Power As

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This was a gift from a close friend who worked for Silver Oak as a garden manager until they eliminated that part of their business. Beautiful color in the glass. Ruby with a hint of rust on the edge. Aroma is complex with berries and flint. Also just a hint of pine needles. Christmas trees. Flavors are full and fine. This is BIG BOY wine. Delicious. — 6 months ago

Douglas, Tegan and 10 others liked this

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Dark purple nectar as I poured into my wine decanter. The wine did not disappoint. Drank wine over 4 hours over a Christmas Eve dinner. . — 7 months ago

Michael Wong
with Michael

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2016

Had the 2016 after I had the 2015. 2015 was exceptional. 2016 much darker red fruits. Loved it as it was opening uo more. Delish — 7 months ago

Paul and Dave liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2003

Served alongside beef short rib, xo sauce, pickled mustard seed, cumin stir-fried asparagus. Yes, the 2003 Dominus is big. However, it is also balanced and showing classic Napa typicity with beautifully ripe and some slightly wizened black and red fruit, tobacco, cocoa, some purple flowers and baking spices. I found this to be quite balanced after all the air it saw. Wonderful structure for continued aging as well. Drink now through 2043. — 2 years ago

Ira, Jan and 18 others liked this

Krug

Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

Fabulous. Paired with lobster. Fresh and refreshing. Right up there with Cristal and Pol Roger Winston Churchill as my favorite champagne. — 3 years ago

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2006

Beautiful vintage Krug, but clearly still very young (which is slightly nuts). Bubbles are quite fine but still very present. Yeasty and mouth filling - there is real power here. Deep and intense on the palate, long finish, great acid. Very fun to try - but would love to try in 5-10 years. — 5 years ago

Severn, Michael and 8 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

A big bold plumy purple bomb As dense and luscious as a wine can get in a glass. Decanted for 2 hrs and its still a baby with blackberry, dark chocolate licorice and pepper on the nose and on the palate. A long long finish and loads of tannins to sum it all up — 7 years ago

Bruce F Taub
with Bruce

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

When I started to get into wine, I loved Silver Oak. Haven't bought it for years but I still have some older bottles remaining in my cellar. They haven't impressed me for years now....but I'll pull one from my stash every now and then, and sadly nowhere as good as what I thought 15+ yrs ago when I started getting into wine. — 9 years ago

Shay, David and 8 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Agree. Susan...it happens a lot. You start drinking and buying SO. Then, you get further and deeper into wine realizing it's just not as good as we first perceived.
Matt Duncan

Matt Duncan Influencer Badge

Give recent vintages time! Palates can change but remember the evolution of a wine is never static or linear. And that is half the fun!

Château Léoville-Las Cases

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

Very powerful, extracted. Will still improve, as it took over an hour to open up. Good with food, but I clearly see why I drink less and less Bordeaux. — 10 years ago

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Informal gathering to drink some Bordeaux varietal bottles with steak.

1986 Cheval Blanc: This one showed suspect ullage, to the point where it had been hard to flip it. And in the end, it did turn out to be a controversial wine--was the orgasm 40 days, or was it 36 days? Hard to say... An extraordinary wine, classic in its own way, with fragrant dark flower and black cassis aromas wafting from the glass, and maybe more importantly for us, exploding in the mouth. Some of the more ordinary adjectives, like "smooth" and "balanced", are accurate enough, but obviously don't do this one justice. One could do a fluid dynamical description of the time evolution of this wine in the mouth, a broad attack that gave way in about 3 seconds to a sensation of acceleration and flaring across the entire breadth of the palate as the wine detonated, an oenological version of a jet... And then a persistent finish where the inner mouth perfume resonates as it fades slowly (or simply moved off to some parallel universe).
— 11 years ago

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

Somm David T
9.4

I haven’t had a Bordeaux in a while. Especially, with a Ribcap. So, why not an 82? The vintage Robert Parker made his career as the only critic who called it correctly.

Very good 80’s Bordeaux were my first true wine love. Their style & 12-13% ABV will always be my cherished infatuation. Wished it had never changed.

Bought this Calon Segur on the secondary market several yrs ago. Tricky cork. Used my Durand. All good. Fill line perfect, no bottle neck tannin burn but plenty of velvety sediment.

If any of you ever wondered why there is a heart on the label. Here is the interesting reason…

It symbolizes the estate's deep-rooted history and the affection of its former owner, the Marquis de Ségur. Despite owning prestigious estates like Château Lafite and Château Latour, he famously declared, "I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon." His sentiment is immortalized by the heart emblem on the label.

Opened it and let it breathe from the bottle for 45 minutes. Tasted it and decanting it in stages. Then, stopped 1/2 way through and poured the bottom half of the bottle from the bottle.

82 is such a grand, classic vintage. For the most part, I drink Calon Segur’s too early, even at 20 yrs of age. I don’t want to say it is a long in tooth as its neighbor, Montrose, but it is close. This 82 is drinking perfectly w/ 41 yrs in bottle and will hold another 5 yrs. Such soft, perfectly darkish spices with elegantly ripe fruits.

This 82 glides over the palate. There is only beautiful elegance, nothing bites back. The fruits are older (not old or past their prime), ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums but lean plum vs black, dark cherries, crazy, outstanding, hoovering raspberries with notes of blueberries & shades of freshly picked rhubarb. Some black cherry cola, anise to understated black licorice, dark chocolate pudding, caramel, layered, gentle baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, touch of sun tea, old leather, dryish to fresh tobacco w/ash, charcoal, elegant graphite, dry limestone powder, dry river pebbles, black, rich earth w/ dry leaves, magical, dark spices, grey volcanics, dry stems, just a hint of dry herbs, dry top soil, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, red roses, grand acidity with perfect; balance, tension, structure and a grand, gentle finish that goes on & on and eventually lands on an amazing soft buffet of earthiness.

This is a wine that is technically a 94, but w/ evolution & style a 97. Amazing bottle that you don’t want to end.

$500 a bottle today through the app. Somewhere around $10 upon release.
— 6 months ago

Somm, Jay and 22 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Jay Kline Grand love for 82 & the Left Bank. Cheers! 🍷
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Peter van den Besselaar Thank you. Happy to bring it. Cheers! 🍷

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 2014

There is a vibrancy you noticed right away with a fine bead of bubbles. It is quite youthful and a few years of aging will help the wine meld together a bit better. Drink it now if you need to as it won’t disappoint. — 10 months ago

Scott@Mister, Andrew and 6 others liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2023

So elegant Montrose. It builds up an epic journey in the aftertaste. Rich and opulent as usual but with a fine touch of incredible level.
Softer extraction resulted on a fruitier, more sapid and rounder wine than usual. It feels it’s going to be approachable in its youth.
— 2 years ago

Peter liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Sold Caymus as a wholesaler in the late 90’s finishing up a grad degree at UofWisconsin-Madison. Invested in a case of the stellar 94 vintage. Still on its game. — 5 years ago

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

It’s not bad, but if compare this to Stags Leap, Stags Leap definitely beat this as the same vintage. — 5 years ago

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano

Top year 904 @ £75 that was drank in Zalto burg glass as its like an aged burgundy

🐽 Paired w/ Iberian Ham 😍

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick

👃 Smoked burnt oak, soggy earthy leaves, leather, dark cherry & figs w/ balsamic & damson

👄 Med body of creamy stewed cherry w/ earthy balsamic & slight mocha

🎯 Med finish of above w/ earthy balsamic linger

Reaching peak but I preferred the 95 904 over this but the 890 94 was better than the 95!
— 9 years ago

Chris, Ellen and 15 others liked this
P A

P A

@Chris England Chris the total package sounds great Cheers 🍷
Chris England

Chris England

@Phil A especially as we brought them both back from Barcelona 🎉🍷

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 1995

A unique opportunity to drink this 1995 dom vintage! It was very unique. Light bubbles, almond aromas. Light gold color, not as powerful as expected. It was time to drink eat... — 10 years ago

Heitz Cellar

Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Neck fill and good cork. Immediate nose of cedar, anise, of course eucalyptus and even some hibiscus. It's deep in the glass and core was still tight, even bit tannic and firm acids. This vintage is drinking better now than the legendary 74's as some of that bigger vintage is falling apart. A real beauty! — 11 years ago

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2002

2002 vintage which has been a maligned Rioja vintage. This is the perfect example of producer being the trump card. Excellent as always! — 11 years ago

Marc, Anya and 41 others liked this
Kuan Lim

Kuan Lim Influencer Badge

I have some 1981 Tondonia and Bosconia grand reserva that we need to compare side by side ...
Let me known when you are conning ??
Anthony Lombardi

Anthony Lombardi

I actually brought 1981's to a dinner at the Corson Building here in Seattle a few years ago. The Bosconia was the winner by the slightest margin. Actually everybody won who drank them.
Tom Kobylarz

Tom Kobylarz Influencer Badge

Great way to say vintages mean less when you have a great producer!

Domaine François Raveneau

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay

Terrior driven. Acid and fruit with power and finesse. — 6 months ago

Quinn liked this

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Presented to me, double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears, and some signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of ripe and desiccated, mostly dark fruits: cassis, black cherry, plum, mixed brambles, old leather, pipe tobacco, pencil shavings, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (that is mostly integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend, Tempranillo (or based blend) or Grenache-based blend from France, Spain or the United States. I feel like this leans more towards its fruit than its structure, even though it is a fairly well balanced wine in both regards. As a result, I am calling this a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend from the United States, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain from a producer like Dunn, 2006. Shiiiiiit. To be honest, I’m not terribly surprised since this is Cos and from a warm vintage no less. Drinking well now and should through 2050+.
— 6 months ago

Pooneet, Jason and 23 others liked this

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

Slightly lighter garnet core , lighter terracotta rim . Quite muted on the nose , quite herbal and spiced notes, some red plum and floral sous bois , black tea . After a while this opens up slightly , showing a bit more detail , but never jumps out and grabs your attention as other bottles have. On the palate this is better , with the roundness and slightly sweet , red plum , summer fruits , sous bois and lightly herbal , grafite tinged , saline finish of reasonable length . Quite refreshing acidity and suave tannins . On this basis drink now and over the next few years. However , there are better bottles out there . This was disappointing compared with other bottles I’ve had , though the palate was more sound and it wasn’t flawed. A bit of a perplexing bottle. — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister, Ira and 21 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

I bought a case of this wine on original release, and still have 5-6 left. Last one I opened, with ‘82 Pichon-Lalande and ‘82 Gruaud-Larose, it was CLEAR WOTN, it blew me away, nearly perfect. Of course, as my brother always tells me, there are great wines, but great bottles are never guaranteed!! Cheers!
Andrew Cullimore

Andrew Cullimore

Great anecdote @Doug Powers and very true. That event of yours must have been a fantastic experience! I have had this Palmer 83 a few times and it normally is a fantastic experience, seductive , aromatic … yesterday , was below par … from a beautiful looking case from an excellent UK cellar … but there you go! Nothing is guaranteed. Hopefully the next bottle will be back to par !

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2001

#AgedWineTuesday

Here is a fabulous 99 point wine by Robert Parker.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Great nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, figs, cedar, chocolates, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley.

Showing nice balance and a great mouthfeel. Round and rich. Elegant and smooth.

This 22 year old still has a lot of power in it, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

So soft and powerful, with a great nose. This is a gorgeous wine right now.

A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$250.
— 3 years ago

Steven, Shay and 19 others liked this
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

@Dawn E. very much so 🍷

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah

Nick H
9.5

Excellent Northern Rhône tasting through J.L. Chave’s 1989, 1990, 1999, 2004, 2009 Hermitage, as well as the 2014 St. Joseph. ‘90 and ‘09 were my noted favorites. — 7 years ago

Eric L.Andrew S
with Eric and Andrew
Eric, David and 23 others liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

Vintage 1986. not good as LLC from same application — 10 years ago

Serge liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo

Highly structured as they say. Nose very pleasant. Tastes like raspberry bush root salad. — 10 years ago

Curtis and Anthony liked this

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)

La Tâche Pinot Noir 2007

Such power, such width (girth?) but still tension and balance. A beauty even if still a baby. Needs an hour at least right now. — 11 years ago

Marc, Kyle and 8 others liked this

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2012

Paul Einbund
9.0

Tight and young but perfect as evah — 12 years ago

John and Scott liked this

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2007

Classic Musar complexity on the nose. Not as tannic as the 2005 and a bit more approachable than the last vintage. Lots of black fruits. Still lots of ageing potential. — 12 years ago

Gavin, Natan and 1 other liked this