Perfect Day

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

WOTN. It’s perfect right now. — 9 days ago

mike kachetPaul K
with mike and Paul
Ray, Serge and 10 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend 2022

Day 1 of this year's Smallmouth Smackdown has begun. After 7 hours on the boat, and a dozen bass, it's time to crack into some libations (had a few PBR's on the boat).
This is a lush Zin. Concentrated fruit, but savory and chewy. Blackberry, blood orange, cigar box, and enough structure to age much longer. This is my 3rd Ridge Zin, and I'd have to say I still favor the Pagani Ranch.
Listening to Chris Stapleton
— a month ago

Pooneet, Somm and 22 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Dave, bravo my man!! The other advice you received is also great!! I think Pagani vs. Lytton Springs vs. Geyserville vs. any other Ridge Zin is often vintage, since they’re all blends!! (In fact, Geyserville never (mostly?) never says Zinfandel on the label since it very rarely (never?) is at least 75% Zinfandel, which is the CA requirement for varietal name on the label.
Dave

Dave

Thanks for the education! @Doug Powers

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

Opened 5 hours ahead and decanted for 2. Absolutely delicious. Still quite youthful but singing nicely so no need to wait in my opinion. Perfect hot dog wine 😉 — 2 months ago

Jay, Tom and 3 others liked this

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2020

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Both days outstanding but slightly different experiences. Day 1 was about power. Day 2 was about balance. The 2020 “Cuvée Réservée” pours a brilliant garnet with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with heady, slightly funky notes of ripe brambles, garrigue, red & purple flowers, bacon fat, licorice, and dry rocky earth. On Day 2, everything was more open nit and the fruit showed more bruised with a slightly stewed profile. Lavender was the predominate floral profile too. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is textbook Pégau and I love it. Drink now through 2045+ — 4 months ago

Joel, Tom and 5 others liked this

Château Gruaud Larose

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

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 . — 5 months ago

Bob, David and 11 others liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

As always, a perfect pairing with steak. — 2 days ago

Sagee liked this

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2017

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a two days. Better on Day 2. On the pop and pour, this bottle was backward and really seemed resistant to show much. I didn’t detect any real flaws or faults…just sort of, “meh”. On Day 2, it had opened considerably. The 2017 pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart and ripe blackberries, currants, mixed flowers, black tea, ferrous earth and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Drink now with patience and through 2042. — 6 days ago

Zach, Ira and 14 others liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 1988

Super clean and still quite youthful, this is a GREAT example of a 1980s CdP from a vintage of little surmaturite, so awesome balance and perfect acidity suggests this vintage will easily last another 5-10 years!! — a month ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Scott@Mister, Tom and 5 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

What a triumvirate of CDPs!
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Tom Casagrande, another example of a great bottle outperforming critical reviews — of the 3 CdPs, the ratings given years ago would have been higher for the ‘89 Beau and ‘90 Pegau!!

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1988

In perfect condition and drinking much more youthful than nearly 40 years!! Paired with grilled chicken thighs which went very well given the tannin structure has mostly receded. Acid still very much keeping things together and in check. Nice balance - still some good fruit, great earth, long finish. Hard to argue! — 2 months ago

Tom, Joel and 11 others liked this

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 2008

Fantastic fruit and balance. Vivid and crystal clear. Perfect balance and acidity — 4 months ago

David Schachter
with David
Neil, Jeroen and 6 others liked this

Day Wines

Sonoma County Zinfandel 2013

Well integrated. Cocoa, purple and red fruit, cedar and tobacco notes. Supple and juicy, but has some terroir complexity. — 5 months ago

Serge liked this

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Day 1: No decanting, on the nose this is tangy and fruity but tart. On the pallet, fruity light but dry. Has brightness to it as well. Overall I enjoyed this wine but not my favorite. — 5 months ago

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1994

Classic La Mission nose that is in a perfect spot showing red & black fruits, cedar, leather, earth, graphite, spice box along with sweet tobacco — 10 days ago

Joel, Jean-Philip and 5 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Jan A
9.9

Peak, flirting with perfection. Others called out farm/barnyard notes, I thought it was more hansaplast plasters. Anyways, this was very Bordeaux for a napa wine and very napa for a Bordeaux blend. Catching the perfect balance between sweet napa generosity and cooler bdx notes. — a month ago

Peter, Sharon and 11 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Yah...jelly. Always wondered about how those completely sealed wax tops fared as the wines aged. I suspect we are finding out exactly noww...such a favored producer.

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1988

1988 vintage. Feminine-styled. Ran into some resistance back in the day with the (re-) emergence of this Château and the massive 85/86 and 89/90 efforts. Eff all that. The 1989 AND 1990 vintages probs the best this Château has ever realized. The 1988 slid in then and performed delicate magick. That cocoa powder and blueberry combo still coming forth with undeniable impressions. Whereas those four “bigger” vintages rocked harder, all four have had more noticeable drop off. This 1988 just doing its best La Mission Haut-Brion/Haut-Brion impression and pulling it off. No rush to crush. 5.13.26. — a month ago

Bob, Sagee and 26 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Sounds awesome!!
Neil Valenzuela

Neil Valenzuela

😱 FOMO

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 2007

Somm David T
9.5

Just really starting to hit its perfect drink window. Really excellent Blanc de Blanc. Green apple, lime pulp with zest, amazing freshness & acidity. — 3 months ago

Jay, Scott@Mister and 12 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2002

Classic bordeaux flavours. Highly elegant and layered. Perfect drinking window for me — 4 months ago

Tom, Peter and 23 others liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2015

Showing amazingly, in a perfect place. Open one tonight if you have it! — 5 months ago

Ted, Ray and 7 others liked this

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2008

Weekend with Friends and average wines…😎 10.45 in the morning so time to start day 2…. — 5 months ago

Dick, Thijs and 8 others liked this