Currant Bun

Château Sociando-Mallet

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2017

Medium ruby , quite light garnet rim . Lightly herbal on the nose , with grafite , cool cassis , some redcurrant , red plum and violet . On the palate quite spicy and more red fruited , red currant , light cassis , red plum , grafite and tobacco touches . Fresh acidity and medium grippy tannin , with a grafite , cool redcurrant , light cassis finish of reasonable length . Quite light in style , a little green , rustic but refreshing and enjoyable. Don’t see this being particularly long lived but drink from now and over the next 10 plus years . — 16 days ago

David, Lisanne and 4 others liked this

Freemark Abbey

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Superb as always! Deep purple color. Aromas of black currant, blackberry, pencil lead, tobacco and oak. Black fruit on the palate, cigar box and nice tannins.

🍇95% Cab, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot.

🏅94 Points - James Suckling
— a month ago

Dave, Tom and 21 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2018

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (19%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petite Verdot (3%). Dark garnet/ruby/purple/black color. Aromas of ripe black fruit, rose petals, cigar box and smoked meat. Flavors of blackberry, black currant and black plum fruit with additional hints of tobacco, black olives and cloves. Long lasting velvety finish. Full bodied with noticeable (but well integrated) tannins. Beautiful freshness. Rich and powerful but so well balanced. Consistently outstanding vintage after vintage. Could continue to age for decades! — 2 months ago

Dave, Bob and 8 others liked this

Stags' Leap Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

v14. Very good! Soft cedar nose. Juicy black currant fruit. Long, chalky, slightly dried herbal and mocha finish. — 4 months ago

Dave liked this

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
— 25 days ago

Tom, Vanessa and 11 others liked this
Andrew Cullimore

Andrew Cullimore

Lovely wine and nice notes @David Kline , well done!

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Deep ruby color. Red fruit, black currant, and cedar on the nose. Dry and bold. Flavors of blackberrt, chocolate, oak, and coffee. Medium+ tannins and acid with a great finish. Number 2 in top 100 in Wine Spectator. — a month ago

Bob, Ron and 2 others liked this

Château Cantemerle

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

From 750ml with a couple hours of air, it’s showing bell pepper and ripe currant fruit with just a hint of leather, knit together by lovely acidity. At peak and excellent but with plenty of life remaining. — 2 months ago

Ron, Peter and 6 others liked this

Chappellet

Signature Donn Chappellet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Chappellet – Signature Cabernet Sauvignon – 2022 🇺🇸
Pritchard Hill (Mountain Fruit) – Napa Valley AVA – California, USA

Overview
A cornerstone of Chappellet for over three decades, the Signature Cabernet Sauvignon continues to define what Napa Valley mountain Cabernet is all about: power, elegance, and longevity.
The 2022 vintage carries a subtly adjusted blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 2% Merlot, featuring a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon and slightly less Petit Verdot and Malbec compared to the 2021 (see my v2021 notes).
This shift gives the 2022 an extra dimension of muscle and purity, heightening its mountain-driven character.

Aromas & Flavors
Undeniably dark and expressive. Notes of blackcurrant, dark cherry, plum, and cassis rise first, followed by cedar, sage, aged tobacco, thyme, and beautifully integrated toasted oak.
As it opens, deeper nuances emerge, espresso bean, cocoa, graphite, and subtle mountain herbs.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and impeccably structured.
The increase in Cabernet Sauvignon amplifies its power and linearity, while polished tannins deliver a glowing richness across the palate.
Flavors of black cherry, currant, chocolate, espresso, and warm spice saturate the mid-palate. The finish is long, confident, and built for aging.

Food Pairings
Prime rib, grilled ribeye, lamb with rosemary, venison, black-truffle dishes, or aged gouda/cheddar.

Verdict
A formidable yet seductively elegant expression of Pritchard Hill. The 2022 is slightly more commanding than the 2021, with enhanced Cabernet purity and structural depth. A true benchmark in Napa’s hillside Cabernets, age-worthy, expressive, and unmistakably Chappellet. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Pritchard Hill’s volcanic, iron-rich soils and elevation create Cabernets known for density, refinement, and remarkable longevity, which is why so many iconic Napa producers source or plant here.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Among my personal favorites in the mountain Cabernet category. The 2022 delivers that unmistakable “whoa” moment, especially when shared with friends and family.
— 10 days ago

Bob, Matt and 3 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

Smooth and effortless with no hard edges, even in a warm year. Seductively savory with currant, strawberry, leather, tobacco, coffee bean, and bone marrow. There’s an incredible gamey streak here. Oak is impeccably balanced. Just tip toeing into some bricking.
The pedigree is clear. Counting myself lucky.
My
#1 tonight.
— 2 months ago

Jonathan, Scott@Mister and 7 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Warm, ripe vintage.

Château d'Issan

Margaux Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot Blend 2010

Not our favorite vintage. Classical claret with lots of finesse, cedar wood, black currant, anise spice, tobacco. Medium bodied with these bold tannins of the year. But with a very light hand and light extraction, this got to be one of the better bottles we had from this highly overrated vintage. Good stuff but will be better with 5 more years in bottle. Like a 1995 but better done. — 3 months ago

Jose Roberto Palazzoveronique paillardAdriana Pagliano
with Jose, veronique and 1 other
Adriana, Dave and 13 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

2010 is a vintage for the end of your life if you are 40+ and for your children.
Alexandre Pagliano

Alexandre Pagliano Premium Badge

Ditto David !