France

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My first time that I can recall trying a wine from this winery.  Served blind.  Golden in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has lychees with some spiciness.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is semi-sweet.  Nice lychee fruit.  Clean.  This wine is fine but it leaves me wanting a bit more of everything.  A bit crisper, a bit more depth, etc.  Drink over the next three to five years.  A nice wine on its own, this should work with spicy Thai food.  

Always a pleasure to drink Yquem.  From a 375ml bottle.  This is young, of course, but delicious.  It is a blend of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc.  Light golden in color with some orange hues, clear and bright.  The nose has apricots, honey and slight caramel notes.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying.  Apricots with honey.  Incredibly long finish.  This will get better with further cellaring, but is delicious now.  Drink over the next thirty years.  great on its own, this would also work with simple pound cake. 

From Magnum.  This was an ok year in Bordeaux, but Haut Brion may have made the wine of the vintage.  In regular bottles, this should be at or past peak, but in Magnum it was doing just fine.  Purple in color, ruby at the  rim, mostly opaque and flat.  The nose is mature with cassis, cigar box, gravel and slight char.  Medium bodied.  Medium silky tannins.  On the palate, cassis, with some tobacco, gravel and char.  Some complexity.  Good finish.  Older bottles are always variable, but these should be drunk sooner than later.  This will work better with hearty food.  Cassoulet would work we

Tasted blind.  I guesses a 2017 Napa Cab with mountain fruit (Continuum?).  In a flight of 6 great wines, this was the one I was the most disappointed in after the label was revealed.  It is an outstanding wine, but with Latour, one expects more.  It is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon,  9% Merlot, with some Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot as well.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  On the nose, cassis, some graphite, a bit of forest floor and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, Cassis, slight cedar/woodiness and char.  Long finish.  I believe this to be at least p

Tasted blind, I guessed Napa Merlot (Screaming Eagle The Flight).  It was so open and accessible, it was quite surprising to find out it was a five year old First Growth.  Gorgeous wine.  It is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight but with air, black cherries, chocolate, cassis, spice, and dust.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, cassis, and a slight dry earthiness.  Deep.  Complexity that unwinds in the glass.  Long finish.  Delicious.  It will definitely get better, but was s

This is from the good if not great, 2014 vintage.  It is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of tiny bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with lanolin, toast, slight ginger and a bit of chalk.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is showing young-ish with notes of oranges, toast and an interesting chalk note especially on the finish.  Ripe.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue if well stored for another ten years.  Very food friendly, it would be very nice with lobster.  

An excellent vintage for this wine, it is in a great place right now.  The wine is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir.  Light golden in color with a fine bead of tiny bubbles.

Consumed on the Celebrity Millennium off the coast of Alaska.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is earthy with black raspberries and slight bacon fat.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black cherries with black raspberries and underlying char.  Long finish.  This is starting to show a bit of maturity but will continue to develop more.  It drinks great on its own, but better with food.  Cassoulet would be classic, but this will go well with Indian food, too.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

This is a dry (Sec) Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with tangerines, sea air, baked apples and char.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  Very nice slightly oily texture.  On the palate, green apples with an interesting chervil note.  Long finish.  This is still young but drinking well.  Nice on its own, this is also very food friendly.  It would pair nicely with pork chops.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This is a dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France.  Silvery/green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is interesting with red apples, crushed rocks, Linden leaves, and a slight orange peel note.  Full bodied.  Lovely "slick" texture.  On the palate, crushed rocks/minerality, and red apples with a nice backbone of acidity.  Long finish.  This is young and vibrant but will round out with some age.  It should drink well for another ten more years.  A nice wine for Thai or Chinese food, but this would also be great with fried chicken.