Now I see how this wine can be so divisive. LOTS of brett at first, more band-aid than barnyard. Takes a while to get past it and then lots of exotic spices show up. But after 40 minutes in the glass still nothing primary. It’s got the funk I can appreciate in some good left bank Bordeaux but also feels somewhat single-threaded. — 3 years ago
Nose of lemon meringue, coconut, and seashells. Very pretty.
Lean and focused on the palate. Lots of citrusy acidity layered with some of the richer tropical notes and minerality. Good length.
Great aperitif for these hotter months and a good value. More please! — 4 years ago
Dark purple plum skin color from center to the rim’s edge where some scarlet also appears. Opaque. Great fruit forward nose that grabs your attention. Notes of blackberries, ripe plums, violets, tobacco, forest floor and some crushed walnuts. Rich and silky in the mouth. Great balance and texture. Tannins perfectly integrated. Long finish. If a Cal Cab can be seductive, this is it. Still youthful but in a great zone tonight. — 6 years ago
Smooth finish, love this addition from Mondavi. Can taste the hint of bourbon — 7 years ago
2010 tasting great right now — 7 years ago
An absolute massive Bordeaux that needs soooo much more time but you can see the quality here — 9 years ago
My kind of wine, a lot of meats and dark fruit. Mainly wood and meats in it. I can't have enough of this amazing wine though it can wait for a bit longer for a better opening. — 9 years ago
Not a typical cab. Easy for a beginning can drinker. Bit pricey, but good. — 10 years ago
Tasted blind. Deep purple color. Looks very young, compared to the 45 Margaux next to it. Almost opaque. Notes of black fruit, cracked walnuts, sweet fruit, raspberry and some cedar desk. Super rich in the mouth. Seems young and is firm, but tannins are softened and the mouthfeel is velvet touch. Long finish. It peacocks all night. The walnuts thing leads my guess to Latour, but can this be the 45? Is it a 61 or 82? Could be... I go with it being a 59 given how young it seems. Just an amazing bottle of wine, open for ~9 hours by the time we left, it seemed to effortlessly power along. Thanks Stan! — 2 years ago
Improved quite a lot after being open awhile — 7 years ago
What can you say about an aged Shafer Hillside Select. 🍷. Excellent. — 7 years ago
Spectacular! Mind blowing. One of my top 10 of all time. On every serious wine lover’s bucket list, and here we had a nigh perfect bottle. While aromatically a little recalcitrant, you still got some of the Margaux violets and potpourri on the nose, hints of clove, all trying to shake off their doldrums. But on the palate, it was timelessly ravishing. The finesse, richness, balance and smoothness, with an underlying, almost flabbergasting mixture of complexity and delicacy, was just astonishing. The finish is marvelously sweet and intense, with chocolate and cassis and utterly seamless tannins. This is a miracle of wine making and an exaltation of vintage and terroir besides. Wow! And bravo! We can only pray for an encore of such a wine. — 8 years ago
I was disappointed with my last Caymus Special Selection vintage, but this beauty brought me back to a bottle that won Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year ... Twice!! Incredible fruit and balance. This can be cellared and enjoyed for years to come. Cheers!! — 9 years ago
A fav that I can find at most west coast whole foods — 10 years ago
Solid Riesling. Lots of traditional notes like apple, but more banana than expected Despite the sweeter banana notes, managed to stay lively. Medium-minus acidity. — a year ago
End of the bottle, but still good. — 2 years ago
Excellent value! Paired with homemade choriqueso. — 3 years ago
Borrego 2019 — 5 years ago
Outstanding! There is the perfect moment for a bottle to be opened and tonight was it. It was the wine equivalent of a album that you can listen to from start to finish. — 8 years ago
4/28/15 grand finale at j and j. The 90 is what you thought it was and what I remember. And what you can never forget. The ultimate reminder of why one loves wine. — 9 years ago
Skip Smyser
Huge red fruit, soft tannins. An absolute baby with at least 20 years to evolve. Long lingering aftertaste on the mid pallet. Minerality and tannins will continue to become a bigger part of the taste profile. I won't try again for a few years. Huge upside. You can and should purchase while still available. A great addition to the wine cellar. Now that Phelps has sold it will be interesting to see what they do with Insignia.🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 9 months ago