Over The Rainbow
A. Rafanelli
Unfiltered Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 1998
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 1998 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and loads of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with heady notes of dark cherry, mixed brambles, mixed flowers, mushroom, a touch of funk, pine sap, forest floor, a little VA, and a mix of cool and warm spices for good measure. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin medium+ and acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. F***ing awesome. One of the greatest experiences with Zinfandel that I’ve ever had. Drink now through 2038. — 20 days ago
Château Cos d'Estournel
Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1982
Popped and poured; enjoyed from red Solo cups over the course of a few hours. This bottle of the 1982 showed very well today. It pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of black currants, black plum, mixed brambles, tobacco, some green pepper, graphite, leather, earth, and soft warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. 1982: the vintage that keeps on giving. Drink now through 2042+. — 3 months ago
Dom Pérignon
Brut Champagne Blend 2006
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2006 pours a deep straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of slightly bruised apple, white flowers, lemon curd, brioche, slivered almond and a mix of chalk and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and creamy. I wish I could drink this all night long. Alas, only a single 750mL and not a Methuselah. Drinking well now and will only be taking on more secondary and tertiary character. But if that’s your thing (and I can get down), this will deliver well past 2036. — 4 days ago
Penfolds
Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2022
Referred to as the “Baby Grange,” blend of 51/49 Cab Sauv & Shiraz, aged for 12 months in 36% new American oak, partly in previous-vintage Grange casks. Dark Ruby with aromas of fresh black fruits, complex with sweet spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry flavors with notes of cacao, oak and toasty spices. Well balanced with acidity, full firm tannins, long ending with smoky spice, fruit well integrated with oak, drink over next 10 years+, will only get better. Nice! — a month ago
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1990
1990 Chateau Lynch Bages in Nebuchadnezzar. At a Lynch Bages dinner for the Commanderie de Bordeaux NY Chapter. Paired over the course of three courses vs the 1995, 1996 and 2000. The 1998 was also served earlier in the evening. So youthful, given the large format. Still got to experience different stages of evolution of the wine as it was poured throughout the night. Well balanced and beat out the other wines that night, with rhe 1996 showing more pepper and spice but also green bell pepper from the Cab Franc. The 2000 also showed strongly, but could not outshine the 1990. — a month ago
Château Pontet-Canet
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996
I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.
This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.
The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.
The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.
A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.
This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.
ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 8 days ago
Château d'Yquem
Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1991
Light medium caramel core , light copper rim. Quite mature , with spiced creme brûlée , saffron , burnt sugar , some crystallised orange peel , desiccated coconut . Slightly monochrome . On the palate this is quite light , with quite high acidity and a burnt caramel bitterness . Medium sweetness only , quite refreshing acidity . Slightly bitter orange caramel finish . Drink now qnd over the next few years , won’t improve . — 3 months ago
Andrew Cullimore
Pretty deep ruby garnet , medium wide garnet rim . Aromatic and really classic with a mix or red and dark fruits , tobacco , grafite and cedar . On the palate this is quite linear , again with the red and dark fruits from the nose, cedar and grafite and quite rounded resolved tannins . Fresh acidity , good cedar with grafite length , very classic in style . Enough density and fruit to cover the rest of the structure. In a perfect place now at least in this format , and probably will be over the next 10 years . This was from an Imperial , at BBR in London . — 11 days ago