Victor Hsu

9.3

Smooth, round and delicious, with gentle tannins and woody, plummy spice. Lovely red Bordeaux—we could dink this all night. Still balanced after 27 years but its acids seem a bit faded. I would guess that it’s at a high plateau that may be gently dipping so my daughter Rachel, who owns this wine, needs to finish the rest of her stash within the next year. The vintage of this bottle is her birth year, and we laid down a half case along with another half case of Chateau Lynch Bages. Both bottles are now soft, special treats. We enjoyed the 1996 vintage with prime steak at the Palm Restaurant in downtown LA, celebrating her graduation from UCLA Law. Congratulations, Rachel! — 5 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2018 | powerfull but also elegance — 10 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2019 vintage. An estate owned by the Cazes family (Lynch Bages, Haut Batailley). A blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Cabernet Franc (7%) and Petit Verdot (3%). Less flashy compared to the Capbern 2019 tasted yesterday, give it some time to open up. Even with the high Merlot percentage, it has more of a dark Cabernet Sauvignon personality with black fruit and a serious, slightly severe tannic backbone. Abv. 14,5 %. — 2 years ago

Troy Dupuis

9.2

Fruit opens up after a while — 2 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

2019 vintage. From 30 hectares in Haut-Medoc, owned by the Quié family ( also Rauzan-Gassies and Croizet-Bages). A fine effort, showing that the Quié family is finally serious about quality, after decades of mediocrity. Much more evolved in colour compared to the 2019 Moulin de La Lagune tasted alongside. Ripe, slightly jammy fruit. Serve slightly cold to keep the high alcohol ( 15% abv.) in check. — 6 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2016 vintage. Jean-Michel Cazes (owner of famous Pauillac Cru Classé Lynch-Bages and more recently Haut-Batailley) bought this Minervois estate in 2002. This is the "grand vin", a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 20% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre. A very spicy concentrated wine that is more about power than finesse. The colour is still deep dark red with hardly any sign of evolution. Intense spicy nose. Bold and powerful with black fruit hidden in spices. Long peppery finish. Take no prisoners. Abv. 14,5%. — 2 years ago

Doug Powers

9.1

Solid older Bordeaux, great color, youthful, of course also showing some of the 1980s “Cordier Funk”, but complex, medium-long finish, lovely older Bordeaux!! (This followed a super-corked 1986 Haut-Bages-Liberal, which was a freaking drain pour!!) — 3 years ago

with Jim

Jose Lorenzo

9.0

Solid. Not special. — 5 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

10

We had this at our wedding reception in Cortona out of magnum. Ten in memory. 💒 🌹❤️🍷

The fruit/wine in 750ml is better tonight than the magnum we had in 2007. I love 80’s Bordeaux for the style of that decade and 12-13% ABV. Fruit is beyond still fresh & floral. 35 years later in bottle! For me, 86 was a seminal vintage. The wine is 94-95 on the palate. Storage on this secondary market purchase was perfect.

Ripe, floral and hints of pruny; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, raspberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, rhubarb notes & hovering blue fruits. Perfect, sweet lead pencils for days, sandy top soil, powdery limestone, dry river stone, perfectly, softened, dark spice box, cigar box, sandalwood, American, moist tobacco, used leather, dry dates & figs, sun tea, cherry cola/licorice, black rich earth with dry leaves, dry herbs-sage/bay leaves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, dark, red, blue, purple bouquet, insane acidity, with stunning evolution/integration, excellent, balance, still intense structure with a polished finish for days…wire to wire beautiful with phenomenal length & polish that seems endless. This bottle would hold another 5 years.

Sofia, love you & miss you every second of every day. — 7 months ago

Patrick Peters

9.3

I really regret opening this and wish I had kept racked, but the fruit was bright, almost jammy. Light on tannins, alcohol medium, very smooth. Also a great French red. — 2 years ago