Bob McDonald

9.5

At the Yarra Yering dinner in Brisbane last Thursday 3rd October 2024 with winemaker Sarah Crowe. A blend of Shiraz, Viognier, Mataro and Marsanne. The original vineyards of Shiraz and Marsanne were established in 1969 with additional vineyards of Mataro and Viognier planted from 1984 to 1995. A lovely red berried perfume (raspberry) with some stalks added back in. Interestingly some fermenters have added frozen Viognier skins to the bottom, some have Marsanne skins. Sarah is always wanting to push the envelope with her winemaking. A classic Rhone style, blended with perfume in mind. Red wine of the year from the Halliday Wine Companion and awarded 99 points from Philip Rich from that publication. — 9 months ago

Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Chris McClellan

9.2

Well..magnum to start off the nite...needs no intro..super good, great acid with cherry/strawberry accents and brioche...paired well with charcuterie... — 5 years ago

with Ryan

Richard List

9.6

We tackled this monster at The River Cafe over the summer. Larger formats always seem to evolve that bit better over time and this was no exception. Absolutely fantastic. — 5 years ago

Susan Hanners

9.0

Crisp, clean — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Our monthly 4th Friday event at the storage facility. No requirements, just wine you want to share with others! Always an enjoyable time.

Special place in my heart for this winery. A few months ago, I had an '88 go celebrate my birth year. It was STELLAR. This is pushing forward easily...after an hour of air, the fruit and secondary earth and funk notes came out. So good! Thanks Walter! — 8 years ago

with Mark

Carson

8.9

Bringing it back stateside with this wine. Apparently it received a 97 from wine spectator. However, I'm no spectator. For me, wine is a contact sport. A high stakes game. A game of thrones, if you will. That being established, this wine would fit in well in House Stark. It's humble and unassuming, yet strong and noble BUT at the same time, we're all still waiting for it to really show up. Paired well with a nice Iowa sirloin. I gave it a shot, but for this guy, it's back to Tuscany--first flight out. #ZeroQPR — 9 years ago

Duane Mason

9.1

Very nice wine. No rush to drink Great with a steak but no rush. Give it another 2 to 3 years. — 10 years ago

B N

9.6

Award winning Shiraz, with good reason!!! It's spicy, with pepper... Some fruit but not massive... Lovely, try to buy two bottles, one for now and put one away for 10 years!!! — 12 years ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

A good, solid California Cab but what’s all the fuss about? I’m seeing ratings of 98, 99, even 100 from JS. Really? No way. This is a clear case of praise crossing over into hype. Granted, still a bit young and not at its peak but after five years in the bottle and an hour of decanting it needs to be more than just fine if it wants to justify stratospheric scores. This wine compares unfavorably to Ridge Monte Bello, Stags Leap Cask 23 and other peers. It lacked sophistication and poise—where’s the promised minerality, graphite, cedar shavings, oak, leather, blackcurrant, cherry, and complex balance of fine grained tannins, fruit, acid and alcohol? Where? We chose this wine for a birthday dinner at Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Not a disaster but a disappointment given our high expectations (and the high price).
— 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; consumed over a three hour period. No formal notes. The 2015 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco pours a deeper garnet color with a translucent core. Medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is currently bursting with red and dark fruits: blackberries, Luxardo cherry, pomegranate, green herbs, red flowers, green herbs, and tar. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. The notes on the nose are confirmed. The finish is long and savory. Really compelling stuff in the context of the night. I think the 2015’s are drinking so well right now. Unfortunately, this is my last bottle of the “classico” but I’ll be on the hunt for more if I can score at a good price. Drink now if you’re going to allow for some evolution in the glass or enjoy through 2035. — 2 years ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Krug is always most welcome, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. This is edition 169. A bit more yeasty and slightly less acidic than previous versions, to my taste. But if you like the Krug style - which we do very much - it hits the spot per usual.

My wife used to work with Fritz Hatton, proprietor of Arietta wines and auctioneer for Zachys. Fritz always says to have a half bottle of champagne waiting in the fridge in case you need a “midnight snack”, and I have to agree with him! — 4 years ago

Loren Loftesnes

9.1

I love this stuff on a nice summer day! — 5 years ago

Matt Narglee

9.4

Easy to find, easy to enjoy. — 8 years ago

Kim Stanbro

9.0

There's really no need to type S.O. tasting notes- very consistent. TGIF! — 8 years ago

with Dave

Richard Steinberg

9.3

Blind. Whole table guessed Cayuse. No surprise but close. This was really funky and yummy. Fun to drink. Better with food than as a sipper. I really liked it. Probably couldn't drink it all the time but a nice change of pace. Very intellectual flavor profile. — 9 years ago

with Mike, Howard and 1 other

JKT

9.1

Fruit still strong. Bright, minerals and complexity for fanatic. Yummy. Too bad no 2003 left to comp. — 10 years ago

Peter 0'Neill

9.1

2006. Just getting into gear with plenty of time to go. A good bottle with no brett, great structure and lovely balance with the acidity providing the scaffolding for the fruit. Great with a soy sauce and bourbon- marinaded flank steak. — 10 years ago

Kimberly State

9.4

A great bottle to celebrate with! — 11 years ago

Justin Lee

9.0

Chris's family's wine. I remember it as really good but had way too much that night to remember more. — 12 years ago

Christian Fischer

9.3

Usually not a huge fan of Italian wines, but yeah, have been buying some Sassicaia over the years. As I put away some wines I stumble across this 2012 that should be ready to drink, so I bring it upstairs to decant it. Great nose and typical flavor profiles emerge. Nice acidity and a some background menthol flavors that remind me of some great Chateau Musar vintages. This is a vibrant wine with tannins still strong, but integrated; better on day 2.
Not one of my favorite wines, no surprise, but a solid well-made enjoyable Bordeaux blend — a year ago

Ira Schwartz

9.6

Tasting group meet up with many of the regulars not able to attend . I knew the organizer invited someone whom we had not tasted with in about 15 years . He certainly made an entrance bringing this, in magnum no less. When poured it showed a fine mousse but it faded quickly. A very broad nose that hinted of some age. In the mouth it was like a sports car traveling a highway. Almond , brioche and some oxidative notes sped thru my mouth. The flavors accelerated only to linger similar to when you take your foot off the accelerator. Coasted effortlessly with no need to step on the brakes — a year ago

Guillermo Gonzalez

9.1

Can’t get enough Chianti. Great nose of cherry and rose. Some chocolatey fruits, hint of wood. Tannins pick up with time. Opened to pair with Melissa Clark’s ‘pizza chicken’. — 4 years ago

Paco Suro

8.9

Hard to follow an 09 Scallop Shelf. Bright. Fruity. A bit flabby in the middle. — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.1

Decant 1 hour (min sediment). Pulled from the crowded cellar ( I'm working on it!!). An engaging inky red/purple. On the nose: blackberry, dark plum, eucalyptus, cedar..all bursting from the glass. Taste: plum, chocolate, spice/cinnamon, blackberry, violet....finish with a little alcohol heat and slight tannic punch..drinking fine right now, no need to wait. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

David L

9.5

04’ Joseph Phelps Insignia . Thought it would be close to a pop & pour...NO! Thick tannins that dissipate nicely after a 45 minute decant. Full - bodied.
Color- Dark purple
Nose- Flowers , lavender
Palate- Blackberry , espresso, light oak, nicely integrated acidity.
WOW... Seamless/smooth.
Drinking- now with another 5+? great years. Could possibly be many more. Drinking so nicely, why wait. — 8 years ago

Penny Loving

9.3

Tasted this wine in Walla Walla and didn't want to wait when the bottles arrived at the house. As young as it is, the wine was delicious right up front. Looking forward to the next 5! — 9 years ago

Jim Daunais

9.2

Drinking beautifully right now, dark chocolate, mocha, and blackberries on the nose - terrific blend of 60% cab, 29% merlot, 8% Malbec and 3% Cabernet franc. Smooth and round on the pallet with shuttle tannins - opened up nicely over an hour of drinking - providing close to a :60 second finish. Last bottle consumed - wish I had more! — 10 years ago

Jay Svoboda

8.9

I'm going to come clean, I'm not a huge Caymus fan. It's by no means a bad wine - far from it - but I've always felt they blend their Cab with too much Zin. I could be wrong on that account, but I don't think I am. Still, a nice brooding nose of dark red and blue fruit, with a touch of candied fruit and wet earth. — 10 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.9

Date night with Cinnamon and steak & claret!!!! I bought this bottle on prearrival and tonight was a great night to open it. The wine had it all; animal earth, rich silky texture and no heaviness whatsoever. Paired with chef Marco's 16oz. Piemontese ribeye steak it was a great experience. — 10 years ago

with Cleora