Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I can’t pour enough praise on Dan and his talents. I don’t give many wines near perfect scores, but this merits one. The nose is a beautifully balanced mix of floral fruits, earth and spice. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, lilacs, violets and lavender. The balance is incredible...one of the most balanced wines I’ve had. The structure, tension and length are so close to perfect. It’s in the OMG realm. The tannins are nicely resolved but still have teeth. It’s gorgeously lush and rich. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, hues of blue fruits haunt the palate, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, black licorice, touch herbaceous, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, black & white pepper, dry crushed rocks, stones, lilacs, violets and lavender. The finish is heaven all the way around. To borrow Bordeaux terminology, this is First Growth Shiraz. If you don’t seek out Dan’s wines on the secondary market, you are missing something special. Not at all meant to be enjoyed young. This wine is in a very good spot and has another 10 years of life going forward. — 8 years ago

Lance E. Farman

9.0

Not characteristic of other Sonoma pinots I've had. Lush and fruity with nice acid. — 9 years ago

Aila Enos

9.0

Strong grapefruit flavor, balanced between sweet and acidic — 9 years ago

kasimir bujak

9.0

this is an excellent fall wine. almost feels a bit like a pinot- dark fruit, cranberries, and an earthy/animal funk.... mostly i got an interplay between earth and berries- all within a refreshingly light body/fine mouthfeel. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Dark cherry & dark raspberry heaven. Add juicy strawberries, dry cranberries, pomegranate juice, silky chalk & minerality, dark earth and long finish. It's in top form. — 9 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.4

A classic example of the great wines made by Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, this wine is drinking beautifully. A hypothetical hybrid between a central coast pinot and a Grand Cru burgundy, this wine exhibits a nose of sour cherries, strawberries, with an undercurrant of spice and earth. Seamless finish. An absolute pleasure to drink. — 10 years ago

with Vanessa

John Kemper

9.3

A medium ruby-red, the'07 Red Car Pinot Noir 'Heaven & Earth - La Bohème Vineyard' is scented with seductive red raspberry, Dr. Pepper and savory herb aromas. Some earthy overtones on the spicy red fruit mouth flavors. Surprising rich and dense given its lighter color. Some noticeable heat on the vibrant spicy finish. — 11 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Is there any meal better than steak (Ribeye) and well aged Claret? This is another 1991 Bordeaux experiment of mine. 1991 was a vintage with horrible frosts and a less than favorable growing season, right? A vintage critically panned. This is my 3rd recent 91 from a good producer. And again, it didn’t disappoint. Like 97 and 07, it’s better with the right bottle age than young. Magic evolution happened in the bottle way down the road. This 91 is in great form with a fair amount of life ahead of it. On the nose; a little ripe fruit funk, wonderful dark & lighter red cassis, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries, vanilla, light cinnamon, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs and fresh & dry red flowers. The body/palate is medium, round, ripe & still fresh. The tannins nearly completely resolved. Ripe, floral fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries & half cooked rhubarb. Vanilla, light cinnamon, touch of clove & nutmeg, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs, a little band-aid and fresh & dry red flowers. The acidity drips over the palate and the long, well balanced, still structured, nice tension, good length finish lasts over a minute. Again, love & appreciate the 12.5% alcohol. What a beauty with and without the steak. Next time you’re in your fine wine retail shop and see a quality producers 91 that’s been well stored, buy it and have it with a Ribeye. Photos of; their exotic Estate, Chateau interior, newer barrel room and their vines as viewed from the front of the Chateau that are across the road. Producer notes and history...Cos d’Estournel has a long distinguished history in the St. Estephe. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, gave his name to the estate after founding in 1811. It did not take long before Cos d’Estournel became famous with wine lovers and royalty all over the world. In those early days, Cos d’Estournel did not sell through Negociants. The owner preferred selling his wine directly to his customers. In fact, Cos d’Estournel was exported to numerous countries across the globe, with a large portion of the production being sold to India. It was that connection to India that inspired much of the unique, east Indian design we see at Cos d’Estournel today. Cos d’Estournel was one of the first Bordeaux Chateaux’s to bottle, label and sell their own wine. This practice continued until the death of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in 1852. If you’re at the property, the statue on the bench in the front courtyard is of the founder, Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. The Estate was then purchased by an owner that sold their wines on the Place de Bordeaux using the negociant system. If the Chateau was not selling their wines through the negociant system, it would never have been included in the 1855 Classification. Imagine that! So, it turned out to be a fortuitous decision. Cos d’Estournel was sold to the Charmolue family owners of the neighboring Estate of Chateau Montrose. They continued to own the estate until 1917, when it was bought by Fernand Ginestet. This purchase was the beginning of the next major step in the development of Cos d’Estournel. Decades later, the grandchildren of Fernand Ginestet, Jean-Marie Prats, Yves Prats and Bruno Prats took over ownership and management of Cos d’Estournel. In 1995, Bruno Prats sold the property to the Merlaut family, owners of the Taillan Group. The next era in the development of Cos d’Estournel took place in 2000, when Cos d’Estournel was bought by the industrious and wealthy Michel Reybier, who earned his fortune in the food industry. Michel Reybier hired the son of Bruno Prats, Jean-Guillaume Prats to manage Cos d’Estournel. Things further improved with the efforts of Jean-Guillaume Prats who helped design the most modern wine making at that time. A complete renovation of Cos d’Estournel took place in not only the wine making facilities and cellars, but in parts of the Chateau as well. While the wine making facilities are completely modern with their 100% gravity design, the outward appearance retained the original design and feeling that has always been a part of Cos d’Estournel. On October 15, 2012, Jean Guillaume Prats announced he was leaving Cos d’Estournel to join LVMH (Pichon Baron). Jean Guillaume Prats was replaced by Aymeric de Gironde. Following the departure of Aymeric de Gironde in 2017, the owner, Michel Reybier took over managing the Estate. What makes the remodel special is that the cellars of Cos d’Estournel are entirely operated by gravity. There are no pumps of any kind to force the wine. The purpose is to allow a gentleness to the wine and improve its purity and allow for the expression of their terroir. It set a new benchmark for cellars not only in the Left Bank, but in all of Bordeaux. Perhaps, the most inventive part of the cellars is the four 100 hectoliter lift tanks or wine elevators that replace the pumps used in the traditional pumping over and the racking off processes, which introduce air and often destabilize the marc. From the moment the grapes arrive, everything travels by the flow of gravity. Jean Guillaume Prats called this process a “pumpless pump over.” The 91 hectare vineyard of Cos d’Estournel is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is located extremely close to the border between Pauillac and Saint Estephe at the southern tip of the Saint Estephe. The Estate has very old Merlot vines as well, which date back more than 100 years. Part of the terroir is situated on the hill of Cos, which is at a high elevation for the Medoc at 20 meters. They also make a second wine called Pagodes de Cos. This is a great wine to buy in very good vintages. Especially, if your budget prohibits you from purchasing their first wine. — 8 years ago

Adam Jesberger

10

One of the best bottles of GC Burg I've had. This is in perfect form right now. Showing a perfect intermingled harmony between fruit and tertiary vinous character. Not over oaked at all. Very tart intact red and black cherries with acrid pomegranate and bramble. A kiss of brett with moist, mossy soil like earth including a white button mushroom presence. Dusty stone minerality with a cedar and light pepper finish. This is quite wonderful. I think 99 burgundy is just so spot on to drink now. — 10 years ago

with Jenelle

Daron Watson

9.3

wow ~ 7 hrs in and still jammed up! dark fruits, soft black licorice , herbs & earth. lay this down for a few... — 10 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.0

Beautiful balance between earth and fruit. — 11 years ago

Chris McClellan

9.1

Earth driven, minor red fruit. Great balance between acid and tannin. American Oak exudes... — 8 years ago

Max Kelly

9.2

This was the Greffieux Bessards blend. Rich layered fruit, and a distinct scorched earth/smoked meat note. So much umami on the finish - reminded me of really good wet brisket. Medium scaled with a moderately long finish, it alternated between highly expressive and a little shy. Not sure if it's lacking a little concentration or just a bit too young - not a ton of tannic structure evident. Delicious with lots of character, but not quite a wow wine. — 8 years ago

John B

9.4

Wonderful. A couple hours in a decanter soften the tannins. A nice balance between black fruit, red fruit and earth. Soft tobacco. — 9 years ago

Lulu McAllister

9.3

Earthy, mouthfilling — 9 years ago

with Johan

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

Dorit Handrus

8.9

Nice balance between whole bunch green, light red fruit, gritty brown earth — 10 years ago

with Jason, Jesse and 1 other

Emily Kresie-Harrington

8.9

Good typicity. Dried cranberry, red currant, red plum, dried rose, violets, organic and inorganic earth, moderate level of VA, normal for the style. Bridge between modern and old style. Paired well with a debate concerning the carrying capacity of European vs African swallows, ascertaining the guilt of a witch, and a near-fatal battle with a bloodthirsty rabbit :) — 10 years ago

Nico Sciackitano

Sommelier/Cellar Occhipinti

9.6

Oooh heaven is a place in earth. — 11 years ago

Ryan Key

9.1

Excellent balance between fruit, body, and earth. Would buy again. — 12 years ago