Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Better with the Rib-cap. The 08 vintage was spotty to good. This one shows the shortcomings of the 08 vintage. Really good fruit, but lacks typical, depth, mid palate, and length.

The nose is class Bordeaux.Ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, forest floor with dry leaves, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, dry herbs, tomato, leaf, with dark and red flowers, framed in violets.

The palate is ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, deep, dark spice that expands wide, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, caramel and vanillin, dry tobacco with ash, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, dry crushed rocks, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clays, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, savory dry herbs, tomato leaf, dry oak barrel shaving to cedar with dark and red flowers, framed in violets, acidity is ok, just not right, finish is good, not great, it falls hard on spice and is short of a minute.

93 with the Rib-cap. Green Bean from my organic gsrden. Drink now through 2035. — 21 hours ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.4

93% Merlot - 4% Cabernet Franc
3% Cabernet Sauvignon #pomerol — 2 months ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Thanks Santa. Dark chocolate covered cherries. Subtle peppermint aroma. Perfectly balanced.

93+ points — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of black fruits, cedar, spices, chocolates, coffee, licorice, light vanilla and black pepper.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, cooked cherries, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, cedar, earth, dark chocolates, licorice, cola, spices, vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 17 year old Napa Cabernet Sauvignon feels more like a Left Bank Bordeaux. Fruit forward with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing great complexity and delicious, but I expected more from this great 2007 vintage. I had the 2001 not too long ago, and it was so much better.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. A good food wine too.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$350. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I waited on the decant a bit after the 03 d’Armailhac. Could have shorted that pause.

I have been writing about older Phelps Napa vintages until the cows come home. This started at 93 but when we had the back-half of our steak buffet (Porterhouse, NY & Ribeye) it blossomed. It is pure finesse, elegance, integration & evolution. These do not sing until they are 15-20 years old. Fruit & earth balance and elegance. Nothing that bites back. If you like this producer, you owe it to yourself to seek out a bottle with this kind of age in good vintages. This is somewhere around its peek. Make no mistake it is better than many $150 bottles I’ve opened.

Happy holidays. 🎅🧑‍🎄 ☃️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

This is a delicious Merlot from Columbia Valley. Big bold and beautiful.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Showing black plums, black currants, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, spices and coffee.

Dry on the palate and very fruity.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 5 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Extracted and bold. Fruit forward and opulent. Tasty and delicious.

Good by itself or with food. I had it with cheeses, olives and fresh fruit, but will pair very nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 75% Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in French Oak barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$65. — 5 years ago

Stanislav Lobanov

9.2

17.5/20 (93/100) Развитой букет ароматов сухих чёрных ягод, чёрного шоколада, белых грибов и дёгтя с легкой травянистой нотой. Довольно тельное и кислотное, танины крепкие, бархатистые по текстуре. Насыщенное во вкусе. Отлично! — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Beautiful nose of blackberries, black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, tobacco leaf, vanilla, chocolates, cherry liquor, eucalyptus, herbs, mediterranean spices, light pencil lead, black pepper and licorice.

Full-bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, dried fruits, cedar, figs, vanilla, leather, spices, light earth, herbs, chocolates, peppercorn, coffee and light alcohol.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley needed 5 hours to open up properly.

Showing nice complexity with a great nose. Rich and extracted, yet elegant and smooth. Fruit forward and easy drinking.

I've had many different vintages of this wine, but this is my first time having it so young. Already drinking beautifully, and will get even better in the next 10 to 20 years. Showing good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

Nicely balanced and engaging, with a great mouthfeel.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged for 21 months in (75% new) French Oak barrels. A small production of only 17 barrels.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$170. — 14 days ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Inky in color with a short dark red rim.

Fruit forward on the nose with black fruits, cedar and chocolate notes.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

This difficult 2020 vintage is showing beautifully now. Soft and elegant, rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel, complex and entertaining

I had this vintage a couple of years ago, and it's even better now. Delicious right out of the bottle, and gets more complex as it opens up.

A great sipping wine that will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in (50% new) French oak barrels for 24 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$50. — a month ago

Mo

9.2

WS: 93. Baked cherry, raspberry ganache and warm fig flavors are ripe and expressive, with a pleasing counterpoint and added detail from rich notes of loamy earth and leather, plus accents of bay leaf, vanilla and red licorice. There's a supple generosity on the palate, trimmed nicely by fine-grained tannins and a tang of orange peel acidity. Tempranillo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2032. 35,000 cases made, 9,000 cases imported.

Alison Napjus
Issue Date: Aug 31, 2024
Release Price: $45/750mL — a year ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.4

Free and expressive. Nice and long Mgx aftertaste. Pleasant and balanced.
93-94 — 2 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.3

Nez moyennement aromatique, vin droit, ciselé, minéral, très pur, très fin et frais, superbe équilibre, belle longue finale. 92-93

Mildly expressive nose at first but opens up, very chiseled and almost mineral, yet elegant and fine, fresh and pure, nice finish too. — 5 years ago

Paul K

9.2

This is great for $22. I may be a little conservative with a 92. 92.4 then. #Delectable, can you add another decimal place?
Big and jammy. Wish there was just a little more structure to it to get to the WS 93. — 6 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Deep inky put purple color. Blackberry, smoke, eucalyptus nose, with a hint of pine/mint in the background. Initial attack is from the greenery, then quickly moves to the black fruit. Some acidity. Medium tannins, slight pruney finish. Excellent!

93 points — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

This is an unusual CdP. In the sense that is is dark, thick and like chocolate for water.

My first of three bottles.

The nose shows a very light flaw, some soft VA, bandaid. The core is all dark currants, candied, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums-heavier black, black raspberries, hints of raspberries & wafting strawberries. Chocolate cake w/ fudge frosting, incense, black pepper, black coffee, anise to black licorice, grilled meats, crushed rocks, lime-sandstone, dry herbs with floral candied dark, red flowers with liquid violets wrapped in lavender.

The palate reveals; dark currants, candied, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums-heavier black, black raspberries, hints of raspberries, some pomegranate & wafting strawberries. Chocolate cake w/ fudge frosting, caramel, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, incense, Christmas cake, red & dark cola, olive tapenade, black pepper, black coffee, anise to black licorice, smoke, grilled meats, soy sauce, crushed rocks, lime-sandstone, moist clay, dry herbs with dark, gentle dark spices, red& dark flowers with candied liquid violets wrapped in the same candied lavender, grand, round, rainfall acidity w/ a rich, lush, well balanced, nicely toned/structured, elegant finish that shows length that lasts 90-120 seconds and falls on chocolate cake, clay & spice.

Untypical for a CdP to be so thick, round, rich and a bit of wine candy.

93-95 with the meal.

Drink over the next 7-10 yrs and perhaps a couple to three yrs +. Greatly depends on storage and how you like your wines in age. — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.5

94-95

This was one of the wines I served for my annual WWC hosting. All wines served blind.

93 syrah/ 7 viognier

The third syrah in my lineup was a wine I've enjoyed a few times over the last five years. Bangin' vintage and in a style I enjoy (syrah and vio). Purple-black in the glass, it offers up killer aromatics of rich, dark fruit, some baking spice, and smoked meat. Even with nearly four hours, this was a monster in structure with tannin that paired beautifully with an herb crusted lamb rack. Powerful on the palate with smoked berries, bacon, espresso, vanilla and a savory finish. Still on the upswing with lots of wonderful Cote-Rotie fireworks in store. Wish I had another! — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#KosherWineSunday

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blue and black fruits with mediterranean spices, light cedar, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light earth and black pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, light earth, chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 6 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Israel is drinking wonderfully now. Rich and elegant. Fruit forward and easy drinking. Nicely balanced and soft.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Complex and engaging. Tangy and spicy.

Interesting, and good by itself as a sipping wine.

Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Kosher.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$50. — a year ago

"Odedi"

9.4

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Deep purple in color with a short purplish rim.

Beautiful nose with lots of chocolates and light earth notes.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black currants, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, dried figs, raisins, licorice, light earth, peppercorn, cola, spices and dark chocolates.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and crushed peppercorn.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Big and bold. Spicy and tangy. Showing nice complexity at this point.

This 6 year old is drinking beautifully now. Rich yet elegant. Extracted and easy drinking. Well balanced and really delicious.

A beautiful surprise. I had the 2016 a few years ago, and this is drinking much better now. I did not expect it from the 2017 vintage.

Thank you Mike for sharing this with me.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself as a sipping wine. Robert Parker 93 points.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

15.2% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$110. — 3 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.3

Fruits blancs, coquillages, très tendu, superbe tension, fruit pur et frais, long, très bon même si fort jeune. 92-93

White orchard fruit, seashells, nice tension and acidity, great backbone, straight, fresh and pure, great length. — 5 years ago

Ed Scheetz

9.4

Alex and Emily’s 27th. 93 Insignia. — 6 years ago

with Alex and Cristina