Ely Cohn

9.5

The difference 40 years makes is maybe just a thin wooly blanket.

Pull it back and this thing's full of life - bright, vibrant, gas in the tank.

It’s brighter yellow than tired gold. Theres more fruit than decay. Sour apricots and yellow canned peaches, white popcorn and greasy bacon, and that foggy musk.

Acid rips through and does not give. Barely sweet with the demi-sec tag thats written right there but I'm not buying it.

Tonight this is 40 years old, just gettin' goin, just like me. — 5 months ago

Ed Chin

9.3

Crowd favorite due to the abundance of fruit and balancing acid — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed with a simple meal of pasta all’arrabbiata and over the course of a few hours. The 2021 pours a deep ruby color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Morello cherry, orange bitters, exotic spices, black tea, black licorice, some dried green herbs and gravely earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and lithe in body. I’ve long been a fan of Fèlsina fan and their Chianti Classico and Riserva especially so. When it’s a great vintage like 2021? Back up the truck. These will drink well through 2031 with ease. I can’t wait to try the CCR! — 10 months ago

Colin Cahoon

9.3

Nose is dark red fruit with blackberry, blueberry, and cooked strawberry. Palate is dark cherry, cooked strawberry, ripe blackberry, rhubarb, ripe fig, caramel, cola, oak, cedar, mushroom, green pepper, cinnamon, and truffles. Medium tannins, high acid, medium alcohol, and long finish. An outstanding Chinon. — 2 years ago

with Susan

Matt Perlman

9.0

From mag. Had not yet tried this wine with this much age before and didn’t know what to expect but it was really quite nice. Develops kind of like a gamay or Pinot. Black cherry and raspberry still there but definitely leaner and more acid-driven and savory at this point. Dried flowers, stewed tomato, dried herbs, mushroom, maybe a little sweet tobacco and mesquite. Overall I think I would still drink this young for the exuberant lip smacking red fruit but this was interesting — 4 years ago

Tor Kenward

9.5

Needed a little time for acid fruit and age all to come together. Still vibrant. — 7 years ago

Garret Nagle

9.0

Racy, indulgent red cherries, black berries, violets, Bret funk, VA, medium plus body, tannin, acid. — 7 years ago

Marc Miller

9.0

Well balanced with intense acid and fruit, burnt peach, raisin but beautifully integrated. — 8 years ago

Chad Bowman

Sales LDF Sales

9.6

Checking in...I still have heart burn from all of the acid. Nails. — 10 years ago

Anna Savino

10

What an amazing wine! Perfection at 35 years old! Perfect balance of fruit, acid, earthiness, and evolutive flavors! So lucky! #bordeaux #1980 #happy6montholdbirthdaybabynico — 10 years ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Of all the American red wines that participated in the Judgement of Paris, it could be argued that Monte Bello has shown the greatest propensity to age. In fact, I would go as far as it requires lengthy cellaring to extract its best. I’ve had the good fortune to drink a number of tremendous vintages of Monte Bello over the last several years and this one has got to be at or near the top of the lot.

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1991 Monte Bello pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core moving out towards a light ruby rim; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with gorgeous notes of ripe and tart black currants, mixed bramble fruit, tobacco, some purple flowers, dill, mint, leather, earth, vanilla and associated baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. The structure remains tremendous which again, seems to indicate youth. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is super long and immensely satisfying. This is one of those wines that will outlive most humans. Drinking well now with a short decant but this has the gas to see 2061 with ease. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Double decanted two nights before service. The 2006 pours a deep, slightly hazy garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of desiccated fruit and funky umami notes: bruised and desiccated strawberry, red rope licorice, nori, Cherry Dr. Pepper, cracked black pepper and leather. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is forever long and saline; it just hangs around forever. Initially, this came across as bit backward but it really gained power and character the more time it spent in the glass. Drink now with patience and through 2036. — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

The 2015 Lauer Senior Faß 6 pours a bright golden color with some signs of particles (tartrates). On the nose, notes of petrol, tropical fruit, apples and rocky minerals. On the palate, the wine is…dry? There is probably a bit of RS but it’s balancing the acid which is laser cut. It finishes long and delicious. This will very likely drink well for another 5-7 years and goes hard with Thai food. This is just fantastic. — 2 years ago

Guillermo Camacho

9.1

Classic example. The oak is not as coconut and dill heavy and the fruit is a bit more forthright than some other Rioja producers. Nose of cigar red and blue berries. Palate of bright fruit with medium acid and tannin. Drinking well now, but this still has plenty, plenty of life. — 3 years ago

Matt

9.2

Like drinking lightning bolts ⚡️ Ripe green pear, white peach, tart citrus, zest and pith, citrus blossom, tea leaves, crushed chalk, a layer of spring honey just barely. Tense on day one with electric acidity. Day 2 showing more aromatic complexity and a kiss of breadth on the palate. So much acid and rocks. Day 4 still fresh as a daisy — 5 years ago

David Soto

9.2

It’s a beaut. Funk, pear, smoke, salt, acid, and richness at a v sensible 12% abv. — 7 years ago

LM Segal

9.3

These are now required purchases in any good CC year. Cherry-wood nose, some oak. Velvety dark cherry fruit, light on the acid but just enough to frame the beautiful core of toasty oak, baking chocolate, dark earth. Years to go. — 7 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.2

Gorgeous work! Honeysuckle, grapefruit, petrol, short finish. Saline nose. All tied together with blistering acid, ending in a mouthwatering pucker. Not for everybody, but if you love dry Chenin and Riesling, you need this in your life. Great QPR. — 8 years ago

with Alsu

Robert Knowles

9.0

Interesting bottle with a lot going on. Strawberries and roses on the nose, oranges and earth on the palate. Plenty of acid and tannin for structure - a lot to like — 10 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.4

2011. Blanc. No one drinks enough of this. That's because there are so few things to which its a good partner, but it would be an incredible cheese-and-charcuterie wine. Broad and oily, there's just enough acid to keep you coming back for more. Sun-baked yellow orchard fruits dominate, but there's more exotic fruits too (mango and dried pineapple) yellow flowers, tons of almond husk bitterness, green olives, bay leaf, oregano, tarragon, white cheddar. Oak is assertively present but not overwhelming. Place dominates over grapes here, as it's a mix of Clairette and Grenache Blanc and a hodge-podge of other things. — 10 years ago

Pooneet K

9.2

I think Produttori’s langhe is one of all time best values every year and this is no exception. This has great red and a smidge of purple fruit. Tannins are quite present but with a bit of air they fall into balance (though this could certainly take time). Excellent pairing with a simple but high quality pork chop. Very nice acid on the finish. Really enjoyable. — 6 months ago

Garen Staglin

9.4

Beautiful. Wonderful acid and fruit. — 6 months ago

Pooneet K

9.0

Bit mixed on this wine and to be honest super Tuscans in general. This Tig has some serious secondary shoe leather notes at this point. Still has some quite nice fruit and just barely enough acid, but overall was hoping for a bit more verve. — 8 months ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Really delicious. Wasn’t sure what to expect at this stage, have others in storage for some evolution but this was wonderful tonight. Opened the bottle 7 hours before but no decant and it was very giving. Somewhat pale in the glass but so much red fruit on the nose and the palate. Almost feels slightly carbonic in terms of how it is expressing but I don’t think it actually is. Incredible length and freshness on the finish - great acid. Excellent pairing with a Tuscan style roast chicken and mushrooms. — 2 years ago

Jason Gelman

9.3

love this one too. so much going on here. waves of acid, very flinty. perfectly ripe orchard fruits and maybe into the stone fruit world too. the semillon adds a lot of body. great finish. great wine. — 3 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.1

Oldest wine I’ve ever had and an impressive showing at 50 years. Bit brown and leathery but the fruit, acid, and tannin are all still showing. Notes of Nixon and moon landing. — 5 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.0

Traditional Chianti with classic profile and construction you’d expect from a quality winemaker. It has fresh gravel and soil aromas mixed into green herbs, strawberry, cedar, graphite, and minerals. High acid but all very well balanced. Flavors of tart wild cranberries and green strawberry. — 7 years ago

Ryan Guy

9.0

Dried cherries and roses, hazelnuts, and tobacco. Slightly austere on the palate with sharp acidity and dry tannin. Acid is dominate. Better with food - paired with coffee cherry rubbed beef tenderloin. 13.5% ABV is noticeable as this is on the lighter, more elegant side, no heat. This effort improved with a little air may need a little more time to come together. — 8 years ago

Rob Moose

9.7

Hard to express how good this was. Somehow this bottle managed to retain all of what was likely great about it on release (acid balance, snappy minerality) and just ADD complexity and length. Stunning. Very long finish which tempered mushrooms and choose your own umami with a painful tidal pool and steely finish. The Eddy w/ C&C — 8 years ago

with Chris

Khosro Momeni

9.2

This 2005 needs decanting. Once open great balance of fruit and acid. A sophisticated Riesling. — 10 years ago