Up In Smoke

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim

Earthy nose with light oak, black fruits and tobacco.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red and black fruits, wood, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, licorice, dark chocolates, black tea and black pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 35 year old is still drinking beautifully. This Second Growth Bordeaux is nicely balanced and complex.

Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10+ years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours. I did not decant it, but let it open up in the bottle.

Wine Spectator 96 points.

A good food wine that I paired with beef brisket. Gorgeous.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$275.
— 24 days ago

Bob, Doug and 22 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@"Odedi", great pull!!

Sea Smoke

Ten Estate Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Not as big of a Pinot as many other Tens have been from other vintages. Still medium full palate but less big fruit, more subtle layers of cherry complimented by an herbal savory character. If you like fruit, drink up. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister and Shay liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1997

Flight #1 of our 1997 Retrospective. Presented single-blind; no formal notes. This had a really compelling mix of fruit and non-fruit notes; multifaceted, balanced. Superb structure. Bordeaux-like. Called this “Insignia”. This was my favorite of the flight and the most complete wine in the line-up. Drinking well now and should hold that way well through 2027. — 3 months ago

Paul, Shay and 11 others liked this

Château Prieuré-Lichine

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2019

2019 vintage. Not as immediately opulent as the 2015-2018 vintages and possesses more punch than the 2020 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Think darker fruits and baking chocolate vs ripe fruits, smoke and newish oak that jumped out 2015-2018. Drinking beautifully now but 3-4 in the bottle will thin out the body and make it a better food matchup. More than a little reminiscent of Lafon-Rochet from St. Estèphe. BTG now tho as a pop and pour, it doesn't suck. 3.26.24. — 23 days ago

Bob, Ray and 19 others liked this

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

1986 vintage. Sampled five bottles for a 1986 BDX tasting @ Mister A's in San Diego. Double decanted and tasted over four hours. Medium body. Pretty rustic early on and that stayed consistent till the end. Opened up a little later with a splash of bright cherry fruit. Should stay the course for another 5-6 years. 3.14.24 — a month ago

Lyle, Jan and 9 others liked this

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2017

Another outstanding Picasses that is far more accessible in its youth. Open but with more muscle, austerity, and brooding fruit than the ‘14. Need to revise my other rating up rather than this down. — a month ago

Spencer, romo and 5 others liked this

Sea Smoke

Ten California Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2012

I’d say these wines are overrated. Second of the 2012’s I picked up. Dark fruit, supple but not that interesting. — 3 months ago

Tom liked this

Sea Smoke

Southing Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

Wild strawberry and black cherry are complimented by savory herbal aromas and flavors. Super smooth tannins make for a silky texture. Definitely in its prime! — 2 months ago

Shay and Eddie liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

Black cherries stand out against earthy beet and blackberry. Graphite rings and smoke curls around bay and sage, acanthus and peppercorn. Green in spots and muted on the palate, this one is unfortunately young and missing something. Pepper and cedar overpower the fruits and the tannins are aggressive here, giving a stemmy impression. May develop over time but gangly and awkward here.


#chateaupichonlonguevillecomtessedelalande #pichonlongueville #2016 #pauillac #appellationpauillaccontrôlée #bordeaux #grandcruclasséde1855
— a month ago

Severn, Tom and 1 other liked this

Clos des Papes

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2015

Jan A
9.5

Over three years since I opened up the first bottle. Still young-ish but much easier to drink after a quick decant of half an hour. All the typical scents and taste of C9DP. Very balanced. Clearly from a warm climate but retaining ample freshness. Like it a lot. Hope I can keep my hands off it in the coming years to check in on the remaining bottles every couple of years — 2 months ago

Eric, Roman and 21 others liked this