Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Light ruby , bright pink rim . Little more reserved on the nose , with some spiced cherry , wild strawberry and herbal elements , touch of earthiness also . On the palate this has a bit more richness to it , and a little more tannin , slightly darker fruits , red cherry and some strawberry notes . Good balanced acidity and ok length . Touch of pepper , mineral hint on the finish . Drink from now over the next few years . At Vinous Icons NY, Pier 60 , Feb 2025 — a month ago

Ericsson

9.5

This was truly an experience, the oldest CdP I’ve had. Deeply concentrated flavors with layers of complexity and a long finish. — 2 years ago

Richard Rosensweig

9.2

Other raters may have opened this baby too early. Now Clos St. J is deeply intense with blackberry, Garrigue and fennel. Very pure flavors. No alcohol burn at all. A real decadent pleasure. — 3 years ago

Matt

9.2

Great showing, perfect cork, completely alive, complex, beguiling mix of dried petals, exotic spices and deeply alluring black fruit character, crushed to roasted. Tannins have integrated and made for a supple but postured sip. ‘05 still has my attention but this was showing very well. — 4 years ago

Adam Kincaid

9.4

Just an incredible 19 year old bottle with plenty of life left but drinking perfect tonight. Inky and dark purple. Raspberries and cherries, but with lots of dark fruit, spices, caramel, and gamey scents that develop more deeply when stirred and sipped. Elegant balance of tannins and fruit. Medium+ body. 5 min or longer finish. Robust but not overwhelming. — 4 months ago

with Jillian

Shay A

9.4

@Delectable Wine: This is the Sans Soufre Syrah. I didn’t see it in the database.

What a crazy wine. I had the pleasure of meeting Travis (a second time) in Seattle while I was traveling, and popped an Egly Ouriet Les Crayeres while we talked all things Kobayashi. He told me this 2020 was drinking great, so I had to see for myself.

Sans Soufre. Travis recommended an hour decant. He was spot on. After an hour, this came alive! So perfumed. Intoxicating aromatics. Deeply floral and bright fruit all over. Blue fruit, spiced pepper. Great weight to it. Very “pure”. It straddles Barossa Valley’s SamiOdi with the aromatics (rich and decadent black/blue/purple fruits) and channels more Cornas type of a vibe with its charcoal/savory mid palate. Has that distinct incense flavor that his Mizunara barrels impart, but I don’t think this wine touched those barrels.

Drank half from the decanter over two hours, then I corked it and had the second half the following day and it held strong/just as enjoyable. — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Doug Powers

9.7

Tight, backwards, and structured, dark berry, garrigue, deeply-flavored and very complex, long, lingering finish, drinking well now, but has the stuffing to easily go another 10-15 years, a great Vieux Donjon!! — a year ago

with Jim

Matthew Lin

9.1

rounded fresh fruits, deeply tannic still. aniseed, pepper, like a cured sausage taste. light oak on the nose and on palate. clove. slightly mineralic, granite and graphite, fresh olive, orange rind. — a year ago

Vanessa

9.1

Yes to rosé made in every way!

Today, it’s rosé bubbles made into this vibrant pink hue thanks, in part, to the “saignée method.” A method that’s actually rooted in red winemaking; used to concentrate grape must before fermentation.

Saignée is the French word for “bleeding.” The method gets this name because, as the crushed black grapes are macerating – extracting color, tannins, aromas / flavors from the grape skins – a portion of the juice is “bled off” into a separate vessel for production of rosé wine. The original vessel, now with a greater skins-to-juice ratio, increases concentration during the remaining red-wine maceration.

As a result, Saignée method rosés tend to be a little deeper in color concentration and may adopt more of the aromas and flavors that come from the black grapes used to make them. Certain regions, like Champagne, are well known for producing rosés in this way.

Here we have a Drappier Rosé de Saignée Champagne (NV) made in a Brut style using Pinot Noir grapes. It is deliciously concentrated for a rosé, not just in color, but aromas and flavors of just ripe red cherry, raspberry, redcurrant, apple, pear, bread dough, and toasty notes. — 2 years ago

with Deked1