Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Tried this 2x recently. Wow! Ruby with complex fruit aromas, spice and oak. Blend of 90% Tempranillo & 10% Graciano, 48 mos on American oak. On the palate ripe Berry fruits, powerful yet elegant, with spice & smoky earthy notes on full tannins. Long finish, nice mouthfeel, ending with mineral earthy tones and cigar box spice, a joy to Sip!! Tasting great, has more aging potential, try in 10+ years! Great Value! — 6 years ago

Brian R

9.5

Black cherry, cigar box, pencil, and menthol in a seamless, integrated package. Singing. — 6 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.1

Big and tart starting off with cranberry and strawberry. The cigar box comes through so strong in the middle that you’d think someone was smoking nearby. Lots of leather and minerals present as well. The finish has chewy tannins and acid to spare. After six years I think this wine could still use a couple more years in the bottle to smooth out a bit. — 8 years ago

Kim Stanbro

9.6

2012. Christening the finished bottle box table by popping open a former occupant. Simply a perfect wine. Mustard flowers embedded in resin sent be the good folks at #trefethenfamilyvineyards — 8 years ago

with Therese, Amy and 1 other

Matt Trader

9.4

2012 wasn't the best year for left bank Bordeaux, but don't tell that to Pape Clement, because they crushed it! (All puns intended) Decanted from 11-4pm before jumping in, and it could have spent even more time breathing. The nose was divine - rose water, crushed gravel, pencil box, cloves, espresso bean, and mulled black fruits. The pallet was full of focused tannins and dark rich fruit - black plum, creme de casis, red licorice, red delicious apple skin, mineral, vanilla, green bell pepper, nutmeg, and a lingering finish of dark chocolate. Absolutely a full throttle wine, and this one will age just as long as their 100 pt 2010. Also, this vintage is average only $90, compared to about $250, so it is the best value in some of the best of Bordeaux. Buy all this up while you can, try one, and hold on to them for as long as you can! Hold, and drink from 2027-2047. — 9 years ago

with Tais

Tom Kobylarz

10

To me the most complex wine of the night offering a deep cerebral experience, with what I thought of as a berry bouquet garni was the 2000 Haut-Brion. The most contemplative, while also a deeply pleasurable wine, offered layers of classic Bordeaux notes of toast, coffee, currants, cassis, subtle & smokey campfire embers, cigar box...the list goes on and most of that was in the nose. The palate was texturally seamless, packed and stacked with structure that never got in the way, though you would notice it on the finish letting you know it was there.

2005 was locked up and unrelenting at first, the second go an hour later was more repenting but it was still not nudging much. A thoroughly excellent wine, but just not revealing much beyond the hints of its greatness.

#hautbrion #pessacleognan #bordeaux #wine — 10 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.7

Brilliant and complex , caught at in a perfect spot, as this layered wine offers mature notes of dried flowers, leather and aged cigar box, but also incredible presence of red and dark fruits, framed by completely integrated oak spice and sweet, grainy tannins, all lengthened by juicy acidity. Brilliant! — 11 years ago

Sydney Coelho

9.7

This is my go-to brand for Malbec. I have loved this wine for several years now and every year the vintage is pretty much spot-on. Exactly what you want in a Malbec and at Kroger for $10 it fits the wallet perfectly. — 11 years ago

Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe

9.4

Red cherry, cigar box, medium plus body and finish. In a really nice spot. — 11 years ago

Christine Mortensen

9.8

Very tasty! As Lloyd put it... "It's a step above our wine in a box." :) — 13 years ago

Mark Eastom

9.0

Really nice cab. Inky in color, cassis, dark berries, cigar box, sweet vanilla, aromatic herbs, soft tannins and great acid. Well balanced all around. Was amazing with a ribeye. — 6 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.7

Absolutely in a perfect place, layered, complex and integrated with black fruits, minerals, leather, hints of cigar box with terrific power and a long palate coating finish. — 7 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.2

Fresh copious amounts of eucalyptus inhaled, as my nose is encapsulated by my glass.

First sip is elusive. Cannot quote pick which dark fruit/ deep memory I can impart in this review, so I return quickly for another.

Eucalyptus cigars, blackberry seed, tamarind, cedar, cedar, pine box and cedar!

Lingering, is the sadness of winter, in the darkness of this wine, and the acidity that is tempered by that damn lovely cedar.

A touch of heat, yet one has to get burnt every now and then, to see what lies beyond, eh?
— 8 years ago

Ty Agens

9.2

Not only is it the best wine in the box I've ever had, it's also the second best rosé I've had this summer!
If you can still find it, it will not disappoint.
Summer of 2017 (this isn't a vintage wine AFAIK). — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The nose is dark ripe fruits and beautiful purple florals. The 03 will continue it to evolve but not sure how much better it gets. The tannins are nearly completely resolved. The fruits are juicy & ripe; blackberries(nearly pancake syrup), blueberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, cooked raspberries & strawberries, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, it's got a bramble quality, black earth with a touch of crushed stones, a touch of spearmint, hint of eucalyptus, fresh purple florals, spice-box, tobacco leaf, the acidity is perfect as is; the balance, structure, length and long beautiful, velvety fruit finish. A nice follow up to the 2005 & had in the right order. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

I would love to put this wine in a blind tasting of all the Cult Cabernets. I wouldn't be surprised if this beat them all. It certainly would finish in the top three. Yes, this includes; Screaming Eagle, Scarecrow, Harlan etc.. It's so full, round, lush, elegant & perfectly ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries, plum, dark cherries, dark raspberries. Baking spices done just right, sweet lush rich moist dark earth, dry florals, fresh violets, spice/box, powder from crushed rocks, cocoa powder, suede style leather, a hint of stems, dead on acidity and an elegant round finish that doesn't stop. — 10 years ago

Craig Haserot

Founder and Proprietor Sojourn Cellars

9.2

Pretty nice, in a good spot. Solid cigar box. — 10 years ago

Michael Descamps

9.1

Beautifully layered aromatics of crushed ripe plum, tinder box, tobacco leaf, and sandalwood. Palate is very closed still with very pronounced tannin. This is going to be a really nice wine in a couple years. — 11 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.5

This is awesome. How often do you get a blend of vermentino, marsanne, Grenache blanc, picpoul from the U.S. With 50% skin fermentation. Almost looks like Sauternes in the glass. But the mouthfeel and balance are amazing. — 11 years ago

Andrew Lampasone

Owner Wine Watch Selections

9.3

A bit shy in the nose cigar box coffee starting to open up smooth and silky on the tongue with layers of spice and earth — 12 years ago

Hanibal

9.1

The best of the trio 08, 09 and 10. Lots of cigar box, red fruits, tobacco...a beautiful young wine that should improve in time — 6 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.2

Had in the back of the wine locker and said what the hell. What a surprise. This is terrific. Huge difference from last tasting 6 yrs ago - but as I said then, it had potential!!! Shows cherries, currant, cigar box, forest floor and finishes with crushed gravel. In a good place now, and probably for another few years. — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.4

A little gem recommended to me by @gabymeetswine @vilaviniteca for €66 in a lovely gift box with elastic for extra kinkyness 😁 This Ribera Del Duero is young & drinking well but will improve with age 😍 5 years a 💥 Nice Xmas gift for somebody 😉

📍 Pago de Carraovejas El Anejón 2010

🏵 94 points

🍇 94% Tempranillo, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon & 3% Merlot

🍷 Opaque blackened deep ruby

👃 Rich dark cherry & blackcurrant in slight sweet cedar/oak w/ dark plum, blueberry, vanilla cocoa cream, wild raspberry, dried violets & smokey herbs (the legal kind 🤣)

👄 Med+ bodied fruit loaded explosion of creamy smooth ripe blackcurrant & dark cherry bathed in cocoa, raspberry liquorice & a hint of dry oakyness

🎯 Long touch dry dark fruit bomb 😈 leaving a purple teeth smile w/ a raspberry & blueberry liquorice slap
— 8 years ago

Craig Stanfield

9.1

Cork was in excellent shape for being a 1998. The wine is not likely to improve but it’s a solid wine now and still has life left. Medium body, medium acidity and gripping tannin but not harsh. The fruit has given way to earthier tones with a bit of Brett. There’s a singed element or perhaps tar. Stewed fruit and cigar box as well. This was seemingly better on day 2, if that is even possible (though tightly corked overnight). This I’m bumping this to the 90s. — 8 years ago

Justin Brilman

9.3

If you have had Bevan you know what this wine is all about. Big fruit, big alcohol and lunch in the face characteristics. Was good and I can understand the love but was a distant 4th out of 7 on this night. Birthday Dinner — 10 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.0

A fantastic 2002, this lovely wine shows once more that today there aren't really bad years in Bordeaux, this Pontet Canet was well structured rich and tempting. Deep red, tempting rich multi layered nose ripe cherries, black current, coffee, cigar box, and tea leaves, full rich body, dry tannins, full of black fruit, high acidity and a long chewy finish. Was worth the wait, my score 90. Drink to 2022 — 10 years ago

DrinkBordeaux

9.4

One of the most impressive 1999 Bordeaux wines. Beautiful dark ruby color, nose was expressive from the get-go with cassis, blackberry, cigar box, leather, tobacco, and violets. Impressed with this wine's impeccable balance. Solid and silky smooth on the mid palate, impressive length in the finish. The tannins need a bit of taming, but they're not intrusive at all. Well-balanced acidity. — 10 years ago

Lori Ebenkamp

10

These little cartons are great for road trips. One equals three 5.6 ounce glasses so OBVS for a 6 hour trip you're gonna need steady two cartons to make it through listening to your husbands screemo XM radio station. He drives. Duh. But really this wine is good; i don't know what legs are in relation to wine but if I did I'd tell you how they were. It's pretty dry, and has a heavy dark fruity flavor. Kelly Flynn I know you're laughing while reading this so you should just go get you one. — 11 years ago

Donald Lazarus

9.0

It may be in a box, but it's really terrific. — 11 years ago

WC Fields

9.6

16yrs? What? Not a problem this bad boy has its drivers license and is rumbling on like a badass. All you'd want and need. Leather, cigar box with dried cherry spread all over with mushrooms Sprinkled in. 3hr slow ox with 45min decant after. Tannins tuck you into bed and the fruit, tertiary characters ~1min finish put you to sleep. Unfortunately I didn't get the money shot of it side by side with the beautiful filet mignon - a la @Gary Westby — 11 years ago