The Way Back

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

13.9% 1995 Caymus - wasn’t sure what to expect, this is drinking beautifully. A window into a past era of Napa in a great way. — 7 months ago

Lyle, Bob and 3 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

When Caymus was Caymus!!!

Krug

Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

Demi bottle & perfect split for two ! Great way to begin the evening. — 3 years ago

Shay, Ron and 3 others liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 1994

Alive but on the back side of peak so I would drink it if you got it. I don’t believe Produttori made any single vineyard wines this year, so not shocked with the fruit quality with as much as it has still lots of roses black cherry and tarry leather coming on the nose. — 4 years ago

Matt, Kyle and 7 others liked this
Kyle Harvey

Kyle Harvey

🤤🤤🤤

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1967

Still with some life after 50 years. Nice with hazelnut espresso chocolate pot de creame. Nice way to end the 50th birthday dinner. — 7 years ago

David Gobberdiel
with David
David, David and 1 other liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend

This wine needed about 3 hours to release. Initially tight with uncomfortable medicinal nose which then totally dissipated. Drinking now next day and you get the age of fully integrated but not fading tannins. Nose has a delightful dark fruit and smokiness. Great fit of nose and taste, meaning - when tastes after smelling the experience is consistent and not jolting. I think the color purple in a subdued way. Very nice. Memo to self: decant and watch for sediment, and enjoy three hours later. — 9 years ago

Cynthia LangstaffChris Langstaff
with Cynthia and Chris
Chris liked this

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1954

What a treat. From the company to the antics of the cork removal, all was fantastic. Not surprised with some immediate mustiness on the nose, giving way to a rich but smooth aged blue cheese, mushrooms, soy sauce, earth, and just a faint hint of dried red fruit. Over the next 20 minutes the glass development was out of control, changing with each and every whiff and sip. Earthy umami, oxidative, and and slightly stewed reds to begin quickly opened to nice dried strawberries on the palate and nose, and advancing to moderately subdued ripened strawberries and cranberries- after 61 years and still kickin with fruit! Amazing. Then after about 20 minutes of rapid metamorphosis, it gave in and decided to fade to a very pleasant sipper...awesome. — 10 years ago

Rajiv AyyangarTim Herrmann
with Rajiv and Tim
Rajiv and Chris liked this

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Chardonnay Blend

Great way to finish a tasting a nice champagne blend. Opens very well, in a beautiful pale salmon color. Chalk full of fruit fresh wild strawberries, pairs, apple, and lots of cherries. — 10 years ago

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1981

Way to celebrate Eme's 3rd birthday. Pity she couldn't have any. One of the best wines you could ever have. #81 a great year! — 10 years ago

Karina and Mick liked this
Mick Farrell

Mick Farrell

Nice St Emillion, Benny!

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 1995

Carried this back 8 years ago when i visited Bodega the first time. This wine is traditional classic old school Rioja- earthy and fully developed primary nose, soft acid n tannin, haunting finish... 🍷💃 — 11 years ago

Jon Sillno
with Jon
Jon liked this

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2018

Quite floral with plummy cassis, creamy blackberry and a touch of pencil lead, crushed rocks . On the palate this has quite good freshness , ripe cassis and blackberry , but with dusty firm tannins . Mineral , seashell hints of on the good length finish . Quite richly fruited but well balanced overall . This needs more time but for 2018 is promising, balanced with good freshness . Come back in 10 -15 years and will show well a further 10 — 7 months ago

Tom, Bob and 13 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1976

This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it! — 2 years ago

Andrew, Shay and 15 others liked this

Bollinger

Special Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

Love this champ!!! Wow! No headaches, not sweet. Crisp and downed way too fast. — 4 years ago

Ridge Vineyards

Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend

Geoff Troup
9.0

The most generously fruity of Ridge Zins. Black berry and stewed fruit in the front, young and opulent at first compared to their other wines. More resolved and firm in the back with a near perfect juxtaposition of acidity and tannin. White pepper in the finish. A bit hot and jumpy at this time. Great potential but needs some softening time still. — 7 years ago

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 2004

I kept coming back to this wine. Usually stands out in a lineup like this because it's a BDB, but tonight it fits right in and is drinking beautifully. The best Comtes I've had to date, I need to find some of these with more age. — 9 years ago

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

Yellow Label Brut Champagne Blend

Nice way to ring in the new year! — 10 years ago

The Prisoner Wine Company

The Prisoner Napa Valley Zinfandel Blend

At Redstone w/Shelly. Just back from Orlando w/Rettke. #pro — 10 years ago

Rick ZJeff HennikeKirk F
with Rick, Jeff and 2 others

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 1985

B
10

1985 Sassicaia. Second red wine at Redd Wood lunch w A, S, and K. This wine was perfect. Epic. We could not believe how perfect this wine was drinking. Thoroughly enjoyed it- it was enjoyable the way truffles are- hard to describe, but pleasing to all relevant senses. — 10 years ago

John liked this
John B

John B

Unbelievable lineup.

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 1990

Coaxing it out of the glass. Needs time to blow off typical barnyard nose, leads way to dark red fruit and really long finish — 10 years ago

Charles Curtis
with Charles
Matt and Doug liked this

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2010

Austin Ferrari
9.6

Real wine! Lapierre takes me back to the chez days! — 11 years ago

Aran Healy
with Aran
David, Beau and 9 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2021

Came off a little disjointed. Give it some as I see a bright future. The cab franc is noticeable in a good way with a dried herb note. — 8 months ago

Neil, Scott@Mister and 1 other liked this

Bedrock Wine Co.

Weill A Way Vineyard Mixed Blacks Red Blend

Loved it - uncork, give it a half hour to open up, and drink now. — 10 months ago

Shay liked this

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2002

Another night, another insane Krug. Tessa’s palate has certainly been calibrated for this because the blind was instantly untangled by her - this is Krug… 02’ perhaps? Boom! Thanks for sharing this, Toni. Typical Krug opulence, yet so energetic. Just starting to mature, it combined ripeness, great structure, and phenolic grip, with deep mineral drive and acidity. Just hitting it’s stride, but I reckon it still has a long way to go. Love it! — 3 years ago

Josh, Nicolas and 13 others liked this
Severn Goodwin

Severn Goodwin Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Damn 🤤

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2002

ESF
9.3

Yeah yeah, I know this is not considered a great vintage, but this is a Cracking Claret! Leaner in style and not a verbose powerhouse, it still delivers an elegant rendition of traditional Pauillac flavors. The cherry was more like kirsch liqueur, the cassis, graphite, leather, gravel, tobacco, the bay leaf... all beautifully delineated and intense. The mid palate was polished to perfection. Tannins are sturdy enough but seamless & integrated. The finish persists and invites another drink. Got these on a great deal from K&L back in the day and glad I did! In a great drinking window right now. — 4 years ago

Severn, Aravind and 10 others liked this
David L

David L Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Nice to hear & know

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2006

Geoff Troup
9.4

Such beauty and elegance. I'm sure some of it is the age, but an AOC known for power emitting such elegance...Wow. Anyhow, jammy raspberries and a whole garden of vegetables on the nose. Palate is quite refined with white pepper, rock and all the trademark CDP flavors. Im never a huge fan of that fruit in the front, but the mid and back arr gorgeous. What's truly remarkable is the balance...The ability to isolate any single flavor to ruminate on, how each nuance to perfectly morphs into the next. Still some pronounced tannin in this guy! — 8 years ago

kasimir liked this

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2010

Super funky, in a good way. — 9 years ago

Joe and Jaime liked this

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

This 2008 was cellared for almost five years after purchased in 2012. Consumed Nov 2015, the best way to describe this delight is that "it melts in your mouth". You do not even feel it as it goes down, the taste begins with its scents as soon as it hits your palate. Delightfully fruity with cherry, blackberry and jam. — 10 years ago

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah

Ray Isle
9.6

From magnum. Kept changing every time I went back to it. Spectacular wine. — 10 years ago

Charles, Devrim and 14 others liked this

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!! — 10 years ago

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005

Incredible earthy nose with leather, cigar box and some barnyard. Full fruit and massive tannins that give way to endless length. A bit early for this but I really love it! — 11 years ago

Jim Brady
with Jim
John and Begaya liked this