2019 Château Fombrauge, France, Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

It seemed like a bad idea opening such a young Bordeaux, but this was surprisingly still open and drinking well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cassis, chocolate and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with black cherries and underlying char.  Plenty of depth.  Complex.  Good finish with some milk chocolate notes.  This is delicious.  It will be interesting to see where this goes from here.  Does it shut down?  Does it develop more with cellaring.  In any event it is excellent right now. 

2016 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon The Reserve To-Kalon Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$105.00USD

Always great to try one of these!  Still one of the better Cabs coming out of Napa.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar and spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has cassis with slight cedar notes and underlying spice and char.  It is still tight and young but already drinking well.  Ideally, it could us another five to  ten years in the cellar, but otherwise give it plenty of air.  It has a nice complexity that unwinds in the glass.  Great on its own, this would be classic with a steak, but would be great as well with a bowl of hearty c

2008 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon The Arsenal Greer Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

Pop and pour, this wine is in a great place right now.  Purple in color with slight ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with spice, cassis, earthy and some  hay notes.  Medium tannins.  Full bodied.  Complex.  On the palate, cassis, and black cherries with some char.  Long finish.  At age 15, this seems at peak.  I don't think it will improve but it should still drink well for seven to ten more years.  Great on its own, this will work well at the dinner table.  It went great with a pasta dish and a lentil salad.  

2012 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$175.00USD

This is in a very nice place right now.  It needs a bit of air to open and then is drinking well.  2012 is an excellent if not flamboyant vintage.  Coupled with this very structured wine and it does need some coaxing.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with graphite, cassis, spice and cedar.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  Cassis, pencil lead and char.  Long finish.  Great balance.  It is drinking well today but not yet at peak.  This should easily go another twenty years.  Great on its own, this will be excellent with foo

2018 Opus One, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$380.00USD

This bottle had been opened at 9:00 am for serving around 7:00 pm.  It wasn't enough, so it got decanted around 6:30.  Still was quite tight so it was left to sit in the glass for another hour where it eventually opened up.  This bottle needs time.  A 24 hour decant might not be out of line at this point.  This is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, slight earthiness, graphite, chocolate and slight roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Lovely texture.  On the palat

2006 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2006
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$265.00USD

This bottle was opened and allowed to breathe for 30 minutes.  Great showing.  At age 17, this is just getting to peak and really firing on all cylinders.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is impressive with cassis, leather, slight damp earth, graphite and char.  Complex and deep.  It makes you take notice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Seamless texture.  On the palate, cassis, plums with char.  Complex and layered.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is fantastic on its own and will work well with all sorts of meat dishes.  It went well also with a pasta prima vera.  Drink

2016 Champagne Christophe Baron Champagne Les Alouettes Charly-sur-Marne, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$300.00USD

This is 100% Pinot Meunier.  Light copper/gold in color with lots of tiny bubbles making a nice mousse.  The nose has caramel, ginger, peach and some toast.  Medium to full bodied.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this has some peach along with a Vernor's Soda quality with some underlying char.  Deep and complex.  Very structured.  Long finish.  This is open and drinking well but not yet at peak.  It drinks great on its own and will work with almost any food.  It went well with assorted cheeses and veggies.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  This was from Magnum which I believe is t

2020 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie Le Verger, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$21.00USD

From one of the top producers of Muscadet, this is a crisp white and excellent value.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is clean with crushed shells, salinity, and slight lemon.  Medium bodied.  A bit rounder in texture than many Muscadets.  On the palate, minerals, crushed shells and slight lemon.  Good finish.  This wine is nice on its own but better with food.  A great choice with shellfish, but also nice with Artichoke Dip (not an easy match).  Drink over the next few years.  

2012 Domaine de la Terre Rouge Tête-à-Tête, California, Sierra Foothills, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

Great value!  This is a GSM blend of 44% Syrah, 29% Grenache, and 27% Mourvèdre.  Ruby/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries and smoke.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Black raspberries with smoked meat notes.  Nice finish.  A great choice for a wide variety of occasions.  Perfect for pizza night.  Drink over the next few years.  

2016 Torrin The Banshee, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A

This is a GSM blend from California.  Torrin makes great wines.  They are huge and really should go seven to ten years from vintage prior to opening, but it depends on how you like 'em.  It is a blend of 40% Syrah, 33% Mourvedre, and 27% Grenache.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, boysenberries, plums, black cherries, char, black pepper and spice.  Full bodied.  A bit of black licorice with air.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is dense.  Slight alcohol noticeable but that smooths out with about an hour of air.  Lois of black and blue

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