Hard Knocks Brewing

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1995

5/25 with Howard. Lotsa power. Hard edged at first with lots of structure. Mellowed beautifully. Complex. Became port like. 90 — 19 days 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 Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2016

The 2016 Chateau Musar, the winery’s latest vintage on release, is much less forthcoming on the nose than the 2013 and ‘15 that I’ve tried recently, despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that the Hochars consider 2016 to be a successful and very ageworthy vintage.

The nose is quite dense and tightly wound, much like a left bank Bordeaux presents in its youth, not yet revealing its cards besides aromas of cedar, steeped plum, smoked beef and cinnamon. The palate, however, is open for business - powerful and saturated, striking that wonderful Musar balance between dark fruit and tangy acidity, expanding towards a puckering finish with good length.

The lasting impression here is of a very modern rendition of Musar, with great clarity and purity to the fruit, fine tannins, refreshing acidity on the palate and great drinkability now (though equal potential to age). My preference of late remains the 2013, but that’s now quite hard to buy - so I’d happily have a case of this instead.

94+
— 3 years ago

Severn, Ted and 9 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2021

Unbelievably young but already smooth. Really fruity at this stage but will evolve nicely. Was hard to identify as a Supertuscan. Would consider buying some of this vintage and forgetting about it for 10 years... — 2 months ago

Lisanne, Ira and 27 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.

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. — 3 years ago

Severn, Eric and 4 others liked this

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

JFP
9.2

Opened very well. Excellent sipping wine with pate and hard breads. — 6 years ago

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. — 5 months ago

Shay, Ira and 3 others liked this

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? — 6 months 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"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

👏 👏

Kosta Browne

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2018

After a very busy weekend, we sat around the table eating leftovers. Hard to see a Kosta Browne being a complement to “leftovers” but it was wonderful. Light red:purple color with strawberry and blueberry on the nose and some slight earth tones coming through the palate. This feels and tastes like a Russian River Valley Pinot but softer. Definitely worth having again. . . And again. — 4 years ago

Ron, Milissa and 9 others liked this