Vinous Obscura
Château Climens
Barsac 1er Cru Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2011
The 2011 Climens has a fresh, lifted, mineral-driven bouquet which has closed down a little. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. A lively, tensile finish, with hints of stem ginger thatlinger on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2022)
— 4 years ago
Georges Laval
Brut Nature Cumières 1er Cru Champagne Blend
Laval was my gateway drug to grower champagne and Cumieres never lets me down. An extraordinary week (became an aunt !!!, officially completed my WSET Diploma) called for celebration, i heeded the call with Laval. Unbelievably aromatic (baked apple, fresh apple, toast, brioche and all the lovely things). Decadent, so rich and vinous—you’d almost forget it was brut nature. — 4 years ago
Domaine Bernard Baudry
Chinon Cabernet Franc Rosé 2019
Baudry’s 2019 Chinon Rosé offers suave, mineral-accented aromas of fresh red berries and tangerine on the sharply focused nose. The palate is dry and energetic, with sappy strawberry, bitter cherry and orange zest flavors. Closes long and silky, with a faint touch of anise. $25.00 (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, July 2020) — 6 years ago
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1945
The 1945 La Mission Haut-Brion from the château cellar is transcendental. It is blessed with the most beautiful bouquet you can imagine, effortless and natural, featuring woodland, red-berried fruits, a minerally quality and a faint touch of leafiness; given time to settle, it develops a lovely gamy note. The palate is medium- rather than full-bodied and sublimely balanced, upholding that effortless grace with an elegant, bittersweet, dried orange peel finish. One of the most harmonious wines I have ever consumed. Perfect. Tasted at the La Mission Haut-Brion vertical in London in September 2009. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2020)
— 6 years ago
Château Belair-Monange
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
The 2016 Bélair-Monange is exotically ripe and flashy. Bright red and purplish fruit is pushed forward in a primary, intense wine with plenty of immediacy. As good as the 2016 is, what I don't see are the layers of depth and structure that have made the finest recent vintages so compelling. Even so, the 2016 is a very pretty and compelling wine, it just falls a bit short relative to some of the other wines that have been made here. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2019) — 7 years ago
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
The 2015 Pichon Lalande has a sophisticated bouquet of blackberry, pencil shavings, black pepper and discreet touches of wild mint, all beautifully defined and focused. There is some quality Cabernet here. The palate is medium-bodied with
fine-grained tannin, superb acidity, gentle grip and satisfying tension toward the fresh, vivid finish. One of the best Pauillacs of 2015, this is a magnificent wine from Nicolas Glumineau and his team. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2019) — 7 years ago
Domaine des Lambrays
Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2002
Good medium red; not particularly saturated but with a healthy rim. Alluringly scented, wild-yet-somehow-refined aromas of musky raspberry, strawberry, rose petal, brown spices, cedar, underbrush and coffee; this smells sweet! Silky, stylish and weightless, showing lovely stemmy definition and lift to its flavors of wild red berries, mocha and dried flowers. Not a particularly dense or fleshy style but an alluring, vibrant drink that's perfect right now. In fact, in spite of its intense fruit component this wine may only thin out from here. This subtle, elegant Clos des Lambrays finishes with a firm dusting of tannins and a light touch. (13.7% alcohol; 3.59 pH; 3.5 g/l acidity) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, April 2019) — 7 years ago
Easton
Obscura Fiddletown Late Harvest Zinfandel 2009
My fav desert wine! I have yet found anything similar or better.. any recommendations? I would love to find or should i say TASTE more like this.... — 9 years ago
Dom Pérignon
Brut Champagne Blend 1996
'96 vintage. Perhaps the best Dom Perignon I have had in a while. Absolutely perfect DP, tight, crisp, vinous and complex. Nose of honey, chalk and touch of spices. It's Champagne at a very high level. The acidity is spectacular here and the final goes for minutes. What a wine! — 11 years ago
Château Léoville Poyferré
Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004
The 2004 Léoville-Poyferré has a light and airy bouquet with blackberry, antique bureau, forest floor and light fungal aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly dry tannins, a little austere but balanced, though I notice some attenuation and bitterness towards the finish. So-so for this estate. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 4 years ago
Ovid
Napa Valley Red Blend 2011
The 2011 Ovid has aged exceptionally well. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berry fruit, cedar, mint and sweet pipe tobacco are all very nicely lifted. Silky and medium in body, the 2011 is super-expressive today. It also appears to have reached an early plateau of maturity, so I would not wait too long on it. Sweet tobacco, dried herbs, mint, licorice and pine linger on the refined finish. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022)
— 4 years ago
Château Ausone
Saint Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2005
The 2005 Ausone is magnificent. A wine of soaring intensity and class, the 2005 dazzles from the very first taste. The aromatics alone are captivating, with notes of cinnamon, mint, crushed rocks, blood orange, mocha and incense. Graceful and stately in bearing, the 2005 boasts tremendous purity and breathtaking balance. Readers will find a stunning Saint-Émilion that is just at the beginning of what promises to be a very long drinking window that will be measured in decades. It is a towering achievement from the Vauthier family. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2021) — 5 years ago
Cédric Bouchard
Roses de Jeanne Presle Blanc de Noirs Champagne
Low pressure of course. Vinous. — 5 years ago
Obscura
California Petite Sirah
I love a Petite Syrah and this one is really hitting the spot. This 2018 Petite Syrah is really good!!!!! I recommend trying it! — 6 years ago
Château Lafleur
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
The 2010 Lafleur is showing a lot of Cabernet Franc on the nose. It is supremely well defined with incredibly clarity and terroir expression. You could almost mistake it for a Left Bank. Figeac? The palate is precise and detailed, touches of burnt toast and white pepper sprinkled over the persistent and structured finish that does not miss a step. Brilliant. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2020)
— 6 years ago
Château La Conseillante
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 1989
The 1989 La Conseillante is one of the top performers in Pomerol and arguably now one of the best values. This bottle confirms that exuberance and joie-de-vivre on the nose, displaying the telltale crushed violets in bloom, with precious but controlled red and black fruit underneath. The palate is sumptuous from the start, presenting cashmere tannin and perhaps a little more glycerine in this bottle. The bravura finish leaves you grinning from ear to ear. Stunning, and it will remain on its plateau for many years. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2019) — 7 years ago
Château Canon
Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2015
The 2015 Canon has a tightly wound bouquet with mineral rich black fruit, raspberry coulis, rose
petal and desiccated orange peel. It takes time to come together, but it does. The palate is well defined, very focused with fine minerality. This is discreet but beautifully balanced, clean and precise with a sense of energy and precision on the finish. It is less showy than its peers at the moment, which
explains why I am more parsimonious with my score. Yet the potential is locked inside this wine and it will aspire toward perfection with a decade in bottle.Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2019) — 7 years ago
Louis Roederer
Cristal Brut Champagne 1983
The 1983 Cristal is fabulous. Rich, ample and generous, the 1983 is incredibly inviting, with tons of class and personality. A wine of real volume and textural breadth, the 1983 has enough pedigree to drink well for many years. None of the elements stand out in the 1983, the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts. “Nineteen eighty-three is a different animal from some of the other wines of the decade,” Lécaillon explains. “It was a heavy crop, with a lot of fruit. There was so much wine in the cellar that the team could not get to everything in a timely fashion, and so there were some lots that started to oxidize a bit, and that, naturally, made the wine bigger.” In tasting, though, there are no off aromas or mushroomy flavors that suggest the wine is fading. If anything, the 1983 is spectacularly beautiful right now, even in the presence of other wines from more highly reputed vintages. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago
Opus One
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005
Fantastic, more towards a peak age than i thought it would be. This is drinking spectacularly right now, tasting like a vinous bordeaux. Extremely lengthy finish. — 11 years ago
Brewer-Clifton
Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2020
The 2020 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a terrific appellation-level wine. Hints of pear, mint, lemon peel and white flowers all grace this expressive, sculpted Chardonnay from Brewer-Clifton. My only quibble is a slightly aggressive edginess that hopefully will soften over time. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, August 2022)
— 4 years ago
Tensley
Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah 2020
The 2020 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard is a dense, potent wine. The purity of the fruit is remarkable. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2020 is still incredibly primary. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and rose petal open with a bit of coaxing. All this needs is time and a bit more polish. As always, the Colson Canyon Syrah is one of the most distinctive wines in Joey Tensley's range. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, August 2022)
— 4 years ago
Winc
Rosa Obscura Red Blend 2018
Great first selection from Winc, would order again. Not sure why some other reviews are so harsh. — 5 years ago
Château Beauséjour
Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2018
The 2018 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is a huge wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. A wine of unreal concentration and pure power, the 2018 takes over all the senses with its commanding presence. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice, gravel, cured meat and cloves all scream out of the glass. This wild, untamed Saint-Émilion needs cellaring. I imagine it will still be a spectacular wine many decades from now. As was the case from barrel, the typically imposing tannins are nearly buried by the sheer concentration of the fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2021)
— 5 years ago
Rocca di Montegrossi
Toscana IGT Sangiovese Rosato 2019
The 2019 Rocca di Montegrossi Rosato is gorgeous, both spicy and floral, with zesty bright cherry and a hint of grapefruit. On the palate, silky, soothing textures usher in ripe red fruits offset by vibrant acids, as hints of sweet spice and salty minerals buzz on the senses. The finish is medium in length and remarkably fresh. (Eric Guido, Vinous, May 2020)
— 6 years ago
Château Lafite Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1985
The 1985 Lafite-Rothschild is only a modest success in the context of the vintage. Here, it is totally outclassed by the 1985 Las Cases. Light, slightly loose-knit red berry fruit on the nose is complemented by warm gravel and smoky aromas, though it lacks a bit of energy. The palate is nicely balanced, not powerful but focused, with adequate freshness. As mentioned in my previous tasting note, this has dispensed with some density in recent years, and if your expectations are modest, it remains enjoyable. Tasted at Hameau de Barbaron in Burgundy. (Neal Martin Vinous, December 2019)
— 6 years ago
Dominus Estate
Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009
Bright, full ruby-red. Highly complex, thoroughly ripe scents of black raspberry, cassis, dark plum, tar, tobacco, mocha and minerals, lifted by a violet topnote. Wonderfully suave and fine-grained but still quite youthful, spreading out to coat the palate without leaving any undue impression of weight. Shows a distinct black cherry medicinal reserve. This very smooth wine finishes with a broad dusting of ripe tannins and steadily building length. Approachable now owing to its successfully integrated acidity and tannins, but I'd rather give this beauty a bit more time in the cellar. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 7 years ago
Laherte Frères
Les Beaudiers Rosé de Saignée Vieilles Vignes Extra Brut Champagne Pinot Meunier
Vinous champ at its best! Cranberries and dry earth and I agree with that orange zest description! 😋 — 7 years ago
Rosa Obscura
California Red Blend
Deep berry flavor and good tannins. — 8 years ago
Château de Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2010
I'm sorry I woke you up but I need to check in on you and your friends. Day 1 is compact and very concentrated. Vinous and dense. Just needs some time to wake up. Already tons of garrigue, tar, talcum, licorice and dense fruit out the ass. Super silky given it's weight. Day 2: still sleepy. Showing some more black fruit compote, black tea, raspy herbs, bitter cocoa, cedar. Day 3: this big boy is just waking up. Relaxed a lot though since the last 2 glasses went down very quickly. 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault etc — 10 years ago
Delectable Wine
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The 2018 Barolo Prapò is a dark, dense wine. Red cherry, plum, tobacco, cedar, spice, smoke, cured meats and menthol add do an impression of brooding intensity. The Prapò has more body and overall depth than the Serralunga Barolo, but also quite a bit more tannin. I have a slight preference for the Serralunga bottling in this vintage. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2022)
— 4 years ago