Payoff

Perfect Season

Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Gifted this bottle at bottling by the winemaker himself, and also helped with the label copywriting for this and the 2012 vintage. 12 years to payoff and not disappointed in the slightest! All the elements I love about my friend who made it - bold, sassy, centered, and vibrant! — 4 months ago

e welch
with e

Chappellet

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Paul K
9.1

Tight and tannic, but not closed for business. Able to really enjoy now, but you get the feeling there’s a huge payoff in 10 - 15 years. Fruit and structure are amazing after 3 hours, but my lips are stuck to my gums from puckering tannin. — 5 years ago

Paul, Sharon and 21 others liked this
Bryan Kesting

Bryan Kesting Premium Badge

@Paul K : I had this wine and vintage a few months ago and agree it’s more accessible than I thought. Like you say it will be really good down the road.
Paul K

Paul K

@Bryan Kesting I think many / most 2016s I’ve had are really approachable with great upside. Great year! The mountain fruit in this one gives it an edge I really like. Trying a different mountain tonight! Cheers!
Bryan Kesting

Bryan Kesting Premium Badge

@Paul K : Very nice. Look forward to your post.

Relic Wines

Kashaya Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2009

Wow what a payoff for proper cellaring of this stupendous Pinot. This region could be the CA equivalent of Grand Cru. Dark color and exotic nose, captivating wine. Rich dark cherry and spicy on the palate. The texture and weight are impressive. So great with our roast Poussin and crispy potatoes. — 6 years ago

Payoff

Alexander Valley Red Blend 2016

Publix - San Marco Blvd. $25 — 3 years ago

Peay Vineyards

Sonoma Coast Estate Viognier 2006

Alder Yarrow
9.7

The payoff for keeping this in the cellar for 11 years? Mind blowing candied lemon, candle wax, wet stones, pink peppercorns, and butterscotch. Stunner of a wine. Wonder how many bottles are left out there? I’ve got one more.... how about you @Peay Vineyards? — 5 years ago

Shay, Steve and 14 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Peay Vineyards : Maybe leave a comment here with any remaining quantities of this wine so us Delectable loyalists can snatch them up!

Weingut Keller

Hubacker Riesling 2017

Better late than never, so... Happy New Year, Delectable 🎉🍾 To another year of great wines!

My NYE wine and what better wine to cap off the year than one I poked my nose in. The 2017 Hubacker is a real stunner. Power without weight! It's a term I certainly overuse, but I think the best wines all have this trait. Powerful, very ripe, and exotic, yet never tiresome with every sip. The finish is tart, zesty, and sappy. It doesn't quite have the laser precision, but the acidity's still very intense, just rounder. With air, more spice components appear on the palate and the stoney minerality appears to be clearer. It's so young - even after 3 days, none of that intense fruit has shed away. A great wine in the making!

The sheer presence of this wine reminds me of KP's older style. But this still feels like KP 2.0, especially in that finish and texture (it isn't quite as weighty as before). Doesn't matter, I love both styles.

Really happy to be sharing this wine with my loved ones. 2017 was tough on Hubacker. Picking it was a race against time. Disease pressure was high. Hail had damaged the grape skins earlier and there was a decent amount of rain during harvest. But KP's just a master act - his timing's impeccable, balancing the payoff between ripeness and rot.
— 6 years ago

Ceccherini, Amr and 20 others liked this

Moone-Tsai Vineyards

Hillside Blend Howell Mountain Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon

Paul K
9.2

Better than 2 years ago but still needs time. Looking forward to a big payoff tho. — 3 years ago

Bryan, Deborah and 20 others liked this

Domaine Rimbert

Les Cravers de Marceaux Saint-Chinian Red Blend 2013

Ughhhhh just so much farm and stink in the nose for a delightful payoff. It’s like drinking the fresh outdoors. Light, silky, acidic, fresh and bright berries off the vine while still shrugging its shoulders and saying, “sometimes you have to enjoy the manure too.” I want more. — 4 years ago

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Paul K
9.1

Nose is cedar, herb, and leather. Medium body. Raspberry, red currant, and dark chocolate with really nice tannin throughout. Long finish is currant and cranberry. This wine is delicate. Overpowered by aged Gouda. Drink with Brie and French bread.
I pulled a classic and was just a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, still great, but for the anticipation... I have one more bottle that I’ll wait a long time and hope there’s a big payoff.
Interesting note, the 2013 Heitz Cellar in the background was remarkably similar in fruit, weight, and profile. 1/3 the price and I’m giving it a 92.
— 6 years ago

Mark, Vanessa and 13 others liked this