Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Continuing to kick off the un-labor weekend early in the D&S Lounge.

For those of you who haven’t seen me post Kalinda, it’s a private label from K&L Wine Merchants. They buy a quality producers juice or have them make a wine for them. I don’t know who made this wine but, they are a quality Oakville producer. This bottle cost me $18.99 about eight years ago and it tastes better than some Napa Cabernets at $75 plus that I’ve had. You just have to wait on them 5-10 years. This is somewhere near its peak.

It’s a slice of blue fruit heaven. On the nose, blueberries, mulberries, olallieberries, plum, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, vanilla, sweet mixed berry cola, light cinnamon, soft dark spice, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock powder, dry top soil, black cherry licorice, a waft of dry herbs with bright dark red florals and violets.

The palate is round and full. Tannins are 80% resolved. The texture is sexy. The structure, length, tension and balance are in perfect harmony, (Seals & Croft/America on the album “Horse With No Name” style). Lush, ripe; blueberries, mulberries, olallieberries, plum, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Vanilla, sweet mixed berry cola, light cinnamon, clove, touch of nutmeg, soft dark spice that penetrates the palate with some heat, tarry notes, dry stems, soft leather, tobacco with ash, graphite, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock powder, dry top soil, black cherry licorice, a waft of dry herbs with bright dark red florals and violets. The acidity is like a waterfall. The long finishes (minutes) is, round, lush, balanced, elegant harmony. It’s beautifully delicious.

Photos of; the D&S lounge lit up by candle power only and always. — 7 years ago

IGNACIO BRITO

9.8

Cartagena 2016 Pinot Noir.

C: Rojo bastante intenso para la cepa,
Tintes violáceos de juventud. Borde descolorido.
A: Fruto confitado, notas a canela.
S: Entrada suave con avance progresivo, taninos intensos raspantes, pero bien complementados, sabor frutal cubierto por madera; complejidad en boca. Dejo carnoso (jamón, cecina). Excelente vino. Un poco menos de astrigencia daría perfección. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Medium ruby core with garnet edges. Aged characteristics on the nose with damp earth, a little espresso, a touch smoky, cinnamon and stewed plums. Medium tannins (6/10) and plus medium body. Dark cocoa on the attack of the palate intermingled with plums, black currants, black cherries and lots of spices. A bit of anise and the Petit Verdot coming through in the medium plus finish. Drink till 2018.
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Starting today we are partnering with Vinlumin in order to raise money for those affected by the wildfires in Northern California earlier this month. Until November 15th or for the first 200 units, Vinlumin will be donating $100.00 per unit to three different Northern California based charities: Napa Valley Disaster Relief Fund, Sonoma Resilience Fund and Mendocino Community Fund. Go to www.vinlumin.com to learn more and to grab one while supporting those affected in Northern California.
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@David L @Ron R @Martin G Rivard @Martin A. Cody @James Cahill @Carl Fischer @Shawn R @Joe Lucca @Bill Bender @Eric S @Isaac Pirolo @TheSkip @Mike R @Lori Mike @Jody Scharf @Jo Anne B @Kim Stanbro @Roman Sukley @Greg Gregory @Sean Smith @Shay Aldriedge — 8 years ago

with India and Sean

Fredybeans

9.2

Pourpre a reflet noir
Nez apres une longue aeration car reduit
Fruit noire tapenade et thym
Bouche gaz au début ample et dense sur les fruits noire et l olive noire et thym voir eucalyptus
Milieu ample avec de la densité et de la fraicheur et pourtant tres dense
Finale longue sur des notes amers tel que la tapenade et finale sans bois sur le thym très très long
Pas en élégance mais enCore sur la puissance mais une des plus belle bouteille de gramenon — 9 years ago

with El

Rob Brobst III

9.8

This is an excellent example of honey, vanilla, toasted brioche, and very elegant body. Refined bubbles reminiscent of the Dom Ruinart.

Please make time to get a tour from this wonderful gentlemen. Jesus you have an inviting personality that is old school in every way!

@jesus g @Paul T @Martin G Rivard @Neal Schaffer @TheSkip @Terri Walker @Warren Sapp @Vanessa D @Jacqueline @Bill Bender @leon egozi @David L @Doug Davidson @Eric S @Eric LaMasters @Jim Trobaugh @Carl Fischer — 9 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

Straya Day vino.

Fresh. Ume, peach, apricot, preserved orange peel, white flowers, and vanilla on the nose. Indian spices as it opens up. Carries over to the palate. Honey. Interesting peppery notes too. Long finish.

Delicious concentrated Sauternes. 2001's a good year I hear. Still needs time - long life ahead. My only issue is the acid. I feel it needs a tad bit more to balance out the sweetness. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I really enjoy pairing wine with food. One thing I like to do when I work events like these is to offer guests wine that has achieved its perfect bottle phase and this didn’t disappoint. So often you go to a restaurant or an event and all they offer are new releases or close enough. Wine needs time in bottle to shine. This one was at its peak and for many guests was the wine of the night. I’d have trouble disagreeing with that.

Wine was seamless and elegant. Ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark cherries, some blackberries, plum and soft florals blueberries on the edge of the glass. Great acidity and round long finish. This was better than some $100 plus bottles of Pinot’s I’ve had for a faction of the price. It walks the fence of CA Pinot & Burgundy nicely.

The dish paired perfectly with Hedy’s, Fresh Summer Beans, Pumpernickel Crouton, Yogurt Dressing, Chive, Preserved Lemon. The perfect age on the Cahill married beautifully with the dish and excellent on its own. The food did not overpower the dish, nor did the dish overpower the wine.

The 08 Cahill was a recent direct purchase from the winery through K&L Wine Merchants. It was like stealing, it was priced so inexpensively.

Walter Hansel made his fortune in the auto business; which allowed him to pursue his other passion in wine. He and his son’s first vintage was 1996. They are located near Kistler and Dehlinger in Sonoma. The Cahill is made from a blend of three clones; 114, 115 and Rochioli.

One interesting fun fact. Walter Hansel was among the first people to drive a car into the Yosemite Valley in the early 1900’s.

Hedy on FB @Plate&Bottle — 7 years ago

JB RAY

9.2

Année de canicule , le vin a superbement tenu , nez cabernet noble ( pas de poivron 😜) , pas une énorme complexité , mais je pense qu à l aveugle y a certains crus de St émilion qui peuvent s inquiéter — 8 years ago

Ken Z

9.1

Drank 11/23/27.

After a heavy thanksgiving lunch, this went well with a mushroom ravioli in tomato cream sauce.

As always one of the best values I have found, and sadly the last 2011's I have. Red cherry and leather on the nose. Sweet black cherries, leather, cocoa, and tar on the palate. As always, perfect balance. Medium finish.

3/21/9/5/3 + 50 = 91 pts. — 8 years ago

Matt

9.0

375 ml. Always a great value, dusty cherry fruit, violet and herbal spice, leather and earth. Out performs the price as usual, but found the ABV a touch high and taxing on the palate. Have had varied experiences w/ the 2011's in Tuscany but the spike in perceivable alcohol seems common. Pickiness aside, great bottle from a great producer of undervalued wine; sign me up any day. — 8 years ago

Rob Brobst III

9.8

Big rich full bodied wine! Wow after 14 years it still needs more time. If you like deep dark fully extracted fruit that possesses chocolate, plum, blackberry flavors like I do, then this is your wine. Good luck finding a bottle..... @Paul Treadway @Evan Bienstock @leon egozi @Eric S @Eric LaMasters @Jacqueline @Vanessa D @Carl Fischer @Jim Trobaugh @James Parker Huston, CWE @David L @Warren Sapp @TheSkip @Terri Walker @Terri Walker @Warren Sapp @jesus g @Kimberly Anderson — 9 years ago

Rob Brobst III

9.3

This wine possess a great deal of potential. The vineyard has the capability too. Honey, melon and a coated citrus fruit marries with bright acidity. A medium bodied wine. @Palmer Emmitt @Paul T @Martin G Rivard @Connor McMahon @Terri Walker @TheSkip @Warren Sapp @Terri Walker @Eric S @Jacqueline @Vanessa D @Jim Trobaugh @Jody Scharf @David L @Vanessa D @Eric S @Neal Schaffer @Bill Bender @Ian Blackburn — 9 years ago

Matthew Hannam

10

Tastes like garbage. I'm alive for the first time in years. A/S/L? — 9 years ago

Carl Fischer

9.7

I needed to open something just to get through @David L 's posts of all his epic wines from last night. I hate you, I love you, brother! But back to this. Wow. Talk about a vice - this could become one for me - definitely is one I need to stock up on. Drinking so incredibly well. Berries all day long with some nice hints of vanilla. While nicely balanced this is definitely a fruit-driven wine. And there is nothing "petit" about this. Big, bold, badass. Loved it. — 9 years ago

Fredybeans

9.0

Brun clair
Nez très ferme et cartonné et s ouvre sur des note de cendre feuille morte
La bouche fraîche pleine et précise devient très agréable par des note de guarrigue et goudronnée avec une certaine qu Rosine
Un peu trop simple et poussiéreux en finale mais vin qui a de l âme
— 8 years ago

with picolator and El

Nathan Wegener

9.3

Nutty and sweet straw - impressive — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I’ve had at least two cases of the 97 over the last eight years or more. Our friends Jeff & Hedy brought this bottle of 97 to dinner tonight. It’s the best bottle of this wine I’ve had. We drank our last bottle roughly two years ago. The wine continues to improve. Tonight it’s so lush, ruby, elegant with blue & dark & mid red fruits. Great balance of fruit & earth. So beautiful & easy to drink. The 97 vintage was one no one wanted to buy as it was critically panned. I have said this many times, “in every difficult vintage, there are always producers that make good wine.” In the case of the Potensac, it took 15+ years to fully spread its wings and it continues to improve with another 10 years left ahead. No critic would have told you in 98 & 99 when the initial reviews came out to buy this wine. Potensac is made by the same technical team as Leoville Las Cases. Always follow good producers, even in difficult years. K&L bought 5,000 cases of this wine 10+ years after the fact. They are Masters in Bordeaux wines for this kind of value. Clyde took the shipments in two blocks of 2500 cases and sold through them in about a year or less at $24.99 a bottle. It remains the bargain of a lifetime! @Shay A This is the wine you want to buy to keep you from opening your 09’s & 10’s too early. So delicious tonight!!! Photos of; Potensac, concrete tanks, fruit near harvest and their barrel room. — 8 years ago

Conrad Green

9.1

From Mag. Mature... a hint of apple and sherry but not too much. On the palate broad and slightly lush with settled acidity and decent length. Given this is s mag, it's probably worth checking in on these as their time may soon be up, but for drinking right now- very good — 8 years ago

with Major-General

Aaron Tan

9.3

Many have said to be weary of bottle variation, but this was incredible last night. Tasted with the importer here in Australia - Michael at Quelvino. Previously Coravin-ed bottle, so maybe why it didn't have the spritz everyone talks about.

So inky and meaty. The palate screams sour cherries with an array of spices and herbs. There's a richness imparted by some RS too, I feel. What stumped me the most was the finish - started of big and tannic, then evovles into this subtle drive that goes on and on. I'm guessing this is still too young, with such heavy fruit. Can't wait to try more of this.

Note: The cuvee came with analysis values, which showed good TA and pH for a red. Alcohol was in the low 13's and it was surprisingly dry (0.8 g/l if I recall) - could be fruit sweetness that I was tasting. The spritz mentioned is a common feature of the wines because they finish fermentation in bottle. The grapes used are mainly Croatina, Uva Rara, and Vespolina (also known as Oltrepò ughetta). Italy's OG natty winemaker, making wines from a single cru (monopole?). — 9 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.8

@Mike R @David L @Joe Lucca @Ron R @Paul T The WOTN was a beauty so generously given to me by my Bud Paul Treadway! Thanks Paul!!! The tasting notes between the Beau Vigne Estate and Morlet's Coeur de Vallee are eerily similar. The true differentiation between the 2 is Morlet's seem less integration at this time. My buddy Kirk @Kirk Alexander always says "The test of a great wine is when nothing jumps out at you". This particular bottle did just that. Every person this evening commented on the fact that it was such a superbly balanced wine. It was dialed back ever so slightly in all the right spots for it to dance on your palate effortlessly.
Thank you Paul for a stellar bottle!!
It was enjoyed by friends outdoors on this beautiful S FL cool night. What else could one ask for?
— 9 years ago

with Christine and Gina