Love Margaux wines with rack of lamb. It is a classic pair as long as you are not doing a Mediterranean mint prep. This is salt, pepper, Napa Valley rub and red wine.
As it airs and intermixes w/ the meal, it rises from 93 to 94.
The wine is approaching its peak. Still has another 10 yrs of appropriate drinking.
The fruits are ripe, juicy; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, strawberries, raspberries with hues of purple & blue fruits. There is excellent integration & evolution. Led pencil shavings, fresh & dry herbs, moist grey volcanic minerals/clay, fresh & dry tobacco, sandalwood, used leather, soft, dark spice with heat on the long set, limestone, dry crushed rocks into powder, touch of black pepper, saline, fresh dark, red flowers with violets, excellent, cool rainfall acidity, well woven, balanced, softly tensioned & structured with a pure elegant finish that lasts a full two-minutes. — 10 months ago
NOSE: Chocolate, blackberry, molasses, clove, cassis. Smells like a really rich Rioja!
TASTE: cigars, berries, lovely acidity, mix of savory and baking spices (big hit of oregano), a dash of old book, a little wood varnish (in the old tasty fancy way), cedar, big silky mouthfeel - wow, this is delicious. 93. — 2 years ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Beautiful nose of black fruits, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, espresso, chocolates, earth, light vegetables, tobacco leaf, eacaliptus, Indian spices and black pepper.
Full-bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, black plums, light cedar, earth, herbs, light vanilla, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, black tea and a touch of vegetables.
Long spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This second wine from the great 2010 vintage in Bordeaux, is drinking gorgeously now. Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel. Elegant with lots of fruits.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours in the decanter, when tannins show up. Changes every 20 minutes in the decanter. So nice to experience.
I had this vintage 5 years ago and it is drinking better now. This 14 year old is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and paired nicely with dried meats.
A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot.
14% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$90. — 3 months ago
Free and expressive. Nice and long Mgx aftertaste. Pleasant and balanced.
93-94 — 7 months ago
2000 | Red Blend
(65% Cabernet Sauvignon / 28% Merlot / 7% Petit Verdot)
Château Lagrange
Grand Cru Classé (3ème), Left Bank
Bordeaux; Médoc, St-Julien, France
(93-94; Drink 2030-40)
Ripe black currant, damp leather, pencil lead, raspberry-fig bar; Dried black cherry, chocolate espresso cake, faint vanilla. Decanted 10H.
Paired with long braised (local, Columbia Co. NY ❤️) lamb shanks, charred carrots w/ maple glaze and garden mashed potatoes. A great 2023 Easter dinner, BDX is the best pairing for lamb, of many preparation styles.
(We're finding that the cats also enjoy a savory lamb dish. 😉) — 2 years ago
1970 | Red Blend
Chateau Beychevelle
Bordeaux; Médoc, St. Julien, France
(91-93; Drink 2015-25)
3H decant
(Typical blend as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc & 4% Petit Verdot; it's unknown to me the exact percentages for this vintage)
Nose has dried plum, truffle, old wet leather, earthy notes, moist tobacco and damp forgotten firewood.
Palate has dried cherry, vanilla/cedar, dried blackberry, sweet cherry, dehydrated plum, garden soil with faint tannins and fading acidity.
Happy Father's Day 2024 to all. — 5 months ago
flowers, floral, light elegant spicy stuff…!93+ — 6 months ago
Deep purple in color with a short purplish rim.
Beautiful nose with lots of chocolates and light earth notes.
Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing black currants, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, dried figs, raisins, licorice, light earth, peppercorn, cola, spices and dark chocolates.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and crushed peppercorn.
This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Big and bold. Spicy and tangy. Showing nice complexity at this point.
This 6 year old is drinking beautifully now. Rich yet elegant. Extracted and easy drinking. Well balanced and really delicious.
A beautiful surprise. I had the 2016 a few years ago, and this is drinking much better now. I did not expect it from the 2017 vintage.
Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself as a sipping wine. Robert Parker 93 points.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
15.2% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$110. — 10 months ago
"Odedi"
It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark Inky in color with a reddish/ purplish rim.
Fruity nose of black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, light dried fruits, cedar, light vanilla, herbs, licorice, spices, dark chocolates and light cola notes.
Full bodied and elegant, with medium acidity.
Dry and fruity on the palate with plums, black cherries, black currants, bitter herbs, earth, chocolates, cedar, eucalyptus, tobacco leaf, peppercorn and light vegetables.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a wonderful Merlot from Columbia Valley. Soft and fruit forward. Rich and nicely balanced.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of air time.
This 8 year old Merlot is complex and spicy. Really enjoyed the nose at this point, and the high alcohol is well integrated by now.
Easy drinking and a good sipping wine. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
I had this vintage a few times before, and it is always delicious. I just love Michel Rolland wines.
A blend of 75% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (85% new).
14.9% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$75. — a month ago