Merlot Blend

Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia

Unico Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 1976

Opened about an hour prior to service; enjoyed over the course of two days. Fairly consistent throughout but maybe even a touch better on Day 2? The 1976 “Unico” pours a garnet color with a slightly orange rim and a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with intoxicating notes of cassis, black cherry, red plum, dried flowers, coffee (for dayz), tobacco, leather, sandalwood, some organic earth and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long with gorgeous texture. This bottle came across remarkably young and supremely elegant. So much so, that I thought it was an inspired decision by one of our brothers-in-wine to include it in this particular lineup. We had a little leftover for the next day and it continued to show well. Brilliant stuff. Drink now through 2046+ — a month ago

Matt, Joel and 15 others liked this
Somm David T

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You’ve been on a nice run!
Jay Kline

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@Somm David T Just wait, there’s more. I’m only about halfway through the dinner 😅
ESF

ESF

👀

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

Surprised ratings are low on this. I found it absolutely brilliant. Super smooth and great mouthfeel. Silky tannins, wonderfully balanced, ripe black fruit. — a month ago

Château Gruaud Larose

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2019

Delicious with Pat’s grilled steak. Lovely nose, dark fruit and long finish. ($89) — a month ago

Jay, Jean-Philip and 3 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

Medium deep garnet ruby with a narrow garnet rim . Dusty grafite , cedar and cassis , currants , oyster shell , quite deep and classic . On the palate this is quite dense and tannic still , deep dark cassis , herbal tinged cedar and very grafite tinged on the finish . Fresh acidity , but still good mid palate richness and even though the tannins are quite dry and grippy , this is well balanced and relatively generous . Good length on the classic grafite , oyster shell tinged finish. This didn’t need a lot of decanting time to show well , though it certainly changes and improves with time in the glass . Classic in style , but still quite generous for Latour , this is just reaching its drinking window , will continue at this level for another 5-10 years at least and probably more. — 2 months ago

Jeroen, Sagee and 17 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend

Mo
9.2

A superb Zinfandel blend that tastes great now and possesses the requisite structure to age. Ridge sets the standard in American winemaking. Their corpus of high quality wines is unmatched in America and challenges the entire industry worldwide. — 2 months ago

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2018

Somm David T
9.4

This is far too young but when I have a chance to look in on Cheval Blanc I do.

Nose shows; ripe blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, plum, moist clays, coffee, moist herbs, roasted chestnuts, amazing florals that are red flowers, red roses, lilacs & violets.

The palate shows some nice evolution but still too young to drink. Ripe and slightly candied; blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, raspberries & plum. Moist clays, coffee, moist herbs, roasted chestnuts, espresso, mid berry cola, caramel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, crazy, round, bold spice, moist tobacco, used leather, graphite, dark, rich earth, dry stone, limestone, soft oak powder notes, amazing florals that are red flowers, red roses, lilacs & violets, round, rainfall acidity, balance, mid structure/tension, grand length and a two-minute long polished finish.

94-97
— 3 months ago

Bob, Daniel and 24 others liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2023

2023 vintage. 6.3.26. — 4 months ago

Jan, Ray and 12 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2013

Insignia Masterclass

1998 Insignia
2001 Insignia
2004 Insignia
2008 Insignia
2013 Insignia
2023 Insignia

With:
David Pearson, President
Ryan Knoth, winemaker

@Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa
— 12 days ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Tom and 8 others liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1955

Jol
9.5

70 ans et encore jeune Une expérience encore Du velours doux — a month ago

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2012

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — 2 months ago

Dave, Barny and 10 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Ever try vintage 2010 for this particular?
Joel Lara

Joel Lara

No I haven’t. This is actually the my first Lopez de Heredia. Have you tried it?
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

I have tried their bosconia & cubillo. Haven't tried the tondonia reserva, but do have the 2010 in my cellar.

Ridge Vineyards

Three Valleys Sonoma County Zinfandel Blend

Ridge Three Valleys 2023
Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A classic Sonoma field blend composed of 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro, and 2% Alicante Bouschet. Crafted in Ridge’s signature transparent style, this vintage leans toward a riper and more fruit-driven expression than many of the winery’s other bottlings.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry preserves, ripe plum, black cherry, and raspberry compote dominate, supported by touches of black pepper and baking spice.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with polished tannins and a broad, generous texture. The fruit lingers across the palate with a warm, persistent finish.

Food Pairings
A natural companion for barbecue, smoked meats, burgers, and hearty pizza.

Verdict
While impeccably made, this is one of the few Ridge wines that didn’t quite resonate with my palate. It leans a bit too jammy and overripe for my preference, though lovers of rich, fruit-forward California reds will likely find plenty to enjoy.

Did You Know?
Ridge has long been one of California’s pioneers of ingredient transparency, listing the exact grape composition directly on the label.

🍷 Personal Pick
I truly love Ridge wines, but I’d still reach for Lytton Springs or Geyserville before this bottling. If bold, juicy Zinfandel blends are your style, however, this one could easily become a favorite.
— 4 months ago

Ted, ESF and 1 other liked this

Apothic

Winemaker's Blend California Zinfandel Blend 2013

Like drinking chocolate — 12 years ago

Galen liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2022

Bomb ass wine!!! Explosive, so so good. Floral, fruity, everything you could want out of a great Bordeaux. Had over lunch after work with dad and Marcello (grandpa and Gina in attendance) — 23 days ago

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014

Beautiful wine had at Isidore San Antonio with clients. Great big bold cab had with steak. — 3 hours ago

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

What can I say, I absolutely love this wine. — a month ago

David liked this

Domaine Tempier

Bandol Rosé Blend 2024

Ki Punwar
9.3

Tempier rose never disappoints. Paired with Salmon and Caesar salad — a month ago

Lyle liked this

Quintessa

Rutherford Red Blend

Smooth and well-balanced. Nice ending of the evening — 2 months ago

Brooke liked this

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

DE
9.5

At Clayton with a cigar big as the 96 — 2 months ago

Somm, Sagee and 5 others liked this

Orin Swift

Papillon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

Oak, sawdust, coco nibs, tobacco, black currant and blackberries. This is rich, deep and dark. Mostly secondary and tertiary flavors at this point, not a ton of fruit left. — 3 months ago

Dave and Joel liked this

Bodegas Faustino

Gran Reserva Faustino I Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2009

Vanilla! But once it calms down, good round tannins, good body, super smooth at this point, perfect for the obligatory Father’s Day steaks — 3 months ago

Sagee, Tom and 2 others liked this

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2022

2022 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Needs time/patience but shows pretty well currently if you're out of either/both. 6.3.26. — 4 months ago

Jan, Ruud and 10 others liked this

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Bolgheri Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

Even after 16 years, this wine will last. Lush plum flavors, tobacco, mocha mixed with berries and leather. Has many years left. — 5 months ago

Letha Phillips
with Letha
Rick, Bob and 3 others liked this