Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable murky magenta color with bricking. On the nose: beautiful nose of stewed black fruit/currants, floral, herbaceous, burnt embers, spearment. Taste: classic old school Napa, juicy, balanced, savory wine with dark cherry, baking spice, smoke, sweet tobacco and a nice long earthy cocoa finish. YUM! Drinks well at year 20 and glad to have another bottle. — 3 months ago
Another excellent purchase from the Benchmark Bin Sale. I love these 15-20 year Heitz Napa Cabernets…97 the rule, not the exception. It had perfect storage and is at its peak and will hold for another 1-2 years and diminish over the following 3-5 years.
The nose is floral dark cherry kirsch. Both plums, blackberries, black raspberries, pomegranate, strawberry liqueur notes, steeped tea, red & dark cola/licorice, dark rich earth, sharp, dry herbs, black pepper, dry twig with dark & red fresh & slightly withering florals.
The palate is ripe fruits well balanced with earth. Perfect evolution & integration. Soft, elegant w/ nothing bitty. Dark currents with ripe, leaner, juicy, slightly liqueured; blackberries, black raspberries, late spring dark cherries, both plums, orange rune, raspberries & poached strawberries. Heavy Asian & Indian, dark spices, black licorice/cola, pure anise, steeped, black tea, touch of black olive, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanilla, dry tobacco, dry Provence herbs, barrel shavings, dry pipe tobacco/ash, some lead pencil, leathery, moist, grey, volcanic clay, crumbled limestone, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, dry brush, grilled meats-Châteauneuf-du-Pape characteristics w/ ragging, withering florals that are dark, red, purple, rainfall acidity with excellent; structure, tension, balance, polished finish that does not end. Wire to wire consistency. Lucky to enjoy a well stored bottle of 97 with this age. — 7 months ago
Served to me double-blind. The wine pours a deep ruby color with a slightly orange rim. Medium+ viscosity and some moderate staining of the tears. There appears to be some sign of sediment as well. On the nose, the wine was intense with notes of dark cherries, a mix of red and black bramble fruits, licorice, some leather and dried gravelly earth. I don’t detect any use of barrique but maybe some large format oak. This has an old world nose to it that was really lovely. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose and while the fruit had some power, it came in a body that was pretty fit and tidy. Alcohol is medium+. The finish is long and had some stoney minerals too. I called Brunello di Montalcino from a warmer vintage like 2009. Whoa…2007 Beaucastel! Damn, they hit so different than most other CdP’s. So much more restrained! But now that it has been revealed and I’ve allowed more time for it to breathe in my glass, I totally get its sense of place. One of my big takeaways is that I need more experience with these wines, particularly with age because that’s when they become more interesting to me. This is drinking well now but I expect it will continue to do so through 2032 with ease. — 9 months ago
Classic example. The oak is not as coconut and dill heavy and the fruit is a bit more forthright than some other Rioja producers. Nose of cigar red and blue berries. Palate of bright fruit with medium acid and tannin. Drinking well now, but this still has plenty, plenty of life. — 2 years ago
Second bottle of 78 I've had this year. The fruit is still present but soft, this wine has surprisingly held up beautifully and is drinking very well. — 8 years ago
#AgedWineTuesday
This is a fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Napa Valley.
Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.
Full bodied and smooth.
Dry and fruity on the palate with medium acidity.
Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth, light vegetables, coffee and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 23 year old is elegant and powerful. Rich and extracted, with a nice mouthfeel.
Good by itself as a sipping wine. Well balanced with great complexity. I just love these Napa Bordeaux blends.
Robert Parker 98 points. Wine Enthusiasts 94 points.
A great quality wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.
A blend of of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot.
14.1% alcohol by volume.
96 points.
$400. — 2 months ago
Deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits, floral spice and cedar notes, blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot. On the palate flavors of blackberry, plum and black cherry with cacao, tobacco, licorice and oak. Fine grainy tight tannins, well balanced on long finish, ending with fruit, cedar and earthy floral mineral character. Very nice, will age well but wait a few more years to really enjoy! — 6 months ago
Amazing and holding up so well, got all the right things going on! — 6 months ago
Blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot, aged in French oak for about 18 months, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruit, sweet spice and herbs. On the palate flavors of cherry and blackberry with tobacco spice, toasty oak and floral notes. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice, oak and mineral character, Nice, should age well. — 8 months ago
A rare dark berry color wine, well blended wine structure and with earth berry end taste that exposure it exquisite complexity of well done California wine. — 2 years ago
The oak has subsided since the last time I've opened a bottle. Black current and blackberry blend well through a nice finish with integrated tannins. — 9 years ago
Birthday year wine for me! Might not be the best Tig vintage, but nothing to scoff at. The ‘88 is getting to be almost last prime, this time bottle showing well. Rusty red with strong aromas of cigar box, leather, and pencil shavings. Drinks slightly thin, and im not getting much fruit. Still, it’s tasty and a special vintage to me. — 3 months ago
Medium ruby with wide garnet rim . On the nose quite red fruit focused with earthy , sous bois and truffle notes , grafite coffee and cedar . On the palate medium bodied with a mix of red and dark fruit, soy , tobacco , iron filings and cedar. Quite good acidity , with fine tannin , balanced alcohol . Pretty good length with a saline , grafite finish . This is showing well now and be at its best over the next 5-8 years , and last a further 10. On Singapore Airlines FRA - SIN — 4 months ago
Tasting the 1990 Léoville Las Cases just a few days after the 1989, it is clear which is the best vintage…this one. It has a sublime nose of melted black fruit, tar, cedar and bay leaf that shrugs off the heat of that summer better than most others. At 33 years of age, you could just lose yourself in these aromatics. The palate is clearly holding up well: beautifully defined and supple yet with typical Las-Cases backbone and depth. It builds magnificently in the glass toward a harmonious finish that reminds me of the 1985 in terms of its fleshiness. Wonderful. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 4 months ago
Well past it's prime but carefully stored. Notes of cherry tobacco, forest floor, blackberries and clay. Really quite amazing. — 5 months ago
Popped and poured, enjoyed over two hours. The 2006 “Faustino I” Gran Reserva pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and no obvious signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of dark, cherry, dried leather, cigar paper, organic earth, pencil eraser, mocha, and a hint of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The body is silky and lean. The finish is tart and long. Tasty now but should drink very well over the next decade. Definitely a more traditionally made Rioja and I’m here for it. Bottle No. 1629/247680. — 7 months ago
Way too early. I have a few 375mL bottles and was curious to learn how a wine like this might be even though it was well before it’s suggested drinking window. The bones and structure are evident and this should grow into a monster. It was still a very pleasant wine it was just holding back the whole time. Unfocused fruit and a bit too sweet but I think this score will be significantly higher for round 2. — 8 months ago
A great buy for the price, not a lot of length but tasty/slurp able. Pairs well with Presidential Debates — 8 years ago
Gregory Fulchiero
Well … shit. With a slight chill this is just sublime. Much better integration of oak than its other Pauillac neighbors. Charcoal ash, subtle pipe tobacco, dark berry compote. Superb. — 2 months ago