Hard Ketones

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Lots of promise, great on the nose, but the tannin clamps down hard right now. It has a bright future but isn’t there yet. — 3 days ago

Shay, Ira and 2 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1979

Classic Lafite. Hard to put into words. It was delicate yet still powerful. I’ve had the wine in my cellar since a year or so after release. We were stunned at how well it had aged…45?years old and still retained its fruit. It was worth the wait — 8 months ago

19 Crimes

Hard Chard Chardonnay

Hyvä ja helppo ei kuitenkaan mauton — 10 months ago

Enderle & Moll

Liaison Pinot Noir 2019

Since Fass is offering the 2019 as a cellar release from the winery i went back to taste the vintage. 2018, 19, 20, 21 are all excellent and different. The 18‘ is more wild and rich, the 19‘ quite elegant and the 20‘big while the 21‘ is probably my favorite a combination of 19‘ & 20‘. The 19 is classic E&M i would drink the vintage and not keep it. Light and elegant, dark cherries, lime, chalk and this hard to define E&M signature best described as black forest meadow with thyme and other herbs. I could drink this by the bucket. — a year ago

Ira, Peter and 5 others liked this
Spencer Fox

Spencer Fox

all timer

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1966

Opened earlier in the day and double-decanted to be served several hours later. The 1966 pours a pale garnet color with a transparent core. This is red fruit heavy and sanguine with ferrous earth, leather, and old wood. The tannins are firm still. An almost evergreen St-Estèphe that’s iron clad and tough as nails. Better than good but at nearly 60 years old, will it ever relax? Hard to say. It would likely survive another 60 years but it’s hard to imagine it evolving a lot considering where we’re at today. So...drink now, I guess? — a month ago

Lyle, Jan and 14 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Ain't getting better. Tasted two bottles in 2023. Holding up more than expected but time's a ticking...
"Odedi"

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Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2019

First time tasting the ‘19 vintage, and the Produttori edged out one of my fave under the radar barolistas this early on. Maybe because it released sooner? Both red fruited with sour cherries and elegant tamed tannin/acid, but the Produttori had another gear of sweet incense and hard candy. The vintage does remind me of a more approachable’13 from a tannin perspective. — 9 months ago

Lyle, Serge and 17 others liked this
Jay Kline

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I feel like Giacomo Fenocchio’s single vineyard Barolos need a lot of time (although Villero is usually a bit more approachable young)
Jae Cho

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@Jay Kline yep, agree 100%. I have a few to lay down but I usually open one at release to see how many I want to buy.

Ziereisen

Hard Chardonnay 2019

Lyle Fass
9.4

Always so good. Opulent and incisive. Deep nose. Lots of amplitude. Huge limestone. Herbal. So complex. German Chardonnay is so awesome. What a palate. Huge core of apple and pear fruit and stacked with minerals and a malo sweetness. So long and nimble. Gorgeous wine. Almost 9.5. — 2 years ago

Severn, Eric and 4 others liked this

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend

Hard to believe this was the lightweight last night. I’m blessed you took me under your wing Wally. You made me a better man, husband, friend, and business man. — 7 months ago

Bob, Ted and 3 others liked this

Olga Raffault

Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc 2014

Broke out one of my cellared Raffaults for my homeboy who graced me with a home cooked Tuscan styled flank steak w rosemary & arugula, as well as Israeli cous cous w chickpeas, charred tomatoes, feta, & herbs. Light Cadmium red hued & strong color though ( good cork- not a guarantee w Raffault!); dense Hibiscus, fresh raspberry & some bramble on nose; on palate very clean & smooth mouthfeel, with the initial flavors repeated but a deeper blend of red fruits & a stronger presence of under brush. Super fresh & integrated. Elegant, & the Burgundy echo was hard to ignore. Not Uber complex but not monolithic either, which this line of Raffault can be in its youth ( or as it ages). Very impressive, & accessible now. Curious how my ‘02 & 07s will fare… — 9 months ago

Owen Mazon
with Owen
Ira, Pinotman and 8 others liked this
Ira Schwartz

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@Peter Sultan I am always surprised this is not on more restaurant wine-lists given the price to quality ratio.
Peter Sultan

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I have no evidence other than anecdotal but I suspect bottle variability- both from my experience and from what wine stores have told me. I imagine too it’s a tricky wine to sell given it can really shut down for periods. But all guesses @Ira Schwartz …..

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1993

Wax was hard to get off. Essentially scrapped it off. Before cork even came out I could start smelling the wine. I thought it would be corked. Cork melted off even with an ah so. First sip just had a little bit of funk but overall very drinkable. Much like a French Bordeaux. Fruit is muted, dry. Dark fruit finish. Smell definitely is dry and has an older funk, herbal, medicinal - not in a negative way. Would have loved to seen how it would have done decanted but had no time. — 5 years ago

Matt liked this