Light golden in color. The nose is nice with hay, seltzer and slight ginger. Excellent acidity. On the palate, slight cider/oxidized notes. Also a bit of fresh red apples. Very nice balance. Long finish. This is very food friendly and will go with just about any food. It seems like this should last for at least a decade and develop a bit more.
My friend Robert was having a birthday. I brought a Magnum of this as it is always a crowd pleaser. And, it did not disappoint. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, roasted meats, and slight floral note. With air some coffee grounds come out. On the palate, this was pop and pout and took only about twenty minutes to open though it continued to improve all night. Lots of black raspberry fruit intertwined with smoke and roasted meats. Medium tannins. Great precision and balance. Long finish. This needs big or spicy foods but will work with those and o
One of the great Chateauneufs Du Pape and from a great vintage. This is 100 percent Grenache. Ruby/purple in color, clear and bright. The nose is very nice with cherries, spices and "garrique". On the palate, black cherries. The depth seems a bit lacking for the pedigree but perhaps is is a bit shut down at this point. It is a delicious wine and enjoyable. It's more of under-performing high expectations. Tasted twice over the last six months with consistent notes. It is food friendly but will take heartier stews and meat dishes.
Nice to revisit this wine. It had been about 4 years since it was last tried and it hasn't really changed. It is open and drinking quite well. This is a big wine that one might peg for California if drinking blind. Of course, 2005 was an excellent and ripe vintage. Vibrant garnet in color. The nose is dusty, slightly earthy with nice cherries and a bit of plums. What a lovely texture. Soft yet structured at the same time. On the palate, layers of cherries, slight smoke and earthiness. Nice acidity. Long finish. This would pair with everything from hearty seafood to a steak. No
Rhys Chardonnay's are some of the best anywhere. Some say they have a Burgundian quality to them, and that may be true, but they are also clearly from California. Sunshine and ripeness. This one was gorgeous. Light golden in color. The nose has a great minerality with nice minerals and lemon cream. On the palate, it is delicious but lean. Great acidity. Nice lemony notes. Long finish. Sometimes these wines can shut down after a few years, so this should be drunk soon, or put it away for another five years or more.
Ho fortunate to be able to taste this wine again. This was opened at a friend's birthday party and as you might expect, it went quickly. Luckily for me, they made sure I got a glass! The 92 is often overlooked between the 91 and 94 (and even the 93), but 1992 was a very good year too. The 92 is drinking quite well right now if starting to show a bit of age. Garnet in color, ruby at the rim. The nose takes one to Bordeaux. Gorgeous combination of cassis, tobacco, slight dust and slight leather with just a hint of dried fruits. On the palate, this is delicious. Layers of cassis over
This was a Six Liter Methuselah bottle of wine. The cork came out in one piece with the use of a Durand. It was soaked up the sides but did not leak. The bottle was sampled right away and then over the next few hours. Purple/ruby in color. It looked to be about ten or fifteen years old (not 41). The nose was initially muted, but with air this had some cassis and black cherries, some dried fruit, dust, cedar and a slight funk. With air, it got younger for the first hour and then plateaued. On the palate, this still has a nice freshness to it. There is some age showing but not a whol
An excellent bottle of Champagne. Light golden in color with a nice mousse of fine bubbles. On the palate, this has red apples, slight ginger, minerals and a bit of saline. On the palate, this is a bigger wine. More so than prior vintages which is not bad or good. It is still a very crisp wine which is a good thing. Slight citrus, slight green apples and lots of minerality. A long/tart finish. This will go with a wide variety of foods and is delicious on its own. At $60 per bottle, this is fairly priced.
Deep ruby in color. The nose has cherries and slight strawberries. Good acidity. On the palate, strawberries. A bit of orange peel on the finish. The finish is long and tart (in a good way). A very refreshing bottle of Champagne. A bit less complex but at the same time, it has a very nice intensity to it. Very food friendly with almost any food. 12.5% Alc.
This has 80% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, and 4% Carignane. It is drinking just wonderfully right now. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, dust, leather, slight earthiness and cherries. On the palate, this is fresh with vibrant fruit and light tannins. Black raspberries, slight peppery notes and a nice warm earthiness to it. Good balance. Nice finish. Just a lovely wine. It won't get better but should continue to mature and evolve over the next decade. Will work with almost any food at this point.
