Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course two hours. The 2023 Morgon (S) pours a brilliant ruby/purple color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart red fruits: strawberry, raspberry, cherry, a touch of bubblegum, red flowers, licorice, black pepper, a mix of cool spices and rocky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. This is a more dense expression of Lapierre’s Morgon which isn’t a surprise considering the vintage. Quite lovely with chicken pâté. Drink now through 2037. — 8 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite deep ruby and , garnet terracotta rim. Quite spicy nose , slightly green touches , mix of red and dark fruit . On the palate fills out quite well , good acidity , slightly gritty tannins still with mineral , tobacco notes on the finish . Ok reasonable length . This comes across a bit greener than I remember it , so not sure how representative this bottle is , fine to drink now and over the next 10 years . 91

Second bottle medium deep ruby with garnet rim . Took a bit of time to open up , but very good definition , red and dark fruits, truffle , undergrowth, cigar box and grafite. On the palate quite charming sweet red fruits, red plum, cassis , dried spices, undergrowth , elegant for las cases , grafite and tobacco stained finish . Well balanced acidity and quite gritty but ripe tannin . This is lovely now with time in the decanter and over the next 10 -15 years . Completely different from first bottle . — 2 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Ruby core , slight lightening at the rim. Mix of red and dark fruits , really exuberant and enticing , but also a mineral and earthy undertow. Very suave and persistent on the palate , red and dark fruits , rounded and velvety though with lovely mineral complexity . Refreshing acidity , ripe polished tannins, very long mineral tinged finish. Surprisingly enjoyable now though will be even better in 5-10 years and continue on for a further 20. — 3 years ago

Brent Young

9.2

Pure Joy
The nose is florality with some stony minerality and herbs
The palate starts with honeysuckle nectar and white flowers. The fruit is the usual riesling mix of apples and pears that veer toward peach and stone fruits on the sweet and lengthy finish

That’s the story of this kabinett riesling but also of the 2019 German riesling vintage overall. So much deliciousness from start to finish. Midpalates are plump with precise flavors. Properly ripe fruit with enough florality and balancing acidity to make them tasty & elegant. It’s hard to find a complaint — 4 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

Shay A

9.3

Finally getting around to posting wines from my annual Napa trip from two weeks ago. Always goes by quick! Lots of fun new stops this year.

The Fantesca property on Spring Mtn is gorgeous, and their tasting room at the winery is stunning. Really enjoyed getting to try more of their wines.

Give it time and this will be a point or two better easily. The only Fantesca wine not made by winemaker Heidi Barrett, but by assistant winemaker Tony Arcudi. A good balance of classical Cali Pinot with some old world flair. Fruit here is slightly underripe and a mix of red and black berries. A definite herbal influence with underbrush. Lots of layers here...rhubarb tart and candied black cherries up front before evolving to show herbs de Provence, cedar, crunchy cranberry and tobacco leaves. Complex. Delicious. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.3

(Two previous 1983 vintage wine reviews never made it on here, so copying from CT).

My experiences with 1983s has been fairly positive, and this PL certainly is among the better I’ve had from the vintage. Holding color nicely with deep ruby and slight bricking around the rim. Started off a bit dense and muddled, but hit stride about 30mins later with a mix of red and black berry fruit, cassis, a streak of herbal green down the middle (something I always get with PL). Excellent example of the fruit showing lots of flavor without being overly ripe. Leather, sweet pipe tobacco, graphite, and still some vibrancy at the finish with tannin structure. Clean and elegant at this stage. Showed well over the course of two hours. Drink up and enjoy. — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Flight #1 of our 1997 Retrospective. Presented single-blind; no formal notes. This had a really compelling mix of fruit and non-fruit notes; multifaceted, balanced. Superb structure. Bordeaux-like. Called this “Insignia”. This was my favorite of the flight and the most complete wine in the line-up. Drinking well now and should hold that way well through 2027. — 2 years ago

Vino Joe

9.2

Loved the color. Medium red getting lighter at rim. Even tempered consistent and lovely mix of ripe fruit and wood. — 2 years ago

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

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

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

Ming L

9.0

A young 3rd growth that is just starting to develop. After 2 hours of decant, the nose blossomed into really nice mix of black and blue cherries, cassis, violet, raspberry, olive, and herbs, with slight hint of leather and and crushed rocks. The entry was soft and elegant, with juicy acidity. Firm but fine grained tannins.
2014 Bordeaux is a great bargains compared to 15 and 16. — 6 years ago

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! — 6 years ago

with Dan, Bradley and 2 others

Vin d’Ottawa

9.1

Something around a mix of blueberry and raspberry but jammy & with some black pepper. — a year ago

with Gillian

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

2nd Ribcap wine. Delicious!

2006 followed the grand 2005 vintage. It was overpriced based on 2005 & critically reviewed as a difficult vintage. I can tell you 06 was overpriced, but still a good to very good vintage depending on the region & producer.

The fruits are classic Bordeaux…nicely ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, very dark cherries, black plum, plum, mix of strawberries & red cherries. Wet, volcanic clay, lead pencil for days, slightly, dry tobacco, dark spices, mix of mostly dry & fresh herbs, clove, nutmeg, some cinnamon & vanillin, volcanic ash, used leather, sandalwood to cedar, forest floor w/ dry leaves, dry river stone, steeped, dark fruit tea, withering, slightly candied; dark, red florals with hints of violets, round, fresh, river stream acidy, a plush, round, elegant, nicely; tensioned, structured, balanced and elegant polished finish that last 90 seconds. — a year ago

Delectable Wine

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8.9

The 2021 Pinot Grigio wafts up, wickedly bright and floral, like a spring day with fresh grasses, lemonade and melon. It washes across the palate silky and finessed with a pretty mix of ripe orchard fruits and inner florals. The 2021 finishes fresh, with medium length and leaves behind sage hints. (Eric Guido, Vinous, May 2023) — 3 years ago

Jason Gelman

9.3

Kicking off birthday weekend with my first Musar experience. Sadly the cork did not hold up but after lots of straining I have some drinkable wine. The nose is extraordinary. Bordeaux profile with pencil shavings and tobacco leaf and a rich dark chocolate. Very expressive. On the palate this wine is mature and beautiful. Mostly aged Bordeaux character but there’s a mix of red cherry fruit and a touch of mint or menthol. Perfect drinking window as a lot of tertiary flavors are driving and the tannins are present but softened by age. — 3 years ago

Eric Guido

9.3

The 2017 Charvin Chateauneuf du Pape is taking its time opening up in the glass and remains youthfully poised throughout, showing a mix of crushed cherries and blackberries with violet florals and crushed stone minerality.  Silky textures wash across the palate with spiced black fruits. There’s a fruit sweetness here that’s quite enjoyable, as saturating minerals and spice settle in, and grippy tannins make themselves known throughout the long finish.  Although it’s the product of a warm vintage, the 2017 Charvin is built for the long haul.  I almost regret opening it tonight, because it’s certainly too soon. — 6 years ago

Scott Cowan

9.0

Best QPR in forever: $15 at The Wine Club. This Fronsac’s 10% Cabernet franc punches FAR above its weight class and holds together the juicy exuberance of the 90% merlot that wants to run in many directions at once: dark red blackberries just beginning to dry on the vine in late autumn... plus a tiny bit of the bushes’ brambles left in the mix during crush... a brand new Brooks leather saddle... Whiff of 5-30 weight motor oil from the garage down the block but only when the wind blows by... promises more layers in coming years. This 2016 opened up over three days, corked, as I drank it down; at the end (third day,,one hour in the bowl of the glass) it had begun to develop and lengthen a promising finish. If that continues, I’ll give this wine a straight-up 9.5 regardless of price!! Right now: 9.1 for that QPR plus just plain deliciousness at an everyday price. — 6 years ago