Chocolate
Château Cos d'Estournel
Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
Rim to rim no waver. Slightest bricking. Nose of earth, chocolate, cedar, violet. Palate showing grainy tannins and bing cherry shrouded in black currant with red currant emergent. Black mushrooms have a showy cameo with a chocolate-tobacco high kick. The wine is slightly green and just slightly aggressive though thoroughly enjoyable in every sense. Give this one a couple more years, even if most 10s are showing. Enormous energy with black cherry riding out the sunset.
#ChsteauCosdEstournel #cosdestournel #SaintEstéphe #leftbank #bordeauxrouge #bordeaux #deuxiemecru — 4 months ago
Penfolds
Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2019
Deep, dense red-purple hue. licorice, toasty oak, and subtle mocha notes. Dark fruits like blackberry and plum are noticeable, but it's more restrained than overtly fruity.
full-bodied, with sultry dark fruits (black cherry, plum), dark chocolate, licorice, and spice. Can’t wait for at least another 5 years before I try this again. Didn’t feel too you but feels like it will be better with age. — 5 months ago
Ridge Vineyards
Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005
1 hour decant(decent chunky sediment). A striking medium purplish garnet color with bricking. On the nose: Inviting notes of dried red fruit, currants, pencil shavings, floral, stewed meat, milk chocolate. Taste: fully mature, savory, silky wine with dried plum, ground coffee, earth, minerals, tobacco, and a sour cherry/green bell pepper/graphite long finish. YUM!! Drink em if you got em. — 7 days ago
Dominus Estate
Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2021
Fruit is brighter, more brilliant than many other 21’s I’ve had. Texturally & fruit-wise senses more like the 23’s I’ve had. It’s gorgeous. Again, needs a decade or more in the cellar.
Round, lush, creamy blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, poached strawberries, dry, crushed rocks, limestone powder, nice balling spices, caramel, mocha, dry herbs, dry tobacco, lead pencil, dry river stone, leather, melted, dark chocolate, dark spice, fresh & withering dark flowers, red roses, nice round acidity, well balanced, bigger tension & structure, excellent round, excellent finish that last minutes and lands on spice, wet clay and Christmas cake. — 2 months ago
Château Angélus
St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 2006
Earlier I wrote about the 06 vintage, saying it was just good to very good depending on producer and terroir. Angelus is a producer that delivered in the very good range with their 2006.
The nose is subtle with just being poured from a freshly opened bottle. Yet, ripe & lush; black currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, black cherries, anise to some light black licorice, dark chocolate baking bar, milk chocolate tones, dark rich earth, some nicely layered, soft baking spices, hues of sage, dark, withering dark flowers.
The palate is lush with M powdery tannins. Ripe & lush; core of black currants, blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, black cherries, black cherries with over tones of blueberries & strawberries. Anise to some light black licorice, dark chocolate baking bar, milk chocolate notes, understated caramel, some nicely layered, soft baking spices-cinnamon, nutmeg, clove & vanillin, really soft dark spices, mocha powder, hues of sage, dark rich earth dark, dry top soil, just moist clay, sandalwood, fresh tobacco, used leather, light graphite, withering dark flowers & red roses, framed in violets & light lavender, excellent acidity, nice soft tension/struture, well balanced-knitted, perfect elegance and finishes over two-minutes falling on fruits and soft earthiness.
This is still ascending and has 15 plus yrs of good drinking ahead but it is in a good spot today.
It is a solid 94+. The plus with another 3-5 yrs.
Paired with Lamb Salounah Gulf-Style Braised Lamb with Vegetables, served with Butter Rice.
Blind this would fool a number of people off the Right Bank.
@Ek225 — 5 months ago
Caymus Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.
I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.
Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.
In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.
I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.
The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.
This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.
M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.
94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer. — 9 days ago
Louis Martin
Light fruity aroma, dark red, medium body, dry and succulent, dark fruit flavor, paired nicely with venison. — a month ago