Cait

9.7

Love this champ!!! Wow! No headaches, not sweet. Crisp and downed way too fast. — 4 years ago

Torrey Ikeda

9.6

Fruity and smooth. — 6 years ago

Matthew Valentine

9.4

Top 5 for me. Let it open up, so good! Way better than regular Caymus. Drinks like a big boy wine — 7 years ago

Loren Grossman

Vintner Wilde Farm Wines

9.7

Surprising in every way. BlackBerry, menthol, grilled meats, lavender. Wonderful concentration, depth and structure. Youthful and superb. — 7 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Leathery and red floral nose. After 1 hour decant, opulent, lightly spiced and earthy-red palate infused with dried mushrooms, iron and throughout with notes of garrigue. Punching way above its weight in a meh vintage...just entering a window that will last 10+ years. — 8 years ago

Martin G Rivard

10

What a beautiful person inside and out! I'm blessed beyond measure to be able to call him "Dad". Words can't adequately express how much I Love him. We opened a few bottles last night that I will hold near and dear to my heart forever. We are celebrating his completion of 6 rounds of chemo therapy in his battle against Prostate cancer. This is his 3rd time in the ring against this opponent and it appears that he's won with a unanimous decision by knockout at this time!!!!!! Love you dad!!!!! So proud of your strength through this process. My Father was born in 1940. A difficult year to say the least:
Germans entered Bordeaux in June of 1940. As dictated by Hitler himself, it was the sworn duty of each and every commander to search and seize whatever could be used for the advancement of the German cause. Bedlam broke out. Chateaux' were ransacked, wine cellars were looted if not used for target practice. The Chateauxs were forced to continue producing wines. It's poetic justice that Mother Nature provided the Germans with the worst growing season from 1940 to 1944!!!! The Germans left Bordeaux in 1944 to the cheers of the residents "Au Revoir Les Allemands"!!!! The 1940 bottle that we enjoyed this evening survived World War II. It Survived the ransacking, pillaging & plunder of countless German soldiers. It's outer capsule showed evident signs of its struggle but it's inner beauty was unblemished and glorious. I've had many, many vintages of Latour from 1928 and on but none have ever tasted as perfect as the one we enjoyed tonight. This 1940 was perfect. It was a fighter, it never gave up, it never relinquished in the face of adversity. That's my Father, that my role model. He's a beautiful person inside & out. I think 1940 is the best vintage that I have ever had the privilege to enjoy. Special thanks to my good friends Michael Troise whom provided me with much of the insights in regards to the incredibly difficult vintage and David Page whom gifted this bottle to me for our celebration this evening. I will never forget your generosity. It was a glorious evening to say the least!!! Wine has a way of bringing people together and encapsulating an evening and event. I couldn't think of a better way to rejoice in his victory than to open a Father & Son birth year wine. — 8 years ago

with Ryan, Christine and 1 other

Christopher Suarez

9.3

This 2008 was cellared for almost five years after purchased in 2012. Consumed Nov 2015, the best way to describe this delight is that "it melts in your mouth". You do not even feel it as it goes down, the taste begins with its scents as soon as it hits your palate. Delightfully fruity with cherry, blackberry and jam. — 10 years ago

Cody Short

9.2

Fall has finally arrived in Texas and no better way to enjoy it than sitting outside, watching football, grilling and drinking some amazing Champagne from one of my favorite Houses — 10 years ago

B

10

1985 Sassicaia. Second red wine at Redd Wood lunch w A, S, and K. This wine was perfect. Epic. We could not believe how perfect this wine was drinking. Thoroughly enjoyed it- it was enjoyable the way truffles are- hard to describe, but pleasing to all relevant senses. — 10 years ago

Katie Canfield

9.7

Fantastic pairing with a bit of Manchego & Mahon quesos. Well on it's way in terms of maturity but has a few more years yet of tantalizing taste buds. — 11 years ago

with mattswineworld

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Well...this was one hell of a week. There is only one way to wind it down. Reach for an excellent bottle of vintage Champagne.

My first thoughts are how delicate this is on the palate. Further, how unbelievable it will be with another 8-10 years in bottle.

The nose shows; slightly sour lemon, the good parts of lemon Pledge, lemon meringue, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, brioche, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanilla, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies.

The body is light on its feet and dances on the palate. Delicacy abounds. Its soft, gorgeous mousse right there with the best money can buy. Slightly sour lemon, lemon meringue, green & with more bruised golden apple, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, touch of apple cider, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, ginger ale into cream soda, brioche, nougat, toffee notes, lighter nuts without skin, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanillin, marzipan, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies. The acidity is mellow yet lively, gorgeous and as good as it gets. The finish is all luxury. So well knitted & balanced, elegant, rich but not overpowering and gently persisting several minutes.

Photos of; The House of Taittinger, their caves so chalky white and built on the famous Crayères Cellars of Reims: 2.5 miles of tunnels (they own 1/4 to 1/3 of it) cut out of chalk by the Romans, the portrait of Thibaud IV who was a king, lord, manager, singer, conqueror, explorer & 11th century Crusader all rolled into one from which, this Cuvée was the catalyst creation and part of the 600 plus hectares they own in Champange.

Some producer notes; Taittinger's history can be traced back to 1734, when it was originally known as Forest-Fourneaux, founded by Jacques Fourneaux who worked closely with local Benedictine monks to learn how to produce wine. They were just the 3rd Champange house.

The estate was bought by the Taittingers – a family of wine merchants – in 1932, and thanks to the great depression and subsequent low land prices, the family also picked up huge swathes of vineyard. From 1945-1960, Francois Taittinger established the cellars in the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, and after his death in 1960 his brother Claude took over, pushing the estate into a Champagne house of world renown. Such was the status of the label that the Taittinger family soon expanded its business into other luxury goods. However, this eventually led to financial difficulties, and in 2005 the Taittinger brand – including the Champagne house – was sold to the American owned Starwood Hotel Group. The sale was badly received by the Champagne industry, with many fearing the new owners – unfamiliar with the culture of Champagne – would put profit ahead of quality.

Just one year later, Claude’s nephew, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who had always been opposed to the sale, negotiated a €660m deal with the Starwood Group, and the Taittinger family resumed ownership of the company.

In 2017, Taittinger planted its first vines in England, near a village in Kent, for its venture into English sparkling wine. The first bottle will be ready in 2023.

1/8/21 — 5 years ago

Brandon T

9.1

One of my favorites. Great way to start the night. — 8 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.2

Rocks! More fruity and less savage than the '14.... in a good clean way... but still with a touch of "barn" to remind you where you are. — 8 years ago

David W. Goldense

9.5

So, the night before Thanksgiving, opening a classic claret with my closest Brit. Cassis, elegance, depth and character to go so deep it's crazy. What a way to start the holiday. — 9 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.1

Velvety, plush and deep; hints of plumb and baking spice with an almost chalky mouthfeel. Decanted for 3 hours as per the winemaker's suggestion and turned out beautifully. — 10 years ago

with Krystal

Mitja Sirk

Production La Subida, Aceto Sirk

9.5

Absolutely perfect! No better way to finish 2015 — 10 years ago

Andrew Davidoff

9.5

Big. No make that full bodied. Scratch that - let's say Voluptuous. This Shiraz made me think twice about how the Australians are making wine. How did Hundred Acre do that? Exceptional and well worth the hunt if you can find it. — 10 years ago

with Aldo

Matthew Jauregui

9.4

Great way to finish a tasting a nice champagne blend. Opens very well, in a beautiful pale salmon color. Chalk full of fruit fresh wild strawberries, pairs, apple, and lots of cherries. — 10 years ago

Evan Bloom

8.9

Funk and barnyard quickly give way to chalky restrained fruit. Elegant, delicate, but laaaaid back. Nice! 2006 vintage — 11 years ago

Malcolm Trimble

9.2

Dark ruby color. Deep tart cherry so smooth on the way down. Wonderful wine — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The 13 was a brutal tannin vintage when I tasted it at En Premier. The tannins are still bitty but, nothing like they were out of barrel.

The fruit in the 13 shows the difficulty in the vintage. They are duller and it’s really stands out from other vintages and not in a good way.

It’s lean and there is nothing that really draws you in. Fruits are; dark cherries, rhubarb, blackberries, some blueberries@and the strawberries show some ripeness the other do not. Lots of dry earth, dry stones, some herbs, dark withering florals, decent acidity and a uneventful dry finish.

Photos of; Clyde and Alfred at the bar, their Amphora style cement tanks they ferment part of each vintage now, road signs of the good neighbors they keep and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago

Dave Wood

9.0

Still with some life after 50 years. Nice with hazelnut espresso chocolate pot de creame. Nice way to end the 50th birthday dinner. — 8 years ago

with David

Jody Scharf

9.3

Dark dark dark fruits. Soft, consistent, silky. Love these guys. Always delish. — 8 years ago

Aaron Ehrlich

9.2

First Coche ever. Technically perfect in every way though no particular wow factor. Similar experience over three hours. While not reductive in any fashion and oak didn't stick out, perhaps it needs more time to blossom into its legend... Stellar pricing btw and fantastic meal at Lameloise. — 9 years ago

Gladys Xiques

9.1

Riojas have a distinctive aftertaste reminiscent of iodine which is characteristic of lines from Spain. This wine fights against that notoriety. It's evocative of red fruit but not overwhelming. It's balanced. And stays that way throughout the entire length of the taste. Paired with pork and Rosemary, brussels sprouts and kale salad. — 10 years ago

Michael Perry

9.2

Just F'n fun — 10 years ago

Joel Tan

9.0

Yeasty, lots of apple on the palate at first, although with air gave way to a richer more bready flavour. Tinge of oxidative notes — 10 years ago

Paul Costigan

Founder Courtier Wines

9.3

1976: Solid in every way. Derived from the classic period, before anyone had known to coin the term classic period e with regard to California wine. Great length, and pleasing at each stage. Would love to experience again. — 10 years ago

with Michael

Richard Shin

9.7

Still way too young...needs time to integrate the tannins! — 11 years ago