Ira Schwartz

9.3

Like his ‘01 younger brother, a welcoming nose but with a little more red fruit and more expressive aromatics. A platoon of clean ripe fruit advances along my palate but cannot capture the flag as a wall of tannins push back. Certainly has the concentration for victory but not sure how long it will take to wear those tannins down — 5 years ago

Hanibal

9.4

A monster. At age 25 this looks indestructible. So much fruit concentration on the attack and nice long aftertaste. Seemed liked it needs more time...weird ! — 6 years ago

P. Ivan Love

9.7

Complex with huge concentration of fruit, high acidity, marked tannins, yet very smooth and inviting. Dried fruit, dried plums, leather, syrup, licorice, chocolate and tarte tatin.
Truly a joy to drink. — 8 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.6

2010 vintage. Tasting at Magill Estate with Peter Gago. The star of the show. Blockbuster that has everything. Complex and balanced nose of a great Grange. Black fruited, some leather and spice. Savoury. On the palate, great concentration while not being too big. Medium plus body and alcohol. Medium acidity. Long finish. Exceptional. I enjoyed it now. But best to wait for another decade and enjoy for a further 20 years plus. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.6

1986 vintage. Chrismaka lunch at the house. Served after 3.5hr decant (which was probably a few hours short of what I would do next time round). Medium garnet hue - the only true sign of age I found in the wine. Strong pencil sharpening, creme cassis and smoke. Cedar. Very youthful. A lot of fruit. Amazingly youthful. Complex. On the palate, medium plus acidity and tannins - ripe. Medium alcohol. Medium plus concentration of flavour. Balanced. Very long finish. Depth and balance. This is so young still. Don't open for another 10+ years. Drink 2026-2056+. Wonderful potential, but still a baby. Is there a wine on the planet built for the long term better than Las Cases? NB: this is superior to the 1982 I had a month ago. — 10 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Love this vintage. Great minerality and such great concentration. Bought from Fass selections. — 10 years ago

with Dan and Lyle

Lewis Chester

9.6

Ridge Monte Bello 1991 vintage. Amazing nose - spicy, menthol note, crushed rock minerality, stewed plum, cedar and leather. Very complex. On the palate, medium body, medium acidity, medium minus chewy tannins. Good concentration and long, fine finish. Superb. Alongside the 2001, the best Monte Bello I have had. 25 years young. Will be good for at least another 10 years although clearly drinking at or near its peak now. — 11 years ago

Andrea Mullineux

9.4

A balance in its power. Inky Fruit Concentration maintaining Grenache perfume. — 12 years ago

Swii Yii Lim

9.5

Like an older version of the 2004 I tried in April. Concentrated coffee, milk chocolate and smoky fruit, with hints of struck match minerality. Good concentration and tannic grip; could still keep. Tried blind, and guessed it was a Pauillac or Leoville Las-Cases. — 12 years ago

Kenneth Gustavsson

9.6

Mature, meaty, spicy, forest floor. Lacks a bit of concentration in the finish. — 12 years ago

with Jimmy

Gor

9.6

Incredible wine. Purity of expression meets elegance and complexity. Expressive nose of violets, black pepper, lavender, black raspberries, banana bread. Awesome concentration in mid palate. Perfect cab franc. — 5 years ago

Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Jason Koh

9.6

Still vibrant, exquisite concentration of flavors, no oxidation at all yet! but the tannin has almost all melted away and the almost 3-decades of aging is bringing out wonderful tertiary accents to complement the fruit, cedar, wet asphalt and a hint of white truffle. For the money, why drink anything else with Momofuku Ko’s heavenly 6-week dry aged bone-in strip. — 9 years ago

Steve Runner

10

Liquid joy. Dark inky concentration; floral juicy cherry nose and a medium mouthfeel. Light tannins, cherry leather, chocolate, pepper on the pallet with a light lasting dry cherry licorice finish. Incredibly smooth and intense in a very good way. This is a wine I've always wanted to taste...and my expectations are exceeded. Expensive? Yup. Up to the hype? Yeah...it really is. This is an amazing wine. I've been spoiled. Amazing. — 10 years ago

with Rob

Charles (Chad) Bucklin

Owner and founder of C. T. Bucklin Wine Advising

9.2

Powerful and young with roasted fruit and spice. Great intensity and concentration. More restrained on the palate than the nose. Youthful and balanced. #dow #vintageport #port #portugal #ctbucklinwine — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.5

2002 vintage. Medium ruby hue. What a nose. Quite pronounced. Earth, smoke, cranberry, raspberry and mix of crushed berry notes. Slight mineral character. Complex. On the palate, very balanced. Medium plus acidity, medium body, medium alcohol and medium tannins - slightly chalky. Great length and concentration despite being fairly ethereal. Drinking very well, but might improve further. Drink now until 2026. — 10 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.7

Orange, honey, smokiness, roasted nuts, sweet spices and a bit of earth. M+ concentration. M+ acid, body and concentration. Honey, apricots, nutty. Slight bitterness on the palate. M+ complexity. — 11 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.3

2000 vintage. Medium lemon hue. Very very fresh. Zingy and delightful. Some nutty development already showing. Depth of citrus fruits, hints of bergamot. Green peach. Medium minus body. Good lingering finish. A classy wine. Leave 5 years+ before opening. NB: after an hour and a half, the wine has added weight, more concentration and a developed nose of almond, hazelnut and stone fruits - sweet apricot and some caramel. Delightful and moreish. — 12 years ago

Adam Jesberger

9.8

Excellent bottle. The 01 is supposedly a better vintage but im not sure when it comes to this producer. Clear, day bright, garnet and orange brick like color, medium - concentration, orange/peach rim variation, slight sediment, low viscosity. Nose: sound, moderate intensity, stewed cherries/strawberries/raspberries, floral, spicy and lots of dill pickle and slight game. A mushroom note as well. Palate: dry, med- body, stewed plums over ripe cherries/strawberries, lilies, dill, vinegar, leather, button mushrooms, game, mulch with some cedar and coconut. Very complex. Med- tannins, medium alcohol, high acid, long finish. Between the 01 and the 98 its a tough choice of which one to put in the wine cooler to store. — 12 years ago

Gor

9.3

Beautiful developing nose of white peach, acacia, beeswax, lemon rind. There is something a little rounded on the palate that betrays the warmer vintage. Plenty of concentration and acidity points to long life ahead. So youthful today after 12 years. — 5 years ago

Mark S.

9.0

2016, but 3 hours decanting created enough concentration and smoothness. Black currant flavor. Good match with beef! Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 16 @4800, Lawrys, 210329 — 6 years ago

Billy L.

9.5

Excellent right now, dark black fruits with gobs of glycerin. Really deep concentration & pleasure to enjoy! Cheers 🍇🍷👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 — 7 years ago

Jim Nelson

9.3

Rare and perfect mix of concentration and acidity. Translates to: Muscularity that’s as light as a feather! Feels like it could last many decades.. — 8 years ago

with Camille

Lewis Chester

9.5

1997 vintage. Pale golden hue. On the nose, lemon (fresh), slightly yeasty, honey suckle and vanilla leaf. Fresh and surprisingly youthful. On the palate, high and fresh acidity, medium minus body, medium alcohol and medium concentration. Great length. Amazing balance and freshness despite age and vintage. Could last for a decade plus. Very impressive. — 10 years ago

Vito Polosa

9.3

Traditional cabernet concentration, darker prune, tobacco violet cassis — 10 years ago

Michael Greene

9.5

Sour cherry, thyme, lavender, and hints of smoke. To me, this has a concentration and depth of texture that is only matched by Dutraive's wines in Beaujolais. Foillard is always a pleasure but this is really special. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.0

2010 vintage. At the Battery Club in San Francisco. Deep purple hue. After 30 minutes decanted, white pepper spice, licorice, oak wood, earth. Black fruit profile - fresh picked blackberry fruit. On the palate, medium acidity, medium minus alcohol and body, medium concentration and medium plus finish. Slightly dilute on the mid-palate for my taste but nonetheless enjoyable. — 11 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.4

2004 vintage. Lunch with Gerard Basset at Hotel TerraVina. 1 hour decant. Dark ruby hue. Wonderful nose of leather, sweet spices, roasted meats, mulberry and blackberry, dark chocolate and licorice. Although developing still very fresh and youthful despite the obvious complexity of aromas. On the palette, the tannins hit you hard - grippy; high acidity that starts off quite searing but with air becomes rounder and attractive. Medium plus body and full concentration. Long finish. Gerard loved it and so did I! — 11 years ago

Mike Wu

9.5

1995 magnum - slightly tighter than regular bottle. Nice concentration of fruits and good structure. Got all the raw material to develop into something extraordinary. Give it 5-10 more years. — 12 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.6

Incredible balance between concentration and freshness. — 12 years ago