A. Christmann

A. Rafanelli

Unfiltered Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2023

12% petit syrah.

Nose: candid lilac. Very fresh. Clean. Mint. Very complex. Hint of herbs.

Palate: taut. Very precise cherry fruit. A hint of bitterness. Long. Grippy.

The source $35 ship from winery. 1 case.
— 3 days ago

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2004

A good, aged claret. A magnum shared at a family meal of braised beef roast. — 5 days ago

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 2016

Elegance in a bottle. Bright, pale straw color, with big bubbles. Nutty, ripe peach, lemon and chalk aromas. Grapefruit, lemon and a mineral finish. Superb!

🏅96 Points - Wine Spectator
— 6 days ago

Billy, Doug and 21 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Des bulles pour la vie!!!

A. Rafanelli

Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Nose: soft elegant plum. Hint of herbs. Florals.

Palate elegant plum. Some cocoa. So elegant. Seamless.

Very Burgundian.

*

25% list OC.

The source 43.50. Can ship one case .
— 3 days ago

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2021

What a find at this restaurant. My first sassicaia. Rich and almost thick, but not overly fruity and in balance. Clearly a special wine. — 6 days ago

Mike MillerAnne MillerChris MacLean
with Mike, Anne and 1 other
Mike, "Odedi" and 7 others liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2015

Showing amazingly, in a perfect place. Open one tonight if you have it! — 15 days ago

Ted, Ray and 7 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1981

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a dull purple/garnet color with a translucent core and significant rim variation, moving towards a rust color. The wine has medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, dried red and purple flowers, old leather bound books, tobacco, a touch of menthol, some earth, old wood and a sprinkle of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Super high quality but a touch thin.

Initial conclusions: Due to the observable characteristics of color, rim variation, sediment, smell and flavor, I think this wine has significant age; 30+ years. However, this is still very alive and showing more than enough markers to give an indication of place. Subsequently, this could be a Cabernet-based blend or a Tempranillo-based blend from the United States, France, or Spain. For me, I’m getting new French oak vibes instead of American so I’m eliminating Spain. I also think this leans more towards its fruit than its structure and since this comes across a little on the thin side, I’m going to say this comes from a tougher vintage. My final conclusion is this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from the USA, Napa, 1981. Wow! This showed really well.

It never ceases to amaze me how analogous the 1981 vintage was in both Napa and Bordeaux. I find it equally amazing how well that vintage has held up; particularly when considering its poor reputation, mostly based on the prevailing thought at the time. From my perspective, well stored examples are not going to fall off of a cliff but I would drink now through 2031.
— 25 days ago

Lyle, Pooneet and 17 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Frankly find Latour more "interesting" in lesser vintages with subtleties/nuances often lost in the bigger vintages. The big vintages amply feature the power and the lesser vintages feature the glory. Probably in the minority here tho.
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego personally, I don’t have enough experience with Chateau Latour to have a feeling, one way or another. That being said, I’ve had enough experience with 1st growths in general (including Latour) to more or less understand your take. And logically, I have no reason to doubt your position

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1983

Tangy. Dark plum and dried herbs. A gamey lush quality with a touch of iodine. Savory with a pinch of salt in the finish — 13 days ago

Ara Aslanian
with Ara
Douglas, Tom and 1 other liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2007

Impressive depth after a previous flawed bottle. Baking nose with firm length. PdB benchmark. — 9 hours ago

Andrew, Andrew and 4 others liked this

Jean Foillard

Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2022

Yay Gamay! Always a favorite. Excellent. — a day ago

Emmett BroxsonBrian Broxson
with Emmett and Brian
Bobbi Jo liked this