Off Piste Wines

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 1997

The 1997 is incredibly elegant and confident. Graceful impact and gentle attack. The most Burgundy-like of the Musars I’ve tasted. Still has a ton of youthful vigor, focus and energy. Zero palate weight. Elevated VA is allowing the aromatics to really take off. The most refined and beautiful Musar I’ve had yet, covering the broad spectrum of red berries, herbs, leather, spices and minerals. Funky yet refined. — 7 years ago

Fausse Piste

Fish Sauce Pet Nat Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains

Joel Pennington #❤️🐢🍷
9.4

Too good. Dry, full of life, tight effervescent. Categorically unique - and refined - Muscat Blanc from Willamette Valley, OR. — 8 years ago

Jordan and Susan liked this

Long Shadows Vintners

Poet's Leap Columbia Valley Riesling 2006

M+ acid, ripe tropical fruit, Mod alcohol, off-dry. Nice WA example. — 9 years ago

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

If you have to drink a 2011 Napa Cabernet, this is the one. Overcomes the flimsiness and off-centered taste of many of its peers. Blueberry, suggestive of Alexander Valley cabs, is present in spades, and wonderful, smooth, and satisfying midpalate and finish. — 9 years ago

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1984

Held up very well for a 30 year old wine. Took about 1-2 hours to really open up and hit its peak. Finished by hour 3 as it seemed to tail off. Very cool drinking a Lafite. — 9 years ago

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1994

A perfect amalgamation of vinosity, friends and cause. Off the charts #montrose ! — 10 years ago

Anthony, Gary and 2 others liked this
Neil Barham

Neil Barham Influencer Badge

Once ordered and enjoyed a 1919 on a date in a restaurant. It became my benchmark Bordeaux.

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo

Kevin Walsh
8.9

2008. Dried cherry, black tea, dried mushroom and rose, prosciutto. Minerality is reminiscent of standing on a dry, dusty dirt road. Only criticism is that it falls off in the mid palate, but finishes with a nice gamey note. — 11 years ago

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2005

Off vintage but who cares? Tignanello is a personal favorite. Took a good hour to open up, this wine tastes surprisingly young. cherry, earthiness some mineral and a little smoke flavor as well. Very good — 8 years ago

Shay, Adam and 1 other liked this

Paul Jaboulet Aîné

La Chapelle Hermitage Syrah 1996

Fruit, acids and tannins faded into the background, initially lost (and thought off and nearly tossed!) due to extreme undergrowth funk. That blew off in 30 mins and what remained was Syrah turned all burgundy, fleshy but light. Not best example, but delicious. — 8 years ago

Eric, Jody and 25 others liked this

Fausse Piste

Garde Manger Columbia Valley Syrah 2014

Direct hit to the heart. Beaujolais spirited syrah that offers a super fruit nose composed at first of blueberrie sirup then blackberry with a violet hint after a few swirls. Non filtered with a hint of a gas when opened, no bretts; this suggests coherent and traditional wine making (+ high drinkability when successful). Clearly among the best wines I've tasted from Oregon. — 9 years ago

Marco Bergevin
with Marco
Doctor, Serge and 13 others liked this

Fausse Piste

Super MSG Red Rhone Blend 2015

Light mineral good - would drink again but maybe not buy again.. — 9 years ago

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1968

Richard Young
9.2

"Off-vintage" Latour, always a pleasure — 10 years ago

Dick, Charles and 2 others liked this

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 1983

The wine was medium to dark garnet in colour. On day one it offered red fruit, cherry, balsamic vinegar, cola, leather, mushroom, earthy and vegetal notes and a wet sewer component on the nose. On the palate the the wine showed red fruit, cherry, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes, the acidity was quite pronounced, the wine became slightly drying and even more acidic after some time in the glass, and the fruit faded a bit. Two days later, on day three, the medium-bodied wine was more balanced and showed red and dark fruit, some chocolate, some tobacco, spices and earthy notes on the nose, and red fruit, cherry, leather, tobacco, earthy and balsamic notes on the palate, with just a faint touch of greenness, paired with medium-plus well-integrated tannin, medium-plus acidity and very good length. I had almost written-off the wine on day one and then, surprisingly, it showed much better the third day. Holding-up well. 90 — 11 years ago

Éric Texier

Rouletabulle Off Dry Pétillant Naturel Chasselas 2011

Pedro Rusk
9.6

Sparkling Chasselas very limited and like many things that are hard to find the reward is great — 12 years ago

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

An off vintage that shouldn't have improved! @ £47 this 07 is drinking lovely right now w/ all tannins soft & integrated 👍

🍇 70% Cab S, 27% Mer & 3% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Mineral & pencil lead driven earthy spiced blackcurrant & dark plum w/ leather, wet leaves, mint & smokey cedar/oak

👄 Med+ body of creamy smooth blackcurrant & dark plum w/ mocha & minerals, all well integrated now

🎯 Med+ ripe dark fruit, mocha & mineral coating
— 8 years ago

Mike, Greg and 11 others liked this

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2011

Ki Punwar
9.2

Very drinkable now. Light and lively and pure -loving the off vintage of the Reserveé — 8 years ago

Jim, Steve and 17 others liked this

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1900

Spectacular! Mind blowing. One of my top 10 of all time. On every serious wine lover’s bucket list, and here we had a nigh perfect bottle. While aromatically a little recalcitrant, you still got some of the Margaux violets and potpourri on the nose, hints of clove, all trying to shake off their doldrums. But on the palate, it was timelessly ravishing. The finesse, richness, balance and smoothness, with an underlying, almost flabbergasting mixture of complexity and delicacy, was just astonishing. The finish is marvelously sweet and intense, with chocolate and cassis and utterly seamless tannins. This is a miracle of wine making and an exaltation of vintage and terroir besides. Wow! And bravo! We can only pray for an encore of such a wine. — 9 years ago

David, Monica and 28 others liked this
David L

David L Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Holy shit. And that was a phenomenal vintage too. The best posting ever on delectables!!!@Greg Gregory www.vinfolio.com
Greg Gregory

Greg Gregory Influencer Badge

Moat amazing wine evening of my life and I've been lucky to have said that twice before. More to follow what I've already posted. Four more flights.
Mike R

Mike R Influencer Badge

Crazy and very jealous

Château Trotanoy

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2002

Good fruit. Good finish. Enjoyable bottle of off vintage Bordeaux — 10 years ago

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2010

Medium bodied and garnet in color. Nose is dominated by red fruits and a trace of black olive. Starts off with plum and red berries, softness and coquettish acidity that only really comes out by mid. Finishes with pepper, olive, fat, and leather. Overall a stellar cab franc for the price and another reason to check out more Loire reds. — 11 years ago

Tommy liked this

Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia

Unico Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 1986

Christopher Hoel
9.9

En magnum and off the hook!!! — 11 years ago

Daniel, Hai and 19 others liked this