Tom Garland

9.2

30 min decant (decent fine/chunky sediment). A splended medium dark garnet with some bricking. On the nose: plum, sweet aged cab perfume, musky wet forest floor, eucalyptus, crushed rocks, and smoke. Taste: soft, smooth, delicate, med plus body wine with a little red fruit, leather, cedar, and a herbaceous bitter chocolate finish. What a treat!!! to drink this 12.5% alc, 32 year old wine. Still kicking, even though on the downside. Cheers! — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Shengli Hu

9.4

Violet, crushed stone, mushroom, smoked game, black and green olives, balsamic oils, blackberry, red cherry, dark cherry, elevated acid/tannins and medium body. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Main course is a Beef Tenderloin Roast with Rosemary, Crispy Duck Fat Potatoes, Sautéed Greens. The beef is among the most tender (cut it with a fork) & flavorful we’ve had.

From magnum. The nose shows; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, some graphite, cigar, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender.

The body full, lush & thick. The tannins, rounded, tarry and velvety chewy. The structure & tension have hit its stride but, a little leaner than I’m used to in a Phelps Cabernet. The length and balance are exactly what I expect from them. It’s elegant, ripe & juicy. Dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise to black licorice, cinnamon, soft clove, vanilla, nutmeg, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, moist clay some graphite, cigar, leather, limestone, dry herbs, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender. The acidity is a gentle rain shower. The long finish is delicious and persists into a dark spice.

Perfect with Hedy’s Boeuf.

Wine is peaking in Magnum with another 5-8 years ahead.

The “Truth” which, is the very bottom, concentrated part of the bottle is a 9.3.

Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🤶🎁🦌❄️⛄️🍷 — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

It is really not fair to have their 06 after their 09. It’s good but, all you can think about is the 09.

The nose reveals, slightly stewed to cooked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and bright cherries. Steeped tea, limestone, licorice, dry crushed rocks, cedar, dry tobacco, soft, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, underbrush, dry stems, dry top soil, understated baking spices, light graphite, dry herbs, light, dark spice and withering red & dark florals.

The body is lean, not quite full. The structure, tension, length and and balance are just ok to good and reveal the shortcomings of the 06 vintage. slightly stewed to cooked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and bright cherries. Steeped tea, limestone, licorice, dry crushed rocks, cedar, dry tobacco, soft, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, underbrush, dry stems, dry top soil, understated baking spices, some v/a or bandaid, light graphite, dry herbs, light, dark spice with some heat across the palate and withering red & dark florals. The finish is nice and elegant but, lack the fullness and beauty of most really good vintage Palmer’s. It finishes with nice persistent dark spice on the long set. Just give me another taste of the 09. 😜

Photos of; Chateau Palmer, their barrel room, a photo of their vineyard soil structure-if you didn’t know where all that earthiness comes from, a picture is worth a thousand words and their tasting room. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The Joseph Party and the 1983 Insignia from 3L.

The nose show lean, stewed fruits. While it is always a treat to drink their older vintages, this one probably better served 5 years early. Still enjoyable. Blackberries, dry, dark cherries, rhubarb, bright cherries, ripe strawberries, old leather & tobacco, limestone minerals, cedar to saddle-wood, steeped tea, touch mint & dry herbs, crushed dry rocks, underbrush, forest floor with withering, dry red floral bouquet.

The body is lean and very well resolved tannin structure. The tension, structure, length has lost some their step. Blackberries, dry, dark cherries, rhubarb, bright cherries, ripe strawberries, old leather & tobacco, limestone minerals, cedar to saddle-wood, steeped tea, touch mint & dry herbs, crushed dry rocks, barnyard, pine twigs, underbrush, forest floor with withering, dry red floral bouquet. the acidy is nice. The finish while fun, interesting has lost some of its flare but, again, still enjoyable. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Dark purple plum skin color from center to the rim’s edge where some scarlet also appears. Opaque. Great fruit forward nose that grabs your attention. Notes of blackberries, ripe plums, violets, tobacco, forest floor and some crushed walnuts. Rich and silky in the mouth. Great balance and texture. Tannins perfectly integrated. Long finish. If a Cal Cab can be seductive, this is it. Still youthful but in a great zone tonight. — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

Classic older Graves showing soft, sweet core of red & black fruits, cedar, leather, tobacco & crushed rock. Fully mature but still holding, an interesting & enjoyable wine to drink. — 8 years ago

Matt Yaeger

9.2

Crushed strawberries, and a definite dill note on the finish. Structured too: noticeable acidity and integrated tannins. Tertiary flavors starting to emerge. A classy wine. — 8 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.5

The evening begins. Pink perfection. Citrus peel berries and crushed stones — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.7

1986 Vintage. Butteaux. Dark lemon in colour. Very mature. Mushroom. Oxidative. Lanolin. Earthy undergrowth. Crushed nuts. Ripe baked apple and tarte tatin. Botrytis here. Minerality strong as wine develops in the glass. Dry with sweet impression. Like an old Chenin or Viura Rioja or old Riesling. Waxy and honey and savoury. Huge concentration. Full body. Great acidity keeps this wine powering on. Long finish. — 10 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

Tasting E&M since 2009 & visited a couple of times. 10 years later they are still at the top.
Challenging to taste and evaluate. This wine needs hours/days of air. Classic E&M perfume,
red currants, pine tree sap, white pepper on the nose. Looks like a light weight- Well? Underripe strawberries, later dark 🍒 , crushed marble, hint bitter, orange zest, prune skins, My suggestion pop drink for hours and listen to Vivaldi’s Spring Concerto in E-Minor - it is that good. — 4 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Rich & dense showing black berry, graphite, crushed rock, mocha & forest floor. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve everyone! 🎄🎅🤶⛄️❄️🎁🍷

On the nose, leap dark currants & cassis with bright red, dark, blue & purple florals at pop & pour. Ripe; blackberries, dark cherry kirsch, plum, mulberries, blueberries, poached & strawberries, black raspberries & raspberries. Black licorice, star anise, dark chocolate bar, volcanic & limestone, steeped fruit teas, dark cola, sweet tarry notes, black, rich, turned earth, mid, dark spices, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, barrel shavings with char, dry brush, leather, fresh tobacco, granite, some eucalyptus, mint notes, light, dry herbs with fresh & some withering red, dark, purple and blue, fresh and slightly candied florals.

The body is; round, ripe, & rich. The tension, structure, length and balance are just beginning their sweet spot. The tannins are; rounding, tarry & still chewy. Plenty of life left in the 09...8-10 years. Dark currants & cassis. Ripe; blackberries, dark cherry kirsch, plum, mulberries, blueberries, poached & strawberries, cherries, black raspberries & raspberries. Black licorice, star anise, dark chocolate bar, volcanic & limestone, dry, crushed rocks, dry stems, steeped fruit teas, dark cola, sweet tarry notes, black, rich, turned earth, mid, dark spices, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, milk chocolate, mocha, caramel, barrel shavings with char, dry brush, leather, fresh tobacco, granite, some eucalyptus, mint notes, light, dry herbs with fresh & some withering red, dark, purple and blue, fresh and slightly candied florals. The acidity is round & spot on. The ripe, rich, ruby, elegant, balanced & polished finish is splendid and persists nicely on the palate with mid, dark spice on the long set. So much better with this much age. Really delicious tonight!

A steal now at under $35 upon release at Costco.

This wine is close to its peak and will hover there 3-4 years.

Photos of; the Estate, old large oak vats and David Heitz.
— 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Joseph Phelps Party and the 83 Insignia from magnum.

The nose reveals; floral liqueur notes, more mid red fruits; strawberries, cherries & dark cherries. Blackberries, black raspberries, rhubarb, soft, volcanic minerals, limestone, steeped fruit tea, cedar, old leather & tobacco, dry crushed rocks, dark spices, dry herbal notes, eucalyptus, dry stems with dry & withering dark, red florals.

The body is medium full with a fair amount of tannins in a wine with this age. The structure, tension, length and balance are still quite sound with harmony. Floral liqueur notes, more mid red fruits, strawberries, cherries & dark cherries. Blackberries, black raspberries, rhubarb, soft, volcanic minerals, limestone, steeped fruit tea, dark spice with some heat, cedar, old leather & tobacco, cedar, dry crushed rocks, dark spices, dry herbal notes, eucalyptus, dry stems with some funkiness. withering dark, red florals. The acidity is nice. The long finish still show ripeness, good balance but, has leaned and shows nice persistence. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Medium gold. Heavy. Rich fruit forward nose. Notes of apricot, flowers, citrus, crushed stone and sea breeze. Rich and powerful in the mouth. Fat. With air, lemon creme and white stone notes dominate the amazing nose. This is in the zone and ready for business now but I would hope this could stay at a great plateau for the next decade. — 6 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.3

Still way to young and again wood not completely integrated but this will disappear. Buttery, high minerality, smokey, crushed stones. Will be very good with patience. — 7 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.3

Gahdamnnnn this is some good Riesling. A less sweet, more nervy, pre-war style. Another stellar example of the '15 crop of Rieslings in Germany. Tense with incredible purity and focus. Pours a bright, ever-so-slightly hazy pale straw hue. Concentrated, complex nose of lime, Granny Smith apple, white peach, almost smoky crushed slate minerality, cherry blossom and jasmine floral tones, a slight beeswaxy character, and a touch of petrol as well as some slight leesiness and cardamom spice. On the palate it's more white peach, crushed slate, lime juice, beeswax, and leesiness riding on a wave of high, intense acidity. Medium (-) body with nice oily texture. Just off-dry. Impeccable balance. For under $30 this is a no-brainer. Delicious. — 8 years ago

Michael Horkay

9.4

99 drinking amazing. Feminine style my ass. This wine rocked with crushed rocks and beautiful red fruit dancing on the palate with a finish that lasted a minute. — 10 years ago

Matt

9.5

Love this wine so much. Young, bright, energetic, and lively. Dried florals, crushed granite, pure tart red fruits, and slight herbaceous note. Balanced acidity and soft and silky tannins that are seamless. Delicious now but can expect great things in the future. — 10 years ago

Rachel Voorhees

9.6

2010 Opus One ~ 84% Cab Sauv 5.5% Merlot 5.5% Cab Franc 4% Petite Verdot 1% Malbec. Blackberry, plum, cassis, espresso, crushed granite, fine grain tannins, nice balance, structure and acid — 11 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

This had nice richness & purity showing notes of citrus, green apple with saline, crushed rock & white flower — 4 years ago

Kristen Grimes

9.0

Lots of crushed chalk on the nose with some apple, big body and good acidity with tart lemon curd and more chalky minerals that coat the mouth. #gotm2020 — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Thought it would be good timing to finally try Rajat’s 2013 Bloom’s Field.

The nose straight out of the decanter gave a strong presence of potpourri laced candle wax. That has subsided now. The fruits are ripe, ruby; blackberries, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, some dry cranberries, raspberries with blackberries pulling up the rear. Nice evenly, soft, layered baking spices; clove, cinnamon, light nutmeg and gentle vanilla. Mixed dark berry cola, understated, black licorice, whiff of lightly grilled meats, black, fruit tea, limestone alluvial soils, dry crushed rocks, dark turned earth, dry herb blend, light, fresh tobacco notes, worn leather with a nice bouquet of; red, dark, purple and blue florals.

The body is, round, ruby and just full. Tannins still have adolescent teeth. The structure, tension could use some more time in bottle...length and balance have just hit their stride. Gorgeous mouthfeel. The fruits are ripe, ruby, a little gluey; blackberries, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, some dry cranberries, raspberries with blackberries pulling up the rear. Nice evenly, soft, layered baking spices; clove, cinnamon, light nutmeg and gentle vanilla. Mixed dark berry cola, dark spices, understated, black licorice, lightly grilled meats, black, fruit tea, limestone alluvial soils, dry crushed rocks, dry pebbles, moist, dark turned earth, dry herb blend, light, fresh tobacco notes, worn leather with a nice bouquet of; red, dark, purple and blue florals with gentle lavender on the back end. The acidity is a gentle rain shower. The beautiful finish is straight up; elegant, well balanced, seamless and persists nicely for minutes.

Paired with Kentucky Bourbon Marinated Chicken Skewers and Wild Rice.

Photos of; Bloom’s Field Vineyard, The Sommeliers Altas of Taste that Rajat & Jordan Macrat wrote. Good read if you are so inclined & of course, Master Sommelier/Owner/Winemaker-Rajat Parr.

Additional notes; Rajat has always loved Pinot and its many expressions from all over the world. After becoming one of the better & more well known Master Somms, it was his dream to make world class Pinot Noir. He is succeeding as his last few vintages have gotten very high notoriety. It was his 2015 Bloom’s Field that Master Sommelier Dustin Wilson featured in Somm 3 in his recreation of the Judgment of Paris with some of the best palates in NYC and again separately with The Godfather of Master Somms-Fred Dame, Author-Jancis Robinson & Steven Spurrier. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose reveals; sweet & sour dark cherries, deeply, ripe & juicy strawberries, rhubarb & cranberry crossing, plum liqueur, blackberries, blueberries, candied raspberries, dark chocolate, limestone minerals, sandstone, anise to black licorice, dry, crushed rocks with blue, red, dark, fresh & withering florals with fields of violets.

The body is still firm, thick, grainy and full. The structure, tension are still tight. The length and balance are working their way into adolescence. Sweet & sour dark cherries, deeply, ripe & juicy strawberries, black raspberries, juicy, black plum, rhubarb & cranberry crossing, plum liqueur, blackberries, blueberries, candied raspberries, caramel, clove, touch of nutmeg, vanilla, dark chocolate, semi-sweet tarriness, understated herbaceousiness, limestone minerals, powdery sandstone leather, dry tobacco, saddle-wood to cedar plank, dark spice, sandstone, anise to black licorice, dry, crushed rocks with blue, red, dark, fresh & withering florals with fields of violets.

It’s still a youthful wine with another 10-15 years ahead.

Photos of; the hilltop town of Barbaresco with the Produttori tasting room underneath and right of the tower, the Produttori tasting room and the co-op of Produttori. Third largest in Europe. — 6 years ago

Dean Quintal

9.4

Old world on the nose and the pallet. Crushed rocks, herbs, fruit, graphite and one of the Classics of California! — 6 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.5

Bright, clear ruby with a great nose of cassis, blackberry, violet and mint.
Beautiful length and finesse. Great impression of crushed fruit with hints of forest floor and cedar. The finish leaves a lasting impression of sweet red fruit and supported by a soft blanket of tannins. This is the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove - just lovely — 7 years ago

Matt

10

This was exceptional and played the perfect tune to a classic French meal. Classic in many ways yet surprising and novel simultaneously. Complex and overt, layered, and lengthy as hell. Roasted red plum, blackberry compote, crushed cherry, smoked meat, leather, licorice whip, crackes peppercorn, violets and lavender, roasted herbs, allspice, cardamom, baked earth. An amazing wine that I will be ingrained in my memory forever. — 8 years ago

Jamm Aquino

9.6

Yup. Crushed. Olive. Green peppercorn. Game recognize. Revealed herself after 1.5 hours and was mesmerizing. — 10 years ago

with Michael and Erica

Jon Ruyle

9.0

Nice! Layers of minerals and crushed stone. — 10 years ago

Amy Morgan

9.3

Ripe red fruits (strawberry, red cherries) sweet baking spices (nutmeg, cinnamon) with an earthy core of mushrooms and dried crushed leaves. A medium balanced silky body with bright acidity and soft tannins. A medium flavor intensity of ripe red fruits married to earthy notes. Perfumed floral notes hold on to a long finish. Elegant and floral with complexity and length. — 11 years ago