Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(some fine/cloudy sediment). A prodigious medium ruby red color. On the nose: red fruit, licorice, herbs, sandlewood, smoked meat. Taste: Still youthful and energetic with red raspberry/plum, dark currants, tea, earth, and a clove/dark chocolate med plus finish. YUM! — 4 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.5

2005 Wine Spectator wine of the year.

1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A thrilling dark garnet with some bricking. Nose: beautiful aromatic notes with cherry, old leather, wet earth, floral, licorice. Taste: velvety smooth, creamy, balanced wine with dark berries, cedar, licorice, spice, espresso, dark chocolate, and a nice satin long finish. YUM! Just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride tonight. Paired with a Christmas prime rib roast dinner. Cheers! — 5 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Celebrating with a couple of fun bottles tonight. 2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A stunning dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: lightly fragrant notes of stewed red fruit, cassis, floral, little cigar box, herbaceous. Taste: silky, elegant, soft wine with a great mix of dark plum, currants, iron, scorched earth, tobacco, and cedar/bitter chocolate medium plus finish. YUM! Drinks well with the decant and more time to go. — 8 months ago

Lori K

9.2

Todd really likes, great vanilla and current blend, good mouth feel — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

It was Father’s Day and I had decided on grilled rack of lamb for dinner so I selected this bottle of 2011 Chateau Musar rouge from our cellar. According to Musar’s records, the 2011 vintage was one of the most challenging since the early 1990’s. It was ultimately a late-maturing vintage with harvest taking place on October 13th, the latest since the 1983 vintage!

I decanted this bottle about eight hours prior to dinner. It should be noted that immediately upon opening, the bouquet was strikingly gorgeous with powerful aromatics that were obvious from several feet away and this trait carried through until dinner time.

In the glass, the wine presents a deep garnet color. Slightly turbid with a near opaque core. On the nose, black plums, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, organic earth, exotic spices, leather, spiced meat, and pomegranate. I detect a touch of VA as well. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the nose with an added bit of red rope licorice. Lovely, long, savory…amazing. This was a brilliant compliment to the lamb (which was served with beets and goat cheese and fattoush) and everything I wanted in a Musar tonight. Drinking well now with a hefty decant and I expect well cellared examples to drink well past 2035. — a year ago

Paco Suro

8.9

Fresh. Bright. Medium to full. — 6 years ago

David Sweeney

9.5

Amazing. Nice earth, some subtle fruit. — 8 years ago

with R.J.

Sarah O'Kelley

9.5

Wonderfully oxidative nose full of soy & such followed by red fruit & earth & finishing with telltale American oak. A powerful Rioja! — 8 years ago

with Justin, M and 1 other

Evan Bloom

9.3

What a treat. From the company to the antics of the cork removal, all was fantastic. Not surprised with some immediate mustiness on the nose, giving way to a rich but smooth aged blue cheese, mushrooms, soy sauce, earth, and just a faint hint of dried red fruit. Over the next 20 minutes the glass development was out of control, changing with each and every whiff and sip. Earthy umami, oxidative, and and slightly stewed reds to begin quickly opened to nice dried strawberries on the palate and nose, and advancing to moderately subdued ripened strawberries and cranberries- after 61 years and still kickin with fruit! Amazing. Then after about 20 minutes of rapid metamorphosis, it gave in and decided to fade to a very pleasant sipper...awesome. — 8 years ago

with Rajiv and Tim

Peg Hanssen

9.6

From liquor boy. Slp. — 10 years 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

Matt Perlman

9.3

Drinking beautifully. Blackberry, strawberry, musky earth, pepper, anise. Should hold just fine — 6 months ago

Paul J

9.5

Fantastic as always!! Dark red color. Cedar, earth, and cherries on the nose. Lovely texture with a subtle sweetness I haven’t experienced before but was nice. Complex and high quality. Loved it! — 7 months ago

with Brooke

Tom Garland

9.2

Decant and pour. A wondrous garnet color with bricking. On the nose: captivating nose of dark plum, wet forest floor, herbaceous, spice, some funky barnyard. Taste: dark plum, cedar, earth, pencil lead, and a spiced green bell pepper/tobacco medium plus finish with a moderately tight tannic kick....drinks like a younger Bordeaux. — 9 months ago

with Brenda

Adam Gäfvert

9.5

A very nice showing from a somewhat overseen vintage of Sassicaia. It is a very elegant, fragrant yet full bodied wine that is really showing it’s best sides today. Complex and balanced. Currants, flowers, earth, spice and a mineral and fresh finish. — 9 months ago

Lauren Young

9.0

Funk on the nose- old books. Needed more time than we had to decant. Barely opening at an hour. Lots of earth, tobacco, but thinner than expected — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Dark tawny with some purple in the center. Opaque but bright. Killer nose. Notes of rich black cherries, plums, cracked walnuts, earth and a little eucalyptus. Medicinal. Ripe. In the mouth it’s velvet glove with what it touches and lush. Minute long finish. This is the whole package. — 6 years ago

Salvatore Borzi

9.3

Drank for Sean's birthday. Drinking very well. Beautiful, velvety tannins and acidity. Leather, earth, mushroom, red fruits. — 8 years ago

John B

9.2

Creamy, berry flavor. Great finish — 8 years ago

Peter 0'Neill

9.1

Cloves, herbs, meat, earth, some sweet fruit. Young but very good. The 2006. — 9 years ago

Paul Ricciardi

9.6

Very old world style Pinot. Lots of fruit and earth. Extremely complex yet soft and easy to drink. — 10 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a cloudy reddish/ brick rim.

Earthy nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, earth, wet leaves, herbs, light vegetables, coffee, eucalyptus, mediterranean spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 28 year old is still drinking very nicely. A great Second Growth Bordeaux.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 45 minutes of airtime.

Complex and engaging. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. Aged in (65% new) French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. Best on Day 3. The 2011 “Bosconia” pours a ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of sour cherry, dill, leather, dried earth and gentle warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium++ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, elegant and leans towards the bitter side of the spectrum. Good on its own but I think these really excel with food. I’ve probably covered this before in previous TN’s but the wines of LdH might not be for everyone but I find them to be truly special and while there tends to be quite a bit of variation, they are always full of soul. Drink now with patience and through 2036. — 6 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy birthday honey. 🎂🥳🎉❤️

The Chateau that got my wife Sofia to finally love Bordeaux (1995). Expected more from the this property in 2000. But 2000 is still either the stubborn I think it is or just not as good as critically advertised. 20 years in bottle and think it needs at least 10 more years. Also, a touch of v/a-bandaid. It has nice balance with soft fruit & earth. It just lacks the wow factor for the property & vintage. Maybe, it is in a dumb faze. But, I’ve been waiting 20 years for 2000 to come out of its shell. I love this property but it is not up to its reputation…even for lesser vintages. It might be outstanding in another 20. This bottle is a little flawed and perhaps maybe (?) a better 2nd day wine. Tonight it is leaner than I would expect. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, poached strawberries. Sweet lead pencil, charcoal, volcanic ash, spice, nutmeg, some cinnamon, vanillin, dry tobacco, sandalwood, limestone, dry crushed rocks , dry pebbles, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, dry herbs, hints of Worcestershire sauce, moist clay, withering mid floral bouquet with excellent acidity and a wire to wire finish that is balanced, nicely tensioned and elegance that lasts minutes. One of the few slightly flawed bottles in 25 plus yrs of collecting. I can count them on just over one-hand.

Picture of Sofia picking the 2012 Mouton Rothschild Merlot. — 7 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Celebrating with a couple nice wines tonight

2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). An imposing dark magenta color. On the nose: very aromatic with dark cherry, currants, herbaceous, smokey earth, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: soft, silky, dry tannin wine with black fruit, pencil lead, cedar, tar, crushed rock, and a minerally mocha dry medium plus finish. YUM! More time to go. — 9 months ago

with Brenda

Jennie Mass

9.4

1999. Beautifully showing. Nice balance of fruit, earth, and freshness. Pretty finish. — 6 years ago

Michael Adelman

9.3

Black and blue berries, earth, tobacco. Layered beautifully. Power and elegance in harmonious balance! Has so much more to go! Wish I saved this opening for about 10-12 more years! Makes me fall back in love with CA Cabs!!! — 7 years ago

Mitzi Inglis

Marketing/Public Relations, Joseph Phelps Vineyards

9.3

The year we were married. This is great bottle. Earth, leather, tobacco and fruit. #dunnvineyards — 8 years ago

Steve Haro

9.7

Loads and loads of Indian spice, liquid smoke and earth on the nose. Cinnamon and dark liquor cherry and pipe tobacco coat the tongue. Tannins and supple but ever present and the finish is long with notes of menthol and truffle. — 8 years ago

Robert Gray

9.2

Funk on the nose. A little juice, earth, minerality, and balanced acidity. Smells like your grandparents basement. — 9 years ago