Twisted Cedar

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

This was showing beautifully with good richness, balance, red & black fruits, earth, spice box, cedar, leather & tobacco notes — 5 days ago

Jean-Philip, Joel and 7 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

This was great but not same level as prior bottles. Perhaps a slightly off cork ? Medium dark rubi robe, nose of blackcurrant, top soil and balsam with hints of cedar. Ever so slightly reticent tannins but overall great length and good complexity. Great now, but no rush. — a month ago

Jose Roberto Palazzoveronique paillardAdriana Pagliano
with Jose, veronique and 4 others
Peter, Dave and 5 others liked this
Alexandre Pagliano

Alexandre Pagliano Premium Badge

This was great but not same level as prior bottles. Perhaps a slightly off cork ? Medium dark rubi robe, nose of blackcurrant, top soil and balsam with hints of cedar. Ever so slightly reticent tannins but overall great length and good complexity. Great now, but no rush.
Alexandre Pagliano

Alexandre Pagliano Premium Badge

Medium dark rubi robe, nose of top soil, cedar-wood, spices and other secondary notes. Medium bodied, long and with highly polished tannins, this is an excellent bottle, just slightly under the other we got from same 6 bottle case.

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

A complex, stunning, beautifully elegant wine!
Really well preserved bottle with very little ulage!
Needed a bit of time to open up and lose the damp smell - showing cedar wood, cigar box, red fruit, leather, a bit of mushrooms, complex & still evolving in the glass!
On the palate this was smooth, mellow with bright acidity, layers of juicy red fruit accents and tertiary aromas. The length was just incredible. Sophisticated & elegant.
A truly spectacular & special bottle!
— 2 months ago

Daniel liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Tasted blind. Medium deep garnet ruby and medium garnet ruby rim . Quite cool and restrained , again lots of grafite and mineral , dark fruits . This is quite deep and dark spicy cassis , blackberry and sea spray , saline . Quite dense and robust on the palate again , lots of fine but ripe tannins. Very long , dense , cassis , cedar grafite saline finish . This is a complete and great example of 2005 , great balance and enormous length , the longest of all on show here. Drinkable now , but surely it’s best days are in the future , wait another 5 -10 years , will last well a further 20 - 25 if not more . The apex of 2005 ? For me this had to be the Latour , and an archetypal example of Latour no less . 1st place and the gold medal . — 2 months ago

Tom, Tom and 9 others liked this

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996


Evolved & aromatic
Cedar wood, cigar box and a touch of cassis with some earthy, gravelly undertone.
Evolved and yet very pure. And very enticing.
Beautiful, simply beautiful on the palate. Firm yet polished and ultra fine tannins, juicy acidity, juice creamy black fruit on the mid palate. Elegant with nice depth and great length.
Beautiful juicy austerity. Classic benchmark left bank Bordeaux. And delish!!!
— 2 months ago

Tom liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Youthful, structured with red & black fruits, currant, cedar, spice & tobacco — 3 months ago

Joel, Tom and 10 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2012

Drinking this way too early, but it sounded good and it is good. Chewy, tart cherry juice, cedar, silky tannins. Happy Friday, friends!
Listening to Black Eyed Peas
— 5 months ago

Dawn, David and 31 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Which Black eyed peas album/song did you pair with the tondonia?
Dave

Dave

I got a feeling. Loading a playlist to DJ a wedding 🎶 @Tegan Marriott

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 — 12 days ago

Joel, Jean-Philip and 5 others liked this

Château Lascombes

Margaux Merlot Blend 2016

Ming L
9.3

The nose shows plush and rich profile with waves of blackberry compote, plum, cassis, mocha and cedar. Yet the palate is surprisingly restrained and composed. The modest 13.5% abv lends balance, allowing floral nuances and graphite minerality to emerge beneath the polished richness.

Often considered the least prestige of the 2nd growths, in a great vintage like 2016 Lascombes still delivers. A long life ahead.
— a month ago

Joel, Tom and 4 others liked this

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
— 2 months ago

Tom, Somm and 2 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

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

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1988

More of a suave & polished version of LB that is showing well at 38 yrs. Notes of red & black fruits, spice box, earth, cedar, floral, leather & tobacco — 2 months ago

Rob, Tom 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 .
— 2 months ago

Jan, "Odedi" and 4 others liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

1 hour decant(some chunky sediment). A striking deep garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: exquisite notes of dark fruit, herbaceous, cedar lined cigar box, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: silky, brooding, balanced wine with blackberry/dark cherry, loamy soil, graphite, tobacco, licorice and a minerally roasted coffee persistent finish. YUM!! — 3 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Brenda and 15 others liked this
Paul K

Paul K

NICE!!! 😊

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Still youthful showing red & black fruits, cedar, leather, graphite, spice & tobacco — 4 months ago

David, Dave and 17 others liked this
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

Nice age here

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2008

Mostly black fruits, cedar, leather, sweet spices, mocha & tobacco — a month ago

Jeroen, Jan and 6 others liked this

Château Rauzan-Ségla

Margaux Grand Cru Classé Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Paul J
9.5

1hr+ decant. Medium red color with burnt edges. Flowers and cow shit dominate the nose. Lovely texture with a ton of terroir and character on the palate. Cigar box, cedar, and pencil lead throughout. Medium plus finish. Always a fav! — a month ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Paul, Tom and 13 others liked this

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 . — 2 months ago

Tom, Somm and 8 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2022

Inky in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, plums, licorice, light cedar, earth, cola, herbs, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, black tea and light garigge notes.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, oak, light licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, cola, herbs, peppercorn and light vegetables.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and complex, spicy and tangy.

Delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

The alcohol is nicely integrated already, although not as high as typically from this region.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and this is not my favorite, by far.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$450.
— 2 months ago

Jay, Stephen and 9 others liked this
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

These wines, to my palate, are not particularly interesting this young. After 15+ years from vintage? Way more interesting.
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

@Jay Kline not a great vintage too
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Personally, I think many have overreacted regarding 2022. Yes, Mother Nature threw some challenges late in the harvest but some made outstanding wines and when you consider the fruit source for Opus One, I’m sure they were on the winning side.

Château Talbot

Saint-Julien Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1959

More or less similar colour , quite wide terracotta rim . Slightly more complex nose , with hickory , cedar , some vestiges of darker fruit , iodine, after a while floral, becoming quite expressive . On the palate this is denser and plusher , with more roundness and darker, riper fruit , good freshness and longer length, cedar , saline hints on the finish. This is more complete and compelling than the others . Still showing well, drink now and over the next few years . This improved with a little time in the glass which was quite impressive considering its age. — 2 months ago

"Odedi", Tom and 5 others liked this

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Well, this is my last 2015 and after 11 years it’s close to perfection. Ruby with aromas of dark cherry, blueberry, cedar, and chocolate. On the bud, it smooth, rich, and a long finish. Stewed fruit and a spice note tease the palate. Great with my 40 day aged Ribeye and Red Potatoes. — 3 months ago