Peace Pipe

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2003

2003 vintage. Cedar and cinnamon lead into coffee rye and toasted black sesame, baked blackberry and plums, baked black currant and elderberry. Tertiary leather and pipe tobacco, with a jammy cassis to licorice finality. Silky smooth palate exhibits dark berries and a touch of smoke and graphite swirling around charred oak and cinnamon.


#chateaulynchbages #lynchbages #grandcruclasséde1855 #pauillac
#appellationpauillaccontrôlée
— 9 months ago

Paul, Severn and 8 others liked this

Realm Cellars

The Bard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2021

Delectable Wine
9.5

The 2021 The Bard is fabulous. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant, the 2021 offers up generous dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice, spice, menthol and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied and voluptuous, the 2021 flaunts tons of flavor intensity and vibrancy. It’s a gorgeous wine, especially considering it is the largest-production wine at Realm. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
— a year ago

Seavey Vineyard

Caravina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Opened to celebrate my son’s 15th birthday and poured alongside the 2006 Eagle’s Trace “Latitude 38”. The 2006 Seavey Caravina pours a deep garnet color with a completely opaque core. No obvious signs of age in the glass. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, medium+ intensity, with strong pipe tobacco notes, currants, black cherry, figs, some green bell pepper and leather. On the palate dark fruits dominate with black cherry, black currants and blackberries. The tobacco and leather is also there accompanied by semi-sweet baking chocolate, baking spice and some anise. The wine finishes dry with medium tannins, most of which are well integrated at this point. Medium+ acid. Medium plus alcohol. The finish is long. Another very lovely vintage of Caravina, aging gracefully.
— 3 years ago

Arden, Brian and 14 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1988

Shay A
9.2

Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.

Fun to open birth year wines around your birthday, especially when you can do a Bordeaux and Napa side by side. While not a great vintage, this held up well after a few hours and presented as expected. Clean and zero Brett. Great color! Deep ruby with hardly any bricking. Leather, cassis, vanilla pipe tobacco on the nose. Sporting a good bit of dusty red and black fruits (mostly tart raspberries and blackberries), there was a little savory truffle note mixed with an herbal and mocha finish. Still quite grippy. Pretty.
— 8 months ago

Pinotman, Tom and 18 others liked this

Noël Verset

Cornas Syrah 1996

First, the Gentaz and now, Verset?! Be still my beating heart! Noël Verset is a freaking legend. His first vintage was during the period of peace between the first and second world war which means, for most of his career, Cornas was a tough place to make a living making wine. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that things began to turn around and by that time, Noël was in his 70’s. Talk about perseverance. By the time he made this 1996 vintage, he had already started selling off some of his vineyards and by 2006, he was done making wine altogether. 

And this 1996? It is lighter in color than the other wines in the Cornas line-up; almost a pale garnet with a transparent core. The nose is just crazy. I just wanted to smell it for the rest of the night. Wild mixed berries, dried purple flowers, garrigue, tobacco, and coffee. This was a Cornas of elegance and thinner on the palate relative to the Allemand and Clape. Long finish. Divine with venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion. Drinking very well now and could hold for longer but why?
— 9 months ago

Severn, Lyle and 6 others liked this

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Over the Easter weekend I opened for friends the 2015 Spottswoode Family Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley St. Helena, California a blend of 89%Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Other.

I let decant for at least an hour on the nose there was black cherry, blackberry, plum, black currant, cedar, spice, roses, crushed gravel and earth.

On the palate there was black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, black currant, licorice, mint, sandalwood, crushed gravel and earth.

This wine was rated 100 by both Jeb Dunnick and Wine Advocate whom I respect highly and can totally understand their exuberance for this wine but I couldn't make it quite there. I found that this is full bodied with a freshness and smooth mouthfeel medium + to high acidity and medium + high grainy crunchy tannins that gives a beautiful long dark fruit gravelly earthy finish. An eceptional wine by any means and I am glad to have a few more at rest in my cellar for this wine has many years to continue to develop. Our Easter weekend was one of excitement and exuberance where we had a baby shower on Saturday for our daughter who is expecting the last week of May first week of June which will be our second grandchild. Easter day we spent with family and friends which the day was spectacular. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend and I wish everyone a wonderful week ahead. Please stay safe and healthy with peace to all. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
— 3 years ago

Daniel, Andrew and 25 others liked this
Daniel P. Drake

Daniel P. Drake Influencer Badge

@Tom Casagrande Thank you, we are very excited.
Daniel P. Drake

Daniel P. Drake Influencer Badge

@Matt Duncan they are definitely exceptional at what they do.
Jan de Weerd

Jan de Weerd

Awesome experience. Thanks for sharing.

Château Cantemerle

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Shay A
9.2

92-93 for me.

Consumed half bottle at pop, then corked for another 4hrs before consuming the rest. No change.

What a beautifully elegant and refined ‘09. The highest compliment I can give this is that it was a simplistic joy. Some wines make it easy to get nerdy and command your attention…some wines are underwhelming and not worth your time. This was squarely in the middle. It was a joy to not feel the need to overthink…it’s exactly what it should be. No bricking at almost 15yrs. Decidedly black fruit heavy (black currant, cassis, underripe blackberries) with a sprinkling of raspberries and black cherries. Aromas of sweet pipe tobacco, dark florals. Integrated on the palate with good structure and acidity…not a massive wine, but it put on a bit of weight/length the longer it was open. Still sporting a fair bit of tannin at the finish, but it’s balanced. Drink or hold.
— 9 months ago

Ted, Ira and 22 others liked this
Peter van den Besselaar

Peter van den Besselaar Influencer Badge

Fine description

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2017

Well … shit. With a slight chill this is just sublime. Much better integration of oak than its other Pauillac neighbors. Charcoal ash, subtle pipe tobacco, dark berry compote. Superb. — 10 months ago

Tom, Joe and 7 others liked this

Arnaldo-Caprai

Collepiano Sagrantino di Montefalco 2015

Cherry plum coming in hot. Dense and full bodied, wet earth and sweet pipe tobacco, hint of clove and fennel frond. Years of life ahead. Grippy tannins that beg for a steak. — 2 years ago

Guillermo and Lars liked this