Domaine Du Bel Air

Château Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

It’s been a couple years since I last enjoyed the 1996 and based off this experience, it’s continuing to age gracefully.

Double decanted the night before. The wine pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, kirsch, purple flowers, tobacco, dried herbs, green pepper, old wood and gravelly earthy. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and sanguine. So much soul, it could make Marvin Gaye blush. Drink now with patience (and a long decant) through 2041. Thanks for the assist
@Lyle Fass
— 5 months ago

Pooneet, Shay and 17 others liked this
Andrew Schirmer

Andrew Schirmer

🔥🔥🔥
Lyle Fass

Lyle Fass Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Great wine. So savory.

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Another great btl that improved with air showing mostly black fruits, full bodied with notes of currant, mocha, cedar, leather & tobacco — 6 months ago

Ira, Tom and 14 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014

Yes—exactly that kind of wine: timeless, composed, and quietly authoritative.

It smells so good on first pour. Damp pine forest floor and clean mountain air register immediately. Everything else unravels from there; but that initial pop-and-pour sniff is pure magic.

On the palate, blackcurrant, cedar, graphite, and dried herbs unfold with control, carried by freshness and finely etched tannins in a medium body.

So classic, so intellectual, and deeply mesmerizing. Drink now or age.
— 6 months ago

Ted, Sagee and 9 others liked this

Bel Ormeau

Les Hérits Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2018

Blend of Merlot (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (15%). Dark ruby color with a garnet rim. Aromas of dark berry fruit, violets, wood smoke and leather. Blackberry, black plum, black currant fruit flavors with a distinct note of dark chocolate. Hint of black pepper spice on the long and earthy finish. Chewy tannins and a big hit of acidity, which will probably tone down with more bottle age. Needs a bit more rest. Thanks for sharing, Keith S! — a year ago

Dave, Paul and 2 others liked this

Château Bel Air

Lussac-St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2020

Really nice St. Emilion satellite wine. After 30 min the palate is ripe with red and black fruit and vegetation. The tannic bite on the back end is soft and smooth. Great QPR — a year ago

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend

Held up well over the 21 years. Complex red and dark fruits, smoke, white pepper. A little Brett that eased with air and ended up adding to the complexity. — 5 years ago

Alice et Olivier De Moor

Bel Air et Clardy Chablis Chardonnay 2018

2020 spring / summer. Really nice - I hadn’t had any de Moor in a while but this was at least as good as I remembered. Honeyed and savory, lots of chalky minerals — 6 years ago

Château Bel Air

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

This one's 11 old and still has it. Nose on the downside, but it still has it. Amazing palate, full of smoke, wood, meat and tobacco. Lingers playfully, with a pinch of acidity in the aftertaste. — 5 months ago

Damien Laureau

Le Bel Ouvrage Savennières Chenin Blanc 2001

JKT
9.2

Wow medium yellow and complex nutty earthy ripe orange spicy notes carrying through to bracing acidity and firm texture then long finish. No sign of oxidation from previous notes and giving it higher ratings. — 6 months ago

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1989

1989 vintage. Last tasted 3 years ago (9.6). Nice fill. Durand used to open. Cork 95% saturated with extensive bottle rim cleaning involved before pouring. Not decanted. Tight, minty nose throughout along with a decided, lingering zinc note under the tongue at the finish line. Tasted 2 hours after opening. Power but without delineation. Just a consistent, forgettable push. Nothing wrong with the wine...it just needed more air/time and a decant but it wasn't my call. Feel like the zinc flavor would have dissipated/blown off with more time. Good but more memorable for what it wasn't vs what it was. Pity and an entire wasting of what could have been. 11.21.25. — 7 months ago

Tom, Paul and 16 others liked this
Pinotman /// Andreas

Pinotman /// Andreas

Very interesting and diplomatic note.
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Pinotman /// Andreas Had to bite my tongue.

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2019

Last had this vintage a couple years ago. These obviously have a long life ahead of them. With some nice air, this does open up. Wonderful dark fruit and earth aromas. Tannins are quite present and a bit bitter (not in a bad way at all). Excellent acid on the finish. Delicious pairing with kinderhook pork chops with tutto porchetta seasoning. — a year ago

Dave, Lyle and 13 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Sounds wonderful!

Domaine François Raveneau

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2013

MDT side by side I’ve always wanted to do! 😍

François Raveneau “Montée de Tonnerre” 2013- Now for Raveneau’s MDT where the Domaine has always particularly excelled. Similarly floral and elegant in its bouquet, it is more powerful than the Dauvissat, and there is additional emphasis on its freshness, salinity and crushed oyster shell minerality. The palate shows excellent depth, texture and waxy yellow fruit that’s driven home by a racy citrus inflicted acidity that leads to its long and vibrant finish.

This was a much closer “race” than I anticipated, and only a slight overall edge goes to Raveneau for its power, vibrancy, depth and texture. The Dauvissat is more open, requiring less time to show all that it can be, but that wasn’t a surprise so the Raveneau was given a bit more air. The Dauvissat may even be a bit more complex at this stage in its life but the Raveneau seemingly will be longer lived. (Although still an early drinking vintage especially by Raveneau standards). Most importantly it was a great side by side that I hope to do again! 🙌🏻
— 5 years ago

Andrew, Charles and 8 others liked this
Charles York

Charles York

I love this idea. Gonna do it as well. Brilliant

Domaine Leflaive

Les Pucelles Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Chardonnay 2004

Medium lemon yellow , though within expectations for a 22 year old white Burgundy . Touches of smoky butter , lemon peel, red apple , ginger, chalky with wet stones and a touch of hazelnut . Complex , open and inviting on the nose , some development but still quite fresh and lively . On the palate this is intense with good grip , again showing the freshness from the nose , lemon peel , chalky , touch of white peach, sea breeze and lightly toasty finish . Long refreshing, mineral tinged finish . Perfect now , though benefits from air , becoming more mineral and focused with time and will continues to show well over the next 5 -8 years , maybe longer . — 5 months ago

Tom, Shay and 9 others liked this

Goedhart Family

Bel' Villa Syrah 2020

Inky in color with short purple rim.

Strong nose of black currants, plums, oak, tar, licorice, spices, charcoal and light blood notes.

Full-bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, dark chocolates, oak, spices, licorice, tobacco and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Syrah from Red Mountain in Washington State. Rich and extracted, yet not in your face kind of wine.

This Single Vineyard Syrah is well balanced with nice complexity. Fruit forward and spicy.

I had the 2022 not too long ago, and it definitely gets better with age. Will continue to age nicely in the next 7 years.

Good by itself as a sipping wine. A New world Syrah on the nose and palate.

100% Syrah grapes were aged for 18 months in 50% new oak barrels. 80% french and 20% American oak barrels. A small production of only 3,000 bottles. Unfiltered.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$40.
— 7 months ago

Andrew, Sagee and 6 others liked this

Château Bel-Air Lagrave

Cru Bourgeois Moulis en Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

JKT
9.0

Balance and soft textures thirty years! Say ten years after acquiring from JR whose email says matriarch passing freed up this library holding back then. — 8 months ago

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1998

Last bottle. Time to drink is now, don’t think this will improve from here. Needed a bit of air to come together, but overall remained somewhat muted. — a year ago

Ira liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2003

Served alongside beef short rib, xo sauce, pickled mustard seed, cumin stir-fried asparagus. Yes, the 2003 Dominus is big. However, it is also balanced and showing classic Napa typicity with beautifully ripe and some slightly wizened black and red fruit, tobacco, cocoa, some purple flowers and baking spices. I found this to be quite balanced after all the air it saw. Wonderful structure for continued aging as well. Drink now through 2043. — 2 years ago

Ira, Jan and 18 others liked this

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé

Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Musigny Grand Cru Pinot Noir 1990

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny. Nose is closed and not yielding much. I get cranberries, some cherries, iron and stones, some wood. Has a high pitched character to it. Has some pucker in it yet. Tight with ample acidity. I guess 97 Vogue Bonnes Mares. In my experience this wine has had some variations in its performance. Today it was better than most, but suffered by not getting ample air before it was served. — 6 years ago

Martin, Tom and 20 others liked this
Alan Weinberg

Alan Weinberg

too Cabernet-like. Not a fan past 30 years.
Mike Saviage

Mike Saviage Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Alan Weinberg Try the 98... Their harvest was well timed that year and the juice is great