A really great wine imho - and I liked this a lot better than the 2008 Dom when I had these side by side.
You’re obviously nit grouchy from a lack of good wine. 
2005 St Innocent Anden was pretty solid tonight. Not sure best of pandemic, but really pretty.
02 Ruinart BdB was probably our 2nd best wine after the 96 Harlan
Pre 07 Ruinart used just a bit too much dosage for my personal preferences - but I think in 2007 it just has some absolutely crystalline precision. It’s a really wonderful expression of chardonnay in champagne for me, a counterpoint to what Collin achieves with Enfres/Pierrieres (which is my favorite grower BdB).
“Best” in terms of dollar value:
2012 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito
2012 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Special Club Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay
2017 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne
2017 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées
2016 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots
“Best” in terms of wines I’ve liked the most:
2014 Sandhi Wines Blanc de Blancs
2018 Walter Scott Chardonnay X-Novo
2018 Walter Scott Pinot Noir Sequitur Vineyard
2016 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots
2017 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées
Love this wine.
1982 Pichon Lalande
Followed by a great 1990 Pichon Baron
At the top of my list would be these four fabulous wines:
2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Clos St. Jean Rouge
2012 Domaine Pierre Amiot et Fils Morey St. Denis Les Millandes
2010 Henri Jouan Morey St. Denis
2005 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Spätlese
These four wines also were quite excellent:
2007 G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe
2012 Somek Bik’at HaNadiv
2017 Domaine Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Blanc
2013 Ridge Lytton Springs
On the other hand, I found these four wines to be severe disappointments
2013 G.D. Vajra Langhe Freisa Kyè (rough)
2001 Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Kabinett (over the hill)
2010 Château Prieuré-Lichine (monolithic, no complexity, no finish)
2014 Château de Fosse-Seche Saumur Arcane (almost premoxed already)
Have the strict tannins started to melt yet? Last time I had this I had doubts about it ever coming around.
I bought a mixed case of QC right before the pandemic hit, 07, 03, 02, and have been quite impressed. I was Shocked at how the 07 showed, as good as any new world cab blend I’ve had this year. The 03 was almost as good, but the 02 was a little disjointed and seemed to be cracking up. I dropped off the mailing list after 2008, primarily due to the hassle with shipping, but tended to drink them young. Seems like 10-15 years is a sweet spot.
I see the ‘16 Rhadamanthus is one of the wines that is part of Galloni’s “Vinous Learn” Napa tasting that I’ve been participating in this summer. Thanks for the decanting advice, sounds like a winner!
2002 Taittinger Comtes
2008 Dom Perignon
2012 PYCM Meursault Genevrieres
1989 Haut Brion
2000 Rousseau Chambertin
1977 Fonseca
2007 Yangarra High Sands Grenache. This bottle was absolutely on the money
Just had an 86’ Spottswoode that was also fantastic
2016 Raveneau MdT with Cagen takout
2008 Clos Saron Black Pearl
2016 Boillot MOuchere
2018 Falkenstein kab alte reben
2010 Grivot Boudot
A magnum of my favorite white wine -
2015 Cassis Blanc - Clos Sainte Magdeleine
We had it with Crab Cakes -
Interesting, Thomas,
I used to drink these with great enjoyment when I lived for a few months in Cassis. On the few occasions that I had them back in the States, they never showed quite as well. But perhaps with Kermit bringing them in not so much of an issue?
2017 Carter Cellars “OG”
2017 Carter Cellars Fortuna
2012 Spottswoode
2015 Scarlett Reserve
Non wine:
Russell’s Reserve 1998 (bought 2 in 2015, decided to open my last bottle, because—well, pandemic and all)—-great, mature bourbon!
Elmer T. Lee, I bought a bunch of bottles in 2012-2013, when they were easy to find and cheap. It’s an easy sipper with good flavor. Too bad they are hard to find these days.
Thomas, if I could own one winery in the world, I think it would be this one. A beautiful setting, right on the Mediterranean:
Of course I’d plant some Vermentino there, too…it likes the water.
Couldn’t agree more. We just had to cancel our trip to Cassis - we were flying into Milan, driving to Cassis and then hitting every village along the Mediterranean (including Bandol) on our way back to Piemonte. I’m crushed, as I’d been planning this for two years, and Cassis (along with this magical vineyard that literally sticks out into the sea) is my favorite village in France.