Marc Melser

9.4

We had the 2013 Vintage on 5/2-3/21. This was a terrific full bodied, well balanced wine. Tastes of blackberry, plum, kirsch and vanilla on the palate. The tannins were smoothed out. A great example of the Napa floor. — 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

Rick K

9.5

Bell pepper, tomato, roses, leather, preserved lemon. Just wild. Best Breton I’ve had. — 7 years ago

FinerTastes

9.4

Celebrating Christmas with our favorite red blend. — 7 years ago

with Sarah and Kristen

Jeroen Koenen

9.1

At first, cassis and cherry shine on the expressive and generous nose. But soon lovely notes of treebark, licorice, forestfloor and grilled bell-pepper add in.
Slightly slender and feminine on the mid-palate, this wine could use some more flesh and stuffing.
Wine definately scores on the nose! — 8 years ago

Ivan Storck

10

Great! Right from the nose through the last drop. — 9 years ago

Erik Reif

9.5

Fantastic nose, great balance of acidity and mouthfeel. — 5 years ago

Emily Steedman

9.4

Beautiful wine for a beautiful day in Napa — 5 years ago

Michael Herzog

9.0

Glad to hear they are doing okay in Sonoma right now. Nice balance between the fruit and acidity. Great with potato leek soup. — 6 years ago

Jonathan McCarthy

9.1

Really needs some time in the decanter, wound up super tight. Funky earthy nose with sour cherry and topsoil, very fleshy, rustic body of blue and red fruits, a bit of red bell pepper, bakers chocolate, loads of pencil shavings, a faint suggestion of spruce. Really crunch skeleton with serious, almost saline minerality. Fruit fades before the minerals and earth. Really complex. Give it plenty of air and a long ponder. — 7 years ago

Patrick

9.0

Nice bottle. Rounded out fruit and tannins, great pairing with Italian. — 7 years ago

Sarah

9.6

Fresh bell pepper, bites of cilantro and plum skins. Tacos carnitas and SNL on a Sunday. — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured. Immediately, this bottle was open for business. Powerful aromas of tobacco, thyme and dark fruits with just a touch of green bell pepper and leather. The bouquet is so intoxicating that you're compelled to bury your nose in the glass but I stopped short of being satisfied with that as the temptation to take a sip was, of course, overwhelming...and I was not disappointed. Ample notes of currants, tobacco and some cedar and earth, wrapped in a beautiful body. Tannin and acid are in good balance. This is a great wine for a hearty meal yet it can be enjoyed perfectly well on its own. Considering the structure and my history drinking these wines, I suspect these will drink very well over the decade as it begins to take on more secondary characteristics. Drink now or Hold. — 9 years ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.4

Treats from a far away land are always appreciated in my dojo. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Just love this wine, great value, can’t get enough! Belle Pente (bell-pont') means "beautiful slope" - for their 70 acre hillside vineyard & winery site in Willamette Valley. Bright Ruby red with aromas of red fruits, herb spices and hints of blossom notes. On the palate strawberry and cherry flavors, slight sweet undertones, herb notes and smooth tannins. Well balanced on a long finish ending with mineral herb notes. Nice!! Great value. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.8

The 2014 Mouton Rothchild is a stunning wine that is already making its case for one of the wines of the vintage. Graphite, salted dark fruits, tar and mocha with a touch of red bell pepper all marvelously combine on the nose. Silky and marvelously textured, with an incredible complexity and viscosity, the wine shows wonderful brightness and a seamless quality that artfully dances across the mid-palate. Stunning and simply marvelous even at the five year mark, this is only an infant now and has decades of life to go. Try to resist this beauty for at least three more years. Drink 2021-2045- 98 — 6 years ago

Meg Herring

9.1

Quite vegetal at first but then it mellows into a lovely Loire CF. Exactly what you want when you pull a cork on one of these. Blackberries, raspberries, and red bell pepper along with some green tea leaves and black stone. — 7 years ago

Robert Stackowiak

9.2

85 percent Cab with blend of complementary reds. Should age well. June 2018. — 7 years ago

Teri Reed

9.2

Very nice white!! Celebrating CPA happiness. — 8 years ago

with Zane and PK

Brash Higgins

9.1

Feels special, lots of stems and more — 9 years ago