Higher Plane

O'Shaughnessy

Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Bo Yu
9.6

Blueberries and plum on the nose. High tannins. Velvety to drink. Sweeter than the Howell Mt. Higher acidity, sweet throughout, finishes smoother, well rounded tannins, more refined than the Howell Mt. medium dry finish. Beautiful wine. Decant at least 45min — 9 years ago

Shea Wine Cellars

Estate Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012

Seriously smoky-great Pinot. Freshly picked black cherry, woodsy tannins, Pommard Gestalt. Needs 2-3 years at least to soften up, will score higher. — 9 years ago

Eric, Leo and 26 others liked this

Château Miraval

Côtes de Provence Rosé Blend

I saw ratings of 8.6 & such. No way. This is a well refined rose, with soft fruit and a soft finish that deserves higher. I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed. — 9 years ago

Bill, Jen and 7 others liked this

Far Niente Winery

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2013

Solid chardonnay. Light butter. Higher alcohol. — 9 years ago

Jody, David and 13 others liked this

Altesino

Brunello di Montalcino 1997

Jeff Stewart
9.3

Im going to rate a bit higher than most. A consistent favorite of mine. Hints of meaty flavor along with earth and berries. The make an amazing Rosso as we'll. if your on a budget their Rosso's always preform. — 10 years ago

Ridge Vineyards

Benito Dusi Ranch Paso Robles Zinfandel 2012

Partial to Ridge's Zinfadels, in particular the Lyton Springs and Pagani Ranch which can be a bit overwhelming for some given its higher alcohol content. Paso Robles seems more accessible but would have to drink again as first bottle rather than fourth of night to get a better assessment. — 10 years ago

Château Durfort-Vivens

Margaux Second Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 1926

Chateau Durfort Vivens 1926 , Margaux 2nd Growth drunk as a birth year wine at a celebration of a birthday party for my 89 year old mother-in-law Rosy Isabelle! Wine was purchased about 12 years ago from a retired estate sale guy. Wine was imported by Louden Imports, Albuquerque, N.M. Probably in the 1980s from Whitwham & Co. In England. I have no idea how it was stored before i got it. Fill was just at should to a little below. Cork disintegrated while being drawn out with a 1920s era Sanbri Pronged Cork Puller. Color was brickish with some clarity issues. We did not exhibit any apparent oxidation with just slight hints of dried red fruits, but mostly musty and earthy characteristics. I drank for over 30 minutes without a dip in quality. Overall, a great experience! Perhaps giving it a higher rating than it truly deserves, but there it is! — 10 years ago

Eric liked this

Dalla Valle Vineyards

Maya 1989

Classy hair of the dog part 2. This was a revelation. Beautifully mature and leaner than the 90, it has a lovely complex palate of dark fruit, plum, violet, leather some great tart sour notes and a brambly, earthy, savory character. Good length... it reminded me of the 89 La Chapelle from last night. A really interesting wine that expresses the terroir perfectly. Uniquely this is higher in cab Franc than cab Sav (55% to 45- usually it's the other way around) and that makes sense on the palate. — 9 years ago

Larry FriersonNaoko Dalla Valle
with Larry and Naoko
Weijie, Cody and 11 others liked this

Higher Ground

Monterey County Pinot Noir 2014

Great, smooth but interesting Pinot. Terrific price. — 9 years ago

Patti and Lizette liked this
Patti Pontrelli

Patti Pontrelli

Fruit forward, loved it.

Château Brane-Cantenac

Grand Cru Classé en 1855 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

Whoa. Wow. This is absolutely gorgeous. "Classic" Brane Catenac at its best. Beautiful floral, graphite and blue fruit notes. Interestingly despite its traditional flavor, there's a much higher percentage of cab franc in here than normal. — 9 years ago

Clarendon Hills

Romas Grenache 2006

Katherine Bordelon
9.2

Not sure why others haven't rated this one a little higher. My only guess is that they didn't allow for ample time for this one to open up. I enjoyed this bottle last night and noted that with each hour after the initial two hours I allowed it to breath, it only got better. At first, I found it to be quite "tight". But after a few hours, the flavor profile fully developed and it calmed down enough that it was very much delightful. Garnet in color with a medium plus viscosity, I very much enjoyed the layers this wine presented after some time in my glass. — 9 years ago

Edmond Bordelon
with Edmond
Edmond and Jason liked this
Edmond Bordelon

Edmond Bordelon Influencer Badge

Agree on how tight this wine was after an hour of decanting. After 4 hours the bite was gone and the complexities came through.
9.2

Vieux Château Certan

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

PNP. What an amazing nose. Blueberries, Violets, and Perfume. Great fruit, but lacks the thrust of a great year. Some tension on the finish or would of rated higher. Drink these now while you wait for 00, 05 to be ready. Fantastic stuff — 10 years ago

Howard, Hermes and 1 other liked this

Jules Taylor

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Very nice NZ SB! Apparently Jules Taylor used to work for Kim Crawford and Cloudy Bay but then went into business for herself. Dinner at High Steaks Restaurant in Thunder Valley. Initially rated it higher but after having it again had to lower my rating. — 10 years ago

George Hesse

George Hesse

I think you would like this!
George Hesse

George Hesse

Having it much later I would rerate it a 8.3.

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Dang it! No more 2012's anywhere to be had. Asked the table of winos if anyone was squirreling away any 2012's in their home stashes. They were all smart enough to say no. So even though it is not the epic 2012, it was still the preferred wine over two other big Napa Cabs. Still has a big fruit and smooth finish. Just can't rate it higher because of the prior year's greatness. — 9 years ago

Joe Bell
with Joe
David, Shay and 6 others liked this
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

I actually liked the 2013 better
Edmond Bordelon

Edmond Bordelon Influencer Badge

Odedi, that is the greatest thing about wine...we all have our own journeys and tastes...and there is no wrong answer!
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

Totally agree

Maybach Family Vineyards

Materium Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

I haven't had a Maybach in a couple of years. A 20 oz perfectly grilled rare rib steak from Flannery demanded it. Big wine, but stays this side of over the top. I prefer higher acid but somehow this all works. — 9 years ago

"Odedi" liked this

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1999

This is still a baby. Over time this could score higher. It's all there but a bit too muscular in its evolution. The stuffing is there. — 9 years ago

Velma, LM and 13 others liked this

Round Pond Estate

Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Paul J
9.5

Definitely a treat and not a trick!! Very similar to the Domaine Eden Cab but slightly higher price point. Let this baby open up, but one of the best finishing wines I've had! Goes awesome with beef tenderloin, celery root gratin, almond joy, twix, and gobstoppers!! — 10 years ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Round liked this

Igino Accordini

Le Bessole Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2008

Lucious dried grape, rich and wonderful. Gets better with each sip. Worth the higher price for a high quality #Amarone. — 10 years ago

"Odedi" liked this

Comtesse Bernard de Cherisey

La Genelotte Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru Chardonnay 2012

Same as last wine but higher up@the hill, pretty, and austere... Amazing — 10 years ago

Edmunds St. John

Higher Ground Syrah 1997

Austin Ferrari
9.2

Dog fell asleep on this beauty! — 11 years ago

Kit HBrian GrzybowskiJohn Donaghue
with Kit, Brian and 1 other
David, Anthony and 1 other liked this
Kit H

Kit H Premium Badge

This had its ups and downs. Graphite, garrigue, olive tapenade, menthol.