Jay Kline

9.3

Double decanted two nights before service. The 2013 Insignia pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing but still quite youthful with notes of tart and ripe dark fruit: dense brambles, purple flowers, tobacco, vanilla and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. At 11 years of age, this remains tightly coiled and needs more time to open up and tell more of its story. All that being said, this is very good now…but to my palate, better after 2027 and through 2043. — 6 months ago

Vino Joe

9.4

Solid but not elite Yquem. Possessed all the depth and complexity you would expect but was more narrow without the focus you get in a better vintage. — 8 months ago

jesus g

Hospitality Schramsberg Vineyards

9.4

Way better from large format — 9 months ago

with Shay

Will Stanley

9.6

The 2007 Vieux Telegraphe, enjoyed here from half bottle, encapsulates everything so wonderful about Chateauneuf-du-Pape, coming from very old vines on the fabled plateau of La Crau. Pungent aromatics; an ethereal cacophony of sweet cranberry, blackcurrant, strawberry, liquorice, blood orange, white pepper and garrigue (in spades), with airy elegance and poise. The palate follows in much the same style, graceful and welcoming, adding flecks of sweet vanilla. There is, however, a core of iron and solid structure that ties everything together. This is accomplished stuff, even in such a brilliant vintage as 2007, and this elegant, complex CNdP warrants a high score – and further ageing. — 9 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

Young quality #zinfandel #petitsirah blend by Ridge - blackberry pie filling, vanilla and other sweet spices on the nose; beautifully balanced fruit and acidity ending in grippy tannins. Methinks this wine would be better laid down for 5+ years. — 4 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

Jason Bonfig

9.3

Long week! I like grapes better than apples. 🤨 — 6 years ago

Ciprian Rusu

9.1

Terrible when I first opened it, but after 4+ hours of aerating, MUCH better. It's a little high on the price, but a really good wine after aerating it. — 9 years ago

John Skupny - Lang & Reed Wine Company

9.3

1983 - holding much better than equivalent Bordeaux. Rich, torrefaction - deep layers of fruit emerging through heaps of forest floor. — 9 years ago

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.6

2002 Raveneau Montee Tonnerre. Floral; elegant; rich; balanced nose and palate. Rich and lovely citrus and yellow grapefruit. Better than the 2000 Raveneau Montee Tonnerre. — 10 years ago

Joe DAscoli

9.5

Decanted for 2 hours before we touched it

2nd sip was better than the first. As if you needed the first sip to prepare yourself for this wine

Overall great structure and solid fruit. Improved with airtime. Delicious wine. — 7 months ago

J Choi

9.4

Nice nose. Crunchy. Bright red fruit. Spice pepper on finish. Better than prior bottles. Slight funk. — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1990 vintage. Neck base fill. Cork fairly saturated. Durand used. Appropriate sediment. Opened but not decanted. Tasted after one hour. Light-medium body. This was fully integrated and harmonious. Can’t imagine this vintage tasting better as this was a great specimen. Finish just glided along like a sail craft on a glassy day. Can hold at this level for another 5-6 years easy. One of the best Lafite efforts I’ve ever enjoyed. 8.16.24. — 9 months ago

Kelley Raymond

9.3

Always a favorite, but it would be better aged — 9 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium ruby still , with some light bricking on the rim . Surprisingly open when opened , tobacco with mixed red fruits , truffle , grafite , lovely definition , touch of blackcurrant and marine , oyster shell . On the palate good weight and mostly ripe red fruits , almost like a fruit jelly in style , but with great acidity and balance , noticeable rounded fine tannins on the finish . Good length , tobacco and mineral notes . Great now , gets better , really grows in the glass . Now and for the next 15 years I would imagine . — 2 years ago

Nancy Miyamoto

9.5

The longer it decants the better it tastes. — 5 years ago

Adam Oppenheim

9.5

Hard to be better — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.5

My 28th/29th/30th & 31st bottles of the beautiful 04 & @ £40 & they are still superb value for a stunning old world Rioja 👍 & keep getting better & better 😁

🍷 Garnet w/ brick edge

👃 Old world Seduction of soft smokey oak, leather, plum, spiced cherry, vanilla, red berry & fig jam w/ a balsamic prune tone

👄 Med body of silky creamy red cherry/berry driven earthy & oaky mashed fruits with cocoa, fig & thick balsamic

🎯 Long soft smooth oaky rich cherry fruit linger with earthy cocoa & balsamic
— 7 years ago

Sean Genn

9.7

This wine continues to amaze. 3rd bottle I've had in the last year and it's just getting better and better. So balanced and beautiful. I feel like it's just now hitting it's sweet spot. — 9 years ago

with Michael

Neil Cornish

8.9

Darn. Not showing tonight. Dominated by acid and tannin. Fruit just isn't ripe enough to hold up. Did better with food — 9 years ago

with Jon, Michael and 1 other

Damian

9.3

Very dark ruby color. Medium plus acidity with grippy tannins. Needs a lot of air and much better the next day. Smell of dark fruit, tobacco notes. On the palate more earthy notes of gravel, tar, graphite with coffee and dark fruit. Will improve with age. — 8 months ago

Paul K

9.4

Boys weekend at the cabin and enjoying great wines and better stories. — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

It’s a night of consecutive first year decades, 90 & 80. Enjoyed in reverse order.

I had an 80 from Andy Beckstoffer’s cellar at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April 24 with Andy & Tor Kenward. This library bottle I bought recently at K&L is better than what I had a Pebble. Just look at the cork!

Glorious mouth entry. Juicy, perfect, ripe fruit that shows age but it is not missing a step. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark, juicy, poached strawberries, baked rhubarb mid, dark cherries, candied raspberries to raspberry pudding. Just a touch of v/a, chocolate pudding/fudge, mocha, caramel, light, soft, sun tea, softened baking spices- cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanillin, some fresh & dry herbs, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, evolved, dark spices w/ some palate heat, dry top soil, limestone powder, hint of mint, with & fresh florals that are; dark, red, blue & liquid violets and lavender sprinkled in, perfect acidity and perfectly balanced, softly tensioned, knitted and a refined finish that lasts two-minutes.

This bottle is in a perfect spot & as good as it gets. Perfectly stored. It has another 5 years. Liquid, velvety tannins. One of the more perfect bottles I’ve had in 5-10 years.

Photos of, my tasting at Pebble Beach Food & Wine. The retail wine shop at Spanish Bay, Andy Beckstoffer & Tor Kenward. — 8 months ago

Paul J

9.4

This was very nice! Classic Bordeaux all around. Refined with nice earthy elements. Medium depth and finish. Better values out there, but the tasting group really enjoyed. — 9 months ago

with Brooke

Pooneet K

9.2

Krug is always most welcome, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. This is edition 169. A bit more yeasty and slightly less acidic than previous versions, to my taste. But if you like the Krug style - which we do very much - it hits the spot per usual.

My wife used to work with Fritz Hatton, proprietor of Arietta wines and auctioneer for Zachys. Fritz always says to have a half bottle of champagne waiting in the fridge in case you need a “midnight snack”, and I have to agree with him! — 4 years ago

Mike Evans

9.3

Razor sharp acidity and minerality at the core, on the linear side at the moment but with enough flesh on the bones to keep it from being too austere. Right now it is better with food than on its own, but just sipping it still delivers plenty of pleasure. — 6 years ago

Paco Suro

9.2

Old school. Has some of that over extracted warmth but nothing compared to the Napa Valley juice from the same year. Nice leather tones. Good stuff. Will only get better with age. On the upward slope. — 8 years ago

Pierre Arneaux

9.2

Wow. More flavor, much better than their regular cab. Silky, velvet, smooth. Chocolate. Rich fruit. Big, full flavor, lots of flavor. Not old world style for sure, not subtle. It's a big bomb. We would pay up to $75 for this so a bit overpriced to us.
— 9 years ago

Keith Ward

9.1

Fantastic Barbaresco! Lives up to the region and is one of the better bottles I've had from there! Good front, tannins and long finish - will stand up to heartier Piedmont fare! — 9 years ago

Brandon Stover

9.9

1973. Awesome. Tasted better than a lot of wines produced in this decade — 10 years ago