96 Points
Château d'Yquem
Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2023
Drinking this pre-release bottle of this iconic wine from Bordeaux.
Light gold in color.
Strong nose and Full-bodied.
Sweet on the palate with high acidity to balance the sugars.
Showing melons, tropical fruits, apples, light earth, guava, herbs, spices, papaya and honey notes.
Long finish with herbs and tropical fruits.
This is a gorgeous sweet wine from Bordeaux. Sexy, seductive and fresh. Creamy and buttery.
Showing great potential, but oh so young. Already delicious and complex. Round, opulent and powerful.
Loved the nose once it opened up (20 minutes in the glass).
Rich and extracted. Fruit forward and intense, yet elegant. Well balanced with a soft mouthfeel.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Drunk from a Magnum.
A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.
154 g/l sugar.
14% alcohol by volume.
96 points.
$500. — 2 months ago
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2017
It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Earthy nose with black fruits and chocolate notes.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, dark chocolates, coffee, light vegetables, herbs and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Paulliac. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Complex, elegant and fruit forward.
This 9 year old is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
Easy drinking, and good by itself or with food.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Aged in (75% new) French oak barrels for 17 months.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$85. — 3 months ago
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. — 22 days ago
Grand Napa Vineyards
Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Ruby in color with a wide purplish rim, and medium plus intensity.
Pretty nose of black fruits with cedar, vanilla, chocolates, mediterranean spices, eucalyptus, tobacco, herbs and black pepper.
Medium plus in body and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with black currants, blueberries, blackberries, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco leaf, light earth, herbs, chocolates, spices and peppercorn.
Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Fruit forward and elegant. Spicy and entertaining.
Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime.
Complex and engaging, with a soft mouthfeel. Really enjoyed the nose here.
This 5 year old Cabernet based Bordeaux blend is already drinking beautifully, and will continue to age nicely in the next 7 to 10 years.
I've had a few different vintages of this Cabernet and it is very consistent.
Wine Enthusiasts 92 points.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food.
A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot. Aged in (50% new) French Oak barrels for 22 months.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$55. — 3 months ago
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
— 24 days ago
Château Lafite Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2006
5th wine . medium deep ruby , touch more garnet . Slightly wider rim . Quite cool and mineral again , more grafite with some cool cassis , blackberry. On the palate this is slightly lighter in body , leaner perhaps but very elegant , fresh and quite saline, tobacco , grafite and herbal tinges on the finish . Reasonable saline length. Fine lightly grippy tannins , good acidity . This is showing quite well though would perhaps benefit from a few more years . Better in 3-5 years and drink well a further 7- 10 . The next day this actually shows a little better , elegant and refined, nothing showy , very Lafite , so I’m glad I guessed this correctly ! Overall this was a very interesting tasting , there is nothing showy or remarkable about the 2006 1st growths , they are quite classic and also showing quite a lot of structure still , with good freshness though they perhaps lack a little stuffing and intensity . They were quite even quality wise, with the high points being the Mouton (though the Lafite improved the following day to upgrade its score and draw level ) and the low point being a relatively disappointing Margaux . The vintage will continue to improve over the next 5 perhaps 10 years in general , though they may always just lack a little density and excitement . — a month ago
Château Pontet-Canet
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996
I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.
This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.
The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.
The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.
A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.
This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.
ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 4 months ago
"Odedi"
#AgedWineTuesday
Very pretty color of peach with a salmon hue.
Strong nose of apples, citrus, peaches, yeast, light bread and minerals.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and tiny bubbles.
Dry on the palate with raspberries, over ripen strawberries, apples, limes, yeast, sea salt, brioche, spices, minerals, light earth and cardamom.
Long spicy finish with limes and grapefruits.
This 14 year old Rosé Champagne is drinking beautifully already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Elegant, spicy and rich. Fruity and nicely balanced, complex and engaging.
Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 95 points.
Good right out of the bottle, and better when not too cold.
A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Tuna Avocado Tartare.
A blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay, with 5% red wine. Disgorged in 2020.
12% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$200. — a month ago