Tom Garland

9.3

2 hour decant(decent fine/chunky sediment). A majestic purplish dark magenta color. On the nose: bursting from the glass are notes of red and black fruit, charred wood, milk chocolate, some mint, touch of cigar box. Taste: smooth, delicate, elegant wine with red berries/plum, leather, gravel, herbaceous, mocha, and a spiced tobacco medium plus finish. YUM! Drinks well with the decant, but no hurry, time to go. — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Jonathan Toobi

9.3

Love this unfiltered red blend, gallivanter, nice acidic start and berry finish, light to medium bodied, really tasty and easy drinking, — 5 years ago

Paul Koplitz

9.0

Best box wine I’ve had. Worth every penny. — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Dark ruby red. Rich and earthy with notes of dark berries, and some damp forest. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and full bodied. Dark palate as well with dark cocoa, cigar box and black berries. Long finish and drinking well with some air. Drink till 2027. — 8 years ago

with India and Sean

Mark Flesher

9.3

This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink. — 8 years ago

with Benjamin

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 — 9 years ago

Phil Orlandini

9.1

This... doesn't make me feel drunk. This is gonna be my workin' wine. — 10 years ago

with Juliane

Sean Fischa

9.1

My new house wine — 11 years ago

Liz Weidner

9.9

Delicious but $16. — 12 years ago

Willem Booij

9.2

Ok it’s not the greatest year, but this wine is very nice. A real classic Margaux with stil some dark forest fruit, some pencil and a box filled with vanilla stuffed Havana’s. Not a full bodied wine but a real charmer. — 4 years ago

Mattias Söderberg

9.2

Red fruit, lesthery nose!! — 5 years ago

with Andreas

Daniel M

8.9

Black currant, cedar, tar, cigar box, coffee, vanilla. Quite a complex nose. The palate is very concentrated with a strong acid backbone, and some dark and dense matter with black currant and somehow dusty tannins that kick everything up. The finish is very long and very wide with some bitterness popping up, black currant, and a pinch of salt. We paired this baby with a gigantic beef T-bone. Perfect pairing. It's still very young and needs time. Not a 9 because it's still too young — 6 years ago

Matt McMonagle

9.0

Great value. Really really drinkable. — 8 years ago

Steve McDermott

9.3

Old world earthiness. Red fruit, strawberry notes. A bit of cigar box and leather. Nice finish. Nice #rioja ! Thanks @John Pica — 8 years ago

Laura Diefenderfer

9.0

Great taste. Not dry. Smooth with a hint of blackberry. Ideally paired with a medium rare steak. — 9 years ago

Weijie Shi (Jay)

9.0

Black fruits, cedar box, liquorice, cigar box, menthol. Huge structure, chewy tannin, slightly green on the palate, 30s finish. Need more time. 2012 vintage — 9 years ago

Juan Munoz-Oca

8.9

Cigar box, a bit reduced at first but opens up to lovely dry fruits — 11 years ago

Lisa Burch

9.0

Tasty and inexpensive. — 11 years ago

Becky Larson

8.9

Black box merlot !! Yummy — 13 years ago

William Goldsmith

9.7

Elegant as Bevan goes. Not quite Parker 100 but quite good, esp for 2011. I’ve raised the rating twice. — 5 years ago

with Harry and Ryann

Marc Melser

9.4

We had the 2007 Vintage on 5/15/20. Very Bordeaux on the bouquet. Graphite, cedar and cigar box. Blackberry, black cherry, leather and oak on the palate. Smooth finish. Well balanced wine that had an Old World feel. — 5 years ago

Steve Messinger

9.6

1998 vintage. Wonderful cedar and cigar box aromas rich elegant flavors w long finish. Perfect way to ring in the new year — 7 years ago

Guillermo Camacho

9.2

Wine held up extremely well for age, maintained concentration but still complexified. Dark blue/red fruit, spice box, and chocolate on the nose. An ensemble of fruit on the palate with an amazing acidity that continued to tease out nuances. Extra .1 for showing it’s ability to age gracefully. — 7 years ago

Steve Messinger

10

1990, perfection. Wonderful boutique of cedar box, clay, and sage. Medium bodied evolved tannins great depth w long finish — 8 years ago

John Hubbell

9.4

Love the he nose. Great balance with leather, spice and cigar box. This sill has some life — 9 years ago

with Jim, Allison and 1 other

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.2

Lovely secondary elements of sweaty saddle leather, cedar and later some cigar box. Soft, integrated tannins. Long finish and very nice nose. — 9 years ago

Lara Dunphy Guest

Director Sales & Marketing Black Cordon Vineyards, Sixteen by Twenty Wines

9.3

Classic cigar box. — 10 years ago

PJ

9.5

Great way to warm up on a 20 degree night! 🍷 — 11 years ago

Lisa Kinser

10

Great with Thanksgiving dinner! — 12 years ago

Rachel Hughes

9.0

Shiraz (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Merlot (7%)
2009
Padthaway, Australia — 13 years ago