2nd of Grand Cru Bordeaux. Great wine with incredible aging potential. Cheers. — 2 months ago
Actually deeper colour than the 1962 and 1959 . Slightly more medicinal nose , touch of swimming pool , lightly herbal with some dried fruit . On the palate this has a drier profile , darker dried fruit , slightly astringent acidity and quite gritty , rustic tannins . Slightly dry on the mid palate , but good earthy tobacco notes . Quite dense and robust , showing good backbone and body . Reasonable length , with earthy , gritty finish . Quite dense and structured. Not elegant but quite impressive for a 76 year old wine . Now and over the next 5 or more years , though obviously won’t improve. — a month ago
2023 vintage. Light-medium body with excellent, back-end, enduring concentration without it being contrived or heavy-handed. Darting accents and flourishes throughout. Not the cheapest Merlot and it could still use a year or two but nice effort. Had been told at some point in the last few years that all the Merlot vines had been ripped out. Maybe they have and this is all purchased fruit? Difficulty remembering what lunch constituted tho so…4.1.26. — 2 months ago
A real favorite. What a value — a month ago
I used to drink this producer in the late 90’s & early 2000’s. I’ve been revisiting older vintages based on recent price points. I think they sold a bunch of their cellar for revenue. It is out of need after the Glass Fires. They were somewhat consumed by it. The winery & part of their vineyards. Unfortunate!!!
Decanted an hour and enjoyed over 2-3 hours.
I was further inspired to acquire the 2006 by @Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego who posted more than respectful thoughts of the 2006 not long ago. So, I acquired some winery stored bottles at $39. A more than fair price point. The cork had a millimeter or less along its side. The bottle neck showed trapped tannins. Extremely solid.
The nose is inviting. Slightly smoky & nicely ripe; dark core of blackberries, dark cherries, poached/baked strawberries, plum, blueberries and pomegranate. Slate, gentle, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, mid & light berry cola/licorice-red vines, soft dry tobacco, used leather, very soft graphite, graceful herbaceous notes, whiff with black & white pepper, dark, rich soils, mix of limestone/sandstone, red florals/roses, dark florals and purple lily blossoms.
The entry is elegant, ripe, slightly rich with nothing bitty. Medium, softened, mushy tannins. It shows nearly perfect elegance at or just and I mean just the other side of its peak. Ripe; dark core of blackberries, dark cherries, poached/baked strawberries, plum, blueberries, raspberries and pomegranate hues. Slate, gentle, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, mid & light berry cola, soft dry, used tobacco w/ ash, used leather, graphite, herbaceous notes, stem inclusion, some black & white pepper, dark spice box with mid intensity palate heat, layered baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & understated vanillin, dark chocolate, caramel, steeped teas, moist to dry volcanic clays, rich, dark, almost sweet soils, mix of limestone/sandstone, red florals/roses, dark florals and purple lily blossoms, very nice acidity, evolved, well-knitted, balanced, structured, tensioned, elegant finish that lasts nearly two-minutes and long sets on spice and beautiful earthiness. This will drink nicely for another 5+ yrs.
A good revisit and perhaps the most elegant Cain Five I’ve had.
Photos of; the Cain Five vineyards, Chris Howell-Winemaker, pressed grapes and the somewhat unglamorous cleaning out of stainless steel tanks after initial fermentation. — a month ago

Lacks complexity but its a truly excellent bottle and is singing now. Really good wine that is long lasting in bottle. Classical style. — a month ago
Second & last of my bottles. Wonderful, while ready to drink still has plenty of years ahead of it. — 2 months ago
First time tasting the 2019 Bard. Big wine. Big ripe fruit - I’m getting mostly black with some red and hints of blue. Graphite. Lavender. Softened yet big chewy tannins. Acidity holding in strong at this point. Drinking well now with just a brief decant, but I can see this one really hitting a sweet spot in a few more years. — 2 months ago
Cardinale Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, California
#AgedWineTuesday
Inky in color with a short purple rim. Not showing much age.
Fruity nose of black currants, black plums, blackberries, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cola, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices and black pepper.
Full-bodied and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruit forward on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, dried fruits, cedar, chocolates, figs, cola, vanilla, licorice, tobacco, herbs, spices and light earth.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.
This 17 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still drinking beautifully. Rich and engaging. Elegant, soft and fruit forward. Beautifully balanced with a nice mouthfeel.
Needed 90 minutes in the bottle to open up properly and show great complexity, with good structure.
This gorgeous Cabernet is still drinking at its peak, but will not get better from this point on. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 7 years.
A great sipping wine that will pair nicely with a big piece of steak too.
A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 22 months.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$200. — 3 months ago
2023 vintage. $120+ a bottle resto cost. I mean it’s nice but for that pricing and what I’d hafta charge for it? Hard pass. The new Antinori stuff (don’t ask about the whites) not working for me. Praying that their purchased property-Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars-has current offerings showing better for the pricing. Not holding my breath tho. 4.29.26. — 21 days ago
Inky in color with a reddish rim.
Fruity nose of black currants, plums, licorice, light cedar, earth, cola, herbs, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, black tea and light garigge notes.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, oak, light licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, cola, herbs, peppercorn and light vegetables.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and complex, spicy and tangy.
Delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.
The alcohol is nicely integrated already, although not as high as typically from this region.
Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.
I've had a few vintages of this wine and this is not my favorite, by far.
A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec.
14% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$450. — 25 days ago


It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark inky in color with a short purplish rim.
Fruity nose and full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate and very fruity.
Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, dried figs, cedar, vanilla, cooked raisins, chocolates, light earth, herbs, spices, dark coffee, peppercorn and licorice.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Fruit forward and extracted. Rich, and in your face kind of wine.
Still young, and needs 7 years in the bottle to mature properly. Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.
This 8-year-old is nicely balanced and dense, with enough acidity for the fruits. Complex with a nice mouthfeel. Big, bold and beautiful, with a teeth staining color. Not a good choice for a first date.
Wine Advocate 94 points.
The blend varies with each vintage. I've had the 2014 vintage a year ago, and loved it even more.
A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.
A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.
14.6% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$160. — 2 months ago
2013. Dark presence with violet-black from edge to end. Unctious. El Capitan tears with solar flare outcroppings linear paralleling across the cliff face. Lovely mushroom and earth interplay here with blackberry bourgeoning and black olive wisps. Forêt Noir leanings with brittle and toffee behind a curious veil of grill smoke. Palate is met with a rush of intense flavor, warm dark chocolate and raw nib, concentrated black cherry, cedar, blackberries and red currant, ripe blackberry, licorice, tobacco, and a drop of treacle. Wild resonance! Flavor permanences.
#Colgin #colginIXestate #2013 #Napa #StHelena — 2 months ago
Wine was delicious. Not harsh and no after taste or heartburn. Sweet but not too sweet. — 3 months ago
2/2026. Full flavor and nice finish. Easy drinking. — 3 months ago
Pinotman /// Andreas
Ok more or less. — a month ago