Château Ducru Beaucaillou Saint Julien Grand Cru Classé 2005, Bordeaux, France

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits with earth, vanilla, cedar, leather, licorice, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, spices and dark chocolates.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

What a great Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Saint Julien.

This gorgeous wine feels much younger than it is right now. Complex and tasty.

This 18 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours in the decanter.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

Thank you Robbie for sharing this with me.

The 2005 vintage was outstanding, and it’s really shining through right here.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Aged in 100% new French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$325.

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Talley Family Vineyards Estate Syrah 2020, Arroyo Grande Valley, California

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Flowery nose of blueberries, plums, sweet fresh cherries, light oak, wild flowers and tobacco leaf.

Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, blueberries, plums, cherries, light oak, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, light vegetables, bitter herbs and peppercorn.

Soft finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Syrah from Arroyo Grande Valley in California. Elegant, fruit forward and engaging.

Still young, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

This Single Vineyard feels like a young Northern Rhône Syrah.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Tangy and interesting.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

Syrah grapes were aged for 20 months in neutral French oak barrels.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$60.

Mount Bullion Vineyards Casto Oaks May Rock Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, California

Dark ruby in color with medium plus intensity and a wide reddish rim.

Pretty nose of blueberries, black plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, earth, dark chocolates and black pepper.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, light cedar, licorice, chocolates, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth, tobacco leaf and herbs.

Long finish with medium tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a yummy Cabernet Sauvignon from Sierra Foothills in California. Nicely balanced and easy drinking with a nice mouthfeel.

Much better after 3 hours in the decanter, and worth the wait. Loved the nose once it opens up. Tannins show up after 2 hours of airtime.

Needs a couple of years in the bottle to mature properly. I had the 2016 vintage not too long ago, and I loved it, so give this a few more years.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$28.

Azienda Agricola Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT 2016, Italy

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim. This 7 year old is showing a great nose now.

Dry on the palate with medium plus acidity.

Showing red and black fruits with wood, earth, herbs, spices, wild flowers, chocolates, leather, tobacco leaf, dark coffee and black pepper.

This is a delicious, yet very young, Sangiovese from Chianti. Nicely balanced, powerful and tangy.

This 2016 vintage holds great promise for aging gracefully over the next two decades. However, at present, it has yet to fully reach its full potential. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

Would have been nice to have it decanted for a few hours, but it wasn’t my call. I had it blind, so it is what it is.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Sangiovese grapes.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$350.

Caiarossa Aria di Caiarossa Toscana 2013, Italy

This is a very interesting red blend from Italy.

Medium bodied and extra smooth with medium acidity.

Showing red and black fruits with earth, wood, spices, peppercorn, chocolates, vegetables, herbs and black tea.

Long finish with grippy tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a good food wine. Elegant and fruit forward. Easy drinking and good for parties.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 years.

Needs 2 hours to open up properly. It is worth it to be patient.

A blend of Cabenert Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 14 months in oak barrels, and then 6 months in concrete vessels.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$40.

Kukeri Wines Stags Leap District Proprietary Blend 2018, Napa Valley, California

This is a great time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cherries, light cedar, tobacco leaf, light vanilla, earth, dark coffee, herbs and peppercorn.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and raspberries.

This is a delicious Bordeaux blend from Stags Leap District in Napa Valley.

Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel.

A good quality wine. Rich yet restrained. Fruit forward and spicy.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with some air time.

Still young, and would continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years. Will be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a steak sandwich.

A blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 3% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months. A tiny production of only 9 barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65.

Grand Napa Vineyards Brut Rosé Carneros 2017, Napa Valley, California

Celebrating a great outcome, with a great bottle of bubbly.

Light peach in color with a golden tint.

On the nose citrus, lemons, raspberries, strawberries, green and red apples, yeast, spices, light sea salt, brioche and minerals.

Medium in body with high acidity,and small bubbles.

Dry on the palate with strawberries, sour cherries, lemons, limes, spices, light grapefruits, peaches, yeast and white pepper.

Nice Long tangy finish.

This is a delicious 5 year old, Vintage sparkling wine, from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Nicely balanced, and neither tart nor bitter. Gentle and elegant.

Feels like a Rosé Champagne. Nice to see that.

Still young and would continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Very easy to drink, and good by itself or with food.

A blend of 54% Pinot Noir, 43% Chardonnay and 3% Pinot Gris. Made in the traditional method. Bottled age for 3 years before disgorgement.

12% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$120.

Raeburn Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2021, Sonoma County, California

Reddish in color with light intensity.

Fruity nose with cherries, strawberries, raspberries, light earth, herbs, light vegetables and spices.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, cherries, spices, light oak, light coffee and herbs.

Tangy finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a nice Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Nicely balanced and fruit forward, with a nice touch of earth notes.

A good everyday wine. Easy drinking and good by itself.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime, when tannins show up and bring in more structure to the wine. Gets much earthier after 2 hours.

Fresh and engaging with mild complexity. A good quality wine.

I paired with cheeses, crackers and light appetizers.

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$20.

Macrostie Winery Clockwise Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley, California

Purple in color with medium plus intensity, and a wide purplish rim.

Fruity nose of black plums, black cherries, currants, oak, light vanilla, spices, chocolates, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red currants, plums, cherries, strawberry jam, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, spices, chocolates, earth, vegetables, tobacco leaf, bitter herbs and peppercorn.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a young Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Showing nice complexity already, with a soft mouthfeel.

Tangy and interesting. Fruit forward and elegant.

Still young, but drinks very nicely right out of the bottle. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Not your typical Napa Cabernet, so it’s worth trying.

Very easy to drink with all that alcohol. Nicely balanced and a little dangerous 😉

Will pair nicely with barbecue meats.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in (60% new) French oak barrels for 22 months. A small production of only 298 cases.

15% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$76.

Effingham Manor Cellars Tannat 2019, Virginia

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

On the nose blueberries, plums, red cherries, light oak, barnyard, herbs, light vegetables, earth, black pepper and dark chocolates.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, sour cherries, strawberries, cooked plums, licorice, light oak, earth, bitter herbs, light vanilla, peppercorn, tobacco and coffee.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and pomegranates.

This is a very interesting wine from Virginia. Drinks like a California Merlot with an old world twist.

Good by itself and better with food. Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, and bring out the tannins.

Showing nice complexity already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

A good food wine that I paired with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Very yummy with the prosciutto.

100% tannant grapes were aged in Virginian oak barrels for 14 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$44.