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. — 4 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.1

3 decades served blind where most of the group guessed Pinot grape & thought it could be from Burgundy. Groups favorite was the 89. — 5 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. — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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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) — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind, from magnum. Old dark ruby color. Amber rims. Notes of black cherry, spice, earth and something like pencil lead. Ok in the mouth, refined, but lacking energy. With the meal this was enjoyable but was somewhat sleepy all night. Likely at peak and given the magnum format, it's time to drink up 750s. Guessed 62 Latour. — 6 years ago

Matthieu Bordes

9.5

One of the best wine on this vintage 2008 tasted blind and so easy to recognize this great wine just perfect ! — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

SS in the sweet spot. This is an effortless beauty. Balance. Prowess. Silk. — 7 years ago

Alexei Rodriguez

9.3

Excellent! — 8 years ago

with Troy

LM Segal

9.4

Great breeding trumps a below-average vintage. Blind, the nose alone gives away the DNA of this phenomenal wine. This Merlot-dominated Cheval has a beautiful core of cocoa powder, prune and plums. Structure from sweet oak and cab franc skins come through on the finish. Excellent, but a world away from the 2000 that's a palate-reference for me. Don't wait on this one, this well-stored bottle felt past its apex. — 8 years ago

Sage Coody

8.9

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

Gladys Xiques

9.1

An intriguing wine with depth. Notes of black cherry and purple fruit awashed with a finish that does not relent. Violet and a slight pepper quality. Just hits the spot. Paired with a heavy stew. — 4 years ago

Gaetan Ciampini

9.6

In a beautiful spot. I would dab too. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Tawny color, translucent with amber rims. Notes of black cherry, cedar, some spice and a little barnyard floor. Sweet fruit in the mouth, with tannins fully resolved. Guessed 1955 Calon Segur. Perfect looking bottle, the cork revealed this bottle was reconditioned by the Chateau in 2000. — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

On the nose, sweet & sour fruits with a touch of barnyard and fresh red flowers.

The body is medium to full. The fruits are gloriously ripe & slightly candied liqueured. Blackberries, dark plum, dark cherries, strawberries & strawberries. Touch of pyrazines. Ground powdery limestone, leather, soft graphite, dry herbs, dry stems, used leather, cedar, fresh tobacco, cigar ash, cherry cola, black turned earth with bright red florals. Great acidity and a well balanced finish that lasts minutes. It’s in a great spot and will continue to improve for another 8-10 years. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Tasted blind. Tawny color, lighter and a bit more transparent than the 82. Nice nose. Not as fruity. Notes of Dark cherry, wood, spice and dried brush. Medicinal. In the mouth it's well balanced. A bit dry tho. Needed air to show its best. — 6 years ago

Kevin Cahoon

9.7

From a 375. The captivating nose soras with granite, dried black olive, bright green olive, toasted white peppercorn and dried morel mushroom notes that augment the black current and black raspberry fruit. The palate echoes the nose with lifting acidity and pretty floral accents. This bottle is full on in a great spot. If there was a touch more depth and complexity on the palate and finish this would be have been perfect. — 6 years ago

Carl Camp

9.0

Had at Lake Louise 2nd night. 2015 year. — 7 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. — 8 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." — 8 years ago

with Dave

chris Holdstock

9.2

Absolutely fantastic for the price, I'd pay double what it costs in a blind test. — 9 years ago

Gareth Tilley

8.9

Fragile and perfumed, distinctly Burgundian in character, although nose is classic Bordeaux. Blind tasted, my guess was Margaux. — 11 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Lots of fun bottles were popped at Al’s hosting this past weekend for his birthday celebration. All were served blind. 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 6 reds and 1 dessert wine.

Out of all the wines from the night, this one changed the most. At first, it was very reminiscent of South African blends with a smoky rubbery like note. Odd. After about two hours, it shed that and was showing a lot of sweet cassis, baking spices, ripe red and black fruits. Balanced and smooth on the palate with graham cracker, dates, dark cocoa and mixed berries. I called this Napa cab but couldn’t pin point a producer. Props to Weston for calling this Shafer HSS! — 5 years ago

with joe, Dan and 2 others

Susan Sangiacomo

9.3

Easy to blind taste and guess it’s old world. Just that consistent Opus flavor I love....old world earthiness but new world brightness. Still has years to go. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny, translucent and old looking. Awesome nose. Notes of leather saddle, pencil lead, currants, cherry, soil, and some toasted hickory. All guessed 61 Bordeaux. This got better through the night and was at its best in the last glass. — 6 years ago

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. — 6 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... — 7 years ago

Rick Baumgarten

9.5

Another star of the show. Rated by some as their WOTN. Even if tasted blind, this would shine. — 8 years ago

Fred Kusumoto

9.3

At a good spot- blueberries a bit of "porcini dust." Nice acid structure- tannins at the finish but not disjointed. Better as the night progressed. Sad to see the last sip in my glass — 8 years ago

Nathaniel DiMaggio

8.9

In a great spot right now. Just enough maturity for me. Fresh, fruity with a bit of licorice. — 8 years ago

with David

Seth Morgen Long

Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long

9.6

A spot of Roulot on a Saturday afternoon... — 11 years ago