Paul K

9.4

@Ryan Mullins and @Jeff Loo are spot on. This needs 10 years. I double aerated back into bottle for 12 hour corked decant and after two hours open in glass this is still closed. You can still taste the potential though. There is a density and purity of fruit behind it that I’m excited to open up one day. Was still a great experience. 94 for now. Will hold remaining bottles for at least 5 years. Please yell at me if u see another post of this wine before then. — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.6

One of my all time favorites, the 1982 Cristal is magnificent. Fresh, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 1982 remains one of the all-time great Cristals. Apricot, almond and chamomile nuances suggest the 1982 is just starting to turn the corner into its plateau of maturity. This bottle lacks a bit of excitement, but, then again, the 1982 Cristal is not exactly the sort of wine I get to taste on a regular basis, so it is possible this is not the best showing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to taste it again soon. Even so, well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade-plus. “In my opinion, 1982 is the first vintage of climate change in Champagne,” Lécaillon explains. “Sugars were higher than we were used to seeing. As a comparison, the 1981 Cristal is also concentrated, but it is concentrated by low yields. In 1982, we had high yields and elevated ripeness, meaning it was the sun that ripened the fruit.” (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 6 years ago

John Van Trijp

9.4

Drinking like a King Tasting @ Bottles in Sas van Gent — 8 years ago

Chris Haines

9.4

2 bottles decanted for 3 hours. Dark ruby/purple in color. The nose has dark berries and baking spices. Palate is rich with berries with a very smooth body and finish. Has aged nicely and could continue to improve. Paired perfectly with Chateaubriand. — 8 years ago

Charles (Chad) Bucklin

Owner and founder of C. T. Bucklin Wine Advising

9.5

Just a special experience. The nose was powerful and dynamic evolving beautifully over 30 minutes. A smokey phase, a pine phase, and a strong floral phase. The palate was balanced and smooth. The fruit was dead but resembled fruit leather. Two bottles opened, one had grip left, the other didn't. #moutonrothschild #grandcruclassé #2ndgrowth #bordeaux #pauillac #1928 #ctbucklinwine — 9 years ago

Amy Wood

9.7

1992 Dominus. This bottle at it's peak. 9.7, one of the finest bottles of wine we have ever consumed! — 9 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

10

Vintage Champagne doesn't get better. Thanks Olivier Krug for the time and the great wine! Too bad their are not more bottles to go around. — 9 years ago

David A-P

9.6

Always amazing wine. Never been disappointed in the dozens of bottles over the years. 05 is true to style and will only get better over the next 20+ yrs — 10 years ago

Renee Bourassa

Sommelier/Wine Director Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn

9.8

My top three, from the lineup of many great bottles... 1973, 1998, and 2004 (would also add 1995 Bartolo Mascarello, but it needed a touch more time)... — 11 years ago

with John and Dan

Mike Mighetto Hoefling

9.5

Probably the most expensive bottles of wine I've ever tasted at $750 a bottle. 1995 Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac. First Growth! — 13 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.1

Starts with a touch of funk. And rolls into very peppery charred cherry. Still bright and sharp. Would love to see what happens in 5 years but we couldn't resist our only two bottles. — 6 years ago

Clive McNish

9.2

I think the 389 gets easier to enjoy earlier on each release. This 2016 is already very smooth and drinkable. Priced reasonably enough to get a few bottles and follow its progress. — 6 years ago

Kevin Cahoon

9.6

Absolutely stunning. Minerals, stone and citrus fruit with that touch of reduction that is so fresh and vibrant. Elegant, high toned palate that leads with warm stones to bright apple fruit with a lovely spice component. Long, focused, mineral studded finish. Just superb. Bottles like this can go for 10 plus years. Shows why Leflaive can be so thrilling. — 7 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.7

7 May 2018

Dining in the best, semi-unknown, Vietnamese restaurant in all of Paris, with a very deep wine list, where the chef/owner was drinking the leftover bottles on day 2 of the '76 Judgement of Paris, and this bottle is on the wine list for €190, you bet you drink it! This was his last bottle, no more FAW on the wine list now.

Dusty cherry, leather, slight mint note on the tail end of the finish, easily 10+ years left on this bottle, tannins are completely resolved. — 7 years ago

Martin G Rivard

10

What a beautiful person inside and out! I'm blessed beyond measure to be able to call him "Dad". Words can't adequately express how much I Love him. We opened a few bottles last night that I will hold near and dear to my heart forever. We are celebrating his completion of 6 rounds of chemo therapy in his battle against Prostate cancer. This is his 3rd time in the ring against this opponent and it appears that he's won with a unanimous decision by knockout at this time!!!!!! Love you dad!!!!! So proud of your strength through this process. My Father was born in 1940. A difficult year to say the least:
Germans entered Bordeaux in June of 1940. As dictated by Hitler himself, it was the sworn duty of each and every commander to search and seize whatever could be used for the advancement of the German cause. Bedlam broke out. Chateaux' were ransacked, wine cellars were looted if not used for target practice. The Chateauxs were forced to continue producing wines. It's poetic justice that Mother Nature provided the Germans with the worst growing season from 1940 to 1944!!!! The Germans left Bordeaux in 1944 to the cheers of the residents "Au Revoir Les Allemands"!!!! The 1940 bottle that we enjoyed this evening survived World War II. It Survived the ransacking, pillaging & plunder of countless German soldiers. It's outer capsule showed evident signs of its struggle but it's inner beauty was unblemished and glorious. I've had many, many vintages of Latour from 1928 and on but none have ever tasted as perfect as the one we enjoyed tonight. This 1940 was perfect. It was a fighter, it never gave up, it never relinquished in the face of adversity. That's my Father, that my role model. He's a beautiful person inside & out. I think 1940 is the best vintage that I have ever had the privilege to enjoy. Special thanks to my good friends Michael Troise whom provided me with much of the insights in regards to the incredibly difficult vintage and David Page whom gifted this bottle to me for our celebration this evening. I will never forget your generosity. It was a glorious evening to say the least!!! Wine has a way of bringing people together and encapsulating an evening and event. I couldn't think of a better way to rejoice in his victory than to open a Father & Son birth year wine. — 8 years ago

with Ryan, Christine and 1 other

Simon Haidamous

9.1

One of my favorite bottles in 2015. — 9 years ago

Nancy Moules

9.9

Had two bottles of this in a restaurant last. Glad I wasn't paying — 10 years ago

Kathryn Ryan

9.6

A stunner even with fish & chips!! Pleased there are a couple more bottles in the cellar! Simply a classic. — 12 years ago

Jeffrey Stebbins

9.7

There is nothing to compare the history nor the unbelievable taste of the the Dom!!! By far one of my all time favorite bottles of true Champagne. — 13 years ago

Lee Sanders

9.2

1983 vintage. Smooth w/a lot of life still in it! Happy we still have a few more bottles in our wine room! — 6 years ago

Rob McCormish

9.5

Had two bottles of these to serve at a dinner for my daughter’s 21st birthday. They were wonderful wines, still lively and with plenty of full mouth for its 21 year age. But it also had that long finish of earth and dark cherry pit that well aged Bordeaux can have. It was enjoyed by all present. — 6 years ago

Jack Petras

9.8

Fortunate enough to have tasted this along with 6 other stunning wines last night during a cellar tasting. This 36 year old 2nd growth was nearly perfect, unusual but very pleasant mint, camphor, crushed sage and rosemary aromas with the same cooling delicate herbal initial palate. Dried but expressive red fruits mid- palate with a great structural graphite element throughout. Whiff of new leather. Changed in the glass showing different mellow facets. Pretty much intercepted at the exact right time. A real privilege to taste such a renowned vintage with folks who appreciates what was in front of them. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

After finally getting caught up with last weeks posting, its back to our regularly scheduled Friday N/V Rosé Champagnes. My favorite after Krug. Sofia’s is different about every 2-3 weeks. 🤣🥂

My notes are listed many times previously. I’m taking a break from notes for now and going to fully enough my baby bottles 🍼 of 375ml. Ahhhh! — 7 years ago

Dick Schinkel

9.5

Only 792 Bottles on 2011! This is Bottle 85 !
— 8 years ago

Emma Feeney

10

Robust viognier based blend that is heavy enough to please chardonnay drinkers but breezy enough to please the casual wine-o who wants something for a nice summer day on the porch. Loved it! — 8 years ago

George Chen

9.6

This 73 drank better than any of the bottles in my two cases left! French Laundry gang handled the bottle with aplomb and clean as a whistle. Pure fruit, melted tannins and solid acid backbone. The first nose was all Martha's with the distinct Eucalyptus minty nose and lengthy complexity for over 3 hours. A true classic that is outlasting the legendary 74!!! — 9 years ago

Philip Dobrin

9.2

3 bottles of this opened and all of them very good. Definitely in the right drinking zone. Great earthiness. Nice long finish. — 9 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

1st vintage for Opus taken from an owc that was released with the 80 vintage. Dark color for a 36 yr old. Very Balanced and elegant, fully mature drinking like a great Claret. — 10 years ago

Mac Riding

9.8

Probably my most favorite! Not inexpensive at restaurants ($65-$76), but pairs so well with just about anything. Year after year it is consistently great. It's hard not to share it, but then you must keep multiple bottles in stock! — 11 years ago

with Heidi

Bridget Meagher

9.8

Perfect after extracting the crumbly cork. Perfect balance at peak I only have two more bottles of this. — 12 years ago