Merlot Blend

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005

Decanted for 2 hours. This dark colored Cabernet has a beautiful bouquet and is full of heavy flavors including oak, spice, tobacco, black cherry and plenty more. The more it sits the bigger the flavors become. A good Thanksgiving dinner choice. — 7 days ago

Daniel Cammarata
with Daniel
Bob, David and 5 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010

Another amazing bottle. This is quite smooth and rounded at this point. Lots of mellowed fruit and the perfect amount of slight bite. Color is medium. Just gorgeous. — a month ago

Jan, Scott@Mister and 22 others liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

David T
9.3

Happy birthday honey. 🎂🥳🎉❤️

The Chateau that got my wife Sofia to finally love Bordeaux (1995). Expected more from the this property in 2000. But 2000 is still either the stubborn I think it is or just not as good as critically advertised. 20 years in bottle and think it needs at least 10 more years. Also, a touch of v/a-bandaid. It has nice balance with soft fruit & earth. It just lacks the wow factor for the property & vintage. Maybe, it is in a dumb faze. But, I’ve been waiting 20 years for 2000 to come out of its shell. I love this property but it is not up to its reputation…even for lesser vintages. It might be outstanding in another 20. This bottle is a little flawed and perhaps maybe (?) a better 2nd day wine. Tonight it is leaner than I would expect. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, poached strawberries. Sweet lead pencil, charcoal, volcanic ash, spice, nutmeg, some cinnamon, vanillin, dry tobacco, sandalwood, limestone, dry crushed rocks , dry pebbles, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, dry herbs, hints of Worcestershire sauce, moist clay, withering mid floral bouquet with excellent acidity and a wire to wire finish that is balanced, nicely tensioned and elegance that lasts minutes. One of the few slightly flawed bottles in 25 plus yrs of collecting. I can count them on just over one-hand.

Picture of Sofia picking the 2012 Mouton Rothschild Merlot.
— a month ago

Jason, Bob and 18 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1995

1995 vintage. Nice fill. Cork good. Decanted and tasted immediately, after 15 mins and at the 2 hour mark. Threw less sed than expected. Vibrant color. Medium body. Pencil shavings and chocolate-covered blueberries nose and flavors segued to graphite, cedar closet and the ole L-B mint chocolate chip ice cream standard. Not improving but holding steady here for the next 4-6 years. Good stuff. 11.16.23. — 14 days ago

Shay, Severn and 22 others liked this

Orin Swift

Papillon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Super smooth for a 16.1% abv wine. Really enjoyed. — 7 days ago

Joe, "Odedi" and 1 other liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

2003 vintage. Last tasted 10.16.22 (9.1) and a relatively disappointing showing then. This time round, decanted and tasted multiple x's after 1.5 hours-3 hours. Decent sed yet less than expected. Good fill but cork seemed a tad dry. The blueberry, cocoa powder nose was there with the quintessential, P-L hallmarks. Light-medium body. A billowing, smoky initiation, then plum along with graphite and touches of cedar + espresso crema. Left me wanting just a little more and thinking a different bottle of this same P-L vintage just might yield a 9.5. This and La Mission Haut-Brion fave two red BDX producers and this did nothing to change that. Hopefully, another P-L 2003 cycles through soon enough to prove my theorem. Thanksgiving 11.23.23. — 7 days ago

Vino, Ted and 15 others liked this

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2008

This was opened and we enjoyed a few glasses before recorking and reapproaching 24 hours later, at which point it was really singing. Yellow peach, pear and medley of orchard fruit, layered with pressed yellow flowers, dried persimmon, and notes of vanilla and bourbon. So delicate. Such fine bubbles. Saltwater taffy and some caramel and rock salt on the palate. Subtle tannic echo. Mesmerizing. — 19 days ago

David, Ira and 23 others liked this
Peter van den Besselaar

Peter van den Besselaar Influencer Badge

24 hours air? Can you explain, Josh.
Josh Morgenthau

Josh Morgenthau Influencer Badge

@Peter van den Besselaar better to rephrase- it was good but reticent upon opening, so we recorked it and then tried again after 24 hours, at which point it was really amazing.

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1966

1966 vintage. Last tasted 9.20.23. That bottle was a little "chunkier." This one was more refined. Decanted and tasted nearly immediately and throughout a 2 hour window. Throwing the expected kitchen sink's worth of sed. Color initially seemed lighter, like 30+ year old red Burg but ended up being a tad darker than that. Light-medium body. Earth, summer dirt and Valrhona chocolate in the nose. All this plus dried cherries in the frontal palate finish. Not much to speak of on the back end. Rated that 9.20.23 bottle an 8.8 and this is slightly better. Still...a definite rush to crush this. 11.11.23. — 19 days ago

Paul, Ted and 10 others liked this
Norman Gennaro

Norman Gennaro Premium Badge

Great year!!!

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Blend

David T
9.3

15 person Champagne tasting with friends.

We inserted what we all feeling is more or less the gold standard of n/v Rose’ to pair with duck and goat cheese on crostinis.
— 10 days ago

Paul, Shay and 16 others liked this

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

2005 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and through 3 hours. Great fill/appropriate aging cork. Medium sed. Noticeably dark color. Any trace of the usual Cos baby fat for the first decade+ after release long gone geek. Interesting. This was a lean, mean, street-fighting machine with "minerality" to spare. Intense. Compact. Unsure if it will continue to menace in the next decade of life or retreat into a reclusive, "turtling" period. Best guess? Street-fighter par excellence. Regardless of taking the high or low road, it's not devolving into a drink 'em if you got 'em any time soon scenario. Thanksgiving 11.23.23. — 7 days ago

Ted, Severn and 17 others liked this