Elements Of Islay

Lagavulin Distillery

Aged 16 Years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Apparently one of the oldest Distillery sites in Scotland. Located by the sea on the Isle of Islay this receives the slowest distillation of any Islay malt, then spends 16 years in old oak casks before being bottled. This is very pungent, peaty and smoky. One of my favourite single malts. — 2 months ago

Tom, Somm and 7 others liked this
Jamie Lauder

Jamie Lauder

Bob,
You should go to Islay. Lagavulin and Laphroaig and are only a couple of km down the road from each other
It’s a long way from Australia…I don’t want to imagine the flight connects.
Bob McDonald

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@Jamie Lauder Thanks Jamie. I love Laphroaig as well - a toss up which is the most peaty. I’ve visited Talisker on the Isle of Skye which is the spiritual home of the Clan Donald (McDonald). Also had a tour of Glenmorangie over on the east coast.

Château Cantemerle

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

2015 is reporting for duty. Balanced with brighter fruit and acid with cassis, plums and pencil elements. One could drink this with a variety of meats, fowl and fish. This wine is locked and loaded and ready to fire. — 4 years ago

Ken liked this

Williams Selyem

Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 1992

Loren Grossman
9.2

Fully mature. Elements of sage, chaparral, grilled fruit. Rose hip. Palate full of blackberries and some minerals with furry tannins. Smoke em if you got em. — 5 years ago

Jonathan liked this

Bott-Geyl

Les Elements Alsace Riesling 2018

Just falls short of excellency. Great mouthfeel. Not too acidic for a riesling, medium fruitiness and balanced intensity. — 6 years ago

Rene Rostaing

Ampodium Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2010

Paul J
9.3

1hr+ decant and needed every bit of it. Fruit forward nose with lots of Pinot elements. Wine was refined and silky, with more tannins than expected. Cherry fruit mixed with meat and a touch of spice. Not what I was expecting from this, but very nice. — 6 years ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Steven, David and 6 others liked this

Enfield Wine Co.

Haynes Vineyard Syrah 2014

As expected from Enfield, this oozes class and balance. Not as austere as true Sonoma Coast, and not as sauvage as the northern Rhône, this has pretty ripe black and blue fruits while still possessing all of the beautiful floral, smoky, meaty, peppery elements you’d expect from top notch Syrah. Tannins are resolved and acid plays a leading role, keeping this fresh and exciting. Enjoyed over two nights with Szechuan (and Szechuan leftovers). Perhaps a bit subtle for the food, but still delicious. — 6 years ago

Eddie, Ira and 2 others liked this
Ira Schwartz

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@Ian Staub you are the second person @Stephen Digaetano to post on this wine in 24 hours. I need to try it.
Ian Staub

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@Ira Schwartz i would recommend all of his wines - they are wonderful examples of modern California winemaking geared towards balance and terroir expression.
Ira Schwartz

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@Ian Staub I have had a few, very much enjoyed the style.

Sandlands

Sonoma County Trousseau 2016

Beautiful light cloudy rhubarb/garnet color. Medicinal sour cherry and vibrant tangy strawberry. Lacks the complexity and funky/savory elements of the top Jura examples but compensates with purity of the fruit — 8 years ago

Stephen, Severn and 9 others liked this

Bott-Geyl

Les Elements Alsace Grand Cru AOC Gewürztraminer 2019

Medium golden color. Bold aromas of lychee, spices, tropical and orchard fruit and honeysuckle. Lychee fruit also on the palate with additional flavors of green apple/pear, honey, dried apricots and mangoes. Touch of spice and some residual sugar on the long and plush finish. Light on acidity but still nicely balanced. Buttery texture. Elegant, complex and well nuanced. Not for everyone, but I found this wine to be interesting. Excellent with spicy food. — 8 months ago

Dave, ESF and 2 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

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Periodically I just get a craving for an Alsace Gewurz!
Ray Vanderhoff

Ray Vanderhoff

Agree wholeheartedly! Very underrated region.

Château Montrose

La Dame de Montrose Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Another wine of interest to me in the Bordeaux masterclass although it looks nothing like the critics’ notes online. Where’s all the floral and mineralic notes? Perhaps shut down at this stage? The nose itself was still interesting though - fruit-dense with lots of irony elements (rust, meat). Sweet fruited, spicy, and concentrated on the palate, but still energetic courtesy of a little more obvious acidity here. Tannins were dusty, fine, and directional. Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.
— 4 years ago

Josh, Jan and 11 others liked this

Merriam Vineyards

Jones Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2010

Paul J
9.3

Always a favorite!

1hr+ decant. Definitely needs a decant! Dark red color with purple rims. Wine is dominated by vanilla, watermelon, and candied fruit. Medium depth. I actually thought it had some Pinot elements. Reminded me of the Chateau Philippe Le Hardi Montee Rouge which I love. This definitely was like candy and my first review of this wine. Last bottle of this vintage :(
— 5 years ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Matt, Tom and 5 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

Paul J
9.0

45+ decant but needed closer to 2 hours. Dark purple in color. Nose was all over the place - US, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy. Wine had minimal fruit, plenty of wood, and lots of Portuguese elements. Would have guessed California or Portugal if having blind. Depth was medium as well as the finish. Ample tannins. Expected more from the label and vintage. — 6 years ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Tom, Hermes and 6 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Paul J
9.5

1 hour plus decant. Dark red color. Nose contains graphite, black cherry, and some medicinal elements. Wine has more oak than expected but nice cherry fruit. Awesome texture and great depth. Medium plus finish. Not as good as the ‘12 I recently had, but still one of my favorite producers! — 6 years ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Tom, Shay and 9 others liked this

Laphroaig

10 Year Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

“The most richly flavored of all Scotch whiskies”.....I would tend to agree! — 6 years ago

Paul liked this

Lagavulin Distillery

The Distillers Edition Double Matured Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 2017

Blast of peat / approaching Ardbeg level / sensation of sitting next to hearth in some crofter’s sod house — 7 years ago

norikazu, Soshi and 1 other liked this

Monte De Oro

Unique Elements Red Blend

14.4% abv. Lend of 2011 and 2012. 2011 Grenache (40%), 2012 Mourvèdre (44%), 2012 Cinsault(16%abv) Elegant, very nice tannin, layered. Delicious. — 9 months ago

Winzerhof Thörle

Saulheimer Kalkstein Spätburgunder 2021

ESF
9.3

I’m not quite as effusive as @Lyle Fass but this was indeed gorgeous - step above their straight Spatburgunder w/tons of personality. I was really taken w/perfumed nose and earth driven elements. Yeah there’s gobs of decadent cherry, raspberry & strawberry, but the brambly herbal spice elements are downright sexy. It’s all about complexity & generosity not to mention balance & elegance. — 2 years ago

Brian, Daniel and 6 others liked this
Lyle Fass

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Amazing value and amazing 21’s.

Château Haut-Marbuzet

St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

Paul J
9.5

Great! 1hr decant but probably should have PnP’d as this tired quickly and is a little past prime drinking window. Started out at 97 and ended at 94. Dark red, maroon color with ample bricking. Nose has bramble, cedar, and licorice. Massive depth which separates the $50+ Bordeaux’s from the same priced Napa wines. Lots of cherries and some Amarone and Port elements near the end. Medium finish. A fav of mine! Very consistent across vintages. — 4 years ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Milissa, Iwan and 14 others liked this

Château Angélus

St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 2018

Delectable Wine
9.7

The 2018 Angélus is striking. Cabernet Franc aromatics make a strong first impression. Vibrant and delineated, the 2018 is incredibly refined in every way. The move towards a bit less extraction really seems to let the purity of the fruit come through. The same is true of a reduction of oak. All the elements come together so effortlessly. The 2018 has all the richness readers expect of Angélus, with much more finesse and more overall vibrancy, a combination that works so well. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2021)
— 5 years ago

Bouchard Père et Fils

Le Corton Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2012

🏅 Rating 94/100 (4,4⭐)

Beautiful clear bright ruby color. One can sense high breed of top Burgundy right away. Immense depth. Bouquet of forest red berries with some black, forest floor, Indian spices, sandal wood. With some time in the glass develops floral aromas of dark red roses. It feels like it has significant influence of new oak, but it is very well integrated and adds to wine's complexity. ⁣
Smooth, but rich and ripe juicy on the palate. ⁣
Tannins are also ripe and finely grained giving pleasant mouth feel. All elements are in perfect balance as you want your Grand Cru to be. Looong finish. ⁣

Wine opened its drinking window and delivers ultimate pleasure already. ⁣

It has this Corton character which gravitates towards Côte de Beaune rather than Côte de Nuits.⁣

This is Domaine Bouchard, not their negociant wine. Own grapes come from 3,95 ha East facing vineyard in historic lieu-dit of Le Corton.⁣
— 6 years ago

Severn, David and 4 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Great name for the feline! What ethnicity is that name from? 🐈kitty Can't go wrong w/ those noble grapes/regions.
Stas Medvedev

Stas Medvedev

@Tegan Marriott Taler is the name after the coin that was used in Roman Empire.in Middle Ages. The name is German I believe. It was than transformed into Thaler and even 'dollar'.
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Very interesting! Thanks for the history on that name!

Bunnahabhain

12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

A. R.
9.1

Lightly floral, slightly sweet and a touch of smoke (unpeated)... oily mouthfeel. Good dram. — 7 years ago