2004 Château Haut-Brion, France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$590.00USD

My personal favorite of the First Growths.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, black raspberries, gravel and slight black olives.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is a powerful Haut Brion which is interesting as the vintage was good but not great.  Complex.  Just starting to show signs of maturity.  Cassis and black raspberry fruit with underlying char and gravel.  Long finish.  This may still improve a bit.  Drink over the next twelve to fifteen years and probably more.  This would work well with a beef a

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$300.00USD

The regular Caymus tends to be a love/hate wine, but the Special Select is a different wine completely and one that just about everyone loves.  It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, tobacco and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Dense texture.  On the palate, this is deep with cassis and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is still showing young and while drinking well now, another five years in the cellar would help it out.  Either way, drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  

2000 Château Cos d'Estournel, France, Bordeaux, St. Estephe, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2000
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$250.00USD

Classic Cos from the great B2K vintage.  This has been a very slow developing vintage and the better wines are finally showing their wares.  Purple in color with slight ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is vibrant with cassis, black cherries, soy sauce, spice, and leather.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, Cassis, black cherries, some dried cherries with underlying spices.  Some mint on the finish. This is just starting to approach peak and should drink well for the next twelve to fifteen years.  A nice match for roasted fowl.  

1996 Château Léoville Las Cases, France, Bordeaux, St. Julien, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1996
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$375.00USD

This is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc from the excellent 1996 vintage. Great showing.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, tobacco, black cherries, spice and some mint on the end.  Full bodied.  Great velvety texture.  Medium tannins.  Perfect balance.  On the palate, this is complex and deep yet still seemingly youthful.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own and would work well with all but the lightest foods.  Deck breast would work very well.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

2001 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$175.00USD

Great showing for this wine from the northwest.  It is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc from the Champoux vineyard in the Horse Haven Hills.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dust, slight black olive, and slight bacon fat notes.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black cherries, cassis with underlying char.  Depth and complexity.  Medium tannins.  Long finish with some heat on it.  This drinks great on its own and will work with bigger foods.  Hard to go wrong matching it with a filet.  Drink over the next eight to ten years.  

1990 Château Mouton Rothschild, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1990
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$550.00USD

Always a treat to drink a First growth.  This is made in an old school style at a time when Bordeaux was kicking it up a bit.  Accordingly, this wine was "disappointing" to many people on release (especially for the 1990 vintage).  But thirty some years down the road, this wine is still proving its merits and in fact, this was better than a bottle consumed a few years ago.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is perfumed and quite pretty.  Cassis, strawberries, floral notes and a bit of dusty.  Great texture.  Powerful with firm tannins, yet supple.  On the palate, black cherries,

1983 Inglenook Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1983
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$75.00USD

I was skeptical about this being alive, but that is why you pull the cork.  At age 39, this has life and fruit left.  Ruby in color, lighter at the rim, mostly opaque and modestly bright.  The nose shows cassis, earthiness and slight bell pepper.  With air, a slight "twiggy" note comes out.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, black cherries.  Slightly sweet.  Some complexity.  While certainly past peak, an impressive showing nevertheless.  Still, this should be consumed sooner than later.  

1976 Château Lafite Rothschild, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1976
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$625.00USD

I was apprehensive about this.  Not a great vintage and 46 years from that vintage.  The wine performed way above expectations.  Ruby in color, some browning at the edges, clear and still somewhat bright.  The nose has some cassis, some dried fruits, a bit of burnt sugar and slight oxidation.  On the palate, cranberries and cassis with some dried forest floor.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  Some complexity.  Long finish.  While not a great Lafite perhaps, a very fun experience and outstanding wine.  This works better with food though, considering how rare to get to try this, perhaps just e

2015 Screaming Eagle The Flight, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$900.00USD

This is Screaming Eagle's Merlot based wine.  This year the blend is 61% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc.  It is still young and tight and took some time to open.  That said, it was delicious. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, dark chocolate, violets and a bit of earthiness.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has a lush texture.  Black cherries and cherries with some chocolate and char.  Great balance.  Long finish.

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