The Happy Medium

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2006

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2006 pours a deep straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of slightly bruised apple, white flowers, lemon curd, brioche, slivered almond and a mix of chalk and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and creamy. I wish I could drink this all night long. Alas, only a single 750mL and not a Methuselah. Drinking well now and will only be taking on more secondary and tertiary character. But if that’s your thing (and I can get down), this will deliver well past 2036. — 4 months ago

Tom, Zach and 15 others liked this
Ely Cohn

Ely Cohn Premium Badge

@Jay Kline I’ve been saving this same bottle same vintage. Great review!
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Thanks @Ely Cohn If your bottle is anything like this one, I think you’ll be in for a treat!

G.D. Vajra

Albe Barolo Nebbiolo 2021

Really liked this but dont agree with reviews that it was heavy. In fact I found it medium bodied. A little high alcohol. Nice bite. — 5 months ago

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1990

Medium ruby garnet, quite thin garnet terracotta rim . Quite rich , with ripe red fruits , some tobacco , warm spiciness , cigar box , ripe cassis , sous bois , after a while touch of coffee. On the palate this also shows good roundness with ripe red and dark fruits, cassis , red plum , grafite , touch of earthiness . Balanced acidity and rounded sweet tannin . Quite juicy with a grafite edged finish . Pretty good length. This is at peak now . For now and over the next 5 -8 years. Quite generous and showy , ripe but balanced, a good showing. — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister, Ira and 22 others liked this

Ruinart

Brut Rosé Champagne

Quite light salmon pink , fine constant bubbles . Quite floral , rose , hibiscus , light strawberry , red currant and raspberry . On the palate this is balanced and elegant , strawberry , red currant , quite rounded with a touch of toasty brioche on the finish . Good slightly grippy acidity , medium length finish . Drink now and over the next couple of years. — 8 months ago

Tom, Dave and 4 others liked this

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Chardonnay Blend 2010

Happy New Year from Felix! — 2 years ago

Jody, Paul and 3 others liked this

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

Yellow Label Brut Champagne Blend

Ming L
9.0

It’s fun to have a Jeroboam to celebrate a very special occasion!Wine tastes better on happy days. — 5 years ago

Severn, Bob and 2 others liked this

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2011

Really nice, and showing quite well with 7 years of age. Medium color, extremely well balanced. Dark earth, black olive, savory notes for sure. Long finish with great acid. Excellent food wine. — 8 years ago

Ira, Jason and 15 others liked this
Jason Gelman

Jason Gelman

fan of olga.

Boundary Breaks Vineyard

Ovid Line North Medium Dry Riesling 2014

Great value, some of the more expressive fruit notes that I've had out of a Finger Lakes Riesling — 9 years ago

Severn liked this

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2007

Absolutely amazing. Lots of good brett. Balanced and delicious. Great dark fruit aromas and flavors. So smooth. Medium high tannins and acidity. Perfect silky texture. A little funk on the nose and palate (positive). Aroma and flavors are out of this world. Leather bag full of cherries and raspberries. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carmenere. Complex. Delicious 13.5% abv — 10 years ago

Margerum

Sybarite Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Perfect for an afternoon at the beach. Crisp, dry with a hint of peach. — 11 years ago

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

2014 vintage. Excellent cork and fill. Decanted with minimal sed and tasted after 1.5 hours. One of the few outlier exceptions (Haut-Bages-Libéral, Pichon-Lalande, et al) that proves the general, big and bold, Pauillac rule. Delicate impressions from start to finish with impeccable balance. Medium body. Plenty of flavors and sensations without big, overt commitments to any of them. Playing the field and we are all the better for it. Drinking beautifully now without any perceived or obvious Scylla/Charybdis pitfalls in the next decade. 01.16.26. — 4 months ago

Ruud, Jan and 20 others liked this

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 2015

Happy New Year!

94 points
— 5 months ago

Andrew, Bob and 13 others liked this
Ron R

Ron R Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Right back at ya 🎈

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

2 hour decant. A marvelous medium garnet color (decent fine sediment). On the nose: dark berries, cassis, forest floor, sandalwood, pencil shavings, chocolate, and cigar box. Taste: layered, balanced, still young wine with dark cherry/plum, cedar, dark chocolate, charcoal, and a lingering tobacco/leather finish. YUM! No hurry, a long distance Las Cases. — 6 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Andrew, Iwan and 18 others liked this

Penfolds

Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2022

Dark ruby color. Called the “Baby Grange” for a reason. Wonderful nose with aromas of dark fruit and spice. Dry and bold with medium+ tannins. Flavors of black fruit, mocha, toasty notes, and oak. Balanced acid with a wonderful finish. Great wine for the price. — 7 months ago

Flowers Vineyard & Winery

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2023

Medium ruby color with a lighter rim. Aromas of red berries, violets, wet gravel and pine resin. The pallet is full of red cherry and blueberry fruit with additional notes of baking spices, black tea and dried herbs. Crisp acidity, plush and medium bodied. A bit of grippy tannin. Always very consistent. — 8 months ago

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend

Somewhat disappointing for a great producer in a great year. Medium body medium color, dark fruit hint of tobacco.
Hopefully a few more years will improve this wine.
— 4 years ago

Michael liked this
Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips

the Beaucastel was the 2007

Daou Vineyards

Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Medium garnet with medium plus tears. Pleasantly sweet and semi floral in the nose with strawberry, rose, and cherry. On the palate, strawberry, cherry, cranberry. Mellow tannins and medium acid with long, smooth finish. Beautiful. — 7 years ago

Heitz Cellar

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

A very smooth cab. Cherry flavors with moderate tannins and a medium finish. This was good to drink immediately upon opening so no waiting! Will definitely look for this again. — 8 years ago

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Wasn't happy with this last night, but this second bottle is definitely more Caymus-like. Glad I gave the vintage a second chance. — 9 years ago

Ryan, Mike and 10 others liked this

Star Lane Vineyard

Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Opened an old one for Mother's Day. It decanted for an hour and it was amazing! — 10 years ago

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+.
— 5 months ago

Pooneet, Jason and 23 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2014

Deep, elegant Super Tuscan now firmly in its tertiary phase. Nose leans more to leather, tobacco, dried herbs and balsamic notes, with the red cherry and plum fruit clearly in the background. Medium‑plus body and acidity, fine chalky tannins; savoury flavours of dried red fruit, cedar and spice carry through on a long, resolved finish. Showing peak complexity today and unlikely to improve further with cellaring, so firmly in the drink‑now camp. — 5 months ago

Serge liked this

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Deep ruby color. Red fruit, black currant, and cedar on the nose. Dry and bold. Flavors of blackberrt, chocolate, oak, and coffee. Medium+ tannins and acid with a great finish. Number 2 in top 100 in Wine Spectator. — 7 months ago

Bob, Ron and 2 others liked this

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Deep ruby; medium plus aromas of new leather, coconut, cocoa nibs, ripe red and black plums; high alcohol, high tannins — 8 months ago

Juan, Dave and 1 other liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Pours a deep cherry with a tawny rim. Nose of an old cedar chest of drawers, blueberry, blackcurrant and earth - very polished. Those notes from the nose translate onto the medium + bodied palate - reflecting the excellent vintage. It’s easy to get swept up with Grand Cru Burgundy but don’t forget about aged classed growth Bordeaux of quality like this - just superb. Went well with Roast Beef for Sunday Lunch. — 8 months ago

Tom, Austin and 26 others liked this

Liquid Farm

Vogelzang Vineyard Mourvedre Rosé 2019

Still our fave — 5 years ago

Eric, Shay and 25 others liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1998

4h decanting
Dark ruby color, creamy
Dark berries, leather, tobacco at nose. Earthy notes
Medium long at palate, good acidity, full body
— 7 years ago

Agnese liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2003

Black olive on the nose, cooked plum, cassis, light tobacco leather. Medium tannin. — 8 years ago

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1983

JKT
9.5

What a nose! Fruit but strongly tinged with spice and hints of cigar? Medium body with fruit and acid but latter lingers into finish which RC says should note be for Napa cab and sign of post prime by 5+ years. But still great to drink. Next day under agon the nose lost that spicy note but the palette holding very nicely. More rounded today. — 10 years ago

La Rioja Alta

Reserva Viña Ardanza Rioja Tempranillo Garnacha 2004

Plum, black cherries, roasted figs, saddle leather, tobacco, pink peppercorns, iron, vanilla bean, baking spices. Perfect acid/smooth velvet tannin balance, medium bodied, elegant silky texture, long complex peppery/smoky/earthy finish. No brainer elegance. — 10 years ago

Anthony, Michael and 2 others liked this