Simon Weston

9.0

My reward to myself for spending 5 hours turning a package of flat boards into a kitchen pantry for my in-laws 😃. Needed several hours to breathe and I may have to give them a decanter next Christmas 😃. Inky purple purple and a candy cherry nose, cherry vanilla & oak taste with spicy pepper finish. Smooth tannins but not as lush as older vintages. Going to try to keep the other 2012’s for a couple more years. Happy Christmas everyone. — 8 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.5

New oak still dominant on the nose, but everything in place for a big reward ahead. — 9 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.3

2013 vintage is clearly a winner here, offering gorgeous, floral aromas on the nose which flows into a palate filled with pure red cherries, chalky tannins and salivating acidity. Long, graceful and will reward patience. — 9 years ago

Jonathan Bennett

9.0

Enjoying this as a reward after a MA to PA drive! — 10 years ago

Yotam Sharon

Consulting Winemaker Gvaot, Miles, Alona; Blogger yotamsharon.com

8.9

Amazingly deep robe. Rich black fruit, lots of highly toasted oak. Palate has deep fruit, massive, brooding tannins and good acidity. Pulls all the way to the long finish yet the fruit remains monolithic and simple. Needs time yet somehow fails to persuade that it will reward the wait with real magic. — 10 years ago

Pascaline Lepeltier, MS

Master Sommelier, Wine Director Rouge Tomate New York

9.5

08 / disgorged in 10. Keep your Bouchard, the reward will be priceless — 10 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.3

Some Bordeaux’s are just too young at 15 and this Lynch-Bages is one of them. It is composed of about 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Tightly wound and packed with pencil lead, black as night fruit and backed by a strong spine of tannin, this super wine will reward the patient… And punish the impatient! — 11 years ago

Daniel Bellury

9.4

Cleaned house, big reward. — 11 years ago

with Lily

Alejandro Lopez

9.9

The heady aroma is both powerful and pretty with notes of fennel, purple flowers and blossom mingling with ripe, varietal purple fruits and black pepper. The oak is hardly evident which allows fruit and soil complexities to emerge with edges of rhubarb and red mulberry and savoury characters of dried herbs, game and spice.
The palate opens with anise, black pepper, graphite and restrained dark cherries before it gives way to seductive mulberry, plum, licorice and spice. It has great power, depth and length with very vibrant, gritty fruit tannins providing immense structure. Notes of anise and spice linger for a long time after the last sip.
The Dead Arm 2008 strikes a rare balance of power, complexity and finesse with impressive structure that will reward those with patience to cellar it

Behind the label: Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa Lata that randomly affects vineyards all over the world. Often vines affected are severely pruned or replanted. One half, or an ‘arm’ of the vine slowly becomes reduced to dead wood. That side may be lifeless and brittle, but the grapes on the other side, while low yielding, display amazing intensity.

— 12 years ago

Michael Landini

9.0

A nice reward after a hard days work. — 13 years ago

Carson

9.4

If Italian wines are my love then consider this little gem from the south of France to be a tryst. This wine is dusty, wild and uninhibited, packing an oh-so-sensual touch right out of the bottle. The robe, a delightfully deep crimson, is soon abandoned as it gives way to a softer and more supple hue that suggests more surprises are on the way. Light and musty on the tongue, the more you play with it the wilder it gets. The slower you take it, the flavors of licorice, currant, spice box, and pork fat on the finish reward your patience. Drink now, as this southern Rhone beauty is at peak maturity--just don't let your true love find out... — 9 years ago

Anne Christopher

9.0

From Bounty Hunter 0ct 2016 - enjoyed! — 9 years ago

Scott Rowe

9.1

One of the greats. Will grow into a beautiful thing. Time should reward. — 9 years ago

Frank Ramos

9.0

2002 vintage, so soft, velvety texture, spice, blackberry, long finish. What a reward for holding on to this! — 10 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.8

A true masterpiece and one of the greatest young Napa CS I've ever encountered, this vintage boasts great fruit and amazing precision. Tannins still need time to resolve and of course, there's not much secondary complexity at present, but loads going on here and this will surely reward patience. — 10 years ago

Johanna O'Rourke

9.2

Straw gold in colour, peach and butterscotch on the palate; the fruit, oak and acid in perfect balance with a beautiful mouthfeel. A lovely wine and would reward another couple of years in the cellar. 92 pts. — 10 years ago

with Shane

Ron Meyer

9.4

Christmas Dinner with a leg of lamb and this Cab, it does not get better. Rich young fruit, balanced with round tannins that need time to gain complexity. Stick it away for at least 5+ years and it will reward with a more refined; well developed wine and pay back patience with world class flavors. — 11 years ago

J Manncini

9.5

My reward for shoveling 10" of snow — 12 years ago

John Kemper

9.3

A bright dark red, the '11 Herencia Altés Garnatxa Negra from the Terra Alta region of Spain is a tremendous value. Gobs of juicy sweet red and dark berry flavors arise from the glass with aromatic notes of violet and allspice. Super intense and rich with remarkable depth. A spicy and silky finish reward at the end. VGS! — 12 years ago

Mel B

9.3

Italian American beauty. 64% Barbera, 32% Primitivo, 4% Dolcetto. Vinified across the river from ski country in Lyle, WA. — 13 years ago

Ash Sinclair

8.9

Takes a long time for the saline nose to blow off. A bit of VA in there also. That said, on the palate there's plenty of sour cherry, black plum and wet stone minerality. Tannins are surprisingly up front, yet not out of balance with the fruit. My advice is give it a soft decant, and it will reward you. At its price point it's worth the purchase — 9 years ago

with Megan

Skip Smyser

9.4

After the week I've had I looked for a reward and found it in this marvelous marvelous red wine. Areal treat with lush fruit and lingering mid pallet flavors 🍷 — 9 years ago

Mike Kane

9.0

Post-hike reward. — 9 years ago

Lynn

9.2

Great post show shoveling reward — 10 years ago

with Pat

Christine Havens

9.0

Older vintages of Pesquera can be particularly lovely, as such this toothsome 2012 Crianza is drinking well now, but will certainly reward patience. Oozing complexity, with dark fruit notes of roasted black cherries, singed earth, dried violets, black licorice, alfalfa hay and dark chocolate. Fleshy and round on entry, with fine, powdery tannins that sit firmly at the back palate. Dark chocolate, dark roast espresso and herbal notes reemerge at the finish.
— 10 years ago

Angela Cahill

9.1

Aged surprisingly well. Silky with good fruit. — 11 years ago

Dave Chambers

9.5

We have enjoyed the Good Earth over the past several years visiting Niagara and the Beamsville Bench. A great place for a nice meal, and also home to some seriously tasty Riselings! This Medium Dry from 2009 doesn't disappoint. The initial nose gives hints of what is to come, petrol and fruits! The color is a pale lime yellow and the flavor just keeps going! The sweetness is nicely balanced with sharp acidity to truly reward your mouth! The finish is quite long and brings memories of wine country in the spring! Delightful! — 11 years ago

with Heather

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.7

If you possess this wine, pull the cork 6 hours prior and leave it alone. It will reward you. Don't decant. Trust me. — 11 years ago

Cuvée Corner

9.7

An extremely elegant wine, Rhone Zone blend I received as a sample long ago. It has been resting comfortably in my cellar all this time. A very soft pedaled blend with Grenache leading the way light cherry, violets and plum, loads of minerality and soft earth. The finish is long and lasting! The tannins as tame as your tabby, and will reward all those willing to give it a swirl for themselves! — 12 years ago

Daniel Mackinnon

9.3

Drinking great now. Yet cellaring will open this wine out as Lake Breeze wines always reward patience. — 13 years ago