The Last Shepherd

Casanova di Neri

Tenuta Nuova Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2017

It was very acidity and a bit bland at first. Maybe it needed more time, but decanted for 3ish hours and it tasted a lot like mushrooms, balsamic, black currant and a touch of underbrush with forest floor- with a touch of oak and spice. It was tannic but there was a lack of something in the mid palate and fruit. As I drank the last glass after 5 hours of decanting, it started to open up beautifully. All the aforementioned characteristics but with a strong mid palate filled with dark fruit. Delicious. Not as good as other vintages but this is worth drinking but give it some time to decante. Maybe 4+ hours. — 5 months ago

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1984

The final wine at the First Growth Bordeaux Lunch at the Downs Club last Saturday…. and what a great way to finish a wonderful lineup. I recall Apricot and Pear on a palate of profound intensity which delivers on the powerful nose. An obviously sweet palate with enough racy acid to keep things interesting and fresh. Will last until the late 2030s at least. Terrific! — 7 months ago

Serge, Ceccherini and 23 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

Medium deep ruby , quite thin garnet rim . Quite a lot of cassis, herbal grafite notes , touch of blackberry , scorched earth , a bit for floral after a while in the glass. On the palate this shows more sweet dark fruit, touch of spicy oak, blackcurrant , dark cherry and cacau . Balanced acidity and sweet slightly grippy tannins , just balanced alcohol . Spicy sweet blackcurrant, grafite tinged finish , decent length. This is still young and quite fruit driven but is enjoyable now with food . Better in 5 years or so and will last well a further 8-10. — 9 months ago

Somm, Rob and 11 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

This is not a knock on anyone or this producer. For 10 years a friend of mine was the Assistant Winemaker at Opus. He is now back in Bordeaux, rebuilt & raised the quality of Clerc Milon. Now is in charge of all Rothschild properties. This is just me thinking out loud. I have been to this property many times and bought a glass of their Cabernet to take to their top deck and take in a spectacular view of the Napa Valley. Enjoyed many of their vintages in those very nice moments. However, knowing the quality of 2012 vintage and their price point, I and I think most expect & want more than a 92 point wine. Which begs the question, how long can they push bottle price with this level of quality? At what point does the quality price ratio kick in? To a bigger picture, how sustainable is the high quality respected producer wine economic model going forward? To me, a fascinating question going forward.
Andrew Cullimore

Andrew Cullimore

Yes @Somm David T , this was actually served blind , the only wine at lunch ..and we had plenty of time to get to know it before the big reveal . I was trying to evaluate the quality in the glass without the distraction of the label, which is always an illuminating experience . It’s a good wine, and went very will with our steaks but it certainly doesn’t represent good value nor is it a stellar example of 2012 . I would be perfectly happy to have it again mind you , as long as I wasn’t paying .

Beringer Vineyards

Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Might have opened this 2-3 years too early. Opened it on the advice of a former distributor of this wine and the fact that it was poorly stored before I came across it. Drank over three days. Still a fantastic reminder of how great and complex a Napa Cab can be. This is also the last of my Krannert wines if that means anything to anyone. @Jacob Emberton, CSW — 8 years ago

Jonathan Salky

Jonathan Salky

Simply not possible for a bottle of wine to be opened and not finished in my house for 3 days.
Jacob Emberton, CSW

Jacob Emberton, CSW

Nice! I completely forgot about those wines. Glad you finally got to enjoy it.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah 1980

1980. Last one. Fucking fabulous. What else is there to say. — 9 years ago

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 1995

Thank You to my Ex-husband for this like...19yrs of Dom @ all special occasions from our first date to last year together 😊 — 10 years ago

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Greg Ballington
8.9

Color: clear, purplish red
Nose: has cherries but that's all
Palate: strong tannins full bodied,
Opinion: needs more air, a lot better than last coravin
— 10 years ago

Sean Ballington
with Sean
David liked this
David L

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I live in Great Falls, VA

Château Prieuré-Lichine

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

1983 vintage. Wasn't sure what to expect and was thoroughly surprised and taken with how well this was drinking. Aromas of mushroom and graphite. Plenty of fruit still here with good tannic grip. Held up in the glass to the last drop! — 11 years ago

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2007

Thanks Brad great last wine! — 13 years ago

Bradley P. Friedman
with Bradley
Bradley P. Friedman

Bradley P. Friedman

This wine was singing! What a special occasion this was @ Mountford Estate!
9.4

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 — 6 months ago

Jay, Scott@Mister and 20 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

This was actually the first wine we had at the Bordeaux first growth lunch last Saturday (which wasn’t a First Growth). No notes taken but it did show the quality of the 1982 vintage particularly from Paulliac, and was still going strong. — 7 months ago

Serge, Ceccherini and 23 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

Decanted for 30 minutes. On the nose: cedar, sandstone, currents, hint of leather.
On the palate: dissipating tannin, softening cedar, emerging black cherry fruit and soft sandstone.
This is a big, beautiful Bordeaux at its peak with all the softness in the last sip that comes with age.
Drink it now.
— 9 months ago

Douglas, Andrew and 12 others liked this

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 2013

Delectable Wine
9.8

The 2013 Comtes de Champagne is a towering Champagne, as it was last year. Rich, sumptuous and explosive, the 2013 soars out of the glass with a captivating mix of tropical fruit, apricot, passion fruit, baked apple tart, mint and yellow flowers. It is one of the most explosive, extroverted Comtes I have ever tasted. Impressive. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2024)
— 2 years ago

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2009

Love a good halfie! Revised up from a 9.0. Showing so much more earthiness and class than the last flamboyant Janasse or Julienne I had. — 5 years ago

Eric, Paul and 12 others liked this

Araujo Estate

Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

My last bottle of 2007! Met Bart & Daphne at a wine dinner years ago, and have always loved their wines. Looking forward to their new offerings from Accendo. — 8 years ago

Shay, Eric and 18 others liked this
David L

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Nice pull.
Jaime Araujo

Jaime Araujo

Come visit us at Wheeler Farms and we’d be happy to show you the new wines 😊🍷

Domaine Tempier

Bandol Rosé Blend 2015

Undeniable symbiosis between richness and vibrancy. Still has a bit of effervescence, but more open than the last couple vintages at this stage in its life. Stone fruit and saline/mineral on the nose, middle weighted on the palate and a pleasant bitter note on the finish. Maybe not the best rose I've ever had, but the overall balance is rarely matched in a rose wine. — 9 years ago

Alex, Tyler and 19 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Just hitting its stride. Much more well integrated than I last tasted two years ago. — 10 years ago

Mike Flynn
with Mike

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I was disappointed with my last Caymus Special Selection vintage, but this beauty brought me back to a bottle that won Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year ... Twice!! Incredible fruit and balance. This can be cellared and enjoyed for years to come. Cheers!! — 11 years ago

Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Awesome cab. Still very young. Cassis lots of fruit. Could last 10 more years. — 11 years ago

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Chardonnay Blend

Cathy Corison
9.3

Our wedding wine, fast-forwarded 20 years. My third-place wine last night. Lovely creamy mousse. — 13 years ago

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

From magnum. Medium deep ruby , thin ruby rim . Deep and perfumed , floral with violets , iris , summer fruits , spicy notes and warm embers . Quite rich and ripely fruited , cassis , blackberry , sweet cherry . Good freshness and ripe , very fine tannins . Long and detailed , so elegant on the palate . Balanced Red currant , cassis tinged finish , mineral and saline hints . Come back in 5-10 years will show well over the next 10-15 years . This shows pretty similar to last year , a really elegant and refined edition of this wine. — 6 months ago

Jay, Scott@Mister and 20 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1998

Last bottle. Time to drink is now, don’t think this will improve from here. Needed a bit of air to come together, but overall remained somewhat muted. — 7 months ago

Ira liked this

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Ron R
8.9

I can’t remember the last time I tasted this brand, and while it’s very approachable, it’s a total construction site. Vanilla and over-sweet brown sugar with resolved tannins. Not my cup-of-tea, but will be enjoyed by others. — 8 months ago

Andrew MooreRick K
with Andrew and Rick
Tom, Jay and 22 others liked this
Jay Kline

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🇺🇸 🪵 💣
Ron R

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@Jay Kline, I have older vintages of Napa and Alexander Valley, and they are nothing like what I tasted here. Just so you know, the 94 Silver Oak Napa cab was the wine that actually helped to create my current, measly credit score… Silver Oak has certainly sh!t the bed (in my opinion) since the late 90’s.
Jay Kline

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@Ron R I agree. I’ve had some vintages from the early 80’s that were really good but man…the oak has been overbearing for probably 20 years

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2007

Jan A
9.2

Like the sour mouth watering effect of the wine on the palate. Already my last bottle of the case but this still has years of runway ahead. — 2 years ago

Dick, Ira and 11 others liked this

Krug

Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

Purchased on release around 2003 and from the cork code of M251, it appears to have been disgorged September/October 2002. A little nutty and lemony, but with piercing and intense minerality, still fairly young. I've had the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Krugs in the last month or so and this was comparable in quality to the 1996 and drinking better than the 2000 and 2004. A spectacular Champagne and proof of the ageworthiness of the Grande Cuvée, I've had it at least 15 years and have no doubt it will continue to excel for at least another 15.
An added bonus is that it has the beautiful old gold label, which I much prefer to the current iteration, so it looks as good as it tastes.
— 7 years ago

Kevin WoodsStan W
with Kevin and Stan
Shay, Giancarlo and 5 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

Another delicious wine from last week's dinner — 9 years ago

Tracy liked this

Storyteller

About Last Night Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Mild tropical flavors, fresh and crisp, it's fantastic! — 10 years ago

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2007

It's 18 months since I last tasted this, and it's developing very nicely. Dried strawberries, figs, prunes, and raisins, with fresh blackcurrants and blackberries. Very nice all-spice flavours too. Perfect with chicken and paprika. — 10 years ago

Katie Canfield
with Katie
Katie liked this

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2013

2013 is slightly richer than last vintage, showing stones, gorgeous floral notes, and (when chilled) silken toffee. — 11 years ago

Errol, Colene and 13 others liked this