Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

Fourth of the blind tasting for Father's Day weekend.

Deep and dark purplish ruby red. Dark fruits with a touch of acetone or whiskey on the nose. Some cigars and dark cocoa as well. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and medium bodied. A touch lighter than expected. Extracted dark fruits and bitter dark cocoa on the palate. A little unbalanced with a medium plus finish. This is still a baby and needs time to settle. Drink till 2029. — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

Cody Short

9.7

Contender for WOTN and absolutely stunning!!! Drank much younger and tasted blind the consensus around the table was that it was an 82. Such a special bottle — 9 years ago

with Holli

Jeffrey Long

9.4

Hair of the Pig. First time at the Englander without having just come from a Raiders game. Bring on the crazy. — 10 years ago

with Jim

Swii Yii Lim

9.5

Like an older version of the 2004 I tried in April. Concentrated coffee, milk chocolate and smoky fruit, with hints of struck match minerality. Good concentration and tannic grip; could still keep. Tried blind, and guessed it was a Pauillac or Leoville Las-Cases. — 11 years ago

Wilfred Wong

Chief Storyteller, Wine.com

9.8

Almost 60 years, both the wine and me when I drank it in Paris, with very good friends. I felt great and the wine tasted really super. Served blind, I called it a very well aged Pauillac. I thought it was a younger wine.😏 #bordeaux #paris #pauillac #pichonbaron — 12 years ago

Michael Dix

9.4

Oldy and goody. Thanks Larry. Weirdly, if I tasted this blind I would have guessed Margaux. — 12 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Tawny brownish red color with amber rims. Huge bouquet in the nose of roses, berries, pencil lead, minerals and some dusty dirt. Light on its feet in the mouth. Round soft fruit. Better than the last bottle of this a few months ago. — 9 years ago

Rick Baumgarten

9.4

Grand finale of a blind tasting of 12 1996 Burgs. This was easily the "youngest" tasting of the group. I actually did not rate this first. That's how good four of the wines were. This has got an easy twenty more years of life. Elegant and rich. — 9 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. — 10 years ago

Regis Zamudio

9.7

Love this blend from 2014 — 10 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

85 Heitz Martha's Vineyard served blind with 85 phelps Insignia & 85 Caymus SS. Group preferred the Insignia though they all showed well. Most guessed Bordeaux. — 11 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Didn't come across as Barolo when tasted blind, but this is a well made wine that needs food with it to bring out how good it is. — 11 years ago

Marissa Myers

9.2

$15. Great everyday wine!! Available thru Ecluse. — 12 years ago

James Parker Huston, CWE

Sommelier Charlie Palmer

9.7

Wow. Tons of fruit left on this beast. Called 89 Leoville Les Cases blind. — 9 years ago

Ian Blackburn

9.7

What a ride! Make sure to give this 2-hours and let the magic begin. Muscular cherry + brown spice garden + mouth feel let you know how important this site is... tasted blind next to DRC La Tache 93 - at gwen restaurant during the "best bottle" dinner hosted by wineLA - The only problem is everyone thought this might be the La Tache - unbelievable power and concentration — 9 years ago

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. — 10 years ago

Ken Christie

9.0

Great finish. — 10 years ago

Victor Hwang

9.3

Haven't had this in ages. Tasted blind its a dead ringer for a left bank Bordeaux to me. Softer, lighter so more St Julian like perhaps? Yummy wine that's elegant and very smooth with a long finish. — 11 years ago

Sage Coody

8.9

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

Cathy Corison

Owner/Winemaker Corison Winery

9.5

Poured blind. Loved. In a pretty spot at 17 years old. — 12 years ago