King's Clay

Elk Cove Vineyards

Clay Court Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir 2022

2022 vintage. Tasted in conjunction with 4 other 2022 Elk Cove Pinots. 4.17.24. — 7 months ago

Ted, Ray and 3 others liked this

Heitz Cellar

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

David T
9.4

I compare the Heitz Napa to the Joseph Phelps Napa in many ways. I believe the Phelps is slightly less vintage dependent than Heitz. But, this 07 like the vintage in Napa, sensational.

This 2007 is peaking. Perfectly ripe & juicy; brambly blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries/kirsch, blueberries come on late and poached strawberries on the edges. The tannins are still dark and tarry. Rich, sweet, dark soils, mid & dark berry cola, anise, steeped black tea, dry tobacco, used leather, cedar/sandalwood, clove, nutmeg, some cinnamon & vanillin, moist, grey volcanic clay, dry crushed rocks, limestone, mid spice, hints of grilled meat, some fresh/dry herds, a tad of eucalyptus, stewy/tumble weed, fresh & withering dark, red, blue florals framed in violets, excellent round acidity, the scope of the finishes encompasses; balance for days, nice structure & tensioned, elegant, polished and lasts two minutes.

Photos all taken around their tasting room on Hwy 29 when their tasting was still the last free tasting in Napa. Still not over the family selling to a corporation that has no wine experience.
— 8 months ago

Shay, Bob and 14 others liked this

Château Haut-Bailly

Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

David T
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.
— a year ago

Shay, Bob and 16 others liked this

Bodega Catena Zapata

White Clay High Mountain Vines Luján de Cuyo Sémillon Chenin Blanc

Fantastic white wine for late summer. Highly recommend!! — 3 months ago

Jones Family Vineyard

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

David T
9.5

I tasted this at cork pull and it looked & tasted a bit brickish. Waited to decant but it still needed a hour in the decanter. 97 a great Napa vintage. Well stored bottle bought from auction.

The fruits are lush, velvety & ruby; blackberries, black plum, plum pudding, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries & blueberry hues. Dark chocolate, mocha, salted caramel, malt balls on the long decant, black licorice, there is a touch of v/a-bandaid but it’s not spoiling and dissipates some in time, dusty to slightly moist top soil, olive tapenade, herbaceous notes, soft, dark spice, half used, dry tobacco w/ ash, sandalwood, moist, grey volcanic clay, limestone, dry crushed rocks, notes of black pepper, candied, liquid, fresh & mostly withering, dark, red, purple flowers, very round acidity and a very well balanced, tensioned, nicely structured and a smartly polished, round finish that lasts two-minutes.

Second wine to pair with/ Allen Brothers Cover Ribs.
— 7 months ago

Bob, Paul and 11 others liked this

Domaine Le Roc

La Folle Noire d'Ambat Fronton Negrette 2020

After the Sicilian off dry white which I drank only a glass of in disappointment, I decided to open something I knew would make me happy. We are watching Dunkirk while drinking this wine and the contrast between the on-screen drama and the funky liveliness in the glass is stunning!
As usual the nose is a bit funky at fist and takes a good 20 to 30 minutes to set into place. Then it's violet, blueberry, clay, that iron thing too, which I always smell in this cuvée, no matter the vintage. The palate is big, bright and fruity. There are blueberry notes all along, some cherry too. Some width, a nice and soft mouthfeel, some tannins in the rear, and a really nice anf long finish with fruits, some pepper, and a nice tannic layer. There is a subtle savory note too, almost meaty, that makes it more complex than you would have bet at first. Of course this is, as always, a very biased review, but I mean, what's not to like there?
— 10 months ago

Severn, Juan and 12 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2007

Nose - wet clay pot, rose petals, leather, crayons . Main flavors - apricots, nectarines and plum and unripe cherry. Mid taste is sweeter and then finishes dry but not too dry. Very very nice! — 6 months ago

Clay Creek Vineyards

Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This is really good. Will buy again — 7 months ago

Château Brane-Cantenac

Grand Cru Classé en 1855 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

David T
9.3

Love Margaux wines with rack of lamb. It is a classic pair as long as you are not doing a Mediterranean mint prep. This is salt, pepper, Napa Valley rub and red wine.

As it airs and intermixes w/ the meal, it rises from 93 to 94.

The wine is approaching its peak. Still has another 10 yrs of appropriate drinking.

The fruits are ripe, juicy; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, strawberries, raspberries with hues of purple & blue fruits. There is excellent integration & evolution. Led pencil shavings, fresh & dry herbs, moist grey volcanic minerals/clay, fresh & dry tobacco, sandalwood, used leather, soft, dark spice with heat on the long set, limestone, dry crushed rocks into powder, touch of black pepper, saline, fresh dark, red flowers with violets, excellent, cool rainfall acidity, well woven, balanced, softly tensioned & structured with a pure elegant finish that lasts a full two-minutes.
— 10 months ago

Ira, Paul and 19 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Agree! Classic pairing! (Although I’m not as geo-precise as you—I’ll take any nice Cab-majority left banker!)