Dave Mayers

9.3

03 out of mag. Decanted 2 hours. Huge red fruit in the nose. The body was delicate. Perf drinking window. Red cherry, Bordeaux like pallate. Silky finish. All class. — 4 months ago

Rick Phillips

9.4

Decanted 3 hours and opened full. Bold fruit with strong highlights of flavor. Entering its Prime! — 5 months ago

with Letha

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2000 vintage. Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Pristine, top shoulder fill and immaculate cork. Still tons of color. Medium body. Some bramble fruits in the nose along the usual damp earth, cassis, graphite/minerals. Consolidated power and grip with a 35-40 second finish. In the zone and worth seeking out now until 2035. Should be more affordable than most comparably performing 2000 vintage BDX online, retail or in restos. Hit it. You won't regret it. 12.8.23. — 5 months ago

Tyler Felous

9.6

2003, decanted, no sediment at all. Beautiful color. The nose was incredible. So much vanilla, cigar box. Wish it had been a magnum. Shared by my father to welcome my son Asher. — 7 months ago

Andrew Crane

9.1

Decanted for 3 hrs, mellowed out those tannins — 8 months ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Decanted 1.5 hours. Not quite at the level of some other monte bellos I’ve had, but still very nice. Nose is wonderful - easily a 9.4+ nose. Lots of dark cherry and some earthy / hay / forest floor notes. But this doesn’t quite have the full mouthfeel and depth I was hoping for. Finish is slightly tannic with good acid. Nice pairing with pork chops - and a fun bottle for my son’s 2nd bday. — 10 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Taken to Hawksmoor in NYC for our uncle’s 75th. Decanted in hotel for 7 hrs before dinner. Dark reddish amber edges with dark tawny color center. Opaque. Great aged Bordeaux nose. Notes of black fruit, tobacco and cigar, cassis, old desk wood, saddle leather, some anise, some barnyard and a little mint. Rich and silky in the mouth. Long finish. The bottle (mid shoulder) wasn’t in as good of condition as the one we had a few weeks ago, but the outcome was similar. Family and the Somm all loved it, as did I. — 2 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2014 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and after 45 minutes. Zero sed on the decant. Medium body. Was expecting it to be a little bigger. Graphite/lead pencil and some funk in the nose. The funk blew off after 10-15 mins. Flavors presented as lean and mean with plenty of baking chocolate and earth waving hello. Likely needed two solid hours in the decanter before pestering. 1.11.24. — 4 months ago

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.1

This 1998 cab is a classically structured red with luxurious aromas of herb, cedar and clove. After being decanted for an hour the palate tastes of rich fruit and dense oak with underlying freshness and longevity. The tannins are perfectly balanced to make this 25 year old Cabernet a winner! — 5 months ago

with Michael

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2001 vintage (great Napa cab year). Good, upper-shoulder fill. Dryish cork. Decanted with plenty of sed. Lots of color. Tasted immediately. Smoky plummy nose. Still medium-heavy body. Showing well with plenty of front-palate richness evident in the gums. Overt "oakiness" gone with only complimentary, flattering oak framing the composition at this point. A hint of tannins on the finish but you've got to know where to look. Summer-school hedonism. Slightly better than expected. 11.30.23. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2005 vintage. Wowzers. Never been the biggest Lafite guy. Have had all the big vintages since/including 1961 but never been officially “wowed” or wowzered by Lafite. Achievement unlocked. Decanted and tasted after 2.5 hours. Threw a pretty respectable amount of sed. Cork was pristine. Nose was slightly more forward upon a high decant than usual. Light-medium body. Great, underlying richness flowing through from start to finish. An incredible 45 second denouement. Showing fantastically currently but no rush to crush. This ain’t goin nowhere. 11.5.23. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

1983 vintage. Had the requisite BDX "funk" in the nose upon opening. Coming hard with the Pompey/Crassus/Caesar triumvirate of cherry, cedar and earth in both the nose and flavor profile. Light-medium body. Decanted (mega-sed!) and tasted over the course of two hours. Not improving but slotted into this groove a few years ago and can see it performing these same dance moves for another 7-10 years. 7.22.23. — 10 months ago

Nicole K

9.2

At first Smoky smell, nose changed a ton over time even tho decanted, coffee honeycomb, long finish and round ish — 3 years ago

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.0

This 1994 Bordeaux is a pleasant treat and perfect compliment to our assortment of charcuterie and Italian antipasto. Decanted for one hour but could have been longer as the wine continues to open up by every sip. This wine has a beautiful bouquet with earthy flavors including tobacco, leather, and hints of fig. Buon Natale! — 5 months ago

with Michael

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1989 vintage. 375 ml format. Good fill but cork had some red streaks all the way up to the top and it was difficult to remove the top part of the "fused" foil. Decanted and tasted over the course of three hours. Expected sed. Light-medium body. Nose on point with the vintage/age and didn't seem abused/mistreated. Flavor profile a mishmash of chunky and resolved. Ultimately, came in slightly short on the balance ledger side. Lean, judicious fruit okay but not totally reconciled with the final exam. If enjoyed from a 750 ml format, thinking it might climb up to a 9.1 currently. Maybe. A maggie format (or larger) might reveal a revelation. 12.9.23. — 5 months ago

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.3

Decanted for 2 hours. This dark colored Cabernet has a beautiful bouquet and is full of heavy flavors including oak, spice, tobacco, black cherry and plenty more. The more it sits the bigger the flavors become. A good Thanksgiving dinner choice. — 6 months ago

with Daniel

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1971 vintage. Bottom shoulder fill initially had me worried. Decanted and tasted immediately and after two hours. Absolute ton of sed more appropriate for a vintage port. This was banging. Light-medium body. Chunky frontal palate. Plenty of charcoal in the mid-palate with some surprising freshness on a longer than expected finish. Not getting better but feel it can stay the current course for a spell (4-5 years). This was from a 750ml format but a larger format would undoubtedly be an upgrade. La Mission HB is a fave property and this reaffirmed those feelings. 10.13.23 — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2006 vintage. Decanted. Still...tons of richness and fruit with nutmeg, cinnamon, damp cedar and sugarplum notes. Years to go...8.25.23. — 9 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2009 vintage. Decanted and open for approx an hour before tasting. A little tight but Burgundian body and flavors. Wasn't picking up any Syrah notes in the nose either. 7.22.23. — 10 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

From a great looking bottle with a fill almost into the neck. Double decanted and left in the bottle for 5 hours before attacking it. Amber color. Good weight and haunting nose. Notes of old cedar, mocha, plums, cola, dark fruit, molasses and some sweet red cherry. Early on it’s all about the amazing nose. But with time the wine gains weight and you have a gorgeous old St Estephe in front of you. Still giving its all, and although the fruit is somewhat faded, this has complexity and structure that still drives the experience. And that nose is simply stunning. Great showing. — 2 years ago