The Long Way Round
Krug
Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend
Tenuta San Guido
Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 1990
Initially way more closed than the 1988. But after a little bit of time blossomed into a beautiful wine. Fruit was still there, but with more herbs and mint. Nice acidity on the palate with a long finish. This still has some upside. — 5 years ago
Grgich Hills Estate
Napa Valley Merlot 2015
This Napa Merlot is always enjoyable by itself or with food.
Showing black fruits with chocolates, earth, wood, vanilla, vegetables, dark coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf, spices and peppercorn.
Full bodied and bold with medium plus acidity and long legs.
Nice fruity finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
Needs an hour to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle.
Needs a few years in the bottle to mature and remove some of bitterness at the ending.
14.7% alcohol by volume.
91 points — 6 years ago
Round Pond Estate
Kith & Kin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Dry, tasteful, long lasting finish, and very smooth. — 6 years ago
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2011
Very young. Needs 3-5 years to round the tannins. High acidity. Fruit is very nice. Lots if bing cherries. Will be very good in a few years or with a long decant. — 6 years ago
Château Cos d'Estournel
Les Pagodes de Cos Saint-Estéphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2005
Is there anything better than Ribeye & Claret? From my perspective, no. This is the second wine from one of more prestigious Chateaus in St. Estephe. Bordeaux rule number 2, buy the hell out of good producers second wines in very good vintages, like 2005. You’ll get great wines at more affordable prices. Providing, you exercise patience; which is rule number 1. Decanted for 3 plus hours. On the nose, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, black plum & cherries pull up the rear. Incense, herbaceous character, anise, scorched dark earth, burnt ambers, anise, baking spices dominated by vanilla, black tea, black cherry cola, loamy dry soils, dry & fresh red florals with violets for days. It’s in a great phase with many years ahead. The body is full and round. The texture has you wanting more. It’s velvety and ripe. Tannins soft and powdery, around 65-70 resolved. The fruits are ripe & ruby...showing the excellence of the 05 vintage. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, black plum & cherries pull up the rear. Incense, herbaceous character, anise, scorched dark earth, dry stones, leather, cigar with ash, burnt ambers, anise, baking spices dominated by vanilla, black tea, black cherry cola, loamy dry soils, dry & fresh red florals with violets for days. The acidity is dead on. The length, structure, length & balance is harmonizing like America on the album, “ Horse with No Name.” The long finish is; ruby, rich, elegant, round, beautiful and lasts a minute plus. Beautiful wine. 9.4 with the steak. 9.2 on its own. Photos of; Chateau Cos d’ Estournel, hosting/tasting area, private wine stock and barrel cellar. Producer notes and history...Chateau Cos d’Estournel has a long history in the appellation of St. Estephe. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, gave his name to the estate after founding it in 1811. It only took a few years before Chateau Cos d’Estournel became famous with wine lovers and royalty all over the world. In the early days, the wines of Cos d’Estournel were not sold through the Negociant system. The owner preferred selling his wine directly to his customers. In fact, Chateau Cos d’Estournel was exported to numerous countries across the globe, with a large portion of the production being sold to India. It was that connection to India that inspired much of the unique, east Indian design we see at Cos d’Estournel today. Chateau Cos d’Estournel was one of the first Chateaus to bottle, label and sell their own wine. This practice continued until the death of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in 1852. After his death, the estate was purchased by an owner that sold their wines on the Place de Bordeaux, using the negociant system. If the Chateau had not been selling their wines through the negociant system, it would never have been included in the 1855 Classification! Chateau Cos d’Estournel was sold to the Charmolue family, the owners of the neighboring Chateau Montrose. They continued to own the estate until 1917, when it was bought by Fernand Ginestet. The purchase was the next major step in the development of Cos d’Estournel. The next era in the development of Chateau Cos d’Estournel took place in 2000, when Chateau Cos d’Estournel was bought by Michel Reybier, who made his fortune in the food industry. Michel Reybier hired the son of Bruno Prats, Jean-Guillaume Prats to manage Cos d’Estournel. Things improved with the efforts of Jean-Guillaume Prats who helped design the most modern wine making facilities in the entire Bordeaux wine making appellation at the time. A complete renovation of Cos d’Estournel took place in the winemaking facilities and cellars. The wine making facilities are completely modern, using 100% gravity. On October 15, 2012, Jean Guillaume Prats announced he was leaving Chateau Cos d’Estournel to join LVMH. Jean Guillaume Prats was replaced by Aymeric de Gironde. Following the departure of Aymeric de Gironde in 2017, the owner, Michel Reybier took over managing the estate. In 2018, the estate released COS100, produced from their oldest Merlot vines that were 100 years of age. It was limited in production to a 100 Jeroboams, (3 litres) and 10 Balthazars (12 litres) and a few other sizes were produced from only 2 barrels of wine. The proceeds from COS100 go to the charity, Elephant Family, that is devoted to protecting and nurturing Asian elephants in their own, natural habitat. Cos d’Estournel’s new cellar is a joint reflection by the technical team, the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Jean Guillaume Prats. It’s a marvel blend of simplicity and modern technology. Cos d’Estournel is unique to Bordeaux and the rest of world. What makes this special is that the cellars of Cos d’Estournel are entirely operated by gravity. There are no pumps of any kind to force the wine. The purpose is to allow a gentleness to the wine and improve its purity allowing for expression of their special terroir. It set a new benchmark for cellars not only in the Left Bank, but in all of Bordeaux. The new cellars at Chateau Cos d’Estournel include 72 isothermal cone shaped stainless steel vats. The vats are specifically designed for thermal inertia. The 72 vats have a wide range of capacities to correspond with the needs of each parcel of vines. The vats range in size from as small as 19 hectoliters all the way up to 115 hectolitres. 12 of the smaller vats that are designed to handle between 19 and 60 hectoliters that have two levels in each vat. In other words, this offers the technical equivalent of 24 separate vats. Each of the vats are double lined, which allows for more exact and temperature control. None of the vats use interior heat coils. Perhaps the most inventive part of the cellars is the four 100 hectoliter lift tanks or wine elevators that replace the pumps used in the traditional pumping over and racking off processes, which introduce air and often destabilize the marc. From the moment the grapes arrive, everything travels by the flow of gravity. Jean Guillaume Prats called this process a pumpless, pump over. What takes place is, the wine is released from the main vat where the skins remain. By gravity, the juice is then moved into smaller vats which are on wheels. These small vats are sent to the glass elevators where they are moved up one floor and returned back into the vat by gravity to cover the skins. At this point, the process is still unique to Chateau Cos d’Estournel. The wine production of Cos d’Estournel is labor intensive starting the moment the grapes enter their new facility. The berries travel through a tunnel that instantly lowers the temperature of the fruit to 3-5 degrees Celsius. This sudden chilling stops the loss of juice while also slowing oxidation. Next, the grapes are cold macerated at 7-9 degrees Celsius for about a week. Pump overs are done by gravity recycling. The juice from the top of the vat moves to the bottom of the vat entirely by gravity. The fermentation takes place at low temperatures to avoid over extraction or harsh tannins. The 91 hectare vineyard of Chateau Cos d’Estournel is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is located close to the border of Pauillac and Saint Estephe at the southern tip of the Saint Estephe appellation. The vineyard has cultivated 84 hectares of vines. Even though the vineyard has been expanded over the years, the grape varietals planted here have remained consistent. The vineyard, located on the hill of Cos, has gentle elevations of up to 20 meters. On average, the vines are 35 years of age. However, the estate has very old Merlot vines as well, which date back more than 100 years. Part of the terroir is situated on the hill of Cos, which is at a high elevation for the Medoc at 20 meters. Cos d’Estournel is translated from old Gascon speech; which means the hill of pebbles. It describes the terroir along with clay, gravel, sand and limestone soil. However, there is a unique aspect to the soil at Cos d’Estournel, as you find more gravel and less clay here than you do at other neighboring vineyards. Because the fruit is grown close to the Atlantic ocean in a cool climate, Cos d’Estournel is often among the last of the properties in the Medoc to harvest. The vineyard is managed by teams and each team member is given 45,000 vines to look after. The vineyard, which is almost one large block, can be further divided into 72 separate parcels. — 7 years ago
Billecart-Salmon
Brut Rosé Champagne Blend
The Seasonal Grand Opening of the D&S Lounge. That’s going to require some BSR to celebrate.
As well, going to detail notes of this with my new Riedel Vintage Sommelier flutes, center picture. I’ve been wanting to write notes on this Champange in the new flutes as I wanted to do it one I am very well acquainted. As @Paul T- Huntington Beach & @Severn Goodwin have pointed out the many times I have posted it.
The nose is definitely more vibrant. Tangerines lead where they haven’t in my previous notes now using the new flutes. More pink rose petals, blood orange, pink grapefruit, leaner; strawberries, watermelon, warmed, creamed raspberries, apricots & cherries, liqueured marmalade, hints of scorched rhubarb, lemon/lime aid, chalky powder, delicate, grey volcanics, sweet, sea spray, bread dough, baguette crust, touch of brown sugar/molasses light, haunting, dry herbs, limestone and bouquet of; white, red, pink & orange roses.
The body is round with some gummy or gluiness. Everything about the mouthfeel is more delicate and softer. The bubbles smaller & more refined. Pink rose petals, blood orange, pink grapefruit, leaner; strawberries, watermelon, warmed, creamed raspberries, apricots & cherries, liqueured marmalade, hints of scorched rhubarb, almost a date presence on the long set, chalky powder, delicate, grey volcanics, sweet, sea spray, lighter intensity of white spices but, still has the heat & palate penetration, bread dough, baguette crust, touch of brown sugar/molasses light, haunting, dry herbs, limestone and bouquet of; white, red, pink & orange roses. The acidity is all fresh & lively with this cuvée. But, even that seems better. The finish is as always; well knitted & balanced, polished, fresh, persistent and never disappoints.
Photos of; the best room in our house for 6+ months of the year, our backyard. Aka, the D&S Lounge on Memorial Day Weekend 2020. — 4 years ago
Marchesi Antinori
Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2011
This iconic wine is always enjoyable at this age. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.
Dry on the palate with black fruits, earth, chocolates, tobacco, spices, mocha, coke, vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
This 8 year old is drinking very nicely now and will age nicely in the next decade.
Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
A great wine to have with good friends. Thank you David for sharing.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Delicious.
Robert Parker 93 points.
A blend of 80% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$120. — 5 years ago
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2011
Visiting again this splendid Paulliac from the 2011 vintage. 2011 vintage was labeled as mediocre in Bordeaux and this lovely wine showed that it is actually a classic vintage with some great wines, so trust the chateau not only the vintage. The nose is tempting with notes if coffee, earth, oak, cassis, black fruits and hints of chocolate, the body is full with round tannins, acidity is splendid and finish is long. My score 92, drink to 2026, perhaps longer — 5 years ago
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave
L'Hermitage Syrah 2014
Popped, poured, and blinded this wine. It didn't take long for the notes to lead me towards Hermitage (so intense!), but I didn't think it was Chave's because it was lacking the meaty notes that I associate with his wines. I am, however, not an authority on Chave - I can count the number of times I've drank his Hermitage with my hands. Regardless, the 2014 Hermitage was certainly impressive and my WOTN. Full-bodied, dark fruits, quite ripe, but in no way jammy, spice - anise, juniper, and bay leaf, licorice, deep minerals, sexy supple texture. As the night progressed - seriously stony, air has brought out the meatiness (bacon), along with some gamey and musky tones. The fruit adamantly refuses to subside on the palate. A real masterpiece, especially for the vintage.
Here's another case of infanticide on my end, but at least in the name of research, I can attest to the excellence of this wine. Personally, though, I was missing some floral and crushed pepper characters which I love in Syrah. Just nit-picking. — 6 years ago
Seavey Vineyard
Caravina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Beautiful, dark red, perfume fruits. Black currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, boysenberries, lots of blue fruits, expresso, anise, leather, some graphite, sweet dark moist soils, medium intensity volcanic minerals, limestone with blue and dark red floral bouquet.
The body is full. The tannins are round and nicely soften. The structure, length, tension and balance have hit harmony with plenty of life left ahead. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, boysenberries, loads of blue fruits, expresso roast, anise, dark chocolate, a little caramel, leather, some graphite, leather, dry tobacco, touch of dry herbs, sweet dark moist soils, medium intensity volcanic minerals, limestone and blue and dark red floral bouquet. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is long, very well balanced, elegant, polished and lasts minutes.
Photos of; The barn used for winemaking and to host tastings. The first harvested Cabernet grapes of the season, an old school basket press that decorates their grounds, Estate vines and a giant fan to dry the vines if needed amongst the hilltop mountains that surround the Estate. — 6 years ago
Opus One
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2008
Part of a 2004, 2008, 2010 vertical. All double decanted. The 2008 was still very energetic with the darker fruit coming out front and you could still feel a bit of “heat” on the palate, but in a good way that highlighted the flavors. Starting to round out but still very much alive vs the 2004 that was much more “calm”. — 7 years ago
Château Lafon-Rochet
Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2002
Since this is the last Friday of the year, my Cabernet fix is going to be a little different this time.
Dark ruby in color with a short brick /orange rim.
Earthy nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, earth, wood, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, forest floor, leather, pencil lead, light barnyard, licorice, light vanilla, bell pepper and vegetables.
Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and nice legs.
Dry and earthy on the palate with blueberries, cherries, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, wet leaves, vegetables, herbs, beef jerky, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, green pepper, black tea and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
What a wonderful Cabernet based red from Saint Estephe. Nicely balanced and very complex with a great mouthfeel. Earthy and still young, but drinking very nicely now.
Not a great vintage, but so enjoyable by itself or with food. The nose is so complex, that it's so nice just to sniff on.
Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.
I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.
13% alcohol by volume. — 7 years ago
Heitz Cellar
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
When in doubt, a sure bet is a well aged, good vintage Heitz. @Eric Shanks
I intended to grab an 06 but, mistakenly grabbed an 07. I’ve not had one of my 06’s yet...next weekend.
The one thing I do every time I open one of my ten year or older Heitz Napa Cabernet’s is smile & think, this was sub $35 at Costco. It’s the wine feeling/definition of stealing candy from babies.
The nose is a beautiful harmony of fruit, earth and florals. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, dark spices with violets palate heat, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay, understated herbs & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, some sage & bay leaf, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is splendid. The long, ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well crafted balance of fruit & earth is delicious and persists endlessly with a dark spice on the long set.
The body is; delightful, ripe, rich, lush & full. The structure, tension, length and balance are woven in a perfect tapestry. This 07 has another 10-15 years easily. The tannins are rounded, smooth but, still have a dark, chewy, tarriness with baby teeth. The beauty of the vintage is on full display. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied ; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is perfect. The finish is; rich, ripe, ruby, candied, well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and long sets into velvety, round tannins and mid dark spices.
Photos of; the winery, tasting patio, old basket press and wide shot of the winery & Estate vines. — 5 years ago
Long Shadows Vintners
Sequel Columbia Valley Syrah 2014
Another terrific example from one of my very favorite wineries. Dark and nearly opaque. Inviting floral nose. Rich earthy taste of dark fruit, spices, vanilla and pepper. Long, round finish. This will continue to improve for at least four or five years. — 5 years ago
Caymus Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
To celebrate 15,000 followers on Instagram, here's a beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.
Extremely fruity on the nose with blackberries, blueberries, raisins, figs, vanilla, cedar, toast, graphites, earth, spices, peppercorn, leather, smoke, chocolates, mocha, coke and coffee.
Full bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cherry pie, raisins, vanilla, cedar, leather, chocolates, tobacco, licorice, peppercorn, spices, earth, mocha and dark roast coffee.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a wonderful Napa Cabernet. Still young, but drinking very nicely now, with lots of fruits and nice complexity.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (2 hours). After 3 hours, big tannins come in.
This should lay down for another 10 years, to be appreciated even more. At this point it might be too fruity for some. Aging it for 7 to 10 years will do the trick.
I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.
Drunk from a 1 liter bottle.
14.8% alcohol by volume.
95 points.
$80. — 5 years ago
Château Gloria
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2015
As I said with the ‘14, I know this is way too young. But I have a couple as thank you gifts, so I got one for me too and wanted to try. It’s terrific. But my advice? Cellar it and forget about it for at least 5 years. Lush blackberry and fig fruit. Brambly and woody, with wet earth and a LONG loamy finish. This is super taut. Be patient. But if you just can’t resist, it needs to see serious time in the decanter. One of my go-to Bordeaux’s thanks to Big Steve and a sleeper. A WS Top 100 this year. — 6 years ago
The Standish Wine Company
Single Vineyard Shiraz 2006
This wine is made by Dan Standish who started his career by traveling all over the world learning the skill of winemaking. He returned to Australia to make wine at Torbreck. After making Torbreck, he starting his own project. This wine is produced from a vineyard with 100 year old vines with a yield of only a 1/2 ton on fruit per acre. In comparison to quality Napa producers, their yields are 2-3 tons per acre. Dan is absolutely one of the very best producers in Barossa.
On the nose, mulberries, olallieberries, blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, blackberries, black cherries, dark berry cola, vanilla, dark spice, black pepper, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, soft leather, saddle-wood, coffee grounds, black licorice, dark, rich soil, lavender and violets.
The body is full, rich, ruby, lush and very inky. The texture is elegantly sexy. The 06 is still youthful & fresh. It still needs more time but, it’s delicious tonight. The length, tension, structure and balance are just coming into it own. mulberries, Olallieberries, Boysenberries, blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, raisins, blackberries, black cherries, dark berry cola, vanilla, dark spice, black pepper, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, soft leather, saddle-wood, coffee grounds, black licorice, dark, rich soil, purple flowers, lavender and violets. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is long, thick, ruby, lush, elegant, well balanced with deep heat penetrating dark spices that rise off the palate and lasts several minutes. The 06 is still 5 years from it peak.
Photos of; The Standish Cellar Door, Owner/Winemaker Dan Standish, beautiful Barossa Vineyards and the old tasting room — 6 years ago
Dom Pérignon
Brut Champagne Blend 1996
Stone fruit, bosque pears, quince, petrol, gardenias, brioche, biscuits, sourdough, vanilla panna cotta, oyster shells. Snapping rounded acidity, creamy texture, full frothy mousse, compact bubbles, incredibly long floral-creamy-stone fruit-slightly briny finish. Highly aromatic, elegant texture and weight, balanced in every way. Soft aromatics blossom on the palate. Transcends the region, beautiful wine. — 7 years ago
David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
Starting the long Labor Day weekend in Big Sur the right way with a little N/V Krug Grande Cuvée. @Nepenthe
Happy Labor Day weekend all! 🍾🥂
Noses reveals; heavy bruised red apple, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, lime zest, white spice, sea fossils, deep crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, white & spring flowers & mixed greens.
The palate is, ripe, lush, fresh and lively. The mouthfeel all Krug beautiful. Bruised red & golden apple with hints of cider, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, white stone fruits, lime zest/candy, white spice, sea fossils, crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, cream soda, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, spring flowers & mixed greens. The acidity is near perfect. The long, elegant, well knitted & balanced finish is gentle until the long set when you get a full presence of white spice and minerality that persists for minutes.
This bottle was composed around 2011 and is made from over 120 different wines that span over 10 years. It is 47% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay & 17% Pinot Meunier. — 4 years ago