Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny, almost opaque. Big shoulders in the nose. Complex. Notes of briary brush, raspberry, hickory, pepper and tobacco leaf. Mellow in the mouth, especially when compared to the big nose. Sweeter fruit finish. Took some deductive time with my guess... 82 Margaux which freaked out my friend who brought the bottle. This is in a good place, not sure if it will improve with more age. But it’s in no danger of declining anytime soon. — 6 years ago

Martin G Rivard

10

Quick funny story:
Christine & I are LUCKY to have Kelly work in our office but we are BLESSED to be able to consider her and Darryl as dear friends.
We recommended to Kelly, prior to her going on vacation in Charleston SC, that they should stop by the Belmont hotel. They have a bar and restaurant that is 2nd to none in that area. Christine & I LOVE it!!!! Kelly sent me a quick text to say “hey, we’re at the Belmont! And about to have dinner!”
Being the goof ball that I am..... .....I called the Somm and said “I don’t care what they ordered, bring them a Shafer Hillside Select with some age on it!!!”. 10 minutes later he was decanting a 2003 Hillside Select table side! I love that hotel! Incredible service, incredible food and always a phenomenal experience! The only thing better are-our friends that are there right now!!!!

I didn’t Have a drop of this wine but I am scoring it a 10 based on experience alone!! It must have been “Badass in a Glass” as I always say!
I’ll let Kelly and Darryl fill in the official tasting notes!
by the way Kelly: don’t love SC tooooooo much, Christine & I can’t operate that place without you! See you next week! 👍👏👏👏👏👍
— 8 years ago

with Christine

Eric Linderman

9.1

Had in 06 and 14. 06 was better proving their zins need age — 9 years ago

Matthew Denci

9.3

Heitz has still got it baby, 1998 Napa cab standing up nicely at 18 years old. The color is only just showing signs of age. The nose is full of mint and lamb. In a strange spot since its not especially lush or fruity and yet hasn't fully developed the tertiary notes you would expect. But has the bones to go longer still. — 10 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

10

Proof that one does NOT have to spend a lot of money to acquire wines that will age gracefully into a beautifully mature wine 36 years of age. The usual pepper note is there that tells you are with a Cabernet Franc from #chinon, but the real beauty unfurls with the elegant spices of tobacco leaf and old leather, notes of forest floor, subtle mint, dried red currant and cassis fruits. Simply beautiful and I will now go buy a case of 2010 and say goodbye to it in storage for at least ten years. $20-25 retail for the recent vintages. #1979 #smashingpumpkins #raffault — 10 years ago

Reuben Cheah

9.3

Easy summer drink. Goes well with anything, from hours d'overs to desserts. Ideal with lightly seasoned fishes. Fresh and vibrant. Light golden appearance , Lime scents detected in the nose and mild citrus on the palate. Typical Leeuwin Estate wines. — 11 years ago

Greg Sorensen

9.1

Lopez killed in 2002 with the Tondonia. Has acidity to age beautifully. — 11 years ago

Hugh O'Riordan

9.4

Ok , I drank too early . My excuse, I’m staying in place. 14 day up Monday. Dark, chewy traditional cab.I liked it a lot. Will age. — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

Enjoyed while cleaning out the boss' cellar. Say what you want about this wine, but the one thing you can say is that this wine is incredibly consistent. This wine reminds me of the family uncle who always gives you some silver dollars at Christmas...even though you are now a grown adult. And if you actually listen to his crazy advice on investing when you were a kid, you just might be able to be that Uncle when you grow up. This wine is a thoroughbred. Meant to be consumed at least after 10 years. And this wine is in a really good spot. The nose does show a tiny bit of age as does the palate. This is front-loaded with slightly aged blackberry and a bit brambly. This wine smoothed out quite a bit over 3 hours. Finish with very nice integration, a hint of stiff oak tannin but a lot of it has resolved. Very enjoyable. This wine still has another 10 or 15 years left. — 7 years ago

Samuel Albert Camacho

9.3

2016 vintage on Dec 19, 2017 at Sun River, OR with Rhett and Family. Bought 6 bottles at Zupan’s in Aug 2017. Complex and age-worthy rosé, but my willpower to keep is uncertain. — 8 years ago

David Langstaff

9.4

This wine needed about 3 hours to release. Initially tight with uncomfortable medicinal nose which then totally dissipated. Drinking now next day and you get the age of fully integrated but not fading tannins. Nose has a delightful dark fruit and smokiness. Great fit of nose and taste, meaning - when tastes after smelling the experience is consistent and not jolting. I think the color purple in a subdued way. Very nice. Memo to self: decant and watch for sediment, and enjoy three hours later. — 10 years ago

with Cynthia and Chris

Rajiv Ayyangar

10

This was the vintage Serge sipped as bombs fell in Beirut in '76.

Moderate ruby-garnet to an orange rim. It was phenomenal straight out of the bottle, with tertiary dark blackberry essence leaping from the glass. It doesn’t show much oxidation at all. Savory integrated brett, complex tamari and blackcurrant notes. Rounded softened tannins, but still present. I can’t believe how good this is!

Overall the character was similar to the ’95 but with an added tone of brilliant blackness. Slightly toasty, blackened and charred blackberry essence. Also at various moments, dried apricot, orange peel, amaro herbal notes, anise, flemish sour notes, like a rich BFM brew.  

Age with power. Complexity with playfulness. Wisdom with unpredictability.  — 10 years ago

with Gence and Tim

Jason Heller

Master Sommelier

9.4

Everything you hope on the nose and palate. Started to slide in the nose within the first 30 min, though the palate stayed strong throughout. Love me some Nebbiolo with age. — 11 years ago

with Christopher

D Scher

9.2

1984 vintage. Cork difficult to extract, ended up in several pieces. Beautiful deep color, little to no bricking even at this age. Seductive at one hour+ of air with black cherry, raspberry, some vanilla, green pepper, graphite. 12% ABV. From the FIL’s collection. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

Taken from what was generally a tough vintage in the Northern Rhone, the 1997 ‘La Chapelle’ Hermitage is a striking rendition at more than twenty years of age. Bulls blood, iodine, red cherry puree and crushed mint flavors provide some serious refinement. Silky throughout, this will continue to evolve over the next five to ten years — but is marvelous right now. Drink 2019-2025- 93 — 7 years ago

Rick Jordan

9.0

VINTAGE: 2004
BOTTLE: 375ml
APPEARANCE: Deep red, garnet meniscus, viscous legs.
NOSE: Allspice, white pepper, bell pepper, dark fruits.
MOUTHFEEL: Round, medium - acidity, medium + tannins.
PALATE: Cinnamon, tomato leaf, leather, hints of vanilla.
FINISH: Long with sandalwood throughout and some cocoa at the very end.
NOTES: Picked this up in December of 2017, thinking the 375 bottle will have made this ready to drink immediately. Was not wrong, it is drinking well, but there is sufficient backbone left in this wine to age for many more years to come, even in a 375. Nice layers of complexity that were fun to tease out, but still many notes that I don’t yet have the ability to properly identify. I look forward to trying again with more years under its belt. — 8 years ago

Melissa Parsonson

9.6

Once it opened up a phenomenal wine. Incredible nose. Strong aromatics, dried fruits, oak, hints of pepper. Smooth but firm tannins. Cherries and vanilla develop in the mouth. Long, warm finish. Drink now or let it age. — 9 years ago

with Mark

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I under estimated this wine last weekend as I didn't decant it. Some concern over a 20 year old CA Cabernet. However, this wine is still all there. There's something special when the right wine hits 20 years of age and there is simply no shortcut or substitute. The evolution in this wine is spectacular. Ripe plum, blackberries, dark raspberries, cooked strawberries, amazing baking spices, sweet dark earth and minerals, swede and soft leather, tobacco leaf, great balance, an amazing elegant finish and perfect acidity. I would have not expected this much from a Tapestry but there you go!!! Holding my 07's for much longer than I expected based on this 96. — 10 years ago

Jordan Gianelli

9.0

I know these wines well and even for Dunn Napa, this wine is very light in its structure and mid palate. I love these wines with a bit more age on them. I feel like this is in an awkward in between stage. Softer than a young wine, but still too fruit focused to appreciate the nuances and lean finish that makes these wines brilliant. Hold it! — 10 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.0

Sette ponti oreno 2007.... Like bordeaux with Sangiovese. Rich but mineral driven. Simply fantastic juice. Should age really well also. In fact this needs at least 5 more years to become the wine it is capable of being — 11 years ago