Simple Life

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2011

Light and precise. Chalky with lemon. A little simple compared to the best — a day ago

Bex Green
with Bex
David, Juan and 7 others liked this

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2008


Fantastic wine, drinking beautifully now.
Celebrating Life…. 💯 for the moment..! 🥳
— a month ago

Lisanne, Martijn and 13 others liked this
David Koenen

David Koenen

Prachtig! Van harte gefeliciteerd broer!

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2011

Opus One 2011
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A Bordeaux-style blend from one of Napa’s most iconic estates, co-founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The 2011 vintage was a challenging, cool year in Napa, producing wines of lower alcohol, more restraint, and higher acidity compared to the opulent, sun-soaked vintages before and after. Blend typically centers on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

Aromas & Flavors
Opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and dried cherry layered with graphite, violets, tobacco leaf, and hints of cedar and espresso. As it evolves in the glass, notes of leather, savory herbs, and cocoa powder emerge.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied compared to more powerful Opus vintages, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins. Elegant and balanced, showing more finesse and structure than richness. The finish lingers with red and black fruits, spice, and a touch of earth.

Winemaking Notes
Aged in French oak for 18 months. The cooler season resulted in smaller yields, but a style closer to classic Bordeaux restraint rather than plush Napa ripeness.

Food Pairing
Beautiful with herb-crusted lamb, grilled duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses like Comté.

Verdict
A vintage that divided critics due to its lighter profile, but for those who enjoy elegance and classical structure, the 2011 Opus One is a refreshing outlier. Drink now, though it still has a few years of graceful life ahead. Cheers!
— 2 months ago

Ira, Ted and 9 others liked this

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1999

Incredible wine, tons of life left. — 6 days ago

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

A knockout left bank Bordeaux. I’ve read that the 2005s may go longer than the potentially even more vaunted 2000s and I might agree based on this bottle. Decanted 5 hours. Cork in perfect shape. Amazing depth of fruit and a ton of Bordeaux earth. Nose goes on and on as does the finish. Was an excellent pairing but a very good but simple roast chicken. — 8 days ago

Ira, Neil and 16 others liked this

Château Rayas

Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenache Blend 2005

2005 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and over the course of 4 hours. Medium body with a continually morphing nose. Super-impressive bouquet throughout the night. Overt fruit fallen off the framework and replaced with secondary attributes/complexities. @Bill Bender remarked twice about a lack of “heat”since the usual CDP ABV range seemed underwhelming One might think that would present issues but, rest assured, it did not. Great wine possibly at its’ zenith/top of the bell curve and living its’ best life now. Backed up the hype and then some. Tied for WOTN along with the 2006 Krug Clos du Mesnil Champagne (missed a picture for that one) for both myself and @Shay A 09.21.25. — 2 months ago

Shay ABill Bender
with Shay and Bill
Scott@Mister, Shay and 25 others liked this
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

🙌
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Effing banging. Thank you @Bill Bender !!
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

My first Rayas! So grateful to @Bill Bender for the experience (as well as the other wines) to finally check this off the list. I’d say that between the five wines of the evening, this and the ‘06 Krug CdM evolved the most. This is the most powerful and aromatic CdP I’ve ever had. The red/black cran-raspberry profile was like a missle on the palate…so youthful, even tangy the beginning. A lot of CdPs have this dirty/figgy profile but this was so clean and pure. Verve for days. Probably still rocking in another 5+ before evolving to the next stage. Epic.
9.7

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

Somm David T
9.3

In typical Calon-Segur fashion, still kinda of a baby. Nice evolution but plenty of life left in this warm vintage Calon-Segur. — 15 days ago

DAD, Paul and 8 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2001

Double magnum still has a lot of life left we sure enjoyed it with the crowd!! — 22 days ago

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

Boom. Still lively and fresh. Tannins present but smooth. Still has life left. What a treat. Well balanced. Medium long finish Really a privilege to experience — 3 months ago

David Stein
with David
Ira and Sagee liked this