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jeff_leve

Finally it’s Friday. What are you opening this w

Finally it’s Friday. What are you opening this weekend?
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Something new? Or maybe something with bottle age, an older wine perhaps?
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To get us ready for the weekend, this gem from Chateau Margaux did the trick.
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1959 is an elegant, supple, refined, silky expression of Margaux. While it lacks the concentration found in some of the First Growths, it makes up for it with its aromatics and sensuous textural qualities in the finish.
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There’s a fun lunch taking place today with a lot of cool older bottles that I’m going to attend do this bottle certainly did the trick.

What’s in your glass this weekend ?
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#chateaumargaux #firstgrowth #rarewine, #oldwine #wineporn #bestwine #grandcru #winewinewine #lovewine #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

2019 Chateauneuf du Pape…. . After a long and q

2019 Chateauneuf du Pape….
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After a long and quite enjoyable break from wine tasting, it’s time to get back to work. While it’s only day # 1, I’m really loving the style of the 2019 vintage.
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So far, it looks like 2019 has a lot of potential. Concentrated, ripe, balanced, aromatic and fresh, texturally, the wines are soft, silky and energetic.
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With several hundred red and white wines to go, after tasting this first flight, I’m ready for more!

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#chateauneufdupape #cotesdurhone #bestwine #winetasting #topwine #rhonewine #grenache #chateauneuf #instawine #topwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #wineblog #winegram #winewriter #winebottles #thewinecellarinsider

Some hard to find wines are worth the effort….

Some hard to find wines are worth the effort….
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Many of the wines we love are often at least semi-readily available. But there are a few gems that are close to impossible to find as their tiny production hovers at close to 100 cases give or take.
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2001 Sabon Le Secret des Sabons - It is hard to say which I found more compelling, the haunting dried flower, spice box, pepper, and kirsch aromatics, the stunning purity of the fruit, or the elegant, seamless, kirsch, cherry, and peppery strawberry notes in the long, drawn-out, elegant, refined, silky finish. This is truly a special tasting experience.

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#chateauneuf #grenache #chateauneufdupape #cotesdurhone #rhonewine #instawine #topwine #oldwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #wineblog #winegram #winewriter #winebottles #thewinecellarinsider

2010 L’Eglise Clinet… Wow! . I was thrilled t

2010 L’Eglise Clinet… Wow!
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I was thrilled to see someone bring this gem to dinner a few days ago. I’ve laid some down, but I’m still waiting on those for a few more years.
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2010 L’Eglise Clinet offers everything a great Pomerol needs. About 60 minutes of air brought out all the truffles, dark chocolate, cherries and plums we could handle. But here, it’s all that density and concentration with its opulent, velvety textures on the palate with its non-stop finish that steals the show. Oh yes, this is Pomerol decadence at its best.
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#pomerol #merlot #wineporn #bestwine #rarewine #grandcru #oldwine #winewinewine #lovewine #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

1990 Lynch Bages at the peak of its power… . The

1990 Lynch Bages at the peak of its power…
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They say patience is a virtue. While patience and I are not always on good terms, for the best wines, patience is as important as great terroir.
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3 decades of age has turned 90 Lynch Bages into an incredible tasting experience. Elegance and power are perfectly in balance. The power delivers layers of sweet, ripe, earthy, savory red fruits, cedar and tobacco with hints of spice on the nose and palate. There is length, layers of rich, seemingly endless waves of fruit and a stoic sense of refinement in the finish. If you have a bottle, open it and enjoy the ride.
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#chateaulynchbages #pauillac #wineporn #oldwine #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #grandcru #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #wineblog #instawine #thewinecellarinsider

Finally it’s Friday. What are you opening this w

Finally it’s Friday. What are you opening this weekend?
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Our weekend started off with a beautiful St. Emilion, 2005 Beau-Sejour Becot.
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It was the right choice. Ready to go at close to 17 years of age, the wine delivers its mineral driven, dark red fruits, herbs, licorice, plum and dried floral nuances easily. Medium/full-bodied, soft, earthy tinged cherries and plums are all over the place on your palate and in the finish.
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I like this wine, a lot. But it is impostor note that the wines they are producing at Beau-Sejour Becot today are far superior. The turn around began in 2015 with the 2018, 2019 and 2020 being the 3 best vintages produced in the history of the estate!
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#saintemilion #merlot #wineporn #bestwine #grandcru #oldwine #winewinewine #drinkwine #lovewine #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

1992 Dalla Valle Maya, a true thrill a sip wine! .

1992 Dalla Valle Maya, a true thrill a sip wine!
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What California Cabs have you tasted lately that exceeded your expectations?

It’s been 7 years since I last tasted this and I was blown-away by it! The layers of depth. The perfectly ripe fruits. The mouth-coating waves of decadent pit fruits and seamless finish that sticks with you for over 60 seconds is what great wine is all about. It’s not easy to find and it’s pricey, but it truly delivered the goods.
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#wineporn #cabernet #napavalley #wineo #oldwine #winewinewine #winebottles #rarewine #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #greatwine #cabernetsauvignon #napawine #sommelierlifestyle #wineblog #winegram #winewriter #thewinecellarinsider

59 Latour, magic in the glass… . I am not sure

59 Latour, magic in the glass…
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I am not sure how I have been this lucky to have tasted this wine more than any other 1959, but I am not complaining. Especially after this bottle. Balancing power and grace, the wine is bright, spicy, full, and deep, with layers of tobacco, cedar, cigar box, smoke, spice, ash, oceanic scents, and red fruits. Long, intense, and expansive, this is an incredible tasting experience.
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#chateaulatour #firstgrowth #rarewine
#pauillac #wineporn #bestwine #grandcru #oldwine #winewinewine #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

Chateau d’Yquem at maturity …. . Have you ever

Chateau d’Yquem at maturity ….
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Have you ever tasted a dream wine?
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In its youth, d’Yquem has competition. There are a few wines from Sauternes and Barsac that also offer incredible tasting experiences. But as those wines age, Yquem takes on complexities other wines do not offer.
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1959 d’Yquem serves up an off the hook tasting experience with its cornucopia of nuances. Toasted marshmallow, caramel, butterscotch, candied Orange rind, spice, cocoa, apricot, marmalade and nuts are only part of the show.
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It’s the non stop layers of silky, sweet fruits that hit your palate along with racy acidity so the wine feels lifted that seals the deal. At 62, I’d guess we’ll stored examples could hit 100 years of age.
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#yquem #sweetwine #sauternes #wineporn #firstgrowth #bordeauxwine #winewinewine #grandvin #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #wineblog #winewriter #instawine #winebottles #thewinecellarinsider

1995 Phelps Insignia . What California Cabs have y

1995 Phelps Insignia
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What California Cabs have you tasted lately? It’s was a full weekend devoted to wines from the Golden State, kicking off with this gem from the mid-90s.
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95 Phelps Insignia is fully-developed and ready to go. No decanting needed, just pull the cork and enjoy the balanced layers of red and black fruits, gentle touched of licorice and earth, freshness and refined textures. No heat, just loads of beautiful fruit.
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#josephphelps #wineporn #cabernet #napavalley #wineo #winewinewine #winebottles #rarewine #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #greatwine #cabernetsauvignon #napawine #oldwine #sommelierlifestyle #wineblog #winegram #winewriter #thewinecellarinsider

Finally it’s Friday. What are you opening this w

Finally it’s Friday. What are you opening this weekend?
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I’m thinking it’s a Pauillac weekend. In fact I’m hearing Pichon Lalande calling my name.
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And that’s a good thing. The 1996 Pichon Lalande is just beautiful today. Soft, silky, fresh, earthy, concentrated and complex, all the secondary nuances of tobacco, spice, red and black currants along with a blast of sensuously textured fruits on the palate and in the finish has my number.
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What has your number this weekend?
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#pichonlalande #pauillac #wineporn #bestwine #grandcru #lovewine #winewinewine #wineo #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

Small vintages can produce surprises… . If you k

Small vintages can produce surprises…
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If you know where to look, small vintages can produce nice wines. 2002 was a difficult vintage, but Cos d’Estournel tureen out a very nice wine, that is clearly one of the wines of the vintage.
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Opened to celebrate the start of a nee career, the wine is fully developed, the red currants, exotic spices, cedar, tobacco red berries offer sweetness, round textures and elegance. There is no need for decanting or further aging, if you have a bottle, you should be opening it. We did!
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#cosdestournel #saintestephe #oldwine #lovewine #winewinewine #wineo #wineporn #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #grandcru #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

Happy Bday Hercules! You’re 14 today!!!! . My fu

Happy Bday Hercules! You’re 14 today!!!!
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My fur baby is celebrating his bday with a few nice, long, leisurely walks, treats and extra dad time. Taken a few nights ago, he’s looking good for 14!
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He’s a bit slower these days, but who isn’t? He’s a true member of the family who still loves life and has fun living each and every day to the fullest.
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#yellowlaboftheday #yellowlabsrule #yellowlabradorretriever #labadorable #labradorretriever #retrieversofinstagram #lovemylab #labradorlife #labrador_class #winedogs #winerydogs #bestlabradors #instalab

1959 Château Mouton Rothschild… . There are win

1959 Château Mouton Rothschild…
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There are wines and there are dream wines. 59 Mouton Rothschild is a dream wine.
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The nose, with its compelling perfume shows off its mint, cigar box, Asian spice, tobacco and red berry character easily. But the star of the show is the flamboyant, sensuous, rich textures on your palate with its stunning length and richness. Not as concentrated or powerful as the legendary 1961, but not that far from there either, this is a majestic tasting experience.
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#mouton #pauillac #firstgrowth #oldwine #moutonrothschild #rarewine #wineporn #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #grandcru #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

What did you open this weekend ? . Being in a fall

What did you open this weekend ?
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Being in a fall mood, and knowing picking was taking place all over the Rhône Valley, we chose a beautiful Chateauneuf. It’s a good thing we did.
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2007 Clos des Papes showed just great! Popped and poured, it took no time or effort for all the sensuous, lusciously textured, perfectly ripe, spicy cherries, herbs, pepper and red berries to show what they had to offer. Concentrated, deep, long and with fabulous richness and staying power, the wine avoids any touch of heat, jam or overripe flavors found in some 07 Rhône wines.

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#closdespapes #chateauneuf #grenache #chateauneufdupape #cotesdurhone #rhonewine #instawine #topwine #oldwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #wineblog #winegram #winewriter #winebottles #thewinecellarinsider

Finally it’s Friday. What’s in your glass this

Finally it’s Friday. What’s in your glass this weekend?
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To get the weekend off to a good start, let’s get things going with a perfectly mature, easy to like, affordable charmer.
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2006 Clos des Jacobins is about to start harvesting their 2021. Best of luck to them and everyone!
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The 2006 Clos des Jacobins is completely developed, soft, silky, medium-bodied and earthy, with plenty of ripe berries and plums with a touch of espresso and a dash of chocolate to finish things off.
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#saintemilion #merlot #wineporn #oldwine #bordeauxwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #grandcru #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

When you can’t decide, open both… . What would

When you can’t decide, open both…
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What would you do? Open one, the other, or both?
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Decisions, decisions, decisions. Right? We all make them. And wine is for sharing and pleasure.
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So, not being able to pick between the kirsch filled charms of old vine Grenache, or the mineral driven, full-bodied, meaty, smoky, dark berry filled Cote Rotie, we did the right thing and opened both!
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#chateauneuf #grenache #coterotie #chateauneufdupape #syrah #cotesdurhone #rhonewine #instawine #topwine #oldwine #sommelier #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #wineblog #winegram #winewriter #winebottles #thewinecellarinsider.

1959 Château Montrose… . While Montrose is almo

1959 Château Montrose…
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While Montrose is almost ready to pick their 2021, it seemed like a good time to revisit a classic vintage, 1959.
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1959 Montrose rocked! Packed with smoke, forest leaf, cedar, cigar box and sweet, currants with a touch of spice and herbs, the wine provides a depth of flavor on the palate and in the long, generous, fresh, spicy, earthy finish. I love the style of this wine!
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#chateaumontrose #saintestephe #oldwine #rarewine #wineporn #bordeauxwine #classicwine #grandvin #winebottles #instawine #topwine #bestwine #sommelier #grandcru #greatwine #sommelierlifestyle #winegram #instawine #wineblog #thewinecellarinsider

2002 Abreu Madrona… . What California Cabs have

2002 Abreu Madrona…
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What California Cabs have you tasted lately?
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At close to 20 years of age, this is showing great. The wine is rich, full, deep, powerful, long and palate filling. The fruit is sweet, ripe and lush. Yet, even with all its density, there is an elegance and sense of balance that makes this such a pleasure to imbibe.
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Wines like this are clearly at the benchmark level of what makes California wine so damn good!
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Can you think of other benchmark producers from the Golden State?
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Finally it’s Friday. What’s in your glass this

Finally it’s Friday. What’s in your glass this weekend?
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To get the weekend off to a good start, we looked at Saint Emilion. Always a good choice.
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Pavie Decesse deserves more attention. But the production is small, so it can be difficult find, especially older vintages. Owned by Gerard Perse who also owns Pavie, the same team makes both wines.
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2000 Pavie Decesse is drinking beautifully today. Popped and poured, it took maybe 20 minutes before all the flowers, licorice, black cherry, cocoa and plums made their presence known. Rich, full-bodied, opulent and lush, the wine finishes with sweet black and red fruits, crushed rocks and licorice. This should drink well for at least another 12-15 years with ease.
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