You're not 40 every day and I wanted a special wine to celebrate that special day. Fortunately the wine bar / open kitchen restaurant we went to had that special wine, amongst 400 references, that I had been desperate to taste for a long while. I didn't take notes so it's all from memory, but the nose is what I liked the most. Coconut notes, leather, cherries, coffee... I spent probably 15 minutes in total smelling that wine. The palate was great with some acid drive, some matter but not in an overwhelming way, some gentle, well integrated tannins in the rear, before a long finish with savoury notes, red fruits, coconut and that gentle grainy tannic layer. A great experience to top up a day to remember.
Oh and if you happen to be in Warsaw, Poland and be looking for a great wine place, make sure to check out Kontakt - wino & bistro. — 6 months ago
Served this beauty on 2 occasions with Vinloq Preservation
DAY 1
👃Precocious yellow fruit (grapefruit and lemon) and green apples, flinty minerals, white pepper, and grassy herbals
👅Lemon oil with white pepper and spirited minerality. The fruit is more round and more restrained than on the nose.
Salty. Great acidity. The oak treatment is spot on. Long dry, mineral laced finish. So good
The remaining wine was Slow Decanted in my refrigerator and finished a week later
DAY 7
Such a glorious nose on this burgundy. Really delightful. White flowers and peach and even some tropical fruit notes. Flinty and expressive. Totally lovely on both occasions
I knew this was likely young but I was curious to try my first bottle. It's clearly drinking well now but it's going to be stellar with more bottle age.
I am looking forward to revisiting another bottle in time🥂
— 2 years ago
My contribution to a large Rhône dinner. Standouts were ‘07 Chapoutier Le Meal Blanc, ‘89 and ‘90 Jaboulet La Chappelle, ‘11 Guigal La Mouline.
An over-generalization, but what I love about Cornas is the rusticity and sometimes feral nature of the wines (which I don’t find in Hermitage or CR) and this ‘05 is in that vein. I followed this from pop (after all, we are at the almost 20yr mark) and over the course of three hours.
Interplay of red and black berry fruits, black pepper, slightly herbal (maybe closer to potpurri floral) aromatically. Bright and nimble on the palate, nothing about this is ripe or soft. Energetic acidity all the way through surrounded by notes of iron (sanguine-like) and rocky minerality. Crunchy red and black fruits (whole-cluster?), hint of gaminess but not in the meaty-style I semi-expected. Clean and pure style of Syrah. Big structure at the finish…hard to imagine drinking this 10+yrs ago. Acidity and tannin will carry this a long time, but I think this is peak window for getting depth of fruit and complexity. — 21 days ago
Medium deep ruby with thin ruby rim. Quite high toned ripe fruit at first, cassis, blackberry , violet and dry spice. Quite round and generous on the nose still fruit driven. On the palate Ripe fruits, but with good freshness, with cassis blueberry , blackberry and dark cherry . Suave polished tannins and surprisingly fresh acidity. Overall excellent balance. Long with a sweet cassis tinged finish . Rich , round and hedonistic but well balanced overall, just entering its early drinking window where it will probably remain over the next 15 years . — 8 months ago
Beautiful subtle aroma from Merlot makes it pretty. Its free spirit nose makes you feel what the wine is going to be about. Drinkable and fresh. Apparently missing weight but it doesn’t miss a bit all the way thru the tasting. The aftertaste is long and very, very pleasant after one minute. — a year ago
This will please some garnacha fans, though I can’t say it’s my ideal Reserva blend. 78% Tempranillo and 22% garnancha, which seems like way too much. Has a sweaty sock aroma that blends with some cherry and vanilla flavors. Almost like a tart cherry pie. The cherry flavors continue throughout with some chocolate and a bit of caramel. Round and silky, and seems loosely structured. Just slightly less dimensional than I would want. — 3 years ago
From a Napa vintage that I recall as being so-so, this wine shows the Howell Mountain terroir without the normally harsh tannins that were characteristic of Dunn HM wines in the 1980s. But, honestly, this is really lovely, suave, red fruited, with a medium-long finish, and seems way younger than I expected from a 37-year-old Napa Cabernet!! — a month ago
Have It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Deep purple in color with a wide reddish rim.
Nose of red and black fruits with cedar, licorice, tobacco leaf, herbs, cola, Mediterranean spices, light vegetables, earth, dark chocolates and black pepper.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cherries, cedar, licorice, toast, light vanilla, chocolates, tobacco, diet cola, herbs, coffee, vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 4-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is drinking very fresh and young. Fruit forward with lots of earth notes to compliment it.
Rich, elegant and not in your face kind of Napa Cabernet. Spicy and tangy. Complex and interesting.
Showing a really nice nose, once it opened up, with lots of earth notes. Reminds me of a Left Bank Bordeaux. Delicious.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours in the decanter.
Needs more bottle time, and will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years. A good quality wine with good potential to become a 94+ point wine.
I had a few vintages of this wine, and it truly shines at 20 years of age.
A good sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a nice piece of steak. Paired really well with my Stilton Blue Cheese.
A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Merlot. Aged in (65% new) French oak barrels for 18 months.
14.3% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$65. — 3 months ago
Way too early. I have a few 375mL bottles and was curious to learn how a wine like this might be even though it was well before it’s suggested drinking window. The bones and structure are evident and this should grow into a monster. It was still a very pleasant wine it was just holding back the whole time. Unfocused fruit and a bit too sweet but I think this score will be significantly higher for round 2. — 2 years ago
"Odedi"
It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Deep inky in color with a short purple rim.
Beautiful nose of blueberries, black currants, cooked cherries, light oak, vegetables, licorice, earth, chocolates, Indian spices and peppercorn.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with plums, currants, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, coffee, light tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, earth and black tea.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux. Showing a nice mouthfeel. Fresh, complex and rich.
This second growth wine is still young, but already enjoyable, even by itself.
Drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 7 years. Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.
Well balanced, and good by itself as a sipping wine. A good food wine too.
A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.
12.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$215. — 20 days ago