J Ferrugia

9.5

Decanted for 30 minutes. On the nose: cedar, sandstone, currents, hint of leather.
On the palate: dissipating tannin, softening cedar, emerging black cherry fruit and soft sandstone.
This is a big, beautiful Bordeaux at its peak with all the softness in the last sip that comes with age.
Drink it now. — 9 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.7

Blend of 61% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc & 1% Petit Verdot. Deep Ruby with aromas of berry fruit aromas & herb notes. On the palate black raspberry & blackberry, currant-like, with tobacco, cacao and smoky oak notes. Fine polished tannins, long finish ending with fruit and earthy mineral tones, just starting to drink well but will last for the next decade+. Tasting Sample! — 4 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.3

Complex, earthy cigar box tannins right from the start transitioning in a vibrant dark fruit on the mid palet and a nice grippy finish. At its peak after about 30-60 minutes, flatting out after two hours. If it had more staying power I would have rated it in the upper echelon. — 6 years ago

with Tammy

Jimmy Vo

9.0

30 minute decant ... immediate hints of tobacco... minerals and earthy... may need to let it open up more ... — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Label based on Little Prisoner etching, by Francisco de Goya. Deep Ruby with red fruit aromas and hints of woody spice. Aged 30% on new oak, combo of French/American barrels, blend of Zin, Cab Sauv, Petite Sirah, Syrah & Charbono. Palate shows flavors of sweet cherry, blueberry & raspberry, zesty spice lively acidity, good balance. Fine tannins, long finish ending with cacao & oaky character. — 6 years ago

Michael Greene

9.0

Very honeyed and less mellow than the 40 year. Still mighty complex — 7 years ago

Clément Poisson

8.9

Was a dumbo and didn't realize I had bought Sherry?
Very light golden yellow. Smells of candied nuts but tastes of proscuitto a little bit (salty). — 8 years ago

Amit Srivastava

9.4

Not super big but really well structured and so ready to drink . Opened up nicely with 30-45 mins of decanting . — a year ago

Lars Kirstein

9.4

40 years old but still in a very good shape, typical green pepper nose, medium body but stays for more than 30 seconds — 4 years ago

Jeff Hasmann

9.3

Iconic spring season champagne. There are many reasons everyone loves this stuff - Grand Cru fruit, 36 months on lees, Billecart’s unique vinification process - but the best reason is that it is just so darn delicious. Tonight, the bouquet was intense and very much like a Chablis Grand Cru. Upon pouring into the glass, one notices the fine, elegant mousse rising from the bottom. Then the first sip - strawberries and pear with undertones of nuanced brioche and yeast. The style here is elegant and finessed. Beautiful juice! Tonight’s bottle disgorged in May, 2018. 50/30/20 chard/PN/PM, 9g/l dosage, 40% reserve wine. You will be hard pressed to find a better bottle of champagne in the $75-$90 price range. Well done! NV on May 8, 2020 — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Tried 6mos ago. Began 1916, Juan Gil Giménez, great-grandfather of present generation, built winery in heart of Jumilla. Blue label spent 18 months in new oak (wine formally known as 18 mos representing time in bottle, now “Blue Label.” Monastrell, Cab Sauv & Syrah blend (60/30/10), low yield, aromas of red berry and toasty oak. Palate shows flavors of dark berry fruits, espresso, cacao and hints of sweet spice. Big dusty tannins, well integrated with oak, lingering, well balanced. Aged well, still going! — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

The 1989 Pichon-Baron repeats its performance from the vertical tasting in May 2018. It storms from the glass, bearing copious blackberry, cedar and perhaps a little more mint than I noticed on the previous bottle. There is so much youthful zeal to this harmonious, refined Pauillac that you would barely guess it is 30 years old. Long and tender with a graphite-infused finish, this bottle might be even better than the ex-château example. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2019) — 6 years ago

Eric Burtner-Abt

9.1

Spice, leather, blackberry, vanilla nose. Lush blackberry, tobacco and, mineral, hint of raisin in the finish. — 7 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.3

Notes of luscious caramel syrup with hazelnuts and raisins — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Consistent both days. The 2017 Marqués de Riscal “Reserva” pours a deep ruby with a near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with dark cherries, ripe bruised strawberries, baked apple, hibiscus, toasted coconut, vanilla, new leather and some baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Medium+ alcohol. A lovely pairing with my sort of modern riff on paella for a quick Tuesday evening meal. More please!

Having enjoyed vintages going back to the early 1980’s, I think Marqués de Riscal “Reserva” is one of the last few, true bargains in the wine world. They are classic in the sense that they are unmistakably Rioja and they have the ability to age for decades. It’s very hard for me to think of another wine that is widely available for under $30 that can drink this well and cellar that long. Let’s enjoy the disparity while we can! — 2 years ago

Austin Blackwell

8.9

Lighter bodied than even some of their Pinots but has decent balance. — 5 years ago

with Angelina

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Had this 6 mos ago at Tasting, liked it, bought several bottles for cellar. Blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot & Malbec, made by 30 year Chappellet winemaker Phillip Titus. Deep Ruby, purple edges, youthful aromas of black fruit, spices and flinty notes. On the palate flavors of blackberry and black cherry with some vanilla and tobacco and herbal floral notes. Vivid acidity & firm tight tannins with long finish ending with a youthful character, aging well should benefit from bottle aging. — 6 years ago

JUAN LOPEZ

10

Besos de los dioses — 6 years ago

with Adriana

Justin Fuld

8.9

Needed a good 30-45 minutes to breathe before opening up. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

My last 2011 bottle. The estate of Sette Ponti lies in the heart of the Chianti zone, 15 miles northwest of the city of Arezzo, past the village of San Giustino Valdarno. Crognolo, aged in French Allier barriques, deep red with red fruit aromas and sweet perfumed spice. On the palate raspberry and cherry flavors, gentle spice and soft tannins with great mouthfeel. Good balance, lingering finish ending with some oak and mineral tones. Aged well. — 8 years ago