PS Michaels

9.5

Pristine bottle. Great sweet spot now! — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Dark reddish tawny. Mostly translucent. Amazing nose. Powerful. A spectrum of notes including red fruit, cola, pencil lead, black truffles, coffee, blood sausage and some dry dark soil. Animalistic. Massive fruit and structure with a long finish. Someone says "honey ham" as a note in the nose and we all agree (first ever note involving the word "ham"). This was a wine where everyone's score or appreciation greatly improved over the evening. A best ever Unico for me. (M's 60th bday 4th of 14) — 5 years ago

Rick Baumgarten

9.6

Top of a double blind flight of French Syrahs. Oh, so good. — 7 years ago

Blake Walker

9.5

Tasted blind, I would’ve guessed a mature Bordeaux. Fantastic. — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Served blind with the 99 Dominus. This was really singing & their best wine since the great 89/90 vintages. Rich & dense berry fruits with cedar, leather, graphite & tobacco — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

When it comes to my B-day, there is only one fit, an old Pichon Lalande with my Ribeye. As a lover of Bordeaux, these two are my favorite pairing. It’s a very slow walk to the finishline. A small bite of steak and a sip of 89 Pichon Lalande. Then, repeat until finished. I had some concerns about this bottle. A slightly slippery and crumbling cork. The first sip was not bad, but not what you want or are expecting. After some time in the decanter, it really started to shine. On the nose; ripe, ruby, floral cassis, blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, baked strawberries, blue fruit hues, dry cranberries, baked rhubarb, saddlewood, soft, used leather, bay leaf, touch of sage, hint of spearmint, eucalyptus, vanilla, cinnamon, crushed dry crushed rock powder, black turned earth, dry brown soil with clay, tobacco leaf and perfumed red florals with violets. The body is full, round and silky. Tannins are well resolved at around 80%. The texture, length, tension and length are in a sweet spot. The fruits are ripe, ruby & expressively floral. Blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, baked strawberries, blue fruit hues, dry cranberries, baked rhubarb, saddlewood, soft, used leather, bay leaf, touch of sage, hint of spearmint, eucalyptus, vanilla, cinnamon, crushed dry crushed rock powder, black turned earth, dry brown soil with clay, scorched earth, tobacco leaf and perfumed red florals with violets. The acidity is just a little off but still nice. The finish is divided nearly equally in fruit, earth, florals and herbaceous. It’s very enjoyable but falls just a little short in longer, lingering length. This bottle had good storage, not great. Even so, still has another three to five years ahead. A bottle with excellent storage has another five years beyond this one. Photos of; the backside of Pichon Lalande, angled terrace view of their vines right next to Latour, my steak & twice baked potato (so good) and CEO Nicolas Glumineau. — 9 years ago

Matthew Denci

9.3

Heitz has still got it baby, 1998 Napa cab standing up nicely at 18 years old. The color is only just showing signs of age. The nose is full of mint and lamb. In a strange spot since its not especially lush or fruity and yet hasn't fully developed the tertiary notes you would expect. But has the bones to go longer still. — 10 years ago

Guy Davies

8.9

1999. Slightly underwhelming. Nice stuff, earth and meat on the nose, relatively light body, bit of a smoky finish, but not that long. If blind I would have had this as something more humble. — 11 years ago

Jay Rosen

9.1

Nice nose of dark cherry and coffee Very soft on the palate showing plums and fig to go along with the cherries. Very soft an elegant. Has shed its youthful tannins and is in a perfect spot right now. Start drinking those 03's. — 12 years ago

Izzy Nosnik

9.3

99 las cases. In an amazing spot right now. I love these ripe Bordeaux with age. All the usual scents- cedar, lead pencil, Leather, tobacco. Awesome stuff. Great drinker right now. — 14 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

Tasted blind. Dark tawny color. Sweet, candied fruit nose with notes of dark raspberries, some spice, some mocha, some gravel stone and a little soy sauce. In the mouth, there is a dryness to it when compared to the great nose and smells this gives off. Very masculine. Punches you in the face. Guessed 89 Rousseau Clos de Beze. Great juice! — 5 years ago

Vin

9.3

Medium body, and another reviewer was spot in with the sour cherry comment. Refreshing. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny. Nose is closed and not yielding much. I get cranberries, some cherries, iron and stones, some wood. Has a high pitched character to it. Has some pucker in it yet. Tight with ample acidity. I guess 97 Vogue Bonnes Mares. In my experience this wine has had some variations in its performance. Today it was better than most, but suffered by not getting ample air before it was served. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.2

Monthly WTF guys blind tasting group. This month was our annual, and famed, Left Bank vs Right Bank theme. All wines served blind as usual. Started off with a Rosé and a champagne. Great night.

The first of two GPLs from the evening. Lots of saddle leather mixed with ripe fruit on the nose. Underripe black-cherry on the palate with an herbal dominants finish. Drink now. Thanks @Will Adams . — 7 years ago

with Andrew, Jack and 6 others

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.7

The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2018) — 9 years ago

Andrew Lubeck

9.1

Dark fruit and Coffee notes - in a good spot — 9 years ago

Benjamin Keator

9.6

Earthy with coffee undertones. A bit of cooked meat. Tasted blind and guessed 2003 Angelus. Simply beautiful — 9 years ago

Carl Camp

9.0

Had at Lake Louise 2nd night. 2015 year. — 9 years ago

Hector Escaton

9.4

Given that I could easily drink 50 of these, there's really no need for so-called "session IPAs." — 11 years ago

with Dave

Matt Austin

Owner/Winemaker, Grosgrain Vineyards, Walla Walla, WA

9.1

My father-in-law bought a case of this on release and we have had one each year since. In the past this has always been very tight and structured. This year the tannins have nearly fully resolved and the wine is very fruit forward. I'm not sure that it's for the better, but this is still very enjoyable with a steak. I think in three or four years this may be in its sweet spot. — 12 years ago

Gareth Tilley

8.9

Fragile and perfumed, distinctly Burgundian in character, although nose is classic Bordeaux. Blind tasted, my guess was Margaux. — 13 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured from my cellar. The cork was absolutely perfect. The 2005 pours a rather turbid, deep garnet at nearly 17 years old. There's quite a bit of fine sediment that clings to the edge of the glass with each swirl. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this was initially a bit grumpy but within minutes, it relaxed and started to show some real charm. A fully developed wine, this is becoming a bit of a Leather Daddy, full of leather (obviously), bruised and desiccated red, black and blue fruits, Christmas spice fruit cake, coffee, damp earth, and candied nuts. On the palate, the fruit remains quite stunning and confirms the mix of bruised and desiccated fruit with a sort of sherried character. Loads of salmiakki (salted licorice), spiced nuts, pepper, coffee and, you guessed it, leather. The wine was dry, technically, but almost gives the sensation of some RS with all of the over-ripe fruits and the texture was almost sappy, in some ways. However, while this was absolutely rich and well-endowed, it was not cloying. Tannins have fully integrated (though still present) and the acid was like a girdle keeping everything held together. This remains a rather large personality even if it's showing its age. Definitely in a lovely spot...but how much longer will that last? If this wasn't my last bottle, I would probably be drinking these over the next five years unless you want the full Leather Daddy experience...which is okay if that's your thing. — 5 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.2

Capsicum, peppercorns, and cedar. Silky red fruits. A blind taster’s dream Chinon. Always good, but a stunning value in great vintages. Happy to have half a case of this. — 6 years ago

Arden Barnett

9.6

So special. Toasted almonds, lemon marzipan, brioche bread, intense dried fruit, nougat. Deep and intense with chalky minerality. Move aside Krug, Dom takes the spot as my favorite champagne house — 7 years ago

Mike Davila

9.6

This wine amazed me, I’ve had it before and it’s never shown this well, maybe just hitting it’s stride? Beautiful perfumed floral nose ( never thought I would say that about a Dunn), exquisite balance, the fruit is slightly sweet, the tannins are fully integrated and refined, with just the right amount of acid in the finish. I would never guess mountain fruit or let alone Dunn if tasted blind. Can’t wait to try it again in a couple of years. — 8 years ago

Jared Elder II

9.1

Great wine in our room having some wine and cheese for dinner. It was a great buy and really hit the spot. I think this will be a trip of “risk and reward”. So what is the price point and how good is it???? This is a really nice wine. Would have it again for sure. — 9 years ago

Doctor No

9.1

Wow. This is young, and the nose is a bit of dark red berry suffusing a sea of resolving American Oak. The American oak is so pronounced that, had I tasted this blind, I might have taken it for Ridge... :) This has decades ahead, even if -only- a Riserva. Like La Rioja Alta 904, a fantastic value in old school Rioja... — 9 years ago

Alexei Rodriguez

9.3

Excellent! — 10 years ago

with Troy

chris Holdstock

9.2

Absolutely fantastic for the price, I'd pay double what it costs in a blind test. — 11 years ago

Sage Coody

8.9

Second type of cab I've tried, very different flavor. I'm a fan of California Reds!
— 12 years ago