Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(some chunky/fine sediment). A splendid dark medium garnet with little bricking. On the nose: expressive perfumed nose with dark plum/cherry, currants,milk chocolate, baking spice, floral, wet forest floor, touch of roasted meat. Taste: silky, balanced, elegant wine that is singing at 20 years with dried red fruit, earth, chocolate, cedar, minerals, saline, and a spiced-tobacco-green bell pepper long finish. YUM! — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot blended in. Dark ruby color with purple highlights. Aromas of black berry/currant/cherry with additional notes of dried figs and tobacco. Dark fruit also on the palate with hints of dark chocolate, plums, roasted nuts, sweet spices and earth. Lovely hint of graphite on the long finish. Full bodied but so savory well balanced. Velvety tannins. Thanks for sharing this one during Super Bowl LIX, Mark S! — 4 months ago

Jack Krawczyk

10

cedar nose with black currant + plum finish — 6 months ago

Martin Sher

9.3

Excellent! Aromatic, sweet baking spice, gratifying heft. — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

From a great looking bottle with a fill almost into the neck. Double decanted and left in the bottle for 5 hours before attacking it. Amber color. Good weight and haunting nose. Notes of old cedar, mocha, plums, cola, dark fruit, molasses and some sweet red cherry. Early on it’s all about the amazing nose. But with time the wine gains weight and you have a gorgeous old St Estephe in front of you. Still giving its all, and although the fruit is somewhat faded, this has complexity and structure that still drives the experience. And that nose is simply stunning. Great showing. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.7

Tried this 4 years ago! Deep Ruby with aromas of ripe dark fruits and complex spice. On the palate flavors of ripe concentrated blackberry, cherry and currants, still fresh and vibrant with a great mouthfeel, well balanced. Tannins were soft and full, long finish ending with cigar box spice, cedar and cacao. An elegant wine, developing nicely, great drinking now and will continue to develop through next decade. Wow! — 5 years ago

Stephen Mandy

9.8

Stunning nose of cedar, tobacco and smoke with a hint of hot gravel. Rich silky fruit with awesome sweetness and freshness. Long lingering finishing that haunts the palate. Incredible. — 6 years ago

Patrick Herrington

9.5

Chewy Cherry tobacco Yountville sourced Bordeaux like blend with long legs! Wow. More more more! — 9 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.6

Ridiculous after 2 hours in decanter. Close to perfection. Black fruit. Ever lasting gob stopper of cab. — 11 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1.5 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable purplish magenta color. On the nose: very aeromatic notes of black & red berries, truffles, loamy soil, worn leather, tobacco leaf, floral, herbaceous. Taste: soft, elegant, balanced, layered mouthfeel wine with blackberry, dark plum, leather, crushed granite, dried herbs, and a spiced cedar long finish with some dusty tannins. YUM! At the start of its drinking window with 20-30 years to go, so no rush. — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Ron Siegel

9.4

This was still youthful showing black currant, plum, cassis, cedar, damp earth, menthol, sweet spice & tobacco. — 5 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Happy New Year Delectable!

Double decant and pour. A splendid tawny red color. On the nose: dark fruit, cigar ash, cedar, smoked meat, pencil shavings, mint. Taste: soft, silky, elegant, still fresh wine with dark red fruit, worn leather, graphite, loamy soil, spiced herbs, minty black tea and a dry medium finish. YUM! What a fun wine to end 2024 with. A wine bought at auction, and a cork which was not in the best shape, so not sure if this is a true representation of where this wine is at.

FOOD:
Island creek oyster and cavier
Lobster butternut bisque
Pan roasted duck breast
Braised beef short rib
Black forest chocolate cake — 6 months ago

with Brenda

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Starts off with a very evolved fruity character, but that quickly blows off.
Lovely purity beyond that - fresh black currant, with a bit of darker, earthy undergrowth, some red fruit, a hint of cedar wood, a touch of bell pepper. A bit evolved yet still juicy & pure.
Beautiful mouthfeel with nicely evolved, slightly mellowed yet still juicy tannins, evolved fruit yet still fresh acidity.
This is peeking or already has peeked but today is drinking so nicely!
A really nice one! — 2 years ago

Paul H

9.4

When they say bring your A game you can think of this bottle. This is an amazing glass of wine. It benefits from decanting for a good bit. Upon opening I thought of dusty plum and cedar on the nose. Tasting brought plum, currant, blackberries, vintage leather plus an array of other items indicative of this style of big wine. There is a good mix of tannins and acid that makes this a classic great glass of wine. I want to try it again in a few years to see how much better it may get. — 3 years ago

Chu Capalleja

9.1

Solid wine- dark cherry note; great aerated — 6 years ago

Ryan Mullins

9.4

Something about the depth and spice reminds me of tempier — 6 years ago

Patrick Fishman

10

Very good. Smooth & bold — 8 years ago

with Dana

Anna Sangiacomo

9.3

We are having a flight from 2000 to 2004. A really delicious evening of tasting. — 10 years ago

with Meridith and Darlene Kardum

Michael Thambuswamy

9.3

At Hakkasan — 12 years ago

Andrew Belzer

9.5

Magnum! Leather, tart cherry, blackberry, cedar. Chalky tannins with bright acidity. What a treat! — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 2 , wine 1 . Quite deep garnet , less terracotta rim . This had a whiff of oxidation about it at first which seemed to somewhat dissipate with time . Some dark spiced fruits , liquorice and menthol hints , cedar and sous bois . On the palate good ripeness and spiced dark cherry hints . Good acidity and rounded tannin . Nice length also , offering some spiced black fruits and menthol hints . Don’t think this is a pristine bottle but was enjoyable none the less , I was unsure at first if this was Napa , but coming back to it … and reading my notes , it became quite obvious . However I had this down as the Ch Montelena , not the Dominus — 4 months ago

Mike Matsumoto

9.0

ちょっとお高いカリフォルニアのCS。うきうき税込4680円の2016年もの。うーん❤️、ボルドー信者には無理かも知れませんが、個人的にはかなりの高級感。香り、凝縮感、アフターすべて申し分ないです。
#ワイン — 5 months ago

Adam Kincaid

8.9

Another oldie, probably just past its peak. 38 years old - not bad! Barn-sided red with some brick on the edge. Lots of cedar, graphite, black pepper and cigar ash to smell but little fruit. Nice smooth tannins, still a little puckering. Medium acidity. For flavor there are some darker berries and red cherry notes. It’s a nicely balanced wine. Good length on the finish. — a year ago

with Jillian

Jake Hajer

9.1

Age has done this well. Balanced spice, red fruit. — 2 years ago

Tomi Kovanen

9.0

CostCo viini — 4 years ago

Nevin

9.3

Great bordeaux style wine. Medium balance with plenty of fruit forward - 2011 is drinking great — 6 years ago

Steve Gerths

9.1

2015 was great vintage in Napa for Pinot Noir — 7 years ago

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.2

Lovely secondary elements of sweaty saddle leather, cedar and later some cigar box. Soft, integrated tannins. Long finish and very nice nose. — 9 years ago

Rob Shore

9.1

So much structure, tannins still taught. Wished another few hours (years?) was available to breathe/age. — 10 years ago

Nikita Malhotra

9.0

One of many wines tasted this week — 11 years ago

with Adam