Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A stop for Sofia & I in 2015.

Tempranillo with this age is so soft, elegant and even a tad sweet for such a rustic varietal. This bottle has been well stored acquired from a distributor. Very little soft, mushy sediment and no bottle neck burn. Perfect fill line.

It glides onto the palate. Ripe; sweet to tart/sour cherries, rhubarb, brambly blackberries/black raspberries, baked plums & strawberries with some me hovering raspberries/blueberries. Dry-tobacco-stems-leather-top soil-crushed rocks-understated herbs-sage/bay leaf, haunting spices, incense, balsamic, sweet, mid tarriness, dry tomatoes w/ leaf, dry; dark red flowers-roses, rainfall acidity, well balanced, soft structure/tension and elegant finish that lasts 90 seconds and falls on dry earthiness & flowers.

This picked up weight as it decanted & with the Bavette Steak w/ Chimichurri Sauce. — 5 hours ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Time to open one of these 2017’s.

This very pleasant. Nicely Rounded out with 7 yrs or so in bottle.

The mouthfeel shows nice viscosity. It is round & a little waxy. Shows beautiful honeysuckle notes, golden apple, Meyer lemon, light lime juice, not quite pineapple syrup, green apple is late to the party, pink grapefruit w/ a light sprinkle of sugar, mango, some green melon, marmalade fruits quality-orange peel, yellow peaches, dryish apricots, warm caramel, dry chalk-limestone powder, fine grain, grey volcanic minerals, saline, soft flintiness, hints of white pepper, sea fossils, light saline, warm, well done toast, white flowered, yellow lilies, excellent acidity with a round, lush, well balanced, elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and lands on beautiful minerals.

Really excellent with the Jasper Hill Farms Champagne Washed Harbison. Limited release. Might be the best pair w/ this cheese to date. — 5 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy New Year! 🍷

Velvet, evolution Cabernet!

— 14 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Happy New Year! 🍷

This was Missouri Hopper before they put it on the label.

Missouri is a vineyard that is an earthy mineral buffet. This bottle is as well a dry herb assortment. Excellent dark, ripe fruits.

While the 16 is very good, the 18 is a forget about bottle that will continue to improve for many years.

I follow Winemaker’s and this one is Helen Keplinger! Enough said.

97-98 in another 5-8 years. — 14 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Nice by the glass Pinot 100% Meunier. Although they label definite it as Brut, it is only 2g dosage making it technically a Nature.

Nice light effervescence/mousse, micro oxygenation. Red & golden apples, apricots, blood orange-orange citrus blend w/ rind, light lime/lemon, ginger-ale to understated ginger notes, bread dough to baguette crust, slivered almonds, grey volcanics, sea fossils/spray, graham cracker crust, decaying lilies, withering white roses, nice lively acidity, excellent balance, nice tension/structure, with a nicely polished fished that lasts 90 seconds and lands on soft minerality. — 6 hours ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

You definitely get the Merlot here. 67% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet.

2016 an excellent vintage. This still needs more cellaring.

The mouth entry is round, lush & velvety. Fruits lead mid toned but nice blackberries, plum, strawberries cherries, raspberries and a touch of black raspberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, dark, rich, slightly sweet forest floor, light fresh tobacco, excellent softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, hints of granite, red cola/licorice. Beautiful, dark, red florals, red roses petals, near perfect acidity, excellent balance/tension/structure with an elegant finish that lasts nearly two-minutes and falls evenly on fruits & beautiful earth. — 10 hours ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Solid producer. Their entry level n/v is quite nice, consistent in 375ml and still a good value in today’s champagne pricing. A producer that uses a bit more neutral wood than most other champagne houses. They were one of my stops in October 2023.

Lemon/lime w/ zest, grapefruit w/ pith, oranges w/ rind, pineapple, white stone fruit, baguette crust, grainy, pronounced volcanics/limestone/chalkiness, white spice, sea fossils, frothy cream, very light caramel, vanillin, yellow and white flowers, lively acidity and a well balanced, nice tension/structure with a nicely polished finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on splendid minerality.

The owner is quite a talented stain glass maker. He made all their tasting room windows in authentic 13th-14th century style. — 5 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Happy New Year! 🍷

Perfect pairing w/ my Dutch oven braised short-ribs & horseradish mashed potatoes.

Dark currants, brambly blackberries, dark cherries, brilliant cherries, strawberries, iron pan, dry shale, dry herbs-sage lead, dry crushed rocks, limestone, volcanics, roasted chestnuts (a signature of this producer), some black coffee, tarriness, dry top soil, dark spices, some red to mid berry cola, red, dark flowers, violets, excellent, round acidity, balance for days, nice structure/tension with elegance that lands squarely on dry earthiness. — 14 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Fruit is brighter, more brilliant than many other 21’s I’ve had. Texturally & fruit-wise senses more like the 23’s I’ve had. It’s gorgeous. Again, needs a decade or more in the cellar.

Round, lush, creamy blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, poached strawberries, dry, crushed rocks, limestone powder, nice balling spices, caramel, mocha, dry herbs, dry tobacco, lead pencil, dry river stone, leather, melted, dark chocolate, dark spice, fresh & withering dark flowers, red roses, nice round acidity, well balanced, bigger tension & structure, excellent round, excellent finish that last minutes and lands on spice, wet clay and Christmas cake. — 10 hours ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I haven’t had a Bordeaux in a while. Especially, with a Ribcap. So, why not an 82? The vintage Robert Parker made his career as the only critic who called it correctly.

Very good 80’s Bordeaux were my first true wine love. Their style & 12-13% ABV will always be my cherished infatuation. Wished it had never changed.

Bought this Calon Segur on the secondary market several yrs ago. Tricky cork. Used my Durand. All good. Fill line perfect, no bottle neck tannin burn but plenty of velvety sediment.

If any of you ever wondered why there is a heart on the label. Here is the interesting reason…

It symbolizes the estate's deep-rooted history and the affection of its former owner, the Marquis de Ségur. Despite owning prestigious estates like Château Lafite and Château Latour, he famously declared, "I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon." His sentiment is immortalized by the heart emblem on the label.

Opened it and let it breathe from the bottle for 45 minutes. Tasted it and decanting it in stages. Then, stopped 1/2 way through and poured the bottom half of the bottle from the bottle.

82 is such a grand, classic vintage. For the most part, I drink Calon Segur’s too early, even at 20 yrs of age. I don’t want to say it is a long in tooth as its neighbor, Montrose, but it is close. This 82 is drinking perfectly w/ 41 yrs in bottle and will hold another 5 yrs. Such soft, perfectly darkish spices with elegantly ripe fruits.

This 82 glides over the palate. There is only beautiful elegance, nothing bites back. The fruits are older (not old or past their prime), ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums but lean plum vs black, dark cherries, crazy, outstanding, hoovering raspberries with notes of blueberries & shades of freshly picked rhubarb. Some black cherry cola, anise to understated black licorice, dark chocolate pudding, caramel, layered, gentle baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, touch of sun tea, old leather, dryish to fresh tobacco w/ash, charcoal, elegant graphite, dry limestone powder, dry river pebbles, black, rich earth w/ dry leaves, magical, dark spices, grey volcanics, dry stems, just a hint of dry herbs, dry top soil, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, red roses, grand acidity with perfect; balance, tension, structure and a grand, gentle finish that goes on & on and eventually lands on an amazing soft buffet of earthiness.

This is a wine that is technically a 94, but w/ evolution & style a 97. Amazing bottle that you don’t want to end.

$500 a bottle today through the app. Somewhere around $10 upon release. — 5 days ago