2004 Domaine du Vissoux Pierre-Marie Chermette Cuvee Traditionnelle Beaujolais Vielles Vignes This was awesome on release but it sucked eggs bad. Still had body left but was flawed with head snapping VA. So, I didn't tell Maureen and told her to try it. I was laughing because her head snapped back just like mine had. Super vinegar concentrate. Loads of fruit but it was candied and just horrible. Down the sink! 2005 McPrice Myers L'Ange Rouge Santa Barbara Grenache I am fairly sure there is some syrah in this as well as Larner Grenache, so it was deep, dark, heavy and robust. Very ripe, almost too much so, but dang this was tasty. It had this unique chocolate marzipan character that is very intriguing. Fruit showed framboise liqueur, fig, prune and blackberry. Some herbal character. Liked it. 90/100 1997 Dow's Vintage Porto I used to complain about Ports all the time, feeling like they were never ready to drink, always too harsh and never resolved at all. Not sure if this was showing much development but it was tasty over a number of nights. Opened it to make some pork chops that had a reduction sauce made of blueberry, port, balsamic and caramelized onions. Liked it. 92/100 1998 Cuilleron Les Serines Saint-Joseph Syrah Awesome bottle. High acidity but really great northern rhone character, a little tight and angular but full of iodine, meat, mineral, blackberry, bacon, violets etc. Medium weight. Loved it! 94/100 1998 Michel Bernard Chateauneuf du Pape Some problems with this. The nose was very oxidized but the cork look very solid. ???? The palate was pretty solid, loads of CdP complexity, herbs du provence, merde, raspberry. Riper than my favorite but still reasonably balance 89/100 Wasn't even this good on day two. 1997 David Bruce Chalone Pinot Noir This is pretty darned tasty stuff. The nose is very nice, loads of floral character. It shows spicy raspberry fruit with forest floor, mushroomy earth and some cocoa powder like depth that seemed a little odd but very tasty. Very structured with solid tannic strength that stood out a bit. Slightly mouth drying. The cocoa came on strong at the finish and almost seemed to me like some other grape blended in. That seemed odd to me but I liked it. 91/100