Once
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2014
2014 vintage. Big graphite and iron nose. Intense and muscular. Medium-bodied. Complimentary fruit cradled by ridiculous tannins. Grippy and rambunctious. JC Superstar. Till 2048 at least. Not even close to entering “the zone” but so much promise once the tumblers fall into place. 10.21.23. — a year ago
Ridge Vineyards
Geyserville Sonoma County Zinfandel Blend 2016
Once a year a bottle of (Ridge) "Geyserville". :) Unfortunately this one is my last from vintage of 2016. — 3 years ago
Dom Pérignon
Brut Champagne Blend 2010
Medium straw colour with a beautiful mousse. On the nose, lemon, pear, yeast and toast. Nice light body with perfect tiny bubbles that made the perlage super velvety in the mouth, a nice contrast to the crisp acidity. Notes of asian pear, white peach and apple, lemon and at times almost like ethanol and some toast with lingering hazelnut and ginger on the long finish. Not sure if our bottle was slightly off with the ethanol taste that came up once in a while. Will have to try another bottle. For science. — 3 years ago
Vieux Château Certan
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2018
The 2018 Vieux Château Certan, which contains 30% Cabernet Franc, has a commendable bouquet given the heat of that season. Blackberry, a touch of damson, scorched earth and light violet scents emerge with aeration. That said, it doesn't fully have the delineation of the previous vintage. The palate is powerful and typically burly for VCC, yet it has a lovely powdery texture (less silky than before) with a vibrant, peppery and persistent finish. Maybe not as opulent as it once was, but it is unquestionably one of the superior Pomerols. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)
— 8 months ago
Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1990
From magnum. No formal notes. The fill was top-shoulder. Underneath the capsule, the top of the cork looked nasty which I wiped down as best I could. About four hours before service, using a Durand (which is almost essential with old bottles) I was able to pull the cork completely intact and decant for sediment. The cork was completely saturated but appeared to have done its job! At this stage in its life, the 1990 Chateau Mouton Rothschild pours a garnet color but it doesn’t appear particularly tired and the nose supports that. While it’s certainly a vinous wine, there is a lot to like: a mix of red and black cassis, rip and desiccated cherries, tobacco leaf, cedar box, old leather, damp earth, some mushrooms and baking spices. The structure is still sound and while the tannins have integrated and the acid is keeping this very much alive. In fact, this seemed to brighten with air and almost get a second wind! As I find with all great Bordeaux wines once they enter this stage, they seem to live forever. This was a lovely pairing with a Prime, Niman Ranch porterhouse served with corn, squash and porcini. This is squarely in the “drink now” window, not that it will be falling off a cliff anytime soon. Decant for sediment and enjoy through 2030+ — 2 years ago
Domaine du Pegau
Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2018
Brilliant ruby. Smoky, mineral-tinged aromas of raspberry, cherry preserves, garrigue and exotic spices show excellent clarity and acquire a gamy nuance as the wine opens up. At once rich and energetic in character, offering well-concentrated red berry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors and a sweetening touch of candied lavender. Shows fine definition and finishes gently, spicy and impressively long, with repeating florality and steadily building tannins. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago
Todd Anderson
Good but still closed (?) at almost 10 years in the bottle. Bedrock and Carlisle bottlings are a different style but have been more accessible up to this age. — 22 days ago