Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

Delightful 2nd #grandcruclassé from #margaux - needs a lot of time to open up but your patience is rewarded with a subtle but deep berry nose with some forest floor, mushrooms and light spice. Tannins are well integrated and slide into a long finish. Just goes down so easily. — 8 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.0

A pretty monstrous wine here, even for St. Emilion standards. Deep purple in the glass with lush, long legs. Exotic purple and blue fruit on the nose, with some cedar and ash. Licorice and oak fill out the nose. The palate is big and expansive, with more licorice and some chalky, slightly astringent tannins. Definitely needs more time in the bottle (expected of 14's), but perhaps a bit overdone on the oak regiment.. hopefully that settles down too with time. — 9 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.4

A deep, inky wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is endowed with serious depth. Here the flavors are unusually dark and intense, with plenty of blue and black stone fruits. Graphite, cloves and licorice contribute to an overall impression of gravitas. Far from an easygoing wine, the 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet needs time in bottle to truly shine. Hints of violet, lavender and plum add the final shades of nuance. All of the signatures of the vintage come through beautifully. The translucent, mineral-laced finish is especially appealing. Frankly, it's hard to put the glass down. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous) — 10 years ago

Ted

9.3

Just a youngster. Closed down right now with not much going on just out of the bottle. Beautiful deep purple and some #2 lead pencil graphite. See if this opens up a bit. Nice effort. — 10 years ago

Hana Passen

9.0

Smoky and deep. Woody. Goes down smooth, slightly spicy aftertaste. — 10 years ago

Mathew

9.5

I'm in love. Must decant, at 12 years this is still young. Crazy big after opening, settling down into deep and wonderful complexity and balance 2 hours latter. — 10 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Happy Friday everyone! Let's start it off with this wonderful California Cabernet.

Deep purple/inky in color with a burgundy rim.

Still tight on the nose with blackberries, currants, figs, sweet cherries, chocolates, light vanilla, alcohol, cooked plums, smoke, licorice, wood, spices and peppercorn.

Bold and full bodied with medium plus acidity and great legs.

Fruity and dry on the palate with blackberries, figs, cherry pie, plums, black currants, chocolates, licorice, vanilla, oak, tobacco and black pepper.

Long finish with firm, green tannins, spices and light bell pepper.

A Great California Cabernet with a great mouthfeel. Still young, but already very enjoyable, yet needs 3 years to calm down.

For a California Cabernet, this doesn't have too much oak or vanilla. Almost balanced, except for the heavy tannins (which were great for me).

Will pair well with a big piece of steak. I enjoyed it just by itself.
I had the 2013 vintage not too long ago, which was already better.

14.8% alcohol by volume. — 10 years ago

Beki Mann

9.2

Brings the funk with grit and earth. Dark, deep and powerful without weighing down. Steak and mushrooms please. Made for umami. — 10 years ago

Dock Hooks

9.7

Showing its rhythmic licks and groovy colors (Deep Purple and bold) presciently savvy to a rock-n-roll world well before its time and blasting some bright-lights bling showing bing cherry gradually toned down by dried fruit right out the archer bag (often strapped across my back) while on brisk hike along wet leaf-lined trail through a late-evening forest (think musky mossy spice) as a 3/4 moon shines its magic over a distant blue pacific as the Zin unctuously offers a bigger-yet blueberry coating, front to back, and soft tannins bring back the dried fruit and a leisurely downhill creep to that distant ocean thereafter rewarded by a sit down on the seaward primary dune gazing at the moon and, of course, another hit. It's a rock-n-roll love affair in a bottle, top to bottom. Get some...😎 — 11 years ago

James Pendergrass

9.2

Two up, Two down as they say in VA. This wine blew my mind in that I had no idea VA produced anything this good. Tannins were still present, but not overwhelming. Bright Berry fruit on the tongue and a very deep nose. Medium color. A great wine to lead the charge for VA winemaking. — 11 years ago

with Carlos

Rob Lateiner

9.0

Great purity, just a bit taut right now. Should resolve nicely. There are some deep, leafy, earthy aromatics. Oak is judged well. This has nice freshness to it. Definitely on the rustic side. Jenna thinks it's "dirty and dusty like licking the floor of a primitive structure." It is very hot to her as well, both nasally and to drink. The wine Polaner calls blood orange on this bottling and Camus' other VV Savigny bottling. He is completely right we both agree. 85 year old vines. A solid value for the cellar. Jenna says the quality of this is like unfiltered Honest Tea to clean and bright Steaz. This is a touch more muddled at the moment with a bit of bitterness but I am confident this will clarify and integrate nicely with time. Old school for purists. Jenna says it's "minty and herbal, fennel or anise." Definitely anise/fennel. Some balsamicky older barrel aromas and also nuttier newer oak aromas, too. Good balance. This really does have some soil aromas to it. A touch hot (alcohol) right but I imagine it will cool down with some time in bottle. — 12 years ago

Amanda Uhlianuk

9.5

This wine is moody but deep down has just the right amount of sweetness. The flavors shift and is a pleasant experience all the way to the end. Making you wish it wasn’t over for a mere $13. 👌🏻 — 8 years ago

Joe

9.1

Deep red. Great pallet taste, earthy, goes down well. Perfect for foods — 9 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

I'll see if I can put notes down this time...

I agree with @Shay Aldriedge ...deep purple thick legs. I get a floral nosey note that persists throughout. There is something else that I interpret as caraway seeds or rye bread. It's big. Acidic. I'd score this a tie with Cuttings. It's really good. Tannins are about perfect. I'm fortunate, our local store had a special order and is selling this @ 41.99!

93 points — 9 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.8

The sister property of Haut-Brion and a wine many consider an unofficial 1st Growth, La Mission was firing on all cylinders this night. The 2000 nose was classic, showing the signature Graves scorched Earth, ripe currants, creme de cassis, and roasted coffee beans. The palate built around a core of earth and rock, with a structured and textural powerhouse that relents in the glass as you taste it further, unwrapping the aroma and flavor kaleidoscope slowly and keeping you coming back for more.

The 2005 was more of the same but on another level of density and strength being a younger wine and also from an excellent vintage worthy of at least 5 -7 more years before I would go at it again. The nose hinted to a deep future, with the palate clamping down and not showing any signs of relenting that night.

#lamission #hautbrion #graves #bordeaux #wine — 10 years ago

Matthew Beninati

9.4

Big and smooth. This goes down quicker than my ex boyfriend. Deep dark plums, and chocolate oak in the mouth. The tannins are pretty gentle for such a young cab. Excellent Washington Cab. — 10 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Let's welcome the weekend with this wonderful Merlot.

Deep red in color with medium intensity and a pink/ red rim.

Fruity on the nose with blackberries, blueberries, plums, cherries, oak, vanilla, green pepper, licorice, black pepper, chocolates, light smoke and spices.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with great legs and medium acidity.

Fruity on the palate with blueberries, blackberries, plums, cherries, chocolates, tobacco, wood, vanilla, coffee, licorice, cloves, spices and peppercorn.

A very long finish, with cloves, firm tannins and black pepper.

This is a Great Merlot from Spring Mountain, Napa Valley. Had it blind, and I called a 2012 Napa Cabernet. I was off by varietal, but that is what one can expect from it, a Napa Cab.

Needs a couple of years to tone down on the green pepper, Otherwise, nicely balanced and enjoyable by itself or with a big piece of steak.
Thank you, Mike, for sharing.

14.8% alcohol by volume. — 10 years ago

Dock Hooks

9.0

Right out of the bottle faint post rain rock, moss, and leather first pour nose showing deep red front-mouth fruit with youthful tannins that will coax your tongue to the roof of your mouth and groovy acid slowing things down letting the moment linger, penetrate, and compliment the amazing meatballs served up by Ben Barker (of Magnolia Grill Durham) at his son's amazing new pizzeria, in Carrboro, NC (do not miss!!)
More on this wine soon, but @13% alcohol and low $s, it's good stuff for sure! — 10 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.2

Hard to keep your hands off the Tempier!

Drinking really well for a young Tempier rouge, lots of power and deep red and black Mourvedre aromatics, but not clamped down closed like I am used to age this age.

Excellent length and good freshness from the ample acidity.

Paired superbly with rack of lamb and a veal chop with morels in a demi-glace. — 11 years ago

Alex Alvärëz

9.2

Finally getting caught up on stuff I had in France. This needed more time open than we could give it during lunch, but went down quickly nonetheless. Deep and meaty and bloody with a touch of floral lift. Fully resolved tannins and incredible length. — 11 years ago

Paul Weil

9.5

So delicious Rutherford dust! This Merlot is made in the classic Napa style with deep rich cherries and mocha, and mercifully light on the oak. It has a bit of an acidic bite that will likely abate after laying down for a couple of years. If you drink it now, •decant• 😼 — 12 years ago

Greg Jones

9.8

Deep Black Berry and Cassis, earthy tones with a complex finish, I would have preferred more red fruit on the pallet but this is a good wine not to be passed on. I suspect one could lay this wine down for at least 10 yeRs... Beyond that I don't think it would hold up... But what do I know? — 12 years ago

Anne Richardson

9.0

The label describes it as luxurious. I would agree. Deep Blackberry flavors with a bit of spice. Mmmmm! — 8 years ago

with Crystal

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Pichon Lalande is my favorite 2nd growth with a steak. Yup...it's #SteakandClaret night to quote my buddy Gary Westby. Further, it's certainly one of my favorite producers period. I've waited for this wine to be in the bottle for 10 years before finding out definitely how good it was or wasn't. You see, the 05 Bordeaux vintage was exceptional. It's drinking right now better than 00. 00 may turn out to be better, but not for some time. The real issue was the division of scores between RP & NM. Parker had this as low as an 86 and now has it at 89. Neil Martin has been consistently at 95-96. I found it simply inexplicable that Pichon Lalande could have bombed in such a great vintage. Tonight, I know they didn't. This wine is beautiful. Although, I don't believe it will cellar as long as their some of their very best vintages and many others I've enjoyed. On the nose, bramble, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries, graphite, baking spices, cedar, lightly perfumed violets and dark, fresh & dry red flowers. The body is medium-medium plus, tannins nicely resolved with 10 years to be completely resolved. Fruits of; ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries and pomegranate with a whiff of spice. There's notes of dry bramble, soft leather, fresh violets, graphite, cedar, dry stones, dark rich earth, limestone, tobacco, spice-box, vanilla, very light cinnamon & nutmeg. The finish is very long, elegant, ripe, round, smooth, good acidity and beautifully elegant...50-50 earth & fruit. I bought more bottles of this at $85 after it's was first released in futures and I do not regret it. $85 is proving to be a steal for this wine when it normally sells for between $100-$150 a bottle and higher. Might heavy up further after tonight if I find more around the same price. Oh yes...I'm with NM on the scoring. Photos of the Chateau, estate vines, newer tasting room & the Virginie de Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande. Forgive my long post, but my passion and love for this producer is profound. Producer history and notes...as I wrote in an earlier post for Pichon Baron, Pichon Baron and Lalande started as one entity. The first mention of what is now called Chateau Pichon Lalande was the creation of Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan. Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan is responsible for forming many of the top Bordeaux estates today. Pichon Lalande was given its name when Therse, the daughter of the founder received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville. Pichon Lalande was essentially managed by three women, Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort. On the eve of his death in 1850, Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville divided the property between his five children. His three daughters received Pichon Lalande and his sons Pichon Baron. What happened next was Virginie, the wife of the Count of Lalande took over the management of the estate under the name of Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850 she commissioned the popular, architect Duphot to build a residence inspired by the Hotel de Lalande, located in Bordeaux. Without heirs, Pichon Lalande passed down from aunts to nieces. Following World War I, the Miailhe brothers, bought Pichon Lalande in 1925. They were the ones who planted even more Merlot. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, the daughter of Edouard Miailhe became the new owner and general manager of Chateau Pichon Lalande in 1978. She expand the size of Chateau Pichon Lalande from 40 hectares to it's current 89 hectares. Chateau Pichon Lalande remained in the same family for more than 250 years! In fact, over three centuries, only two families have owned Pichon Lalande. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing sold Pichon Lalande to the owners of Roederer Champagnein in January 2007. This family-run company is managed by Frederic Rouzaud who owned several other wine estates in Bordeaux; Chateau Bernadotte, Chateau de Pez, Haut Beausejour and Chateau Reaut la Graviere. He sold Chateau Bernadotte in December 2012. In February, 2011, Sylvie Cazes was named the director of Chateau Pichon Lalande. She replaced Gildas d’Ollone. Sylvie Cazes was replaced in 2012 by current Director Nicolas Glumineau, who was previously at Chateau Montrose. In 2012, Pichon Lalande renovated the estate with a budget estimated at over 15 Million Euros. The new facilities included; building of a new underground barrel aging cellar and several new buildings...one that houses their new tasting room as shown. This renovation provided numerous improvements in their wine making. Most importantly, in the vinification. They created a new, triple tiered, cellar where everything moves by gravity. They also added numerous new, stainless steel, temperature controlled, double skinned vats. These new vats allow Pichon Lalande to vinify on a parcel by parcel basis as well as get much softer & gentle extractions. The 89 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Lalande is located adjacent to Chateau Latour and and across the road from Pichon Baron. The terroir of Chateau Pichon Lalande is deep gravel with clay and limestone soil and is planted to; 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. — 9 years ago

L.A. Warren

9.0

End of the week, about to sit down and watch Somm: Into the Bottle. Ah, the taste of Napa.

Will buy again for fun with friends. — 10 years ago

Sonny Wall

9.2

Last day of March 2016 Friday night was very please to try this beer. Deep Red Copper with a very nice head, warm biscuit malt aroma, with a cherry-Caramel and grapefruit. Great balance long finish.Enjoyed this beer a lot. — 10 years ago

Devin Bray

9.2

Black tea, licorice, lavender, tar, rosemary, lamb, and deep kirsch. Dark, tannic, gamey and delicious. Could easily lay down another 10 years. — 10 years ago

Andrei Shustov

9.1

Whoa!! Another big red from down under!! Loaded with cherry upfront but holds on to the deep layers for a while; be patient - it will reward! — 11 years ago

Jamie Smith

9.2

Drank this 3l bad boy for Xmas. Rich , ripe, deep red fruits. 11 is probably my favourite vintage from these guys — 12 years ago

Ryan Simmons

9.0

Decanted 2 hrs. Deep maroon. Ripe dark fruit dominated by black licorice, anise and alcohol. Full bodied and acidic with velvety tannins. A very chewy wine with major cellaring potential. I'll lay the other two bottles down for 5-10 yrs. once it integrates I'm sure it'll be 93+ — 12 years ago