Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Showing just as well as the bottle some weeks back. The first vintage of Dauvissat’s MDT, with just 2 barrels made and hardly any came to the US. It sits in a great place, super giving and ready to drink. It’s seamlessly balanced and finely detailed showing a complex array of yellow fruit, lilies, wildflower honey and hazelnut with lemony acids and a stony minerality. It fills out with air and continues to gain volume and focus. Great bottle. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Founded by Cody and Marque Wright, yes that family of the great Ken Wright Pinot’s  very nice small production Pinot, 600 cases, from 115/777 clones. Medium+ Ruby, nose is a bit closed, with aromas of blue and red fruits with an array of spices, clove, tar and wet earth. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cranberry with notes of tobacco, citrus, floral and earthy tones. Fine tannins, lively acidity, long ending with fruit, spice, mineral and earthy notes. Will age a bit! Tasted twice! — 5 years ago

Chris Zitzman

9.3

Right off the pop of the cork, Tuck Beckstoffer’s entry-level “1975” California Cabernet acts as a simple-yet profound introduction to a whole series of extremely highly-regarded wines from one of the most legendary names in all of California. The nose provides a lush and surprisingly broad array of flavors from stewed cherry to a Smokey- bit of charred oak- and its caliber is defined by how those aromas find their way to melt together- even as young as it be. As it breathes and evolves the structure softens and the tannins begin to more gently explain as well as reveal the flavors that are, sip-by-sip, emerging on the palate. Medium-bodied but with plenty of structure to spare, the (just unbelievably) inexpensive 2018 Beckstoffer “1975” Cabernet is one to try. Then buy, by the case. — 6 years ago

with Beth

Scott Taddeo

9.2

Hardly any different to my note a year ago with a great array of aromatics despite its still youthful state; violets, bay leaf, mint, plum, black currant, dark chocolate, and cedar. Ripe tannins, acidity holding up well and good finish. — 6 years ago

Matt

9.2

Came out of the gates backward, attacking dry and departing “sweet” almost. Once upright the gorgeous honey kissed citrus/stonefruit, exotic flowers, and array spices and herbs, ginger, tea, aloe. While it’s shed some baby weight, it still has a great interplay of powerful concentration and extract to keep the acid in check. — 8 years ago

David L

9.3

06’ Realm Beckstoffer Dr Crane . At 12 years old it still needs a decanting. It truly blossomed after just 15/20 minutes in the decanter.
An array of floral and herbal notes to this. RICH...Blue/black fruits are abundant in this wine. Tobacco, with sweet tannins & a long finish.
A little like yesterday Entre Nous... drink this while still in it’s prime (3/5 years) — 8 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

An absolute monster of a wine. 4 hours in the decanter served perfectly to allow this 2001, perhaps one of the best Hommage vintages ever, to flaunt its incredibly complex aromatic array of black fruits, roasted Provençal herbs, licorice, campfire smoke and Christmas spices.

It’s still youthful with ripe tannins and a ton of muscle. Nowhere near its peak. But it’s entering its drinking window seamlessly, being incredibly giving and expressive with sufficient air. Similar to how VV Gonon differs from the regular bottling, Hommage just cranks everything up to 10 and it’s concentrated flavors come at you in waves. But it never gets heavy as there is just enough lift and precision to keep everything harmonious. A very special bottle from a very special vintage indeed. — 4 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.3

Opened and decanted about an hour before serving by request. An initial funk and reduction blows off to show a wide array of florals. It’s vibrant, focused and expressive showing violets, red roses, ripe black and red fruit, a touch of game and pixelated minerals. It’s a little thin on the midpalate and finishes a tad bit short. — 5 years ago

Daron Watson

8.9

An array of citrus & apples with a finish of tomato leaf & bell pepper... — 6 years ago

Vijay Parikh

9.6

Simply amazing champagne with a broad array of fruits in the nose, extremely silky, looked and tasted as if aged (was totally misled) and turned out to be a Selosse which for anyone familiar with Initial and Substance would totally bet against! Extremely elegant! — 6 years ago

Matt

9.5

Love where this is, plenty of muscle without the unnecessary sinew that it had in its youth. Despite the array of fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, and earth this had, its most defining feature to me was the stony imprint it had across the palate. Can’t wait to revisit! — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Grabbed another bottle and paired it with Swordfish with a warm corn and tomato sauté relish. Yum! Ruby with aromas of sweet ripe red fruits with an array of herb scents. Grapes blended from four vineyards and aged in French oak (50% new) for 16 months, the palate had flavors of cranbery & wild cherry fruit, with plums and savory currants. The wine had layers of flavors, leather, cacao and earthy tones, nice mouthfeel that lingered to a long finish. Complex, consistent. Very Nice! Perfect now! — 8 years ago

Christine Havens

9.1

Enigmatic as all Véronique Boss-Drouhin's wines are, the 2014 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir boasts freshness and poise in a ripe vintage year. Crushed lavender, cocoa powder, dried mint, underbrush, and an alluring array of red fruits lead into a wine that is medium-bodied and neatly trussed in fine tannins. White pepper and earth emerge at the close. Sample — 8 years ago

Matt

9.8

Firing on all cylinders. Opening with an edge of reduction, fine oak, balanced lees component, similar to a great WBurg. With air it’s varietal character emerged, with ripe citrus, slight kiss of herb, and a complex array of mineral undertones. Incredible energy at 7 years old, one of the great SBs of the world IMO. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

Made by famous Vega Sicilia estate. Deep Ruby with an array of aromas, dark fruits, spice, floral and some oak, aged for about 14 months in French oak, mostly new. On the palate flavors of juicy ripe blackberry currants, blueberry & plum with mocha, espresso and licorice wrapped in oak. Firm round taut tannins, great balance with acidity, full body, long finish ends with fruit, oak, spice, and mineral character. Almost starting to open, definitely needs more time! Will age a decade or more!! — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Established in 1971 when Giovanni Neri acquired a large estate within Montalcino. Just opened another ‘06, which spent about 45 months on oak. Aromas of ripe dark fruits with complex spice and oak notes. On the palate black cherry and blackberry take over giving in to notes of sweet oak and an array of spice. Soft tannins, well balanced with great mouthfeel, drinking nicely ending with sweet fruit and oak. Very nice! Still have an ‘03 in Cellar!! — 5 years ago

Matt

9.3

Great development since LBT. Dried, leathery fruit with plenty of juiciness on the palate. Typical Barolo tar and roses backed by an array of spice notes; amaro, sarsaparilla, sandalwood, and juniper. Tannins are melting in nicely. — 6 years ago

Kirk F

9.4

One of the best takes on Merlot I’ve had, certainly the best Washington version and my first Long Shadows wine. In a perfect window but this had plenty of stuffing to go another 10. Looked up the winemaker notes and they are spot on: Wonderful intensity of fruit, with a vivid array of black currant, cocoa, violet and smoky aromas that lead to a full-bodied mid-palate marked by ripe blackberry flavors. Rich and complex, yet pure and focused, with supple tannins that provide a silky and prolonged finish.

Really, really good. 😃

That’s @Michael Mathews stoking the 🔥 — 7 years ago

ES

8.9

Well balanced, long finish, array of flavors with great acidity, well made and a great expression of this varietal — 8 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.3

Absolutely: Happy Anniversary to us! We don't have a huge array of 2004s (the year we were married), but this Realm cab was a terrific match with the filet mignon I fired up on the grill. Surprisingly, this took about an hour to really open up - went from a good but medium bodied at best wine to a complex, full-bodied cab with a great combination of blue and black fruits coupled with some great older notes of leather and dried currants. Probably not quite at the level of what Juan and the other folks at Realm are doing now (at least based on the scores - out of my price range now)...but it's pretty damn good! — 9 years ago

with Vanessa