Aaron Tan

8.9

Likely not an ideal bottle with what I felt was excessive volatile acidity. Nevertheless, the red fruits and spices were still clear, and the velvety texture was quite delightful. Finished with bright acidity and an acetic-mineral mix. Probably a showstopper if pristine. — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Tawny color, mostly opaque. Herbal nose. In contrast to the Roty red burg which is rich and silky, this is more angular and herbal – pairing well with food. Notes of red briary fruit, herbs de provence, dusty earth and some tobacco leaf. Great balance in the mouth with a great mix of fruit, acidity, structure and softened tannin. In a good spot right now. — 5 years ago

Bruce Leboff

9.3

Cigar ox nose with a mix of leather a touch of Pierre a fusille. Drinking well for a dark, cold winter night smith with lists of backbone to this wine. Years left but expect it will evolve well in the glass — 5 years ago

with David and Danielle

Mark Flesher

9.3

A nice PV. William Harrison anniversary PV outdoes it quite easily, but this wine is delish. Pours like ink! Nose is a mix of floral and candied black fruit. Darker mulberry cassis(?) and violets. Thick and dense wine. Finishes with a mixed bag of dense black fruits and pepper. Going to hold nicely for the next 5 to 7 years but I think drinking these now wouldn't be a bad idea! — 7 years ago

with Dan, Bradley and 2 others

Anil Saxena

9.1

Wow. Incredibly rich, full and lush cote de Rhône. Stood up well to middle Eastern food. Complex mix of dried berries and other dried fruit. — 8 years ago

Danny Hearit

9.0

Perfect Thanksgiving wine. Mix of Lambrusco and Merlot with a bit of sweetness, mellow. — 9 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.4

Spiced cherries & tobacco mix with vanilla & dill herbal aromatics. Grippy tannins & mild acidity frame the fruit & spice. Puts on weight as it breathes. Benchmark Rioja. — 10 years ago

Justin Floyd

9.1

Delicious....great nose...good mix of pepper and fruit — 10 years ago

Lisa LaCoursiere

9.6

Never disappointed with this wine!! Opened and decanted before dinner and just kept getting better! Beautiful, perfumey nose....soft tannins, nice mix of chocolate and fruit. Fantastic with our porcini ribeye. #josephphelps — 11 years ago

Matté

Manager The Wine Cellars

9.4

This really does need a good ol decant but has wonderful concentration, very deep, almost broody nose of intense blackcurrant and dark plum fruit as well as a strange but very attractive mix of blueberry & graphite, almost heading towards prune.
A very well balanced mid palate though seems to be somewhat lacking in acidic lift overall but the fruit seems well integrated with the tannins, slightly underripe black berry fruit and with some grip on the finish, food would benefit this wine at the moment but it would be interesting to see how this comes along. Feels like it would benefit from at least another 5 years in bottle. Decent length. — 12 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.2

Crunchy red cherries, red currants, black pepper, smoke, cigar box, mushroom, tea leaves, oregano, red flowers, a mix of baking spices and mints. long finish. high acidity, high levels of fine/smooth tannins. Compared to 2015/2016, 2013's fruit appears more blue - blueberry? more mineraly and chalky on the palate. 3 years in new French oak, 1.5-2 years in bottle. Organic biodynamic: 501 cow horn prep, 508 prep, native yeasts, cover cops - chamomile, muster green, no fertiliser, dry farm mostly with drip irrigation as backup. wine turbines in the vineyard to prevent mildew. — 4 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.6

When a friend says he’s gonna make some great steaks, sometimes wine just come to mind. This one’s been in the cellar for a while, and is a good reminder to check in with Lou and Louis. Made from one of Napa’s great historical vineyards this is a phenomenal rendition of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cigar box and graphite mix with aromas of black cherries and dried flowers. Flavors of cedar and dried flowers, pencil shavings, cherry and tobacco are draped in gauzy tannins and bright with juicy acidity that leaves a hint of dried orange peel in the finish. Absolutely regal. — 5 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2015 vintage. A blend of Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). Certified organic since 2015 and now biodynamically farmed. The estate was bought in 2015 by the Labrune family, but it had a very good reputation before. This wine certainly does not disappoint. Smells like a mix of red and black fruit (raspberry, cherry, blackberry) with attractive floral hints and a discrete vanilla touch. In the mouth it has impeccable balance, the ripe concentrated fruit balanced by fresh acidity and probably the most civilised tannins I have ever tasted in Fronsac (they tend to be a bit rustic over there). This has class, great length and purity. Well worth the 22,50 price tag. The 14,5% alcohol is perfectly integrated. What's not to like? — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.2

Monthly WTF guys blind tasting group. This month was our annual, and famed, Left Bank vs Right Bank theme. All wines served blind as usual. Started off with a Rosé and a champagne. Great night.

Even with the couple hour decant, this was very young tasting (no surprise). Cedar and underbrush, blackberries, cassis, mix of red and black fruits...finishes with bay leaf. I’d hold for 7+. I called this ‘13 Left Bank. — 7 years ago

with Andrew, Jack and 6 others

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Had another bottle. Stéphane Ogier is one of Côte Rôtie’s most well-respected stars & looks for concentration in the vineyards and freshness in the cellars. "Le Temps est Venu, ‘the time has come’ for an adventure farther south, with old-vine Grenache and limestone slopes. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah that comes from the Plan de Dieu and Visan AOCs. Red fruit aromas and pepper spice notes. Sweet raspberry and cherry flavor adding herbs to the mix. Medium length ending with earthy notes. Nice value! — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I can’t pour enough praise on Dan and his talents. I don’t give many wines near perfect scores, but this merits one. The nose is a beautifully balanced mix of floral fruits, earth and spice. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, lilacs, violets and lavender. The balance is incredible...one of the most balanced wines I’ve had. The structure, tension and length are so close to perfect. It’s in the OMG realm. The tannins are nicely resolved but still have teeth. It’s gorgeously lush and rich. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, hues of blue fruits haunt the palate, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, black licorice, touch herbaceous, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, black & white pepper, dry crushed rocks, stones, lilacs, violets and lavender. The finish is heaven all the way around. To borrow Bordeaux terminology, this is First Growth Shiraz. If you don’t seek out Dan’s wines on the secondary market, you are missing something special. Not at all meant to be enjoyed young. This wine is in a very good spot and has another 10 years of life going forward. — 9 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

Cloudy ruby, this wine smells of earth and cedar and dried red fruits. In the mouth, dried flowers and forest floor mix with river-mud-tannins and a bright juicy acidity. Tasted out of magnum. — 10 years ago

Paco Suro

9.0

Really interesting. Paired with a very eclectic mix at Passionfish and rocked the whole way through it. At $36 on the list. A steal. — 11 years ago

Michael Wilson

9.1

Really lovely blend of 10 different grapes. Lots of purple flowers and pepper. — 12 years ago

with Scott

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured from my cellar. The cork was absolutely perfect. The 2005 pours a rather turbid, deep garnet at nearly 17 years old. There's quite a bit of fine sediment that clings to the edge of the glass with each swirl. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this was initially a bit grumpy but within minutes, it relaxed and started to show some real charm. A fully developed wine, this is becoming a bit of a Leather Daddy, full of leather (obviously), bruised and desiccated red, black and blue fruits, Christmas spice fruit cake, coffee, damp earth, and candied nuts. On the palate, the fruit remains quite stunning and confirms the mix of bruised and desiccated fruit with a sort of sherried character. Loads of salmiakki (salted licorice), spiced nuts, pepper, coffee and, you guessed it, leather. The wine was dry, technically, but almost gives the sensation of some RS with all of the over-ripe fruits and the texture was almost sappy, in some ways. However, while this was absolutely rich and well-endowed, it was not cloying. Tannins have fully integrated (though still present) and the acid was like a girdle keeping everything held together. This remains a rather large personality even if it's showing its age. Definitely in a lovely spot...but how much longer will that last? If this wasn't my last bottle, I would probably be drinking these over the next five years unless you want the full Leather Daddy experience...which is okay if that's your thing. — 4 years ago

Brent Young

9.3

Nose was mostly floral with some stoney minerality and herbs. The palate leads with honeysuckle nectar and white flowers. The fruit is the usual mosel riesling mix of apples and pears that veer toward peach and stone fruit on the quite lengthy finish. Tasty and elegant. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Let me start with a disclaimer: I’m a massive fan of Chateau Musar and a big fan of Tegan’s work with his Sandlands wines. I’m a buyer for both each and every year. So when I learned that he had modeled the 2018 “Red Table Wine” after the wines from Musar, I was like, “Abso-effing-lutely”!! A few nights ago, I couldn’t resist pulling the cork on one to give it the old college try (it is so young after all). I’m happy to report that the wine is tasty and does remind me a bit of Musar, even though the blend uses Zinfandel instead of Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s quite reticent at this stage and it evolved at a glacial pace over four days. A mix of dark and red fruits with exotic spices, red rope licorice and coffee. As typical of Sandlands wines, this gained weight with air and the higher acid gives it a lot of energy. Today, I think these drink best with a meal. I intend to hold my remaining bottle for at least a few years. Equal parts Cinsault (Bechthold Vineyard 1886), Carignane (Spenker Ranch 1900) and Zinfandel (Kirschenmann Vineyard 1915). — 6 years ago

Paul J

9.3

30+ minute decant but didn’t need it. Nose that wants to be amazing with tobacco, earth, and cedar; but elements of plum also come through. Wine is nice, but is kind of a mix of Bordeaux and CDP, which is strange. Some vanilla also comes through. Medium minus finish. Solid, but didn’t meet expectations. — 7 years ago

with Brooke

Josh Spurling

9.0

Really tasty with a mix of pear, citrus, and tropical fruits. Mediterranean herb notes add spice add interest. Great spring/summer sunny day sipper! — 8 years ago

Mike Evans

9.4

A savory mix of bell pepper, dark cherry and black currant fruit, and a compelling meatiness on the finish, supported by tongue-prickling acidity and tannin, it has definitely hit its peak but isn't at all in decline. Magnificent. — 9 years ago

with Eric

Yury Glazkov

9.2

Excellent mix of scents of berries and wood, full body, intensity, ripeness, richness, great fit for powerful meats for all types of weather from cool to warm — 10 years ago

George M Wood

9.0

Good, nice mix for peppery food, balanced, better as it airs — 10 years ago

with Nury

Howard Greenfield

9.2

Nice with lunch- don't get the crazy scores — 11 years ago

Andrea Watt

10

The blend really brings out subtle notes from both grapes and makes a smooth but intriguing mix of flavors. One of my favorites for the price. — 12 years ago

Alessandro Rossi

9.6

... Che dire, forza, eleganza, potenza e velluto al tempo stesso... un mix di tutto quelli che vorresti in un vino rosso ! — 13 years ago