Apollo Fine Wines & Spirits
Château Margaux
Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
The 2010 Château Margaux performed far better at this horizontal than at Farr's blind tasting a few days later. It has a beguiling bouquet, highly perfumed with crushed violets infusing the blackberry and crushed strawberry scented, hints of pencil box and cedar emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. There is a wonderful sense of symmetry here with a silky elegant finish that is amazingly persistent. It is one of the best wines that Paul Pontallier ever made. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2020)
— 4 years ago
Bryant Family Vineyard
Proprietor Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Been breaking out some fun wines deep from the cellar to keep spirits HIGH during the stay at home Cali mandate. Day 10 is no exception......time for dinosaur steaks and a 2009 Bryant Family!!
Decanted 1 hour. An arresting deep dark garnet color(lots of cloudy sediment). On the nose: caught me completely off guard with stewed meat, black olives, band aids, some licorice, red berries, and floral. Taste: Wow, this is singing "Stairway to Heaven " ....no garage band version, this is Led Zeppelin 1970s!! Dark cherries, chocolate, espresso, tobacco.
A Mark Aubert beauty with fine, silky tannins coating the mouth. An elegant, rich, soft wine with a long toffee/blueberry finish — 5 years ago
J. Navarre
Vieille Réserve Grande Fine Champagne Blend
Not a Rose’ Retailer notes, Blend of 35-50 year old cognac One of the best Cognacs ever to hit K&L, the Navarre Veille Reserve is the pride and joy of importer and K&L friend Nicolas Palazzi, the man behind the K&L Faultline Cognac and Guillon Painturaud expressions. Nicolas has told me time and time again that of all the brandies in his stellar lineup of grower-producer spirits, the Navarre fills him with the most pride. That's probably because it tastes so damn good. Jacky Navarre is one of the last purists among the artisan cognac distillers. The fourth generation of cognac makers in his family, located in Gondeville since 1811, he takes care of his small Grande Champagne estate with a very basic rule, "Let nature do most of the work." With the exception of an ultra-rare, impossible-to-get aged release, Navarre only makes one Cognac expression - the Vieille Reserve. It's made with 100% Ugni Blanc, and Jacky distills the brandy on the lees. The brandy sees no sugar, caramel or boise, and no water is added at the end. The natural 45% cask strength is achieved through evaporation! There are few other Cognac producers who take such care with their product and the attention to detail shows through in the flavor. The flavors of the grape are not overpowered by caramel or nougat, but are allowed to shine alongside supple vanilla. The finish is incredibly rich and wonderful, loaded with barrel spice and toasted nuts, but delicate and almost haunting in its litheness. Amazing in every way.
— 4 years ago
Château Figeac
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
The 2010 Figeac has a youthful and exuberant bouquet with black cherries, boysenberry, cassis and violets that soar from the glass. There is no stopping the aromatics here. The palate is rich and sensual on the entry with precocious red fruit laced with blood orange and cedar. It firms up a little towards the structured finish that exerts fine grip and there is real persistence in evidence. This is a very classy 2010 Right Bank, this bottle showing even better than the example at BI Wines & Spirits a few days earlier. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2020)
— 4 years ago
ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
Paint The Town Red Primitivo Cabernet Blend 2017
This is just the Primitivo, from Italy, not the blend. It’s fantastic! Very smooth with lots of dark fruit. I like this much better than the California Zin. (Which is supposed to be the twin grape). I just noticed that this said ABC, I wonder if it’s made for ABC? I’ve never seen that before. I will definitely buy this again. — 6 years ago
Château Montrose
Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010
The 2010 Montrose boasts a killer bouquet with beautifully delineated black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco. With time its sous-bois scents become more prominent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little grainy in texture with fine acidity. This is a masculine and broody Saint-Estèphe that will need another decade in bottle to shave its edges. But what immense structure and density. Fantastic. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2020)
— 4 years ago
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
The 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very flattering bouquet with detailed red and black fruit laced with chestnut, cedar and sous-bois. This is supremely well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins. There is immense depth here, more savoury than expected with chestnut once again, white pepper and a tinge of dried blood towards the finish. Outstanding. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2020)
— 4 years ago
Dandy
Gin
Distillation of spirits from apple, grapes and pears. Soft and aromatic, at its best served chilled or on the rocks, no need to cocktail this fine gin in my opinion #madeinquebec #domainelafrance — 7 years ago
Doug Powers
Dark fruits, spirits, a fair amount of structure showing (like Taylor), this is quite fine and should improve for 3-5 years, at least. I cannot recall seeing Ramos-Pinto often in California shops. — 2 years ago