John Eaton

9.1

First words out of my new-to-wine daughter’s mouth - Smells like nail polish remover. And she was right. Big blast of alcohol right off the bat. Checked bottle. 15.5%. Had to give it time for it to blow off. Nice after some time. — 5 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.4

Yes, we also collect Australian wine (Two Hands & Penfolds)...but they need many, many, many years so my posts are justifiably far between. Been aggressive on Two Hands from 2002 forward, great stuff, requires patience. WS indicated a 2020 peak, I disagree, likely 2022+ is more reasonable for the top end. We miss the days of paying $48 for these bottles.

Nose has intensely focused black cherry & pomegranate compote, mashed red raspberry and a cedar bat which Big Papi has full swing crushed you in your mouth enough times to know that 'it's there'.

 Palate has a tawny note of raspberry port, plum & blueberry juice, cedar notes are fading but balanced, tannins are resolved and this wine is drinking near perfection. Amazinly long finish.

Still some heat of alchol on the nose letting you know it's still going to kick you in the hind quarters at some point (15% ABV). — 6 years ago

Cameron Robertson

9.2

Big bold blackberry off the bat. Turns to spice and almost a swirling flavor that you can quite pin down. Honestly for this price it's a deal. Has the nature of a 45+ bottle but not quiet the depth. Regardless, grab one. — 8 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.5

@David L Thanks bud for the incredible hookup! I've never had this wine. It's a stunning 2010 which is a vintage that I do. It have a lot of. Pop and poured and am letting evolve in the glass. I'll revisit my notes at the end of the night. Right off the bat......,this is better than the 06 Buccella that we had the other night. A little tight but a freakishly long finish. Big lush mouthfeel., some tannins that I think will integrate over time and beautiful dark lush fruit prancing on my palate.
Thank you sir!!! — 8 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.2

What a value. Like a mini Meursault. Bit tight on the nose but palate has big, ripe Meursault fruit, lovely acidity and length. This is showing out of its mind. Never would guess BB blind. What a showing for this. Florent is a talent. — 9 years ago

Peter Brennan

9.2

Wow. Big flavors right off the bat. Opened up beautifully. Great fruit flavors. — 10 years ago

A

9.3

Luscious, velvety, big ripe red fruit. Smooth and sure-footed. M and L both exclaimed when first drinking. Really like this a lot. — 5 years ago

Chris A

8.9

Smooth, succulent and mature. Well established ripe red fruit, full bodied that presents well right off the bat on the nose, and finishes with a smooth crisp big Bordeaux exclamation mark. Pair with a meal! — 6 years ago

Jack Petras

9.1

Pear aromas right off the bat. Strong oak notes at first sip which then with some time melded into the fruit creating some kind of spiced Asian pear wonderfulness. Hints of anise seed throughout finish. As expressive as it is it is never big but instead delicate and nuanced. Very enjoyable. Had with pork cutlets and homemade apple sauce. Perfect match. — 8 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Medium gold. Heavy in the glass. Has an oxidative note right off the bat, but its likely reduction that softens with some air. Very rich wine with with a big core of fruit, but clearly older in terms of structure and not at its apex anymore. — 8 years ago

Jim Wood

9.3

Very good Cab. Had w Stanton clan for Xmas and we all loved it — 8 years ago

Ari Erle

9.7

Match stick, pears, apples, complex aromas, nice spices, big mouth with great acid. Long finish...
— 9 years ago

with Elie

Paul J

9.5

Nose of popcorn right off the bat! Not a huge popcorn fan, but this is a great balance of butter, cream, lemon, and melon. Big fan and great value! — 9 years ago

with Brooke

David Kline

9.2

Rye toast, cranberry laden gravy, and morel nose with cinnamon and peppercorns in prune smoke. There is dark chocolate in this miasma, too. Blood-thick, with enough residual oak to build your own "Cruz" ship. A virtual reliquary, this dark chunky beast swings like a bat across your front teeth, and doesn't forget the back! Big Spanish monster with hard clay, bonfire, plum reduction, and a brassy finish that hovers around in the shadows for a minute finishing with cassis and a little bakers chocolate for good measure. A steal at 13$! — 10 years ago

with Courtney

garry post

8.9

Big tobacco, pepper, dark cherries and bell peppers in nose and mouth right off the bat. — 6 years ago

Al Doyle

9.3

Hefty, weighty, complex and long. Big white birthday wine. — 6 years ago

Ryan Gunter

9.1

2015 vintage tasted in 11/2018. Rich, dark maroon color in the glass, betraying its concentration. On the nose there is a prominent funky earthiness that softens with aeration yielding to predominantly black cherry aromas with hints of clove and a persistent earthiness. Dry with surprisingly low alcohol given its bravado off the bat. Mouthfeel reflects its young concentration with vibrant acidity and tannic qualities which are almost harsh, owing solely to the fact that I opened this bottle too early. This is a big complex Pinot that can handle some age and would benefit from it. There is a depth and complexity to this wine that is uncommon in new world Pinot noirs. — 6 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.5

It’s a Bordeaux-styled blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 21% Merlot, 16% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Personally, I would have flipped the Cabernets, more Franc than Sauvignon, but what do I know? It's not like anybody ever asked me to figure out the final blend for them. And that's probably a good thing.
The Paso Robles Cabernet - Sauvignon, that is - smells earthy as usual. Paso Cab has a great aroma, I think. Full of mineral, limestone and dirt. This one gets an infusion of mocha, chocolate, and sweet smoke. The palate is robust and tasty. Let's mention those tannins right off the bat. They are not to be ignored. The fruit is rather demanding as well, with big, dark berries, as ripe as you want. Herbal notes that sing bring some anise along into the oak spice. The finish doesn't know when to stop, and we can be glad about that. — 8 years ago

Eric

9.4

Very pleasantly surprised with this one as I was expecting average but got a lot more. Jammy nose with mint and vanilla. Huge body on the palate with syrupy dark berries. Big acid, big tannins, and a nice oaky finish. Intense. — 8 years ago

Keith Levenberg

9.7

2000. Huge wow here. No-doubter right off the bat. Next to the 2005 Batard, and I liked this better. Big thwack of sulfur and gunpowder on the nose to go along with lemony fruit and a chicken broth type of savoriness. Richly fruited but crunchy and crystalline on the palate. This keeps reminding me of those sticky lemon drop candies with the sugar crytal coating, sweet succulent concentrated fruit but with a crunch to it. Plenty of bass tones and depth though and it just doesn't quit. This is the vintage the grapes were so perfect they printed a cross-section of one on the back label and it looked like a Mandelbrot fractal. It still manages to depict the wine pretty well. — 10 years ago