1996 Château Siran, France, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1996
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

This bottle had been purchased at the Chateau on release and well stored.  Decanted for sediment right before serving.  The cork was perfect.  Purple in color, opaque and still mostly bright.  The nose is great with cassis, slight perfumed note, dust and char.  With air some leather and cigar box notes emerged.  Medium to full bodied.  Tannins mostly resolved but still some silky ones.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is still fresh.  Complex with layers of cassis, earth, tobacco and underlying char.  Good finish.  Overall, this bottle is at peak but seems right there.  At age 28, this w

1993 Chateau Musar, Lebanon, Bekaa Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1993
Score: 
97
Grade: 

This had been given a long decant (5 hours) and then double decanted back into the bottle.  It was just right.  Really an awesome showing for this wine.  It is a blend of 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Cinsault, and 1/3 Carignan.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has just a touch of volatile acidity which really serves to lift the aromas.  There is also some Brettanomyces (barnyard notes) but not really much to speak of.  Also, plenty of cassis, cherries, red currants, dust and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins but mostly resolved.  Bright acidity.  On the palate, th

2005 Château Kirwan, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$110.00USD

A very nice showing for this wine.  Great vintage and the wine is in a great place.  Purple  in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dark cherries, cigar box, spice and slight leather.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is fresh, complex and deep.  Flavors of cassis, tobacco, spice and char.  Good finish.  Just about at peak but still has another ten to fifteen years left of great drinking.  Lovely on its own but even better with food.  Lamb chops would work perfectly.  

2020 Recanati Yasmin Red, Israel, Galilee, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$14.00USD

This is a kosher wine from Israel.  It is an 80/20 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot for this vintage.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, some black raspberries, cherries, and slight milk chocolate.  Full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Cherries and black cherries.  OK Finish.  This drinks easy and will work well on its own, for the Seder, or with Chicken or Brisket.  Drink now.  

2019 Château Le Grand Moulin, France, Bordeaux, Blaye, Cotes de Bordeaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$13.00USD

Another example of what great value there is in Bordeaux once one gets away from the classified growths.  A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, plums, spice and char.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Notes of cherries, black cherries and black raspberries with some spice and a bit of earthiness.  Nice finish.  A very pleasant wine that is better with food.  This would work well with roasted fowl or meat or even root vegetables.  Drink over the next

2015 Kapcsándy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Grand Vin) State Lane Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Yountville, Wine review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$285.00USD

This is a blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot.  One of the great Bordeaux varietal wines.  This is till young, but really drank beautifully.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, tobacco, licorice, spice, thyme and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great, juicy texture.  On the palate, this has some tight complexity.  Flavors of cassis, leather, tobacco, spice and char.  Long finish.  It really needs another five to ten years of cellaring and should drink well for twenty to thirty after that.  Of course, it was fantastic right now.  Great on

2019 Dalla Valle Maya, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$490.00USD

Surprisingly open, Maya used to be a wine that needed serious time before opening but this vintage/bottle was drinking well.  It is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, black cherries, cigar tobacco, spice, slight cocoa and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black cherries, cassis, spice, tobacco and char.  Lovely texture.  Long finish.  No doubt this gets a perfect score as it matures but its close now.  Drink over the next twenty to thirty years. 

2013 Seven of Hearts Chateau Figareaux Tradition, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Washington state makes some excellent Merlots and "Right Bank" blends.  This is another case in point.  The wine is a blend of 55% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is classic and enticing.  Black cherries, cassis, bell pepper, chocolate, and spice.  Nice texture.  Great balance.  On the palate, at age eleven, this is showing a nice maturity.  perhaps just on the younger side of fully mature.  Complex and layered with flavors of cherries, black cherries, milk chocolate, and underlying earthiness and char.  Long

1966 Château Durfort-Vivens, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Revview

Vintage: 
1966
Score: 
70
Grade: 
C-
Current Price: 
$1000.00USD

Taken from a less than ideal cellar, but the fill was mid-shoulder and it looked ok.  Turned out, it was.  Brick red in color but clear and more importantly, bright.  The nose is slightly earthy but there are cherries and a slight perfume note.  Medium bodied with good acidity.  No tannins.  On the palate, this is of course, old and past prime, but there is still some fruit left.  Cherries, dried cherries and earth.  Clipped finish.  Worth drinking a glass.  Probably not worth serving with food, more of an intellectual curiosity.  

1966 Château Duhart-Milon, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1966
Score: 
60
Grade: 
D-
Current Price: 
$229.00USD

Taken from a less than ideal cellar.  Ullage was in the low shoulder.  Mostly brown (iced tea) in color but some ruby hues.  The nose was mushrooms along with a touch of dried cherries and slight cherry fruit.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, mostly dried fruit and mushrooms with a touch of sour cherries.  Something left but not enough to really bother.  Oh well.  

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