Jay Kline

9.3

Opened and double decanted several hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1996 pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a lovely combination of ripe and desiccated fruit: cassis, brambles, horse blanket, cigar box, old leather, earth and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Another lovely and immensely charming Poyferré. Drink now with a decant and through 2046. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

10

A physically pristine example from a well established cellar, the cork pulled clean and without so much as a hint of compromise. It was subsequently double decanted several hours in advance. The 2000 Margaux pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. The nose: developing and simply stunning. A cornucopia of cassis, black bramble fruit, purple flowers, tobacco, new leather, cocoa, fine woody notes, dry gravelly earth and gorgeous baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid; the structure acting like the flying buttresses of Notre Dame. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is forever long and impossibly silky. Sensationally balanced.

To my palate, this falls into the very small category of wines that require no additional inquest. It is utterly complete. And, when I consider the company and circumstances, perfect. Drink now with a healthy decant and through 2100. — 8 months ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.5

Tasted blind. Totally different in style from the more elegant 1970 Château Petrus, the 1964 Château Cheval Blanc bursts with brettanomyces notes, but aristocratic and interesting rather than off-putting. Once your sense of smell gets past the brett, pronounced aromas of earth, dried plums and figs, cinnamon, licorice and mint emerge. Full-bodied, densely structured, concentrated and powerful, this is a hedonistic, sexy beast of a wine, waiting to be unleashed. Drink now. — 3 years ago

Lauren Young

9.0

Funk on the nose- old books. Needed more time than we had to decant. Barely opening at an hour. Lots of earth, tobacco, but thinner than expected — 3 years ago

Gregory Fulchiero

9.2

Nimble and nuanced. Settles down quickly in the glass. Vanilla, dry earth, cinnamon and toasted dark berries. A treat. — 5 years ago

Drew Hutson

9.3

An absolute favorite. Great name and the winemaker has a great background story. To me, it's the wine equivalent to eating chocolate-covered cherries with an espresso on the side. — 6 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.2

Visiting again this splendid Paulliac from the 2011 vintage. 2011 vintage was labeled as mediocre in Bordeaux and this lovely wine showed that it is actually a classic vintage with some great wines, so trust the chateau not only the vintage. The nose is tempting with notes if coffee, earth, oak, cassis, black fruits and hints of chocolate, the body is full with round tannins, acidity is splendid and finish is long. My score 92, drink to 2026, perhaps longer — 6 years ago

JKT

9.0

Opened by mistake thought had multiple but was vertical of single bottle of '00-'09. Ruby color with purple tinge. Nice nose of dark fruits and earth. Peppers and savory on the palate. Supple and silky texture. Medium finish. 75% Merlot then Cab Franc. Drinking nicely. Should comp with other vintages!
Curious ave CVed (1/17/18).'06. More earthy ave funk on nose. Good balanced and acidic texture on palate and not as silky. Good long finish. 8.9. Perhaps more food friendly due to acidity. — 7 years ago

Manchester Sheldon

9.3

Violets and peppercorns on the nose, it needs some air to open up, dark wood and some earth on the background. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Quality Sangiovese grapes which have been sadly overoaked to appeal to newbie Western Palates. After 30 minutes notes of earth and dried cherry came through. Many years to go with a good future when hopefully the oak will diminish. Personally I like the Old school approach from Biondi Santi where old oak and other procedures are usedresulting in wines which will age 50+ years. I tried a 2010 vintage of this wine from magnum in Italy 18 months ago which was also overoaked. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Salted caramel nose. Resolved blackberries, dark cherries, mulberries, cooked black plum, soft leather, sweet dark earth, star anise, light cinnamon salted milk chocolate, super elegant with a very long finish. Paired well with steak, lamb and duck due to it's long bottle evolution. Drink now as it's hit it's stride. — 10 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened earlier in the day and double-decanted several hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The 1982 pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) and slightly green compared to the ’82 Mouton that was poured alongside. Cassis, purple Chewy SweeTarts, green bell pepper, old wood, some earth and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry and has massive structure still. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly bitter. Drink now with a long decant but there are decades of life left. — 7 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.2

Shifting to a more feminine and elegant profile, after almost 20 years this still has a lot to offer. Complex fruity and umami notes of cherry, currants, pepper, spice, cured meat, tossed earth and truffle.
Great effort, year after year. — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

What a pair w/ Crostini, Chervil Sheep Cheese & Duck Confit. 👌

Dark, juicy, lush to mid fruit core, dark cherries, strawberries, hues of blueberries, raspberries, limestone, softened granitic earth, deeper red cola, black & red licorice, baseball card bubble gum, understated fresh herbs, dark, rich, sweet earth, hints of maple syrup, tree bark w/ sap, dark & red florals for days, excellent, round acidity and a well made, balanced, relaxed tension, polished, lush finish that lasts 90 seconds. Delicious.

This is better than some premier cru red burgundies for far less $.

Absolutely one of the top three producers of Grand Cru Gamay. — 9 months ago

Adam Beasley

9.5

This has been on my bucket list for a while, and we just got a few bottles in my area. I went in to this with high expectations and it totally delivered. One of the most complex wines I’ve had - there is just so much going on here. The nose on this just doesn’t stop evolving. Beautiful oxidation and so many distinct aromas that I’m not going to rattle them off. Texture, flavor, this has everything to offer for my palate. Need to hunt down an older bottle next time. For me, this lived up to the hype. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When in doubt, a sure bet is a well aged, good vintage Heitz. @Eric Shanks

I intended to grab an 06 but, mistakenly grabbed an 07. I’ve not had one of my 06’s yet...next weekend.

The one thing I do every time I open one of my ten year or older Heitz Napa Cabernet’s is smile & think, this was sub $35 at Costco. It’s the wine feeling/definition of stealing candy from babies.

The nose is a beautiful harmony of fruit, earth and florals. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, dark spices with violets palate heat, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay, understated herbs & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, some sage & bay leaf, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is splendid. The long, ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well crafted balance of fruit & earth is delicious and persists endlessly with a dark spice on the long set.

The body is; delightful, ripe, rich, lush & full. The structure, tension, length and balance are woven in a perfect tapestry. This 07 has another 10-15 years easily. The tannins are rounded, smooth but, still have a dark, chewy, tarriness with baby teeth. The beauty of the vintage is on full display. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied ; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is perfect. The finish is; rich, ripe, ruby, candied, well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and long sets into velvety, round tannins and mid dark spices.

Photos of; the winery, tasting patio, old basket press and wide shot of the winery & Estate vines. — 6 years ago

Matt

9.0

Subdued, earth driven wine. Noticeable brett that seems to be hiding everything else. — 8 years ago

Erik Rupinski

9.1

Prime drinking. Earth,leather give way to some nice fruit after an hour so. Still got some nice tannins too. — 9 years ago

Matt

9.6

Amazing. 17 years doesn't seem like much to this wine. The tannin profile has softened significantly but this could go longer without problem. Caught it at a point where things are starting to get interesting. More organic earth, leather, licorice, and spices coming forward, that delicate violet aromas is coming around. Really pretty sense of fruit that has a lot of purity still. — 9 years ago

Jerry Hindes CS, CSW

9.5

Such a classic! Well balanced classic body and structure for Alexander Valley. Open for 6+ hours the tannins have really softened and the fruit, earth and wood have opened up to integrate nicely on the palate. Can't go wrong with this producer unless there's a dismal vintage due to weather. — 11 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Poured into a decanter about two hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with a lovely mix of dark and red fruits, cassis, black and red brambles, tobacco, eucalyptus, leather, cedar box, green herbs, some cocoa, and beautiful baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. The texture is silky, in fact, down right sexy. Brilliantly balanced. This is a profoundly sensual wine and one of the best young Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignons I’ve had in many years. These will age for a very long time and I can only imagine how epic the 2021 Terrace Select is going to be. Drink now with an extended decant and through 2051+. — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

It was Father’s Day and I had decided on grilled rack of lamb for dinner so I selected this bottle of 2011 Chateau Musar rouge from our cellar. According to Musar’s records, the 2011 vintage was one of the most challenging since the early 1990’s. It was ultimately a late-maturing vintage with harvest taking place on October 13th, the latest since the 1983 vintage!

I decanted this bottle about eight hours prior to dinner. It should be noted that immediately upon opening, the bouquet was strikingly gorgeous with powerful aromatics that were obvious from several feet away and this trait carried through until dinner time.

In the glass, the wine presents a deep garnet color. Slightly turbid with a near opaque core. On the nose, black plums, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, organic earth, exotic spices, leather, spiced meat, and pomegranate. I detect a touch of VA as well. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the nose with an added bit of red rope licorice. Lovely, long, savory…amazing. This was a brilliant compliment to the lamb (which was served with beets and goat cheese and fattoush) and everything I wanted in a Musar tonight. Drinking well now with a hefty decant and I expect well cellared examples to drink well past 2035. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Presented blind alongside three other red wines; another Bordeaux and two Bordeaux blends from CA. All wines were descanted and returned to the bottle 8 hours prior.

This wine pours a deep garnet with an opaque core. Medium+ viscosity. Medium+ intensity. The nose was a mix of red and dark fruits with currants and cherries, tobacco, pencil shavings, earth, espresso and baking spice. There’s just a whiff of a barnyard in the distance too. On the palate, again the mixed fruit set with beautifully ripened blackberries and black cherries, currants, earth, coffee and baking chocolate. Medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Finishes looooooong, dry and immensely satisfying.

The wine is balanced and leans towards its structure. I called 2004 Latour. The soaring aromatics were simply incredible. I just wanted to spend the entire evening with my nose buried in the glass. This is squarely in the drinking window yet has many years left in it. Drink now with an extended decant or enjoy over the next 10-15 years. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Very dark crimson, almost black. Opulent aromas of cassis, mulberry, herbs and earth. Same opulence on the lush rich full bodied palate with notes of milk chocolate and black currant finishing with fine resolved and polished tannins. This to me is a typical high quality Napa Valley Cabernet - so fluid, generous and velvety in my limited experience with the genre. — 5 years ago

Scott Soren

9.2

Not my favorite year for this. Still quite nice. Black fruit and plum with some earth tones on the pallet. Low acidity and a short finish. Tannins still firm as to be expected. — 6 years ago

Jeanne Kietzmann

9.4

A lovely wine. Will keep for years. Light, crisp, easy to drink...pairs well with most red meat dishes especially roasted duck. Right amount of earth. — 7 years ago

John Haffey

9.0

Still alive but definitely over it’s peak. What a treat to get to try! Fresh turned earth and humus, little bit of green Cabernet characteristics coming through, and just a hint of sweet fruit and spice. Even a touch of tannin! — 8 years ago

with Montana

Harry C

9.0

Took a while to open up, so let it sit and breathe. It'll be worth it. Lots of dark fruit. In the mouth, feels round and full with satisfying lingering finish and layered tannins. I wanted to taste the 2012 now before laying it down for a few years. It's going to be great next time around. — 8 years ago

Peter Slagowitz

9.4

Fantastic 95 Super Tuscan. Nose had hints of vanilla, soft earth a light spice. On open was smooth if a touch flat then after 45 minutes it opened to let dark fruit notes of blackberries and cassis come out. Sublime. — 9 years ago

Ryan Wofford

9.5

This 25 yr old #chinon cab franc is still absolutely beautiful. Sanguine color, poured out of #coravin so still had a little funk on the nose that quickly reveals wet earth and mushroom tones, plenty of delicate fruit left. I'd say it's hit its peak, but I'm going to keep a little around to try down the road. — 10 years ago