Pepper & Spice

Thierry Allemand

Chaillot Cornas Syrah 2011

This had dark cherry, berry, graphite, licorice, spice, mineral, meat, pepper, olive & violet — 14 days ago

Tom, Ira and 7 others liked this

Château Gruaud Larose

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2001

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim. Doesn't show much age.

Beautiful nose with red and black fruits, chocolates, tobacco leaf, vegetables, forest floor, black tea, earth, coffee, herbs, spices, black pepper and wildflowers.

Full bodied and soft with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, black plums, currants, oak, light chocolates, coffee, mushrooms, licorice, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs and spices.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a gorgeous 24 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Saint Julien. Rich and elegant. Spicy and very complex. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Drinking at its peak now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10 years.

A great sipping wine that is so much fun to drink by itself.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in (33% new) French oak barrels for 18 months.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$150.
— 5 days ago

Dave, Ira and 13 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Nice pull @"Odedi"!!
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Very nice!

Penfolds

Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2019

Deep, dense red-purple hue. licorice, toasty oak, and subtle mocha notes. Dark fruits like blackberry and plum are noticeable, but it's more restrained than overtly fruity.
full-bodied, with sultry dark fruits (black cherry, plum), dark chocolate, licorice, and spice. Can’t wait for at least another 5 years before I try this again. Didn’t feel too you but feels like it will be better with age.
— 2 days ago

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Birth year tastings, evening 4.
Polished leather, nuts, ecoline, grilled red pepper, tomato leaf, gingerbread, pepper, salty savoriness, tannins still present, still youthful, lots of future. Muscular! Beautiful.
— 7 days ago

Jan and Eric liked this

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)

La Tâche Pinot Noir 2000

Ruby core still , quite wide garnet rim . Still quite young looking . This is quite exotic at first with some Asian spice , rose water , floral hints and after a while red cherries , red currant and blackberry . On the palate this has more of the darker fruits , dark cherry , blackberry with some spicy , wet slate and , lightly herbal , tobacco notes . Fresh acidity and fine but noticable tannins . Quite long and detailed , saline with spiced tea tinged finish . Quite reserved and understated but enough fruit and mid palate to cover the structure . This is drinking well now with time in the glass , and will continue at this level for another 10 years or so . So exotic and enticing on the nose , and with great poise and freshness on the palate, really great showing. — 2 days ago

Jan, Andrew and 5 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Holy cow what a night!

Mollydooker Wines

The Boxer Shiraz 2011

Deep, dark Ruby color with a fruity nose and tons of ripe berries with oaky notes. Jammy big and bold blackberry flavors with some spice, cacao, cedar and leather notes with nice mouthfeel. Big fine tannins with berry fruit carried over to the finish with oak and sweet spice. Nice! — 18 days ago

Juan and Paul liked this

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Artemis is the gateway wine of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, one of Napa’s most iconic producers, remembered for its Judgment of Paris triumph in 1976. The 2014 vintage sits in a sweet spot: accessible, polished, and still carrying the hallmarks of Napa’s valley-floor fruit. This blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with small percentages of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot layered in for balance.

Aromas & Flavors
Inviting notes of ripe blackberry, cassis, and black cherry lead the way, accented by cedar, vanilla, and hints of graphite. Subtle secondary notes of mocha and baking spice emerge as it opens in the glass, showing both freshness and depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with supple tannins and balanced acidity. Polished, silky textures glide across the palate, finishing with a long echo of dark fruit, oak spice, and a touch of savory herb.

Winemaking Notes
Aged around 15–20 months in French oak, Artemis strikes a balance between power and approachability. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ style is always about elegance over sheer force, and this vintage highlights that philosophy.

Food Pairing
Perfect with grilled ribeye, herb-crusted lamb, or hearty mushroom risotto. Its elegance also makes it a great match with aged cheddar or gouda.

Verdict
A graceful Napa Cabernet that proves why Stag’s Leap remains a benchmark. The 2014 Artemis is in a perfect drinking window now—refined, approachable, and still true to the estate’s legacy of elegance.
— a month ago

Ted, ESF and 1 other liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

This seemed to be in a perfect spot showing red & black fruit, graphite, cedar, sweet savory spice, leather & tobacco — 8 days ago

Dave, Jean-Philip and 10 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Awesome

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Château Léoville Poyferré 2014
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinguished Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth) from Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Poyferré has been elevated under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family and Michel Rolland’s consultancy. The 2014 vintage is a classic Bordeaux blend comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. This cooler year yielded wines with notable polish, freshness, and age-worthy structure.  

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, the bouquet opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and plum, framed by cedar, graphite, violets, and aromatic spice. The palate is layered with ripe red and dark fruits, along with hints of tobacco, pepper, and soft oak—a harmonious reflection of balanced ripeness and terroir depth.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied, with smooth yet structured tannins and vivid acidity. The finish is long and mineral-tinged, echoing Saint-Julien’s limestone terroir while expressing both strength and grace.

Winemaking Notes
Vinified traditionally and aged in French oak barrels (predominantly new), the 2014 benefits from meticulous attention to extraction and maturation, resulting in elegant concentration and finesse.  

Food Pairing
Wonderful with roast lamb, herb-crusted beef, or rich mushroom dishes. Decanting for an hour enhances its layered complexity.

Verdict
A classic expression of Left Bank finesse and depth, Château Léoville Poyferré 2014 strikes an artful balance between fruit, structure, and refinement. Enjoy now with decanter or cellar it to explore its evolution over the next decade.Cheers!
— a month ago

Ted, ESF and 4 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

A Quintessential Pauillac, starting with its deeply dark appearance, black fruit aromatics and flavors, firm and balanced structure with abundant fruit, medium acidity, chalky tannins and a long finish.

Overall, the savory 2005, (one of several wines purchased to celebrate grandson Carter McMillan’s birth year), is smoothly textured, medium/full with the energy and vitality of a much younger wine, showing seductive elements of spice, smoke, currants and mocha. Pauillac aficionados, this is for you.
— 11 days ago