Brandon Boesch

9.5

Excellent! Great balance with plum and some darker sweeter fruits, some woodsy notes, so good with food. — a year ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1966 vintage. Last tasted 9.20.23. That bottle was a little "chunkier." This one was more refined. Decanted and tasted nearly immediately and throughout a 2 hour window. Throwing the expected kitchen sink's worth of sed. Color initially seemed lighter, like 30+ year old red Burg but ended up being a tad darker than that. Light-medium body. Earth, summer dirt and Valrhona chocolate in the nose. All this plus dried cherries in the frontal palate finish. Not much to speak of on the back end. Rated that 9.20.23 bottle an 8.8 and this is slightly better. Still...a definite rush to crush this. 11.11.23. — 3 years ago

David Walser

9.4

Thanksgiving with relatives. Brother-in-law never has had an Opus One so I dug into the cellar and found my last one; a 1989 half bottle. I thought it was passed its prime but the brother-in-law thought it was wonderful! I’m not remembering where this vintage rated. Some people just like the funkiness of old wines but I just like them much younger. It was time for this one to go away and am glad some got some enjoyment out of it. His rating, not mine. I gave up on the brand several years ago, sold off my collection at a profit and haven’t looked back. I’ll try it if it is presented to me but don’t have a desire to purchase anymore. — 4 years 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%.  — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

BV grapes were first planted back in 1900, by founder Georges de Latour. A blend of mostly Cab Sauv with a bit of Petit Verdot. Outstanding! Deep Ruby with complex berry fruit aromas adding in toasty floral spice. On the palate big full flavors of blackberry, cherry and sweet plum flavors with licorice and cacao, adding some cedar notes. Soft velvet tannins, young, long finish, well integrated and nicely balanced, a joy to drink. Will Benefit from long aging. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Vanessa

9.5

Château Latour is an iconic estate in the Pauillac commune on the left bank of Bordeaux, achieving coveted ‘First Growth’ status in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

The estate has roots dating back to the 14th century and derives its name ‘La Tour’ from a fortress tower built during the Hundred Years’ War, which no longer exists but is prominently featured on the label in recognition of its history.

We weren’t sure what to expect, as many have predicted these 1983s are likely past their prime, but this wine was a masterpiece. 🤩

It was medium garnet in color with expressive notes of cedar box, cigar, clove, peat, leather, forest floor, fig, prune, dried black cherry, plum, cassis, blackberry compote, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, dried violet, potpourri, kalamata olive, pencil shavings, graphite, & bacon fat.

It had the most velvety, fine-grained tannins that washed across the palate with ease, with a gentle but notable acidity that maintained lift and balance. It was concentrated, complex, and had a long, elegant finish. — a year ago

with Deked1

Steve Mitchell

9.2

Medium tannins, full bodied, balanced Cabernet .Nutty , earthy paired with a prime rib.
— 4 years ago

David Nicewicz

9.3

Lovely DB with steak last night. Was a bit lacking on the secondary notes but the structure is all there for an amazing wine. Might wait a bit to check back in on these. — 5 years ago

David Nicewicz

9.3

Birth year Bordeaux and this has been excellent. Very old school nose of copious tobacco, forest floor and dark berries. Medium bodied but gaining intensity over the course of 2 h - tannins completely melted. Bricking is apparent on first pour but the color grows darker with time. Perfect bottle that is a little past it’s prime but fun to step back in time. — 5 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.0

2016 vintage opened December 2020. Leather and minerals on the nose. Not much happening on the front—no fruit to speak of, but there are some soft tannins that follow through to the back of the palate quite nicely though. The finish is quite unique, though.Without looking at the label I suspect this was aged in American oak, which gives it some leathery hi notes and some bite as you swallow. I wouldn’t give it the scores that the pros are giving it, a 9.3, only because this wine is kind of weak on the front of the palate. But it’s very drinkable, indeed! — 5 years ago

Greg Wright

9.2

Dark red fruits, charcoal and rosemary. Tannins have melted away and acidity is well balanced. Not as deep and complex as the magnum I had a couple months back. Good but not great. Perhaps just an “off” bottle?? — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.6

3 hour Audoze followed by a 2 hour decant and poured back in the bottle for dinner. This was extraordinary! Every bit as impressive as the ‘01 and ‘02. Robust blackberries, graphite, a smooth yet substantial mouthfeel and a sensational lingering finish. I recall reading a review of the Shafer HSS that descried the wine as “an elegant sledgehammer”....a perfectly succinct and apt description — 7 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 2 , wine 1 . Quite deep garnet , less terracotta rim . This had a whiff of oxidation about it at first which seemed to somewhat dissipate with time . Some dark spiced fruits , liquorice and menthol hints , cedar and sous bois . On the palate good ripeness and spiced dark cherry hints . Good acidity and rounded tannin . Nice length also , offering some spiced black fruits and menthol hints . Don’t think this is a pristine bottle but was enjoyable none the less , I was unsure at first if this was Napa , but coming back to it … and reading my notes , it became quite obvious . However I had this down as the Ch Montelena , not the Dominus — a year ago

Angel Free

9.1

A little tart but good — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Estate dates back to Crusades & Scottish navigator, George Smith, owner in the 18th century. Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot aged in 20% new oak, deep Ruby with aromas of dark berry, herbs and earthy spice. On the palate flavors of plum, cherry & currant with notes of pepper, tobacco & cacao notes. Soft rich full tannins, long finish ending with fruit, earthy and mineral character, needs a little more time. — 3 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.6

My last bottle of 1980 Yquem. Don’t mind the label (I broke another bottle in the case a few years back). Showing beautifully. Lovely golden color. Aromatically explosive. Typically Yquem. Buzzing with sweetness and minerality. Excellent bottle of wine!!! — 5 years ago

with Lee

Jay Kline

9.1

This bottle was hand carried from the Middle East, seven years back, and my first time enjoying the 2002 since release. Cork was perfect. On the nose, some VA but nothing crazy. Notes of balsamic, teriyaki, sandalwood and charred meat. On the palate, still quite primary with dark cherries and dried dark fruits being predominate. Plenty of structure. The texture is remarkably fine and silky. Quite classy actually! Nevertheless, this isn’t the most soul stirring vintage of Musar Rouge. At nearly 19 years of age, this bottle still comes across as youthful with developing vinousity. Perhaps time will coax more out...but I suspect, as others have previously stated, that the 2002 is more of a modest wine by their standards...which is still quite delicious and enjoyable in its own right. This will easily live for another 10+ years. — 5 years ago

The Geek

8.9

At it’s absolute last drinkable moment in time. Opened and decanted (for sediment), the cork crumbled and disintegrated. This wine was delicious and beautiful...for about an hour. I went back and tried what was left about an hour and a half after opening it and it had already become “vermouth”, as a server at an Italian restaurant once told me about a too-old bottle of Barolo he’d tried. Drink them now if you have them, and do it quickly!

millennialwinegeek.com — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I corvined this last weekend and put it back in storage for tonight. I had a very different experience & thoughts on this wine last weekend un-decanted. This is wine comes from a period when I loved Caymus. After 2011 when they started picking later and at higher brix’s, they lost me but, got higher Parker scores and rave words from people that like sweeter Cabernet that drinks young.

Last weekend without a decant, very dominate bright cherries and vanilla.

Tonight, the nose reveals, dark, slightly syrupy currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy, black raspberries, blueberries, black plum with lots of skin dominate, baked strawberries, black licorice, vanilla, some clove and a touch nutmeg, underbrush, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, volcanic minerals, black tea, touch of black coffee expresso, liqueur/dark berry cola, used leather, hints of graphite with ruby, fresh, dark, fresh, dark, red, blue florals with violets.

The body is full, sexy, gorgeous and voluptuous. The structure, tension, length and balance are at the start of its high point with another 7-10 years of good drinking ahead. Dark, slightly syrupy currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy, black raspberries, blueberries, black plum with lots of skin dominating, baked strawberries, black licorice to deep anise, vanilla, some clove and a touch nutmeg, caramel, mocha, dark chocolate, dark spices with just a touch of palate heat, underbrush, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, volcanic minerals, black tea, touch of black coffee expresso, liqueur/dark berry cola, used leather, hints of graphite with ruby, fresh, dark, fresh, dark, red, blue florals with violets. The acidity is like a needed waterfall shower. The long finish is, deep, dark, well balanced, elegant, ruby, ripe, polished and persists endlessly.

It’s been awhile and I’ve missed it. This is a very good example of why I used to adore Caymus. — 7 years ago