Andrew Cullimore

9.3

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 . — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits with earth, vanilla, cedar, leather, licorice, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, spices and dark chocolates.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

What a great Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Saint Julien.

This gorgeous wine feels much younger than it is right now. Complex and tasty.

This 18 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours in the decanter.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

Thank you Robbie for sharing this with me.

The 2005 vintage was outstanding, and it's really shining through right here.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Aged in 100% new French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$325. — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

"You didn't know Krug's oxidative?"

While I've had my fair share of Krug over the years, I've never found any as oxidative as this 06' (save for a few suspect bottles), which led me to proclaim that the bottle was less-than-pristine. Normally this would not have been strange given the abysmal state of cold chain in Malaysia, but GL was quick to rebut with the statement above.

He's had far more Krug than I have you see - decades, instead of years - so he may well be right here. It could have been the vintage, or my palate, or just needed more air to blossom - whatever the case, this certainly fell below expectations. Sure it was dense and quite linear, and Krug does indeed lie in the school of oxidative champagnes, but this just lacked the balancing freshness that one would expect from a producer of this caliber. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was a distinct musky note that I see so often in ill-stored whites, and abhor. So the real question is - was GL right? Is this a typical Krug 06'? I believe another specimen is required to draw proper judgement. — 4 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 1999 Salon ‘S Blanc de Blancs’ Champagne is a magical wine that is sinfully good at twenty years of age. Disgorged in 2011 this wine leads the way with an extraordinarily good nose of salted praline with shades of wet stone, damp earth and bright citrus fruits that all mingle marvelously in the glass. The silky mousse captivates the senses. Bright green apple and kumquat flavors connect with diatomaceous earth, and shades of white truffle on the palate. The freshness here is quite extraordinary. While delightful now, this one of a kind Champagne will provide drinking satisfaction for at least another fifteen years. Drink 2019-2039- 97 — 7 years ago

Meg Herring

9.6

Want a bojo that can age? Here it is. — 8 years ago

John Pavlovich

9.3

We drank it from a magnum, and I was hoping to leave some for the next night, to see how it would taste then. No chance, it was gone in no time, delicious wine. — 8 years ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.5

Deep Rich and Polished Nose. The substance is pure, fine and Elegant then comes a punch of Power towards the end.
Really nice buddy here.
94-96 — a year ago

Turd Ferguson

9.0

Fully resolved and probably barely past peak. Downhill from here. Tasty with Indonesian spiced fried chicken and nasi goreng — 3 years ago

Deborah M

9.3

Day 2. Different is trending here. Did a little digging and pulled this gem.

The 2009 Viña Tondonia Reserva, a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Mazuelo and Graciano, matured in used American oak barrels for six years.

Elegance and value. Lively and fresh. Lot’s of life left for this one. Not a bad start for the year.
— 3 years ago

David Foster

9.5

Dry strawberry. Fantastic. Only available here for 6 months and then not. — 4 years ago

Mads

9.4

Dried fruit, leather, tobacco, peppercorn but also a surprising tartness (cherry? Cran?) on the palate. A Bday wine from Teresa and Andy, drank just in time as the 2004 has lost all tannins. Tannin still kicking here. 60 min decanted but still unfolding. Happy birthday and happy new year — 6 years ago

with Paul

Matt

9.5

The perceived ripeness of fruit and level of suave tannin here was surprising to me. An 88’ a couple of years ago was so elegant and finessed where this showed a surprising level of concentration. That said, beautifully mature wine, its tannins have softened immensely and wrap the mouth, silky and soft. To tertiary, earth driven, behind a bit of dried berry, currant, and plum fruit laid pipe tobacco, peat, pipe smoke, dusty earth, dried flowers, worn leather. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Night 1 of the Fall WNH event in San Antonio. What a killer start to the extended weekend, all courtesy to Shawn and Jennifer for hosting! Tonight was Italian wines.

Another in the running for WOTN. Maple and rich! Cherry and vanilla tobacco on the nose with herbal spice and a strawberry tart finish. Young and acidic! There is a very underripe red fruit dominant profile here. Crazy how young it tastes for 23yrs old. Bravo @Shawn R ! — 8 years ago

with Mike, David and 5 others

Anthony Lombardi

9.6

Tondonia Blanco & Radiohead hits the high highs. Maximum enjoyment happening here. — 8 years ago

"Odedi"

9.6

#AgedWineTuesday

Here is a fabulous 99 point wine by Robert Parker.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Great nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, figs, cedar, chocolates, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley.

Showing nice balance and a great mouthfeel. Round and rich. Elegant and smooth.

This 22 year old still has a lot of power in it, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

So soft and powerful, with a great nose. This is a gorgeous wine right now.

A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$250. — 3 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.4

The 2012 Montrose has a taut and focused bouquet with crisp blackberry, tobacco and light earthy scents on the nose. Fine vigour and class evident here. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a nicely proportioned and focused finish. This is a solid, almost swarthy Montrose, though it is surpassed by more recent vintages. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 4 years ago

Severn G

9.6

The weekend upon us and we're hosting another dinner party for a couple of friends. Tonight's theme was Rhone wine, so good stuff on deck, with age.

Notes pending... (Entertaining guests first 😉)

Absolutely perfect, yet only coming into it's zone, decade to go here...

Notes from +24H open:
Nose has ripe cherry, dried cherry, dried blackberry, red velvet cake, ripe plum and dry, mineral-ly earth.

Palate has silky-sweet cherry, ripe red currant, (light) cigar wrapper, dried cherry, faint eucalyptus, faint wood notes, dry earth, faint iron notes on the long finish. Mild tannins persist today. Expect to enjoy this vintage another +10Y when held in proper storage.

This bottle was singing at the top of its register last night, slightly diminished today. Absolutely perfect cork, no Durand required for extraction. Acquired a mere two years ago, from a local retailer beginning to close down his shop. He purchased a case on release, stored in his cold cellar; when I got to hunting it only a single bottle remained.

I've had the 2000 vintage before, and it was a treat in a more youthful stage, but a delicacy with our meal last night. We baked a 3lb beef tenderloin (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) coated in an herb paste then an herbed panko crumb crust with parmesan. About a 50m cook, 30m rest yeilded a perfect 130° center. Served alongside smashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts with thick cut bacon. We had fantastic company, connecting again with a wine trade friend and his wife after a few years break in our dining schedules. — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

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) — 8 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.5

Radiant and transparent Cabernet showing excellent purity and very good typicity and acidity. Spottswoode is always so consistent for me and always so impeccably pure. The 2008 is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc that shows beautiful Cabernet traits, something the best Napa wines excel at. What many wines in Napa do not necessarily excel at is revealing the terroir of site, this vintage of Spottswoode shows terroir in spades. Cassis and currants, a dash of mocha, a touch of graphite and rock, with white floral and violet aromatics in the background. A nice streak of minerality shows up on the mid-palate and finish. The tannin are ripe, full bodied, but fine and supple. The acidity here is key, it elevates the aromas, as well as adds lift and energy to the palate, while refreshing the finish.
@spottswoodewinery makes some of the most consistent and honest wines from #cabernetsauvignon not just in Napa but the world. #spottswoode #cabernetsauvignon #sthelena #napa #spoton — 9 years ago