Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Medium Ruby color with aromas dark red fruits, black tea and ample floral spice, aged in 20% new French oak for 10 months. On the palate flavors of black cherry, blackberry and plum with tobacco, cedar, black pepper, tea and vanilla spice. Soft fine tannins, long finish, well balanced with acidity, ending with fruit, herb, spice and earthy wet stone character. Nice! — 5 months ago

Jess

8.9

Deep ruby color.
Aromas of tobacco, cherry, tomato leaf.
Dry. Flavors of tomato leaf, tobacco, leather, dried cherry. Rich, chewy tannins.

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 4/5
Balance: 4/5
Finish: 4/5 — 7 months ago

Jody Scharf

9.1

Strawberries, light cherry, some floral.
Color rose red. Nice vino — 7 months ago

Marc Melser

9.4

We had the 2007 Vintage on 8/10-11/24. This has all the scents and flavors of a great Brunello: black cherry, strawberry, leather tobacco and spice. Medium to full bodied. Nice finish. — 9 months ago

Colin Cahoon

9.3

Nose is dark red fruit with blackberry, blueberry, and cooked strawberry. Palate is dark cherry, cooked strawberry, ripe blackberry, rhubarb, ripe fig, caramel, cola, oak, cedar, mushroom, green pepper, cinnamon, and truffles. Medium tannins, high acid, medium alcohol, and long finish. An outstanding Chinon. — 2 years ago

with Susan

Alex Hughes

9.3

Intense dark cherry with a long finish. Oak is well integrated + well developed tertiary aromas/flavors. Tannins were surprisingly soft for a Dunn this young. — 6 years ago

Eric Guido

9.4

The nose was dark with woodsy floral tones offset by red berry, leather, hints of clove and star anise. It was soft with silky textures on the palate. Youthful but not tannic with perfectly balanced acidity enlivening flavors of tart cherry, spice, and minerals. The finish showed it's youthful structure with dried red fruits, inner floral tones and hints of cedar. This is beautiful and just entering what is sure to be a long drinking window. — 9 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Youthful that will benefit with air, drinking beautifully with its bright red cherry, berry fruit, dried herbs, leather, savory spice, rose petal & tobacco notes — 5 months ago

Jess

9.1

Deep ruby color.
Aromas of blackberry/raspberry compote, spice.
Dry. Flavors of black cherry, leather, peppercorn,
Espresso, roasted red pepper, roasted herbs. Rich, chewy tannins.
Intensity: 3/5
Complexity: 4/5
Balance: 4/5
Finish: 4/5 — 7 months ago

Byron Hewett

9.1

This is a beauty. Sour cherry, mineral backbone with herbal savory hints. 11% abv. — 9 months ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.2

Light and supple with earthy cherry finish on the palate. — 2 years ago

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9.4

This was a late addition to a tasting of 2007 Tuscan wines I held last week, and was the only Brunello in the bunch. It was served last. Everyone really enjoyed this wine. After almost 4 hours of decanting, it delivered a silky mouth feel, terrific black cherry fruit, and perfect balance of acidity, fruit, and tannins. A sweet spice accent showed up in the finish. This was one of the best bottles of Il Poggione I’ve had to date. Delicious. — 6 years ago

Paul Heyrman

9.1

Great Tuscan aromas and cherry fruit. 2010 drinking perfectly now. — 9 years ago

Jiga Hitorn

9.6

Cherry tobacco, good acidity. Like a top Bordeaux — 10 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

A gift from my old man for my thirtieth birthday this year. My last experience with this wine was the 2001, enjoyed around ten years ago. I described then how the wine lived up to its popular reputation. Happy to reaffirm that feeling with this 1994, that is an absolutely gorgeous, captivating wine that ticks every box one may have for older Rioja. It marries sweet with sour in that way that the best wines from this region do, a medley of ripe blueberries with sour cherry; bitter orange, coconut, balsamic, tobacco and cranberry. The finish is long, with flecks of sweetness that beg you for another sip. I would imagine that Faustino produce in excess of a million bottles of this stuff, given the size of their holdings, which only impresses me even more that it turns out so well. — 6 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

A good, solid California Cab but what’s all the fuss about? I’m seeing ratings of 98, 99, even 100 from JS. Really? No way. This is a clear case of praise crossing over into hype. Granted, still a bit young and not at its peak but after five years in the bottle and an hour of decanting it needs to be more than just fine if it wants to justify stratospheric scores. This wine compares unfavorably to Ridge Monte Bello, Stags Leap Cask 23 and other peers. It lacked sophistication and poise—where’s the promised minerality, graphite, cedar shavings, oak, leather, blackcurrant, cherry, and complex balance of fine grained tannins, fruit, acid and alcohol? Where? We chose this wine for a birthday dinner at Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Not a disaster but a disappointment given our high expectations (and the high price).
— 7 months ago

Neil Valenzuela

8.9

Medium ruby color. Aromas of cherry, cranberry, baking spices and hint of cedar/cigar box. Flavorful, cherry and cedar on the finish. Magnum bottle with MTG night. — 9 months ago

Kai Wright

9.4

For a 2020 tree trimming, a trip to 1968 felt appropriate... and it’s got staying power.... Leather, woody herbs, prunes and dried cranberry, funky mid palate, a long cherry finish, bright acid. An elegant old guy. — 4 years ago

with Jedd, Kris and 1 other

Neal Ferry

9.2

tu es magnifique dans les robes — 7 years ago

with TwiLea

Nöel Turner

9.0

Smooth and mellow. Fruity. — 10 years ago