The Last Stand

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 1990

Lovely, sweet mature fruit (dried redfruits), there might be a touch of Brett (but less than the 1995 Beaucastel I posted last week), suave and complex on the palate, lingering finish, excellent Chateauneuf-du-Pape at its peak!! — 6 months ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Dave, Brian and 11 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Usually awesome, but a 1990? Wow!
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Dave, I got lucky and caught this at its peak, more cellaring would have been a mistake!
Dave

Dave

That's a great feeling. Congrats! 💪

Tooth & Nail Wines

The Stand Petite Sirah-Syrah 2022

v22. Very good! Rich, saline and black cherry nose. Deep rich, medley of soft tar and black fruits. Smooth, long, astringent, mocha and earthy finish. Nicely balanced. — 8 months ago

Dave liked this

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend

Magnum, last part of the decanted bottelen — 9 months ago

Roman and Jan liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2018

2018 vintage. Last tasted 04.08.23 (9.5), 12.01.22 from a 375ml (9.5) and upon release 06.07.21 (9.5). Decanted and tasted after 45 minutes. Mysterious, dark-fruited and dusty nose. Medium body with excellent darkness of night color. Previous baby-fat overtures approximately 90% gonzo. Slimming down and getting more toned. In a state of transition with undeniable tension that can easily be misconstrued as underperforming. Last wine I tasted that was under this sort of metamorphosis at this level was the 1996 Pichon-Lalande about 1.5 years ago. Such a privilege to experience world-class wines in such a vulnerable moment. Everything is laid out bare/naked before you and you can see where the wine is headed and whether it will be following a trajectory that agrees with you. Definitely unusual to find this occurring in a wine this youthful but the 21st Century is smashing the old 20th Century clay tablets and digitizing. For most wine enthusiasts sampling this wine now, expecting some disappointment in the scoring. For myself, this is currently in the perfect symmetry of past, present and future. Will it show critically better in the future according to the accepted trials, palates, judges and juries? Probably. Will they experience the potential, doubts, insecurities and questions? Doubtful. This kid stays in this exact picture for another 2-4 years imho before striking another pose and I would love to taste this again during that time frame. An above and beyond thank you to FLB (Friday Lunch Bunch) regular Todd. 08.15.25. — 9 months ago

Dave, Ruud and 19 others liked this

Casanova di Neri

Tenuta Nuova Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 1997

Pop and pour last night. Notes from 24 hrs open, and in the fridge overnght. On the nose: wild strawberry, tar, barbecue. On the palate: lovely acidity, but inky and tarry..strawberry balsamico, more tar and still very dense, but finely grained tannin on the finish. Still very much a baby, or needs a pairing to match the tannic structure. — 5 years ago

James GPeter C
with James and Peter
Keith, Andrew and 11 others liked this
Peter C

Peter C

Tight as nails even at this age.
9.0

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Chardonnay Blend

Somm David T
9.3

Just like the African Bush, don’t come to the Egyptian Desert without it.

Celebrating the ending of a great trip on the eve of our last day at The Old Cataract on the Nile River with one of our very favorite N/V Rosé Champange’s.

Photos of; the pano view of the Nile River from our terrace, Sofia holding our other 375ml bottle BSR we brought from the US, the lobby of the Old Cataract and the grounds of the Old Cataract Hotel.

9.3 on the Billecart-Salmon Rosé and a 9.9 on our trip!
— 7 years ago

Susan, Sofia and 34 others liked this
Sharon B

Sharon B Influencer Badge

Thanks for sharing your vacation with us!!
Brandon T

Brandon T

Looks like one helluva trip, @David T!
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Brandon Thurber it was and bucket list trip for both us. The top of Sofía,’s. Cheers! 🥂 @Sharon B It was a pleasure and glad you enjoyed! Cheers! 🥂

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.

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. — 11 years ago

Katie Canfield
with Katie
Katie liked this

Domaine Tempier

Bandol Rosé Blend 2012

Less steely than last year's. Still delicious, particularly as it warmed. — 13 years ago

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

One of the last years Caymus made good wine — 7 months ago

Mairead Hickey
with Mairead

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1997

Thought we’d had our last bottle 4 years ago but then found this one. Probably better then, but still very nice. Definitely quite secondary, but the core of fruit and acid carries through. Wonderful pairing with dry aged strip steaks and wild mushroom risotto for our 10 year anniversary. — 8 months ago

Zach, Tom and 5 others liked this
Seth Masterson

Seth Masterson

One of our local stars.
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

❤️👍🏼
Jason Gelman

Jason Gelman

happy 10 and lucky find!

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Deep ruby , garnet , with thin garnet rim . Quite deep and ripe cassis , violet , blackberry , meaty grafite , sea spray , rich but well balanced . Quite well defined on the palate , blackberry , cassis , grafite . Balanced quite fresh acidity , fine but noticable tannins . Quite good grafite , saline tinged finish . Quite classic in style , with freshness from the cool fruit character and mineral focus , but polished with enough stuffing to age further , and probably improve over the next 5 -10 years and last well a further 10 . — 9 months ago

Dave, Jan and 9 others liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1990

1990 vintage. Previously tasted 3x in the last 4+ years 01.20.23 (9.6), 05.16.21 (9.4) and 09.21.23 (9.5) Top shoulder fill. Excellent cork. Decanted and tasted immediately. Oodles of sediment as expected. Beguiling St. Estèphe nose. This. Was. Phenomenal. Best of the four horsemen/tastings. Enough structure to build the infrastructure for a new city along with a surprising amount of dark fruit. A well-stored, large format bottle of this might just show you the best time you’ve ever had. WoW. 08.14.25. — 9 months ago

Daniel, Ted and 23 others liked this
Jan A

Jan A

Nice!
Alexandre Pagliano

Alexandre Pagliano Premium Badge

Its indeed wow. Have you tried the 1989 ? Slightly less dramatic and more classical in style but can be as big an epiphany…

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

Beautiful, beautiful wine. The last 96 we had was maybe a smidge more together but it’s marginal. Quite dark in the glass. Deep restrained red fruit on the nose. Tannins are slightly dusty but overall very seamless. Excellent refreshing acid. Perfect with a dry aged strip steak. — 6 years ago

Jason, Severn and 5 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1990

This was the last bottle from a case I bought in about 1997. Over the 29 years since the wine was made, the noteworthy tar and tobacco notes that Pontet Canet is known for softened to an ashy-ness that is a softer version of a Mouton Rothschild. Still plenty of life left in this outstanding vintage, but the wine won't improve much (if at all) from this point. I enjoyed this bottle with Lucas Comfort, a day after his 29th birthday (1990). — 7 years ago

John and Anthony liked this

SLO Down Wines

Stand Out Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Outstanding cab/merlot blend. Sister of sexual chocolate. Excellent price point. Around $20. — 8 years ago

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1996

Showing terrific now. Better than last bottle opened 2 years ago. Honeyed richness, good length. Shows class joy would expect from the house. — 10 years ago

Erin RyanNed Gray Creed
with Erin and Ned
Eric, Ira and 2 others liked this
Ned Gray Creed

Ned Gray Creed Premium Badge

I don't get much Yquem in my life. Had some older bottles but this was right in the pocket for my happiness.
9.5

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. — 12 years ago

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2020


Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this .
— 7 months ago

Tom, Tom and 23 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

My first Bordeaux producer love back in the day. Still great.
Andrew Cullimore

Andrew Cullimore Premium Badge

One of mine too @Somm David T , had a few vintages quite recently , all have shown really well

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

2005 vintage. Last tasted 11.23.23 (9.4), 11.15.19 (9.4), 06.01.17 (9.5) Last bottle. Respectable, low neck fill. Used a Durand and excellent cork. Decanted with sticky (to the bottle) sediment and not that much floating loose to navigate. Tasted after 30 minutes. Those inimitable, sexy Cos stylings. Medium/medium heavy (still!?) bod. Richness. Ample fruit. Slight amount of aged George Clinton/Bootsy funk. Highly restrained tannins. Woah. This. Did. Not. Suck. Time to reorder. 9.13.25. — 8 months ago

Jan, Jeroen and 25 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Still have not opened one of mine. Soonish.
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Somm David T Dunno how many you have lying around but if it be multiples, like 3+, I’d crack one for the holidaze or before to assess. If it is not at the top of the bell curve, it’s pretty damned close. Can’t imagine it getting better.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009

Blend of Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, & splash of Merlot; estate-owned vineyards Rutherford, Napa, St. Helena & Stag's Leap District. Just opened, 14 years in the bottle after couple of years in the barrel! Still tasting well, young & juicy, should easily last another decade, but nice now. Deep Ruby, dark fruits, spice, complex nose. Palate reflects juicy rich berry fruits, well structured harmonious wine. Fine soft rich tannins, long finish ending with fruit, tobacco and earthy tones. Wow! — 9 months ago

Andrew, Juan and 4 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2008

Slightly more intense colour , narrower garnet rim. More elegant complex and darker fruits . More intensely fruited but less roasted . Again quite mineral , medicinal even , but elegant and with more fruit extract than the Bosconia . This comes across as more tannic needing more time than the Bosconia . Deeper and fuller on the finish . Better in 5 years will last a further 5-10. Tasted 01/09/2022 — 4 years ago

Byron, Andrew and 9 others liked this

Krug

Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

From the 163rd edition - big dark flavor with very refined bubbles. Very griping champagne. Quite the contrast from last nights Blancs de Blancs — 6 years ago

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1999

Still holding color. Smooth palate. Very slight tannin and spice. Does not taste like 20 year old wine. Probably can last several years more — 7 years ago

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2009

9 y/o non-sulfite bottle stored impeccably. What a difference since my last tasting a few years ago. This is cruising at its peak. Soft tannins. Earthy complexity. Trademark garnet color persists, but red fruit subdued and mature. Proof that Marcel was the king of Beaujolais. — 8 years ago

Elise Weinberg
with Elise
Alan liked this

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

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2011

Fantastic Barbaresco! Lives up to the region and is one of the better bottles I've had from there! Good front, tannins and long finish - will stand up to heartier Piedmont fare! — 10 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