Jakub Kalinowski

9.6

Perfectly evolved & peaking right now.
This is classical Bordeaux heaven!
Sous-bois, dusty wardrobe, pencil shavings, cigar box and (still!) some black currant. Surprisingly fresh on the nose and even fresher on the palate. Light medium body, the tannins completely mellowed and fully integrated, vibrant juicy acidity.
This is poised, so elegant, so drinkable and with amazing depth. And with bright freshness. What a delight!
A singing beauty!! — 3 years ago

Garen Staglin

9.5

Eucalyptus, and cigar box. Cellared direct from winery. Holding up extremely well. Last bottle. 🥵 — 6 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Classic La Mission that is fully mature showing red & black fruits with notes of smoky tar, leather, cedar, forest floor & cigar box. — 6 years ago

Paul Koplitz

9.0

Best box wine I’ve had. Worth every penny. — 8 years ago

Guillermo Camacho

9.2

Wine held up extremely well for age, maintained concentration but still complexified. Dark blue/red fruit, spice box, and chocolate on the nose. An ensemble of fruit on the palate with an amazing acidity that continued to tease out nuances. Extra .1 for showing it’s ability to age gracefully. — 8 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.4

Classic Rioja. Dark cherry and blackberry nose with cigar box in the background. More dark cherry, plum, leather and mocha on the palate. Chewy tannins and lingering acid through the finish. Powerful but balanced from start to finish. — 9 years ago

Laura Diefenderfer

9.0

Great taste. Not dry. Smooth with a hint of blackberry. Ideally paired with a medium rare steak. — 10 years ago

Phil Orlandini

9.1

This... doesn't make me feel drunk. This is gonna be my workin' wine. — 10 years ago

with Juliane

Sean Fischa

9.1

My new house wine — 12 years ago

Liz Weidner

9.9

Delicious but $16. — 13 years ago

Gina Baretela Thompson

9.6

Had pilot noise but not an option I'm app. Dangerous wine, smooth and tasty. — 4 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Auction bottle,
Wouldn’t pay release anymore, but auction price is worth it — 5 years ago

Hanibal

9.1

The best of the trio 08, 09 and 10. Lots of cigar box, red fruits, tobacco...a beautiful young wine that should improve in time — 6 years ago

Ron R

9.5

WS rated this 91 - criminal!
We think this rocks, and it’s structured for long-term cellaring. Beautiful whiff of tobacco, meat, spice-box and oak on the nose. Deftly balanced palate displays black briar fruits and polished tannins. Prominent minerality is balanced by just the right amount of acid. Yummy now, but is destined to further improve. — 7 years ago

with Anne-marie

Steve Messinger

10

1990, perfection. Wonderful boutique of cedar box, clay, and sage. Medium bodied evolved tannins great depth w long finish — 9 years ago

Daron Watson

9.5

How'd the 375ml of '59 Chevy w mid-shoulder fill show?
#LIKEABOSS!
Nose of crushed leather furniture, cigar box, fig, Christmas cake, plum & hints of a red cherry cordial
Still a pop of acidity with the fruit, but richness dominated adding raisin to the flavors along w feral animale & shaved dark chocolate taking over on the lengthy finish — 9 years ago

Holly Orchard

Certified Sommelier, President of Savvy Cellar Wines Inc.

9.0

Ok, I actually bumped my rating up after letting this wine open up a bit, so I would recommend a gentle decant. This wine started with some pronounced green bell pepper and subdued fruit. It quickly changed to toast oak, cedar box, a touch of menthol, dried flowers, dried cherries, black plum, dried coconut, and firm tannins. It paired well with prime New York and roasted broccoli. — 10 years ago

PJ

9.5

Great way to warm up on a 20 degree night! 🍷 — 11 years ago

Lisa Kinser

10

Great with Thanksgiving dinner! — 12 years ago

Rachel Hughes

9.0

Shiraz (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Merlot (7%)
2009
Padthaway, Australia — 14 years ago

Willem Booij

9.2

Ok it’s not the greatest year, but this wine is very nice. A real classic Margaux with stil some dark forest fruit, some pencil and a box filled with vanilla stuffed Havana’s. Not a full bodied wine but a real charmer. — 5 years ago

Mattias Söderberg

9.2

Red fruit, lesthery nose!! — 6 years ago

with Andreas

Jonathan Toobi

9.3

Love this unfiltered red blend, gallivanter, nice acidic start and berry finish, light to medium bodied, really tasty and easy drinking, — 6 years ago

Bloody Amateur

9.5

Not a “Bordeaux guy” but that may be because I don’t/can’t get my hands on the real stuff. This was pretty revelatory. More floral and delicate and sensuous than I could’ve imagined for a broad category our server called “cigar-box.” — 7 years ago

with Gaurav

Matt McMonagle

9.0

Great value. Really really drinkable. — 8 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink. — 9 years ago

with Benjamin

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.0

A fantastic 2002, this lovely wine shows once more that today there aren't really bad years in Bordeaux, this Pontet Canet was well structured rich and tempting. Deep red, tempting rich multi layered nose ripe cherries, black current, coffee, cigar box, and tea leaves, full rich body, dry tannins, full of black fruit, high acidity and a long chewy finish. Was worth the wait, my score 90. Drink to 2022 — 10 years ago

Helen M Gaydos

9.4

Aromas of briars black currant, lead pencil, meaty and cedar box. Med bodied, and structure overtakes fruit but let's see with a NY Strip! — 11 years ago

with Mark

Lisa Burch

9.0

Tasty and inexpensive. — 12 years ago

Becky Larson

8.9

Black box merlot !! Yummy — 13 years ago