Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Garraud – Lalande de Pomerol / 2018
AOC Lalande de Pomerol – Right Bank, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
From the Esnée family estate, this red Bordeaux blend is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Garraud vineyards lie just north of Pomerol proper, where gravelly and clay soils echo the region’s reputation for plush yet structured wines.

Aromas & Flavors
Lush black cherry, plum compote, and cassis wrapped in notes of violet, cocoa, and cedar. Subtle graphite and earthy tobacco hints reflect the Cabernet Franc influence.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet polished, with supple tannins and a round mid-palate. Concentrated fruit depth balances with freshness, finishing long and silky with lingering spice.

Food Pairings
Duck breast with cherry glaze, roast lamb, or beef bourguignon. Mushroom risotto, charcuterie, or truffle pasta. Comté, aged Gouda, or Saint-Nectaire.

Verdict
A classic Right Bank profile: generous Merlot fruit framed by Cabernet Franc finesse. Traditional, powerful, and approachable, drinking beautifully now but with the structure to evolve gracefully for another 8–10 years.

Did You Know?
Lalande de Pomerol, though often overshadowed by its famous neighbor Pomerol, offers exceptional value. Many estates here share the same terroir characteristics, producing wines of impressive depth at a fraction of Pomerol’s price tag.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: This bottle delivers Right Bank soul without the Pomerol price, rich yet refined, and an excellent “insider’s pick” for Bordeaux lovers. Cheers! — 13 days ago

Paul St Clair

8.9

Green apples with a squeeze of lemon. Asparagus with a mineral base. Very crisp with lingering acidity. Not usually a Chablis drinker but this bottle was spot on. Late in its vintage but the wine held up very well — 3 years ago

Yoly Sardinas

9.0

Great wine! Paired well with my Short-rib and risotto — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Artemis is the gateway wine of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, one of Napa’s most iconic producers, remembered for its Judgment of Paris triumph in 1976. The 2014 vintage sits in a sweet spot: accessible, polished, and still carrying the hallmarks of Napa’s valley-floor fruit. This blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with small percentages of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot layered in for balance.

Aromas & Flavors
Inviting notes of ripe blackberry, cassis, and black cherry lead the way, accented by cedar, vanilla, and hints of graphite. Subtle secondary notes of mocha and baking spice emerge as it opens in the glass, showing both freshness and depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with supple tannins and balanced acidity. Polished, silky textures glide across the palate, finishing with a long echo of dark fruit, oak spice, and a touch of savory herb.

Winemaking Notes
Aged around 15–20 months in French oak, Artemis strikes a balance between power and approachability. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ style is always about elegance over sheer force, and this vintage highlights that philosophy.

Food Pairing
Perfect with grilled ribeye, herb-crusted lamb, or hearty mushroom risotto. Its elegance also makes it a great match with aged cheddar or gouda.

Verdict
A graceful Napa Cabernet that proves why Stag’s Leap remains a benchmark. The 2014 Artemis is in a perfect drinking window now—refined, approachable, and still true to the estate’s legacy of elegance. — 2 months ago

Nicolas Greinacher

8.9

This wine screams where it’s from. Pale lemon with green reflexes, the nose reveals intense aromas of elderflower, asparagus, green bell pepper, gooseberry, ripe peach and melon, followed by a medium body with a pungent acidity, defining the wines distinctive freshness. Drink now until 2024. — 3 years ago

David Koenen

9.2

This wine keeps getting better! Papaya, mango, asparagus, peach, butter on toast, tarragon herbs, fennel. Some chalk and hot stones. Really very, very good. — 4 years ago

Bonnie Chu

9.0

With morel and asparagus pasta in shallot cream sauce — 6 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.5

Vintage 2006 | popped and poured with risotto funghi and truffle | half transparant | cassis cedar eucalyptus leather, still much fruit after 18 years in smell | lush mouthfeel — 2 years ago

Rodney Miller

9.0

Peaches and lemon with good acidity. Paired well with seafood risotto improving during the meal. — 4 years ago

Vingi Aermir

9.1

Kevin Judd handeling the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in his own way by natural fermentation on oak.
Pale to straw yellow.
Still fruity (pear and grapefruit) & herbal (asparagus and grass), but with added minerality (a hint of flint), butteryness and some earthyness that makes this SB surpass a regular Marlborough Sauvignon.
Medium to high acidity. Medium to long aftertaste. — 4 years ago