Incredible Steaks & The Immaculate Cellar

Tampa, FL
Tasted Sunday, April 26, 2015 by RockinCabs with 282 views

Introduction

Thank you Nate for getting married on the gulf coast of Florida this weekend and making this trip possible.

I have said it before, and will say it again, if you love old wines just get on a plane and head down here. Treat the place with the respect that is deserves and you will be rewarded with exceptional service and some of the finest wines you could ever dream to drink. No, I have not taken any shots of the list. However, if you are willing to spend some money on a singular experience to gain perspective on older wines from any region... this is the place.

Since my last trip a number of my favorites have sold out, but fortunately the cellar master uncovers new gems all the time.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 1923 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Nose: Cranberry, Raisin, Chocolate, Cigar, Cedar, Tobacco Palate: High acidity on entry, but that is the vintage character of 23. Strawberry, gravel, sweet tobacco and sweet tarts. Such a nice melange of wood and older fruit with a slightly maderized patina. Finish: Slightly sharp, but rounded out with air.

    This low-shoulder bottle would have been DOA out of any other cellar, but showed gorgeously from the 48 degree cellar of Berns.

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  • 1947 Château Duhart-Milon 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Nose: Ripe tomato, green pepper, cassis, sweet tobacco, pencil shavings and some nice earthy garden notes. Palate: Dense and saturated with Blackberry, V8 juice, cassis, blackberry, mint and pipe tobacco. The vegetal/minty layer was fairly constant with more berry notes, chocolate and tobacco coming through at various times. Finish: Long and dense. The feel was really nice with classic pauillac tones of black fruit and pencil/tobacco notes.

    Another gem, and last of wine, from Bern's celllar. Honestly you had to be into the vegetable garden notes in this wine, but for me it was so reminiscent of the farms around the medoc that it really connected to the terroir. Elegance of lafite was in there, but there was a more rustic overtone. lovely.

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  • 1961 Château Brane-Cantenac 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Nose: a perfumed melange of blackberry, blueberry, violets and smoke. Palate: Elegant and suave, all silk across the palate. Sweet cherry fruit, sexy tobacco notes and tons of florals. Layered and nuanced, hitting various combinations of these flavor profiles. Finish: Penetrating with Cherry, Tobacco and White Flowers. Unreal on the finish.

    Take 83 Palmer, advance it a few decades and make the palate catch up to the nose. This had all of that and more. High neck fill on a 61 from 375 ... nope this does not happen every day, but god is it good!

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