Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2013 vintage. Decanted with a little sed. Great cork. Tremendous power and on the leaner side of the ledger...think bigg vintage Leoville Las Cases or 80's/early 90's Montelena or *gasp* La Jota before the Helen Turley fruit bomb intervention in the early 90’s. Drinking a little "hot" but only at 14.9% ABV. Definite palate-wrecker with tannins for daze. Will take this wine in their lineup nearly every time vs the pricier and smoother Pritchard Hill shizz. The off the charts QPR is easily tasted vs the rest of their Cab/Cab-based lineup. Awesome now but will consolidate even further into a wolverine wine. Be very afraid. If you're looking for a quiet, placid dinner for two, then a rom-com snugglefest, this is not your beautiful house. This is someone else's beautiful wife. 12.01.24. — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2000 vintage. Last tasted 9.25.23 (9.2) after 1.5 hours decanted. Popped and decanted this for lunch. Great fill and solid cork. Throwing a bit of sed but less than anticipated. Meh nose. Medium body initially. Started off on the rich side of the ledger but not plush. Had some smoothness afoot. Tasted after 45 mins open, 1.75 hours open and 8 hours open. First two were unspectacular. After lounging in the decanter 8 hours, wine had firmed up, thinned out, picked up plenty of secondary flavors and had that previously missing grip. If you're gonna open this during the holidays or anytime soon, do it very very early...otherwise, it'll be a total waste. Wine has miles to go. No rush to crush but just air it out in advance properly. 10.16.24. — 9 months ago

Severn Goodwin

9.3

Nose has dried plum, blackberry, cedar plank, light green herbal notes and damp white pepper.

Palate has ripe blackberry, dried blueberry, chocolate twizzlers candy, notable but fading tannins.

Purchased in February 2005; $33.
Paired to grilled lamb chuck (shoulder) chops.
Cork pulled for slow oxidation, 12H. Will hold until tomorrow, with expected improvement.

66% Cabernet Sauvignon / 24% Merlot / 5% Petit Verdot / 3% Cabernet Franc / 2% Malbec

Really a wow wine, wasn't expecting this showing, TBH this has 8-10Y in the tank still. — 3 years ago

Edmond Bordelon

9.5

A Thanksgiving miracle! Was so worried that this bottle corked by the staining on the cork, but is all ended well! The fruit is barely there on this bottle from my favorite vineyard (Volcanic Hill) from Diamond Creek. Still an immense presence and complexity after decanting for 4 hours. Time had made this bottle a little more delicate than the others, but unmistakable Diamond Creek. Glasses were raised to Al and Boots as the vineyard has now been bought by Roederer. I believe it is in food hands. — 5 years ago

with Katherine and Lauren

John A

9.5

It cannot be 38 years old is all I could think when I popped the cork. I can only wish I was as youthful as this wine. Black fruit, chocolate, smoke/tobacco...elegant , structured. Delicious — 5 years ago

Dave Sobel

9.5

From the moment we poured this wine after pulling the cork it was amazingly smooth. Beautiful fruit forward with along satisfying velvety finish. I can’t get enough of this wine. Cheers!! — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

10

A physically pristine example from a well established cellar, the cork pulled clean and without so much as a hint of compromise. It was subsequently double decanted several hours in advance. The 2000 Margaux pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. The nose: developing and simply stunning. A cornucopia of cassis, black bramble fruit, purple flowers, tobacco, new leather, cocoa, fine woody notes, dry gravelly earth and gorgeous baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid; the structure acting like the flying buttresses of Notre Dame. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is forever long and impossibly silky. Sensationally balanced.

To my palate, this falls into the very small category of wines that require no additional inquest. It is utterly complete. And, when I consider the company and circumstances, perfect. Drink now with a healthy decant and through 2100. — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1995 vintage. Nice fill. Cork good. Decanted and tasted immediately, after 15 mins and at the 2 hour mark. Threw less sed than expected. Vibrant color. Medium body. Pencil shavings and chocolate-covered blueberries nose and flavors segued to graphite, cedar closet and the ole L-B mint chocolate chip ice cream standard. Not improving but holding steady here for the next 4-6 years. Good stuff. 11.16.23. — 2 years ago

Matt

9.2

Thought this would be dead but the cork held up! About 30 minutes of pleasure than quickly faded and ox’ed in the glass. Oh well. Dried sour cherry, tobacco, graphite, potting soil, green peppercorn, porcini mushrooms, cigar ash, worn leather. Light, vibrant acid. — 3 years ago

Mike Beltran

9.2

What a fine Pomerol! This lovely wine has a wonderful complex blend of mature fruit and resolved tannins. This magnum opened up with an hour of decanting and provided quality drinking for the entire evening. The cork was still solid. A pleasure to share with family and food. 👍🍷🍷 — 5 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.1

ID 314057 (just off one digit from pi)
Golrious balance. Cork was compressed and showing age, though I stored this in my cold cellar. Nose of yellow fruits and flowers. All of a piece, though feeling a bit spendy.
Happy Mother's day to my wife, paired w almond croissants and truffled eggs. — 5 years ago

John Hagood

9.1

Drank 2017 from Cork 2018 on 22 Sep 2019. Light sweet zingy as is natural. — 6 years ago

Greg Koslosky

9.1

A little cloudy and muted with a dry and brittle cork I don’t think it was stored perfectly . — 6 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2002 vintage. Last tasted 10.06.22 (9.4). Similar "gliding along" impressions with feminine characteristics. This bottle (nice fill, cork and decent sed) was a goody. Decanted and tasted after 5 mins, 30 mins and 2 hours. Bit more structure evident after two hours open as to be a different, yet fantastic, wine. Funny how some of these underwhelming, less than aggro wines can take on another life of their own, on their terms, by gently removing all doubt. Still another 5-7 years-easy. 11.21.24. — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1990 vintage. Excellent fill and halfway saturated cork. Used a Durand but surmise a regular waiter's friend, wielded carefully, could have done the trick with the cork. Decanted and tasted after 30 mins, one hour and two hours. Some obvious sed but not troublesome or overtly noticeable. Original owner-château direct on original release. Super cold cellar because this was lagging noticeably behind other '90's and LB's. Bigger tannic structure (for a generally feminine-styled house) than anything save a Latour, Mouton, Ducru Left Bank property. Even more guts than Lynch-Bages or Pichon-Baron '90's currently stored above 55 or so degrees. Surprising but made sense. Light-medium body. Appropriate color. 3-4 years left in this stage unless larger format in play. Slight, fleeting burst of richness in the frontal palate and a tad brickish and then it just flowed on, without speed bumps. A little cocoa powder and cedar/tobacco. Suspect 750ml specimens not stored as cold/religiously will be showing more in the 9.0-9.1 range and farther down the backside of the bell curve. 10.26.24. — 9 months ago

Andrew Seiler

9.0

Miles and Maya would be very proud! 🍷 — 2 years ago

Mike Beltran

9.4

At 10 years this wine is still a baby. Very dark and rich with almost black residue on the cork. Not cold stabilized but not an issue. A wealth of Napa Cabernet fruit and French oak to please your palate. Expensive but it delivers on many levels. Benchmark Napa Cabernet from a stellar grower and producer. 🍷🍷🍷 — 3 years ago

Timothy Hixson

9.5

2000, finally broke into the case. Cork was extra dry and disintegrate. Coffee filtered and worked ok. — 5 years ago

Paul T HB

9.7

En Mag,
Cork looks great, I say that because I’ve had several Colgins & David Arthurs from early to mid 2000’s which had horrible corks. Give this 45 minutes to an hour in the glass maybe longer since its a mag. One glass tonight then drink up tomorrow & Monday. It will be fantastic with a day or two. The 97 Mondavi reserve was best on Day 3 believe it or not🤷🏼‍♂️ — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Tawny color, translucent with amber rims. Notes of black cherry, cedar, some spice and a little barnyard floor. Sweet fruit in the mouth, with tannins fully resolved. Guessed 1955 Calon Segur. Perfect looking bottle, the cork revealed this bottle was reconditioned by the Chateau in 2000. — 7 years ago