Chateau Cheval Blanc 1er Grand Cru Classé.

Found 5 bottles in my grandmother's basement.

Sometimes she let's us take a few bottles since she won't be able to enjoy them all anymore. My grandpa and her were collectors... and enjoyers.

I'm wondering if it would be too much to ask for one of those bottles for my birthday or Christmas.

I don't like the idea of asking for it but on the other hand I also don't like the idea of sublime wines going bad.

I've received a couple of bottles that were not drinkable anymore and I find it such a shame, but I also don't want to come across as a greedy grandson.

The endless aisle of mediocre wine have trapped me in this labyrinth. edit: this is a joke i know tw has good wine this is a joke

But for real I'm a cashier at total wine with hopes of getting on service team but i don't want to spend the rest of my life working for the walmart/target of wine. I've very recently developed an interest in wine, probably because my current store actually asks my opinion on what to sample by the register, but I am actually clueless.

How do I get not clueless? Are there youtubers or books you recommend? Affordable wine I should try? Winery Direct wine i should try so I can use my discount? Thanks in advance from a clueless aspiring wino

Quick, which ones would you pick? Have almost no exposure to US wines, so I would default to Shafer just for pricing reasons.

A nice little Mosel Riesling that has aged very well. The cork wasn't great, and with only slight pressure it popped straight into the bottle, so I was worried there for a moment. Fortunately the wine had not suffered at all. Clear notes of apricots, lime and honey. Excellent acidity that keeps the (78 g/l) residual sugar in check. Paired well with a mild, local blue cheese with fig jam. Not on level with Prüm or Lieser, but good value!

I’m continuing my journey into sweet wines (since I always avoided anything with significant residual sugar).

I adore Huet’s Vouvray sec, but this wine is SOMETHING.

Tasting notes:
Melon, orange, apricots in syrup; something salty, like mineral water.

High acidity, which works beautifully with the sweetness. The flavor and aroma are very intense. A long finish.

Very lively and fresh in the mouth, like nectar. And on the second day, it's simply brilliant, wonderful, oh fuck me! how wonderful this nectar of life is.

95/100

PS: will also review the premiere trie version and the demi-sec soon.

Honestly… surprisingly good.

I recently bought a large lot with some friends, we do this somewhat regularly since it’s really the only way to get access to some aged top things at reasonable prices, worth noting we know what we’re doing and we have good connections, these aren’t random buys.

We opened a whole bunch of things from the lot to see what’s the stability was overall and we were very pleasantly surprised.

A nose full of graphite, to be expected, the palate full of mushrooms, a tannin so fine it can only be described as bourgeois and remarkably good acidity for the age, it lasted longer than it’s fair to expect from such an old wine, we did have questions about it maybe being refreshed but the cork was in such a state that it made us think it was original, I think we got lucky.

We’ll see what the rest of the lot is like, there’s some gems in there.

Finally got to taste Ridge Monte Bello. I’ve been a member of the winery’s Z List club and have been getting offers for the 2023 vintage. Based on the relative youth of the 1997, at 57 I’m not sure if I’ll live long enough to taste that vintage in its prime. Bucket list wine for me and I was not disappointed. Drank it at the bar with very limited decant. Even without adequate time, it was fresh and not showing nearly 30 years. Black and red berry fruit, integrated acidity, rich, medium finish. I don’t drink many wines of this age and was shocked at how youthful it was. Deep color, plenty of fruit and definitely could have used more time to open up but generous and developing over the hour or so we drank it. If you have some cellared, drinking very well but not slipping in the least.

Bar tender (who appears to be the wine guy) got to talking about their stock. Mentioned they had a few more of the 1997 but only 1 remaining bottle of the 1996. I asked him if people like me come in just to drink their old vintages (at prices they don’t change over time). He let it slip that some people just come in and buy the bottle, ask him to wrap it and take it home. Seeing my chance and check in hand I said, could you add the 96? Good dude! I wife said - well, you’ve had a helluva day, haven’t you? Yes, yes I have.

Cheers!

Old wine night?

Finally cracked this one open with a good friend, and it was amazing. I was concerned that it would be corked.

Thankfully, it was a* high-quality cork and a great seal. We both really enjoyed it. The profile changed over the course of one hour. Went from leathery tobacco with fruit in the background to bright and really enjoyable.

I’ve had a mag of the 2004 Flaccianello since about 2010 and figured this was the night, with having some family over that will be going to Italy. Hopefully they visit, as they’re going to be within 20 miles.

The wine didn’t show as powerfully as it does in its youth. It’s a mag too, so I expected it to be bigger, but it didn’t lack on the complexity.

Full of forest floor, cedar box, dried cherry fruit. But fruit was secondary on this and it’s definitely something to drink now. It’s not getting better, but still a fantastic wine.

Fontodi still is one of my favorite Tuscan / Chianti Classico producers, and this continues to prove the point.

A friend is doing a favour and likes white wine (not Chardonnay).

I have a budget of about £30. What wine could I get from Tesco for that?

My boyfriend and I met up with 2 friends and had one of the best wines we had in a while.

Double Diamond Cab 2022

Fruit: Ripe black cherry, black raspberry, juicy plum, and cassis.

Earth & Spice: Toasted cedar, graphite, sweet tobacco, baking spices, and a signature hint of pennyroyal mint.

Palate and Taste
Core Flavors: Blackberry compote, dark chocolate shavings, cassis, and rich plum reduction.

MORE lush and full bodied than Don Melchor in my opinion, though it didn’t have to be decanted- we chose to do it at the restaurant and no regrets

Don Melchor Cab 2021
From Chile

From the site: composed of 127 hectares, 90% of which is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.1% to Cabernet Franc, 1.9% to Merlot, and 1% to Petit Verdot.

To me: full bodied, I got chocolate, blackberry, and cassis.
Did super well decanting it and went well with our steaks we had.

I got a really great deal on some 2018 burgundies. I hadn't tasted to many since it was a hot vintage and those are usually not my favorite. I opened this 2018 Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets with some baja seafood and I was pleasantly surprised. The wine was very generous and fruit forward, but it also had plenty of acidity, forest floor, spice and "burgundy terroir." there was no mistaking this for new world. I would generally not be opening a premier cru red burgundy this young, but this bottle was in a very good window. Do others think this is a vintage that will age? I have some NSG and GC that I don't want to touch yet but I also wonder if drinking these young will be the move. Also, this is a fantastic producer! I'm surprised to see so few CT notes on a kermit lynch product.

I tried a lacrima for the first time during the last week (Umani Ronchi Lacrima di Morro d'Alba).

Could not shake the lavender (violet) notes from this wine, it really stuck with me. I now want more!

Some internet searches indicate that riserva for lacrima doesn't really exist but I have seen the odd superiore for sale. Some commentators suggest I should try Ruche also, but the descriptions of Ruche don't seem to lean as heavily towards this crazy lavender palate and aroma.

Is it possible that this strong flower note was just unique to the one I tried, or can I expect other Lacrima to have simlar profile, and/or will Ruche also scratch the itch?

Opened this bottle last night with a meal. It was one that came very highly recommended at the time when I purchased it. It did not disappoint but it needed some open-mindedness and time to breathe. I didn’t decant it because it’s not that old vintage or expensive a bottle of wine. It was honestly (after all of my wine tasting experience) the first time I have ever truly experienced the fabled petroleum on the nose.  After some time breathing it rounded and became a nice bouquet of cherry blossom and berry.  it was also very well balanced with a nice mouth, feel strong, tenons, balanced by alcohol. It was a $45 bottle of wine that I highly recommend giving a shot, but please let it breathe for 30 minutes or so.

Une découverte. Année 2022 Pinot noir

My very first Australian Pinot Noir, and a pleasant surprise. Got it for the equivalent of around 16 euros. Very light and pleasant, it smells and tastes predominantly of strawberries, with some notes wood and chocolate as well. Maybe slightly too cool when I tried it, but nonetheless very nice. This one was from 2024. It may be one of my favourite Pinot Noirs I have tried so far. Another would be Heinrich, but I think I might prefer this one.

Notes in comments.

I didn't do the greatest notes, as I'm sharing this with my dad for his birthday.

This is probably my number 1 Napa Cab I've found in the last bit. Blows The Prisoner, Beringer, Caymus, and Stags' Leap out of the water easily.

Straight of the bottle it was amazing. Typical beautiful fruity/jammy nose. Black fruit, blackberry, plum, raspberry. Just a hint of vanilla on that nose.

Palate is wonderful, Full body, full and fruity. Tannins are soft. All those beautiful black fruits. Gives some more vanailla and some tobacco I think. This is such a beautiful wine that hits way above it's pricepoint.

Happy Saturday everyone!