Drinking so well. A great wine and a first for me. It’s got so much freshness and energy is the headline. Nose is cassis, vanilla, tobacco, spice and some hints of black fruits. Also a background of awesome minerality. A plump nose which belies what comes on the palate. It’s rich but just teeming with energy and so much black and red fruit that is super crunchy and luscious. Gorgeous clarity to the minerality and a freshness I haven’t tasted in Bordeaux maybe ever. I really like the. The finish keeps pumping. Very very impressive. It’s also so sappy on the finish and just outrageously complex. — 17 hours ago
Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.
Fun to open birth year wines around your birthday, especially when you can do a Bordeaux and Napa side by side. While not a great vintage, this held up well after a few hours and presented as expected. Clean and zero Brett. Great color! Deep ruby with hardly any bricking. Leather, cassis, vanilla pipe tobacco on the nose. Sporting a good bit of dusty red and black fruits (mostly tart raspberries and blackberries), there was a little savory truffle note mixed with an herbal and mocha finish. Still quite grippy. Pretty. — 15 days ago
It’s always a resounding ‘YES’ for JL Chave!!
That includes this luscious and concentrated Syrah from Saint-Joseph AOC in the Northern Rhône of France.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a benchmark and icon of the Rhône Valley – a family-run operation since 1481 – with an entire range of deliciousness through the Domaine Jean-Louis Chave and JL Chave Selection portfolios.
This wine is deep ruby, trending on purple. It has pronounced aromas and flavors of boysenberry, blueberry, black cherry, cassis, pomegranate, also violet, bacon, sanguine, saddle leather, pipe tobacco, clove, cigar, damp earth, and black peppercorn. Alcohol is high (14.5% ABV) with medium (+) fine-grained and well-integrated tannins, medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and a long, elegant finish.
It has a rustic and savory character with robust dark fruit notes; it’s layered, complex, structured, and age-worthy, benefitting from decanting. Still, it’s tasting wonderfully now.
Cheers to JL Chave and treasures of the Rhône!! — a month ago
Deep ruby in color; black cherries, blackberries, and cigar box on the nose; high acidity; high tannins; tastes like black currant, crushed gravel, and a little eucalyptus with a long finish. It needs to decant a bit longer. Very structured, but delicious. After a hyperdecant, and sitting for an hour, the tannins mellowed a little and everything tastes more integrated. I'm taking off 1 point because the eucalyptus is too strong for me, but I still love this wine! Nellie says it's ok. — 4 days ago
Color concentration. Slight black currant focused. Good concentration. Elegant. Gentle
2018 @10230, AD, 202429 — 6 days ago
Ample aroma. Oak and acidic. Aroma. Complexity with black currant, tabacco. A bit rich > 2007. 2006 @, premier cru, 240411 — 23 days ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim
Earthy nose with light oak, black fruits and tobacco.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with red and black fruits, wood, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, licorice, dark chocolates, black tea and black pepper.
Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 35 year old is still drinking beautifully. This Second Growth Bordeaux is nicely balanced and complex.
Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10+ years.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours. I did not decant it, but let it open up in the bottle.
Wine Spectator 96 points.
A good food wine that I paired with beef brisket. Gorgeous.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$275. — a month ago
Nathan Renfro
Dark dark ruby. Tannins holding strong, a bit tight at the open, but loosens up to a wonderful silky mouthfeel. Black fruit in balance with minerality. Lovely wine but tonight I preferred the Pape Clement. — 4 days ago