The Black Bottle

Black Stallion Estate Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Big but still pretty restrainted. — 2 days ago

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1990

A bretty nose… gravel and iron and sour black cherry. Some lush fruit underpinning. Intense on the palate. Perhaps too much Brett? — 15 days ago

Walker StrangisDavid Schachter
with Walker and David
Tom, Jay and 11 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

An exceptional, full-bodied wine. Tasted a lot of black cherry, currants, cedar, and creme de cassis. Drinking great now, but should last a long time in the cellar. — 12 days ago

Paul Jaboulet Aîné

La Chapelle Hermitage Syrah

I was going through my La Chapelle section today and my eyes got stuck on this 1999 - bottle looked absolutely pristine and I decided it was a perfect age to drink. Cork was in great condition and the wine was powerful and youthful with no signs of oxidation. Could have kept the bottle for a few more years, but it was probably perfect today. All the complex leathery earthy goodness you expect from this wine was there. — a month ago

Tyler liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (91.3%) and Merlot (8.7%). A bit tight and unexpressive right out of the bottle. After a 45 minute decant, this wine was awake and very alive. Dark ruby color. Aromas of graphite, forest floor, wet gravel and dark black fruit. Flavors of black currant/cherry/berry/plum, tobacco, baking spices, dark chocolate and minerals. Distinct notes of smoky oak and wet earth on the long and lingering finish. Tannins were a bit lighter than expected at first but developed with aeration. Quite savory, rich, full bodied and powerful. Beautiful texture. Exceptional (once it opened up) but not the bottle of near perfection that I had heard so much about. Thanks for sharing, Petey and Happy Birthday, Kase! — 20 days ago

Austin, DAD and 11 others liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

This had red & black fruits, earth, cedar, leather, sweet, savory spice with tobacco — a month ago

Jan, Jeroen and 10 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Always one of my favorites. The 06 is a beutiful wine. Black and blue fruit, great minerality, tender tannins, wonderfully balanced. Regal texture, just wonderful with my steak tonight. The 06 are drinking wonderfully now. Always a pleasure! — a month ago

Somm, Joe and 8 others liked this

Château Margaux

Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1945

beautiful fruit. Strawberry and plummy fruit. A hint of tangy minerality around the edges. Still quite fresh and bright. A great bottle — 9 days ago

BOT Matt LichtenbergPaul Woolls
with BOT, Matt and 1 other
Tom, Shay and 9 others liked this
David White

David White

That’s quite a special wine at 80 yrs

Domaine du Pegau

Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2021

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nose of red and black fruits with light wood, tobacco and chocolate notes.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, light oak, licorice, chocolates, spices and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Grenache blend is starting to drink very nicely now, with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Elegant and rich. Interesting and engaging. A very traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape in style.

Well balanced and good by itself as a sipping wine. Will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of all 13 allowed grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but mostly Grenache. Hand picked and whole cluster. Aged for 2 years in large French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$110.
— 9 days ago

Vanessa, Joe and 17 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2004

At over 20 years old, the 2004 Opus One is showing beautifully, striking a balance between maturity and vibrancy. On the nose, it opens with an inviting bouquet of ripe blackberries, cassis, and dark cherries, layered with subtle notes of violet, tobacco, and espresso.
On the palate, the wine is smooth and full-bodied, with fine-grained tannins and a silky texture that coats the mouth without being heavy. The core is rich with dark fruit—black plum, currant, and a touch of blueberry—balanced by earthy undertones and a whisper of leather. Definitely one of my favorites.
— 12 days ago

Michael Cammarata
with Michael