Donnie On The Spot

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

2002 vintage. Nice fill, good cork. Decanted with a respectable amount of powdery sed. Smelled great during decanting. Tasted 1.5 hours after opening/decanting. Expected light body with delicate tendrils. Medium body with a light palate footprint. Holy shazzbaat. This was absolutely firing. Like top of the pops, straight up to number one. Exceptional knitting and in a perfect spot now. Go all the way back to the inaugural 1982 vintage with this winery’s cabernet…thought my all-time fave was the 1991 altho the 1986 and 1987 were special. The 2020, picked early, thus avoiding the fires, is phenomenal as well. This was on another level and have had approx 150 bottles of Spottswoode Cab in the last three + decades. It was probably the best out of all of them. Difficult to imagine Napa Cab better than this. Power and finesse on display. Not improving but can hold this intensity for another 4-5 years. 12.24.24. — 2 days ago

Shay, Jan and 10 others liked this

Jérôme Prévost

La Closerie Les Béguines Extra Brut Champagne Pinot Meunier

Although I find that La Closerie generally needs some bottle age to fill out and come into its own, LC19 is already showing fabulously flaunting deep, powerful layers of ripe orchard fruit with smoky minerals, toasted hazelnuts and exotic spices. The palate is impeccably structured and concentrated with a satiny texture and vibrant energy that gives way to a long mineral inflicted finish. Pinot Meunier from the master, it just can’t be matched. This is the best release since LC13. — 3 years ago

Shay, Andrew and 6 others liked this
Charles York

Charles York

Had my first bottle a month ago. Absolutely stunning, will forever search out.

La Rioja Alta

Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial Tempranillo Blend 2001

In a perfect spot. Chestnut, truffle, forest floor, potpourri and dried cherry and strawberry on the nose. Plenty of beautiful and lively fruit on the palate. Red berries, amaretto, roasted meat, toasted cocoa and earth. More minty and herbal on day two, but hasn’t faded a bit. One of the finest aged bottles I’ve had- really exquisite. This bottle has special meaning for me because it is one of the first wines I ever bought intentionally to cellar. Two bottles left. — 3 years ago

Sharon, Aaron and 33 others liked this
Peter van den Besselaar

Peter van den Besselaar Influencer Badge

Exactly. That’s the joy of building a nice cellar 👌🍀
Brent Young

Brent Young Premium Badge

I started buying these with the 04 vintage. Always great! This one sounds fantastic
Josh Morgenthau

Josh Morgenthau Influencer Badge

@Brent Young agreed! One of the best qprs in the wine world I think.

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

@"Odedi" comments below are spot on. Gave this bottle 2 hours decant and it was drinking very well. Very approachable, a lighter Napa cab, very well balanced with just ripe dark fruit, medium plush tannins, med acidity. Drinking very well. Really enjoyable. Can’t wait to watch this evolve with many more years left. — 21 days ago

Douglas, Ira and 5 others liked this
Paul K

Paul K

@"Odedi" is the man! Always great reviews!

Château Beychevelle

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Garnet with terracotta rim . Quite a lot of sous bois , mostly red fruits , earthy tobacco. Nicely rounded on the palate , touch of cassis , red currant sous bois, herbal touches on the finish . Nice refreshing acidity , slightly drying tannin , but still well balanced. Very enjoyable and in a perfect spot in this format, now and over the next 5 years . — 2 years ago

Ira, Scott@Mister and 7 others liked this

Raul Pérez

Ultreia Saint Jacques Mencía 2018

Described to me as an easy drinker but with enough interest to chew over with grassy, herbal notes. I found this to be spot on. I was also told it's a grape usually used in blends, but put center stage here. That intrigued me. I really enjoyed it and hope i come by it again. — 3 years ago

LM, Carla and 1 other liked this

Pasqua

11 Minutes Rosé Blend 2021

Spot on rose wine! Perfect with my light Italian fare. Resembled the Whispering Angel, but lighter and felt more like summer! Will definitely add this wine into my rotating rose cooler. — a year ago

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1961

Day 2 of WineBoyz Wineapalooza. Tasted blind. Deep, dark reddish amber color with clear rims. Big, rich and heavy in the glass. Notes of black cherry, cracked walnuts, mocha, cranberries and cherries. Great structure and energy. The walnuts descriptor leads me to guess this spot on as the 61 Latour. Not at the some stratosphere level of the last bottle or two of this that we've had, but I'm splitting hairs. This is an awesome, immortal bottle of juice. — 3 years ago

Shay, Bob and 24 others liked this
Ron R

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Good god! 👍🏾👀

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

This was stubbornly closed and unyielding. I think a lot of 2000 BDX are in the same “quiet” spot right now. The normal Palmer bouquet was very muted here that was far more pronounced in the 2004 I opened a few weeks ago. I think this is a sleeping giant though as there is a dense velvety tannin structure that sits heavy on the tongue. I’m holding off opening the the rest of my bottles for a few more years. I think this has 9.7+ potential... — 4 years ago

Vino, Jim and 17 others liked this