Cheers to my 6,000th review on Vivino. A Big milestone deserves a big wine. This was on my wishlist for a while now. Go big or go home!
Deep inky in color with a short brick rim. Unbelievable. Not showing age at all.
Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, black currants, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, leather, earth, Mediterranean spices, beef jerky, peppercorn, cedar, leather, vanilla and licorice.
Full bodied, bold, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet plums, vanilla, cedar, light vegetables, spices, smoke, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, cola, pencil lead and peppercorn.
Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon based, Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity and a great mouthfeel. Big with bold tannins. Delicious and yummy.
This 19 year old is drinking very nicely now, and really shows like a young wine. Has at least 15 years in it.
After 3 hours of airtime, forest floor notes come in on the nose. Tasting like an aged left bank Bordeaux.
Wine Advocate 100 points.
This is a Fabulous wine to share with good friends. Very enjoyable by itself or with food. I paired it with BBQ ribs.
Thank you John, for sharing this phenomenal wine with me.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
97 points.
$1,200. — 5 years ago
Last bottle. Bought a case of this a while back. Someone really needs to give me pointers as to how to refrain from depleting my wine cooler.
As you may know, I love this winemaker. The 2012 is a bit more rigid than the 2010, but it's still dynamite. This bottle clearly could have been left alone for a long while.
There is a hint of spruce on the very top of the nose which rapidly gives way to cocoa, coffee, faint vanilla, and a hint of cherry. On the palate, the chocolate persists (mix with tea and tobacco) nicely and ends with still quite firm tannins. Medium long finish.
Other Ciacci wines with a little age have been better, but this is still an excellent bottle of wine.
93 points — 6 years ago
Drank 1/18/19 at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux event in Miami. All wines from the 2016 Vintage.
Tasting pour, no formal notes taken. Most of these wines are very tight, and will require 5-15 years to really come together. Many will likely improve a few points with time.
Delicious black fruit. More complexity and depth than the Grand Puy Ducasse. — 7 years ago

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a great Cabernet from Washington State.
Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.
Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, figs, light oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, pencil lead, black pepper, dark chocolates, dark coffee, earth and leather.
Medium to full-bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, herbs, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, dark chocolates and pencil lead.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a great Cabernet from Columbia Valley. Nicely balanced with great complexity and mouthfeel. Smooth, elegant and very tasty. This 4 year old is peaking now.
This is not an expensive wine, but with proper short term aging, it drinks wonderfully. Worth giving it a try.
Good right out of the bottle and so much better after 2 hours in a decanter.
I paired it with cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and light appetizers.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$15. — 7 years ago



2001 in Mag...was RP 100 but really have no idea what that means now. Robust fruit lead profile but less pronounced than other RP100 Napa's. Guess good price for the points but I do generally like 2001 vintage. — 10 years ago
Parker gave this 100 points today! Hooray Jason delicious!Kevin insisted on drinking it tonight — 10 years ago
Very nice table and casual wine — 12 years ago
Celebrating 20K on Instagram with this beautiful wine!
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim. Doesn't show age at all.
Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, figs, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cloves, cola, chocolates, mocha, caramel and black pepper.
Full bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, mocha, coke, light earth, peppercorn, leather and tobacco.
Long finish with firm tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a great Napa Bordeaux blend. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel. Nicely balanced and fruit forward.
A fantastic wine from a great vintage. I've had a few different vintages of this, from older to younger, and this 2012 vintage is so nice right now. Will be even better in the next 10 to 15 years.
Thank you John for sharing this with me.
Rich yet elegant. Opulent and luxurious. Delectable and delicious.
Robert Parker 96 points.
Good right out of the bottle and much better after 3 hours of airtime. Fun wine for parties if it's in the budget. 😉
A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged in New French oak barrels for 24 months.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
97 points.
$250. — 5 years ago
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth and pencil lead.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, raisins, vanilla, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.
Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon is always enjoyable. Drinking nicely now as a 3 years old.
Fruit forward with nice balance. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows the tannins (45 minutes).
Nice enough to drink by itself, but pairs nicely with food too.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$17. — 6 years ago
This is a delicious Cabernet from Napa Valley. Showing black currants, blackberries, chocolates vanilla, cedar, light earth, light alcohol and espresso.
Tangy finish with nice tannins.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.
Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature, but already very yummy. Still hot on the long finish.
15.1% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$53. — 6 years ago
This is a very aromatic Left Bank Bordeaux, with a great fruity nose and great complexity.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, dark chocolates, vinaigrette, coffee, black pepper and spices.
Drinking nicely now and will be better in 5 years.
Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cranberries, with a soft and elegant mouthfeel.
This 9 year old has good aging potential of another 15 to 20 years.
Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show all that complexity.
I paired it with Brie cheese and Italian meats.
Robert Parker 93 points.
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit verdot.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$120. — 7 years ago
As @P A just recommended... I'm on to the next wine from that last disaster...
2nd decanter working, I'll let one part of Spain rescue the other ..
Massive strawberry on the nose of this thing so far...
Acidity and tannins are medium plus, very strong structure for 13.5. Well worth the investment.
93 points — 7 years ago

Grabbed @ €74 in 🇫🇷 & for the money it’s got massive potential but already showing well 👍 I’m drooling to try the 2015s I got now ... patience 🤔 Reminds me of a good 🇺🇸 Cab but toned down & balanced beautifully 😉
📍 Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan 2014
🏵 94+ points w/ 96 potential 👍
🍇 57.5% Merlot, 37.5% Cab Sauv & 5% Petit V
🍷 Blackened opaque ruby
👃 Sweet blueberry infused with dark cherry & plum w/ blackcurrant, red berry, new oak, cedar, vanilla cocoa & subtle wet earth & gravel
👄 Med+ body of plump plum & black berry fruits w/ blueberry, chocy mocha & raspberry liquorice then a mineral hit
🎯 Med+ touch sweet but rich & ripe deep dark fruit splat w/ a light mineral, touch of red liquorice & a cocoa cream cherry gateaux coating — 7 years ago
Purple in color with a wide purplish rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, sweet strawberries, plums, wood, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, pencil lead, peppercorn and tobacco.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Smooth with long legs.
Dry on the palate, and fruity with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, earth, meats, green vegetables, herbs, chocolates and peppercorn.
Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
What a great Zinfandel from Sonoma County, California. Getting into the drinking range now. Well balanced with nice complexity and interesting acidity.
Good as a sipping wine, all by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).
This is not the jammy Californian Zinfandel one might be used to. Spicy and interesting. I really enjoyed it this time.
This 4 year old is drinking very nicely now. I had this vintage a couple of years ago, and it was not very enjoyable. What a difference a couple of years in the bottle has done...
Could use a few more years to become even better.
Wine Spectator 92 points.
14.8% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago
2009 vintage. — 11 years ago
Yummy pick by Jerry! — 13 years ago
A rich crimson in colour with a little bricking developing - a tawny rim. Aromas of cassis, plum and dark chocolate on the nose. Smooth and silky with black currant - totally balanced with resolved tannins. The proverbial iron fist in the velvet glove - great density. See previous notes - I’ve never seen this for sale in Australia. Bought this from Vinfolio in San Francisco and was immediately impressed. A world class new world Cabernet - just gorgeous. 100 points from Robert Parker and also Jeb Dunnuck - tempted to do the same - I settled on 99. The best wine I’ve had this year. — 5 years ago

OMG... Sorry it's my first time...
Visually, this presents as a few years older with a pink to red brick rim. On the nose, the open releases red cherry... With time it mellows to black cherry... If you could elegantly bottle Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia it would start you on the path of creating this wine. The blanket of milk chocolate is like a King's robe. There is a vague hint of baking spices up front. Custardy throughout. Tannins are on on-guard and alert waiting ready, willing, and able to withstand the darkness of the caverns until brighter days. Probably my favorite bottle to date.
96 points — 5 years ago
Nicely done. Another year. Blue black. Nice full fruit, Well paired with tenderloin. Oldest son's birthday (17) in lockdown. Making the most of it. Thanks to @Antonio Galloni for the zoom meetings this week they were great.
93 points — 6 years ago
This is a very tasty and spicy Napa Cabernet. Big and bold with a great mouthfeel and nice complexity.
Needs time to open up properly.
Showing black fruits with chocolates earth, cedar, vanilla, licorice, coffee, tobacco, spices and peppercorn chocolates.
Still young and needs longer time in the bottle to mature, but already yummy.
Interesting and delicious.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$70. — 6 years ago
A great Paullic from a great vintage. Very tasty and bold. Showing currants, licorice, oak, vanilla, cedar, chocolates, tobacco, licorice, earth, spices, peppercorn and leather.
Shows great complexity with hugh tannins, after 2.5 hours of airtime, so be patient.
Still young and needs another 10 years in the bottle to mature properly, but already enjoyable.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
14% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$125. — 7 years ago
Nice with grilled honey Aleppo chicken (more so then the Tuscan herbed), and a Jose Llopis cigar. Very pleasing Rhone blend from Paso Robles. — 7 years ago
A few years ago I had this bottle as a birthday gift & enjoyed immensely one Xmas with cheeses, so when in St Emilion & I found a lone bottle for €110 it was meant to be, so here we are again reunited with cheese to boot 😍 two lost lovers reunited 💗
🏵 94-95 points
🧀 Comte, Cambozola & Creamy mild goat
🍇 65% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot & 5% Cab Franc
🍷 Opaque blackened ruby
👃 Tortured blackcurrant & beaten dark plum thrown over torched smoking sooty oak in a damp cellar w/ leather bondage, herby happiness, liquorice whips & a mocha tickles on a gravel earthy floor
👄 Med body of black currant/berry w/ plum, red liquorice & touch dry mocha
🎯 Med+ dark fruity liquorice mocha slap on your tastebuds
— 7 years ago

Sold this bottle for $170. my guest asked for a great CA Cab. Blend that needed to paired great with both Australian Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu. 🔱
77% Cabernet Sauvignon
12% Merlot
11% Cabernet Franc
91 points with Robert Parker, " It's a medium to full-bodied, supple, pure and balanced effort that offers lots of toasted spice, cedar, tobacco leaf and cassis-like aromas and flavors. Showing hints of chalky minerality and plenty of tannin on the finish, it will have 10-12+ years of longevity."
— 10 years ago
"Odedi"
#AgedWineTuesday
Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, vegetables, cinnamon and vinaigrette.
Medium plus in body, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and nice legs.
Dry on the palate with black currants, blackberries, oak, vanilla, earth, wet leaves, light vegetables, black tea, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, coffee and dark chocolates.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
What a great Left Bank Bordeaux from the great 2005 vintage this is.
This Fifth Growth is nicely balanced with lots of dark fruit notes. Delicious and yummy. Fabulous and better than I expected.
This 16 year old is Drinking very nicely now. Showing great complexity with a great mouth feel. Powerful and rich.
Thank you John for sharing.
Needs 90 minutes to open up properly. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Loved smelling on it for a long time.
Great nose. Great palate. Tasty and gorgeous.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses, but good all by itself too.
A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit verdot.
13% alcohol by volume.
95 points.
$280. — 4 years ago