'a Vita

A. Rafanelli

Unfiltered Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2015

05.23.25
And John brings this one out!
— 6 days ago

TwiLea and Jay liked this
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

That’s a banger right there.

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2002

Gorgeous. A mag from cellar. Resolved yet alive. Lemon fruit with limestone a touch salinity with great persistence and length. Fantastic stuff — 11 days ago

Bex GreenMajor-General Sir William Biddles CurranDavid Schachter
with Bex, Major-General and 1 other
Lyle, Shay and 10 others liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2021

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Deep inky in color with a short purple rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, black currants, cooked cherries, light oak, vegetables, licorice, earth, chocolates, Indian spices and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, currants, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, coffee, light tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, earth and black tea.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux. Showing a nice mouthfeel. Fresh, complex and rich.

This second growth wine is still young, but already enjoyable, even by itself.

Drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 7 years. Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

Well balanced, and good by itself as a sipping wine. A good food wine too.

A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$215.
— 13 days ago

Vanessa, Daniel and 18 others liked this

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1998

Vintage 1998 | beautiful concentration, a treat — 5 days ago

Stefan, Jan and 24 others liked this

A. Rafanelli

Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Lead pencil, veg, spice cedar combo and some dark plums on the nose. The taste had some plums and a bit of veg. The finish was okay but a bit short. Overall a great wine and my last 2016 and now on to the 2017s. — a month ago

Matt liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2012

Plenty of tannins left. 25bucks. Those were the days! 14%| Quite classic. Browne tinge. Needs at least 2-3 hours of air. Quite harsh and astringent. Roses, earthy and dusty, very dry. Hint of truffles. - Not super exciting at first (15min) so wait. Will last another 10 years - but i do worry about the fruit component if you need space in your cellar - i would suggest drink up. I will. Some folks tend to hype these wines i don’t - after all this is their most basic version with a large production volume. Total volume is 500,000 bottles a year at this cooperative. My guess they to make a lot of this one. — 2 days ago

Tom, Rick and 7 others liked this
Dave Clinton

Dave Clinton

I believe I gave this wine an enthusiastic review as well. Cheers!

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Jan A
9.5

Already some nice development and drinking well. Still ample tight tannins that are partially resolved. Wait a couple of years for the next bottle — 18 hours ago

Jelle, Roman and 18 others liked this

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2013

Always a pleasure and has an enjoyable luxury about it...this bottle was a bit muted though — 5 days ago

Daniel, Ted and 15 others liked this

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2006

It is customary for the wines of Chateau Musar to be released seven years post-vintage. However, in 2013, the decision was made to hold the vintage back. 2006 was unusual for two reasons. The first, were the cool climatic conditions in the Bekaa; the likes of which had not been seen since the 1950’s. There was a two-week period in winter where the valley was blanketed in snow and mild temperatures remained in effect throughout much of the growing season. The second was much more tragic: 2006 was a war year in Lebanon. On July 12th of that year, Israel and Hezbollah engaged in a bloody conflict that lasted (officially) a little over a month. Sadly, thousands of lives were lost. In 2017, eleven years after harvest, the 2006 vintage was deemed ready for release.

Poured into a decanter about 90min prior to service. The 2006 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of black cherry, blackberries, black currants, tobacco, horse blanket, leather, some red and purple flowers, dried herbs and Eastern spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and absolutely delicious. A triumph and perfect with lamb chops. Drink now through 2046+.

How Chateau Musar endures to make wines from the Bekaa remain one of the great examples of human grit and determination available in the world of wine. Frankly, it’s a minor miracle this vintage ever made it to the winery.
— 3 days ago

Lyle, Jan and 15 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Great note (though “note” doesn’t really begin to cover it).
David White

David White

Love Chateau Musar and its history, thank you @Jay Kline for sharing the story to the 2006

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Decant for sediment (lots of chunky/fine sediment) and pour. A stunning medium ruby red color with little signs of aging. On the nose: big inviting notes of dark fruit/currants, worn leather, herbaceous, smoked meat, funky earth, menthol. Taste: silky, evolved, expressive structure with brambly plum, currants, old leather, dark chocolate, graphite, and a black raspberry-iron-dried herb long finish. YUM! It's what's you want in an aged Napa cab, and glad to have just acquired 3 more bottles. — 4 days ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Deborah and 17 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Another tip: I keep a bottle in the fridge to pour decanted sediment dregs into, and use it (except for the muddy bottom part) for cooking. That way my coq au vin or daube is braising in really good stuff from my cellar!
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

x Tom C, good notes. Thanks for the tips. Cheers!
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

x x I find the sediments can be bitter and usually try to remove them so they don't impact the wine. Hate them all over the side of the glass. Cheers!