Conrad Green

9.8

A treat. Dark in color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose with dark, very mouton fruit. Incredibly aromatic, blackcurrant, mint,graphite, dried herbs, eucalyptus. The palate is extraordinary. So dense and powerful for a wine of almost 70 years. Dark fruit with a savory undertow- leather, thyme, sour cherry, dark chocolate. Really precise flavors and long. After an hour or two in glass there’s notes of coconut and soft wood. Extraordinary. Clearly there’s a lot of age on this but the sheer quality makes for a really dynamic wine. An exceptional bottle, and a teal treat. — 7 years ago

with Howard, Tony and 1 other

Bill Bender

9.6

This was just a blockbuster--lavender and pencil lead burst from the glass and warm blue and red fruit follow. Impressive precision and length. Lush, silky and just plain gorgeous. — 8 years ago

with Michael and romo

Keith Herrick

9.3

My favorite dd! Probably had 2013 15+ times, and it never disappoints. reduction at first blows off each glass after a few minutes after pouring. Some Brett in these wines, that I seem to notice more recently, but still beautiful, floral, complex Beaujolais, with a very smooth texture. — 9 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.2

2003 vintage. From Jay. Very nice. Much better than expected. Goes down all together way too easily when you're surrounded by snow! Deep ruby core washing out towards the edges. No bricking...yet. Nose is a preponderance of dark fruits together with blueberries and ripe cassis with slight under tones of cloves and a hint of graphite. This is a very fruity affair- takes me back to Christmas. The wine expresses on the palate as it does on the nose. Layers of rich fruit with traces of brown spice. There's a lovely sweetness here that makes the wine a pleasure to drink despite the relatively modest acidity. The tannins are soft and lush. The finish is good with a continued preponderance of fruit right to the very end although it is moderate in length. This is a very quaff able wine...could be at this all night with pleasure just sit me down in front of an open fire and hand me a Montecristo! 92+/100. Drink now to 2028. NB - no need to decant. This wine can happily be poured from bottle post opening and allowed to open in the glass. — 10 years ago

Eric Urbani

9.2

Thank you BTG in Salt Lake City for having this by the glass !! — 10 years ago

John Trinidad

Wine Blogger SFWineBlog

9.0

2013 gam gam to pair with thanksgiving bird. Wo needs cranberry sauce when you've got this scrumptious was in your glass? — 11 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny, translucent and old looking. Awesome nose. Notes of leather saddle, pencil lead, currants, cherry, soil, and some toasted hickory. All guessed 61 Bordeaux. This got better through the night and was at its best in the last glass. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Fresh, light gold. Bright and vibrant in the glass. Even more vibrant in the nose. Exotic, notes of lemon peel, wet river stone, petrol, slate, apricot and spice. Great rich fruit matches some impactful acidity. Long finish. This is great juice, still young, and has some more to give down the road. — 8 years ago

Pooneet K

9.3

What a beautiful wine. Needs to be served a bit above cellar temp. Deep honeycomb amber in the glass. Syrupy and rich, mouth filling and delicious. Good acid to keep it all together. Very nice. — 8 years ago

with Amer

Jason Chang

Proprietor NINE SUNS Winery, HOUYI Vineyard

9.3

I feel as if this would be amazing if not following the Rayas. Great nose but pretty wound up and tight still. Didn't open up much after being in glass an hour. Need to revisit. — 9 years ago

with Wai, Chris and 2 others

Anne Marie Marji

9.2

From Doreen / had a glass at Janice's new house — 10 years ago

Ian Brennan

9.3

2001 vintage lovely dense plumbs, currants, violets and spice on the nose. Rich and warm, headily inviting, with the perfume jumping out of the glass capturing and demanding attention. Tightly packed mouthful as well, surprisingly medium bodied, good fruit and tannin, but closed and needing time. Good aftertaste, probably needs 3 to 5 years before opening up to its best. — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.9

The wine was medium to dark garnet in colour. On day one it offered red fruit, cherry, balsamic vinegar, cola, leather, mushroom, earthy and vegetal notes and a wet sewer component on the nose. On the palate the the wine showed red fruit, cherry, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes, the acidity was quite pronounced, the wine became slightly drying and even more acidic after some time in the glass, and the fruit faded a bit. Two days later, on day three, the medium-bodied wine was more balanced and showed red and dark fruit, some chocolate, some tobacco, spices and earthy notes on the nose, and red fruit, cherry, leather, tobacco, earthy and balsamic notes on the palate, with just a faint touch of greenness, paired with medium-plus well-integrated tannin, medium-plus acidity and very good length. I had almost written-off the wine on day one and then, surprisingly, it showed much better the third day. Holding-up well. 90 — 11 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.8

The 1978 La Mission Haut-Brion is a candidate for the greatest Bordeaux wines produced during the 1970s. Without question, it is the highlight of the vintage. I have tasted it several times over the years and each time, my appreciation is heightened further. Still youthful in appearance, the bouquet soars from the glass with almost high-toned blackberry, cigar humidor, warm gravel and that signature trait of black olive. You could nose this all day. The palate is medium-bodied yet there is much more density than you will find on other 1978s. Notes of black fruit, bay leaf, graphite and earthy tones, the latter emphasized with aeration. Decanting is strongly advised because it responds to a long opening, deepening all the time, developing a sustained cedar tincture that lingers in the mouth. It is a fabulous La Mission Haut-Brion that at 40-years continues to give so much pleasure. Tasted at a private dinner in London (ex-château bottle). (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2018) — 7 years ago

Jim Enloe

9.1

Very nice, different from the traditional Napa cab. Firm tannins, should be decanted. Last glass the next day did better (under vacuum) — 8 years ago

Andrew Lubeck

8.9

Rich though lacked some oomph. May have been open awhile (by the glass) — 8 years ago

Blake Engleman

9.9

Birth year wine. I lucked out. This was transforming in the glass so quickly. Beautiful — 10 years ago

with James and Matt

Nichole Mao

9.0

Dark berries, cherry, dried herb,
Same palate as nose, cigar box, coffee, high tannin, high but well balanced tannin, full body — 10 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.2

5-Oh Bday Dinner... From a half bottle. Deep red and purple color. Mostly opaque and thick in the glass. There is still some good fruit in the nose with gravel and soil notes. Very round in the mouth. The wine hung in there over the hour it was consumed. Nice experience with an 80+ year old wine. — 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