1/11/2023 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

This is going to be great. Legendary. Way too young right now. Dried cherry is showing is spades and the orange peel is non-existent. Betting that will show in another 20 years.

Bit of sweet oak, light smoke and tobacco. Cool and dry, classic fall leaves with old earth notes.

Reminds me of the ‘64, but with better structure.

10/25/2022 - morpheusrising wrote:

n/a

2/6/2022 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Very classic Bordeaux. MIGHT be aging a little early as it was already showing a lot of leather, although there is still a lot of fruit going on. Nice layer of forest floor holding it together. Tannins were on the softer side, not a lot of grip, but the structure was good with a medium to medium+ level of acid. My gut says it’s on a plateau (a nice one) and that it will hold for quite a while before further developing. Nose was VERY dirty with just a hint of fruit, mostly bright cherry.

12/13/2021 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Classic Barolo style, which means overly tight and high acid in its youth. Not even close to ready to drink. 2016 might be a long-aging year, so maybe look at this again in 2040 or thereabouts.

12/13/2021 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Really large right now, but should play out well. Leave it for at least another 10 years before trying again.

8/4/2021 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Excellent Brunello, like most of 2016. Fleshing out a at a young stage but show signs of life for a while long due to a nice balance of acid and tannin. I don’t believe this will be a long drinker, but the next 5-10 years should be very rewarding.

Tasted first time with mom’s lasagne, perfect pairing if ever there was one… does anything NOT pair with her lasagne?

6/14/2021 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Best bottle yet!

6/22/2020 - morpheusrising wrote:

Down rating this for the time being as it just didn’t seem ‘right’ to me. It may be going into or coming out of a sleep stage. Wine was potent (maybe too much so) but the finish was abrupt and very pithy to the point of being unpleasant. I was in the minority however as all others found it wonderful. Perhaps it’s just not to my pallet any longer, or maybe it just needs more time to mature. I’m hoping for the later.

6/7/2020 - morpheusrising Does not like this wine:

Well, it’s wine. The promise of the nose was completely lost within a few minutes as it turned to tar and fruit syrup. The wrong kind of unctuous and sweet. There were not signs that this was a bad bottle, just that it must have been much better some years ago. I’ve had quite a few disappointing Caymus experiences with aging now and I’d say this experiment is over.

5/18/2020 - morpheusrising wrote:

Honestly pretty boring. Just old world trying to be new world. Well done and still holding, in fact it needs more time, but just not worth the $$$.

5/8/2020 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

This really turned out well. Surprising given my personal tendency away from Shiraz at this point. However, these early 'aughts' shiraz are all starting to come into their own.

Hedonistic to be sure, but nice nose of big dark fruit, motor oil, dusty dirt, and spice.

Palette is much the same, but not nearly as big as the nose predicted. The flavors are almost a little subdued and that made for very pleasant experience alongside a great burger. There's enough oomph here to cut into a heavy dish but so much as to chew your food for you. Blackberry, Black Cherry, leather, tar, tobacco, and a nice dash of spice box.

Very happy we held onto these and did not dump them back in the day!

4/15/2020 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

As before, but going to sleep... not sure how this will developed. Hopefully well!

1/27/2020 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Better than expected.

Nose is still immensely motor shop with not a lot of anything else. A bit of cassis and that’s about it. However...

Palate was rock solid. Still fruit forward but a lot of elegance is starting to come through and a nice earthy floor is being built under all that bigness. Dark fruit, primarily blackberry with a bit of blue. Some dark cherry. Leather, tar, and sweet cedar and tobacco.

Very happy, and it appears that perhaps these are actually age worthy!

1/15/2020 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Sorry this was the last bottle, continued to evolve and gain complexity. Developed a really nice funk along with previous notes. Really one of the only Malbec’s I’ve ever liked enough to comment on.

1/12/2020 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Too young, needs 5-10 more years.

1/5/2020 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Better after a few more weeks of settling. Good fill level, mid-neck below cork.

12/24/2019 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Disgorged in 2016, 26 years on the leas.
Color is deep golden with a slightly green hue, but not going to copper just yet, with a clear and clean edge. Tight and slow bubble that persisted through the hours of consumption. In excellent condition and shows signs of lasting a lot longer.
Very toasting nose with brioche and white flowers in dirt.
Palate is oily, very nice, and the late disgorgement really shows here. Nice overlay of bright citrus; lemon curd and mandarin orange. Very zesty with a nice spiced finish.

12/5/2019 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Tried again over several days, really came around on day 4. Perhaps this has more time than I thought.

10/11/2019 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Eminently by drinkable now, as opposed to a lot of other vintages which need more time. Complex notes of sherry, orange citrus, honey, apricot, basil, leather and a bit of oak. Really great and should age well, if perhaps not as long as the ‘08 or ‘00.

6/11/2019 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Drinking well, but needs some time. The secondary acidic and lemon notes coming on a bit strong right now as it finds it's balance.

Nose of white flowers, fresh mineral, and roasted olive oil. Palate is clean and full of nice 'southern' fruit; white peach, nectarine, pear, and lemon-apple. Really wonderful and developed, if not fully matured. Bit of brioche and creme brûlée that I would expect to ripen over time.

6/9/2019 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

From magnum, drinking well now after 2 hours decanting. Has time.

Classic notes; leather, dried cherry, bit of tobacco. Fruit is still available, but not over done. Bright cherry and a bit of blackberry.

Classic nose, but with a little vanilla along with the dried orange peel, light floral notes.

5/11/2019 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Continuing to improve. Drinking great. Small bubble, deep gold color. Wonderful balance of acidity, cream, and light fruit.

4/22/2019 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

First sight was a dark, caramel colored, unctuous liquid. Really thought it had oxidized. However, the nose was perfect - floral, honey, toasted brown sugar, and a touch of petrol.

Palate was wonderful as well. There’s still a bit of acid holding this together, but it’s certainly peaking now. Honey, white flowers, a bit of citrus rind to finish it off. Light notes of peach, apricot, and a touch of melon.

Really glad we pulled this, it’s not getting any better than now!

11/14/2018 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Excellent. Bit of sherry in the color and on pallet. Need to drink another soon to decide if this is aging early or it was bottle variation. All the notes were correct, but felt like a wine that was 15 years older.

7/20/2018 - morpheusrising wrote:

Well structured, but too young to drink quite yet. Full on Blackberry fruit on the nose. The other elements have settled and started to knit well together, but the forward nose and flavors need a bit of time.

2/22/2018 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Continuing to get better. I first thought this would not last many more years, but that was way off. Now that it has settled in for an extra year of age, it’s showing even better, but is also more restrained energy than before. Like a coiled spring begging to be released! Over a few hours, continued to develop in-glass to a marvelous degree... too bad we ran out! Can’t wait to try this again in a few more years.

2/17/2018 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Really great but needs time. Won’t open another for at least 5 years.

Lots of herbaciousness on the nose and pallet. Good balance of honey and acid combined with a nice medium-rich mouthfeel. Honeydew, and a bit of pineapple as well.

12/24/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Very good from a mediocre vintage. Gold Kapsel edition, but off-dry. The other Haubs I’ve had from this vintage (white and green) have been very heavy on the petrol but this was much more balanced. One can really see the benefits of the selection of ‘gold’ fruit.

Nose of light petrol and honeyed white fruit, mostly white flowers and pear. Palette of slight honey-pear and lemon with some green apple tossed in for balance. Acid is starting to fade and this feel ready to drink. Really lovely.

12/24/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

At WS dinner. Paired with short rib Ragu. Splendid!

Steely and younger than expected for the vintage. Well balanced fruit and a nice bit of acid. Could really have gone another 5 - 10 years before drinking. Lots of blackberry, turf, and a nice herbal aspect. Color is dense with no bricking on the edges yet, deep ruby in color. Dried cherries and and plum accents as well.

11/30/2017 - morpheusrising wrote:

Classic notes all around. Still fresh and has plenty of time ahead of it. Bottled in 1978, so vintage is 1973.

Leather, tobacco, and light cherry on the nose. Plenty of dried cherries and orange peel on the tongue along with a healthy amount of bright fruit and some nice forest floor and herb notes.

Excellent Rioja from an excellent vintage.

11/16/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

This is a good start for a young vintage. Needs time, but showing nicely now with a bit of air.

Dense on the nose, almost a little too closed. Dirty with a tad of fruit showing through. Needs time to develop in the glass.

Classic Rioja notes of dried cherries and orange peel with a bit of leather and tobacco. Heavier than other vintages, but still medium bodied. Should be great after some years in the bottle. Give it another 5 before trying again. Have a feeling this will be really outstanding and long-termed like many classic CVNE.

10/7/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Nicely vibrant and ready. Bit of petrol on the nose and the pallet has laid down to be smooth and silky. Acidity is starting to fade, so it’s time to start drinking these up!

10/7/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Finally settling into its own, this is really starting to show nicely. Acidity has toned down and this is beginning to peak.

9/16/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Really great! Other notes put the late drinking date as earlier than this, but this is just at a plateau. This will hold on for a long time. Had from a magnum, so aging is younger, but still lots of life here.

Nose of tar, leather, dried herbs, forest floor, and lots of red slate. Bit of cocoa as well. Palette matches with good fruit left, mostly dried berries with a bit of orange peel and dark cherries. Really elegant and rolled out as velvet on the tongue. Fantastic balance with a bit of acid still hanging on. Tannins are well balanced and have softened nicely. Fact is that this will hold on for another decade or so, but is drinking great now.

9/2/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Really holding up well and just starting to show. This will go longer than expected and I anticipate pushing the remaining bottles out another 5-10 years for holding. At a little over 8 years old, this is really drinking nicely. More like a Cahor than an Argentinian Malbec.

Good tannin structure, but not over-dry. Fruit is still alive but is starting to mellow a bit. Nice notes of leather and a bit of smoke round things out well.

6/4/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

From a 1979 bottling, so 1973 fruit.

Fantastic! Took about 30 minutes to open up but excelled in all the areas. Plenty of time left for n the bottle on these. Could easily last another 20 years.

Honey, salivation, apricot, dried white peach. Stellar.

73 is a great year for viura, and this crianza shows it.

5/20/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Drinking great, but will benefit from more time. Balance has really started to come through in spades. Expect this to be close to perfect in another 10+ years.

4/8/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Wine of the night for me at our annual wine dinner.

3/10/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

This one has decades in front of it, but it's wonderfully balanced and drinkable now. With more time it should prove to be one of the great Vieux Telegraphe.

A bit of smoke and jam on the nose. Notes of vanilla are just now starting to erupt.

Lots of sap on the palette. Mild cocoa flavors are just starting to come through, but there's still a ton of fruit to go through. This is going to go a long while.

2/20/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Port Party, opened along with '77 Ferreira, '84 Fladgate, and '94 Kopke, '77 Dow Jubilee.

Good, but past it's prime. Had turned quite hot upon pouring, but cleared up after a few hours of blow-off time. Fruit was gone, but caramel and raisin were solid and structured. This was the heaviest of the night, having great weight and mouth-coating in it's feel. Good stuff, but wish we'd opened it a few years ago!

2/20/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Port Party, opened along with '77 Dow Jubilee, '68 Warre, '84 Fladgate, and '94 Kopke.

A bit hot, probably a little past it's prime, but still wonderful. Rust/Copper in color.

The fruit is gone, but the caramel is full on here. Like liquid candy. Texture was lighter and not wearing on the palate.

2/20/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

From Magnum.

Port Party, opened along with '77 Ferreira, '68 Warre, '84 Fladgate, and '94 Kopke.

This was a solid #2 at the beginning of the night, but became the best by the end. Time and air really helped this one a lot. Fact is that it would have gone another 20-30 years before really getting ready. That said, fantastic balance of fruit and caramel/raisin. Rich and deep, but not overly heavy. Paired well with bacon-wrapped almond-stuffed dates!

Color was still deep, even the other bottle of 77 was coppery/rust in color, but this was still strongly red.

1/27/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Wonderful! Light rusty color and a slight meniscus on the edge, so it has time. Feels like it's at plateau.

Great color, pallette of tar, tobacco, still has some bright cherry and all the classic notes of orange peel. Really great, should go on for another decade or more, but great now. Drink up!

1/24/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Wine and Food night. Opened '85 Backus, Eisele, and Insignia for comparison.

All were excellent. Good balance of earth and fruit. All still had some nice cherry flavors with a bit of ashtray and tobacco. Star anise, medium dark fruit. Generally well rounded and elegant. These have all plateaued and should hold on for another decade or so before falling off.

Insignia is purely California. This was wonderful and more forward than the Eisele, but a little less so than the Backus. The Merlot really mellows the flavors here and makes this nicely accessible. My least favorite of the lot, but still stellar.

1/24/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Wine and Food night. Opened '85 Backus, Eisele, and Insignia for comparison.

All were excellent. Good balance of earth and fruit. All still had some nice cherry flavors with a bit of ashtray and tobacco. Star anise, medium dark fruit. Generally well rounded and elegant. These have all plateaued and should hold on for another decade or so before falling off.

The Eisele was the most elegant of the night. This required no food whatsoever and just screamed to be porch-wine. So easy and round. Extra layer of earth on this one and was very bordeaux-ish in profile. Easily my favorite as I could luxuriate in the glass for hours and die happy.

1/24/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Wine and Food night. Opened '85 Backus, Eisele, and Insignia for comparison.

All were excellent. Good balance of earth and fruit. All still had some nice cherry flavors with a bit of ashtray and tobacco. Star anise, medium dark fruit. Generally well rounded and elegant. These have all plateaued and should hold on for another decade or so before falling off.

The Backus was the most 'forward' and spicey of the mix. Went wonderful with Lamb Burgers. The Backus was more rustic and almost 'italian' in profile. Really great stuff.

1/8/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

A bit of bottle variation, this one was a bit pithy on the orange peel flavors and thus not quite as good. Still excellent.

1/3/2017 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

One year later, notes as before, but structure is really ramping up. Tannins are softening a bit and some really nice vanilla notes are starting to come through.

Will continue to try this each year for a while.

12/10/2016 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Still too young at 10 years. Lots of grip/tannin. Fruit is getting under control now and if the tannins mellow from here on this could be really great. Try it again in 5-10.

11/5/2016 - morpheusrising Likes this wine:

Ex-Chateau Bottle in Double-Magnum. Cork was a nightmare to remove. Actually twisted off the top and had to use a corkscrew to finish the removal. Very touch and go!

So fresh! You could tell by the sound that this was going to act young, but it opened and showed maturity after about 30 minutes. Wonderful. Tight bead, beautiful straw-gold color. Nose of light tropical fruit with a focus on granny smith (classic PJ). Good balance of yeast.

Palette was exquisite. The '96 has always been a favorite, but this ex-chateau bottle has to have been the best yet. Complex and subtle throughout. Granny Smith, a touch of lemon, and Grapefruit. Silky mouthfeel despite the surprisingly large amount of effervescence. Although we had about twice as much as we needed, it still disappeared all too quickly!