First time poster, long time lerker!

I see some amazing wines on here but I’m a common person who loves wine, so on a Saturday night it’s a Cab Franc from Loire.

N - black currants, cherry, cinnamon.

P - cherry, pepper, strong on the oak

Being a Sauternes aficionado, I can never resist purchasing a decently priced older vintage of a 1st Growth - a forgotten bottle in a wine shop, or one well past its prime, just to add more tasting & scent notes to my knowledge base. My previous oldest bottle was a 1980 Climens, which had a fleeting moment of tropical fruit scents before the tertiary notes took over - so I was curious to find out what this 1975 Guiraud held for me. Stored at 45 degrees, with a bit of mold under the capsule and on the cork, but nothing worrisome. The cork put up a fight, and the Ah-so almost nearly got it out cleanly. In the end, had to use a cheesecloth for a clean pour without fragments of cork. Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend.

A brilliant color - vibrant reds and oranges, burnt sienna, just fire in the glass. Rust.

On the nose, well, all oxidative notes, to be expected at 50! Scents of smoke and roasted nuts at the rim, caramel and figs further in. You know the notes, that of some sherries.

On the palate, there's a good bit of acidity still hanging around! Medium body, still a little thick and cloying, and hanging on to some mild sweetness. Flavors of burnt wood, vanilla, butterscotch. Very, very faint orange peel. This needed some sort of baked pastry pairing, goodness, I would've loved a good pie with this. Smooth on its way down, with a decently lengthy finish. Clearly past its prime, but nevertheless a decent late night treat.

All my Chateau Guiraud experience is from the last 20 years, so I'm glad to add this one to my "notes bank". Still have a 1970 Suduiraut, 1983 d'Yquem, 1983 Suduiraut, and plenty of late 80's Lafaurie-Peyraguey's to get through! Really enjoyed the experience of savoring this wine.

Let’s create a perfect wine list! Which producers make your heart beat a little faster when you see them on the list? Beyond the extremes of Costco/Two Buck Chuck and DRC/Screaming Eagle, let’s try to find a fine balance of classic and unicorn bottles. Please comment with producer names only under each regional category. Add as many as you remember. Come back and add some more. We’ll discuss specific wines & vintages later.

Off to a good start in Champagne. Some Initial as aperitif and V.O. with dinner at the House’s Hotel/Restaurant. Both wines are quite different but share the same oxidative intensity. Dried apricots and nuttiness on the Initial where the VO had an aged Riesling-like nose. Both have a deep gold colour. The next morning we attend a cellar tasting with the man himself. The ‘tasting’ started off closer to a Philosophy class than anything else; I loved it. The vines are seen as individuals who need to be cared for to be the best version of themselves. Each vine is unique and may have different needs than its neighbour. They are not things to be ben’t to their caretaker’s will; the caretaker sees himself as a midwife but not a parent. The deep roots depicted on the amphora show the ethos of the house. We then taste from the 1986 perpetual cask pre- 2nd fermentation. Still Substance but Substance still. A bottle is disgorged for is to try and Initial, VO, Rose, Les Carecelles, Le Bout du Clos follow. Carecelles was my favourite with its gentle and elegant effervescence. Something else, secret and stunning, was also shared. I doubt it will ever be released. Wine-wise it was an experience of a lifetime. Two days later I can still taste the wines.

A very talented wine making family that I've been a fan of every bottle I've tried. I was somewhat skeptical as it was not a village or cru level, but this was a really well made wine. They clearly are selective about their yields and grapes, and then are masters of winemaking.

Tasting notes:

Pale lemon colour

Nose: medium intensity of apple pie, citrus, honeydew melon, beeswax, and vanilla.

Palate: dry, medium acid, and full bodied. Pronounced intensity of apple, vanilla, honey, and almond butter. A bit of hazelnut, and stone fruit. Had a wonderful balance of fruit, oak, nuttiness, and pastry.

Rating: A very good wine. I would have called it outstanding except the finish wasn't as long as I'd have expected with such a pronounced pallete, and the nose didn't quite pop the way I'd have expected as well. I am getting over a head cold, so maybe I'll feel differently the next time I inevitably get another bottle.

I started trying different Bourgogne Chardonnays because I took a liking to the oak and lees flavors, but was determined to find something with a lot of those flavors that wasn't a cliche heavy oaked bread and butter. Which I'll admit, I do like. After trying a few, attempting to get more southern riper grapes with oak, I still hadn't found that level of oak, lees, and tertiary flavors I was hoping for. Glad I didn't give up and just accept that I just liked overly oaked California Chardonnays. This wine was the style of wine I'd been searching for. So I'm really excited to try more Village and Cru wines from the area. Hoping to get my hands on their Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru "Les Languettes" for a special occasion. As well as trying many more of their pinot noirs.

For me, this really nails it.

It is a warm spring day in Spain here today, so here is something you don't see very often on here. A dry Moscatell.

The winery is Les Freses just outside Denia in Alicante, Spain. I visited back in January, as well as a few others near by such as Pepe Mendoza. As you can see from the bottle just 1200 produced. This area is known for dry Moscatell and Giro as well as a little Macabeo.

On the nose the subtle smell of a sweet Moscat with some additional notes of Mediterranean herbs and a slight lemon aroma

On the palette, nice acidity and more of those herbal notes with a nice freshness. Very easy going and delicious.

I know I know. Caymus? We don’t do that here. 80’s Caymus, however, is not the same as modern Caymus. Randy Dunn was the mastermind of Caymus in the 80s, with this vintage actually being the first that he stepped away in a fully official capacity from the property. Tasting notes for both wines as follows:

2014 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet: where do I begin? A legendary vineyard and producer combination with a great white wine vintage to boot. I think the wine has started to come around nicely, with an excellent balance of fruit and slight funkiness starting to come in. Lemon curd, roasted yellow apples, Bosc pear, and hints of pineapple and guava meld perfectly with the white truffle and mineral character of the wine. The oak frames the wine well, adding subtle vanilla and baking spice notes that interplay nicely with toasted hazelnut. The real standout is the structure. Incredible persistence with a richness and creaminess that is perfectly offset by the acidity. Special wine.

1986 Caymus Special Selection: don’t ever let anyone tell you that Napa can’t age. Some of my favorite wines ever have been Napa Cabernet from the 70s and 80s. Still plenty of fruit, though the character was more dried. Cherry, blackberry liqueur, black cherry, and fruit leather are what comes to mind. There’s an earthiness to this wine, like fresh turned soil and roasted oyster mushrooms. Coffee, dark Chocolate, burnt cinnamon, and cigar box notes are very present. Elevated tannins are balanced by surprisingly present acidity. Once again, a finish that just doesn’t quit. I also had some 2001 Mouton at the same time, and was surprised to prefer the Caymus to the Bordeaux. If only they still made wines like this!

This was a great meal that was made better by the people I got to share it with. Wine is meant to be consumed and shared, so let this post be a reason to open that wine you’ve been holding onto!

Opened a bottle of very old champagne (year unknown), and found this at the bottom of the cork… any idea what it is? It still had fizz and it tasted fine… but old. It’s a brut reserve fwiw. Thanks!

As warm weather, and tariffs, approach I am interested in some white wine. I enjoy pinot grigio, but I love white burgundy, particularly "clean" styles like Chablis. However, those can be a bit pricey for everyday drinking, at least for me. I have tried some village wines from Burgundy but have never been happy with any of them. Anyone have any suggestions? Is anyone making these styles elsewhere in a way that works?

This year marked the end of my wine studies, after three years focused on production and marketing. To celebrate this final chapter, a group of close friends and I decided to organize one last serious tasting — something to mark the occasion properly. Every bottle came from our personal cellars, saved for special moments like this one. Everything was tasted blind. Here’s a recap of what we opened.

Marc Hébrart – Clos Léon A rich, dense Champagne, probably better suited to the table than as an aperitif. Still a bit young at this stage — it could easily spend another 5 to 10 years in the cellar. Promising but not yet fully expressive.

Lassaigne – Brut Nature 2014 A beautiful wine, though slightly reduced on opening with some lactic notes. It definitely benefits from a decant. With air, it became tense and fluid, showing citrus-driven freshness and great energy. A serious Champagne with aging potential.

Élise Dechannes – Essentielle Much more accessible and generous than the previous two. Round, with red fruit notes — easy to drink and very suitable as an aperitif. Less complex, but full of charm.

Hélicon – Frénésie 2021 From Constantin Vellis. Still marked by oak, with some youthful intensity. This one was probably opened a bit too early — there’s solid structure and potential, but it needs time to find balance.

Dagueneau – Pur Sang An iconic domaine, now run by the son. I’ve had mixed feelings about the new generation (especially regarding the prices), but this was a great surprise. A Sauvignon Blanc with rare freshness and a striking level of energy. A real standout.

Bouchard – Chapelle-Chambertin A beautifully aged Pinot Noir from a lesser-known domaine. Delicate floral notes, especially dried rose, and a sense of balance that suggests it’s at its peak right now. A lovely expression.

Bouchard – Le Corton In contrast to the Chapelle, this was more concentrated and youthful. Still fresh, with hints of sap and herbal notes — likely some whole cluster involved. A powerful Pinot with strong aging potential.

Famille Gauthier – Clos Nouveau The highlight of the tasting. Blind, everyone thought it was a concentrated Pinot from a warm vintage. In fact, it’s a Cabernet Franc by Rodolphe Gauthier, with incredibly precise élevage. It combines finesse, texture, and length, and could easily age for 20–30 years. Already excellent in its youth.

Gonon – Saint-Joseph 2021 A reference in the northern Rhône. This 2021 shows both elegance and depth, with tapenade notes and a great mouthfeel. Despite the challenges of the vintage, this wine showed impressive balance and concentration.

Forget – Domfront Poiré To end on a lighter note, a pear cider by Jérôme Forget, made from acid-rich local varieties. Only 4% alcohol, but remarkably delicate and clean on the palate. A fresh, uplifting way to close the tasting.

I hope you enjoyed reading this recap as much as we enjoyed living it. Wishing you a wonderful Sunday :)

I purchased a bunch of this in 2007 for $7.99 per bottle. Amazingly, while certainly showing its age, there’s still some fruit on the palate and it’s a pleasant drink with our pizza dinner.

Hey everyone! I've tried a few Italian wines before (mostly Chianti and Barolo), and I've really enjoyed them. I’m now looking to expand my palate and dive deeper into the world of Italian wine. There’s just so much out there, and it can be a bit overwhelming knowing where to start.

I’d love to hear your recommendations - whether it's a specific bottle, region, or grape variety. I’m open to reds, whites, and even sparkling. Bonus points if you have any food pairing suggestions too!

Grazie in advance

Bursts open with a lush wave of bright red fruits—hawthorn, fresh young raspberry, and strawberry—immediately vivid on the palate. The acidity is sharp yet intriguing, a signature trait of Les Amoureuses.

Floral notes of peach blossom and dried wild rose add elegance, while a subtle earthiness. As it evolves in the glass, it reveals a delicate smokiness that adds depth and complexity.

This wine shows great potential and can easily age another five years.

What it is: 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. Aged in French oak for 12 months and bottle aged too. A premium chianti from Tuscany with 93 JS and 93 JD.

Nose: cherry and red fruit aromas.

Body: Medium with bright acidity, and tannins seemed not as pronounced. Tasted much less tannic after a few days, and flavors of ripe cherries, plums, and earthy notes.

Relative Value: picked this up for $40 at a wine store in little Italy Bronx. Seemed good complexity for its price point relative to some Bordeaux’s and Napa Cabs which can also be more bold. This one seemed bit softer but still balanced. A decent quality Tuscan wine. 4.4/5.0

I’ve never tried a 1945 Burgundy before, but it was said to be a great (albeit small) vintage, as in Bordeaux. We opened the left of these 2 bottles at a tasting. The bottles were slightly smaller (50cl) than modern equivalents. The cork came out almost intact with my Durand. I didn’t decant it. The wine had an amazing bouquet, including leather, caramel and coffee. It was surprisingly smooth and really easy to drink, but was soon gone.

Hi there. I wondered if anyone could help me identify the year of this wine? Reverse image search is coming up for bottles of this style from 1915 but they’re dated as such.

Les Poëte – Guillaume Sorbe 2018 (Sauvignon)

A super energetic bottle. Bright acidity, clear lemon peel, and ripe fruit on the nose. There’s a nice herbal edge and just a touch of tropical character in the background. Really expressive and well balanced — it’s vibrant, fresh, and alive. A beautiful take on Sauvignon.

i’ve tried google searches for “wine bottle with 79 on label” and come up empty. if anyone can help identify it i’d be very grateful. cheers

I'm seeing a lot of misunderstanding of what tariffs are and how they work so thought it was important to set the record straight. Source: I have been importing wine for ten years and working in international trade for longer than that.

1) When you ship goods to the US they arrive at the port. They arrive in a big shipping container. They leave the port via truck or rail usually. The guy driving that truck has to present documentation to the gate guard in order to leave (the actual ways they do this aren't important here).

2) That documentation includes an ok (known as "clearance") from Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the government agency that monitors imports.

3) Different goods have different requirements and documentation that must be met and entered into CBPs computer system (called ACE if you're interested). If you don't have all that documentation, CBP will not issue clearance and your goods go on hold at the port. They will not be released.

4) The system CBP uses to enter the data is complicated and specialized. So importers pay a customs broker to do that data entry.

5) The importer knows what documents are required for clearance so gives them to the customs broker ahead of time in order to avoid delays.

6) Requirements for clearance include paying all duties, excise taxes, fees and TARIFFS. Sometimes the customs broker fronts the money then the importer reimburses, sometimes CBP takes it directly. You have choices here. But the takeaway is the goods are only getting cleared for release after THE IMPORTER PAYS THE TARIFFS.

7) If you can't clear CBP by the time the goods arrive they give you a certain number of free days on the port to resolve. Then they start charging you exorbitant amounts of money per day before eventually sending your goods back to origin and charging you for the privilege.

8) To the importer, then, the tariffs are just another cost of goods sold line item. It's up to the importer to determine what the market will bear in relation to that new additional cost. Some are going to eat it. Most are going to pass it on. Which leads to...

9) Knock- on effects. We saw this during the pandemic. Businesses saw the word "inflation" so raised their prices whether their costs were inflated or not. This is what's going to happen now with "tariffs."

10) Granted, these are pretty widespread and will touch every part of the economy. But don't be fooled by companies over seas telling you they're being forced to raise their prices because of tariffs. They don't pay those costs. Importers do in order to have their goods released from the port.

11) Foreign countries may impose additional costs on foreign companies looking to export to the United States. They probably won't though because other countries know that charging your own people additional taxes to hurt another country is stupid.

12) Tariffs are really stupid.

*Edited most of my spelling

I had a taste of this cannonau at the wine bar where I work,if you want to drink something with personality I suggest you this bottle. At first it was a bit close but with some air it expressed very nicely with red fruits and balsamic hints. In the mouth is very powerful,lots of acidity and tannin,not for everyone but I’d give it a shot if you want to try something different.

Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2012, picked by my dog, obviously, because the label matched her fur's colours.

Medium bodied, long and complex finis. Flavours of game, graphite, earth, truffle, vanilla, oak and ripe black fruits (little intensity of these)

I found it reached its peak and it well needed decanting mostly for aeration. Co-opened and decanted by my wife and Pepe, the manager of Blacklock Shoreditch in London 🇬🇧🍷

£88 on the list.

California winemaker here producing 500 cases per year. Just got a nice Friday afternoon email from a French cooper letting me that my barrel order will be increasing by 20%:

My Dear Customer,

I hope my e-mail finds you well. As you all know there will be 20 % Tariffs on all import from EU have been imposed. Famille Sylvain is working on determining the detail of the calculation. And if there are any exclusions etc. etc. We will unfortunately have to charge you for those tariffs. As soon as we have the detail of the calculation, we will get back to you. Let me know if you need to change your order. I apologize for this sudden change in pricing.

Now the question becomes do I 1) raise prices to maintain margin- not a great idea given the current market 2) eat the cost and margin suffers 3) buy less barrels

All options are terrible, this sucks. Maybe I should post this in r/conservative.