Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The 13 was a brutal tannin vintage when I tasted it at En Premier. The tannins are still bitty but, nothing like they were out of barrel.

The fruit in the 13 shows the difficulty in the vintage. They are duller and it’s really stands out from other vintages and not in a good way.

It’s lean and there is nothing that really draws you in. Fruits are; dark cherries, rhubarb, blackberries, some blueberries@and the strawberries show some ripeness the other do not. Lots of dry earth, dry stones, some herbs, dark withering florals, decent acidity and a uneventful dry finish.

Photos of; Clyde and Alfred at the bar, their Amphora style cement tanks they ferment part of each vintage now, road signs of the good neighbors they keep and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

David L

9.5

13’ Last bottle. — 8 years ago

Craig Williams

9.3

Disgorged August ‘13; an absolutely unique Champagne experience with its solera approach to assembling the base wine. Complex, layered, oxidative and long. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.7

Wow this 11 is up there with 09 for me @ £120 & less subtle than 10 & 13 - my kind of Sass 93-95 going 96-98 👏 20yrs in this beauty 😍

🍇 85% Cab S & 15% Cab F

💨 5hr

🐮 Fillet Steak 🍔

🍷 Dark ruby

👃 Deep rich fresh spiced blackberry, currant & dark cherry jam in soft oak w/ soft earthy mineral undertone & herb sprinkles & dried blueberry 😍

👄 Med+ spiced soft black fruits that slide like silk around your mouth oozing pure class in fine smooth tannins

🎯 Med+ dark berry smooth cocoa finale — 8 years ago

Paul T HB

9.4

I don't see this being rated as high as the 12 & 13, those wines drank far above $100.00 wines, whereas this vintage is priced accordingly — 9 years ago

Collin Moody

9.3

On fire. Riesling and pizza. — 10 years ago

with Nelson and Matt

Carlos Chiti

9.4

13/MAI/2015 — 10 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.1

Seminal Napa-- still youthful with bountiful juicy plum-like fruits, and a touch of perfectly integrated oak. I like these wines so much more under 13% abv. — 11 years ago

Derek Cantrell

9.8

BJ & Jess' wedding gift wine. $100 Excellent! 10/25/13 — 12 years ago

Sean Stephenson

9.9

Light and smooth — 7 years ago

Neil Wanee

9.7

Wonderful perfectly balanced rose — 7 years ago

Jeanette Bangs

9.3

Délicieux! 13 Alsatian grape varieties blended to perfection. A pretty pleaser for the price. — 8 years ago

Jaime Grunlan

9.3

30 min decant. Deep dark red/blue. Strong vanilla and dark fruit nose. Smooth alcoholic palate. Firm tannins on medium long finish. This is classic high level Coombsville, which I love. — 8 years ago

Mike Mayer

9.4

Wonderful nose of dark fruit, oak and cinnamon. Fantastic tastes of blueberries, blackberries, cassis, baking spices and oak. A bold wine with solid tannins that are still working to put on silk gloves. This is a blend of grapes from all 15 AVA's in Napa back in 2010. Probably has another decade or more in terms of optimal bottle life. Steve Reynold's at his best. — 9 years ago

with Lisa

Alvaro Bustillos

9.1

Off 11/13/16 cena thanks — 9 years ago

Jose Perozo Casanova

9.0

I really like this blend, for that price is a very nice option. — 9 years ago

Steven Foster

Wine buyer Belmont Wine Exchange

9.3

11/12/13 blend. Damn it is good. Just the juiciest but well reserved crowd pleaser. And why shouldn't it be! At 55$ this is unbeatable. — 10 years ago

with Susan

Kaushik Banerjee

9.0

Refreshing, off dry white with just the right touch of fizz. Best $13 value in several months. Nicer on day 1 chilled. — 11 years ago

Nic Gautreaux

9.5

So good and yet so young tasting! It's an '05 and has plenty of time left! This was very drinkable but very easily could lay down another decade and some. — 11 years ago

Bridget Meagher

9.6

Wine Spec wine 0f the day 10-21-13 — 12 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.5

Rather suddenly, and without much explanation, Bordeaux found itself in the middle of my crosshairs as being the next place I wanted to conduct a deep dive in. With this shift in my general attention from New World to Old World I began to do more research on the various appellations, prominent chateaus, and nuances of Left Bank and Right Bank, as well as compile a spreadsheet highlighting specific bottles I wanted to seek out. For a reason unbeknownst to me, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou was the producer I wanted to start my deep dive with. I researched the history of the chateaux, learned about their wines, priced out vintages that were immediately available for my acquisition, and added it to my Bordeaux spreadsheet, waiting for the time to pull the trigger and purchase a bottle (or two) to start the trek with. As far as wines are concerned it was all I could think about: Ducru-Beaucaillou. Apparently, the mere act of researching a chateau left me beguiled, craving a wine I had never even had before! With all of this research in mind I’ve learned over the years that as much as I thoroughly enjoy researching and trying wine, it’s certainly more enjoyable to share the knowledge and the experiences with others. Enter @codyuzzel, who has heard more than his fair share of my wine ramblings over the years. One day we began discussing Bordeaux, Left Bank v. Right bank, and changes in our thought patterns about the region over the years, which eventually lead him to asking the million-dollar question: Are there any producers you’ve highlighted that you’re particularly interested in? I told him that Ducru-Beaucaillou was in my crosshairs, along with a handful of other producers that I’d explore once I’d tried Ducru. That’s when he texted me the picture; a picture of him holding a glorious bottle of 2012 Ducru-Beaucaillou. “I took this pic before we started this conversation.” Given the serendipitous nature of this occurrence he extended an invitation to pop the cork upon our next meeting, which is interesting in and of itself given that I had been thinking about visiting him at the wine bar just earlier that day. It’s moments like these that truly make the wine journey a sweet and rewarding one. Thanks, Cody, for your generosity and epic invitations.
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Anise, graphite, plums, and blackberries. Very polished and very delicious. — 7 years ago

with Cody

Gregory Fulchiero

9.4

Such a baby - huge menthol / eucalyptus and defy use of oak (partial french?) - guessed it was 2012-13. A lifetime ahead of it — 8 years ago

with Chris and Guy

JKT

9.2

Gordons Chanin tasting 6/13/17. $43. #5. nose that's balanced and great mouth feel and structure and great long finish. Minty hints. Like 2013. — 8 years ago

Matt Brock

9.3

I've had this bottle in the cellar for a LONG time (probably past peak)...waiting for the right occasion. Here is to ten eventful years of Builders Bargain. Jammy, delicate flavor. 13 years of aging has given this a very earthy quality. Decanted for 90 minutes but should get even more spectacular through the evening. Cheers! — 9 years ago

with Jennifer

Michael Duffy

8.9

Bigger and darker fruit than expected. Heavier on the palette than the '13 I'd recently had. Finish of licorice. — 9 years ago

Paul Todd

9.5

Jammy fruity and delicious. Buy 2, 1 is not enough. — 10 years ago

David Landrum

9.7

Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were..... Hottubbin' with Christian... Fab juice. 1989 was a good year... 13% cali bord blend... Say what?! — 10 years ago

Patrick Kanaley

9.2

Fresh and crisp. Fruity, but not overwhelmingly so. Really nice, light white. — 11 years ago

Alejandro Lopez

9.1

Classic vintage (average summer)
46%Cab-32%Merlot-13%Cab Franc-9%Petit Verdot — 12 years ago

Mark

9.7

Excellent with grilled salmon, 5/3/13 — 13 years ago