Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Grabbed this from the wine list at Chops Grille, great price at $128.00 ($101.00 with drinks package) a bottle. Deep purplish ruby red. Iron on the attack of the nose when the wine was cold, needed to warm up. Layered of vanilla, cinnamon, black fruits, dark red berries and a touch floral. Heavy tannins (8.5/10) with a full body. Dark palate with raspberries, black cherries, herbs and spices. Crushed dark gravel in the long finish. Needs a long decant or a year or two in bottle to open up. Drink from 2018 till 2032. — 7 years ago

with Sean and India

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.4

Tasted blind and this was wine 2. This was given a four hour decant.

Deep purplish ruby red. Definitely more complex on the nose, more than just fruits and baking spices. Started off with a kind of sweet bread and had some more savory undertones such as wood, herbs, and tobacco. A strong mid-nose with black currants, raspberries, baking spices and purple floral notes like lilac and lavender. Moderate tannins (6.5/10) and full bodied. Well balanced and great structure from the acidity. Layered palate with a bit of minerality in the attack before moving onto red berries, both bright and dark. A slight pinch in the long and lingering finish. Drink from 2017 till 2032.

When it came down to guessing straight away you could tell this was different than the first wine. More structure and complexity. Felt like it had a bit more age as well as less black and blue fruits. With the Georges III wines we have tried it has been pretty consistent that there is more red fruits and a bit of minerality like this one. So we decided on the 2013 Myriad Georges III. — 7 years ago

with Sean and India

Christine Havens

9.2

Named after the venerable Widow Clicquot herself, La Grande Dame Brut 2006 is a blend of 53% Chardonnay and 47% Pinot Noir. The nose is expressive—bioche dipped in honey, baked apple and a whisp of smoke hanging above richer aromas. The attack is deep and vinous, and there is a lovely creaminess at the center. It finishes nicely, with dried honey and chalk emerging when the bubbles have at last ceased. Tasted at Veuve Clicquot's visitor's center. 8 grams dosage | Sample — 8 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.3

Blackberry, peppered beef and olive flavors attack the palate in abundance. The tannins remain firm; this still has 5 years. The finish is long and peppery. Personally I've always preferred the Old Lakeville Road Vineyard and its more Rhone-like approach to Gary's Vineyard and was disappointed when it was stopped. Was elated when I was able to acquire a couple bottles as mine were long gone. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.4

Thanks @Steve Distler from O'Brien Estate for rushing this out to us! We decided to save it for the weekend after Valentine's Day when we could sit back, watch some netflix and really enjoy this beauty. After reading the reviews online from the likes of Parker etc, we decided that this needed a big decant. We popped it open right before lunch and came back to try it out 8 hours. Deep and dark purple, almost black. Insanely thick and coats the sides of the glass. Fruit bomb on the attack! Tons of fruit, creme de cassis, blackberries, and baking spices like cinnamon. Was still very tight initially, after another two hours started to show some earthy undertones, and mesquite smoked wood. Heavy tannins (8.5/10) and full bodied. This baby is a powerhouse. Heavily extracted, voluptuous, plush and silky with a kick. As soon as you take a sip it coats your throat with cassis and even more dark berries. Long and dark finish, carries the dark fruits throughout. A little heat in the finish most probably just due to age. This wine definitely needs more time in the bottle. If we had anymore we wouldn't touch this until 2017 with a long long decant. A ton of potential! This wine is made from 100% Merlot, and aged 75% new French oak. Only 100 cases produced. — 8 years ago

with India

Christanna Honer

9.8

First thing I said when I smelled this: "Awwwwyeaaahhh". I still stand by that. Smoky meaty roasted raspberry, boysenberry and pink peppercorn, tea leaf, fresh green leafy herbs. Ripe and powerful attack, but the smoky salami and campfire ash notes are what linger on the palate. Impressive stuff. — 9 years ago

Shana Wall

9.7

#LOVE this #2004 #Chesler #Selene #Meritage ($50) #LeDuWines #Nyc This wine is made my one of the trailblazer #FemaleWinemakers in #CA #MiaKlein who prices her wine as she feels she should, not as Napa prices command. Interestingly, this is a Brooding, Muscular, Strapping, #Masculine wine... #Ironic ? As it's made by a #Woman ? :) Intense Spice on the attack (when it first hits your tongue), then immediately #Savory ( #Herbal Sage, Roasted Green Bell Peppers, Tomato Leaf) #BlackFruit (Cassis, Blackberries, Black Cherries & Blueberries... Milk Chocolate, BIG #Spice #BigRedChewingGum (#Cinnamon ), Clove, Black Pepper, #Floral Violet SO much #Complexity So many Layers... I could go on & on. The finish is long... It's Savory, and the Spice sits on the top of the cheeks of your mouth & the top of your tongue (just like when u spit out your stick of Big Red Gum! ;) I can't say enough about this wine. For this price, this wine should have a Cult Following. I almost don't want to tell people about it, so I can buy the rest of the bottles for my self. 👏👏👏🍷👍 60% #CabernetFranc 22% #Merlot 18% #CabernetSauvignon 💃 — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

First of the four year vertical we are trying out for #WAWineMonth. We had the 05, 07, 08 and 09.

A little worried when we opened this bottle, the cork was so soft it snapped in half as soon as we got in. But thankfully, the wine survived. Deep garnet with brick edges and a touch of sediment. Unpleasant attack with an overload of tomatoes that took a little bit of air to wear off. Followed by some aged characteristics on the nose with damp leaves and dark spices. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and strong yet balanced acidity. Medium plus finish with dried red cherries on the attack. Some darker characteristics on the backend with dark cocoa and gravel. Has some similarities to an aged Bordeaux. Dry and long finish. The flavors on the nose and palate definitely showed its age against the other three, but still not a thin wine. Drink till 2019.

Made up of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. — 7 years ago

with Sean and India

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Medium pinkish orange. Bright red fruits on the attack, a touch tangy with notes of melon, white floral notes, strawberries and a bit of roses on the nose. Moderate acidity (6/10) and medium bodied. A touch of heat in the attack which dissipated when it warmed up. Rounded mid palate with red berries. Long and dry finish. Drink till 2021. — 7 years ago

with India

Justin Chiotti

9.0

Pure. Red fruit on attack but still wound tight when first opened which leads me to believe it could age for some time. — 8 years ago

Eric Ford

9.0

Very good Merlot from Tasting Room, we both liked it. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

First wine we are sampling of Gio's wines. Insanely dark in color, dark purplish red with an almost black core. Very intense aromas with a gamey but slightly tight attack straight from the bottle. As it opened it there were some notes of smoked/cured meats, grilled herbs, iron and thick savory notes. Day two and day three only added complexity to the nose with some coriander, cloves, cinnamon and light caramel. Full bodied with moderate plus tannins (7.5/10). Very dusty and tight with slight minerality on day one. Needed to open up and when it did the complexity only grew with savory notes, very dark fruits and dark cocoa. Slightly dry and long finish. Needs some time to fully develop but will be even better in a year or two. Drink till 2028. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Lynn Gowdy

8.9

When first opened, the attack was berry focused (raspberry, strawberry, red cherry). This CNP quickly opened up taking us into a forest on a brisk morning- leaves, twigs and herbal spice. Young but very drinkable. (Nice pairing = braised rabbit, root vegetables, prunes in a light tomato herb sauce, dusting of red pepper flakes. — 8 years ago

Amy Linert

9.0

The Diddler. It definitely has a diddle in it. The first wave across the tongue is a sweet melody, floating flowers and oak, a juicy melon sweep and then an assaulting attack that is most welcome in the mid-palate. You keep coming back for more knowing exactly what’s going to occur, and yet excited when it’s the same intensity and taste. Truly a white wine I enjoy repeatedly. — 9 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.4

2011 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru: from Jay. Far Left of Picture - Faded straw color. Reserved on the nose (especially in comparison to the Carillon). White fruits and flowers on the nose but all quite restrained. Lilly and orange blossom with a touch of green apple. With more air it started to express greater concentration although it never became tropical other than the slightest whiff of unripe lychees. An elegant although restrained wine. On the palette the wine had a silky texture with little in the way of attack. The mid palette was broad and somewhat lacking in precision with a tendency to waft across rather than to envelope. It's party trick is the immense finish and you feel that the wine, at this stage of its development, is in a rush to take you straight to the end and for good reason. The finish is quite outstanding given its young age and I can only imagine what it will be like in 10 years when the mid palette has had the chance to put on some weight and hopefully more complexity. Drink: 2020 onwards. 94/100.

— 9 years ago

Ana Pozeg

9.0

You will feel the mix of cherry flavour with the vanilla finish, when you are calm, at peace. Passive. It has savoury tannins and juicy acidity. Use the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” — 9 years ago

James Webb

9.2

Brambly goodness. Indian spices. Ripe black fruit. Soft attack leads to good acid and barely perceptible tannins. Very nice wine with food, especially when you want a red that's not over the top fruity while still being light. Unique. — 7 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.3

PPM 169. When opened, can smell the peat five feet away. When shoving glass right beneath nose, aroma is (surprisingly) apricots and fruit. In mouth is like massive barbecue woodsmoke attack. Long lingering notes of bourbon cask, dying pitfire embers. Most assertive Islay I have tasted. — 7 years ago

Mark S.

8.9

This is 1996 vintage for comparison with 2012. When opening, 20% of cork was broken, however it should be ok. Matured garnet color, deeper not to see over there and even matured aroma without any weird, initial attack is a bit stronger than 2012, but it means it is still necessary to take one hour for decanting. It changed into powerful one but in the range of elegant with good balance between soft acidity and silky tannin. Of course, it is different from 2012, however, I feel it has been matured very slowly and doesn't make me feel such long time matured. I don't know it can be further matured. My conclusion is really calm and elegant as Saint Julien, good for the people who don't pursue strong impact and juicy taste. @2980, Winona, 170108 — 7 years ago

Christine Havens

8.9

As it's name suggests, the Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz is a baritone rumble of smoky blackberries, earthy firmament, black peppercorn and baking spices. The attack is juicy, but well-structured in firm, tightly-wound tannins. Really nice and one I'll want to reach for again, especially when grilling. Sample — 8 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

10

Had it December 2007.
Still an eternity ahead😱😱.
Still purple in the middle,
Multi coloured fruits, flowers and spices.
Silky, slim with elegance. Determined. Sweet attack.
Beautiful sweet fruit the liquorice and black pepper, then incense, then thousands of other things coming one by one with an incredible order and neatness. So drinkable that you cannot believe is a 1989. Everything is so perfect and in balance. When you say Bordeaux is royal, elegant not powerful. 😍😍🙏🙏 — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Nice little surprise when we got home. Dark ruby with garnet edges. Some greenery, red berries and a little bit of marmite on the nose. Attack of red cherries on the palate, definitely seems to be French in style with a dry finish. Beautiful moderate tannins (6/10) literally melted in our mouths. Full bodied with a great backbone and structure. Super long finish that seemed like it would not disappear. Drink till 2030. — 8 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.0

Needs to blow off some of its heat-when it does, has a more balanced approach to a very fruit laden-blackberry rich attack — 8 years ago

Paul Einbund

Wine Director/Sommelier Frances

9.4

When qba 's attack!! — 9 years ago

David Monaghan

9.6

This is the king of Baberas... Stunning, flowy in the trap, taste sensation. The baroness fell in love again when she tasted this..... And not with me.. There is rumour she has been spotted liking the bottle... We will be back for a full out attack on this bottle of sin and joy... Long live the king- we bow to you and your joyous juice — 9 years ago

with Baroness

Mark Oldman

10

1937 Lafaurie-Peyraguey: seventy-eight years had nothing on this still-fresh show-stopper. Lucid amber color, tangy marmalade-tinged flavor, medium-weight that is not tiring to drink at all. Threads the needle with perfect balance of honeyed intensity and bright acidity. One of the best ‪#‎Sauternes‬ ever to grace these lips. The perfect ‪#‎wine‬ when the wolves of life are howling outside your door. — 9 years ago