Middle Earth

Domaine Serene

Evenstad Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2006

#AgedWineTuesday

Pretty color of ruby with medium intensity and a light brick rim.

Pretty nose of red fruits with wild flowers and light forest floor notes.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with sweet cherries, cooked plums, light oak, mushrooms, spices, chocolates, earth and herbs.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Pinot Noir from Oregon. Elegant and nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Burgundy in style, and I really enjoyed smelling it for a long while.

This 19 year old Pinot Noir is still drinking beautifully. Drinking at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Wine Spectator 92 points. Wine Advocate 91 points. Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime.

Balanced and easy drinking. Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food.

A blend of Pinot Noir grapes from all of the Single Vineyards of the estate. Aged in 100% New French oak barrels for 16 months. Unfiltered and unfined.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$150.
— 2 months ago

Ted, Doug and 13 others liked this

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2020

2020 vintage. Decanted and tasted after 1.5 hours. Chocolate covered cherry mixed with wet earth. Much too much too soon but still overtly delicious. 9.12.25. — 3 months ago

Ted, Dave and 12 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Decant and pour. Nose: enticing perfumed dark fruit, mint, pine, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: creamy, balanced, savory wine with blackberry, milk chocolate, earth, leather, graphite, and a lingering long finish with some slightly grippy tannins. YUM!! No hurry, time to go. — 4 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Dave and 16 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Enjoy Randy’s work. Never a rush on his wines. They simply get better and better with long bottle age.

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

Gorgeous nose! Grilled red pepper. Charcoal, thyme, warm earth. Pleasant, still quite rough tannins, iron and blood in the aroma, ink, iodine, sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic like acidity. Brilliant now, no rush. — 5 months ago

Ira, Ronald and 12 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Nice find!

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1989

Opened and decanted hours prior to dinner; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1989 appears a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of tart, ripe, and dried fruits: cassis, blackberries, black cherry, black plum, tobacco, Poblano pepper, mixed dried flowers, some cocoa, pencil shavings, dried green herbs, a touch of leather, some organic and gravelly earth and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Fabulous stuff with plenty of fuel left in the tank. Drink now through 2039. — 6 months ago

Zach, Jan and 18 others liked this
Ceccherini Cristiano

Ceccherini Cristiano Influencer Badge

This is one of the bottle that changed everything for me. I met it by chance nearly and it was my game changer for Bordeaux. What a memory. Amazi g pull mate!
Jay Kline

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@Ceccherini Cristiano love hearing these stories. I’m happy to report it is still stunning
Ceccherini Cristiano

Ceccherini Cristiano Influencer Badge

@Jay Kline I had it in 2007 in a beautiful location on the hills of Rome when my first son was just born. I reckon it must have been my first wedding anniversary too cause the restaurant was the one were we had got married in 2006. On a terrace with view on Rome😍

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

This had red & black fruits, earth, cedar, leather, sweet, savory spice with tobacco — 9 months ago

Jan, Jeroen and 10 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!

Michael David Winery

Freakshow The Strongest Man on Earth Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon

Consistently good everyday wine dinner — 2 months ago

Jose liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Classic. Just classic on the color and nose. On the palate it has finer tannins, lifted acidity, and a long, polished finish that lingers on cassis and earth. One of the oldest Lafite’s I’ve tasted and feels like in last another couple of decades. Easy. — 3 months ago

Ira, Peter and 20 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2011

Opus One 2011
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A Bordeaux-style blend from one of Napa’s most iconic estates, co-founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The 2011 vintage was a challenging, cool year in Napa, producing wines of lower alcohol, more restraint, and higher acidity compared to the opulent, sun-soaked vintages before and after. Blend typically centers on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

Aromas & Flavors
Opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and dried cherry layered with graphite, violets, tobacco leaf, and hints of cedar and espresso. As it evolves in the glass, notes of leather, savory herbs, and cocoa powder emerge.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied compared to more powerful Opus vintages, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins. Elegant and balanced, showing more finesse and structure than richness. The finish lingers with red and black fruits, spice, and a touch of earth.

Winemaking Notes
Aged in French oak for 18 months. The cooler season resulted in smaller yields, but a style closer to classic Bordeaux restraint rather than plush Napa ripeness.

Food Pairing
Beautiful with herb-crusted lamb, grilled duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses like Comté.

Verdict
A vintage that divided critics due to its lighter profile, but for those who enjoy elegance and classical structure, the 2011 Opus One is a refreshing outlier. Drink now, though it still has a few years of graceful life ahead. Cheers!
— 4 months ago

Ira, Ted and 9 others liked this

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah 1990

An explosive supple nose with rose, hints of tar, gnarly intense fruit in the middle. Fresh and powerful still. Spectacularly complex. Iron and salinity on the finish. Wow — 5 months ago

Jan, Ira and 10 others liked this

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 1995

Garnet core , wide terracotta rim . Quite aromatic with sous bois , floral hints , spiced dried cherry, iodine , earth and leather . On the palate this has high acidity , fine tannins , orange rind , wet earth, sous bois , dried cherry . Good length . Ready drink now and over the next 5 years , just starting to run out of steam after a couple of hours . Elegant and refined in style — 6 months ago

Dave, Jeroen and 11 others liked this

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2017

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2017 (S) pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with pretty notes of mostly red, tart fruit: strawberry, raspberry, Montmorency cherry, licorice, dried green herbs, menthol, and rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and just a touch mousy but within the acceptable range. Refreshing and a lovely pairing with burgers on a warm Spring evening. Drink now through 2032. — 6 months ago

Ceccherini, Lyle and 14 others liked this

Jean Foillard

Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2019

2019-Vintage a slight tawny edge , dried strawberry fruit roll up, earth, acetate, floral , very soft, my guess is that this won’t be getting better, but for the time being very complexing — 7 months ago

Austin, Bob and 5 others liked this
Douglas Braun

Douglas Braun Influencer Badge

13.5 % ABV

Château Gruaud Larose

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim. Doesn't show much age.

Beautiful nose with red and black fruits, chocolates, tobacco leaf, vegetables, forest floor, black tea, earth, coffee, herbs, spices, black pepper and wildflowers.

Full bodied and soft with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, black plums, currants, oak, light chocolates, coffee, mushrooms, licorice, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs and spices.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a gorgeous 24 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Saint Julien. Rich and elegant. Spicy and very complex. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Drinking at its peak now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10 years.

A great sipping wine that is so much fun to drink by itself.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in (33% new) French oak barrels for 18 months.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$150.
— 3 months ago

Dave, Ira and 13 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Nice pull @"Odedi"!!
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Very nice!

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2014

As always, delicious. Everything coming together. Rich cherry, liquorice, oaky vanilla, earth. Tannins are still grippy but well integrated, real structure. — 4 months ago

Barbara Gazley
with Barbara
Jay, Rob and 1 other liked this

Corison

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Double decant and pour(lots of sediment). A splendid medium ruby red color. On the nose: a little stewed red fruit, herbaceous, worn leather, mint, sweet smokey oak, loamy soil. Taste: smooth, elegant, savory wine with a touch of dried red fruit, dried herbs, cocoa, damp earth, minerals, and a spiced iron/meaty medium finish. YUM! Mature and on the long downside, but still drinks nicely at 28 years. — 4 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Dave and 16 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Wow!
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Nice!!!

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2021

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nose of red and black fruits with light wood, tobacco and chocolate notes.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, light oak, licorice, chocolates, spices and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Grenache blend is starting to drink very nicely now, with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Elegant and rich. Interesting and engaging. A very traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape in style.

Well balanced and good by itself as a sipping wine. Will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of all 13 allowed grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but mostly Grenache. Hand picked and whole cluster. Aged for 2 years in large French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$110.
— 6 months ago

Dave, Jay and 14 others liked this

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1966

From back when Mouton was still a Second Growth. Decanted prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. This bottle of the 1966 pours a garnet color with significant rim variation; medium viscosity with light staining and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated red and black fruits: cassis, blackberries, green pepper, tobacco, leather, old wood, organic earth 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 medium. This was a good showing for the ‘66 and certainly has life left in it however, there’s no need to hold out. Drink now. — 6 months ago

Jan, Dave and 19 others liked this

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

From magnum. Slightly deeper ruby , thin ruby rim . Quite a lot more dense and darker fruits , cassis , violet , red plum , blackberry, warm earth . On the palate this is denser and more tannic , more body , dark cassis , summer fruits , violets , hedgerow fruits . Hugely elegant and long , balanced and refined . Mineral and earthy but bright and vivacious . Again shows pretty similar to last year , more dense, intense and bigger boned than La Mission , but still supremely refined and balanced . Come back in 10 -15 years , and will surely show well for another 15-20 — 7 months ago

Jay, Scott@Mister and 20 others liked this