Well Read Wines

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Slightly lighter ruby with a wider ruby garnet rim . More reserved and cooler , more elegant , spicier fruits than the Mouton , less plush. Cassis , violet , blackberry , red cherry , roasted red pepper , grafite and oyster shell . Quite detailed and mineral. On the palate this is finer boned and elegant with refreshing acidity , cassis , tobacco , grafite and that briny , sea shell note . Saline and very fine , but also very noticable tannins on the palate , long grafite , tobacco , cassis tinged finish . This comes across as very classic Lafite , with drier , cooler fruit; more introvert than the extrovert Mouton. It doesn’t shout, there is no need , its refinement and pedigree are clear to all. Still young but beginning to show some development, better in 5-10 years and will last well another 10-20 , and being Lafite , perhaps even longer . As an aside this was paired with seared duck breast , port wine sauce and roasted figs , a combination that really worked with the wine , it was just a fantastic combination. — a month ago

Jan, Anthony and 13 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009

Blend of Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, & splash of Merlot; estate-owned vineyards Rutherford, Napa, St. Helena & Stag's Leap District. Just opened, 14 years in the bottle after couple of years in the barrel! Still tasting well, young & juicy, should easily last another decade, but nice now. Deep Ruby, dark fruits, spice, complex nose. Palate reflects juicy rich berry fruits, well structured harmonious wine. Fine soft rich tannins, long finish ending with fruit, tobacco and earthy tones. Wow! — 2 months ago

Andrew, Juan and 4 others liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1985

No formal notes . Quite deep ruby , garnet , thin garnet rim . This is quite open and aromatic , with a spicy , herbaceous cassis , truffle , tobacco , grafite hints , very classic and serious but also really attention grabbing . On the palate this is quite rounded and juicy for Las Cases , good mineral , grafite tinged cassis , quite fine but present tannins , balanced acidity with a tobacco tinged finished and pretty good length . Drinking well now but also can go a while yet, perhaps over the next 10 or so years . — 3 months ago

Dave, Bob and 13 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1982

Decanted prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. This bottle of the 1982 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core and some rim variation; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with a mix of tart, ripe and dried, mostly black fruits: cassis, blackberries, tobacco, dried flowers, grilled Poblano, leather, dry gravelly earth, and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. One of the earliest vintages of Opus One, this is showing really well at the moment. Drink now through 2042. — 4 months ago

Scott@Mister, Dave and 16 others liked this

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Solid! Beautiful deep purple color. Aromas of blueberry, leather, black cherry cassis and cocoa. Amazing dark and blue flavors, very well balanced. — 4 months ago

Dave, Tom and 10 others liked this
Ron R

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Heitz Cellar

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1978

Dried cherries on the nose. Very port like with the age. Drinking exceptionally well! — 5 months ago

Dave and Somm liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

Beautiful, classic aged Bordeaux that is drinking very well right now but shows signs it could continue improving. Unfortunately I only have one more bottle so will drink that in the next 2-3 years. Cheers! — 5 months ago

Shay liked this
Shay A

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Love this ‘03!

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Pours a deep cherry with a tawny rim. Nose of an old cedar chest of drawers, blueberry, blackcurrant and earth - very polished. Those notes from the nose translate onto the medium + bodied palate - reflecting the excellent vintage. It’s easy to get swept up with Grand Cru Burgundy but don’t forget about aged classed growth Bordeaux of quality like this - just superb. Went well with Roast Beef for Sunday Lunch. — a month ago

Tom, Austin and 26 others liked this

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Deep ruby , garnet , with thin garnet rim . Quite deep and ripe cassis , violet , blackberry , meaty grafite , sea spray , rich but well balanced . Quite well defined on the palate , blackberry , cassis , grafite . Balanced quite fresh acidity , fine but noticable tannins . Quite good grafite , saline tinged finish . Quite classic in style , with freshness from the cool fruit character and mineral focus , but polished with enough stuffing to age further , and probably improve over the next 5 -10 years and last well a further 10 . — 2 months ago

Dave, Jan and 9 others liked this

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

Pretty deep ruby , thin ruby rim . This is quite closed at first , but very focused mineral and grafite , oyster shell notes with dark blackcurrant and blackberry notes , spicy touches too . On the palate this is really focused and reserved , lots of mineral tinged black fruits , tobacco , oyster shell . Quite rich yet very good balance, fresh acidity . Ripe but gritty tannins , saline and really long finish . Accessible now , but really destined for the long term. Wait another 5-10 years , will drink well a further 20 . At Vinous Icons, Pier 60 NY, Feb 2025 — 2 months ago

Dave, Tom and 12 others liked this

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

First Time Trying "Calon Segur" 1995 – Tasting Notes

Background:
- Wine:Château Calon-Ségur 1995 (Third Growth, Saint-Estèphe)
- Blend:Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot)

Tasting Notes
Appearance
- Color:Ruby-red with a "pigeon blood" hue, still vibrant for its age.

Nose (Aroma)
- Initially:Tight and powerful upon opening, dominated by cedar, oak, and smoky notes, with subtle earthy undertones. Fruit and floral aromas were restrained.
- After 30 mins of decanting:Began to open up—blackcurrant, raspberry, and a savory, almost "natural wine" minerality emerged.
- After 1 hour:Evolved further with liquorice, dark chocolate, and a touch of tobacco.

Palate (Taste)
- Tannins: Softened nicely but still present (typical of aged Bordeaux).
- Acidity:Noticeably high, giving freshness but slightly dominant early on.
- Flavor Profile:Balanced but not overly complex—black fruits, earthy notes, and oak spices in harmony.

Structure & Finish
- Body:Medium-full, elegant but not heavy.
- Finish:Moderate length, ending with lingering cedar and dark fruit.

Impressions & Comparisons
- Balance:Very well-integrated—no single element overpowers (aroma, flavor, acidity all upper-medium tier).
- Lacking Distinction? In a blind tasting of Bordeaux, this might blend in—no standout "wow" factor(e.g., missing the rose petal florality sometimes associated with "Calon’s romantic charm").
— 3 months ago

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 1984

Medium light garnet , quite wide terracotta rim . Top shoulder ullage . Slightly herbal , old mahogany, hickory , chestnut, minty , dried fruits with sous bois underneath, hoisin . On the palate this has some sweet red fruits , touch of coffee , old wood , earthy , meaty hints . Good acidity and slightly grippy tannins . Not bad length. This bottle shows surprisingly well considering its state , and is very drinkable . Drink now , as this deteriorated quite quickly once in the glass — 4 months ago

Tom, Shay and 5 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

Cedar, sour cherries, and pencil shavings on the nose. Dried fruit on the palate. Still drinking well! — 5 months ago

Dave liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2014

As always, delicious. Everything coming together. Rich cherry, liquorice, oaky vanilla, earth. Tannins are still grippy but well integrated, real structure. — 2 months ago

Barbara Gazley
with Barbara
Jay, Rob and 1 other liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Delicious. Good amount of caymus fruit and oak but integrated well enough to deliver an outstanding wine — 2 months ago

Tom, Ethan and 3 others liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1990

1990 vintage. Previously tasted 3x in the last 4+ years 01.20.23 (9.6), 05.16.21 (9.4) and 09.21.23 (9.5) Top shoulder fill. Excellent cork. Decanted and tasted immediately. Oodles of sediment as expected. Beguiling St. Estèphe nose. This. Was. Phenomenal. Best of the four horsemen/tastings. Enough structure to build the infrastructure for a new city along with a surprising amount of dark fruit. A well-stored, large format bottle of this might just show you the best time you’ve ever had. WoW. 08.14.25. — 2 months ago

Daniel, Ted and 23 others liked this
Jan A

Jan A

Nice!
Alexandre Pagliano

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Its indeed wow. Have you tried the 1989 ? Slightly less dramatic and more classical in style but can be as big an epiphany…

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Always drinks well. Robust without being overpowering. Dark purple, blackberries, graphite and pencil lead. Fine minerals. A little pepper. — 3 months ago

Tyler liked this

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1981

This was a well-stored example and the cork was in pretty great shape; extracted with the aid of a Durand. Opened about an hour before service and poured into a decanter. Enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1981 pours a garnet color with a slight orange-ish rim; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with mostly desiccated notes of dark and red fruit: red currants, confected cherry, organic earth, mushroom, leather, eucalyptus, baking spice. Umami AF. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. While showing its age, this is very much alive. The entire bottle was enjoyed by all. Drink now. — 4 months ago

Zach, Andrew and 16 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Somm David T
9.6

I think if you read this nonsense I post, you know how I feel about this producer, past & present. This 07 is outstanding & top of its bell curve. It is so good to revisit these great vintages of Caymus Classic.

This is fresher than the 97. It is rich/lush, cassis to currents, ripe, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries & strawberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, classic, beautiful, Caymus Classic spice that I miss dearly in their new wines, black licorice, fudge, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanillin, most top soil, limestone, dry herbs, dry tobacco, barrel shavings, taut leather, volcanic grey clay, dark, fresh & slightly withering flowers, violets, beautiful round acidity, balance, structure, nice tension and elegant finish that last minutes and falls on spice and evoluted earth tones.

This bottle is in fine shape. Still strong and will last another 10 years of fine drinking. Phenomenal vintage and time to enjoy.
— 5 months ago

Rob, Vanessa and 14 others liked this

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1994

Started out shaky but rose to an eclectic dinner. Wine after decanting had the right tannins and a dried cherry linger that worked well on my palate. — 5 months ago