| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
1990 Château Grand-Puy-LacostePauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more |
1/14/2012 - ucbeau wrote: 95 pointsTasted this over dinner with a good friend of ours. No decant, a pop 'n pour, not that it mattered. The bouquet is gorgeous, loaded with graphite, cedar, dried black cherry, herbs, and cassis. Despite its age, there is a sense of life and vitality, perhaps an indication of superior quality? It's not often I get to taste Bordeaux that have two decades of experience to them, and perhaps that played into my views on this wine, but it's magnificent. I could taste so many flavors, ranging from cassis, dark dusty notes, dried herbs, tart black cherry, hints of cedar and smoke, and an outstanding mix of black plum and raspberry. The integration was outstanding and the tannic framework, though firm, belied a certain grace. Texture consisted of a single word for me: silk. An amazing wine, one of the best I've tried in the past year or so. |
| Red |
2000 Bodegas Julián Chivite Navarra Señorío de ArinzanoRed Blend more |
9/13/2012 - ucbeau wrote: 95 pointsDecanted for about 45 minutes before we drank it. The nose was somewhat muted, however, I suspect this was in part due to the poor stemless-ware. That said, there was some wonderful leather and herbal aromas that mixed with cassis and black cherries. On the palate it had amazing dept and concentration, showing dark fruit, leather, mocha, and earthy components. I loved the balance, with some firm tannin providing nearly pitch-perfect structure to rein in the fruit. All the elements for an outstanding wine are here, and it's drinking beautifully right now. |
| White - Sparkling |
1999 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom PérignonChampagne Blend more |
12/31/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 94 pointsMy Champagne of the year for 2014. Gorgeous power and density, refined structure. It's still young but there's so much going on, carried on a wave of acidity and oak that balances the ripeness perfectly. |
| Red |
1989 Château Lynch-BagesPauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more |
12/2/2014 - ucbeau wrote: 94 pointsOpened a few hours prior to serving. Poured a deep, dark red with some aging at the rim. Beautiful nose of saddle leather, garrigue, subtle oak spice, and fruit leather. Amazing aromas wafted out of the glass. With air, some dark soil and licorice also emerged. On the palate it's rich and mouth-coating while still retaining perfectly integrated tannins. Similar notes to the bouquet come out, with a gorgeous black cherry and mocha thing at center stage. Good minerality and hints of blackberry, fennel, and hoisin also come in to play especially on the finish. A marvelous wine that seems to be in a wonderful place right now. |
| White - Sparkling |
2004 Dom Pérignon ChampagneChampagne Blend more |
8/13/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 94 pointsBig and young, needs a while to settle down. Tons of power and extract, tons of acidity. All the pieces are there for a stunning bottle though, in another decade or two. |
| White - Sparkling |
NV Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Le Mont BenoitChampagne Blend more |
12/31/2012 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 94 pointsPopped and poured on New Years Eve. The bouquet is complex and delicate, revealing aromas of pear, green apple, white flower, wet limestone, and some subtle brioche notes. Everything is in perfect balance. As you sip, the crisp, uplifting acidity brings a wave of flavors including honeycrisp apple, pear, quince, wet rock, lime zest, and a hint of butter pie crust. There is a lot of acidity in this wine but it works harmoniously to meld all the flavors into a pure, expressive tapestry. One of the best Champagnes I've tasted. |
| Red |
1983 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches RougePinot Noir more |
12/6/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 94 pointsIncredibly alive and kicking. There was a lot of acidity and tannins hanging out through the mid-palate, and bright red fruit for the duration. It started to fade a little bit after about an hour. This was popped and poured, no decant. Cork was in incredibly good condition. |
| White - Sweet/Dessert |
NV Alvear Montilla-Moriles Solera Abuelo Diego 27Pedro Ximénez more |
11/29/2011 - ucbeau wrote: 94 pointsBrilliant aromas of ripe fig, candied orange peel, burnt caramel, and exotic spice. I was impressed by the intense sweet raisin and date notes that were balanced out by the candied orange peel acidity. Absolutely sublime, drinking almost perfectly right now but still has a few years before it's peak. |
| Red |
1979 Amity Vineyards Pinot NoirOregon more |
1/17/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 94 pointsPoppped and poured. Beautiful light ruby color. Incredible aromatics of cranberry and strawberry, forest floor, white pepper, and wild raspberry. I couldn't believe how concentrated and deep the bouquet on this wine was, definitely didn't seem like it was from the 70's. On the palate it tasted almost as impressive as it smelled. Lots of rich, ripe strawberry/raspberry, ground pepper, with hints of savory notes and a bit of Oregon funk. Surprisingly there was still plenty of acidity and nicely integrated tannins too. The finish lasted a good 30 seconds, tapering off beautifully. One of the best Oregon pinot noirs I've ever tasted. |
| Red |
2008 A Tribute to Grace Wine Company Grenache Santa Barbara Highlands VineyardSanta Barbara County more |
7/23/2011 - ucbeau wrote: 93 pointsBeautiful ruby-red color, reminds me of a classic clairet. The bouquet is reminiscent of cherry cola and ripe strawberries mixed with the barest hint of baking spice. Great acidity gives the wine a lightness while the ripe fruit and green stemmy flavors create a subtle balance. Definitely not a typical California grenache. Finishes a touch short but that finish is so clean and cleansing that it's not really a negative. Most impressive were the bright red cherry and rhubarb flavors, punctuated by baking spice. Amazing wine. |
| White |
2002 Cave de Chante-Perdrix CondrieuViognier more |
6/29/2012 - ucbeau wrote: 93 pointsChilled for an hour or two then opened. Pours a pale gold, with a beautiful shimmer in the glass. The nose is fascinating, and although my notes make the wine sound bad, it really was a wonderful experience. Aromas of savory smoked fish, peaches, floral tones, and white peppercorns dominated at first. Other tasters said "cesar salad", referencing the dried, salted fish on that classic salad. Someone else said sauerkraut, a testament to the savory aromas. As the wine warmed up, more fruit and perfume came out, further enhancing the balance. Perhaps one of the most interesting white wines I've ever smelled. On the palate it was full of flavor, with rich peach/stone fruit overlaid by clay-like minerality and vibrant acidity. White pepper raced through the periphery of my palate and onwards through the finish, which lasted a solid minute. There's still a lot of life in the bottle but at ten years old, it's showing remarkable complexity and incredible balance. One of the best viognier's I've ever tasted. |
| White |
2012 Sandlands Chenin Blanc Amador Countymore |
1/27/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsIncredibly good. Perfect density, wonderful length and concentration, and balanced acidity. I didn't know what to expect but I was frankly blown away at how good this chenin blanc is. There's so much going on but it never feels busy or rushed, it just saunters along your palate doing as it pleases. There's minerality over there, some citrus and stone fruit wandering by right here, acidity weaving amongst everyone, and a tart, crisp finish to wrap the package up. One of the best chenin blancs I've had. |
| Red |
1996 Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ChamponnetsPinot Noir more |
8/27/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsBlood, iron, red plum, dusty soil on the nose. Smells incredible. Super smooth on the palate with incredible balance. Red fruit, fruit leather, with great acidity. Seems in a perfect place right now. |
| White |
2007 Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les PreusesChardonnay more |
4/13/2012 - ucbeau wrote: 93 pointsPours a gorgeous, honey-straw color in the glass. The bouquet is exceptionally complex, full of wet rocks, citrus peel, honeysuckle, golden apple, and Bartlett pear. The way each of these aromas integrate so beautifully was amazing. Despite the wine's youth, there's such a pleasing sense of completeness to the bouquet. On the palate, lithe acidity creates a light but intense texture complemented by the stony mineral notes, hints of tangerine and under-ripe peach, pears, and that beautiful floral perfume. Again the completeness left me marveling at how wonderful this Chablis is. There's such a great integration of each flavor, creating a complexity that shows the terroir of a Grand Cru vineyard. One of the best Chablis' I've ever tasted. |
| Red |
2008 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos VougeotClos Vougeot Grand Cru Pinot Noir more |
12/16/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsDrank over the course of about four hours. Quick taste upon opening showed big, bright red fruit, light oak, baking spice, and white pepper notes. With air it gained complexity and weight, and continued to improve. The tannins are still quite young and firm but they serve to hold back the exuberant fruit. There's remarkable depth and complexity here, both on the nose and palate. All who tasted it marveled at the lengthy finish, perhaps 40 seconds or more. Towards the end of the night, it still had opulent, rich fruit whilst finding a lovely sense of balance. |
| White |
2013 Maison Dampt Chablis Grand Cru Les ClosChardonnay more |
4/25/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsChilled about 1 hour prior to serving. Opened and poured, left to sit in glasses for about 15 minutes. Tasted several times as it warmed up. |
| Red |
2008 Johan Vineyards Pinot Noir Nils ReserveWillamette Valley more |
11/16/2017 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsOpened a few hours prior to serving, tasted over the course of about three hours. Pours a glorious light garnet. The nose is a mix of earthy pepper and baking spice, forest floor, and red berry fruit. It's all integrated in a fantastically complete package. On the palate it's even better, as the acidity is just about perfectly integrated at this stage. The wine is deep and soulful, with so many layers weaving in and out across the palate. Just ridiculously good stuff. |
| Red - Fortified |
2011 Dow Porto VintagePort Blend more |
12/7/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsDrank from 375ml. Opened a few minutes prior to serving, then re-tasted over the course of 3 hours. Utterly fantastic juice. Dark, dense, concentrated notes of fig, blackberry, blueberry, tar, oak, and dark chocolate all come out of the glass. Rich and mouth-coating, this also belies incredible finesse and complexity for such a young wine. Firm tannins work to reign in the intensely ripe fruit but never seem overwhelming or harsh. The finish has a beautifully gentle taper to it that I could see getting even better with age. |
| White - Off-dry |
1994 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling AusleseMosel Saar Ruwer more |
12/31/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsStunningly good riesling. Incredible purity and finesse, with candied citrus, hints of green grass, petrol, and orchard fruit. Wet rock dominated the palate at first before giving way to the sweet fruit and tart acidity. While it's still somewhat young, I think this is nearly at peak. |
| White |
2012 Laurent Habrard Hermitage BlancWhite Rhone Blend more |
4/30/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsOpened about an before serving. Bright acidity, pears, beeswax, peach blossom, pure minerality. So impressive. Rich yet balanced. Oily but at once clean and pure. Marsanne really expresses itself till the finish, when a singular 1% roussanne shows itself. Still super young, it should be magnificent in a decade or two. |
| White - Sparkling |
2005 Domaine Carneros Le RêveChampagne Blend more |
4/23/2012 - ucbeau wrote: 93 pointsBeautiful aromas of lemon pith, brioche, red apple, and wet gravel-like minerality. Outstanding mousse, very rich. On the palate it's creamy and smooth, yet carries a crisp light weight. Flavors of cake frosting, golden apple, spiced lemon slices, and a yeasty richness are all nicely integrated. The complexity is astounding, with so many flavors emerging from the froth of bubbles that if you blink, you might miss one ortwo. One of the best California sparkling wines you can buy, period. |
| Red |
1978 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private ReserveNapa Valley more |
1/30/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsOpened about 1 hour prior to serving. Amazing freshness and vitality. Still-firm tannins, good acidity, and a fine balance between ripeness and age. This stayed in a great place all night, with ample concentration and excellent length on the palate. I think it could even go several more years. |
| Red |
1988 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La ChapelleSyrah more |
4/4/2013 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 pointsOpened with aromas of roasted meat and nuts, garrigue, dried black plum and cherry. As it developed, a beautiful leathery note presented itself, mixing with loamy soil and peppercorn. The finish was lengthy and gentle, but still retained enough acidity to stay clean. As the wine evolved in my glass, it actually became a bit riper in fruit but the ever-present leather and soil notes were great foils. |
| Red |
1990 Domaine Loïs Dufouleur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs PimontPinot Noir more |
7/12/2012 - ucbeau wrote: 93 pointsDecanted approx 30 minutes. Gorgeous aromas of spice, cherry, and dried cranberry. Subtle secondary aromas of leather and dusty earth. Fully integrated tannins provided very nice levels of grip and texture. This bottle was fully "opened" at about an hour in. On the palate, a beautiful mixture of cherry and dusty minerality were most prevalent, creating a lush, smooth mouthfeel. I was impressed with how balanced the flavors were, and how intense they remained, at almost 22 years of age. A memorable bottle. |
| Red |
1995 Joël Taluau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles VignesCabernet Franc more |
4/4/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 92 pointsOpened approximately 2 hours before tasting. The nose shows plums, green pepper, angry cherries, and all sorts of baking spice. The mouthfeel is crazy cool, with notes of fruit leather, green pepper, iron-y mineral tones, and wildly expressive jalapeno/spices. Drinking at its peak, I think this is an incredible Loire wine. |
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- Tasting notes: 925 notes on 818 wines
