Tempranillo Blend
Château Rayas
Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenache Blend 2010
Tasting with a big fan of Rayas. Better than the 2010 and both bottles were so different than other CDP. This one more Burgundy, the 2010 closer to Bordeaux. Both very elegant. — 11 days ago
Château Palmer
Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1983
Slightly lighter garnet core , lighter terracotta rim . Quite muted on the nose , quite herbal and spiced notes, some red plum and floral sous bois , black tea . After a while this opens up slightly , showing a bit more detail , but never jumps out and grabs your attention as other bottles have. On the palate this is better , with the roundness and slightly sweet , red plum , summer fruits , sous bois and lightly herbal , grafite tinged , saline finish of reasonable length . Quite refreshing acidity and suave tannins . On this basis drink now and over the next few years. However , there are better bottles out there . This was disappointing compared with other bottles I’ve had , though the palate was more sound and it wasn’t flawed. A bit of a perplexing bottle. — 8 days ago
Krug
Brut Champagne Blend 2008
Far more giving than the last time I had this vintage but it’s definitely one for the long haul. Will age forever and still showing very young. — 10 days ago
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1986
Medium deep garnet ruby , quite thin garnet terracotta rim . This is quite classic and more austere on the nose after the 1990s , grafite , cedar, sweet spice , earthiness and mint. More dry and four square on the palate compared to the 1990s but enough stuffing to fill out. Cassis , plum and blackberry , coffee , grafite . Refreshing acidity , slightly grippy drier tannin. Sous bois , grafite , herbal character with good length and earthy cassis finish . This got better with time in the glass and probably should have been decanted . This shows there is some upside , from now , with time in the glass, and over the next 10 years. The wine that improved the most during the dinner , quite impressive . — 8 days ago
Bodegas Faustino
Gran Reserva Faustino I Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2019
Faustino I Blanco Gran Reserva 2019 — 12 days ago
Dom Pérignon
Brut Champagne Blend 1996
Medium lemon , hints of gold , quite a healthy colour with fine pretty persistent bubbles still . This quite intense with candied lemon peel , brioche , oyster shells , touch of porcini . On the palate this is intense ,with good volume and vibrant acidity. Buttered brioche , oyster shell , candied orange and lemon peel . Really quite lovely and intense , long and toasted brioche , chalky finish . This is at peak now , but no rush from here over the next 5 perhaps 10 years . — 8 days ago
Château Cos d'Estournel
Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1982
Popped and poured; enjoyed from red Solo cups over the course of a few hours. This bottle of the 1982 showed very well today. It pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of black currants, black plum, mixed brambles, tobacco, some green pepper, graphite, leather, earth, and soft warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. 1982: the vintage that keeps on giving. Drink now through 2042+. — 21 days ago
John Bratincevic
NOSE: muted, red fruit, oaky vanilla, graphite
TASTE: super smooth, the fruit is candied and dried (cherry and maybe some fig?), mild spices and earth and fragrant wood — still enough acidity to keep it balanced. I like more fruit and oomph, but it is good. 92. — 6 days ago