Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

David L

9.5

13’ Last bottle. — 8 years ago

JKT

9.1

Gordons Čhanin tasting 6/13/17. $45. #7. Like 2013 but more fruit notes and good finish. Lively and very new world in a good way. Complexity underneath and could age well. Softer than '13 and seemed older. — 9 years ago

Raine Craft

9.2

This wine will set you down in the middle of a candle lit heurigen, listening to a waltz whist surrounded by the Austrian Alps of the summer season. — 9 years ago

Jose Perozo Casanova

9.0

I really like this blend, for that price is a very nice option. — 10 years ago

Pierpaolo Petrassi MW

Master of Wine; Head of Beer, Wine & Spirits Waitrose

9.4

Difficult to believe this wine is 13 years old. Amazing balance of freshness and the richness you come to expect of GA. incredible finesse. — 11 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. — 11 years ago

with Susan

Carlos Chiti

9.4

13/MAI/2015 — 11 years ago

Derek Cantrell

9.8

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

Cullen Perry

9.0

super interesting expression, not too much toast, lemon, good acid, amber color — 6 years ago

Raj Harb

9.3

Such purity. A notch below the ‘13 — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Had to get a bottle for holidays. Beautiful dark color, blend of Tempranillo, Graciano & Mazuelo, aged in new French oak for 24 months. Concentrated red fruit aromas with light oak and spice. On the palate ripe red fruit flavors, complex with layers fruit & spice, noting espresso, cacao and toasty oak. Tannins are a bit biting now but should softer with time. Lingering, great balance on the finish ending with . Decant to drink now, otherwise let this baby sit in the cellar. No ‘12 or ‘13, so grab ‘10 & ‘11 now — 8 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.4

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc
A little closed up, but that's to be expected from such a young wine built for aging. Air helps to unfold the layers buried within. While 2014 was a cooler year, the weather played well to the style of Sassicaia as its target is 12.5-13% abv every vintage, so the conditions here were less of an issue. The acidity and density are here to last for some time, probably more than you think and should go the distance just fine. Elegant, yet powerful, with pure red currants and cassis, a touch of bright blueberry fruit, with a savory and spicy edge from the Cabernet Franc, then graphite and lavender florals appear, this is a beautiful young and fresh Sassicaia. Rocks and stone on the nose hint at minerality. Elegant and persistent on the medium+ palate, gorgeously pure and distinct with firm medium+ grain tannin. A long, dense, tightly wound finish that is fresh and persistent, entirely to young but with loads of potential. — 9 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.1

Off 11/13/16 cena thanks — 10 years ago

Maya Kaczorowski

9.0

Slightly sweeter than I expected — 10 years ago

with Robin

Joseph A. Smak

9.3

Wonderful cab from a tasting at Stags Leap, 10/13/13 — 11 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?! — 11 years ago

Benjamin Keator

9.3

Very rich full bodied wine. A blend of 13 different Alsatian grapes. — 11 years ago

with Weston

Patrick Kanaley

9.2

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

Joseph Barsky

9.5

2005 Vintage. 13% Alcohol. Secondary notes of cinnamon and tangerine with a slight honeyed taste but still good acidity and minerality. — 7 years ago

Sean Stephenson

9.9

Light and smooth — 7 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. — 9 years ago

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. — 9 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

Michael Duffy

8.9

Bigger and darker fruit than expected. Heavier on the palette than the '13 I'd recently had. Finish of licorice. — 10 years ago

Collin Moody

9.3

On fire. Riesling and pizza. — 10 years ago

with Nelson and Matt

Paul Todd

9.5

Jammy fruity and delicious. Buy 2, 1 is not enough. — 11 years ago

Morgan Thompson

9.5

Near perfect rose. Light, not too sweet but not too dry. Could drink all day! — 11 years ago

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

Bridget Meagher

9.6

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