Magic Hour

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2006

2 hour decant. Shredded cork. Filtered the wine.

Wow. This was just gorgeous and smooth. Tannins very well integrated and the fruit was excellent.

One of my favorite vintages with some age
— 2 months ago

Somm, Dave and 9 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Yeah, the 2006 is top of the pops currently. Miss it.

Agnès et René Mosse

Magic of Ju-Ju Melon de Bourgogne Chenin Blanc 2023

At 10.5% abv, this is both thirst-quenching and austere, with the Chenin providing just enough ripeness of fruit to bring things into balance. 750 mL will be easily finished by one person, so unless you’re drinking alone, buy at least two bottles — 4 months ago

Joe, Peter and 2 others liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2008

Improved over an hour, balsamic glaze with vegetal bitterness. Lean and friendly. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister, Tom and 10 others liked this

Magic Box Wines

Red Blend 2021

Love this blend!! — 6 months ago

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

From MAG

2 hour decant. A striking purplish dark garnet color. On the nose: beautiful notes of dark fruit, pencil shavings, herbaceous, vanilla, cloves. Taste: creamy, polished, structured wine with blackberry, dark chocolate, minerals, bell pepper, leather, and a decent herbal/potting soil finish. Drinks surprisingly well with the decant at this age, and of course a few more years it will improve. YUM!
— 8 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Tom and 18 others liked this
Paul T HB

Paul T HB

Only about 10-15 years too soon

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

With a 2 hour decant (needs 3) the 2000 Lalanden has noticeable Petit Verdot and pales in comparison to its sibling the Baron in this vintage. Still a very good wine! — 9 months ago

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Two hour decant this 2000 Pichon Baron is exceptional! Very smooth glycerin like coating covering black and red cherries, leather, tobacco, olives and smoke simply outstanding. The finish could be a bit better though — 9 months ago

Ira, "Odedi" and 9 others liked this

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

1/2 hour decant (some fine sediment). A remarkable still dark purplish garnet with some bricking. On the nose: dark fruit, wet forest floor, anise, little tobacco, and some spearmint. Taste: creamy, lush wine with little bit of dried cherry, currants, planting soil, crushed stone, and a minty espresso medium plus finish. YUM! Still holding on at 27 years young. — 2 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Brenda and 12 others liked this

Quilceda Creek

Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

1 hour decant(decent chunky sediment). A striking dark purplish magenta color. On the nose: mellow nose that hints at what's to come with black fruit liquor, pine needles, black olives, floral, smoke, potting soil. Taste: still big and bold with dark plum, dark currants, graphite, chocolate mocha, black pepper, and an earthy cherry infused medium plus finish. YUM!! more time to go, unfortunately my last bottle. — 2 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Rob and 15 others liked this
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge

@Tom Garland One of my favourite US Cabernets. I see Robert Parker gave this wine 100 points. Lucky I have one left.
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

@Bob McDonald It's very good with time to go, though from my novice/rookie opinion, not a hundy good...that RP score was probably back in Jeb D. time and that guy never met a wine he didn't want to give a high score to. Cheers! Always enjoy reading your wine reviews.
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge

Thanks Tom.

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

+2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment) A beautiful deep ruby red color. On the nose: Expressive nose captivates with dark red fruit, espresso, chocolate, floral, menthol, sweet tobacco. Taste: rich, round, intense wine with dark cherry/blackberry, minerals, cedar, tobacco, and a peppery-pencil lead-dried herb long dry finish. YUM! A brilliant wine just entering its drinking window with time to go. — 5 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Ron and 24 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Great bottle. 🍷
Rob Brobst III

Rob Brobst III Influencer Badge

Wow @Tom Garland you@popped a good one!

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend

Leather and spice up front, with a trace of dill that softens into dark cherry after an hour in the decanter. — 6 months ago

Witching Hour

California Red Blend

CnA
9.0

Delicious.. love whiting hour Great cab. — 9 months ago

Clos des Papes

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2016

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Red fruits on the nose with light oak, spices, earth, garrigue and chocolates.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, black cherries, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates, earth and black pepper.

Nice finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 9 year old Grenache blend from Southern Rhone is drinking beautifully now. Powerful, yet elegant. Fruity, rich and smooth.

Still feels very young, and more fruit forward than I expected it to be. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Complex and interesting.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime. Spicy and entertaining.

This 2016 vintage in the Southern Rhône was exceptional. Will continue to age beautifully over the next 10 years.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$140.
— 9 months ago

Ted, Tom and 23 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Such a good producer.

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1990

Simply superb bottle! Decanted for an hour and consumed over next two with beef stew — 9 months ago

Ted, Joel and 5 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

First bottle of the 2010. This is gonna be a really special wine but I think it need another 5-7 years. Tannins and softened, fruit is there, acidity is still strong, and don’t get me wrong it’s great now with a couple hour decant, but in a few years it’ll be really nice. Getting black, blue, and dark red fruit, ripe and juicy. Man so silky in the mouth. Graphite, stone, forest floor, cedar, hints of camphor, black licorice. Wonderful. Nice medium + finish. Really nice, only going to get better! — 4 months ago

Austin, "Odedi" and 11 others liked this

Araujo Estate

Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

1 hour decant(some fine/cloudy sediment). A splendid deep ruby red color with some bricking. On the nose: Enticing perfumed notes of dark red fruit, worn leather, herbaceous, floral, mint, stewed meat. Taste: silky, layered with depth and length wine.... opulent red fruit, cassis, damp earth, new leather, green bell pepper, and a long finish with beautifully resolved tannins. YUM! — 4 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Dave and 14 others liked this

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1981

This was a well-stored example and the cork was in pretty great shape; extracted with the aid of a Durand. Opened about an hour before service and poured into a decanter. Enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1981 pours a garnet color with a slight orange-ish rim; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with mostly desiccated notes of dark and red fruit: red currants, confected cherry, organic earth, mushroom, leather, eucalyptus, baking spice. Umami AF. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. While showing its age, this is very much alive. The entire bottle was enjoyed by all. Drink now. — 6 months ago

Zach, Andrew and 16 others liked this

Domaine François Raveneau

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2013

Not sure there are better 13 whites than Raveneau. Lafon also comes to mind. It’s an early drinking vintage (by Raveneau standards) while you wait for 12 and 14, and no Chapelot this year so it’s blended in here. A multi-hour decant has it showing superbly, wafting layers of créme fraîche, baking spice, crushed stones and a touch of botrytis influenced saffron. The palate shows immense power, concentration and depth of waxy yellow fruit chiseled with Chablisen minerality, brilliant tension and racy lemony acids. MDT always hits 🫰🏻 — 7 months ago

Jan, Tyler and 5 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005

1 hour decant(some chunky/fine sediment). A splendid dark medium garnet with little bricking. On the nose: expressive perfumed nose with dark plum/cherry, currants,milk chocolate, baking spice, floral, wet forest floor, touch of roasted meat. Taste: silky, balanced, elegant wine that is singing at 20 years with dried red fruit, earth, chocolate, cedar, minerals, saline, and a spiced-tobacco-green bell pepper long finish. YUM! — 9 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Paul and 13 others liked this
Deborah M

Deborah M

Nice!

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007

1 hour decant(lots chunky/fine sediment). A gorgeous inky purplish garnet color. On the nose: dark fruit, forest floor, smoked meat, floral, cigar wrapper, pencil lead. Taste: smooth, rich, creamy mouthcoating wine with blackberry/dark cherry, dark chocolate, earth, tobacco, baking spice, and a cedar/graphite medium plus finish with some slight dusty tannins. Had this 2 years ago, and it's improved. In the beginning of its drink window at 18 years? Wow — 9 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Steve and 20 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Love this JP vintage!