The Life Of Black Valentine
Château Gruaud Larose
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1982
This bottle of 1982 Gruaud-Larose came direct from the château cellars. It is just pure joy on the nose with fabulous scents of black fruit, hung game (less so than previous bottles), clove and a faint aroma of a stately home. It manages to offer both ample fruit and life-affirming complexity. The palate has aged little since I last tasted it; there's more red fruit here, with freshly rolled tobacco, cedar and a touch more spiciness on the finish than previous tastings, with a sweet yet structured finish. This may well represent the finest bottle that I have encountered. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2023) — 3 years ago
Cade
Estate Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
2012!! 🕰 A marvelous year; the year @deked1 and I reconnected. Two years later we exchanged vows and began our adventure in life together. Tonight, we’re celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary. 💕💕 The honeymoon vibes are still going strong! 🙌
We’re excited about this 2012 Cade that was bottled on June 13th, 2014, just over a month before our wedding. It’s comprised of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. It comes from Howell Mountain AVA in Napa Valley, California. ⛰ 🇺🇸
Howell Mountain AVA is known for producing fuller-bodied and well-structured wines with vines planted at an elevation ranging from 1600 to 2200 ft above sea level and good sun exposure. ☀️ This wine is no exception with its firm tannins, medium acidity, and high alcohol (15.2%); also, its opulent, ripe black fruits such as juicy blackberry bramble, black cherry, crème de cassis, also black licorice, pepper, nutmeg, vanilla, dark chocolate, espresso, clove, and forest floor. It has a long, elegant finish. 👌👌👌
It also underwent 20 months of barrel aging in 100% French Oak 80% of which was new, which explains the noteworthy secondary aromas and flavors that add to the complexity of this wine.👏👏👏👏
Here’s to cherishing the moment with the people you love. Cheers! — 4 years ago
Château Potensac
Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2007
For me, there are a lot stories associated with this little brother to Leoville Las Cases. Made by the same technical team, but certainly a different terroir.
Older vintages that were brought in by Clyde Beffa at K&L Wine Merchants kept me from opening my more expensive-younger Bordeaux in my collection. Starting w/ the 97 vintage well after its original release, I believe they sold through two lots of 5,000 cases over different years. A vintage crushed by critics. But with some long time cellar, value & quality. Magic!
This has always shown me QPR and to be a great fatty steak wine- Ribeye or Ribcap.
The 2007 Bordeaux vintage, critically not well reviewed. With basically 16 yrs plus in bottle, more special.
This has really come around and still ascending. Ripe, elegant, lush; dark currents, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherry skin, black plum skin, poached strawberries, black, rich, turned earth with dry leaves, moist & dry clays, graphite, tobacco w/ ash, slightly used leather, dry river stone, limestone minerals, dry top soil, pepper, some sweet tarriness, mix of fresh & dry herbs, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, some cinnamon & understated vanillin, dry, withering, dark & red florals, nice acidity with good tension, structure, finally balanced & elegant finish that lands squarely on soften earthiness, some spice and lasts two-minutes.
This still has 15 years plus of life ahead.
Paired with Costco Prime Ribcaps. — 4 months ago
A. Rafanelli
Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
The very definition of velvet wrapped in an iron fist. It is singing on my palate.
This Dry Creek is better than the Select Terraces I’ve opened lately. Deep, black, ripe, ruby, currants, blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, boysenberries, blue hues, dark cherries, crazy, deep, Indian spices, dark berry cola, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, malt balls, fresh tobacco, used leather, tree bark w/ sap, steeped fruit tea, limestone, crushed risks, river stone, forest floor with dry leaves, dry herbaceous notes, endless rainbow of florals, beautiful acidity and well balanced, structure and tension that is tightly knit with finish for days.
Crazy, stupid, producer that continues to fly well below the radar. I am thankful it does.
This 2010 has 10 years plus of life left ahead. The best Ca Cabernet I’ve had in many years. Wine affects me differently than most but this wine is like a full body massage. Maybe, that is why I discovered my palate. — 2 years ago
Château Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1955
Dark scarlet color with translucent light reddish rims. Old wine nose. Notes of black and red fruit, gravel, barnyard floor, old leather and some old desk wood. Fruit is a bit faded but this has plenty of life with decent acidity and a nice structure. Got better with air and opened up nicely. Better than the last bottle of this lot, despite being a more ragged looking bottle. — 4 years ago
Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1966
From back when Mouton was still a Second Growth. Decanted prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. This bottle of the 1966 pours a garnet color with significant rim variation; medium viscosity with light staining and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated red and black fruits: cassis, blackberries, green pepper, tobacco, leather, old wood, organic earth and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This was a good showing for the ‘66 and certainly has life left in it however, there’s no need to hold out. Drink now. — 4 months ago
E. Guigal
La Turque Côte-Rôtie Syrah 1997
How did this sneak in here? Considering our penchant for the Rhône, it’s almost inevitable that something like this was getting opened. Popped and poured, the 1997 “La Turque” pours a deep ruby/purple color with a slightly hazy, near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe slightly wizened black and ted fruits: black brambles, black cherry, strawberry, smoked and spiced meat, olives, purple flowers, black pepper, dried herbs, rocky earth, fine wood and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. While this may not be my favorite expression of Côte Rôtie, it is undeniably delicious after nearly 30 years. It still has a long life ahead. Drink now through 2042. — 8 months ago
Domaine du Pegau
Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2019
The first of my small tranche of 2019 Cuvée Reservée’s and I figured it would be fun to share with the Tasting Group. Popped and poured and presented double-blind. The wine pours a translucent, deep ruby with magenta rim, near opaque core, medium+ viscosity. On the nose, the wine was clean with macerated raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruits. There were purple flowers, some black pepper and rocky minerality along with a slightly gamey note which was quite charming. Both the fruit and non-fruit characteristics were confirmed on the palate. The wine finishes dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. There’s a compelling sense of power and energy in this wine. Everyone was in the Rhône but most were in the North; from Saint Joseph to Cornas, citing that they believed this was Syrah. However, two in the group called Châteauneuf du Pape and one actually called producer (!!) but missed on vintage (2016). Universally, the wine was fawned over and the dude who called Pagaü thought he actually favored the 2019 over the 2016 he had a while back. While I’m not sure I would go that far, the 2019 is truly quite stunning already and seems to have the guts to see a very long and wonderful life ahead. These are currently enjoying their customary early drinking window however, that window will likely close within a year or so and then I could see this shutting down pretty hard until 2025 — 4 years ago
Somm David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
From 375ml.
A very good Rhone producer visited in 2015.
At pop & pour, the fruits almost had a mid berry bubble gum character. That toned down almost immediately. Fruits are ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, baked plums, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy strawberries, chocolate bar to fudge, grilled, smoked meats, black pepper, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, iron pan, black tea, a touch of rubber toy, slight tarriness, dry herbs, roasted chestnuts, tobacco leaf, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, hints of mint, dark, red flowers, violet’s, nice acidity with a well balanced-structured, stiffly tensioned with a lush finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on earthiness & spice.
Plenty of life left in this 2012, even in 375ml. — 4 months ago