Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy 4th of July everyone.

I can’t think of many other N/V Champagnes we’d rather kick-off the long 4th of July weekend.

Happy Birthday America & Cheers! 🍾🥂 🇺🇸 🧨

Numerous notes all apply. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 6 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.0

It is the start of the weekend and I have opened the 2015 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietors Blend. The wine is 37% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

On the nose I am getting black cherry, blackberry, black currant, bakers chocolate, molasses, asparagus, caramel, vanilla, clove and leather.

Upon first sip on the palate the is jammy dark fruit of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, black currant, a little heavy on the toasted oak and gravel.

This wine is full bodied with medium + acidity and medium + rich mouth coating tannins that lead to a long lingering oaky dark fruit finish. With the cooler weather continuing into the weekend along with rain it looks like an indoor movie for me, but we will have to check out some other of my reds. Have a great weekend and be safe. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Began as a dream of 2 friends, Ed Selyem & Burt Williams, who pursued weekend winemaking as a hobby in 1979 in a garage in Forestville, CA, and made their first commercial vintage in 1981. Ruby with complex aromas of black & red berries with subtle spice scents. On the palate cherry and strawberry with citrus, cacao, vanilla spice and toasty notes. Aged on French Oak, well balanced, savory, round tannins, lingering nicely ending with some earthy mineral tone, OR style. Has room to age. Very nice! — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

Fourth of the blind tasting for Father's Day weekend.

Deep and dark purplish ruby red. Dark fruits with a touch of acetone or whiskey on the nose. Some cigars and dark cocoa as well. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and medium bodied. A touch lighter than expected. Extracted dark fruits and bitter dark cocoa on the palate. A little unbalanced with a medium plus finish. This is still a baby and needs time to settle. Drink till 2029. — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

markus gould

9.0

just alright to start the weekend.
good ripe fruitiness, still a dash vegetal, smooth. — 10 years ago

Grenfel Calheiros

9.4

6 ano that was bottled at 1974 or a bit earlier. My companion during El Clasico over the weekend. I am just not sure as to who was better -- the game or the wine. It was just incredible. — 11 years ago

Eileen Hallmark

9.2

We will start the Memorial Day weekend with a little Miraval Blanc. This is not the rose rather the Blanc Delectable has edited this incorrectly. — 11 years ago

Jason Rzutkiewicz

Wine Blogger Jason's Wine Blog

9.3

Birthday wine from last weekend. If you haven't been to Terra get there. Fantastic stuff all around! — 12 years ago

with umoree00

Deborah M

9.1

Nice prelude to a long weekend. — 6 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.1

Tonight the wine I have opened is the Moët & Chandon 150th Anniversary Imperial Brut Champagne. The blend is 30-40% Pinot Noir, 30-40% Pinot Munier and 20-30% Chardonnay.

On the nose there is buttery brioche, creme brulee, lemon curd, yeasty bread, hazelnut and apricot.

On the palate there is creamy lemon curd, tropical fruits, pineapple, brioche, hazelnut and a minerality.

This wine is medium bodied with medium + to high acidity that leads into a long toasty citrus finish. Today is the day we spring ahead and so we all lose an hour of our weekend. So what time we have left to the weekend try to enjoy yourselves and please be safe doing so. Nostrovia! 🥂🥂🥂🥂 — 6 years ago

Brandon Davito

9.2

Birthday wine! Thanks to Reiko and Stephen for the wine country weekend! — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Last nights notes are from memory and enjoyed with as true Italian pizza as you can find in the States.

We had the 09 last weekend, which was good and likely somewhere around it’s peak. However, I must say, it was not stored in ideal controlled temperature. Rather, laid down in dark, cool to mild temperatures with humidity.

2010 was a very strong vintage in Piemonte...much better than 2009. So, this bottle was much better than 09. While this bottle was stored well, it was not ideally. It’s still about two years away from approaching its peak.

After a short, decant it showed meaty round tannins, dark currants, big presence of baking spices, dark spice, more wood notes than the 09 with beautiful blue & purple florals.

Once it opened up, its showed its sweet & sour dark cherries, spiced plum, hues of blue fruits, silky texture, more elegance, nice round acidity and amazing slightly perfume blue and purple florals.

Photos of; Produttori winery, their beautiful Nebbiolo fruit, the hilltop town of Barbaresco and surrounding vineyards. — 8 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.2

UGC Weekend in LA. This showed up. Coming to the end of its life but a few grand old dame. Ex Nego. Bottle. — 8 years ago

Mindy Albright

9.4

Tricia in town for Maksim/Makena weekend. Went to Louie's Wine Bar after Haunted Night of the Living Farm — 10 years ago

E & K G

9.3

The second bottle of the weekend. No better way to celebrate! Light brioche then pear. Always tastes better with the family together. #恵愛ちゃん生誕祭 #杏子復活祭 — 10 years ago

Christopher Campbell

8.9

A nice very drinkable red table wine. Not fruity yet, not high in tannins either. Is drink it again. — 11 years ago

Frank Pinto

9.5

Started the birthday weekend off right last night with my sweetie and a bottle of the 2010. Layered power nuanced with silky tannins. The wine was really good too. — 11 years ago

with Judith

Bob Pratt

9.1

Sunday night, quiet night end of the weekend — 11 years ago

Colene Shaffer

9.6

Colene had this 12 years ago

Jeff Hasmann

9.7

Now, to top off the Rhone tasting for the weekend. I wanted to pull out some special juice from the cellar and this hit the spot. Sabon’s Secret de Sabon is an ethereal wine in any year- in my mind, it is the perfect, benchmark Chateauneuf. The ‘07, at 13 years old, is jaw dropping. Intense black fruit, kirsch, layered floral notes, mixed with incense and beef blood. Too concentrated to be believed but perfectly balanced. The tannins are like velvety silk gliding across the palate. The wine is almost all Grenache from 80 - 100 year old vines grown in sand and stone and aged in small barrels. Only about 250 cases made per year. Ethereal juice! 2007 vintage on Mar 22, 2020 — 6 years ago

Susan Sachs

9.3

Plum and strawberry with acid and plenty of structure. Long sensuous finish. Me wants more. A mega hit at Crab and Fin in St Armand’s Circle on Randy’s Birthday weekend. — 7 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.2

I hope everyone has made it to weekend in good shape. Today I picked up the 2014 Château Phélan Ségur St. Estéphe. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot a typically beautiful St. Estéphe.

The nose is very expressive with notes of raspberries, blackberries, cherries, black plum, black currant, chocolate, herbs, coconut, violets and a nice earth note.

On the palate the nose is confirmed with black cherry, black raspberries, blackberry, black currant, a generous amount of green bell pepper, clove, graphite, light oak and earth.

This wine is full bodied with medium + acidity and medium + firm chewy tannins that leads to a long energetic finish. Have a wonderful weekend and please stay safe. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 8 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

8.9

Tonight I have opened the 2016 Kobal Bläufrankisch from Slovenia. This would be my first wine from this part of the world.

On the nose there is cherry, blackberry, licorice, caramelized wood and dry soil.

On the palate I am getting sour cherry, blackberry, herbs, spice and dry soil.

This wine is medium to full bodied with medium + acidity and medium + gripping tannins that lead right to a long tart finish. A nice wine for a very young Bläufrankisch. Over time I'm sure it will fill out but I am intrigued by the tartness. We are starting another weekend so please stay safe and enjoy your weekend of wine. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 8 years ago

Monica Ryden

9.2

Really enjoying this wine. 95% Counoise. 5% Grenache. — 9 years ago

Tori

9.9

Dry. Spicy. Cherry. Vanilla. Girls Weekend. Fall 2016 — 10 years ago

Steve McDermott

9.3

Enjoyed at Karen's Thanksgiving weekend — 11 years ago

Renny Cabreros

8.9

Toasted cherries, light acidity with hints of strawberries and peaches. Perfect Labor Day weekend wine. — 11 years ago

Brooks Fleet

10

Bday weekend — 11 years ago

Jennifer Jane

9.5

So full bodied and peppery. Tastes like a delicious blend of cab sauv and zinfandel. Drank this at Bear Creek Cottage with a delicious meal of steak, grandad's potatoes and fresh corn on the cob over Fourth of July weekend! — 12 years ago

with Joshua