Haze Of The Air

Château Troplong Mondot

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

This was fairly tight & needed some air to show mostly black fruits, full bodied with notes of earth, cedar, sweet spices, graphite, mocha & tobacco — a month ago

Shay, Scott@Mister and 3 others liked this

Tenuta Monolo

Riserva Bramaterra Nebbiolo Blend 1990

This bottle of the 1990 Riserva was opened and Audouzed about two hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The wine pours a pale garnet color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated red fruits, old cherry Blow Pop, truffle, dried red flowers, some leather and dusty earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. This bottle was grumpy at the beginning but is needed a pile of air. Drink now through 2030. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 4 months ago

Daniel, Somm and 10 others liked this
Lyle Fass

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They all need massive air. But it’s worth it.
Jay Kline

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Unfortunately, all of my ‘89’s were corked 😔

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Another great btl that improved with air showing mostly black fruits, full bodied with notes of currant, mocha, cedar, leather & tobacco — 6 months ago

Ira, Tom and 14 others liked this

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

1989 vintage. Last tasted 3 years ago (9.6). Nice fill. Durand used to open. Cork 95% saturated with extensive bottle rim cleaning involved before pouring. Not decanted. Tight, minty nose throughout along with a decided, lingering zinc note under the tongue at the finish line. Tasted 2 hours after opening. Power but without delineation. Just a consistent, forgettable push. Nothing wrong with the wine...it just needed more air/time and a decant but it wasn't my call. Feel like the zinc flavor would have dissipated/blown off with more time. Good but more memorable for what it wasn't vs what it was. Pity and an entire wasting of what could have been. 11.21.25. — 7 months ago

Tom, Paul and 16 others liked this
Pinotman /// Andreas

Pinotman /// Andreas

Very interesting and diplomatic note.
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Pinotman /// Andreas Had to bite my tongue.

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2002

Needed quite a bit of air. Palate initially leaner / lighter — filled out after about 1.5 hours. Would definitely try again. — 5 years ago

Alice et Olivier De Moor

Bel Air et Clardy Chablis Chardonnay 2018

2020 spring / summer. Really nice - I hadn’t had any de Moor in a while but this was at least as good as I remembered. Honeyed and savory, lots of chalky minerals — 6 years ago

Domaine François Raveneau

Butteaux Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 1996

Straw gold with great weight and heaviness in the glass. Killer nose. Notes of apricot, tan spice, apple cinnamon and sweet honey dew. Impactful in the mouth with lots of acidity and a lasting finish. With 5 hours of air this was singing. — 6 years ago

Alex, Conrad and 16 others liked this

Domaine Auguste Clape

Cornas Syrah 1997

First pour of this and I was like, “uh-oh”. It was clearly full of flaws (Brettanomyces, VA and maaaaybe some slight TCA) but would they be too much to appreciate the wine? Only time would tell so into the decanter it went. After a lot of air, it became clear this was Brett and VA. The wine pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing (still) with notes of blackberries, umeboshi, animale, purple flowers, black pepper, red Flintstone vitamin, horse blanket, wood varnish, and sous bois. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. An elegant, complicated bottle. This is my second time with the 1997 vintage and due to the flaws, a different adventure than previous. That being said, this decidedly grumpy, Burgundian expression of Clape’s Cornas paired really well with the dry-aged steaks. Drink now, with a lot of patience, through 2037? — 2 months ago

Paul, Andrew and 7 others liked this

Château Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

It’s been a couple years since I last enjoyed the 1996 and based off this experience, it’s continuing to age gracefully.

Double decanted the night before. The wine pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, kirsch, purple flowers, tobacco, dried herbs, green pepper, old wood and gravelly earthy. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and sanguine. So much soul, it could make Marvin Gaye blush. Drink now with patience (and a long decant) through 2041. Thanks for the assist
@Lyle Fass
— 5 months ago

Pooneet, Shay and 17 others liked this
Andrew Schirmer

Andrew Schirmer

🔥🔥🔥
Lyle Fass

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Great wine. So savory.

O'Shaughnessy

Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Really good grip and then with more air time it softened up and expressed a lot of fruit. Bravo — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister, Douglas and 6 others liked this

Domaine François Raveneau

Valmur Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay

Super fresh and precise on the nose. Packed with minerals- lime, slate, salinity. Quite a glycerin mouthfeel. Super fresh and compact. All the transparency of 2011 and Raveneau. Needs time in the glass to open up. Still a puppy, but spectacular and all in place. Benefitting from air. — 5 years ago

Walker StrangisTony GarciaDavid Schachter
with Walker, Tony and 1 other
Ira, Severn and 12 others liked this

Domaine Leflaive

Les Folatières Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Chardonnay 1996

Medium gold color. Sweet nose. Notes of apricot, quince, kiwi, fig and white peach. Rich and impactful in the mouth. Sneaky acidity. With air the wine exhibits more mineral notes and the Leflaive petrol type thing I love. Good stuff. — 6 years ago

Paul, Hermes and 18 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1984

1984 vintage. Cork difficult to extract, ended up in several pieces. Beautiful deep color, little to no bricking even at this age. Seductive at one hour+ of air with black cherry, raspberry, some vanilla, green pepper, graphite. 12% ABV. From the FIL’s collection. — 6 years ago

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1992

Last night in MT at the lake. Gave this several hours of air. Nice dark tawny color. Vibrant in the glass. The nose is great right away and stayed on point through the evening. Notes of black cherries, warm raspberries, old cedar, some plums and a little leather saddle. Rich and silky in the mouth. Velvet glove. Long finish. Great wine. — 7 years ago

Ron, Shay and 17 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

A pair of 16’s off of Buccan’s list in PB. Way too young but started to develop slowly with air. I enjoyed both but leaned more to the Beausejour Duffau. — 2 months ago

Tom, Peter and 2 others liked this

Enderle & Moll

Buntsandstein Pinot Noir 2009

I think i will go ballistic! I have 3 bottles varieties of this - which includes a couple of self imported suitcase winery bottles!!! Hence the German label. And this one and last bottle is indeed special. Basically like an old school rough Burgh - how they used to be. Day one some plum, faint cherry, chalk, plenty of acid, quite tannic, lemon, dusty has 3-5 more years quite elegant with more air as it mellows out - awesome. Not some weird spice and therefore not a 10. Will add to this tomorrow……. — 4 months ago

Rick, Zach and 8 others liked this
Zach D

Zach D

Wow
Pinotman /// Andreas

Pinotman /// Andreas

These wines drive me nuts - takes often days to open up to mellow out and really show what they are made of. They are masterpieces!

Domaine Leflaive

Les Pucelles Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Chardonnay 2004

Medium lemon yellow , though within expectations for a 22 year old white Burgundy . Touches of smoky butter , lemon peel, red apple , ginger, chalky with wet stones and a touch of hazelnut . Complex , open and inviting on the nose , some development but still quite fresh and lively . On the palate this is intense with good grip , again showing the freshness from the nose , lemon peel , chalky , touch of white peach, sea breeze and lightly toasty finish . Long refreshing, mineral tinged finish . Perfect now , though benefits from air , becoming more mineral and focused with time and will continues to show well over the next 5 -8 years , maybe longer . — 5 months ago

Tom, Shay and 9 others liked this

Pierre Brisset

Cuvee Cassaneas Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay 2022

Lyle Fass
9.3

Been a minute since I have had this. Insane nose of phyllo dough, saline, green apple skins. some melon and also huge limestone. Palate is dense and tactile with an almost tannic presence and Chassagne like structure. Really dense and textured. Juicy and concentrated but needs air. It’s all there but it needs to harmonize. — 8 months ago

Billy, Dave and 18 others liked this
Jay Kline

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Such a giant slayer.

Bow and Arrow

Air Guitar Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

A 50/50 blend of Cab Sav and Cab Franc from Oregon. This is a big dense wine with subtle minerality. — 5 years ago

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 1976

WNH Zoom tasting #3 on 4/5/20. The theme was “10 years old or more” and I opened this after what I’d call a false start with a ‘96 Dominus Napanook. The cork was a bit soggy and difficult to extract and a sour nose greeted me as I decanted to remove a fair amount of sediment. But once the air hit it this wine spread its wings. It comes off as a hypothetical Volnay/Rioja blend as if there were such a thing. Mature warm red fruit, strong notes of rhubarb, cranberry preserves and sour raspberry mash. Very slight green notes but not in a negative sense. There’s still youthful exuberance here. This isn’t one of those “it’s drinking great for its age” wines it’s straight up exceptional. Great house. Great wine. Hell yes. Happy Bicentennial 🇺🇸🍷 — 6 years ago

Bill, Shay and 58 others liked this
Severn G

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@Bill Bender Oldest one we've had on this same bottle was a '90
Aaron Hamrock

Aaron Hamrock

I really enjoy that vintage. So many great Spanish wines fly under the radar. Good for us.