Piper June

9.4

Full bodied, slightly dry, deep complexity, seductive scent , would want a case on the reg — 4 months ago

with Seth

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2021 | blind tasted I thought Merlot, but that is only 1/3, 2/3 is Cabernet Sauvignon. Refinement and rondeur. Plums, cassis, hints of tobacco and chocolate. — 8 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.6

The Legendary 1990 and 2005 Vintages, and the 'Rouge' Aroma They Revealed!

I was meeting friends for a tasting, and I said I would bring a wine with a "rouge aroma" (*Yānzhī xiāng*). My friend also promised to open one with the same scent. If it's a cool vintage, a DRC might not reveal that distinctive rouge scent, but it's more common in warmer vintages, especially older ones from hot years. Of course, 2005 is a legendary vintage—it was warm but with significant diurnal temperature variation, resulting in balanced acidity and concentration, which also creates a very strong structure.

Thankfully, the 1990 Clos de Tart, despite having a very low fill level, wasn't spoiled. Its condition wasn't as potent as a previous bottle I had opened. This one took about 1.5 hours to fully open up in the glass. When it did, it revealed that signature Jiangnan "rouge" scent—very soft, enchanting, and feminine—along with some notes of dried longan. The fruit was balanced, though the acidity was relatively weak.

Today, I'll mainly write about this DRC. Its structure is incredibly powerful. For the first two hours, it was very closed. I believe this wine needed at least four hours of decanting, primarily because the 2005s, despite being a warm year, aren't that easy to open up. The aromas only started to slowly emerge around the third hour, and we were using large decanters and glasses, waiting for a long time. Initially, for the first half-hour after opening, there was a reductive note that was a bit funky. Later, after it opened up, the nose was primarily an interplay of cypress pine, violets, and that rouge scent intertwined. Honestly, this wine felt androgynous to me—it evokes an image of a knight and a princess playing in a forest. It wasn't overly soft, and its layers were incredibly complex.

On the palate, it was abundant: primarily black fruit, sour plum, sandalwood, coffee beans, a hint of dark chocolate, and a touch of earthy notes. The tannins weren't very soft—but then again, I'm so accustomed to drinking old wines. I feel this wine will need another 10 years to truly reach its peak. Its structure is exceptionally strong, unfolding layer by layer, with beautifully balanced acidity.

Comparing these two wines, their styles are completely different. One could say it's a contrast between an iconic Eastern beauty and a Western princess. I personally adore the soft and elegant style, but the 2005 is a wine with immense structure—it possesses a feminine power that is very potent, almost like the vision of a woman holding authority in a man's world.

Drinking such magnificent wines brings me great joy! — 9 months ago

Eric

9.1

Drive by tasting at SFO. Cloying nose. Palate was better. — 6 years ago

Kent Aron Vabø

8.9

Pizzasted i Malmø — 7 years ago

Keith Taylor

8.9

Wonderfully refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. — 8 years ago

Narun P

9.0

Tasted at Chateau.
2/3 CS, 1/3 M

Deep and dark garnet, opaque, compact and youthful rim.

Rather restrained nose, much less expressive even as compared with its little sibling. Classic bouquet of cassis, graphite, minerals, and boysenberry.

Structured and definitely a very serious wine that needs time. Leafy cassis, herbal notes, pine cone, minerals.

Didn't want to come out of its shell today but potentials are evident. 10 years worth of patience minimum required for this mere "second wine". 90+ — 9 years ago

Thomas Hillskog

9.1

Peak maturity now better than 2 and 4 years ago. Still fruity but with more complexity an soft tannins. — 4 months ago

Elmars

9.1

This Pinot Noir is full-bodied and well-balanced, offering a rich and satisfying flavor profile. — 8 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.7

DRC Richebourg 2017: A fragrance untainted by the world～

The 2017 DRC Richebourg is a perfume explosion—a captivating interplay of woody clove and spice, both flamboyant and impeccably controlled. As we tasted, I asked my friends if they knew of a perfume that echoed this wine's aroma. They replied they had never come across one, but would purchase it without hesitation if they did. To my nose, the closest relative would be L'Artisan Parfumeur’s Dzongkha.

It offers that bracing, airy coolness with smoky, peppery spices, laced with the subtle sweet-herbaceous touch of magnolia and clove—reminiscent of the complex scent that washes over you the moment you push open the massive door of an ancient, solitary temple: the crisp, thin air of the high altitudes meeting the first ethereal wisp of incense smoke. Then unfolds layers of ancient wood, the dust of old books, musk, and earthy vetiver. The overall character is intensely crystalline, spiritual, and weightless—evoking visions of high plateaus and vast wilderness, of isolated lamaseries. Some DRCs also possess a temple-like quality, but theirs is a temple down here among us, bustling with devotees and heavy with the common smoke of popular devotion— a more earthly presence. — 9 months ago

Brett Francis

9.0

This was really excellent, smooth, light delicate with hints of strawberry and citrus on an incredibly hot day. Enjoyed by all. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny. Nose is closed and not yielding much. I get cranberries, some cherries, iron and stones, some wood. Has a high pitched character to it. Has some pucker in it yet. Tight with ample acidity. I guess 97 Vogue Bonnes Mares. In my experience this wine has had some variations in its performance. Today it was better than most, but suffered by not getting ample air before it was served. — 6 years ago

Charlie Tapp

8.9

Butterscotch and cherries. — 7 years ago

Michael Simonetti

9.6

Dream. Herbs. Game. Fruit. — 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Pichon Baron 2023 – Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé en 1855. BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A commanding and traditionally styled Pauillac delivering power, precision, and aristocratic structure, driven by a 66% Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant blend with 27% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Semillon support. Dark fruit density, mineral authority, and refined oak integration create a wine that feels impactful today while clearly engineered for long-term evolution and layered complexity.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, cassis, blackberry, graphite, pencil shavings, cedar, cigar box, crushed gravel, subtle dark cocoa and savory spice.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with firm yet polished tannins, excellent mid-palate density, vibrant structural tension, tightly knit acidity, and a long, authoritative finish that builds rather than fades.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, lamb rack, beef Wellington, venison, mushroom-forward dishes, aged hard cheeses.

Verdict
A textbook expression of elite Pauillac: powerful, elegant, disciplined, and deeply age-worthy. The wine delivers immediate presence while clearly signaling even greater complexity and harmony with time in bottle.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is serious wine, fierce yet controlled, deeply impressive without arrogance, and loaded with finesse under the horsepower. A bottle that earns respect with every sip and promises an extraordinary future in the cellar. — 4 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

From a Delectable library photo. This is the 2015 vintage. Sweeter aromatics compared to the 2015 Echezeaux. An even more gorgeous scented nose. That sweetness carries through to the medium bodied palate. A little more flesh and density. The old vine fruit averaging 55 years. The name however does not imply greater quality over the Echezeaux. Jasper Morris MW has sometimes preferred Echezeaux to Grands Echezeaux in a given vintage. “Interestingly the vineyard is east facing with a thickish layer of well drained clay soil above the same downwash subsoil of Bajocian limestone as Le Musigny - a characteristic not shared by the rest of Echezeaux. This can impart a fuller texture to the wines of Grands Echezeaux over its neighbour as well as a greater consistency from one vintage to the next.” sourced from Inside Burgundy by Jasper Morris MW. — 8 months ago

Julia Beauchesne

9.5

Delicious and Smooth — 5 years ago

Canon Thomas

9.6

Showing very golden. More Chablis style. — 5 years ago

Matt

9.3

Tar, raisin, soaked fig, cherry pit, wilted violet, hung meat, boudin noir, leather, cinnamon, cocoa powder, honey, truffle, scorched earth, roasted herbs, camphor, black tea. Wears the vintage well. More moderate frame (relatively speaking) showing some consistent grip throughout, surprised by the acid support this has, makes for a plausible argument about whether or not to continue aging. So tertiary and savory right now. — 6 years ago

Matt Trader

8.9

A little tired, but good example of mature napa cabernet. It's made in a Bordeaux style, but a little VA going on in the wine. Baked strawberries and rhubarb all day.


Had it as a side by side with the 2014 current release, which I didnt rate..it was incredibly hot (alcohol), and loads of green bell pepper. Pretty tight, and I'm sure it'll develope, but the price is a little tough..

None the less, great stop, beautiful property and historic for that matter, and a very knowledgable staff. — 8 years ago