Bob McDonald

9.5

Classic Cabernet descriptors of Cedar, Tobacco, Red and black fruits and a herbal note. Lovely on the palate, drinking at its peak with excellent balance - smooth, fluid, resolved tannins. One could easily pick this as a Left Bank Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Shows more French restraint than the full blown Napa style for me. Medium + weight palate with balance and concentration. Probably my favourite Napa Valley Cabernet though admittedly I have not tried some of the big guns like Harlan. Post script: A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. No Merlot was used in the blend for 2004. — 4 years ago

John Van Trijp

9.4

World greatest Chardonnay blind tasting — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Monthly WTF wine group night. Our theme was American oak vs French oak. All wines tasted blind. We started off with two bottles of bubbly and finished with two non-themed reds.

My contribution for the evening. I’m posting my previous review of this wine below as it’s been consistent the few times I’ve had it over the last 12-18 months. Love these wines!

Youthful. Icredibly perfumed with typical sweet dill and coconut American oak on the nose. Gosh, I could smell this stuff all day. Aside from needing time away, it needs roughly an hour of decanting to hit stride. Tobacco, cherry tart, and great herbal nuances on the finish. — 6 years ago

with Jack, Ryan and 4 others

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A continuation of our anniversary celebration @ Cole’s Steakhouse.

On the nose; cedar, saddle-wood, ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, anise, graphite, touch of smoke, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers.

The body is round, ruby and full. Classic Haut-Brion profile flavors. I don’t believe I would miss call this producer blind as its flavor profile & style is so distinct. The tannins are nicely round and soft, 60% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance are well knitted together. It does lack some wow factor from their truly great vintages. However, there is plenty of life in this bottling and it has not achieved its peak. Probably, another 3-5 years from hitting its peak with another 8 years of good drinking beyond that. Ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, dry black cherry & cranberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, mint, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, saddle-wood, cedar, anise, graphite, forest floor, touch of smoke, volcanic ash, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers. The acidity is just about perfect. The ruby finish is elegant, well polished & balanced and last minutes. It continues to evolve & improve in the glass even after a hour long decant. Just missing a 9.4. Man oh man, I love well made older Bordeaux wines. My true love.

Photos of, Chateau Haut-Brion, field-hands harvesting that magical fruit, barrel room and their library cellar that I would love to raid 😜. — 7 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. — 8 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... — 8 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

Paul J

9.0

45+ decant but needed closer to 2 hours. Dark purple in color. Nose was all over the place - US, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy. Wine had minimal fruit, plenty of wood, and lots of Portuguese elements. Would have guessed California or Portugal if having blind. Depth was medium as well as the finish. Ample tannins. Expected more from the label and vintage. — 5 years ago

with Brooke

Shay A

9.5

Today was an absolutely fantastic Friday hosting at the City Club by @Dan Fitzgerald. 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert wine. Great job Dan!

The third of four Colgin’s served blind. This and the fourth were my favorites and both were different. This was much brighter and had a sweet core. Very perfumed...potpourri, violets, black cherry, cocoa dusted dates. Starts light at the entry and gains density as it hits the mid palate and finish. Retains fruit from start to finish but it’s not a show stealer, simply accompanies everything else. Total balance. My guess was between Napa Cabernet or Syrah. — 6 years ago

with joe, Dan and 3 others

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. — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.1

This was served blind & pretty easy to pick out with its sweet red fruits, redwood, cedar & curry notes that became more pronounced sitting in the glass. — 8 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) — 8 years ago

Billy L.

9.4

Tasted blind, PNP, needs to be enjoyed with Meat entree at this point of evolution! Cheers!
🍇🍷👍🏻 — 8 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. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny color. Edges suggest its old. Notes of strawberry, raspberry, iron, roses. Some zing and power in the nose. Slaps your face when tasted. Sappy. Powerful impact. Long finish. Other guesses were in Burgundy land eg Griotte but I went with 90 Rayas. Bingo. — 6 years ago

Blake Walker

9.5

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

Matt Perlman

9.4

Olga never misses...@Scott DeBenedett called this blind, impressive considering we were like 10+ bottles deep at that point — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Deep dark and opaque. Red center with amber rims. Looks young. Very rich and luscious in the mouth. Black cherry, forest floor, tobacco leaf and a hint of old wood. Amazing impact out of the gate, but this declined in what it gave as the night went on whereas the 53 Lafite got better. — 8 years ago

John Van Trijp

9.9

Yiiiiihaaaaaa 🥇🏆🎯 ooooh boy! Blind....we thought the wine was 20 years younger....😳 — 8 years ago