Andrew Turner

9.5

Our 10th anniversary wine. Excellent once decanted. — 4 years ago

B

10

1994 Screaming Eagle. Dinner w J&L B and D&M H while staying with D&M in Santa Ynez. Opened and waited about an hour. Decanted right before serving. Tons of jammy dark fruit. Opened more in the glass. JB mentioned full palate and balance. Great finish. Preferred this to ‘91 Dominus once this opened up. — 6 years ago

Geoffrey Green

9.9

Still balanced, harmonious, & concentrated at 22+ years. Has at least 5+ years of vitality. Double decanted & aerated for 5 hours. Beautiful. — 7 years ago

Ted Corvey

9.3

Take this with a grain of salt because at this point in the night my taste buds were a little scorched. Very fragrant red fruit on the nose. Initially this was still tremendously wound up. I wish we had opened it and decanted for longer as after two hours it was still slightly tight but the lovely fruit flavors persisted over cocoa and tobacco leaf undertones. All in, I wish I had let this rest for a few more years, but still drinking pretty well now. — 8 years ago

with Scott and Kyle

Matt Brock

9.3

I've had this bottle in the cellar for a LONG time (probably past peak)...waiting for the right occasion. Here is to ten eventful years of Builders Bargain. Jammy, delicate flavor. 13 years of aging has given this a very earthy quality. Decanted for 90 minutes but should get even more spectacular through the evening. Cheers! — 9 years ago

with Jennifer

Bill Bender

9.0

Loved the funk and ripe sweat on the nose, like that time I climbed the rope in gym class....I was expecting resolved tannins and a softer entry but this is quite closed up. This was not decanted so I'd definitely suggest air and a little agitation to wake it up. — 9 years ago

Tim Herrmann

9.4

Decanted and drunk over a few hours, this was accessible right away but kept getting better. Full of roasted and spiced ripe red plums, roses, violets and darker coffee, fennel, and licorice notes, the intense flavors were supported by a moderate body, enough acid to provide freshness, and a moderate amount of dusty tannins that are still holding on. There's a lot more fruit here than I'd guess for a 20+ year old Merlot! That and the tannins make me want to check on how much more savoriness develops in 5-10 years. Couldn't have been better last night with steak and friends, though. — 10 years ago

with Rajiv

Mike Saviage

9.7

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 5 years ago

Keith Lite

9.5

A big bold plumy purple bomb As dense and luscious as a wine can get in a glass. Decanted for 2 hrs and its still a baby with blackberry, dark chocolate licorice and pepper on the nose and on the palate. A long long finish and loads of tannins to sum it all up — 6 years ago

with Bruce

Christopher DiPalmo

9.1

Amazingly preserved, needed to be decanted for an hour but tasted the whole way through and what an experience. Perfect pairings for an evening at Kitchen a Bistro to celebrate my brothers birthday. — 8 years ago

Bill Carroll

9.1

Decanted for 3 hours. Barn floor, rustic raspberries, cow hide, smoke. Acid is balanced but solid funk. Great steal for $40 — 9 years ago

Eric

9.5

This took a loooong time to show up. Opened for 6 hours, then double decanted. Still needed two more hours to show its colors. Tannic monster with amazing black fruit. Bright acidity suggests 15+ years ahead of it. Bad ass wine! Tastes several other vintages at the winery last summer. This was by far the best. — 9 years ago

with S.R.Alexander

Jack Clare

9.5

Decanted, it was outstanding all evening...not early or late, in its prime! — 10 years ago

Dan Cobb

9.5

Decanted 1 hr. 2001 vintage. Still had decent fruit. Dark chocolate on the nose. Had lost some of its structure and tannins. Very good pairing with the steaks tonight. w Michelle Carr — 6 years ago

Charles Garrison

9.5

Rich, without being heavy; elegant and balanced; darker fruits with a wonderful finish; decanted 90 minutes and continued to improve through the evening — 6 years ago

Jim Enloe

9.1

Very nice, different from the traditional Napa cab. Firm tannins, should be decanted. Last glass the next day did better (under vacuum) — 8 years ago

Warren Grossman

9.4

Decanted, still in sweet spot. Very much enjoyed — 8 years ago

Marvin Liu

9.3

Decanted over 1hr, drank really well for a 29yr old wine. Paired with rack of lamb and NY steak. Starting to@like these older bordeaux. — 9 years ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Really, really nice. Decanted for 1.5 hours and this guy is ready to go. Definitely a touch more fruit forward than expected, but still an excellent core of acidity that keeps it super lively. Very silky tannins at this point, no point to wait longer but also not at all over the hill. — 9 years ago

Jane Shiverick

Partner Langdon Shiverick Imports

9.1

Decanted YESterday — 10 years ago