By Bell Wine Cellars

Bell Hill Vineyards

Canterbury Pinot Noir 2020

Pronounced nose of red fruits. Rose, strawberry, crush granite, black tea. Interesting pomegranate flavor on the palate. Beautifully balanced wine. Long finish.  — a month ago

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

1989 vintage. WOTD! Funky, old grandparents nose for a spell, then blew off. Still a bit of the feminine (blueberries, raspberries, cocoa powder) characteristics evident. Better than the last bottle tasted (4.4.23 a 9.4) but not as good as another fairly recently (12.9.22 a 9.6). Still pretty damned delicious and still at the top of the bell curve for another half-decade or so. Hit. It. Now. Ain’t getting better. 5.5.23. — 3 years ago

Jan, Bob and 14 others liked this
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Very nice!

Seavey Vineyard

Caravina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Opened to celebrate my son’s 15th birthday and poured alongside the 2006 Eagle’s Trace “Latitude 38”. The 2006 Seavey Caravina pours a deep garnet color with a completely opaque core. No obvious signs of age in the glass. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, medium+ intensity, with strong pipe tobacco notes, currants, black cherry, figs, some green bell pepper and leather. On the palate dark fruits dominate with black cherry, black currants and blackberries. The tobacco and leather is also there accompanied by semi-sweet baking chocolate, baking spice and some anise. The wine finishes dry with medium tannins, most of which are well integrated at this point. Medium+ acid. Medium plus alcohol. The finish is long. Another very lovely vintage of Caravina, aging gracefully.
— 4 years ago

Arden, Brian and 14 others liked this

Clos Rougeard

Les Poyeux Saumur Champigny Cabernet Franc 2016

Outrageously haunting, complex, and undergoes an infinite development over hours showing great mineral structure, strawberry and cranberry fruit, currant, olive tapenade, bell pepper, garrigue, graphite, and a ton of soul. Not just a wine, but a semiotic wound. — 7 months ago

Ira liked this

Medlock Ames

Bell Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Above average Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc. Rich, mild citrus flavor. Paired very well with shrimp. — 3 years ago

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

2005 vintage. From magnum. Open 3.5 hours. Top of the bell curve but years to go at that summit. Great, aged Bordeaux nose of leather, brick, earth and dried cherry. Medium body. All that along for the ride with some big cigar/tobacco notes on the expectedly lengthy finish. This will hold steady in this fantastic phase for at least a half-decade. — 4 years ago

Severn, Shay and 21 others liked this
Brent Young

Brent Young Premium Badge

Very nice 👍 @Scott Rose

Bell Wine Cellars

Sierra Foothills Syrah 2017

Structured dark fruit. Love it. 2017 vintage — 5 years ago

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

Opened around 8pm the evening prior, double decanted and left in room temperature until service on Friday evening. In total, this was opened 24hours before service. The 1995 pours a beautiful garnet with transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate stating of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with surprisingly boozy dark fruit. Brambles, cassis, bell pepper, licorice, spearmint and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long with great acidity. Overall, remarkably youthful. While it’s certainly ready to go, it will likely continue some positive evolution over the next couple of decades. Drink now with a long decant through 2045. — a year ago

Jan, Douglas and 15 others liked this

Domaine de Pallus

Les Pensées de Pallus Chinon Cabernet Franc 2016

KD
9.0

Medium dark purple ruby. Cranberry, ligonberry, red cherry and blackberry on the nose with some bell pepper, smoke and tobacco. Medium body, acidity and tannins with chalky minerality and delicate notes of cherry, cranberry with pepper, smoke and discrete oak. Black licorice on the medium long finish. The nose is more intense than the palate which leads to a smooth, easy drinking wine. Coravined. — 4 years ago

Romain liked this

Domaine Guiberteau

Saumur Cabernet Franc 2019

Sweaty dried red fruit tobacco and bell pepper — 4 years ago

Blake, Jonathan and 3 others liked this