Crystal Bitter

Château Angélus

St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Bday wine. Need decanting. initial open is rather bitter. then after 2 hours the fruit and mineral starts to emerge. orange rind, blackberry and raspberry. — a month ago

Ceccherini, Jan and 18 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

Cathy Corison
8.9

Green olives, chocolate, licorice. Intense. Not at all fruity. Tar. Hard. Low acid. I don’t get the hype. Thick. Bitter — 2 years ago

Paul, Austin and 16 others liked this
Ken Z

Ken Z Influencer Badge

Maybe just in a closed down phase? Perhaps a bit more time. I remember. This being good upon release around 2018, but haven't had it since.

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2007

2020 fall. Consistent with other recent bottles. I find this style very drinkable (which you would figure considering how much we’ve been putting away), and it’s quite versatile, but as someone who doesn’t generally like oaky wine outside of old school Rioja (and white Burgundy to a point), I have to remember to avoid pairings that make the oak taste bitter — 4 years ago

Salvestrin

Le Blanc Crystal Springs Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Decisions decisions… Both very comparable styles. Salvestrin is a St Helena Suav Blanc with fruit derived from the foothills and elaborated by a female winemaker, it’s got great balance and composure. Very elegant on the palate, it has this sublime honeysuckle component somewhere in the mid palate. — 4 months ago

Ted, Peter and 9 others liked this

Cappelletti

Elisir Novasalus Amaro

Dark and bitter! Delicious. — 3 years ago

Fratelli Branca Distillerie

Antica Formula Vermouth di Giuseppe B. Carpano 1786

Enjoy the best, the “King” of Vermouth. Aromas of raisins, figs, dates and almonds. The flavors are beautiful blend of cocoa, bitter orange marmalade and hints of exotic spices and vanilla. Rivals the best Madeira. — 4 years ago

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo

As the summer is slipping out of our hands, its time to to pop those complex reds that we’ve been lastning for. Produttori del Barbaresco is considered one of the best cooperatives in the world and its 2016 Barbaresco is a solid proof of that statement.
Restrained at first and needs a couple of hours in the decanter to reach its climax. True to its provenance its clasically crafted, and puts up complex profile of red cherries, rose hip, strawberries, spice, bitter orange and a volatile dried floral lift over a canvas of wet soil.
An offensive approach on the palate with a high acidity and a generous portion of mouth coating tannins that is well accompanied by a pronounced fruit profile with an evolving finish. Very good indeed, but is a couple of level behind to reach the higher tiers.
— 4 years ago

Josh, Daniel and 7 others liked this

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1990

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark golden/ brownish in color.

Sweet nose with lots of flower notes, over ripen apples and spices.

Full-bodied with high acidity.

Sweet on the palate with pears, overripe citrus fruits, spices, apricots, tropical fruits, earth and bitter herbs.

Tangy finish, but too earthy for my taste.

This 34 year old is delicious, but a touch unbalanced, with too many earth notes for the fruits.

I've had a few vintages of this gorgeous wine, but none of them were this old.

I let it breathe for an hour, but it still wasn't as good as I hoped. It could just be this specific bottle, though.

A blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Drank from a 375ml bottle.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$500.
— 6 months ago

Bob, Vino and 24 others liked this

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2016

One of my favorite cdps for consistent, unique flavor. Polished but not too modern. Great acid, deep red fruit structure with plenty of nascent complexity. Great balance of sweetness and bitter herbal character on the finish. — 4 years ago

Severn, Adriana and 47 others liked this
ESF

ESF

Classic CDP house

Nonino

Quintessentia Amaro Nonino

Not as sweet as Averno but not bitter either. Nice over ice or as a substitute for vermouth in a Manhattan — 4 years ago