The 2003 Canon-La Gaffelière was the winning bottle in the April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was not decanted and paired well with grilled burgers on a warm Spring night in Seattle. Château Canon-la-Gaffelière is situated in  Saint-Émilion and ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. In 1969, Count Joseph Hubert von Neipperg purchased Canon La Gaffeliere from the Meyrat family. The von Neipperg family remains the owners today. Currently, Stephan von Neipperg manages Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere as well as several ot ..read more

Clos des Jacobins is situated St. Emilion and dates back to the 1700’s. The estate was purchased by the Decoster family in 2004. The vineyard is predominantly Merlot followed by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Purple in color. 14.5% ABV. Brooding nose of black fruits, leather, graphite and anise. Full bodied with strong acidity. Exceedingly rich and plush. Black currants, cassis, tobacco and earth on the palate. Nice length on the finish with notable gritty tannins. Just a great value from the 05 vintage that is everything you could hope for 18 years from vintage. Best over the next 3-5 ..read more

The 1996 Cos d’Estournel was the winning bottle in the September Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel founded Chateau Cos d’Estournel in 1811. Cos d’Estournel was one of the first wineries in Bordeaux to bottle, label and sell their own wine. The Chateau has exchanged hands many times over the years but today is owned and managed by Michel Reybier, who earned his fortune in the food industry and bought Cos in 2000. I did not decant the wine and it picked up a little weight with time in the glass. It is worth noting that I am the original owner of this bottle ..read more

The 2005 Fleur Cardinale was the winning bottle in the August installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I decanted the wine briefly and served with a tri tip roast on a cool Summer night in Seattle. Chateau Fleur Cardinale was purchased by Dominique and Florence Decoster in 2001. The 24.5 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Fleur Cardinale is planted to 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Fleur Cardinale is located next door to Valandraud and Rol Valentin. Bright crimson in color. 14% ABV. Spellbinding nose of black fruits, leather and graphite ..read more

Chateau Lagrange is a third-growth St-Julien owned by the Suntory group since 1983. The 270 acre estate is situated next to Gruaud Larose. The winery went through major improvements and huge investments in the decades that followed the purchase by Suntory. The vineyard is planted to 67% Cabernet Sauvignon , 27% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot . Today, the average age of the vines is more than 50 years of age. The wine was not decanted and paired brilliantly with steaks and roasted potatoes. Crimson in color. 13% ABV. Classic nose of black fruits, leather and cigar box. Rich and plush with gorg ..read more

Chateau Calon Segur is one of the oldest estates in Saint Estephe dating back to 1147. In 1894 its vineyards were purchased by Georges Gasqueton and Charles Hanappier. The Gasqueton family managed the estate until 2012.  In July of 2012 Chateau Calon Segur was sold for 170 million Euros to the French Insurance Company, Suravenir Insurance. Jean-Pierre Moueix , the owner of Petrus and the massive negociant company Duclot, took a minority stake in Chateau Calon Segur. This bottle was decanted for two hours and served with steaks and roasted brussel sprouts. Dark crimson in color. 13% ABV. G ..read more

Clos des Jacobins is situated St. Emilion and dates back to the 1700’s. The estate was purchased by the Decoster family in 2004. The vineyard is predominantly Merlot followed by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Super nose of black fruits, graphite, leather and tobacco. Rich, plush and concentrated. Tremendous structure. Black cherry, licorice, currants and cassis on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Fantastic Bordeaux that is shining at 17 years of age. Another winner from St. Emilion in 2005. Best over the next 3-5 years. My rating: 92 points. Lo ..read more

The 1990 Chateau Léoville Barton was the winning bottle in the January Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was opened in memory of Anthony Barton who passed away not long ago. I decanted the wine for 90 minutes and served with a pork roast and roasted smashed yukon gold potatoes. I bought this wine on release and have cellared it properly ever since. The Barton family, the current owners of the estate, trace their Bordeaux roots all the way back to 1722.  Léoville Barton, a 2nd Growth, is now one of two chateau from the 1855 Classification of the Medoc that remains in the hands o ..read more

Clos St. Martin dates back to at least the early 1800’s. The vineyard was owned by the Rieffers family from 1850 to 2013. Clos St. Martin takes its name from the St. Martin, who is the Patron Saint for wine growers, soldiers and beggars. In March, 2013 the Cuvelier family, the owners of Chateau Clos Fourtet, headed by Matthieu Cuvelier, purchased the property. Clos St. Martin is situated next to the likes of Chateau Canon, Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot and Chateau Beausejour Duffau. Clos St. Martin with its 1.33-hectare vineyard is the smallest classified Bordeaux wine in the Saint Emilion appella ..read more

The 2000 Grand Puy-Lacoste was the winning bottle in the September Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for one hour and served with a takeout pizza. The history of Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fascinating and dates back to the 16th century. The name Grand-Puy comes from the ancient term “puy” which means “hillock, small height”. The vineyard sits on outcrops with a terroir similar to that of the Médoc’s first growths. Since the 16th century the property was passed down from generation to generation. Grand Puy-Lacoste garnered a fifth growth designation in the 1855 classification ..read more