Wells & Young

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2023

Drinking this pre-release bottle of this iconic wine from Bordeaux.

Light gold in color.

Strong nose and Full-bodied.

Sweet on the palate with high acidity to balance the sugars.

Showing melons, tropical fruits, apples, light earth, guava, herbs, spices, papaya and honey notes.

Long finish with herbs and tropical fruits.

This is a gorgeous sweet wine from Bordeaux. Sexy, seductive and fresh. Creamy and buttery.

Showing great potential, but oh so young. Already delicious and complex. Round, opulent and powerful.

Loved the nose once it opened up (20 minutes in the glass).

Rich and extracted. Fruit forward and intense, yet elegant. Well balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Drunk from a Magnum.

A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.
154 g/l sugar.

14% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$500.
— 3 months ago

Scott@Mister, Daniel and 16 others liked this

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010

Jan A
9.7

Young ish, wait 5 years — 6 months ago

Andrew, Robin and 15 others liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2020


Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this .
— 8 months ago

Tom, Tom and 23 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

My first Bordeaux producer love back in the day. Still great.
Andrew Cullimore

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One of mine too @Somm David T , had a few vintages quite recently , all have shown really well

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! — 9 months ago

Andrew, Juan and 4 others liked this

Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

Pure currant fruit, nimble with good concentration, still on the young side, aging very gracefully. — 7 years ago

Ira, Shay and 3 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Somm David T
9.4

I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.

I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.

Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.

In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.

I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.

The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.

This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.

M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.

94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer.
— 3 months ago

Andrew, Rick and 9 others liked this
Joe DAscoli

Joe DAscoli Premium Badge

The 07 such a great wine

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

Expressive and primary. Displaying some of the green/pyrazine/cedar side, but in check with loads of dark red fruit. Needless to say, young. — 8 months ago

Bob, Jonathan and 5 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Just FYI, I’m listed as following you but I am not seeing your posts in my feed. I saw these in “Trending.” Yet another weird glitch in this app.
Austin Hohnke

Austin Hohnke Influencer Badge

@Tom Casagrande it needs a lot of work. I’ll have wines pop up in my feed weeks after they were posted.

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Wow. Some kind of quality. Nose was amazing and the palate evolved throughout the lifespan of the glass. So impressive how young this still was. — 6 years ago

Shay, Tom and 42 others liked this
Eric

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It was quite the experience @David T. By the glass in my hotel bar. Couldn’t help myself.
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Eric S There is only one place I’ve been able to get Latour by the glass and that was in Paris. To me, they are the King of Cabernet/blends. Are you attending the UGC later this month?
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

Missing it this year @David T. Too much work travel!

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Bolgheri Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Wow... so young... so much promise... Terrific. — 7 years ago

Freek, John and 11 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Bill Bender : Thanks for sharing that bottle. It deserved to be enjoyed by itself for more analyzing! Would love to try again and enjoy over a night.

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Indian Wells Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

This is a polished, crowd-pleasing Cabernet that still shows real intent. Ripe black cherry and blackberry lead the charge, followed by notes of cocoa, vanilla, and a subtle cedar spice. The tannins are smooth and well-integrated, giving it an easy, confident structure without sacrificing depth. There’s just enough oak warmth to feel luxurious, but it never overwhelms the fruit.

I opened this during a family winter getaway in Atlantic City, one of those cold, quiet nights after the lights fade and the boardwalk winds down. It paired beautifully with a relaxed dinner and conversation, the kind of wine that elevates the moment without demanding attention. Approachable, reliable, and quietly refined. Indian Wells continues to earn its reputation as a go-to Cabernet with class.
— 3 months ago

Masseto

Toscana Merlot 2018

Still a bit young — 5 months ago

Serge liked this

Cantina Bartolo Mascarello

Barolo Nebbiolo 2017

Still quite young. — 5 months ago

Dave liked this

Vietti

Castiglione Barolo Nebbiolo 2020

Medium light ruby , garnet wide light garnet rim . On opening this was very fruit forward , strawberry, orange rind, raspberry and with some floral, liquorice and spice hints . On the palate again fruit forward , sweet strawberry , raspberry and some red cherry . Just balanced alcohol with fresh acidity . Tannins were quite rounded and sweet , it seemed to lack a little structure . Coming back to this a day later there is much more tannin which is ripe but gritty and more structure noticable . Bizarre how this happens quite often with young Barolo, they appear lighter and more fruit forward than they actually are on opening . A bit more serious too, showing more nuances . Herbal hints , with lightly smoky darker cherry , liquorice and stony, mineral hints on the medium length finish. You could drink this now (if you do what I did last night and just pop and pour), but will be better in 5 years or so and last well a further 5-10. — 7 months ago

Tom, Scott@Mister and 18 others liked this

Bonneau du Martray

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 2020

Pop and pour 375ml. A brilliant medium gold color. On the nose: lemon, floral, oyster shells, saline. Taste: bright, chalky wine with apple, lemon, floral, caramel and a nice never-ending finish. YUM! young and will improve. — 9 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Dave and 14 others liked this

Thymiopoulos Vineyards

Young Vines Xinomavro 2015

A little acidic but not bad with food — 7 years ago

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Intense dark cherry with a long finish. Oak is well integrated + well developed tertiary aromas/flavors. Tannins were surprisingly soft for a Dunn this young. — 7 years ago

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

Classic Comtesse de Lalande. Nose of blackberries, cassis, graphite and pen ink. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that have resolved themselves beautifully, this wine is still young but it exhibits admirable purity, texture, mouthfeel and power combined with elegance. — 8 years ago

Keith and Jay liked this