Valley Floor

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. — 4 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.

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Quite restrained. Very silky. Midweight. Some meat juices, forest floor. Not my fave but tasty and would have it again. — 6 years ago

Susan, Casey and 24 others liked this

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

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

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1990

Greg Ballington
9.3

Super fun wine to get us ready for the Bordeaux Masters Class this afternoon.

Medium garnet core with bricking in the edges. Layered nose with some definite bret, not off putting at all. Notes of barnyard, leather and dried red cherries. Well integrated and balanced. Moderate tannins (6/10) and medium bodied. Very rustic on the palate with some dried red cherries, forest floor and cedar. Long finish. Enough finesse to go another year or two but why wait, drinking well right now. Drink till 2019.
— 8 years ago

Sean BallingtonIndia Okoh
with Sean and India
India, Shay and 40 others liked this
Greg Ballington

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@Rob Brobst III i believe the Ritz in D.C. Its for Heart's Delight
Martin G Rivard

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@Greg Ballington Who's holding your class? Michael Troise?
Greg Ballington

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The wine estate technical managers and owners @Martin G Rivard

Mommessin

Clos de Tart Grand Cru Pinot Noir 1986

Double decanted for three hours.

In excellent shape, though perhaps a little numb. Beef tomatoes, with a hint of forest floor, and bacon fat. Good length!
— 9 years ago

Anthony, web and 4 others liked this

Château Pape Clément

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Wine #15: While clearly my favorite wine of the evening, the price point is a bit high. Lots of dark fruit, tobacco notes, forest floor, spices. Complex and structured. — 10 years ago

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.

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 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

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. — 4 years ago

Juan, Stanley and 13 others liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1979

This 41 yr old LLC was still fresh & drinking well showing a little funk in the beginning that quickly blew off with notes of red & black fruits, currant, cedar, leather, forest floor & tobacco leaf. — 6 years ago

Severn, Ryan and 24 others liked this
Severn G

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Love Léoville, drank a '78 & '88 in about the last year, both holding well.

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 La Vieille Cure

Fronsac Red Bordeaux Blend 2012

A semi vertical comparison. Found a few 2012s at the store. Need to buy a couple more. Lots of forest floor, leather, and cherry. Clearly a bordeaux and you could confidently cellar this for a while. — 7 years ago

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1962

Cathy Corison
9.4

Cedar, black cherries, mushrooms, forest floor, tabacco, lovely perfume — 8 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.

Herb Lamb Vineyards

HL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

A lot going on the nose: dark fruits, olive, meaty, forest floor, cigar box. Silky smooth tannins with a fruity spice finish. I think she is still young. — 9 years ago

Shay, Mike and 3 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

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Helen is a genius! @Roman Sukley
Andy Anderson

Andy Anderson

Just picked up some of those glasses! So elegant

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 1983

1983 - holding much better than equivalent Bordeaux. Rich, torrefaction - deep layers of fruit emerging through heaps of forest floor. — 10 years ago

LM liked this

Valley Floor

Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Too young. Promising. — 10 years ago

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2002

Woodsy and autumnal nose, forest floor. Ripe wild berries and some umami flavors going on too. This could go longer but why? — 11 years ago

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 Lascombes

Margaux Merlot Blend 1976

From Magnum. Surprised this was so good. Lascombe was have some issues back then, but this certainly matured well. Smokey and earthy with some forest floor, but fruit still present. — 6 years ago

Keith, Alex and 2 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

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 Lafon-Rochet

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2002

Since this is the last Friday of the year, my Cabernet fix is going to be a little different this time.

Dark ruby in color with a short brick /orange rim.

Earthy nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, earth, wood, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, forest floor, leather, pencil lead, light barnyard, licorice, light vanilla, bell pepper and vegetables.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry and earthy on the palate with blueberries, cherries, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, wet leaves, vegetables, herbs, beef jerky, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, green pepper, black tea and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

What a wonderful Cabernet based red from Saint Estephe. Nicely balanced and very complex with a great mouthfeel. Earthy and still young, but drinking very nicely now.

Not a great vintage, but so enjoyable by itself or with food. The nose is so complex, that it's so nice just to sniff on.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

13% alcohol by volume.
— 8 years ago

"Odedi", Trixie and 26 others liked this
"Odedi"

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Thanks @Phil A happy new year 🍷

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 1997

Funk on top of funk on the nose. Basement, wet leaves, forest floor, cedar water, eucalyptus, and mushroom. Not much fruit left; the palate is austere and tart with red currant, mint, tobacco, and some oak. A nice old world opener for the night. Thanks @Frank for gifting this! — 9 years ago

Stef, Jonathan and 5 others liked this

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 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

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