Lively and effervescent. Strawberry, raspberry, tart cherry — fruit forward, balanced by acidity and herbal notes. Picking up bay leaf, dried herb, general green notes. Fun and unexpected. — 3 months ago
Pale lemon color.
Aromas of citrus, herbal, toast.
Dry. Flavors of lemon, soft herbal notes, mineral. Bright & fresh.
Intensity: 5/5
Complexity: 1/5
Balance: 5/5
Finish: 5/5 — 10 months ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim
Earthy nose with light oak, black fruits and tobacco.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with red and black fruits, wood, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, licorice, dark chocolates, black tea and black pepper.
Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 35 year old is still drinking beautifully. This Second Growth Bordeaux is nicely balanced and complex.
Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10+ years.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours. I did not decant it, but let it open up in the bottle.
Wine Spectator 96 points.
A good food wine that I paired with beef brisket. Gorgeous.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$275. — 2 months ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Full bodied with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, spices, oak, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, light earth, light vegetables, herbs, tobacco leaf and black pepper.
Medium finish with grippy tannins and raspberries.
This 15 year old, Fifth Growth Bordeaux, is still young and tight. Needs 5 to 10 years in the bottle to mature properly.
I gave it 90 minutes in the decanter, but it probably was not enough.
Robert Parker 96 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.
Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Grippy and rich.
Definitely needs food at this point, like a big piece of steak.
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
13% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$125. — 5 months ago
From magnum. No formal notes. The fill was top-shoulder. Underneath the capsule, the top of the cork looked nasty which I wiped down as best I could. About four hours before service, using a Durand (which is almost essential with old bottles) I was able to pull the cork completely intact and decant for sediment. The cork was completely saturated but appeared to have done its job! At this stage in its life, the 1990 Chateau Mouton Rothschild pours a garnet color but it doesn’t appear particularly tired and the nose supports that. While it’s certainly a vinous wine, there is a lot to like: a mix of red and black cassis, rip and desiccated cherries, tobacco leaf, cedar box, old leather, damp earth, some mushrooms and baking spices. The structure is still sound and while the tannins have integrated and the acid is keeping this very much alive. In fact, this seemed to brighten with air and almost get a second wind! As I find with all great Bordeaux wines once they enter this stage, they seem to live forever. This was a lovely pairing with a Prime, Niman Ranch porterhouse served with corn, squash and porcini. This is squarely in the “drink now” window, not that it will be falling off a cliff anytime soon. Decant for sediment and enjoy through 2030+ — 10 months ago
Last Sunday lunch with Roast Lamb. A 20 year old Rioja fitted the bill nicely. A blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. Aged in new French and American oak for 24 months. Aromatics of tobacco leaf, plum, ashphalt and a bit of tar. A medicinal note the following night. The palate is medium to full bodied with berry, plum and liquorice. Resolved Tannins - quite fluid. This was Wine Spectators No. 1 wine for 2013 and now drinking at its peak but could go on for another 5 years on the evidence of this superb wine. — 3 months ago
A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.
Full bodied and elegant.
Dry on the palate with medium acidity.
Showing red currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.
Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.
Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.
Robert Parker 95 points.
I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.
A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.
13% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$55. — 5 months ago
Lots of acid. Apricot and sweet pastry nose. — 2 years ago
Ron Siegel
This had the classic LB nose showing mostly black fruits with currant, cedar, leather, menthol, spice box, cigar ash & tobacco leaf. — a month ago