3/26/2024 - sdr wrote:

The NV version of Maillons tastes very, very young and hard to read. Explosive mousse, medium bubbles. Quite bound up in its mineral expressionnwith sharp acidity. Missing mid palate at his point. Perhaps much better in a few years but hard to tell.

11/26/2020 - sdr Likes this wine:

I selected it as an accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey, thinking it would be an especially good match for the white meat. But while it’s a very good wine, it’s too sweet for the bird. Very rich and full, exceptionally viscous, even oily, moderately sweet. Lots of cinnamon and dried apricot. It would probably be a perfect match for something but I can’t think of what. Or maybe better sipped alone after dinner as a light dessert wine.

9/10/2022 - sdr wrote:

Clearly past its best although still has some interesting dark flavors but almost no fragrance. The color is just beginning to rust. Decent balance. Leathery. Certainly drinkable but not that interesting. Didn’t develop complexity or nuance with age because it’s not Burgundy.

4/29/2023 - sdr wrote:

From a bottle in excellent condition purchased many years ago from Premier Cru. Tawny with rim starting to brown; this seems to advanced. Fairly vague earth and stewed fruit on the nose. More interesting on the palate with its beetroot, soft edged old red fruit and decent finish. It’s not bad but far from superb. I suspect this bottle may have been heat damaged at some point. A painful experience for me because of the reputation but other tasters were much more positive.

1/7/2023 - sdr Likes this wine:

Latour, Latour, Latour (WineWatch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): Very young, bold sweet cassis fruit framed by oak. Give it a lot more time to let the magic develop. Will be great since it’s a beauty now and it’s clean and built to age.

1/7/2023 - sdr wrote:

Latour, Latour, Latour (WineWatch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): An off bottle since it was more advanced than it should have been. Moody and stern and the tannins were too bitter.

3/11/2022 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Sadly, this bottle did not perform anywhere near as well as a pristinely stored bottle from the Ben Ichinose collection. A bit of St. Estèphe dirt is mildly attractive but it’s just not enough. Too tired, too old.

8/13/2022 - sdr wrote:

As advertised, the SH Chardonnay has aged extremely well judging by the limpid color and total absence of oxidation. So, clear and clean, bright and fresh. No oak. No aroma at first but gradually a bit of under ripe pineapple emerges. Light in weight, too and loads of minerals. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough flavor to make it enjoyable. It’s just too skinny. Would another decade in bottle bring something more out?

7/30/2022 - sdr wrote:

After the wonderful 1989, the ‘90 is a disappointment. Color is moderately dark ruby and for a few seconds there’s a splash of bright red fruit. Slightly unbalanced by excess tart acidity, which voild be refreshing if there was adequate density of fruit to buffer it, but there is not. So while seemingly youthful, the fruit is a little dull and unfocused.

6/18/2022 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Gilman is right. For a First in a reputable great vintage at age 36, this Mouton is shockingly simple. On the positive side, the bright black- and blue-berry fruit is rich and tasty and a bit glossy. Tannins are moderate, acidity is sound, length is average. So - tasted pretty good but gets more and more boring as the bottle is consumed. This could be a decent California cab at a fraction of the cost. I’d be surprised in it blossomed in the future. Sad.

4/20/2022 - sdr wrote:

Not as distinctive or interesting this time. Decent Sémillon.

3/4/2017 - sdr Likes this wine:

Another bottle in excellent condition courtesy of WineBid. The color is starting to advance since there is definite browning at the rim. Lovely fragrant ripe berry aroma that took a while to come out and then faded after an hour, which makes me question the longevity of this wine. (Based on my experiences with the '53, '59 and '61, I do not think Margaux ages as well as other First Growths.) Excellent sweetness on the palate at first which also dried out somewhat after an hour. Harmonious and very fine with no further upside.

12/4/2021 - sdr wrote:

Lively mousse even though there was silence when removing the cork. Pretty couronne, too. Unbalanced though; too acidic, too bitter. The mid palate lacks fat and fruit. Okay, not more.

12/10/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

After a couple of slightly disappointing experiences with ‘59 Lafite, finally a bottle that fully lives up to the reputation. This bottle originated from the famed Nicolas Collection; I had purchased it many years ago. I don’t know when it was recorked since that information is not included on the label or cork but the level was well into the neck. The color too was impossibly young, deep red with barely a trace of maroon. Simply stunning bouquet of the ripest possible red fruits, not necessarily emblematic of its Pauillac origin, but not unusual for great Lafite. On the palate, rich, intensely fruity and incredibly sweet and dazzling in the merging of aged complexity and eerie freshness. If tasted blind, it could be confused with a 20 year old. Mellow and energetic in equal parts. Breathtaking.

9/4/2021 - sdr Does not like this wine:

A rare dud for Yquem. Good fill but too dark for age. Nice sweetness and concentration but much too simple and fruit-challenged. Perhaps there was a provenance problem before I purchased it but other bottles from the same lot have been much better. This should be superb even from a half bottle.

7/11/2021 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Peter’s bottle. Undrinkable to me although he and others liked it. Brutally over extracted, bitter and pruney. This is what happens to what could be a fruity flavor when it tastes like it was simmered on a barbecue grill for many hours. Sour prunes, road tar and coarse tannins complete the ugly picture. Yet if you drink enough to dull your senses you can actually swallow it and even keep it down.

2/14/2021 - sdr Likes this wine:

I thought this bottle, sourced years ago from K&L, must have been recorked. The label and capsule were mint, the level very top shoulder, the cork moist and very firm, the color showing just a bit of orange and brown. Yet there was no indication on label or cork that it was. The wine was archetypical Ducru Beaucaillou, austere tart red cherry, no oak apparent, spicy, challenging and severe. But if you can appreciate the style, it’s quite remarkable and rewarding. Old but by no means tired.

12/26/2020 - sdr wrote:

I had almost forgotten about these bottles from a case of the ‘96/‘97 blend I purchased on release. It’s 50/50 CH/PN but seems Pinot dominated. It’s clearly seen better days. Light gold, nice spray of large-ish bubbles. But too oxidative for maximum pleasures. More bruised apple than bright pear. Good depth and acidity. But ultimately fairly simple as the nuances fade into the ether.

11/29/2020 - sdr Does not like this wine:

So sad. This bottle looked fine with good fill and no signs of damage was obviously off. Not corked or madeirized but perhaps not treated well somewhere over the years. Recognizable northern Rhône Syrah, there’s earthy roasted plum and garrigue - but all in miniature. Decent color, acidity is just right, tannins are mostly resolved. Perhaps not unexpected in a 50 year old but not for one which should be in its prime. Oddly despite being upright for many weeks there was fine sediment throughout which could not be decanted.

11/28/2020 - sdr Likes this wine:

Limpid, pure, gentle. It takes a while to display its shy aroma and flavors but when it does it’s a beauty. Mostly Asian pear. Lovely texture. No hint of oatmeal or hazelnut just yet and I would not be able to guess it is Meursault at this stage since the profile is clearly Puligny. I hope it fills out in the years to come.

2/16/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

47CB and Friends (3030 Ocean, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): A stunning bottle of ‘64 Cheval Blanc, but since it was recorked in 1996, it’s impossible to tell how much of its amazingly youthful exuberance might be due to topping up with a younger version. Of course it’s possible it was topped off with more ‘64, but impossible to tell. Once I put my skepticism aside, I enjoyed it immensely for its gorgeous plum and black cherry fruit and fabulous natural sweetness. Super fruity yet the structure is there to support it. Whatever they did in 1996, it worked. Still, I’d like to taste a non-recorked version to compare to it.

5/20/2020 - sdr Does not like this wine:

There’s some interesting flavors but the total absence of any freshness is discouraging. The predominant aroma is petrol and maybe some oxidation too. Every bottle from this case, purchased on release, has been disappointing. I’ve had Dom de Chev white from the eighties that were much more lively and interesting.

4/18/2020 - sdr Likes this wine:

“Grapey” is usually a derogative term when applied to wine. But how else to describe a wine which plumbs the depth of the essence of perfectly ripe sweet blackberry and raspberries? The texture is almost too silky, the tannins subdued, the acid and oak well integrated, the alcohol almost invisible in the background. The feminine soft side of Château Margaux. I wish for a bit more grip though. At peak for sure and probably not for the very long term.

2/10/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

Lovely again, a bit less expressive than previous bottle, enjoyed by the novices.

2/6/2020 - sdr wrote:

Barry appreciated it for its decent finish. I enjoyed the very mature aroma for the first half hour until it faded. Medium weight and texture. The fruit has faded and it’s full on tertiary. True to the vintage the acidity is somewhat high but not obtrusive. Nothing to suggest Vosne to me. Another in a long run of disappointing Burgundies. They are always too young or too old.

1/7/2020 - sdr Likes this wine:

DP, DPR, DPO, DPP2 (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): Very pale, very delicate, very beautiful. Lilac aroma. No toast, no yeast, just crystalline expression of flowers. Beautiful balance, not too acidic and already a treat to drink.

1/28/2020 - sdr Likes this wine:

The ‘08 Cristal is arguably the best vintage of the 21st century for drinking today. Luxurious, ripe but not sweet, fruity and elegant. More complex and interesting than the others this century which remain surprisingly backward in Cristal terms. Plenty of room to grow and already delicious.

1/11/2020 - sdr Likes this wine:

Clearly in the modern style but not overdone, there’s plenty of dark cherry and berry fruit. A pretty wine. Easy to drink but not much Nebbiolo character.

10/26/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

Simply superb Margaux at it’s very peak. Gorgeous fragrance of sweet blackberry, cassis and clove. Perfect harmony of fruit, acid and tannin. Silky. Sensual and deeply satisfying. Stunning and exquisite. Great Bordeaux has no equal in the world of wine, at least to me. From a very top shoulder ullage bottle via WineBid.

9/6/2019 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Just slightly roasted. Concentrated. But inelegant for Bordeaux and a bit of horse. Not for me, others might like it better.

11/16/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

Apparently there’s quite a bit of bottle variation regarding the state of maturity of the ‘89 Lynch Bages. This one is fully mature, even late mature. There’s an alarming brown note on the rim when decanting but it quickly merged with the healthy maroon color of the center when it’s in the glass. Amazingly beautiful fragrance of mature Bordeaux with very complex notes of blackberry, graphite, mineral, smoke and tobacco - very Pauillac indeed. Medium to full weight, excellent intensity, long finish. I would rate it even higher except it faded quite a bit after a hour. But marvelous during that golden hour.

9/11/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

Sensational. Old Montrose must be the most unreliable wine of the Gironde. This bottle purchased 12 years ago from the same source as the previous mediocre one. Remarkable deep ruby color, like something from the eighties. You can tell its St. Estèphe heritage from the gravelly texture but the depth of black fruit, black licorice and cassis is astounding as it closes in on half a century. Tremendous depth and complexity. The core of fruit seems to be that of a great vintage such as nineteen sixty-one. Perfect acidity, no volatile acidity tonight. It must be better than Latour at this point. It’s hard to imagine a better Montrose in any vintage although ‘89/‘90 can also be superb and we will have to see how the 21st century versions evolve.

8/6/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

For some wines younger is better and this is one. Bright, clean, bold and fresh. The Roussane (40%) dominates the Chardonnay (44%), there’s plenty of that oily iodine note. The Petit Manseng (8%) and Viognier (8%) add to the exoticism. It’s a bit of a shock on first sip but after a while you get accustomed to it and grow to like it more. Still, it’s better as an occasional change of scenery than a daily tipple.

9/1/2018 - sdr Likes this wine:

Could the great ‘66 Latour be fading into the good night or is it just this bottle? From WineBid, it certainly looked excellent, sporting a top shoulder ullage and the cork was moist and firm, just as it should be. The color too was excellent. Vague unformed nose though, just barely detectable. Exceptionally soft in the mouth with no detectable tannins. The acidity was good but the finish was short. Not defective but not memorable.

5/28/2019 - sdr wrote:

Not bad but marginally disappointing for its price point among non-vintage champagnes ($191) and not as impressive as Giraud Code Noir in the past. It did improve over time and developed some interesting characteristics but I expected more.

1/13/2018 - sdr Likes this wine:

It seems mature to me, although still linear in the California Cult style. Excellent fruit, bold, somewhat oaky, tart. Very good with the strong flavored food at 3030 Ocean. Excellent to be sure, but not exciting.

3/1/1990 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Shy nose but a little sweet already. On the palate, rather light and short. Just okay.

2/1/1995 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Very dark, no sign of age. Unidimensional cedary nose. Strong on the attack. Too extracted. Very coarse bitter finish.

9/1/1989 - sdr Likes this wine:

From Burdine’s again. Deep red, no purple. Fresh very youthful nose of cedar and oak. Quite spicy. Plenty of tannin. Concentrated . Nicely balanced. A big Ducru with a long future.

4/14/2018 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Unfortunately this was a tired bottle well past its best despite good color for age. Just a hint of honeyed Sauvignon Blanc character.

8/12/2017 - sdr Does not like this wine:

Château Palmer Vertical: Thanks to DrinkBordeaux for adding this vintage of Palmer for the vertical since I don't have any and haven't tasted it in years, frightened by its mediocre reputation. If this bottle is representative, it is deserved. Shockingly austere and charmless for an '82, a vintage which has produced many voluptuous examples which have evolved very well. Even though our sample of the '83 was not pristine it was clear that the younger of the pair was more successful. The '82 seems unripe and even a touch green.

6/28/2017 - sdr Likes this wine:

Excellent mature Rieussec. Caramel, toast, bitter orange. Good acidity so not at all top heavy. A bit simple though.

4/12/2017 - sdr wrote:

Has the '90 Cristal faded or is it just this bottle? Modest mousse, shy bouquet, faint flavors of lemon pith and summer squash. No more peach or other orchard fruit. Correct but far from exciting.

2/11/2017 - sdr wrote:

This is decent Sauternes but very disappointing for Yquem. Orange peel, peach and lemon are enjoyable but where is the botrytis? Modest length, good acidity. Maybe just an off (half) bottle.

9/10/2016 - sdr Likes this wine:

Well, I do "like" it, but for what it should be, it's very disappointing. Inexcusably simple, citric although pleasant, decent, reasonable length - but eminently forgettable and far from the majesty a Chevalier Montrachet can and should display. Not oxidized or spoiled in any way, which would have been an excuse for its meager performance.

10/8/2016 - sdr Likes this wine:

This is a good wine. But it's at its best right after opening when it shows a burst of spicy Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. Then it settles down, losing exuberance and interest. An hour later it is exactly the same - fruity enough and juicy but very one dimensional. Not too tannic or hot, so good balance, but almost boring. Maybe it's just this bottle, I sure hope so.

2/15/2014 - sdr wrote:

Consistently excellent to outstanding, this bottle, purchased on release from The Chicago Wine Company, was not disappointing. Gorgeous, Burgundian-like aroma of soft red fruit, strawberry and red cherry. It's clear that this vintage of L'Evangile is at its peak. Medium full delicious fruity flavors backed by just the right amount of tannin and acidity for backbone. Consistently the 3rd best of '82 Pomerols (after Petrus and Lafleur), and that is saying a lot.

9/20/2014 - sdr wrote:

Opened by mistake at Cafe Maxx to start drinking wine instead the rosé I intended, so we didn't drink it.

2/25/2014 - sdr wrote:

This shows just how good a well made NV from a huge producer in half bottle can be. From the explosive mousse of tiny bubbles to the emphatic broad finish, this is nothing less than outstanding. Meaty and full yet not too heavy, yeasty or malty. Right now as good as it can be so no reason to wait.

3/31/2013 - ggj wrote:

Tight initially but really developed over a few hours. Classic and fantastic