Curtis Midkirk

9.6

Wonderful balance between fruit and oak with a mild tannin. The blended merlot really helps this wines beautiful finish — 6 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.1

Between 2007 and 2009. Une verite de la palice but with great significance in the wine world. Light year, very feminine wine, very evolved, reduction in nose needs to be drunk now. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The 14 Almaviva Cabernet is 68% Cabernet, 22% Carménère and 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The vines are 38 years of age. The wine spent 18 months in 75% new oak. The nose shows some slight funk at first. Blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, black cherry cola/licorice and dark florals. The M+ tannins are soft and a little sticky. The fruits are slightly candied in style. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark chocolate, soft leather, crushed rocks, dark moist turned earth and dark fresh florals. The structure, length, tension, balance and finish are quiet beautiful. Producer history and notes...Almaviva began in 1997, as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Viña Concha y Toro. With the strengths of both families pedigree, they achieved international recognition with the the launch of their very first vintage. Their goal was to create the equivalent of Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé in Chile. Patrick Leon is their Winemaker and also makes Opus One & Mouton Rothschild. Almaviva is located in the Maipo Valley in Chile's central zone. Puente Alto has ideal conditions for growing the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Almaviva has 85 hectares. The climatic features of Puente Alto include its; stony soil, cold, rainy winters, and the hot days and cool nights of its summers. Maipo is considered Chile’s Napa Valley.
— 8 years ago

Jason Chiu

9.3

Flagship Oregon Pinot with great balance between Earth, fruit, and aromatics — 9 years ago

with Lisa

Joe Lucca

9.3

Old world style from California central coast. The nose is redolent of Luxardo cherries and Antica Formula vermouth. On the palate, there is a battle between fruit and earth; deep, earthy forest flavors are offset by bright, tart spring cherries. Coastal botanicals play against wild fruit. Better than expected. — 9 years ago

Veronica Castro

9.3

This wine came in with a lot of high hopes, and man, every one was met. Elegant, powerful, and racy. Nose full of lemon blossoms, palate teeter-tottering between acid and fruit, an exciting wine with loads of Salt, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, ending with a zesty, salty-limey finish. Very pretty wine. — 9 years ago

Kevin Simback

9.5

15 year old rose! Great acidity and keeps getting more interesting. Sorta cross between aged Rioja and a Fino. — 10 years ago

with Tripti

Lou Putney

9.3

Rides a great line between sweet and dry. Best cool not cold. Perfect with any dinner. — 11 years ago

David Witkowsky

Sales Potomac Selections

9.2

Blackberries crushed between rocks — 11 years ago

Erin Pooley

Owner/Winemaker Good Luck Wines

9.5

#apluswine is found between five bells — 13 years ago

Brandon Boesch

10

Wow! Singing. Menthol, berries, hint of cream, herbs, cassis. I am influenced by drinking with the guy who made this wine while listening to him play songs from the album! Still excellent for an almost 20 year old wine. — 6 years ago

with Randy

Amy Huson

9.4

Pencil lead, cooked fig, dark chocolate, vanilla; incredible balance between the juicy acidity and smooth yet grippy tannins. Perfect time to drink! — 8 years ago

Eric Casias

9.5

Decanted for 4 hours. Balanced, soft and a merge between Napa and old world. Gorgeous. — 8 years ago

Rafael Landestoy

9.4

Wonderful comparison between (as one taster mentioned) the femininity of Lalande vs the masculinity of Baron. The theme held true throughout the night with most Barons being bigger and bolder and the Lalandes being more elegant and refined. Both beautiful but different. — 9 years ago

with Jorge and Ilida

Chris Langstaff

9.0

Smells like walking between rows of bright crisp golden delicious apples that have been freshly picked. Delicate and light with some astringency. Black currants. Alcohol is clearly present on the linger. Update after being open a day: the nose has changed and developed into a distinctly 'dirt floor cellar' and mildew and it is still delightfully light and delicate, but falls off. — 9 years ago

Steven Gullo

9.2

Really freakin good. Collaboration between Aubert de Villaine of DRC and Larry Hyde. The absolute best expression of old world meets new. — 9 years ago

Matt Austin

Owner/Winemaker, Grosgrain Vineyards, Walla Walla, WA

9.2

Walks a tightrope between far too young and past it's prime. I'm leaning too young. Really developed with air. Fascinating stuff as always. — 10 years ago

Sébastien Burel

9.5

A wonderful vintage, crisp and dense at the same time. A wonderful contrast between concentration and purity. — 11 years ago

Steven Wood

9.3

I know we should be storing these (2010), but it just drinks so damn well right after you uncork it. Drinks like a $80 bottle, perhaps on the smoother side for a barbaresco, and not a lot of bite, almost like a straddle between barbaresco and Barolo. Best value under $40 I know of... — 11 years ago

Mike Dombrow

Buyer Sunfish Cellars

9.0

Come sail your ships around me and burn your bridges down. — 11 years ago

Erin Pooley

Owner/Winemaker Good Luck Wines

9.7

So excited to open this tonight! @between5bells thank you @jonathan_wood #apluswine — 13 years ago

Romain Stamm

9.3

Elegance! great structure & balance between acidity, wood (vanilla &brioche), floral notes and yellow & white fruits (peach & lemon). A wine to remember — 6 years ago

with Clement and Paul

Nichole Herman

10

Nichole really enjoyed this one! — 7 years ago

Serban Sincai

9.2

Very good balance between reductive and oxydative notes. 9,2 PM — 8 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.9

This bottle of Krug had the vine motif on the label that dates it to the "no Krug, no thanks" era. My guess is that it was based on a harvest between 1997-2000, so likely pre-LVMH. The wine was spectacular. The butterscotch and brioche nose as well as the brassy color were signs of patient, tender cellaring. Texturally, this Krug was as good as any wine I have ever had, velvety and full. The back end exploded with chalk, nuts and a complex array of dried fruit. The finish went on and on. Cellar some Grand Cuvée- you won't be disappointed. — 8 years ago

with Jim

Paul T HB

9.0

Cork was great, which shows me it was stored nicely doesn't taste like modern day Stags leap a little brickish but still has legs, has that old Cabernet smell, maybe all wines tasted like this in 92? Wasn't drinking wine at that time.
I was still drinking Long Islands, Margaritas & Miami Ice's, plus a few Zombies in between. I heard Russell Bevan talk about this vintage in his 2012 Vixon block release so I figured why not, but who knows when he actually had it, could of been 10 years ago,
— 9 years ago

.

9.3

Drinking really well at this point, and deftly bridges old school Napa with the new. — 10 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.4

It was great to learn about the Billecart range straight from Antoine Billecart. The base wine for the current bottling is almost entirely Meunier, with the 40% reserves being split between three different harvests of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The wine was so clean and refined with lots of pristine white fruit as well as cream and just a touch of baguette. A treat! — 11 years ago

JohnQ Boxler

Sales Berkeley Wine Company

8.9

Nice tension between structure, fruit, and savory notes. — 11 years ago

Steve Matthiasson

Owner/Winemaker Matthiasson Wines

9.5

Continuing the trend of great wines lately, this is pretty close to a perfect bottle of Champagne. Impeccable balance between fruit and mineral, acid and sweetness, finishes very clean. — 13 years ago