Gabby

9.0

Had this as part of the opus tasting back in Nov but didn’t have time to post. All 5 Bordeaux grapes in here, but mostly cab sauv. Red fruit, cherry, oak, earth, cocoa, vanilla — 2 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.6

Tonight I thought I would open this LMHB as the 2019 was released on futures yesterday. It may be a better wine but you are going to have to wait a long time to find out. The 66 is a wine where I have opened more than 6 cases in the last 5 yrs & consider it one of the great vintages for current drinking showing black fruits, cassis, saddle leather, smoke, tar, graphite, licorice, soy, tobacco & violets. This has been fully mature for 10 yrs & perfectly stored btls will continue to drink well for many years. One of the wines that keeps me searching & drinking old Bordeaux! — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here's a nice one from Napa Valley.

Dark purple in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity on the nose with blackberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, earth, dark coffee and black pepper.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and nice long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cedar, vanilla, leather, light bell pepper, tobacco, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with grippy tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, is already very enjoyable by itself or with food. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins (30 minutes). After a couple of hours big tannins come in.

This is a great Cabernet to cellar for 10 years.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$28. — 5 years ago

Daron Watson

9.6

Pulled the cork and the juice smelled and tasted DELI$H ~ I’ve had many great wines, plenty I’ve rated higher, but the pull-n-pour instant gratification AND appropriate drinking time doesn’t happen often ~ it will age effortlessly for years but I’m not sure one “needs” to cellar more — 5 years ago

Eric Egan

9.4

What a beautifully graceful wine! A bit muted on the nose (slow ox for three hours - perhaps I should have decanted) but one of the most amazingly expressive palates I have experienced for a very long time. All the elements in perfect equilibrium; one of the rare times that I would actually apply the term 'smooth' to a wine. Tannins still lightly peppery, poised acidity, and an insanely long velvety finish that kept revealing hidden layers of complexity. Like a Burgundian peacock's tail that keeps expanding, adding new layers of graceful shades and patterns to the rolling tapestry of flavour. — 7 years ago

Bill Makens

9.3

Really enjoying this one. Smooth and drinkable right after opening and only getting better with the more time it decants. — 7 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

8.9

The biggest and most full bodied wine of the evening was the Cos d'Estournel. From the hot 2003 vintage this also made it the youngest red of the evening. Big, irony, camp fire embers, black currants and cassis, toasty and well integrated oak buffer the wine. Time has peeled back some of that concentration revealing the heat that stuck out to me as the one big thing out of place. In the context of the vintage this might be OK but it turned me off. Good, but disappointing especially considering how critics went out of their way to speak of its lack of signs of heat. — 7 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.8

One of the real highlights on the Left Bank, the 2005 Mouton Rothschild is a dark, potent Pauillac. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and leather all take shape in the glass. The 2005 is a dense, powerful and explosive wine endowed with tremendous energy and pure power. The fruit is just starting to emerge, but Mouton remains a very tight, super-classic wine. With time in the glass, some of the natural richness and radiance of the year starts to emerge. Even so, the 2005 is still very young and closed. A few more years in bottle will only be beneficial. Impressive. Tasted two times. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2021)
— 3 years ago

Deborah M

9.2

Pulled this one for “Thirsty Thursday” WebEx social time with a few friends. Beautiful Napa Cab that didn’t disappoint. Second wine with great QPR. Dark fruit. Smooth tannins. Bright acidity. Really opened up nicely after an hour in the decanter. I need to find more of this one. — 4 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

Birth year wines are a tricky thing. We all want them to show well because we are opening them for an occasion. ‘81 North Coast is not a vaunted vintage but this is the the 3rd year in a row I’ve shared a birthday bottle with one of my all time favorite females....and each and every time the ‘81s deliver. Fully mature and delicious. The fruit is still going strong, ripe plum, tobacco, sandalwood and blackberry. Lots of length and silk on silk. — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

One of my favorite vintages for Trotanoy. Had dinner with Christian a couple of years ago. He said he spends the same amount of time & expense to make the Trotanoy as the Petrus. Red berry & plum fruits, earth, tobacco, leather, green bean & olive. Just reaching its prime with many years ahead. — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.4

I bought a case of this delicious Barolo a while ago and am delighted every time I open a bottle. Texturally this is a wonderfully attractive wine. Both ripe and floral, it lingers powerfully and yet with lightness. One of two Vietti wines enjoyed at Antique Garage's original location is Soho (having enjoyed some haloumi the week prior at the new location, I was back for more). — 7 years ago

George Yasutake

9.7

#2 Insignia of the night for our vertical. Very different from the 1999, but still one of my all time favorite Insignias. Let's see how it compares to the 1997 vintage. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here's a delicious one from France.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, black plums, black currants, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, leather, spices, dark coffee, milk chocolates and peppercorn. Pretty, once it opens up.

Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and fruity, with blackberries, earth, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, light alcohol, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, leather, pencil lead, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious 5 year old Right Bank Bordeaux. Drinking very nicely now, although still young.

This 2016 vintage is showing very nicely now. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Still a little hot at the back of the throat, at this point, but I love the cedar and sweet cherry notes.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly, so give it time. Good by itself once it opens up.

Will age nicely in the next 15 years, and has good potential to become even better.

Tasty, tangy and spicy. A delicious wine from a great vintage.

A good food wine too, that will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with cheeses and green olives.

A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes are grown on limestone soil.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55. — 3 years ago

Miriam De Lyon

9.0

100% Monastrell from Jumilla. Very nice with the big flavors at this restaurant — 5 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.7

Dark ruby. Decanted for an hour. Magical evolution with every taste. Just kept getting better. Bing cherry and boysenberry. Mid palette finish. This one will only get better with time. — 5 years ago

Christina

9.5

Deliciously tart and sweet! — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

One of my all time favorites, the 1982 Cristal is magnificent. Fresh, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 1982 remains one of the all-time great Cristals. Apricot, almond and chamomile nuances suggest the 1982 is just starting to turn the corner into its plateau of maturity. This bottle lacks a bit of excitement, but, then again, the 1982 Cristal is not exactly the sort of wine I get to taste on a regular basis, so it is possible this is not the best showing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to taste it again soon. Even so, well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade-plus. “In my opinion, 1982 is the first vintage of climate change in Champagne,” Lécaillon explains. “Sugars were higher than we were used to seeing. As a comparison, the 1981 Cristal is also concentrated, but it is concentrated by low yields. In 1982, we had high yields and elevated ripeness, meaning it was the sun that ripened the fruit.” (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 5 years ago

Martha Richards

9.4

So full bodied and rich... — 7 years ago

Christopher Nettuno

9.6

Such a moment each time I get to drink this bubbly.... Beautifully salmon colored, with elegant, yet rich, (if you can say that in the same sentence) strawberry mousse flavors and a perfect subtle mineral note! It has the perfect crisp notes to tickle your palate, leaving a longing for one more sip! I'm in love! — 7 years ago

with Tiffany and Christopher G.