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

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

It is really not fair to have their 06 after their 09. It’s good but, all you can think about is the 09.

The nose reveals, slightly stewed to cooked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and bright cherries. Steeped tea, limestone, licorice, dry crushed rocks, cedar, dry tobacco, soft, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, underbrush, dry stems, dry top soil, understated baking spices, light graphite, dry herbs, light, dark spice and withering red & dark florals.

The body is lean, not quite full. The structure, tension, length and and balance are just ok to good and reveal the shortcomings of the 06 vintage. slightly stewed to cooked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and bright cherries. Steeped tea, limestone, licorice, dry crushed rocks, cedar, dry tobacco, soft, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, underbrush, dry stems, dry top soil, understated baking spices, some v/a or bandaid, light graphite, dry herbs, light, dark spice with some heat across the palate and withering red & dark florals. The finish is nice and elegant but, lack the fullness and beauty of most really good vintage Palmer’s. It finishes with nice persistent dark spice on the long set. Just give me another taste of the 09. 😜

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

E & K G

9.3

A real treat that only got better with air in the glass. Good balance of concentrated fruit and grippy but smooth tannins. — 6 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.2

Medium ruby color and a pronounced nose of raspberry, violet and a spice note reminiscent of sandalwood incense. Lovely medium body with silky texture. Good acid balance for food pairing and a long lovely finish. Wonderful evocation of serious Beaujolais — 8 years ago

Tymari LoRe

Assistant Winemaker Kità Wines

9.2

Beautiful. Perfect balance of mineral and acid. Love this wine — 8 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A touch of caramel, pure fruit still. Great balance and acidity. Leather and cherry. Very good — 9 years ago

with Tony, Matt and 1 other

Michael Horkay

9.6

Spoiler alert... If you ever see perfectly suited bottles of this buy all you can after I'm done. This was fantastic and blew everyone away. Classic paulliac but with great fruit and balance. Simply stunning from first sip to last. Best 75 I've ever had vast none. Please think this vintage was too tannic but not this wine. — 9 years ago

Phil Castellano

9.2

Pretty awesome Bordeaux blend from Justin. Nice balance of flavor and the Cab Franc comes though clearly even though it is only 3%. — 9 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

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 — 10 years ago

David White

9.0

Unsung hero of Rioja
Deep ruby colour, good nose and nice berry flavours on palate, good balance and good length and aftertaste
— 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

Conrad Green

9.5

A lovely nose of mushrooms, macerated cherry, soft leather. Beautifully gentle and charming with great balance. Memorable — 7 years ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

James Webb

9.1

Powerhouse of a wine. Like a Marine ready for battle. But zen in balance. It's so smooth and the finish lasts for-ever. They don't make em' like they used to. — 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

George Chen

9.4

This is a 61 and albeit not great in Sauternes that year this wine was in perfect balance of fruits, acids with lengthy backbone. Not as intense as 67 or 59 of course but beautifully elegant. Color as dark golden with touch of hazelnut brown. Neck fill. Perfect cork. — 9 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.3

Sceptical from previous supertuscan encounters, I decided to try the original from Antinori (which I was sure was overpriced). Intense clear dark ruby color; the fruit hit me before the glass was even swirled and then reveals dark and red fruits in perfect balance with oak aromas; high acid, high alcohol, youthful delicious round mouthfeel of dark dried fruits and supple tannins at front of mouth, and with a medium-long finish. Well balanced, elegant, and powerful; and priced correctly. Had with pata negra, manchego and the organ of the Mormon Tabernacle sounding off Saint-Saëns' symphony. — 10 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

Philip Dobrin

9.0

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

Mike Saviage

9.3

Dark tawny and opaque. Herbal nose. Notes of herbs de Provence, wispy dark fruit, white pepper, some old wood and a little kirsch. Great balance in the mouth. I would call this at peak and doubt it improves with more age, but no need to be in hurry to drink these. Plenty of life ahead of it. — 5 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

Keith Crump

9.4

2014 such a pleasant relaxed wine great fruit strawberry with wiff of cinnamon and all spice heat balance and length — 6 years ago

Yury Glazkov

9.0

Drank in 2017, starting to get ready after good recanting. Elegance and balance, lots of wood — 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 — 8 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

Ted O

9.0

Nice fruit and floral bouquet. Just a bit of sweetness to balance the tannins. — 9 years ago

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

Thomas Hughes

9.5

I was disappointed with my last Caymus Special Selection vintage, but this beauty brought me back to a bottle that won Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year ... Twice!! Incredible fruit and balance. This can be cellared and enjoyed for years to come. Cheers!! — 10 years ago

Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe

10

Extremely happy with Krug's 03. Great balance of ripe fruit, minerality and acidity. — 11 years ago