Doug Powers

9.3

Sometimes no other wine will do for me than old-style (13% ABV) Bordeaux, and this lovely medium-aged Pauillac absolutely fills the bill, redfruits, structured but not really tannic, great acid balance really lifts the fruit, not a blockbuster, but very fine nonetheless, I could drink a lot of this!! — 2 years ago

with Jim

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

Jon Bergqvist

9.7

Top shoulder. Got the cork out in one piece. Absolutely perfect bottle with a lot left to give. Thick balsamic fruit, soft tannins, integrated oak, fresh acidity, everything in absolute balance. In a way almost perfect on the verge of lacking a bit of personality, but only almost. This has 10 years of life ahead of it but No reason to wait. — 6 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.6

Always my favorite vintage of Dominus showing no signs of slowing down. Purchased on release this is still youthful showing great balance & depth with red & dark berry fruits, plum, sweet spices, leather, tobacco & lead pencil. — 6 years ago

Michael Herzog

9.2

Great bottle. What I’ve come to expect from Aubert. That creaminess and citrus and just balance. Nice. Crowd pleaser. Drank next to the ‘09 Larry Hyde and Sons and the Hyde showed more Burgundian notes. I preferred the Hyde but the Ritchie more of a crowd pleaser. — 6 years ago

Paul J

9.6

Now this is what I’m talking about! Wonderful! Dark purple color. 1+ hour decant and could use even more. Drinking beautifully but still has years left in it! Massive cigar box on the nose. Wine is very Bordeaux like as it is deep, well structured, and has an excellent balance of fruit and smoke. If you drink it fast it tastes like the best bbq in the world! Long finish. Absolutely love this and it will only get better!! — 7 years ago

with Brooke

Ray Vanderhoff

9.2

Fantastic balance of fruit, oak and tannins. Dark cherry aromas and bright fruit on the pallet. Terrific!! — 8 years ago

Gregory Thomas

9.5

A great wine with exceptional balance and finish. All the strong characteristics and flavors of bold fruity red, yet smooth and delicate on palate. — 9 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A touch of caramel, pure fruit still. Great balance and acidity. Leather and cherry. Very good — 10 years ago

with Tony, Matt and 1 other

Mark Gaydos

9.9

Medium gold. Superb balance. Delicate even mousse. Flavors of citrus peel. Stunning showing. Second bottle of two - first tasted two years ago. This is far superior. — 10 years ago

with Alan and Helen

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 — 11 years ago

Mike McGlone

9.2

Classic Bordeaux with rack of lamb. Mature with good fruit and balance for it’s age. A special treat. — 3 years ago

with Ann

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale lemon with aromas of stone and tropical fruits. Made from 40-year old vines, aged in 100% stainless steel. On the palate flavors of bright lemon citrus with crisp apple and peach notes. This medium-body wine has crisp acidity, good balance and nice mouthfeel, smooth long finish ending with creamy mineral texture. Very Nice! — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Light gold and vibrant. Nice steady tiny bubbles. Bread basket nose. Also notes of stones, apricot, kiwi and a creamy fruity mousse. Nice balance of fruit and energy in the mouth. This is good not great. Hit the spot with a pile of carry out sushi tonight. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Mmmm....better. 1999 was a meh vintage to most critics. I find it has evolved to better things with this much time in bottle.

The nose reveals, ruby and candied; blackberries, black cherries, black plum skin, black raspberries, raspberries, poached cherries & strawberries. Touch cooked green bell pepper, mixed berry licorice, anise to black licorice, used leather, saddle-wood to cedar, dark, moist, black earth, limestone, stones, graphite, vanilla, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg and dark spice, coffee, dark chocolate with fresh & withering, dark, red, blue and purple flowers.

The body is just full. The tannins are soft, round, chewy and tarry. The structure, tension, length and balance are pretty good for 99. ruby and candied; blackberries, black cherries, black plum skin, black raspberries, raspberries, poached cherries & strawberries. more cooked green bell pepper on the palate, mixed berry licorice, anise to black licorice, used leather, saddle-wood to cedar, dark, moist, black earth, limestone, stones, graphite, vanilla, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg and dark spice, coffee, dark chocolate with fresh & withering, dark, red, blue and purple flowers. The acidy is nice. The finish is elegant, well balanced but, not as rich as other good vintages Palmer. It is spicy and persists minutes on the palate.

Photos of; Chateau Palmer, their barrel room, a photo of their vineyard soil structure-if you didn’t know where all that earthiness comes from, a picture is worth a thousand words and their tasting room. — 6 years ago

Keith Crump

9.4

2014 such a pleasant relaxed wine great fruit strawberry with wiff of cinnamon and all spice heat balance and length — 7 years ago

Conrad Green

9.2

A dark kirsch and cherry nose. Ripe but exceptionally pure. Lovely balance- still dense and very young. This has a lot of potential — 8 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.8

A softened ruby color. Beautiful balance, everything in harmony. Wet earth, raspberry, cinnamon, a whiff of truffle, intoxicating nose. So much ripe, fresh red fruit on the palate. Such soft tannins, damson plum, a mineral streak running through. Drinking a 15 year old wine for 15th anniversary of diabetes. This is splendid in the moment — 9 years ago

Greg Gregory

10

Spectacular! Mind blowing. One of my top 10 of all time. On every serious wine lover’s bucket list, and here we had a nigh perfect bottle. While aromatically a little recalcitrant, you still got some of the Margaux violets and potpourri on the nose, hints of clove, all trying to shake off their doldrums. But on the palate, it was timelessly ravishing. The finesse, richness, balance and smoothness, with an underlying, almost flabbergasting mixture of complexity and delicacy, was just astonishing. The finish is marvelously sweet and intense, with chocolate and cassis and utterly seamless tannins. This is a miracle of wine making and an exaltation of vintage and terroir besides. Wow! And bravo! We can only pray for an encore of such a wine. — 9 years ago

Steve Matthiasson

Owner/Winemaker Matthiasson Wines

9.5

2011. Ripe, dark fruit, very dense, but just right amount of acidity to balance the ripeness. — 10 years ago

Kellen Freeman

9.5

Super drinkable - aawesome fruit nose, dry finish. A hint of heat but fantastic balance. — 11 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%.  — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Philip Dobrin

9.0

A good but not amazing raveneau. A touch of bitterness left it a bit out balance — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve everyone! 🎄🎅🤶⛄️❄️🎁🍷

On the nose, leap dark currants & cassis with bright red, dark, blue & purple florals at pop & pour. Ripe; blackberries, dark cherry kirsch, plum, mulberries, blueberries, poached & strawberries, black raspberries & raspberries. Black licorice, star anise, dark chocolate bar, volcanic & limestone, steeped fruit teas, dark cola, sweet tarry notes, black, rich, turned earth, mid, dark spices, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, barrel shavings with char, dry brush, leather, fresh tobacco, granite, some eucalyptus, mint notes, light, dry herbs with fresh & some withering red, dark, purple and blue, fresh and slightly candied florals.

The body is; round, ripe, & rich. The tension, structure, length and balance are just beginning their sweet spot. The tannins are; rounding, tarry & still chewy. Plenty of life left in the 09...8-10 years. Dark currants & cassis. Ripe; blackberries, dark cherry kirsch, plum, mulberries, blueberries, poached & strawberries, cherries, black raspberries & raspberries. Black licorice, star anise, dark chocolate bar, volcanic & limestone, dry, crushed rocks, dry stems, steeped fruit teas, dark cola, sweet tarry notes, black, rich, turned earth, mid, dark spices, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, milk chocolate, mocha, caramel, barrel shavings with char, dry brush, leather, fresh tobacco, granite, some eucalyptus, mint notes, light, dry herbs with fresh & some withering red, dark, purple and blue, fresh and slightly candied florals. The acidity is round & spot on. The ripe, rich, ruby, elegant, balanced & polished finish is splendid and persists nicely on the palate with mid, dark spice on the long set. So much better with this much age. Really delicious tonight!

A steal now at under $35 upon release at Costco.

This wine is close to its peak and will hover there 3-4 years.

Photos of; the Estate, old large oak vats and David Heitz.
— 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

One of the most pleasant and unexpected surprises in this tasting, the 2006 Pichon Lalande is gorgeous, which is something I can’t say about too many wines in a vintage marked by climatic ups and downs and irregular ripening. Dark, powerful and intense, the 2006 possesses exceptional balance. A host of black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and menthol flesh out in this decidedly somber, virile Pichon Lalande. In a vintage in which so many wines are so rustic, the 2006 Pichon Lalande is all class. This sleeper Pichon Lalande will drink well for at least the next two decades, perhaps longer. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Oct 2017) — 8 years ago

Todd W

9.8

Dark brown color. Amazing aromas and flavors of caramel, toffee, and some orange peel. Great balance with good acid lift and a long finish. What a treat! By far, the best d'Yquem I've ever tasted. — 8 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Such a wonderful surprise...
Explosive nose of honeysuckle and pineapple.
The palette has a distinct Viognier signature, which is extravagant. My close French friend questioned if this chard was blended with Viognier? Who cares, it's just stand-out. Excellent balance of acidity, texture and delicate sweetness. One of the best white wines we have tasted.

A gift from my good friend Santa @Martin G Rivard. We will not forget this. Thank you! — 9 years ago

with Anne-marie

Jeffrey Lew

9.2

Soft ripe and ready to drink. Can franc front and center. Can almost feel the heat of the vintage in this wine. Slight prune and plum flavors underneath the cherry, flowers and some herb notes. Very nice and bright, and better on day 2. Lacks the powers and symmetry of the better years. — 10 years ago

Joseph Wendt

9.7

Perfect balance!! Smooth, elegant . Worth the wait and then some. I will have to get more of this. — 10 years ago

Coco&Lucie

9.6

One of my favorite of the appellation. Spice is perfectly balance with red fruit. It´s earthy, complex and refined. A piece of beef tenderloin on barbecue, fleur de sel and a glass of Beaucastel, what else?! — 11 years ago