Ruby Vineyard

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Tasted blind . Médium deep ruby with medium wide ruby rim , slightly younger looking than the rest. Quite spicy dark fruits , touch of pain grillé , mineral , grafite , cedar . On the palate this has a lot of grip and density , but also great balance . Spicy dark fruits , touch of grafite and earthy cedar . Quite rounded mouthfeel. Balanced acidity and grippy ripe tannins . Long balanced finish . Overall this showed well , with a roundness and balance , lovely fruit still , really quite open and fresh . With more time this show a floral character with lovely precision . Of all the wines this though very young is probably showing the most today . Even better in 5-10 years and will last well a further 10-20. Had this down as Haut Brion . This took the silver medal . 96
— 4 days ago

Tom, Somm and 2 others liked this
Somm David T

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Nice notes on what must have been a splendid night of 05 1st Growths.

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

2nd wine . Medium garnet ruby, thin garnet rim . Quite serious and mineral , more grafite and , tobacco , seaside scents , spice . Quite cool and elegant in the mouth , sweeter tannin though quite dense still on the palate . Cassis , grafite , cocoa and tobacco finish . Quite rich , good length , spiced finish. This is quite refined and elegant , well balanced freshness , if rounder , more plump than the others (alcohol perhaps ? This is 14,5% but it doesn’t stick out ). Again quite young , needs another 5 years and will last a further 10 or so . Had this down as the Margaux ! — 19 days ago

Somm, Jeroen and 9 others liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore Red Bordeaux Blend

John W
9.8

Deep ruby coloration. On the nose, dark berry, cassis, forest floor, minerals and earth, cherry, cocoa powder, plum and vanilla. On the palate, dark berry , blueberry, cherry, smokey vanilla, and secondary and tertiary notes of oak, espresso, and chocolate. Complex and excellent full bodied wine with velvet mouthfeel. — 25 days ago

Billy liked this

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2023

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2023 pours a deep ruby/garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose the wine is developing with heady notes of tart cherry, mixed brambles, spearmint, red and purple flowers, old school permanent marker, licorice, tomato, green herbs, clove and stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the body is, ooof…very nice. Another delicious vintage of Cuvée Réservée. Drink now through 2043. — a day ago

Scott@Mister, Sagee and 11 others liked this

Kosta Browne

Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2012

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and medium intensity.

Fruity nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, light oak, spices, chocolates, dark coffee and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Complex with a soft mouthfeel. Elegant and fruit forward. Drinking at its peak right now, and a little metallic on the nose.

Robert Parker 93 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

This 14 year old Pinot Noir is a good sipping wine, that also paired nicely with food.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$120.
— 12 days ago

Jose, Brian and 14 others liked this

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Medium deep ruby with a thin garnet ruby rim . Quite closed with some grafite, hickory , cedar and crème de cassis , dark cherry , red plum , quite dense but with quite a classic , dusty profile . On the palate this is again quite classic , with crème de cassis , cedar , blackberry, plum . Good acidity and fine , gritty tannin , well balanced . Pretty good length with a saline, grafite touch. With time
in the glass this is drinking quite well , still showing dark fruit and youthfulness but at the same time quite classic and serious. Probably will improve over the next 5 years or so and last well a further 5-10
— a month ago

Martin, Serge and 17 others liked this

Domaine Auguste Clape

Cornas Syrah 2015

Brief notes. Dense crimson with a ruby rim. Traces of cowyard, (mild Brett?) also blackberry and black pepper notes. A rich palate of medium plus intensity - savoury and earthy notes and black olive. A fantastic food wine. Love this style. One of the better world expressions of Syrah. Have my last bottle in early 2028. — 2 months ago

Doug, Ray and 19 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Bob McDonald, I’ve drank Clape Cornas as far back as the 1985 (though in those days I was always a Verset Cornas guy, others in my wine group preferred Clape). About 2 years ago I brought a bottle of 1991 Clape to a friend’s winery in the Sierra Foothills, we popped and poured it (my wife and his winery intern were also there), and it was nothing short of fabulous!! Anyway, only purpose of my little side story is to suggest that this wine, from a fine vintage, will cellar long past your “last bottle” window (20-25 years without a problem)!! Cheers!! 🍷🍷
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Doug Powers Thanks for your note Doug. Its longevity is not in question…..I guess I don’t have the patience to wait as long as I should and I would like to try the last bottle sooner rather than later! Thankfully I have younger vintages of Clape Cornas waiting in the cellar.
Anthony De Blasi

Anthony De Blasi

Same issue here, I always realise that the last bottle of a certain wine I drink over the years is always the best because I also tend to open rather early than late

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Tasted blind . Slightly more mature colour than 1 . Ruby with some garnet and a more garnet tinged rim . Cooler more mineral on the nose , touches of grafite and wet rocks , sea spray , with some dark spicy cassis . On the palate this is more dark cassis , spicy grafite , cedar , touch of iron filings . Good roundness on the palate , with dusty tannins and balanced acidity, intense and saline . Long cedar tinged grafite length . Quite intense and stlight sterner overall , a little more aloof , more Cabernet , darker in style. Better in 5-10 years and will last well a further 10-20. Had this as Margaux . My 5th placed wine . — 4 days ago

Tom, Somm and 8 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Slight younger looking , a little more ruby both in the core but still mostly garnet rim.
This is high toned slightly redder fruit , less dense than the preceding 3 . Cherry , red plum , cedar, seaspray . On the palate this is again quite elegant and refined , cherry , red plum some cassis , red plum , cigar box . Not overly weighty with perhaps a little less noticeable tannin than some of the others . Long vibrant , spicy grafite tinged finish . Very elegant , reserved and I suppose very Lafite , this grows during the experience but was actually voted in last place by the group , that somehow doesn’t surprise me, at the end of the day one wine did have to come last, and this was relatively discreet only showing its real breeding and class with time in the glass. Needs time , but is very promising , probably another 5-10 years (as with almost all the others ) , will last well a further 20 if not more . The elegance and style of this wine is fantastic , this really grows in the glass . Had to be Lafite for me . Bronze medal here .
— 5 days ago

Jan, "Odedi" and 4 others liked this

Château Pape Clément

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

Medium deep ruby garnet , with quite wide garnet rim . Slightly smoky , earthy nose , mint , some spicy cigar , red currant , raspberry , dried cherry . On the palate this is quite lean in style , with fresh acidity , cherry , raspberry , red currant , some smoky blackberry , tobacco , cigar box. Quite good length and fine tannins herbal , mineral tinged finish . This is ready, just at peak still, now and over the next 5-10 years , don’t think this will improve much from here , but is still showing very well — a month ago

Andrew, Bob and 13 others liked this