10/15/2023 - ERoss Likes this wine:

1 hr+ decant. Beautifully evolved peak Paulliac, balance of dark berry and nuanced secondary characteristics. No bricking from this magnum, deep ruby color. Violets, Corinthian leather, and boysenberry nose. Plenty of grip on the long lush finish.

2/12/2022 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Quite enjoyable especially for the price. BDX blend adds some depth and balances out the bright Sangiovese. Better the 2nd day.

1/24/2022 - ERoss wrote:

Opened for my birthday. Double decanted. Dark ruby color with little visual signs of aging. Nose was very tight, some flat black currant & smoke. Full on the tongue, but not a lot going on flavor wise monolithic with still pronounced tannic finish at 20+ years old. Debated if this was mildly corked, since it just didn't seem to have it - the elements of a nice wine were there, but I expected a lot more.

1/23/2022 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Double decanted 2 hrs before serving. Light ruby color, noticable bricking at the rim. Lovely perfume barnyard, leather, black raspberries, and dried roses. Mid-weight towards light body still some fruit black cherry notes. Savory long finish, still hints of life to go with integrated tannins. A treat looking forward to revisiting it the years to come.

12/26/2021 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Double decanted. Well rounded, fully mature bottle. Opens with violets, black fruits, light tar. Decent core and lingering finish. Not austere or delicate, but throughly enjoyable.

12/24/2021 - ERoss wrote:

Corked, badly so

1/2/2022 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Professional storage since purchase. Enjoyed over a couple days after decanting on NYE. Dark red core, subtle bricking at rim. Nose of black cherry, soy sauce, currant jam, saddle leather, old roses comes through after some early funk blew off. Pretty evolved at this point with dark fruits, spice, and decent lingering finish. Drink now, but seems like it could hold on for another 5-10 years.

12/25/2021 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Well paired with Christmas beef roast & ham. Perhaps due to large format & a decade + of professional storage, this was surprisingly bright with still a core of primary red fruit & noticable yet well integrated tannins. Probably at or past prime, but enjoyed by all.

12/19/2021 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Open ~ 1 hr after uncorking. Terrific - wonderfully aromatic dark fruits with some secondary notes, balanced by restrained backbone...could go a few years, but I can't see how this bottle could have been better.

4/14/2018 - ERoss wrote:

corked

2/18/2016 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Mid weight OR PN, trounced the over the hill 01 Ken Wright it was paired with. Black cherry, earthy notes.

2/24/2014 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Not terribly complex but a nice core of fruit balanced with surprising structure for a $20 wine

2/19/2014 - ERoss Likes this wine:

Deep purple in color - bigger than I was expecting. Notable aromas of black cherry and clove. Black fruit flavors dominate. Medium-full bodied with some lushness backed up by reasonable acidity. Probably good for a few years at least.

12/10/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Elegant and refined offering from hyped 2006 vintage. Nose of crushed black cherries, rose petal, and anise. Nice dollop of acidity to provide structure, this is great fun to drink now but probably last at least 10 years.

12/5/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Sweet, jammy nose of bosenberry, dark chocolate, and menthol. All dark fruits and coffee on the palate, with some spice on the back end. Lacking in the textural complexity of the best vintages (99, 01) of Lytton Springs, but tannins are fine and well established for a decade + of good drinking.

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Consensus WOTN in blind tasting of OR PN. Certainly not old bones, but opening up and showing great right now. Tons of black cherry, spice, and floral notes on the nose. Very well integrated and pleasing mid-palate structure. Intense yet elegant, one of those wines you want to return to again and again.

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Didn't show particularly well this night against other Oregon Pinots. Nose was soft black cherry, smoke, but surprisingly tight given its age. Fished a bit clipped and not altogether pleasant.

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Served blind as ringer in OR PN tasting. Major impression was funk - probably would have been better served with a little decanter time - lots of rhubarb, butterscotch, and other semi-cloying notes. Texturally lacking compared to some of the OR wines, but made in a different style, vintage, terroir, etc.

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Poured blind as part of OR PN tasting - showed well, but seemed very big and brooding compared with the other wines. Monolithic black cherry notes with nice balance and a silky finish. Not sure if it will ever show the elegance of the 2002, but worth checking back in on in a few years.

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Corked - moderately, but fruit was muted

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Very nice with plenty of varietal character. Moderately big cherry nose, with good balance highlighted throughout the profile. Will go for a few more years at least.

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Again with the spritz, but bright heady nose of cranberry, strawberry, and slight anise. Deeply textured mouthfeel and long finish with tannins fairly well resolved. Clearly preferred to the 2000.

9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Annoying spritz to start - somewhat spirity/stewed strawberry...decent mid-palate structure with pleasing earthiness...but dubious QPR

4/21/2008 - ERoss wrote:

$90 off the list at a venerable Italian restaurant in Hartford. Fill was high - about as good as could be expected for a 30+ year-old wine; label was somewhat moldy and peeling. The waiter/sommelier arrived with an array of tools which quickly proved necessary as the dry cork turned to dust at the first touch from the corkscrew; a handy filter cap and some careful decanting later, my companions and I were served the wine. Color was a shimmery pink-red, with extensive bricking commensurate with the wine's age. Surprisingly complex nose including hints of cassis, tart cherry, and dried fig, with some secondary notes of cedar, iodine and leather. On the palate, inoffensive, but light bodied as expected on vintage reputation; structure, such as it was, was fully evolved with no perceptible tannins. Finish was delicate and of moderate length. All in all, a pleasant wine and probably about as good as an example as exists today, but certainly not a benchmark wine/vintage from Cheval Blanc.

1/20/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Dark ruby red. Initially aromas include beef blood, roasted sweet tomato/olive, ripe black raspberry, smoke, anise, and lavender; closed down after an hour or so in the glass to a core of black fruits, licorice, and spice. Flavor profile was rich with crème de cassis, black cherry, and soy sauce. Medium/heavy in texture with a richness nicely set off by acidity; finish loaded with tannins and lasted more than 30 sec. While surprisingly approachable now (may shut down at some point?), this seems set up for a decade or more of aging. The perfect accompaniment to Herbs de Provence crusted lamb loin chops.

2/7/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Drink up. Still quite fruit-forward on the approach, but in the mouth heads to a dull, muted place. Medium bodied, with a very short, clipped finish.

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Really unnecessary and probably overkill after 8 vintages of HSS, but what a change of pace! Dark purple/ruby red in color. Aromas of garrigue, red flowers, black cherry, and soy sauce. Rich and extracted in the mouth, with fine tannins...difficult to gauge evolution at this point, but didn't seem shut down or 'dumb'? As with other modern-styled 03 Chateauneufs , what happens with extended aging is a anyone's guess, but if the fruit can hang in who knows...

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Will be interesting to see if this evolves similarly to the 92...but at any rate, an impressive close to an amazing lineup of HSS. Still pretty primary, with a packed mouthfeel, dense aromas of black fruits, plums, and smoke. Slightly confected perhaps, but should shake out as the riveting tannins integrate with age... a baby on this night, with lots of promise. [Group placement 7/8]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): In another lineup, this could have been WOTN, and clearly showed the winemaking chops of Shafer in a difficult year. Slightly muted strawberry, black cherry, and toasty vanilla oak aromatics. Impressively endowed structure, still some youthful aspects (bright tannins), but clearly evolving towards middle age. [Group placement 6/8]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Brawny and bristling with full-throttle fruit flavors. Dark to the rim, with a pronounced complexity to the nose - under brush, pine sap, ripe black currant, Chinese five spice, and eucalyptus. As seems a HSS trait, the balance was impressive, especially in the "big" vintage which pushed CA cabs to the forefront of the wine world. One of the longest finishes of the night, with plenty of tannins to support 8 - 10 years of peak drinking. [Group placement 4/8]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Our host was generous enough to offer up another bottle, after our first was corked (noticed several other users reporting corked 96s...?) - and we were rewarded with a still young seeming beauty, with a nose of Kirsch, ripe blackberries, currants, and grilling spices. Full bodied mouthfeel, maybe less apparent acidity than the other mid-90s vintages, but certainly not flabby. [Group placement 3/8]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Majority of group quickly pegged this as corked. [Group placement N/A]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Seemed somewhat tight this evening, giving up little in terms of aroma compared to the ethereal 1994. Flavors of chocolate, black fruits, and coffee and assertive tannic structure. Likely benefit from more bottle age. [Group placement 5/8]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Amazing stuff - every bit as good as 94 Dominus, for example. Dark to the rim, with achingly pure essence of black currant exploding from the glass, backed with secondary cola, tobacco, and Hoisin notes. A testament to the judicious use of oak, and/or just really exceptional fruit - vanilla hints are present, but by this stage the oak is welcome complement. Impressively balanced and incredibly long, textured finish, seems to be just hitting its stride with many years of interesting evolution ahead. [Group placement 1/8]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Clearly paled in comparison to the 1991 - some reduced, jammy notes at first, followed by spice, cassis, and secondary leathery hints. Decent concentration and balance, but the depth of fruit somewhat lacking compared to other vintages. Still a worthy effort and drinking well as a mature wine. [Group placement 8/8]

1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote:

1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Medium-ruby red in color. Sweet, smoky oak with black currant, pepper notes. At first approach, somewhat short and angular, but with a few minutes in the glass - wow, really sexy with perfectly integrated tannins balanced with still ripe black fruit flavors. Drinking exceptionally now, but probably 10-15 years of life remaining. [Group placement 2/8]

1/10/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Very nice - sophisticated tart apricot, lemon, and mineral aromas. Pleasing mid-weight mouthfeel and fine bubbles. Light, yeasty finish. Nice pairing with nigiri sushi.

1/10/2008 - ERoss wrote:

Medium-wt ruby purple in color. Nose of roasted meat, earth, spice, and dried blueberries. On the palate, relatively light and lively with plummy and more meat flavors. Befitting the designation, this seems old-school in style - with a good dollop of acidity to offset some assertive yet integrated tannins. Finishes nicely. Interesting wine, not a blockbuster from a fruit perspective, but aging well with probably 10+ years of life remaining.

12/8/2007 - ERoss wrote:

Very classy great QPR Chablis - steely with great minerality

12/8/2007 - ERoss wrote:

Pleasant, but more evolved than I expected at this point. Not a lot of obvious fruit aromas or flavors, but good balance and structure. Can't see this improving much with additional age, but there may be some bottle variation at play here based on the other notes.

11/29/2007 - ERoss wrote:

Yes Virginia, they do make Chateauneuf-du-Pape for less than 20 bucks!...heady aromas of black fruits, underbrush, and tapenade. Medium weight and nicely balanced with a pronounced brightness to the flavors of black raspberry, fig, and menthol. Fun for early drinking, but seems built for up to 10 years of bottle age.

11/22/2007 - ERoss wrote:

Ruby with some bricking. Evolved secondary notes of leather, dried roses, pencil lead, and faint iodine. Texturally fairly spent by this stage - tannins have pretty well receded, but so has the fruit...muted red fruits and slight char. Finishes quickly. A quaffable 10 year old BDX, certainly nothing flawed or offensive, but this bottle was likely getting no better.

3/14/2007 - ERoss wrote:

Light straw gold in color. Nose has enticing blend of pineapple, citrus, minerals, pine needle, white flowers, and subtle notes of red fruits. On the palate a refreshing yet very light spritz, likely due to its young age, nicely balanced sweetness, acidity, and mouthfeel. Very long citrusy finish.

12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote:

Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): Suffered by comparison to the Leoville, simply not much fun in this one. Loads of bracing tannins, although refreshing acidity and a decent, inoffensive wine. Fruit is quite secondary at this point.

12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote:

Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): Silky smooth, with sweet tannin, this is only going to improve with age. Dark flowers, vanilla, and forest floor aromas...finish lasts and lasts. Very nice.

12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote:

Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): In a word, intense. Chest-thumping, in your face (for Bordeaux) nose of licorice, new leather, musk, and black currant. Dark and brooding, just starting to drink well but be prepared for some assertive tannins.

12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote:

Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): More briar and spice on the nose than fruit, not showing particularly well tonight - the more recent vintages perhaps could have benefited from decanting. Still a well made wine, and good representative of the vintage.

12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote:

Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): Appealing yet reticent nose of dark chocolate, cedar, and mulling spices. Still promising, but very slow evolving and not much fun to drink like many '95s. Needs time?

12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote:

Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): My wine of the night. Luscious black raspberry, Asian spices (allspice?), and very subtle oak meld into a seamless, solid, and exceptionally well balanced package. Plenty of mid-palate depth and fine yet assertive tannic backbone. A real treat.

12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote:

Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): Paled a bit in comparison to the clearly better (on this night at least) '94. Big cedar, pencil, and espresso on the nose. Very drinkable, but a bit of acidic bite and angularity contrasts with a rich mouthfeel.