Little Black Stone

Black Stallion Estate Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Very good. Lots of black fruit aromas (a plum, blackberry & black currant), an oak & a vanilla, so I”m a little disappointed. — 13 days ago

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

David T
9.5

Nearly 20 years in bottle. It is still ascending will drink well for another 15 days plus years.

From a warm vintage. Beautiful, even toned fruits with elegant earth & amazing lead pencil bloom for days.

This is approaching its peak, another 5 years from its peak.

Well resolved wine-fruits. The fruits are juicy, blackberries, black raspberries, plum skin, dark cherries & slightly, poached strawberries with a highlight of pomegranate. Mocha, dark chocolate, black tea, sandalwood, sandstone, limestone, some mushroom notes, dark, rich turned earth w/ dry leaves, dry tobacco, dry leather, dry herbs, dry stone, caramel notes, dry, withering, dark, purple & red flowers with excellent acidity, balance, tension, structure and finish for days that lasts 90 seconds.
— a month ago

Vanessa, Daniel and 16 others liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Delectable Wine
9.2

The 2004 Léoville Las Cases has a noticeable mintiness on the nose that actually complements the red fruit, though it deviates away from what you might call Saint-Julien typicité. After ten minutes, it coheres with ash and black tea aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded texture on the entry. The 2004 shows fine acidity and is lightly spiced with cracked black pepper towards the finish. A little conservative, but it acquits itself well considering the vintage. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 7 months ago

Domaine Drouhin

Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2017

Medium Ruby color with aromas dark red fruits, black tea and ample floral spice, aged in 20% new French oak for 10 months. On the palate flavors of black cherry, blackberry and plum with tobacco, cedar, black pepper, tea and vanilla spice. Soft fine tannins, long finish, well balanced with acidity, ending with fruit, herb, spice and earthy wet stone character. Nice! — 7 days ago

Tom, Juan and 2 others liked this

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah 2001

This bottle was a library release from the Chave cellars. Decanted about an hour prior to service (but could have benefited from more time) and enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2001 Chave rouge pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of charred blueberry pie, mushrooms, scorched earth, grilled meat, coffee, black pepper and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and super complex. With more and more air, this really came into its own. Totally Chave. Totally Hermitage. Totally awesome. Drink now with a little patience and through 2041. — 6 months ago

Severn, Shay and 12 others liked this
Lyle Fass

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94 is my fave old one that is affordable. Also 96.
Jay Kline

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@Lyle Fass I have not had an opportunity to enjoy either but I hope that changes!
Lyle Fass

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@Jay Kline less ripe years pre 2004 I adore. After 2004 I find the wines are more forced, modern and “made.”

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Delectable Wine
9.3

The bottle of 2014 Pontet-Canet showed better than the previous one at the 10-Year-On tasting in London. This offers much more restraint on the nose. It's quite precise, with greater mineralité seeping through the black cherry and cassis fruit. The palate has a sorbet-fresh entry, fine tannins and a silky sheen. The oak is fully subsumed after a decade, plus there is a little more depth on the finish compared to previous showings. This is a fine example of the vintage, and bottles should drink well over the next 12 to 15 years. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Pontet-Canet dinner in Washington DC. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 7 months ago

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1993

Still going strong with a little funkiness when 1st opened that quickly blew off showing red & black fruits, savory, brambly spices, earth, graphite & sweet wet tobacco — 3 days ago

Juan, Severn and 9 others liked this

Chateau Montelena

The Montelena Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim. Not showing age at all.

Fruit forward on the nose.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, vanilla, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth and light black tea.

This 24-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still delicious, though I had hoped it would be even better.

Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel, but it feels a little tired.

Needed 2 hours to open up properly, and remove the mildew notes.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with food too.

A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$100.
— 5 months ago

Severn, Dawn and 17 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Delectable Wine
9.2

The 2004 Léoville Barton is less opulent on the nose than the Langoa but offers a little more refinement and terroir expression. A touch of seaweed develops with time. The palate is fresh on the entry. It is one of the most saline Léoville Barton that gets the saliva flowing. It is classic old-school Anthony Barton with a judicious dab of black pepper and menthol furnishing the finish. Excellent. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 7 months ago

LM and John liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Delectable Wine
9.8

The 2005 Latour is a huge wine predestined for long-term aging. Noticeably deep in color, it has a showstopping bouquet with intense black fruit, graphite and touches of dried blood and tobacco as it considers moving into its secondary phase. But that's going to be slow coming...it's in no hurry. The palate is medium-bodied and unapologetically classic in style. I notice this bottle is a little grainy in texture, the salinity perhaps heightened as it enters adulthood. The finish has a tangible sense of tension, but it remains backward and swarthy. Immense. Tasted at Woo Cheong Tea House dinner organized by Paulo Pong. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2024)
— 9 months ago

David liked this