Clone 5

Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia

Valbuena 5° Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 1997

Mariano García’s final vintage at Vega Sicilia. What a great bottle.

The nose opens with damp forest floor, leather, cedar, and quiet red fruit; subtle, reserved, endlessly composed.

On the palate, it’s silk laid gently over structure: dried cherry, tobacco, graphite, and savory earth carried by fine-grain tannins and measured acidity.

The finish reads like the final lines of a great novel: inevitable, complete, and exactly as it should be. And already, there’s a touch of nostalgia, because I don’t know when I’ll encounter something like this again.
— a month ago

Ira, Daniel and 12 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Awesome. Excellent notes.

Raymond Vineyard & Cellar

R Collection Lot No. 5 Field Blend 2010

A great blend of five grapes. Enjoyed with grilled chicken thighs and oven roasted mushrooms. Combo of berries and a hint of pepper. Smooth and stately finish. — 2 months ago

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 2014

Medium light lemon straw colour , very fine constant bubbles . Quite restrained and mineral on the nose , with some light toasty notes , white flowers , lemon oil . Quite closed . On the palate this is really quite intense and mineral , oyster shell , chalky , limestone hints . Some lemon pith and a lightly toasty with a saline hint , fresh acidity , long and detailed , refined and very balanced . Really young still , needs time to open and will be long lived . Better in 5- 10 years and will last well a further 5-10 years — 3 months ago

Ira, Jan and 17 others liked this

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

2020 vintage. With @Beth Novak . Decanted and tasted after one hour. Medium body. Nose practically leapt out of the glass with plenty to discuss. Flavors a bit more subdued but definitely present. Just enough back-end, tannic presence to hold court. This should be absolute dynamite in 3-5 years. Initial visit a bit over two years ago (9.5) and was more explosive but will cede that to the last impression getting more air time. Said then that this was my fave since the 1991 vintage and sticking by that. 1.2.26. — 18 days ago

Ted, David and 21 others liked this

Spier

Creative Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2020

For me, subtle tannins, balanced acidity and flavors of blackcurtant, dark chocolate and cedar spice. Consumed 11/16/25 w steak. — 2 months ago

Paul liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1990

Medium ruby garnet, quite thin garnet terracotta rim . Quite rich , with ripe red fruits , some tobacco , warm spiciness , cigar box , ripe cassis , sous bois , after a while touch of coffee. On the palate this also shows good roundness with ripe red and dark fruits, cassis , red plum , grafite , touch of earthiness . Balanced acidity and rounded sweet tannin . Quite juicy with a grafite edged finish . Pretty good length. This is at peak now . For now and over the next 5 -8 years. Quite generous and showy , ripe but balanced, a good showing. — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister, Ira and 22 others liked this

Beaulieu Vineyard

Clone 6 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Bought at BV 10/25 $133. Ombre if the best Cabernets we've ever had. Bold, rich, smooth. — 2 months ago

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010

Jan A
9.7

Young ish, wait 5 years — 2 months ago

Andrew, Robin and 15 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

A knockout left bank Bordeaux. I’ve read that the 2005s may go longer than the potentially even more vaunted 2000s and I might agree based on this bottle. Decanted 5 hours. Cork in perfect shape. Amazing depth of fruit and a ton of Bordeaux earth. Nose goes on and on as does the finish. Was an excellent pairing but a very good but simple roast chicken. — 2 months ago

Ira, Neil and 20 others liked this

The Royal Tokaji Wine Company

5 Puttonyos Furmint Blend 2016

Royal Tokaji – 5 Puttonyos Aszú 2016
Tokaj – Hungary 🇭🇺

Overview
A classic Tokaji Aszú, made from grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), then macerated with must to create Hungary’s legendary sweet wine. The 5 puttonyos designation signals a rich yet balanced level of sweetness, around 120 g/L residual sugar. (Educational note: “Puttonyos” refers to the traditional baskets of aszú berries added — the higher the number, the sweeter and more concentrated the wine.)

Aromas & Flavors
Lush apricot, honey, and candied orange peel at the forefront, layered with quince, dried fig, and lemon curd. Hints of saffron, ginger, and toasted almond bring exotic spice and complexity.

Mouthfeel
Velvety and lusciously sweet, balanced by vibrant acidity that keeps it lifted. Full-bodied yet precise, with a long, honeyed finish that leaves both richness and freshness.

Food Pairings
Perfect with blue cheese, foie gras, or fruit tarts. Also excellent with roasted nuts, crème brûlée, or simply savored on its own as a meditative dessert wine.

Verdict
A benchmark Tokaji — rich, layered, and perfectly balanced. The 2016 vintage of Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszú offers indulgence and structure, proving why Tokaji has been called “the wine of kings.” 👑🍷

Did You Know?
Tokaji Aszú is one of the world’s oldest regulated wines — protected since 1737, nearly a century before Bordeaux’s 1855 classification.

Collector’s Rarity 📌
Royal Tokaji’s Aszú wines are globally sought after, and a 5 puttonyos 2016 bottling represents both a collectible dessert wine and a piece of vinous history
— 4 months ago

Andrew, ESF and 2 others liked this