Pooneet K

9.3

First bottle of a half case we bought at the domaine in 2021. Definitely will be better in a few years but nice to try one on the earlier side. What they say is true - this is really easily Brunello level. At this point the nose isn’t giving a ton, but there is great depth of fruit and earth on the palate. This hits in several more parts of the mouth than most wines and the finish goes on for quite a while. Medium plus tannins and acid which should balance out a bit with some more age.

Opened the bottle 5 hours prior to service and then decanted for 2. Real candidate to be 9.5+ in a few years. — 10 months ago

Yaw Awuku

9.1

Cherry, pepper and hibiskus in such a lovely balance! Definetly a hot candidate for personal house wine. Looses a bit after seconds day. — 4 years ago

Greg Koslosky

9.7

Wine of the vintage candidate for me ! — 5 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

More depth than the Domaine Pelle ‘18 from the same appellation...black and red fruit, leather and potpourri, palate is sappy and mouth coating with ample tannins, but not heavy. Candidate for mid-term aging — 5 years ago

donat agosti

9.2

A candidate with an extemsive stream of nice small bubbles, slightly bitter but very pleasant — 7 years ago

Greg Koslosky

9.4

Old school flair and charm and such a baby. Decanted for 2 hours and it was still backward but all the elements for greatness are here . Pomerol of the vintage candidate especially for the Money . — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Time for my #MerlotThursday . Here is a beautiful one from Napa Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, blackberries, cherries, vanilla, earth, wood, spices, chocolates, tobacco, graphite, dark coffee and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet plums, light vegetables, pencil lead, dark coffee, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a great Napa Merlot. Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel. Interesting, powerful and bold.

I had this vintage 2 years ago, and loved it just as much.

The 2012 was a great vintage, and it is showing. Would easily be 94+ points in 5 years from now, so this would be a good cellaring candidate.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up.

Had it blind, and it felt like a Napa Syrah, actually.

Thanks DJ for sharing this wonderful wine with me.

Delicious and yummy. I had it all by itself.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.3

Confrérie Des Chevaliers du Tastevin Sous-Commanderie d'Albany; 14 October 2023 at Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY

Candidate Induction Wine. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Another candidate in the 41 wine lineup at the Downs Club tasted blind. Unlike many of the other candidates which had ripe black fruits from 2018, this had notes of dried meat and charcuterie. Full bodied - more savoury than fruit driven. Spinifex is a boutique Barossa producer. Winemaker is the Kiwi star, Peter Schell. Very Good. — 4 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Not the team’s I wanted to see, so I’ll just stick to the basics. Went well with some A5 coffee crusted New York Strip, the steak 🥩 is so rich you don’t want to waste it on a fruity wine

The 2010 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is situated on deep gravel deposits in the Macau and Ludon villages of the appellation and has 9,600 vines per hectare.

Vinious 93 The 2010 Cantemerle is vigorous and open on the nose, a mixture of red and black fruit with cedar and humidor scents. I admire the focus and detail. The palate is rounded in texture on the entry. This is a plumper, richer, more fruit-driven 2010 with a lush finish on the context of the growing season. You could broach this now, although I would prefer to leave it another three or four years. This is another excellent wine and candidate for most over-performing cru this vintage. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. — 4 years ago

Ron R

9.2

I love the brambly fruit profile of this wine. It’s texture is atypically gnarly, which I find endearing. Bold tannins and a big extraction make this a solid candidate for the cellar - Tak Room, NYC. — 6 years ago

with Anne-marie

Blake Walker

9.0

Paso Robles cab. 13.5% ABV. Plum fruit, chocolate. Smooth. Not too heavy. Good QPR. Good house wine candidate. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.2

Confrérie Des Chevaliers du Tastevin Sous-Commanderie d'Albany, Chapter Candidate Dinner; 22 June 2019 at Yono's, Albany, NY — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Another candidate in the 41 wine list tasted blind at the Downs Club. Brief notes. Very dense in colour with a crimson rim. Rich and full bodied from a great producer showing those lovely ripe fruits from the 2018 vintage. Hard not to like. Turkey Flat has some of the oldest vines in the Barossa. — 4 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

8.9

Château Fonbadet Pauillac 2017: Medium-full bodied. Nice balance. Good acidity and approachable tannins. Bursting black fruits. Plum. Leather. Vanilla. Oak. Medium plus finish. Consisting of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, the youthful Bordeaux blend produces great fruit concentration with nice length & elegance. All in all, a respectable young (a good cellar candidate) yet very enjoyable wine. Cheers🍷 — 4 years ago

Patricia Schnitzer

9.0

March 17, 2021. Spontaneous tasting w/ C — South African reds, Bordeaux blends. Whoa! This full bodied powerhouse is 57% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% pinotage. Aromas of Cocoa, coffee, deep black fruit. Lots of old leather, cocoa on the palate. Unfiltered w/ lots of sediment, so not a good coravin candidate. Double decanted, then purchased the last 5 bottles available on Vivino. 15% alcohol so go slow. — 5 years ago

Pooneet K

9.1

Very nice nebbiolo. Would be a good candidate for a “house wine” at $30/bottle. Dark cherry leaps from the glass. Classic brick nebbiolo color. Smooth and earthy with balanced acid on the finish. Just a very nice wine. — 6 years ago

Dan R

9.1

Brilliantly aromatic, stunning floral nose. Elegant, detailed palate, very fresh and direct. A distinct creamy / leesy overlay. Fine and wispy, open and not well structured, and didn’t evolve much after a few hours in the decanter. I would guess this is a short term drink candidate. Great with charcuterie — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.4

Confrérie Des Chevaliers du Tastevin Sous-Commanderie d'Albany, Chapter Candidate Dinner; 22 June 2019 at Yono's, Albany, NY

(Outside of the Club Cellar bottle.) — 7 years ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

Tart cherry lingers in the nose.

A touch of citrus, mingling with blueberry applesauce pie, jolly rancher blue, goose berry.
Light tannins with a strong, acidic backbone, much like a candidate running for an office..
— 8 years ago