Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

It needed an hour decant to come around and blow off the barnyard funk. After that, elegance, ruby blue and red soft fruits; blueberries, bright cherries, fresh juicy strawberries, some cooked green bell early on that gradually faded, steeped tea, soft saddlewood & minerality, a touch of easy wet black earth, pebbles. The 88 has all the classic characteristics and elegant finish one comes to expect from Pichon Lalande. Not their best but pretty darn good on Christmas Eve into Christmas. Merry Christmas all!!! — 11 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.4

2004 vintage. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon on the '04. Very good complexity, huge concentration and some very expensive carpentry applied on new French oak barrels. Bright acidity and fine grained tannins. Lovely aromas of black berry and black currant, plush oak, sweet spices and layers of complexity. Still very young. The structure should see this improve in bottle for many years to come. Outstanding. — 11 years ago

Steven Kahn

9.3

The nose was a 10, but maybe a bit past peak...finish just didn't quite come through. — 12 years ago

Jay Svoboda

8.9

I'm going to come clean, I'm not a huge Caymus fan. It's by no means a bad wine - far from it - but I've always felt they blend their Cab with too much Zin. I could be wrong on that account, but I don't think I am. Still, a nice brooding nose of dark red and blue fruit, with a touch of candied fruit and wet earth. — 11 years ago

Bryan Garcia

Sales Grand Cru Selections

9.3

Teenager that needs a little more time to come out of his shell. Classic Chave weight, texture, and elegance. — 11 years ago

with Patrick

Mitja Sirk

Production La Subida, Aceto Sirk

9.6

Buonissimo!! Ancora potente e un po' rustico... Proprio come dovrebbe essere!! — 11 years ago

Charles Schneider

9.9

Extraordinary, with many extraordinary years to come! — 13 years ago

Winston Biltz

9.6

Elegant wine with finesse and a smooth finish. Violets on the nose. Slight hints of pepper . Cab franc and floral notes come through in the end. — 11 years ago

with Bob

William Leslie

9.9

First off. You have heard about decanting.... This is a great example. Open and it tastes flat, give it time to breath and the flavors come out. The nose has a nice oak, smokey texture. Taste has a predominant black cherry flavor with nice ripe fruit flavors. Oak remains throughout the taste from start to finish with american oak flavors. An almost cigar smokiness hits immediately with a slight spice....not sure where to compare this to because it's not like a Zinfandel pepper, but more like an allspice. The overall feel is medium bodied with rich cherry flavors and well balanced for a smooth feel. This is a great introduction to Stags Leap without spending $150. — 11 years ago

Michael Smith

9.3

What can you say, classic Reims crisp and tart. This NV is as consistent as they come. — 12 years ago