Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium light ruby , wide light pink rim . This has a fresh , herbal tinged , red currant , red cherry nose , touch of wood smoke . On the palate this has a slightly smoky , black pepper, herbal tinged wild strawberry , raspberry , red currant hint . Mineral with good acidity and slightly grippy tannins . Good length and earthy tinged finish . Drink well now but can probably age well over the next few years. At Pier 60 , Vinous NY Feb 2025 — 2 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.4

A timeless gem that escapes boundaries. Poised, elegant, unconventional.
The nose is somewhere between a fino sherry, a v. light Vernatsch and southern Rhône white. Nutty, salty with dried strawberries, hibiscus, but also some sharp lemon freshness. A meditation wine - changing, evolving, enticing.
Silky & a bit creamy on the palate, with a touch of tannins, sharp, salty acidity, almost fruitless - and yet with such depth, precision & presence. This is as far from the avg. rosé as it gets. A mind boggling, delicious, slightly funky, grand wine. Amazing.
And at 13y - a baby. — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.3

In my mind, there’s no better way to celebrate another trip around the sun than with loved ones, watching the sunset, while sharing a delicious meal and wine pairing. This evening hits the mark!

This wine is a 2nd growth Saint-Julien from the Médoc, left bank, region of Bordeaux, France. When I say 2nd growth, that means the Château from which this wine hails received the second highest quality designation as of part of the “1855 Classification” that took place during the Universal Expedition in Paris in 1855. This quality designation remains intact today despite the centuries that have passed.

This wine is clear with a deep ruby hue and garnet rim variation. On the nose this wine has medium intensity(+) of developing aromas with a large focus on blackberry, fig, cassis, prune, potpourri, incense, anise, cedar, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, earth, leather, and tobacco. On the palate this wine is dry. It has medium acidity, a medium(+) body, medium alcohol, high tannins, and medium intensity in flavors consistent with the nose. The finish is long.

Interestingly, the fermentation took place in various vessels, including those made from oak, steel, and concrete and then this wine aged in oak barriques (small oak vessels) until it was ready for bottling.

It was also cellared at the Château from harvest until shipping in 2015.

Château Léonville, Grand Vin de Léonville du Marquis de Las Cases, Saint-Julien, Médoc. Vintage 2005. ABV 13%.

This wine has complexity, balance, structure, and length. It’s outstanding. I’m not surprised to see a 100-point rating from Wine Spectator. Thank you @Deke for the amazing Birthday selection! — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Ericsson

9.8

1st Growth Bordeaux comparison. Mind blowing. I mean, from a weak Bordeaux vintage comes this masterpiece which can be enjoyed now or saved for decades to come. Beautiful nose and almost perfumed with roses and black cheery and blueberry, cedar, and pencil shavings. The palate is pure bliss full of complexity, intensity yet balanced and the finish just goes on and on. Cheers. — 2 months ago

Da Gabe's

10

Mind blowing. Legs for days. So complex and sophisticated, elegant, velvet, super sexy, knocked my socks off at the same time! — 2 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.2

Stunningly good at 22 years old. Deep and dense. Soil’y with aromas of black currant and bittersweet chocolate. I’ve been enjoying a lot of 00-05 medoc wines lately. While not mind blowing they are wonderful all alone or with the right food. Shows what a $30 bottle from a great terroir / producer is capable of. Not every wine needs to cost hundreds of dollars to be enjoyable — 4 years ago

Kai Wright

9.2

This is weird, but if you read NK Jemisen’s Broken Earth series, and you think about the all-powerful onyx obelisk—that’s what it feels like I’m drinking. Overwhelming in every way—Big, bold, ripe, boozy. But balanced and smooth and soft like velvet glove. I just fall deep into the glass and wanna stay there. The dark, juicy fruit — a blackberry/blueberry cobbler comes to mind—lingers forever. — 5 years ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.6

A worthy 900th wine by delectable! Keller never disappoints...dont think there is anything left to say about how good these wines are. Sit back and enjoy! — 2 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.1

This IS Santa Barbara County Pinot! First taste was a big burst of fruit. Not too sweet, not simple and unsophisticated, not a jammy Zin bomb, mind you. Instead, more like a zing of bright, pure, winey fruit. Remarkable and memorable. We had the 2022 vintage in a magnum bottle so perhaps that helped preserve its freshness and purity. We enjoyed this Big Mama at the Palm Restaurant in downtown LA, celebrating my daughter Rachel’s graduation from UCLA Law School. Congratulations, Rachel! — a year ago

Joshua Sadono

9.4

Light sparkle, crushable — 4 years ago