1999 CastelGiocondo Brunello Riserva: Twenty-seven years on, the Sangiovese has settled into dried cherry, liquorice, leather and tobacco with a still-lively core of acidity and fine, evolved tannins. Time to drink these up...

I needed to see it before the spoilers landed. Highly recommend despite its almost three hours of running time (2hrs 54min). This film is ~ wild ~ #YouCanSeeEverything

Saturday night and we've saved the Bèze for last. Once the case has been cracked, it's hard to resist. 2013 Faiveley Clos de Bèze is just superb: rose petals and spice with great tension and complexity. This vineyard continues to race up my list of fav Burgundy sites. #BadPuns

Back from Panama and back to our regularly scheduled program. 25 y/o Sori' Paitin Barbaresco Vecchie Vigne (old vines) that, poured blind, would suggest maybe 2015 or 2016. The prominent fruit and floral notes suggest another two decades of enjoyment. Remarkable.

OMG

As part of the first wave, my son and I depart Panama today with dirty clothes, incredible memories and full hearts. For three days the #VivintGivesBack crew worked as a team in the heat and humidity of the rain forest. 16 homes in total this week with 34 more to come. The warmth and kindness of the Panamanian people will stay with us forever. 🫶🏻🇵🇦

Day 1 of our Impact Trip. Over the course of the next three weeks over 300 volunteers from across @nrgenergy and @VivintHome will build 50 homes for families in need - all in the Neuva Luz village in Panama. The work is slow but the progress is exciting and so rewarding. Made some new friends too! 🐈 #VivintGivesBack

At 51 miles long, the Panama Canal still does what no sea-level ditch could: a gravity-fed lock system that lifts ships 85 feet onto a man-made lake, across the Continental Divide and down to the other ocean. Opened in 1914, its locks were the largest concrete structures ever built. An absolute engineering marvel: to this day it remains the shortcut that rewrote global trade. #PanamaCanal 🇵🇦

Celebrating #JamesBondDay in Panama 🇵🇦 While no 007 film is actually set here, Quantum of Solace shot two big sequences on location: Colón doubling for Haiti’s boat chase and Panama City standing in for Bolivia. Infinity pool views, shaken not stirred. 🍸

Panama!

Neighbours. Allies. Friends. 🇨🇦🇺🇸

Move over 6/7.... I present 3/4

Well hello!

2020 Morey Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Romanée". Not nearly as famous as the red "La Romanée" vineyard, but this is great - ripe stone fruit, pear and a hint of honey. Beautiful balance of richness and acidity. Gets the "YES" stamp of approval.

Last night's 2016 Bordeaux retrospective tasting of 21 wines. Wet spring, dry summer, September rain - now a modern classic vintage. Cabernet on the Left Bank is linear and built to last. Right Bank is fleshier and feels more ready now. Ten years in, the vintage is living up to the promise. My standouts were Troplong-Mondot, Rauzan-Ségla, Léoville-Barton, Montrose and Pichon Comtesse.

Coasting...

Robots chose life today

Reading this while on a flight to D.C. is suboptimal ...