Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1989 vintage. Tasted 5.5.23 (9.5), 4.4.23 (6 different btls-avg 9.4) and 12.9.22 (9.6). Above average fill for the age and impressive cork (about 70% saturated). Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Threw a decent amount of powdery sed. Medium nose slightly muted for the first 10 minutes or so but then came roaring to life. Yes, still the hallmark blueberries and cocoa powder along with a dash of raspberry but bigg graphite with this bottle. Drank consistently great for 1.75 hours, then seemed to lose a little steam at the very end. Not improving but still think cellar dwellers need to be popped in the next five years to enjoy the magic before it fades. 3.28.24. — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1995 vintage. Great fill, foil and label. Perfect cork. From a top-notch cellar. Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Volcanic ash-styled sed vs chunky-style. Big funk on the nose that resolved after 7-8 minutes. Wine was showing decently (in the 69-72 degree range) but lacking any tannic structure. Placed the decanter atop an ice bucket bath to drop the temp down to 60 degrees or so. Took about 20 minutes but the tannins kicked in the door to say hello. Fruit components stayed constant. Pauillac tendencies were all there. As is the case often with older BDX, the decaying matter/leaves at the onset transitioned to graphite/lead pencil and espresso flavors. This was a superior bottle in great shape. Top of this wine’s specific bell curve. Comparable bottles would look to be drinking this well for the next 5-7 years without dropoff. Out of larger format…could possibly push this into 9.4 status. 2.5.24. — 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Beautiful ruby in color, with a very wide reddish rim. Bricking at the very top.

Light nose with red and black fruits, light cedar and tobacco leaf.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, cherries, earth, black coffee, oak, herbs, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 26 year old from the great 1998 vintage in Southern Rhone is drinking beautifully now. Soft and smooth, elegant and earthy.

Not so good right out of the bottle, and needed 90 minutes of airtime to open up properly, so be patient.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 94 points.

Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Showing nice complexity and good balance.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120 (current vintage). — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; no formal notes. Enjoyed alongside the 2019. Tonight, the 2015 showed slightly bigger, deeper fruit. Still developing with a higher proportion of black fruit relative to the black and red mix of brambles in the 2019. Structure for many more years of enjoyment. Balanced and just so winsome in the Rafanelli way. Just entering its second plenitude but I expect this to be enjoyable through 2035. — 6 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.8

The 2016 Palmer is a brilliant wine from Thomas Duroux, though I feel it will ultimately be surpassed by the 2018. You cannot argue with the nose: intense black cherries and raspberry fruit, crushed violets and crème de cassis (as if there was a touch of Pauillac in there). The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, sensual tannins, perfect acidity, velvet smooth with layers of chocolate-tinged black fruit, hints of black pepper and cedar towards the sustained finish. It is a fabulous Palmer that will give much pleasure. Tasted at the Palmer vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 7 months ago

Shengli Hu

9.0

Compared to 2001; leafier, mintier, greener. Prunier, figgier, meatier. Soy sauce, mushroom, forest floor, bacon fat (could be just less Brett than 2001), pencil shavings. — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured. The 2021 “Cuvée Réservée” pours a deep ruby color with a deep but transparent core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe red and black brambles, spiced meat, black pepper, some purple flowers and stony minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This comes across lighter and more Burgundian than the last handful of vintages; almost giving me some 2014 vibes (which is a vintage in the last decade that I adore). It’s really good and shows a bit more elegance that I quite like. Looking forward to tracking this vintage as time goes on. Drink now with some patience and should be cracking through 2041 with ease. — 3 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Deep, dark blackberry fruit with menthol, graphite, spice, cedar, mineral & tobacco notes. This seems to be fully mature that will hold for many years — 4 months ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.6

2011 might be a forgotten vintage but this CB is really memorable. Did a pop and pour and it had great aromatics straight away. Medium to full bodied. Velvety. Layered. Dark berries, herbs, black tea, licorice, bay leaf. First wine on the trip to France. Great start! — 4 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.9

Deep garnet color; graphite, blackberries, and oak on the nose; medium acidity; medium plus tannins; tastes like casis, crushed gravel, and leather with a long finish. It may be a little past prime, but it still has a little fruit. Best wine I've ever had. Nellie, Leslie, Ana, Sanjay, Jason H., Jason D., Desiree, Maddie, Ryan, Jose, Thy, and I loved it! — 5 months ago

with Jason, Nellie and 3 others

Mark S.

9.1

Still on the way to be matured. Powerful Gamey from Morgan. Red fruits. 2012 @, Fruit, 231217 — 6 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Still remarkably youthful, it’s rich, dense and dark fruited, layered with classicism of cigar box, cedar and spices. The palate is concentrated and powerful with a silky texture and incredible length. 95 is nowhere near its peak. Many more years to go. And while I’ll never be a real Bordeaux lover, it’s clear what makes these first growths special. — 7 months ago

Will Stanley

9.6

Such is the way of life at López de Heredia, the 2010 Reserva was only released to the market last year, while most bodegas are currently extolling the virtues of their 2019s. Well, as a fan of Viña Tondonia, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the 2010, fabled year that it is, having enjoyed many a superb wine from other producers in this vintage.

Decanted for four hours, this wine is effusive from the glass, with a strikingly darker, richer aromatic profile compared to vintages such as 2007 and 2001, and more in line with 2008 - but better still. The oak provides a generous chocolate- and vanilla-laced bouquet that also has blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries and kirsch, and bouquet garni. The palate is, predictably, very austere at this primal stage, but again has a richer, more rounded mouthfeel to prior vintages that is simply wonderful. Needless to say, this is a benchmark wine for the region and will age rather well, and what a wine it will be in decades to come.
— 8 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.8

The 2005 Latour is a huge wine predestined for long-term aging. Noticeably deep in color, it has a showstopping bouquet with intense black fruit, graphite and touches of dried blood and tobacco as it considers moving into its secondary phase. But that's going to be slow coming...it's in no hurry. The palate is medium-bodied and unapologetically classic in style. I notice this bottle is a little grainy in texture, the salinity perhaps heightened as it enters adulthood. The finish has a tangible sense of tension, but it remains backward and swarthy. Immense. Tasted at Woo Cheong Tea House dinner organized by Paulo Pong. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2024)
— 3 months ago

Adam Kincaid

9.1

Birthday year wine for me! Might not be the best Tig vintage, but nothing to scoff at. The ‘88 is getting to be almost last prime, this time bottle showing well. Rusty red with strong aromas of cigar box, leather, and pencil shavings. Drinks slightly thin, and im not getting much fruit. Still, it’s tasty and a special vintage to me. — 3 months ago

Patrick O Driscoll

9.7

Spicy on the nose with a smooth aroma that deserves to be enjoyed over time with friends and good company. — 5 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.6

A combination of nutty and citrus zest . Beautiful wine in her youth. I would keep this baby deep in the cellar for at least 5, maybe 10, years. Brilliant even by Cristal standards and may be among their best ever — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2004 vintage. Decanted and tasted after two hours. Used a Durand but cork was great. Top-notch fill. Super chunky sed..like vintage port. Nose good, not great, but biggie structure and balance all there. Medium body. Not a personal fave but may hafta pick up a few more of these for those inclined to partake. There will be 2004 Insignia going steady for quite some time. 12.22.23. — 6 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

This is an immaculate bottle. Fresh and intense it could be 30 years old instead of as old as me! Dark plum, black pepper, iodine, deep k minerality. This is spectacular. Long and pure and delicious. — 6 months ago

with Tony and David

Ericsson

9.3

Napa Bordeaux style blend, pop n pour with scents of wet earth and perfectly ripe red fruit. Exquisitely balanced on the palate, soft tannins, medium alcohol… Loved the wine, definitely old world character, but must say there is short finish (a bit disappointing with this caliber of wine to be explicit). Still, great wine. — 8 months ago