Valley Floor

Château Gruaud Larose

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim. Doesn't show much age.

Beautiful nose with red and black fruits, chocolates, tobacco leaf, vegetables, forest floor, black tea, earth, coffee, herbs, spices, black pepper and wildflowers.

Full bodied and soft with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, black plums, currants, oak, light chocolates, coffee, mushrooms, licorice, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs and spices.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a gorgeous 24 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Saint Julien. Rich and elegant. Spicy and very complex. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Drinking at its peak now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10 years.

A great sipping wine that is so much fun to drink by itself.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in (33% new) French oak barrels for 18 months.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$150.
— 7 months ago

Dave, Ira and 13 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Nice pull @"Odedi"!!
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Very nice!

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2015

Signature manure and violets on the nose, purple flowers and forest floor. Very balanced and pretty, incredible acid and chalky minerals all the way through the finish. Great if not quite the brilliant energy and structure of 2014. Such a unique and iconic expression of cab franc. Upgrade to 9.4 after a few days open. Just beautiful. — 5 years ago

Tom, Boris and 32 others liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1994

An off vintage purchased on futures that is enjoyable showing nice fruit, tannin structure, cedar, leather, spice box, forest floor & tobacco. — 5 years ago

Tom, Eric and 14 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1978

Birth year Bordeaux and this has been excellent. Very old school nose of copious tobacco, forest floor and dark berries. Medium bodied but gaining intensity over the course of 2 h - tannins completely melted. Bricking is apparent on first pour but the color grows darker with time. Perfect bottle that is a little past it’s prime but fun to step back in time. — 5 years ago

Vino, Jim and 6 others liked this

Château Lascombes

Margaux Merlot Blend 2003

Somm David T
9.1

The right order with our Porterhouses. Still has the Margaux elegance presence but, lacks the quality of fruit & characteristics of the 06 Rauzan-Segla.

Not the best vintage I’ve had from Lascombes. Interesting as this was a warm vintage. All my previous 2003’s have shown bright, ripe fruit. The fruits were dull & lacked freshness which, is very different than the other 03’s I’ve had to this point. I don’t know if the staff trimmed too much canopy and the fruit got too much heat and UV light, therefore losing freshness along with a lack of water during the season.

This will still drink well for another 5-8 years before it declines. Our Porterhouses helped contribute to a better experience masking some of its shortcomings.

The wine showed dull, dark fruit with more earthiness than expected given its evolution from its bottle age. Dry soil & clay, stones, dry forest floor, dry tobacco, used leather and withering & dark flowers. The acidity was pleasant but not up to par. The finish lacked Margaux beauty but, it did pop up here and there. Just no consistency. The fruit was flat and lots of dry earth on the long set. Not bad just no up to what I expect from Lascombes and the vintage.

Photos of; Chateau Lascombes, concrete tank cellar, barrel room with some unique lighting for a Bordeaux producer and their tasting salon.
— 6 years ago

Aravind, Peter and 35 others liked this

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1955

Tasted blind. Tawny color, translucent with amber rims. Notes of black cherry, cedar, some spice and a little barnyard floor. Sweet fruit in the mouth, with tannins fully resolved. Guessed 1955 Calon Segur. Perfect looking bottle, the cork revealed this bottle was reconditioned by the Chateau in 2000. — 7 years ago

Shay, Eric and 16 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1962

Cathy Corison
9.4

Cedar, black cherries, mushrooms, forest floor, tabacco, lovely perfume — 9 years ago

William martin
with William
Joe, Eric and 36 others liked this
Stacy Alexander

Stacy Alexander

Love that plan 👍🏼
Ray Vanderhoff

Ray Vanderhoff

Hi Cathy! Love you Cabernet Sauvignon! A great way to celebrate a special year! Best to you and William.
Cathy Corison

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Thanks, Ray.

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1998

+1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A splendid medium dark ruby red color with bricking. On the nose: Tantalizing perfumed notes of stewed plum/cherry, worn leather, smoke, forest floor, stewed meat, cedar, eucalyptus. Taste: creamy, elegant, with power and depth wine...plum, currants, smokey earth, graphite, saline, dusty crushed gravel, tobacco leaf, and a nice medium plus finish. YUM!! — 8 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Dave, Paul and 16 others liked this

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2011

Silky smooth nose, velvety and soft, with forewarned black currants, just a LITTLE pepper, dark cherry and maybe a little pine forest floor? Some sediment and still grippy tannin, but starting to really loosen, with prominent ripe red fruits of dark , brooding plum, cherry and dark fruits, with hints of graphite, wood, and smoke over a still zingy finish. — 2 years ago

Aston Estate

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2015

Ron R
9.4

The label was soiled when I received the order. I was immediately concerned regarding the contents. Happily, the wine was in pristine nick. Forest floor and cinnamon nose transitioned to the signature gnarly, textured dark fruit, smoke, and spice box presentation. I’m going to hold some of these Astons and see what happens. Intro’d to this by @Bill Bender, this has become my fave Cali pinot. Every vintage comes correct. — 5 years ago

Brian, Dawn and 42 others liked this
Dawn E.

Dawn E.

@Ron R vintage please sir! 🤔
Ron R

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@Jody Scharf is gangster. He wants to do it on the forest floor! @Dawn E. 2015. I just ordered more from the winery. Sign up, they have the 15 and 16 available.

Domaine Drouhin

Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2017

Domaine Drouhin Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2017: Medium-bodied. Bright red fruits on the nose and strawberry, raspberry, cherry & plum on the palate. Additionally, there is a light touch of forest floor, earthiness ending with a soft dry finish. Glad to be back supporting & enjoying some local outdoor dinner spots! Cheers🍷 — 5 years ago

Paul, Trixie and 5 others liked this

Herb Lamb Vineyards

HL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

1 hour decant (some slightly chunky sediment). A beguiling inky ruby red color with some browning. On the nose: red plum, floral, wet forest floor, some blueberry, and a little creme brulee. Taste: red fruit with a touch of blue fruit mixed in, earthy, cedar, and a red licorice mid palate. A soft approachable wine with fine, sweet tannins coating the mouth ending in a cherry espresso medium finish.

Michael Trujillo winemaker with a lower alcohol restrained cabernet for Napa(note: vineyard used for initial Colgin wine launch). 2016 LAST VINTAGE...vineyard now leased to Thomas Rivers Brown going forward...get ready for a TRB HL vineyard wine....more oak, more ripe.....big scores.
— 6 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Eric and 22 others liked this
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

Will miss this style.
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

Agree! I loaded up on the 16s.

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2009

Geoff Troup
9.3

Ripe raspberry, dramatic spice, dynamic acidity somehow, herbaceous, forest floor, soothing tannin. A little robust and all over the place but quite complex also. — 8 years ago

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

So delish! Beautiful and holding strong with notes of blackberry, black currant, clove, star anise, licorice, dried orange peel, black olive, potpourri, tobacco, leather, earth, cured meat, pencil shavings, graphite, spice box, forest floor. Complex and balanced with a long, elegant finish. — a year ago

Deked1
with Deked1
Deked1, Jay and 16 others liked this
Vanessa

Vanessa

@David T We can see why 😍 Always so delicious!!! 🍷🍷 Cheers!
Daniel veit

Daniel veit

The 01’ is stunning at the moment. I always get squid ink notes as well on these wines.
Vanessa

Vanessa

@Daniel veit Ooh, squid ink! I hadn’t thought of that but could see (& taste) it! We’ll have to keep our eyes 👀 peeled for the ‘01, as well.

Kutch Wines

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2015

Black cherry and plum, forest floor, med + acidity, in a great drinking window 👌 — 3 years ago

Shay, Ira and 2 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1970

Magnum that was fresh showing the classic LB style with red & black fruits, currant, cedar, leather, forest floor, dried herbs & tobacco. — 5 years ago

Juan, Stanley and 13 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007

Absolute perfection! Firm, intense and concentrated, massive yet well-proportioned, with a dense, focused core of graphite, dried currant, blackberry, black tea, forest floor and blueberry flavors. Full-blown, finishing with rich, layered tannins that beg for cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. — 5 years ago

Rob, Tom and 42 others liked this
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Nice!
Paul K

Paul K

Great pull!
Fred Calatayud

Fred Calatayud

Wish I had a bottle of the 2007!!! Thanks for the review. Need to rattle through my collection, I have an Insignia or two down in the cellar.

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2005

Coming from an exceptional vintage, the 2005 Viña Tondonia from R. Lopez de Heredia is a compelling blend of Tempranillo (75%), Garnacho (15%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%), all sourced from their estate vineyards and aged for six years prior to bottling. This sensational wine opens with a bright bouquet of leather, cranberry, orange rind, forest floor and suggestions of black tea. Showing incredible focus and poise, this balanced Rioja is framed around flavors off leather, red cherry, teaberry, Mandarin orange and pipe tobacco that sit alongside brisk minerality, as the wine shows tremendous freshness and length through the long finish. This is an absolute stunning effort from this storied Estate and should continut to drink beautifully for years to come. Drink 2019-2035- 94 — 7 years ago

P, Ken and 3 others liked this

Rhys Vineyards

Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016

Cherry and strawberry juice, a bit of menthol, forest floor. Deep berry undertones. — 7 years ago

Thomas liked this

Rhys Vineyards

Bearwallow Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

Yeah, I am a fan of Rhys. So much forest floor, and a ton of complexity. Tried over 3 days and different each day. Fruit is beautiful but muted (a good thing, imo, some California pinots can be too much) — 8 years ago