Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

About 95% of grapes sourced from Carneros, aged about 8 months on 1/3 new oak with 20% of wine going through malolactic fermentation. Aromas of ripe stone fruits with slight honey oak scents. On palate complex flavors of ripe apple, peach & lemon zest, balanced with good acidity & great mouthfeel. Long finish ending with fruit, wet stone and toasty character. Very nice, will age well. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from some of CVNE's best vineyards in the Rioja Alta (85% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), aged in both French and American oak for 24 months. On the palate flavors of blackberry and currants with licorice, vanilla, tobacco & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, wonderful balance, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Very nice! Tried 2nd bottle! — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 2012 Louis Roederer ‘Cristal’ Chanpagne is a thrilling, dense new offering from this historic house. On the nose this takes on rich brioche and baked Pazzaz apple flavors that combine with lighter kumquat and marzipan tones that all meld in the glass. Fresh and vibrant, with a remarkably silky mousse, the weight and richness of this wine is impressive, while the bright character provides a wonderful foil. Rich layers of lemon zest dusted brioche with toasted hazelnut and Gravenstein apple with lighter vanilla cream and starfruit tones seamlessly combine on the palate. As several hours develop, the wine pieces itself together more magically with the intense citrus components melding with its weighty stature. Marvelous at this stage in its development, the 2012 Louis Roederer ‘Cristal’ Chanpagne will have an exceedingly long life ahead of it. Try to give this at least another year of bottle development before savoring. Drink 2021-2040- 97 — 7 years ago

Emily Golden

9.1

Crisp, bright red wine with big plum and violetish notes. — 8 years ago

Douglas Braun

8.9

A little sulfide aroma which decreased but never went away leesy but nice melon honey character Med bodied — 10 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.3

90% viura 10% Malvasia
Nutty, high acid, roasted lemon, herbs and strong mineral character. A little oxidized note but not too much, the concentration is really profound in this vintage in all facets this is a powerhouse of a white that should age quite well.
Clean and long finish, bright, crisp and fresh with a lingering crystalline taste of citrus and sea salt.
30-45k production #lopezdeheredia #rioja #blanco — 11 years ago

with Miguel

Spike Stockdale

9.3

Hipsters and low alcohol natural wine buffs are always gonna hate on Caymus. But they do what they do really well. Big, juicy, lots of oak character. Caymus will always do Caymus. — 11 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.1

2003 vintage. Citrus - lemon peel and ripe. Medium plus acidity and medium bodied. Little flat to me. It's not good character. Little manufactured. Lacks some concentration. More about freshness and elegance, presumably as an attempt to swerve this difficult vintage. — 11 years ago

Michael Gallagher

9.8

Vibrant fruit driven with a nice mousse character. Great with the salmon/tuna rillette — 12 years ago

with Ryan

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.2

Classic CUNE Riserva. Showing very well for a year that is not an excellent vintage. A lovely wine with food. Shows good balance and fruit and character. — 13 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Pale lemon with complex aromas of fresh ripe citrus and tropical fruits with herbal mineral notes. Pineapple and orange citrus flavors adding grapefruit, melon & peach tones, great acidity balance, rich & smooth, long finish ending with rich bright mineral character. Nice! Had this several times, consistent quality. Short-term aging will benefit. Just outstanding — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Decanted for around an hour, the recently released 2013 Grand Vin from Chateau Musar is an enormous wine at present in its youth. Gradually, it opened into a gorgeous, exotic and utterly unique product of this unlikely corner of the wine world. There’s plenty of Bordeaux-like character in the form of dark fruit and cigar box, but there are notes too of cranberry, liquorice, clove, mandarin and five spice. The mouthfeel, as a whole, has a quasi Brunello quality to it, with its bright cherry fruit and mouthwatering acidity. But woe is anyone to compare this wine to any other, for it is incomparable. One of Serge Hochar’s last vintages before his passing in 2014, and one that will doubtless have a long life. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale yellow with pleasing aromas of citrus and sweet peaches. One of the few barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc's which adds a wonderful toasty oak flavor setting this wine apart from the rest. Complex palate of flavors, fresh fruit, lemons, grapefruit, peaches, Asian pears and baked apple with tea and spicy acidity. Slight herb notes with a smooth and creamy well balanced finish ending with a gentle sweet character. A Fav! — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Family-owned and operated artisan producer of wine, started in 1999 by Dr John and Karen Bergstrom. Had a bottle year ago, dark red with fresh berry fruit flavors with a bit of earthy spice notes. On the palate, cherry and raspberry flavors with complex herb spice notes. Fine tannins on lingering finish ending with enticing earthy character. Aged well, very nice Pinot. — 7 years ago

Jean-Francois Pelletier

9.2

Dark Ruby. Very dense for a Chianti. Dark and red fruit, backed by tobacco and wild mushroom character. Soft medium+ body, with hints of wood. Long finish. This softened up considerably over the years. — 9 years ago

with Frankie

Taze Rowe

9.2

Solid. Not particularly big, with plenty of Grenache character. No brett in this one. At peak but will hold. — 11 years ago

Geoffrey Luce

9.0

2003. Warm vintage perhaps created a slight raisiny character — 11 years ago

Tom Gendall

9.4

Beautiful wine. Thick and unctuous and a delicious spicy phenolic character. — 11 years ago

Thomas Pastuszak

Sommelier/Wine Director The NoMad

9.2

Smokey, Briney, intense with olive, saline, mineral character: swoon — 12 years ago

J W

9.8

Color-garnet, intensity- medium,1982-1000,lagune1982, fruit character-black berry more than red berry- chocolate-love this drink — 13 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

1991 inaugural vintage by famous Vega Sicilia estate. Tried the ‘13 again and it doesn’t disappoint. Deep Ruby with an array of aromas, dark fruits, spice, floral and some oak. The palate shows strawberry, blackberry & plum flavors with hints of espresso and licorice encased in gentle oak. Firm tannins great balance with acidity, full body, long finish ends with fruit, oak, spice, and mineral character. Just starting to open now, will benefit from more time! — 5 years ago

Chris

9.2

Really nice fruit forward Oregon Pinot, with earthy character. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

A special wine not produced every vintage, BDX presents a different expression of Oakville in a Bordeaux blend of 79% Cab Sauv and 21% Cab Franc (To Kalon fruit), aged in French oak (87% new) for 27 months. Aromas of rich ripe berry fruit with oak spice and cedar notes. On the palate blackberry and cherry flavor with cacao and cedar spice, great balance and structure. Soft tannins with balanced acidity on a lingering finish ending with a tobacco earthy character. Nice! — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale lemon-green with pronounce aromas of tropical and stone fruits with herb notes. On the palate flavors of melon, mango, apple, green peppers and a touch of boxwood. Medium+ length, balanced acidity, ending with a fruit and herbal character. Very good to drink now, no benefit from further bottle aging. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.3

Very high quality; utterly complex with a grand cru identity. Concentrated fruit, still showing plenty of primary character, good development in the glass and a defined minerality. Long finish encircled by a fresh and vibrant aura. — 8 years ago

Martin Redmond

9.2

Slightly bricking with a savory dried red fruit, earthy, cedar, and cigar box character. Delightful! — 10 years ago

Mitja Sirk

Production La Subida, Aceto Sirk

9.2

Dominate by iron and blood character.. — 11 years ago

Ira M. Harmon, MS

9.3

1984 Opus slightly browning but very good ruby. Opening up nose of cedar cassis Tabacco slight vanilla. Taste is definitely showing some age but expressing power of Napa. Med acid med + body. Tannins mature long finish! Very balanced!! A touch of Brett but only enough to give level of character! — 11 years ago

with Jowai

Cameron Porter

9.6

Green apple, wet rock, brioche nose. Nicely balanced between primary character and more developed notes. Creamy on the palate, with enough acid to keep it bright. Disgorged 4/14 — 12 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.9

Half-bottle. The wine was medium amber in colour and offered orange peel, apple, honeycomb, caramel, smoke, spices, sherry and a mouldy note on the nose. On the palate the wine showed orange, peach, apple, cane sugar, caramel, smoke, spices, creamy honey, some coffee, a hint of chocolate, sherry, mild black tea and a mouldy note, paired with medium-plus acidity, a creamy honey mouthfeel and very good length. Judged by this half-bottle the wine has just passed its plateau and started its slow journey on the downward slope. A good, medium-bodied Sauternes with lots of botrytis character. Drink now. 89 — 12 years ago