4/27/2024 - asiabear Likes this wine:

Dinner in Yorkshire with JD. Lovely nose and just about perfectly mature at this point.

4/28/2024 - asiabear wrote:

Yorkshire lunch with JD. At least partially corked. Old claret leathery with little nose. It is impossible to know if it is gone or just a specific bad bottle.

4/28/2024 - asiabear Likes this wine:

At lunch with JD in Yorkshire Inky deep purple with lots of black currant fruit and a fair mouthful of tannin making for a chewy experience. I think this will continue to develop though the cork was bad as I have experienced with other early Arietta bottling so there could be issues with individual bottles.

12/6/2023 - asiabear wrote:

At Blanco’s for Pearl Harbor Day Lunch. served with cheese. Not decanted. Decent nose and color but not overly aromatic. In the mouth it was adequate but without the warmth or spice I was hoping for.

12/6/2023 - asiabear wrote:

At Blanco’s for Pearl Harbor Day Lunch - sweet on the nose very handsome in the glass— deep garnet with legs. I thought it a tad short with strong hint of cherries. Drinking well now -/ unlikely to get better

11/17/2023 - asiabear Likes this wine:

Lemony, vanilla notes— really delightful.

6/13/2023 - asiabear wrote:

Two bottles at lunch with JHSD and Noel on the Terrace at the Turf on a beautiful summer day.

This took some time to open but the color is rich and the nose is still strong. Lovely jammy and somewhat smoky on the palate. Slightly short but really a classic well-aged old-school claret. I would guess that it needs drinking up now and whilst it will keep going, it is on the downslope.

11/12/2023 - asiabear wrote:

With dinner. Very pale but extremely rich on the palate. Should develop with time.

6/16/2023 - asiabear wrote:

At GST Tasting Lunch from a case purchased at Sotheby’s London Jan 2023. This is beautiful restrained California cab of an old style one hardly sees these days. It is restrained and balanced and pairs brilliantly with food. It won’t knock your socks off but is an elegant wine reminiscent of old claret.

6/17/2023 - asiabear wrote:

At GST Tasting Lunch from JdP’s cellar. Lovely dark yellow color with a pronounced nose of apricot and lemon. Unctuous and almost syrupy on the palate. A really delightful accompaniment to my salad of heirloom tomatoes.

5/6/2022 - asiabear Likes this wine:

At lunch at Oswald’s with the Big Man who is up 106% YTD. Deep rich garnet with a hint of must in the nose that quickly vanished. Absolutely stunning deep Cab very long and well-balanced. Just about as good as old claret can be. Started with the Bollinger 2012 Rose to clear the palate.

3/12/2022 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted with cheese last night at JD’s after the 1989 Ch. Montrose. Deep red color with a berry-like nose. This legendary wine is now on the downslope. It is still “good old claret” but it has lost the punch that it once had that led me to call it one of the greatest clarets I had ever tasted, along with the ‘70 Mouton and the ‘66 Latour. Lovely with cheese but really needs more fruit as it once displayed in its prime.

3/12/2022 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted at JD’s last night with lamb chops. Stood up at midday and decanted for about an hour and a half. The cork was troublesome but eventually came out. Deep garnet color and slightly brown at the edge with just a hint of nose left. This is fine old-school “old” claret. It will go a few more years but not many. Surprisingly vigorous in the glass— it lasted all evening until we moved on to the Palmer ‘83 with the cheese.

1/17/2022 - asiabear wrote:

Opened for a birthday dinner (Beef Wellington). Decanted it as the cork was completely rotten and let it rest for 45 minutes. Color was slightly on the brown side. Decent though not overwhelming nose. This tasted like a perfectly nice old claret— soft and warm and very good with food. It does not feel like it has either fruit nor the tannin to improve from here and I think it should be drunk up.

7/8/2019 - asiabear Likes this wine:

At lunch Chez Monsieur, Madeline, Paris with SA and FA
Light nose but good fruit and an excellent presentation of Chardonnay without being over the top or over-oaked

5/20/2019 - asiabear wrote:

A well-balanced mature Burgundy with hints of spice and currants. It probably won’t improve much from here but is excellent with cheese or other food.

1/23/2014 - asiabear wrote:

At dinner at Swan Walk. Good deep color and good finish but seemed unremarkable after the '89 Angelus that preceded it. Probably was too warm as it came from the upper cupboard in the kitchen.

1/22/2014 - asiabear Likes this wine:

At dinner at Swan Walk. Deep purple color with forward nose that opened over the course of an hour. Hints of peppermint--very strong-- at one point in the bouquet. Just about perfect now. It doesn't feel like it will improve much from here. Put the '89 Pichon that followed to shame.

11/7/2013 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted with lovely steak 5 Nov 2013. Good nose and balanced fruit a bit weak. Typical California Cab without being overbearing.

3/15/2013 - asiabear Likes this wine:

At Swan Walk. Dark red purple still closed tight nose but opened after about half hour. Tannic and very taut -- highly structured and lacking fullness and suppleness. Perfectly good older claret but I don't think there is enough fruit to survive the resolution of the tannins.

12/22/2012 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted at dinner at Bull & Bear. Good color rather tight nose hint of cherry, very rounded on palate but a tad short. Probably underrated by most because it is not a "powerful" wine.

1/9/2012 - asiabear wrote:

Fruity but weak nose good color. Short finish. Perfectly ok but slightly insipid.

12/13/2011 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted at Lunch at the Racquet Club with FAB and TB. Deep purple velvety color nose opened nicely. Lovely rich ripe bouquet and good finish.

11/4/2011 - asiabear wrote:

Decanted for three hours and this was still huge. Dark purple black jammy fruit nose but very closed strong but not harsh tannins good structure lots of fruit but still very tight even one day later. This wine probably needs ten years of bottle age but I think it will be worth the wait. This could be one of the very best California Cabs in many years.

10/9/2011 - asiabear Likes this wine:

I opened this and poured out a glass which seemed a bit tight. Recorked and stored overnight in the refrigerator. The next night it was absolutely wonderful-- golden color, rich nose, slightly vanilla on the palate and strong finish. This is just about as close to perfect as California Chardonnay can get and approaching the finesse of the very finest white Burgundies.

10/1/2011 - asiabear wrote:

Rich golden color but past it's prime.

5/3/2011 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted en magnum at dinner at Spago with JBR, BM, and Danish boys. Lovely color and opened right up in the glass. Sweet cassis-cherry notes and warm smooth finish. This wine is drinking perfectly right now, at least if it was bottled in a large format. Just slightly on the light side, otherwise close to the perfect embodiment of California zin!

4/10/2011 - asiabear wrote:

Nice nose, decent color. Perfectly fine everyday drinking wine but not extraordinary.

4/10/2011 - asiabear wrote:

En magnum. Opened and realized it should be decanted but instead left to breathe. Inky black. Strong notes of licorice and tar on an otherwise tight nose. With more aging this bottle might even go up a notch or two-- but really, who wants to wait. Better with food as really large and 14.1 % alc.

3/13/2011 - asiabear wrote:

Mediocre

2/11/2011 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted at lunch at a breakout session at the St. Regis in Deer Valley. Deep golden yellow color with a hint of green at the edge. Soft nose but a wonderful bouquet that opens on the palate into a very well-defined Chardonnay vanilla sensation with a good lingering finish. Very Chassagne-like in its overall balance and complexity. Highly recommended.

10/1/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Decanted and tasted with dinner at the Somerset. Lobster risotto, lamb chops with cilantro. A bright red, rich plummy wine that is still showing well with a good nose and a nice curranty feel on the palate. Well-balanced not as long as some wines but just about what one would want in classic aged claret. Probably not a lot of years left here-- drink up in the next few.

8/6/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Tasted en magnum with a steak dinner. Tight and a bit short, fruit OK but overall not as satisfying as one would have hoped. Perhaps it needs more bottle age but I think probably there just isn't enough body there.

4/17/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Strong color, well-balanced, nose still a little closed. Very good value for money.

4/7/2010 - asiabear wrote:

At lunch at White's in London with Guy. Great color and ok nose that opened nicely in the glass. With Lamb Cutlets and then following on with cheese. Slightly smoky nose, very berry on the palate and good finish. Good value though the most expensive wine on the list.

2/7/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Dark purple, almost Shiraz-like intensity of color. Good nose but still closed. Requires decanting or breathing for several hours I think. Jammy and slightly cocoa on the palate. Very good value for money. Perhaps even slightly better than 93 but requires a retaste.

2/6/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Light, pale color with a soft nose. Very light fruit and a little acidic. Perfectly decent but uninspiring. Rather like a second-rate Burgundy.

2/6/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Golden honey color. Flat nose, over-oaked, rather dull.

1/5/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Good color, weak nose. Well rounded but short. Not as much varietal sense as the Newton Unfiltered Merlot.

1/3/2010 - asiabear wrote:

Deep purple color and good nose well-balanced, classic Merlot taste. Not strongly tannic. Drink now - 2013 ?

10/16/2009 - asiabear wrote:

En magnum. The cover lot from Christie's King St. sale in 2004, purchased by LN for Fl. Gently as his birthday gift. At dinner at Barclay Rd -- braised beef cheeks with polenta. Decanted for half an hour, then poured. Very tight and limited nose, but it opened up in the glass after a half hour or so and developed a distinct sweetness and a bouqet of ripe raspberries. Surprisingly good I thought given the age and the reputation of that year in Bordeaux. I suspect the wine will last another ten years but probably isn't improving a lot as there was very little in the way of sediment and it did not seem to have much in the way of unresolved tannin. A very good if not fabulous old claret and a real treat.

11/12/2008 - asiabear wrote:

Good color very strong Shiraz nose, a little short.

12/10/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Pearl Harbo(u)r Day Lunch 2007 at Le Gavroche with CO, DF, JD, RC. Rich deep purple color and very good berry nose but not overwhelming. Slightly youthful(!) but still a sense that this is exactly what one wants an old claret to be like. Did not fade. My sense was that this wine could last another ten years or more easily, especially en magnum as it was here. Great great claret.

11/17/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Drank with dinner. Good crisp well-balanced but weak nose and short. This is perfectly fine for serving at a party perhaps but the price at $21 is not compelling enough in comparison with other much better bottles available for only a few dollars more.

10/16/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Inky purple with huge notes of ripe berries. Overwhelming taste of berries-- strawberries and raspberries mostly. Slightly out of balance still but this may resolve with time. Will leave for a day.

10/15/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Tinge of brown around the edges, weak nose, very closed. slightly unbalanced and a short finish.

10/10/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Drank at dinner at Alto, NY with Adam. Greenish hue, though difficult to see because of the light in the restaurant was an odd color itself. Light nose, crisp, citrus notes and short finish. Interesting to see what they are able to do in Sicily with white now but this is never going to win a lot of prizes.

10/14/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Drank at dinner at Alto, NY with Adam. Good deep color. Weak nose and slightly oily (?). Reasonable on the palate but extremely hot and a bit short. Most direct sensation was "taste of the south".

6/26/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Dinner at Enoteca Turi, London with HS and ABM.
Deep purple with an exquisite nose that opened more over the course of the meal. Chewy, slightly dry Barbaresco with long finish. Excellent with pasta and only improved during the evening. Worth the price (about GBP 80 as I remember).

10/7/2007 - asiabear wrote:

Good color, weak nose. Good fruit, very forward, slightly unbalanced and a bit tannic. Opened a bit over two hours.