Pooneet K

9.2

Not sure I’ve had any other 2006 Bordeaux but decided to pull this to give it a go at nearly 20 years of age. Nice wine but perhaps not one that justifies the price point. At first quite tight, but after a 5 hour decant this really comes into its own. Lots of leather and dark blue and black fruit. Oak is really only apparent in structure now. Great acid. 13% which is nicely balanced. — 9 months ago

Patrick Peters

9.2

Dry, good acidity which is a little unusual for a Riesling. Good weight, bright color, this wine is delicious! — 5 years ago

with Sarah

Lynn Derbyshire

9.0

Delicious w/ grilled pork chops and roasted cauliflower. Smooth, with a hint of sweetness, I want more! 3/13/20 at home w/ Chas — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

Bright, dark red with ruby highlights. Very dark aromas of black cherry, cassis, blueberry and licorice. Then rather plush, sweet and full for Opus One, conveying a chocolatey ripeness to its dark berry flavors. Finishes with smooth tannins that build without going dry. This wine was broad and smooth from the outset. Today it's a generous mouthful but a bit clunky compared to some more recent vintages. This was reportedly the first vintage to include a significant percentage of Petit Verdot, and that may explain the wine's emphasis on black and blue fruits. (14.5% alcohol) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 7 years ago

Paul K

9.8

This wine is outstanding! I tasted a bit pop and pour and knew it was special. It started out bright fruit and floral. I left it alone for two hours and then drank through the evening. Outstanding. It is delicate with red and blue fruit, yet dense and complex. Floral, bright fruit, and chocolate? on the nose. I took it outside on a 90 degree humid, MN afternoon and the nose got even more intense. I will do this on purpose again. — 8 years ago

Neal Ferry

9.0

Generally I pass on California Pinots, however this one is well worth the time — 8 years ago

Jeremy Buss

9.1

Excellent Riesling! Bright acidity. Dry and some citrus on the palate. — 9 years ago

Jose Espinosa

9.6

Combines with everything — 9 years ago

FabianG

8.9

#unitedpolaris — 2 years ago

Paul K

9.5

👃 is incredible. Black and blue fruit + olive.
Medium+ body, chewy mouthfeel. Blackberry, currant, black cherry, touch of dust, and acidity that is Corison. This is my favorite Napa Corison. Different than the ‘14s, ‘16’s, and 18’s that I love. Thanks @Cathy Corison !! — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Our friends also brought Tri-tip to cook on the Green Egg. Not just any Tri-tip. This is the Cardiff. On the packaging, it refers to a website called CardiffCrack.com and can be ordered from https://order.seasidemarket.com/ @Paul T- Huntington Beach you are going to want to try this without question or hesitation and have some older Shiraz with it.

This is the most tender & flavorful Tri-tip I’ve had...all of us. For me, most are too seasoned/salty and not all that tender. You could almost cut it with a fork. I’ll be making this again & again. This is Goldilocks third porridge...just right.

I find Two Hands to be in the conversation of upper echelon Barossa producers.

I thought this would be a good classic pairing for Tri-tip. This slid into the perfect pairing for the style of the Cardiff. They hugged each other nicely. Really good.

For me as it is with may other big red wine regions, this wine needs 10 years plus to start showing how incredible they can be and has another 7 plus years of good drinking ahead of it.

This was smooth, elegant with round supple tannins. Broad spectrum of ripe, black, purple & blue fruits. It’s core dark with sweet tarriness, expresso roast, pepper, fresh tobacco, dark spices & limestone minerals. Dark; red, purple, blue florals framed in a field of violets & lavender. The acidity is excellent and the wine wire to wire is supple, has great balance, elegance with long staying power & persistence.

Photos of our 2017 visit toTwo Hands. Tasting room approach, fountain on the back grounds and view from their tasting patio. — 6 years ago

Paul Rollett

9.0

Earthy and tons of red berry goodness. Classic pencil eraser on the nose, great Gamay! — 8 years ago

Cate Harmon

9.8

crisp and strawberry-y — 8 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. — 8 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.4

Absolutely singing after 2 days. Beautiful floral nose with black and blue fruits, and tinges of cut grass, roasted meat, pepper, smoke, and liquorice. Dense and chewy in the mouth, with a long and smooth finish. Banging, as one might expect of Jamet! — 4 years ago

Arleigh

9.0

Fruity, not heavy or too sweet — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I corvined this last weekend and put it back in storage for tonight. I had a very different experience & thoughts on this wine last weekend un-decanted. This is wine comes from a period when I loved Caymus. After 2011 when they started picking later and at higher brix’s, they lost me but, got higher Parker scores and rave words from people that like sweeter Cabernet that drinks young.

Last weekend without a decant, very dominate bright cherries and vanilla.

Tonight, the nose reveals, dark, slightly syrupy currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy, black raspberries, blueberries, black plum with lots of skin dominate, baked strawberries, black licorice, vanilla, some clove and a touch nutmeg, underbrush, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, volcanic minerals, black tea, touch of black coffee expresso, liqueur/dark berry cola, used leather, hints of graphite with ruby, fresh, dark, fresh, dark, red, blue florals with violets.

The body is full, sexy, gorgeous and voluptuous. The structure, tension, length and balance are at the start of its high point with another 7-10 years of good drinking ahead. Dark, slightly syrupy currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy, black raspberries, blueberries, black plum with lots of skin dominating, baked strawberries, black licorice to deep anise, vanilla, some clove and a touch nutmeg, caramel, mocha, dark chocolate, dark spices with just a touch of palate heat, underbrush, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, volcanic minerals, black tea, touch of black coffee expresso, liqueur/dark berry cola, used leather, hints of graphite with ruby, fresh, dark, fresh, dark, red, blue florals with violets. The acidity is like a needed waterfall shower. The long finish is, deep, dark, well balanced, elegant, ruby, ripe, polished and persists endlessly.

It’s been awhile and I’ve missed it. This is a very good example of why I used to adore Caymus. — 7 years ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Glorious stuff. Dark fruit. Inky blue fruit with sandalwood and intensity. Splendid stuff. You’d think this was 20 years old. Spectacular. — 9 years ago

with Walker and David

Steve Parker

9.0

Fresh and well balanced. Not over worked. Lovely Chardonnay. Paired nicely with fresh pasta, Okanagan to Matt and hand peeled shrimp. — 9 years ago