Valley Floor

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2008

The famed #lopezdeheredia - Their 2008 release year matched the year we got married so we ordered this at a nice restaurant on our 13th anniversary. I asked the sommelier to cool it in an ice bucket a bit and so it took some time to open up in the glass. One of the best old school #rioja - subtle dark fruit, forest floor and distinct mushroom and truffle aromas on the nose. The biggest surprise for me on the palate was the incredible freshness and bracing acidity. Forest floor, leather and dark fruit as the backup chorus. This is still such a young wine. Delicious and versatile pairing wine - worked so well with a brined chicken breast with a puff pastry side stuffed with morel mushroom and lobster. — 5 years ago

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.
— 5 years ago

Aravind, Peter and 35 others liked this

Mommessin

Clos de Tart Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2009

Ok...barnyard floor and red berries. This wine brings tears to my eyes. Round and soft sour cherries. Are we in heaven?? Miss you @Joe Lucca — 7 years ago

Russell LichtensteinFrank Rick Mazer
with Russell, Frank and 3 others
Kevin, Dr. and 9 others liked this
Joe Lucca

Joe Lucca Influencer Badge

You remembered my favorite @ADAM STROMFELD. I hope there was a drop or two offered to the gods in my honor. Miss you guys as well. Glad to see everyone is having an amazing time!!!! Cheers! 🍷

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 Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Much more advanced than Lafite with marked tertiary forest floor, approachable tannins. Drink or hold — 7 years ago

Daniel P., Saman and 1 other liked this

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1947

This has always been superior in magnum and this one only reinforced the impression. Still powerful, extracted and opulent. Intoxicating qualities aromatically; leafy forest floor, truffles, but also still, ripe black fruits and some gamey, smokehouse umami. A dreamy finish. I'll wait 10 more years before I open another... — 9 years ago

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2004

Alder Yarrow
9.4

Beautiful smoked meats berries and forest floor notes on top of an earthy core — 10 years ago

Eric, Saman and 12 others liked this
Nathan King

Nathan King

Excellent review.

Domaine de L'Arlot

Clos des Forêts St. Georges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2009

Wonderfully "classic" Burgundian nose of mushroom and forest floor. Nice structure with some decent grip. I'd let it sit for a while longer, but it's still yummy. — 10 years ago

David, Dorit and 3 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

What a treat. This wine is tasting spectacular right now. Dried herbal notes, cigar box, faint fruitcake notes, cedar, teakwood, cassis, plums, forest floor. Elegant and lean with a bright, red-fruit driven finish. #leovillebarton #1996 #bordeaux #stjulien — 10 years ago

Steve Steese
with Steve

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 1995

Andrew Stover
9.6

1995 Chateau Musar Red blend. Dried cherry, currant, leather, forest floor, reduced balsamic, baking spice. Soft and silky. Showing well but near the peak for sure. #wine #lebanon #musar — 12 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

Ron R Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@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.

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.

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

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1998

Greg Ballington
9.4

Medium garnet red. Lovely nose with layers of perfume, damp leaves, leather, tobacco and dried cherries. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium bodied. Tons of dried red cherries on the palate mixed in with leather, damp forest floor and mushrooms. Long and lingering finish, that still has quite a bit of acidity on the back end. Drink till 2038. — 7 years ago

Daniel, Shay and 19 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2014

Lovely rustic fruits, forest floor, potpourri, figs, and molasses. Delicious. — 8 years ago

Krystal Vento
with Krystal
Krystal, Shay and 2 others liked this

Marcassin

Marcassin Vineyard Pinot Noir

2000 vintage. Smoky, meaty, mushrooms, forest floor. Very Burgundian in character. Black currants, a little sassafras and a hint of mint. Look up complex in the dictionary and you'll probably see a photo of this wine. I was a little worried that this wine might have been over the hill, but now I'm a little sorry I opened it as this was my last 2000, and it has years to go. — 9 years ago

Roman, Aaron and 21 others liked this
David L

David L Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Helen is a genius! @Roman Sukley
Andy Anderson

Andy Anderson

Just picked up some of those glasses! So elegant

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Fantastic. Let it breathe for an hour. Drank w our two friends who own Manousakis Vineyard in Chania. Very special wine that is full bodied with soft tannins. Full of soft cherries and forest floor. It's the bomb — 10 years ago

Château La Vieille Cure

Fronsac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

.
9.2

Still young, but this is drinking well with an hour in the decanter. The dusty, smoky nose is followed by dark fruit, leather, forest floor, and some wood spice. The tannins are still perky, so it works best with food for now. Wish I had more to drink over the next 10 years. — 10 years ago

Steve and Diane liked this

Clos des Papes

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend

Showing well, mushrooom and forest floor on the nose, beautiful balance and structure on the palate.. — 11 years ago

Sondra liked this

Château Lafon-Rochet

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1995

In perfect drinking condition, excellent. Forest floor, iron, the smell of a cracked cacao bar, savory spice and believe it or not a tad of blue cheese. Good palate intensity that is precise and controlled, medium to fine tannins caress the haunting dried fruit and savory long and fresh finish. #bluesheeseinmywinearoma #stestephe #lafonrochet — 12 years ago

Mert 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

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

Château Pape Clément

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1998

A very enjoyable, and very complex, 21 year old red blend from Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux.

Showing red and black fruits with earth, chocolates, tobacco, dark peppercorn, dark coffee, forest floor, green vegetables, graphites, vinaigrette and spices.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show the complexity.

Peaking now, and will be good in the next few years. What a treat. This is so delicious.

Wine Advocate 93 points.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$200.
— 7 years ago

Shay, Severn and 30 others liked this
Peter van den Besselaar

Peter van den Besselaar Influencer Badge

You are tasting in a good flow 😉

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

Leather, vanilla bean, tobacco, green pepper, slightly candied blackberry fruit. Integrated tannins. Delicious slightly tar forest fruit. Wrapped with leather and forest floor feel. Feels like classic Bordeaux. Drinking great right now. Medium weight. Cabernet, Merlot, and PV. Drink now or hold. — 7 years ago

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. — 7 years ago

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

Cathy Corison Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Thanks, Ray.

Rhys Vineyards

Bearwallow Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010

Smooth with great stem treatment. Raspberry, red cherries and forest floor. Lacking a little acidity on the finish but good stuff. Alpine is more complex and layered but this is another winner from Rhys just different. — 9 years ago

Anthony, Eric and 1 other liked this

Hirsch Vineyards

San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2011

Beautiful!
Edit: Had a glass with leftover turkey. Even better than I remember. Forest floor mixed into the fruit, really nice complexity. Mmmm!
— 10 years ago

Eugene Ruyle
with Eugene
Eugene liked this
Eugene Ruyle

Eugene Ruyle

Again, our cellar master demonstrates his skills, making ours a truly terrific Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

Valley Floor

Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Too young. Promising. — 10 years ago

La Rioja Alta

Reserva Viña Ardanza Rioja Tempranillo Garnacha 2000

Stewed red cherries & strawberries, forest floor, and sweet vanilla. Outstanding! — 11 years ago

Andrea Robinson MS
with Andrea
Silvia's liked this