Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I am seldom dumbfounded when it comes to wine. So, I appreciate it when that happens.

This 1990 La Grande Dame was amazing and so fresh. Full disclosure, I am not normally impressed by this producer and this cuvée. Unusual for a champagne of 35 yrs to be so fresh in my experience from inception. So much so, if poured blind many would call it N/V or a fairly recent vintage. The color was even palish straw. Mags were brought from their Champagne House.

Excellent with the dessert of the evening, “Lemon Meringue Pie Cookie.”

Enjoyed at the 2026 “From Cellar Event” Pebble Beach Food and Wine.

Creator is Sumaiya Bangee.
NEW YORK, NY
All in Hospitality and Thulathan
@_sumaiya_bangee_ — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I am pretty sure I paid around $30-$35 a bottle in its first tranche release. Seems Millesima USA is selling it today for $149 a bottle through the app. The reason to collect and age. It is drinking well beyond that price point twenty years from inception or how I always look at wine is eighteen years in bottle. For me, that’s how I decide when to open. How many years in the bottle is its real age.

It is dark cherry, cherry, blackberry, black raspberries, strawberries, raspberries with bright florals. Amazing smoothness, bright violets, excellent acidity and a well, evenly polished finish that pairs with fatty steaks for days. Stupidly perfect from a warm/ripe Bordeaux vintage.

Happy holidays. 🎅🧑‍🎄 ☃️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ — 3 years ago

Andrew Liguori

8.9

Layers of complexity, inception style wine. Apricot, golden apple, high oak, long lanolin finish. High octane at 14.5 and full bodied. Interesting wine, but I think one and done check it off the list. — 3 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.1

A Margaret River-producer from the beginning, whose inception was coached by Mondavi; deep purple; nose of dark mulberry, black currant, ripe cherries, black pepper, anise and nutmeg; showing great on the palate, forceful yet elegant, with tannins, ripe fruit, acid levels and alcohol in good harmony, and a long dry finish. Promising future. — 5 years ago

Alec Jeffery

9.0

Just right, balanced and a medium length finish. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

At the Annual Yalumba tasting at the Downs Club. A quick note - minty for a Shiraz Fairly Oaky with Oak Tannins showing through and Espresso on the nose. A good wine with great potential but for value I prefer the Paradox at about a third of the price. Have bought Octavius since inception when as Wine Committee Chairman the Downs Club hosted Yalumba CEO Robert Hill-Smith (still the boss) for the launch of the inaugural Octavius which strangely was a Cabernet to begin with (1987) and a Shiraz ever since. Still have my last 2002 in the cellar at home. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

For our reception, I packed a magnum of this in 2007 into my suitcase.. Same as it was that night, it is tonight. Every 750ml I/we have had since then has better than the magnum I brought. The magnum was good, but a touch broken down. This is in amazing shape. Storage is everything w/ wine of this age.

The nose was straight up brighter, aged fruit profile with mushrooms, sweetened led pencil & barnyard. Beautiful. Classic 80’s seminole Bordeaux. 48 years from inception & 46 years in bottle, amazing.

Happy anniversary Sofia! ❤️ you endlessly!

This is a perfect example of why I love Bordeaux. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy New Year!🎈🎆🎊

From mag. Who said the2007 vintage was bad? They didn’t taste it 16 years from inception or 14 years in bottle. Excellent as our first prime rib wine.

2nd night tasting with leftovers. One glass left. It’s dark inky, round, mushy velvety tannins, dark currants, blackberries, blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, plum pudding, strawberry highlighter, dry stones, limestone powder, dark turned earth, soft, fresh & dry tobacco notes, soft lead pencil shavings, wet volcanic ash, moist clay, charcoal, sandalwood, understated dark spice, dark chocolate, just a touch of baking spices, dark & red withering flowers, violets, excellent round acidity and a well knitted structure, balanced fruit & earth, good tension with a long elegant finish that falls on a dry mineral finish lasting 90 seconds.

I always leave an inch to inch and half in the bottle to pour a bit to all at the end. I believe the expression for that is, “The Truth! From the expression, the truth is inside. It doesn’t lie and makes for more extremely concentrated sip(s). You might say it is a lot like monosodium glutamate…everything you tasted in the wine previously, taste more. — 2 years ago

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Airplane wine happiness? Seashells and texture and yes I was watching Inception — 5 years ago

Gladys Xiques

9.3

Slight berry notes at inception but then it settles into this elegance and structured Pinot. Easy to drink. Just so smooth. — 5 years ago

Jeff Orlowski

8.9

Full body, dry, nice tannins. Sangiovese (90%), Cab Franc (7%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%). Oak, tobacco, and cranberries. — 7 years ago

with Michael and Joe

Bob McDonald

8.9

Probably best to drink these Giant Steps Chardonnays from inception to 6 or 7 years. A touch of oxidation amongst the citrus and stone fruit notes. Best QPR of any producer in Australia IMO. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Cambria is a private, family-owned estate winery that produces, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah since its inception in 1987. Dark red almost purple with aromas of tart berry fruits. On the palate raspberry and cranberry with citrus notes with oak tones. Fine tannins on lingering finish ending with a mineral edge. — 8 years ago

Ericsson

9.0

Revisiting this disruptive wine as I often do. This time 24 years after it’s initial release, and much has changed since since it’s inception. The wine is still exciting, maybe for the wrong reasons, maybe for the right reasons but exciting nonetheless. It’s still a big and bold beast of a wine, no matter the vintage. — 2 years ago

George Hesse

9.5

I think this was excellent. Beautiful color, delightful nose and great taste and finish. I would highly recommend. — 2 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

Their 1st vintage. Excellent and at its peak. Drink up. Very Burgundian. Dark cherries, touch blackberry, cardamom, bark, black tea, orange zest, crushed marble, In my book one of the best they made since inception of this Jadot Oregon outfit. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Terre di San Leonardo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (40%), and Carmenere (10%), run by the Gonzaga family since its inception in 1724. Wine is fermented with ambient yeasts in concrete tanks and 20% is aged in French oak barrels. Ruby with aromas ripe red fruits and floral notes. On the palate flavors of rich plum and blackberry with herb, light spice and slight earthy notes. Medium+ finish, fine soft tannins, ending with fruit, floral and earthy mineral character. Tremendous value! — 4 years ago

Kirk Webber

9.1

Nice; from Paso Robles trip. $45+ — 5 years ago

Roy Nichol

9.1

Nice for us — 7 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.3

Been a fan of this cuvee since it's inception. To me, this is about as close as Aussie riesling gets to its German counterpart. Neither a good or bad thing, but I love that link between two countries I adore in this wine. That said, this was one of the best Aussie rieslings I've had all year.

German inspired methods on Western Australian fruit. From Frankland Estate's website:

All riesling grapes are harvested as cool as possible and pressed immediately, slow press cycles allow for soft and long extraction. Blocks and picks are kept separate and some juice from most blocks is fermented in barrel format for interest and comparison purposes. Picking decisions are made on ripeness and fruitfulness, with the main aim of working with natural balance yet intentionally look for greater ripeness with this wine and as a result greater degree of phenolic influence and texture. Juice is sent to tank to settle overnight (without enzyme or any additions). A cloudy juice is run to a combination of 1000ltr and 500ltr barrels. Fermentation is spontaneous and temperature controlled to some degree but temperature range is generally higher than tank fermentations. Post fermentation barrels are topped and left un-sulphured through to spring time quite often if residual sugars are high fermentation will be left to start again in spring as juice warms. Sulphur will be introduced when a decision is made on the vitality/fruitfulness of the wine and residual sugar is seen to be in balanced with the wine. Wine was left in barrel for 10 months (January).

The resulting wine is textural, spicy, and generous. Doesn't quite have the extract of German rieslings, but there's length, balance, and most importantly, it's uniquely its own wine. I feel that the provenance of the fruit shines through all that winemaking - that crunchy fruit-first with more green apple/citrus than stone fruits, steeliness, and light whiff of smoke/petrol. It's also remarkably clean for a barrel-treated wine (say compared to Koehler-Ruprecht or JB Becker). Enough with the rant because the takeaway is that it's delicious! — 7 years ago