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. — 13 days ago
50 year Wynn’s Black Label celebrating my friend Lucille’s 50th birthday. Cork was in good shape and the wine was too. Very brown but still showing some purple tinge. Fruit all but gone but wonderful tertiary characters of leather, spice and earthiness. Drank beautifully over hours and did not fade. — 2 months ago
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with aromas of black cherry, cassis, and distant notes of vanilla. Is more of a velvety feel on the palate, with flavors of dark chocolate and espresso — 2 days ago
Ample aroma. Oak and acidic. Aroma. Complexity with black currant, tabacco. A bit rich > 2007. 2006 @, premier cru, 240411 — 21 days ago
1998 not the best Napa Cabernet vintage. However, good producers still find their way through difficult vintages. Joseph Phelps is the rule rather than the exception.
This was poured out of magnum and drinking beautifully by their Hospitality Manger.
Nicely ripe, lush juicy fruits of blackberries, blackberries, both plums, some purple & blue fruits. Dash of spice & lead pencil, anise-black licorice, soft baking spices, caramel notes, some dark chocolate, fresh dark flowers, round acidity and a well balanced, softened structure & tension, elegant, nicely evolved finish that lasted a full minute. — 25 days ago
DAL 9000
Deep inky color. Bouquet of dry dusty mild cherries. Initial taste of mild dry not quite sweet cherries. In the middle, a quick evaporation of dark fruit. Finishes with a dry dusty dark cherry tannins. — a month ago