Delectable Wine

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9.8

The 2009 Latour has an open and generous bouquet: a mixture of red and black fruit and touches of graphite and loam. This vintage displays a light marine/brine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, a firm grip and superb balance. This is very focused, with impressive salinity on the finish that lingers nicely. This is an extraordinarily beautiful Latour. Tasted blind from double magnum at a 20-year retrospective at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2024)
— 2 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.3

A murky purple magenta color, but still appears young. Very aromatic with beautiful notes of blackberry, perfume followed by sandalwood, wet rich soil, pencil lead and sweet oak. Tastes young with tannins still present leaving many years for aging. Primary flavors of blackberry cedar and bitter sweet chocolate with secondary notes of cassis, new leather, pepper, dried herbs, and gravel giving it a long dry finish. Should pair with our Neapolitan marinara pizza and pasta dinner tonight. Looking forward to see what another several years will add to its flavor profile. — 4 months ago

with Karin and Jill

GaryWEdwards

9.6

A combination of nutty and citrus zest . Beautiful wine in her youth. I would keep this baby deep in the cellar for at least 5, maybe 10, years. Brilliant even by Cristal standards and may be among their best ever — 4 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

1982 vintage. Great, upper shoulder fill. Long, aging cork fully saturated but removed with a Durand. Splintered a little upon removal. Decanted and threw less sed than expected. Decaying leather, cedar, hot gravel and lightly roasted button mushrooms in the nose. Light-medium/medium body. All this + some undying cherry and plum flavors mixed in amongst remaining tannins. More thrust and fruit than anticipated with expected structure firmly in place. Really beautiful specimen. Based on this bottle, can hold steady without dropoff for another 4-5 years. 1.12.24. — 5 months ago

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9.3

The 2020 Dominus is one of the wines of the vintage in this crazy year marked by drought and fires. There's plenty of upfront richness and fruit, but the mid-palate and finish taper off faster than they would in a higher-quality vintage. Here, too, the balance is notable, even if there is no escaping the reality that the 2020 is a relatively small-scaled Dominus. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
— 5 months ago

Bill Morgan

9.3

1982 a very old vintage very smooth and a finish that is so beautiful so delicate — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1999 vintage. Decanted and tasted after four hours. Medium/heavy body. Intense, dark color. Earthy, tannic nose. Plenty of grip and fruit and showing beautiful balance now. Not an Insignia fan but this was excellent and has plenty of quality time left. No rush to crush. 71% Cab, 21% Merlot, 6% PV, 1% Cab Franc, 1% Malbec. 3.5.24. — 3 months ago

Andre Johnson

9.3

Love this!!! — 4 months ago

Brett Francis

9.5

This was fantastic, strong, and yet still seemingly understated. Although I am no fortune teller, this seemed strong and young. I couldn’t place all the flavors I experienced, but to my palate there was raspberry, blackberry, smoked meats, soil after a rain, and portobello mushroom all matched with a beautiful color to stare at between sips. Long pauses to enjoy the long finish. — 4 months ago

Byron Hewett

9.4

Beautiful, mature Bordeaux. Pencil lead, cigar box, cassis. Harmonious and long. — 4 months ago

Will Stanley

9.4

The 2015 Viña Ardanza is only the third vintage of this wine that I’ve tasted, yet it has quickly become perhaps my favourite Rioja - for quality, value, style, and sheer pleasure. This is a match for the brilliant 2010, with an outrageously pure and beautiful nose of balsamic paste, bitter orange, black cherry, fig and vanilla. The palate is supple but firm, quite dark in character, with a gorgeous medley of black and red fruits, perhaps slightly fuller bodied than the 2010, and carrying through to a long, bitter orange, tar and tobacco-laced finish.

This is just such superb stuff, and to say it sells for around £20-30 a bottle, it’s a cellar must. — 5 months ago

Chasidy Kearns

9.0

Really delicious. Blackberry, currants, berry, hint of veg broth. — 7 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Happy Anniversary Sofia. I miss you honey and will forever! Cortona calling. Cheers! 🍾🥂

I had this a few years ago and thought this needed another 3-4…apparently wasn’t wrong. Not as stellar as the 07. Starting come into its own. Golden apple, green apple, lime pulp, tropical melon, just ripe pineapple, ripe pear, vanillin, caramel, cream, sea spray, alluvial limestone minerals, beautiful mid grain chalkiness, brioche, baguette crust, nice, soft yeastiness, jasmine, yellow lilies, really nice acidity, well structured, balanced, delicious finish that lasts two-minutes. 🌹 — 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.2

Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable murky magenta color with bricking. On the nose: beautiful nose of stewed black fruit/currants, floral, herbaceous, burnt embers, spearment. Taste: classic old school Napa, juicy, balanced, savory wine with dark cherry, baking spice, smoke, sweet tobacco and a nice long earthy cocoa finish. YUM! Drinks well at year 20 and glad to have another bottle. — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.5

Flight #2 of our 1997 Retrospective and these were the thoroughbreds. Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #2 had great color, was developing, fresh, focused, balanced; great structure. One of those glasses of wine you didn’t want to end and, for me, a tough call for favorite of the flight along with Wine #1. I vacillated between this being Dominus or Monte Bello; ultimately calling the former. This is in a beautiful phase of life. Monte Bello is one of those wines that needs decades to show its best. Drink now through 2040. — 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Beautiful ruby in color, with a very wide reddish rim. Bricking at the very top.

Light nose with red and black fruits, light cedar and tobacco leaf.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, cherries, earth, black coffee, oak, herbs, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 26 year old from the great 1998 vintage in Southern Rhone is drinking beautifully now. Soft and smooth, elegant and earthy.

Not so good right out of the bottle, and needed 90 minutes of airtime to open up properly, so be patient.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 94 points.

Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Showing nice complexity and good balance.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120 (current vintage). — 4 months ago

Gambrelle Snyder

10

Beautiful expression. Fruit and earth; perfect balance. Could drink this everyday. — 5 months ago

romo

9.3

A restrained Margo, beautiful balance, lighter-bodied than expected. Have not had many 06 Bdx. — 5 months ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.5

Medium dark robe, nose of steak tartare and cedar. Very complex and elegant in the mouth, great acidity and balance, licorice, dried flowers, a hint of dry port. Finishes on a beautiful acid note and is such a companion. Truly great bottle. You can barely tell the vintage. — 8 months ago

with Jose, veronique and 1 other

Shengli Hu

9.5

Botrytis kinda nose: honey+funk, saffron, ginger. Medicinal aspirin. Mineral forestry stream. Coconut, cream vanilla, Brioche, tangerine blossom, baking spices - nutmeg, allspice. Beautiful golden color. — 9 months ago