Reef Points

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Indian Wells Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This 7-year-old Washington Cabernet Sauvignon is still drinking beautifully.

Deep Purple in color with a purplish rim.

Strong nose and full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, light cedar, bitter herbs, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn and espresso.

Fine grained tannins on the tangy finish.

Drink now, by itself or with food.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$20.
— 11 days ago

Paul, Doug and 5 others liked this

Kukeri

Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Full bodied, smooth and soft, with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, black pepper, dark chocolates and light herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a really nice Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak in Napa Valley. Fruit forward and spicy. Rich and elegant.

Still very young, but already delicious. A good quality wine that will continue to improve in the next 10 years.

Tangy and entertaining with nice complexity. A good sipping wine.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in (40% new) American and French oak barrels for 15 months. Only 900 bottles made.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$80.
— 5 months ago

Lyle, Paul and 8 others liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, spices, oak, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, light earth, light vegetables, herbs, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Medium finish with grippy tannins and raspberries.

This 15 year old, Fifth Growth Bordeaux, is still young and tight. Needs 5 to 10 years in the bottle to mature properly.

I gave it 90 minutes in the decanter, but it probably was not enough.

Robert Parker 96 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Grippy and rich.

Definitely needs food at this point, like a big piece of steak.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

13% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$125.
— 6 months ago

Paul, Joseph and 27 others liked this

La Rioja Alta

Gran Reserva 904 Rioja Tempranillo Graciano 2015

I was expecting this to be tight and tannic. Nope this was lush and silky smooth. Perfect for the Napa cab lover that wants to try something different. The potential for a few more points is there if you can wait. — 8 months ago

Vin, Andrew and 10 others liked this

Kukeri

Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

This 5 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Mount Veeder is delicious right now, although still young.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong fruity nose of cedar, black fruits and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and nice complexity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, peppercorn and light cola.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

Tangy and rich, yet elegant. Needs a few hours to open up properly, so be patient.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years, and has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. Aged in (50% new) French oak barrels for 30 months. Only 1,200 bottles produced.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$100.
— 4 months ago

Shay, Bob and 11 others liked this

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a cloudy reddish/ brick rim.

Earthy nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, earth, wet leaves, herbs, light vegetables, coffee, eucalyptus, mediterranean spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 28 year old is still drinking very nicely. A great Second Growth Bordeaux.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 45 minutes of airtime.

Complex and engaging. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. Aged in (65% new) French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200.
— 6 months ago

Joe, Doug and 27 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2008

A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Full bodied and elegant.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing red currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.

Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.

Robert Parker 95 points.

I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.

A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55.
— 7 months ago

Iwan, Severn and 30 others liked this

Château Clerc Milon

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

#AgedWineTuesday

Pretty color of ruby with a wide reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing black currants, cooked cherries, tobacco leaf, herbs, vegetables, light wood, licorice, coffee, light cola, vegetables and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This beautiful 24-year-old Bordeaux from the great 2000 vintage seems still young, although decanted for 4 hours.

Elegant and powerful. Rich, yet subdued. I loved the nose, that showed lots of wild flowers.

Wine Spectator 91 points. Robert Parker 92 points.

This Fifth growth is nicely balanced with nice complexity at this point. Still needs a few more years in the bottle to mature properly.

I've had many vintages of this wine, and so far the 2009 was my favorite.

Good by itself and better with food. Paired nicely with dried meats and cheeses.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$150.
— 5 months ago

Andrew, Shay and 20 others liked this

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Great wine , powerful, ploms, vanilla, tobacco good tannins , 94 points 2009 vintage — 6 months ago

Martin, LM and 2 others liked this

Harlan Estate

Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2009

Let's go out with a bang!
Byeee 2023!

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Strong fruity nose, bold and fruit forward.

Full bodied and dry on the palate, with medium acidity.

Showing blueberries, blackberries, black currants, black cherries, raisins, dried fruits, figs, dark chocolates, cedar, coffee, vanilla, earth, spices, pencil lead, eucalyptus, cola, light mint, bell pepper, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Napa Valley Bordeaux blend. Very fruity on the palate with great complexity and mouthfeel.

This 14 year old feels and drinks like a young wine. Rich and extracted. Opulent and very complex already.

Fruit forward with lots of earth and green notes. Very interesting stuff. Feels like a blend of Napa Cabernet and Left Bank bordeaux.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of air time, when tannins come in and show more structure. After 2 hours of airtime the tannins become very grippy.

I tried the 2001 vintage a few years ago, and it was so much better. A good quality wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 20+ years.

Robert Parker 97 points. Wine Spectator 96 points.

A great wine to share with friends and talk about.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$1000.
— 6 months ago

Ira, ESF and 29 others liked this
John Malcolm

John Malcolm Premium Badge

Lucky you. Happy New Year!
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Happy New Year!
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

Same to you guys