Wine On The Rocks

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2013

Medium lemon colour . This is showing a little more complex and detailed than the last time . Lemon rind , crushed rocks , ginger and white flowers , touch of brioche also . On the palate a bit more dense , but with good balanced acidity and lemon rind , brioche , ginger and toasty , mineral finish. Drinkable now , though best days will be in 5-10 years time , though I don’t think this will be as long lived as the 2012 . — 2 days ago

Ron, Andrew and 7 others liked this

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne Chardonnay Pinot Noir Blend 2015

Quite light lemon yellow , very persistent , fine bubbles . Quite taut and strict on the nose , chalk dust , white flowers , honey suckle and elderflower , lemon peel , touch oyster shell and a touch of fresh baked bread . On the palate really good volume and density , lively acidity . Lots of citrus with good mineral , oyster shell notes . Long and mineral , saline, tinged finish , hint of toasty brioche on the end . This is really quite young and shows tighter and more mineral than the first bottle we had . Would leave this a few years and will have a long life , better in 10 -15 years and last well a further 10 or so . Great potential — 14 days ago

David, Jan and 12 others liked this

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

Opened and double decanted several hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1996 pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a lovely combination of ripe and desiccated fruit: cassis, brambles, horse blanket, cigar box, old leather, earth and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Another lovely and immensely charming Poyferré. Drink now with a decant and through 2046. — 15 days ago

Daniel, Jeroen and 23 others liked this

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

No formal notes . Medium deep ruby again. This is a bit greener , spicier , with some red pepper , smokier and darker fruit on the nose . Spicier and a bit more plush on the palate . This actually improved a lot in the glass and was changing quite a lot , became more floral with crunchy fresh dark berries . Polished tannin but nice fresh acidity , quite velvety on the palate . No lack of weight either . Really quite liked this and will no doubt age gracefully even if it is enjoyable today with time in decanter. For enjoyment over the next 10 years or so. — 2 days ago

Anthony, Andrew and 4 others liked this

Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

No formal notes . Medium ruby . Bit more coffee and roasted character at first , touch of oak perhaps. Quite rich and rounded on the palate , good acidity , good length . More red fruit , more delicate after a while , mineral , oyster shell , mineral and lean on the long finish . Very classic , grafite tinged . This improved with air and really gained in complexity with time . I would be tempted to leave this a little longer or give it a longer decant . No rush here , will continue well for a further 10 years . Tied as my favourite wine of the flight with the Latour. — 2 days ago

Anthony, Andrew and 4 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010

[Tasted on January 25, 2025 at Home with Tom, Kathy, Mark and Lucille]

84% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5.5% Merlot; 5.5% Cabernet Franc; 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Blackberry and black currant fruit, with chocolate, espresso, earth and a mineral note. Nicely balanced.
— 7 days ago

Joseph, Ted and 5 others liked this

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2007

No formal notes . Pretty deep Amber , copper colour . Intense marmalade , saffron , creme caramel . Rich on the palate with rich marmalade , saffron notes . Good acidity , but rich. Good length . This is drinkable now and shows quite an advanced colour , though due to its richness will probably carry on delivering for another 20 years , perhaps longer .

This was a rather fascinating evening put together by our incredibly generous host. All 2007 reds were served blind in two flights: 1st Mouton, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc , La Mission Haut Brion then Latour , Lafite , Petrus and Margaux . Overall the wines showed well , and were mostly enjoyable to drink now , though there is no rush . This somewhat maligned vintage can give a lot of enjoyment in the right environment, I certainly wouldn’t hold back from opening or purchasing any of these wines . They mostly show good density of fruit , personality and elegance , with good freshness. These are not powerful wines , and at times perhaps the fruit can be a little cooler or greener but I was pleasantly surprised by the way they performed , just goes to show you should never write off a vintage without trying the wines !
— 2 days ago

Anthony, Andrew and 9 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017

Deep ruby in color with slight brick color on the rim. Nose is quite pleasing with berry compote, lavender, and dark chocolate. Also a bit of earthiness. Wow. A great mouthfeel on this wine. Well balanced with tannins still a bit heavy. That said, I like my wines with a bit more tannic backbone. These notes are from pop and pour taste. Will let it open up a bit and will update if it changes significantly. — 2 days ago

Tom, Paul and 5 others liked this

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Opens up nicely. Heavy cherry on the front and some chocolate. Oak, on the back end. Medium tannin, medium body — 10 days ago

"Odedi" liked this

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Deep ruby color. Aromas of cherry, blackberry, black currant and clove. Solid wine, flavors of black fruit, black currant with warm baking spices on the end.

🏅95 Points - Decanter
🏅94 Points - James Suckling
🏅91 Points - Wilfred Wong
— 10 days ago

Joseph, Tom and 15 others liked this
Neil Valenzuela

Neil Valenzuela

@Joseph Barsky -had the skirt steak chimichurri- it was ok, good selection of wine at this restaurant.
David T

David T Influencer Badge

@Joseph Barsky Try Compline in downtown Napa. Owned by two Master Sommeliers. Separate wine tasting/shop two spaces down. At the restaurant, make sure to start w/ their Duck Fat Fries. Cheers! 🍷
Neil Valenzuela

Neil Valenzuela

@David T - Sounds delicious! I’ll have to check that place out!