This is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  It is a classic Margaux with a perfumed nose and plenty to seduce the palate.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cassis, spice and floral/perfumed quality to it.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  Lots of cassis fruit with minerality and slight cigar box.  Medium tannins that get a bit stronger in the glass.  It is very young but still accessible.  It is an outstanding wine that will require time to develop.  It has another couple decades for us to see how good it gets.  The group I tasted it w

This is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc.  This was one of the least expensive wines in this magnificent tasting and really stood toe to toe with all of them.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, smoke, graphite and minerals.  Very expressive if not huge.  On the palate, there is a wonderful texture.  Cassis with layers of minerals and char.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This really took some time to open in the glass but then just kept getting better.  It seems like it will need another decade to fully mature and then have a couple more after that (which seems

This is  50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc.  A gorgeous wine that is still very young.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is pretty classic for Haut Brion with cassis, crushed gravel, slight asphalt and strawberries.  On the palate there are silky but firm tannins.  Deep and complex, the layers unwind in the glass.  Cassis and black cherries, slight strawberries over gravel and earth.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This needs  another ten years to maturity and should be there for a couple more decades after that.  It is delicious right now but give it air. 

100% Merlot.  This proved to be a bit controversial.  Some of us loved it while others merely liked it.  Of course, served along side the First growths, the Merlot based wine might be at a disadvantage for those preferring Cabs.  Personally, I thought it was a stunning wine.  It kept opening up over the three hours it was in my glass (with an occasional refill).  As an aside, there is something wonderful about having a waiter ask you if you would like just a bit more Petrus in your glass.  :-)  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is very pretty with cherries, slight cassis, a bit of

This is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc.  It had been decanted for about four hours.  It is drinking quite well right now and just a very pretty wine.  Not the powerhouse of some vintages but it will certainly hold its own.  Deep ruby with purple swirls in color.  The nose has cherries, soy sauce, black cherries and spice.  On the palate, there are cherries and black cherries with an underlying char.  Nothing about this wine is under ripe or green.  Very nice acidity.  Medium tannins.  Very long finish.  This went quite well with food.  It improved slightly in the glass but ove

There is not much more to offer about Yquem.  It is arguably the finest wine made on the planet.  This bottle was served early in the dinner along side fois gras or a vegetarian starter.  It went quite well.  The bottle had been opened and decanted ahead of time and this bottle seemed to be at just a bit lower than cellar temperature.  Not the best Yquem ever but certainly a very good vintage that is in a good, if young, place right now.  Golden in color.  The nose is slightly sweet with apricots and slight honey.  On the palate, slight peaches, slight honey and apricots with a touch of min

At age 21, this wine is drinking well but starting to show a bit of age. Light to medium golden in color.  The nose has some simple syrup, hay and an applesauce quality (think slightly oxidized apples).  There is a nice bit of acidity.  Very clean.  Slight citrus on the palate (lemon-ish).  Good finish.  Some level of complexity and depth.  A very nice way to start an evening.  It will work with just about any food.  If you own any though, it should be drunk up in the next five years unless you like older Champagne.  

Dunn Cabernet's have a reputation of taking forever to get to maturity but lasting a long time.  While that is more true for the Howell Mountain, it is also true for the Napa.  This one was purchased on release to celebrate occasions as my daughter, born in the same vintage grew up.  So, when she graduated college, this one was on the list.  It is drinking wonderfully right now and does not seem like it is 22 years from vintage.  It will easily go another decade and may be two before heading south.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is nice with cassis, some cigar box and spice. 

Opened to celebrate the graduation from college of my daughter who was born in 1997.  This comes in a beautiful bottle (they call it a hand grenade) of dimpled glass.  It is the luxury wine from this producer and while not one of the better luxury wines, it is an excellent bottle of Champagne.  1997 was a wonderful year for daughters but just an ok year for Champagne.  Yet, this bottle showed very well and was a welcome part of the celebration.  Golden in color.  There were still a fair amount of smaller bubbles.   There is just a touch of oxidation in the wine.  The nose is nice with pears

I absolutely loved this wine.  And for $32, this is a great value.  What I like about Petite Syrah is that it is not as boisterous as Syrah but in a similar vein.  The two grapes are not (at least closely) related.  Many times it seems Petite producers try to "correct" for this and get too much ripeness.  It is a fine line, but this wine really does a wonderful job of expressing the true qualities of Petite.  It does need some air and time to open, so keep that in mind if drinking now.  Or better yet, cellar a few bottles and open them in ten years!  Inky purple in color.  The nose has blac