vanilla. On day two the wine has really hit its stride (shame there’s only a glass left). Wonderful addition of pipe tobacco, leather and violet. Dark and opulent, so far Almaviva can do no wrong. Onwards to ‘15 which is a 100 pointer. — 6 years ago
Château d'Yquem
Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend
The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2018) — 6 years ago
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000
Happy birthday honey. 🎂🥳🎉❤️
The Chateau that got my wife Sofia to finally love Bordeaux (1995). Expected more from the this property in 2000. But 2000 is still either the stubborn I think it is or just not as good as critically advertised. 20 years in bottle and think it needs at least 10 more years. Also, a touch of v/a-bandaid. It has nice balance with soft fruit & earth. It just lacks the wow factor for the property & vintage. Maybe, it is in a dumb faze. But, I’ve been waiting 20 years for 2000 to come out of its shell. I love this property but it is not up to its reputation…even for lesser vintages. It might be outstanding in another 20. This bottle is a little flawed and perhaps maybe (?) a better 2nd day wine. Tonight it is leaner than I would expect. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, poached strawberries. Sweet lead pencil, charcoal, volcanic ash, spice, nutmeg, some cinnamon, vanillin, dry tobacco, sandalwood, limestone, dry crushed rocks , dry pebbles, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, dry herbs, hints of Worcestershire sauce, moist clay, withering mid floral bouquet with excellent acidity and a wire to wire finish that is balanced, nicely tensioned and elegance that lasts minutes. One of the few slightly flawed bottles in 25 plus yrs of collecting. I can count them on just over one-hand.
Picture of Sofia picking the 2012 Mouton Rothschild Merlot. — 7 months ago
Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1971
Served blind alongside what would later be revealed as the 2005 Mouton. This wine looked, smelled and tasted like mature wine; in all the best of ways. But was it Bordeaux or Napa? The wine alongside it wasn’t really giving us any clues either. There was friendly debate at the table as we vacillated between the two regions. Ultimately however, we seemed collectively set on this being from Bordeaux with some suspecting Mouton. I lack experience with First Growths in general so I couldn’t really offer much to the discussion other than I liked what was in both glasses and one seemed a lot younger than the other while both being lovely. Lo and behold, this was revealed to be the ‘71 Mouton. At this stage, the fruit is mostly desiccated with dried tobacco, graphite and earth. A charming, old Pauillac. I would drink now but this could hang on for longer because Bordeaux. — a year ago
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1966
Tonight I thought I would open this LMHB as the 2019 was released on futures yesterday. It may be a better wine but you are going to have to wait a long time to find out. The 66 is a wine where I have opened more than 6 cases in the last 5 yrs & consider it one of the great vintages for current drinking showing black fruits, cassis, saddle leather, smoke, tar, graphite, licorice, soy, tobacco & violets. This has been fully mature for 10 yrs & perfectly stored btls will continue to drink well for many years. One of the wines that keeps me searching & drinking old Bordeaux! — 4 years ago
Louis Roederer
Cristal Brut Champagne Chardonnay Pinot Noir Blend 1982
One of my all time favorites, the 1982 Cristal is magnificent. Fresh, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 1982 remains one of the all-time great Cristals. Apricot, almond and chamomile nuances suggest the 1982 is just starting to turn the corner into its plateau of maturity. This bottle lacks a bit of excitement, but, then again, the 1982 Cristal is not exactly the sort of wine I get to taste on a regular basis, so it is possible this is not the best showing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to taste it again soon. Even so, well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade-plus. “In my opinion, 1982 is the first vintage of climate change in Champagne,” Lécaillon explains. “Sugars were higher than we were used to seeing. As a comparison, the 1981 Cristal is also concentrated, but it is concentrated by low yields. In 1982, we had high yields and elevated ripeness, meaning it was the sun that ripened the fruit.” (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 5 years ago
Delectable Wine
Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.
The 2020 Dominus is one of the wines of the vintage in this crazy year marked by drought and fires. There's plenty of upfront richness and fruit, but the mid-palate and finish taper off faster than they would in a higher-quality vintage. Here, too, the balance is notable, even if there is no escaping the reality that the 2020 is a relatively small-scaled Dominus. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
— 6 months ago