David Nicewicz

9.7

Birth year vintages are a roll of the dice but luckily I landed on a pretty solid classic - 1978. So for my birthday this year, we opened an LLC and wow was this perfect. The sommelier was surgical in removing the cork which split in half but he managed to extract it. The nose on this wine was a 10 - loads of cassis, licorice, dusty library and leather. Palate was extracted cassis, leather and great acidity and liveliness, just like my 44 year old self. It’s just pure magic when bottles this old perform - happy Friday everyone. — 4 years ago

Ian Staub

9.0

What a wine, and an incredible value. Organic Chianti Classico is hard to come by and at $20 I can't imagine it gets much better than this. It's got all the hallmarks - snappy red cherry fruit, sweet florals, dusty earth, musky leather, herbs, all layered in an incredible complete package. Beautiful texture, with high acid and generous tannin, somehow this drinks well today but shows it can surely go for a couple decades. I'm looking forward to seeing where this ends up. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Shay A

9.3

The spoils of riches continued Friday night with this being opened toward the end. I actually found this to be a touch more youthful than the ‘05 I had about a year ago. At this point in its life, red fruit emerges and dominates...dusty black cherry and high-percentage dark chocolate covered raspberries. The palate revealed bay leaf and dates with a mid palate that was surprisingly dense and powerful. The finish was heavy on cherry-vanilla cavendish pipe tobacco. This likely deserved a table to its own! — 7 years ago

with joe, Dan and 1 other

Johnno Harris

9.4

At peak. Looking exactly as it should. Classic big Oz Cab Shiraz. Delicious ripe dark berries and Christmas cake spices. A touch of leathery development and dusty oak add to the complexity and satisfaction. An Oz, old school classic in a pretty good spot. — 8 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was fuller bodied & more primary than the LM with dark red cherry, plum, dusty leather & tobacco. — 9 years ago

Brendan Baker

9.3

Needed a couple hours of air to come together and best the next day… red cherries and leather, dusty tannin, med + acid, long. A classic for a reason 😋 — 5 years ago

Deborah M

9.0

Blackouts are not “rolling” in Dallas. Power is just out forever. Opened this to make the evening a little better. I have power now, but I know it won’t last long. This wine is helping. A little funk on the nose. Herbal notes with a hint of spice on the finish. Don’t hold these for much longer. — 5 years ago

Joe Kaiser

9.3

What a true expression of the Rutherford terroir, it had dusty notes with tons of dark blue fruit, still very young at 10-years of age, I think I might open one of my four left in 2024. So one of our friends needs to celebrate something special I 2014! — 7 years ago

with Debbie and bill

Andrew S

9.2

A lot of power, plenty of fruit and acidity for days. This is in a nice spot, but still on the way up. There’s a nice dusty/tar note, fennel, a touch of leather, maybe even a hint of violets. Best with a big rich meal. — 7 years ago

Nikki Goddard, DWS

9.3

Dusty earth, liqueur cherries, candied violet petals, pomegranate, stewed strawberries, leather, anise; acidity is still super bright, fine, powdery tannins. — 8 years ago

Sean Grullon

9.5

Okay - fine. It’s a good, probably great wine. Overpriced? Yes. Opus is filled with pretentious douchbags? Double yes. But this is a well-made wine bridging a gap between Napa and Boudreaux. Dusty nose with menthol, earl grey tea, tobacco, flowers, cassis, and creamy dark fruits. It has a really nice velvety finish. — 8 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.4

Deep ruby color. Dark berries and cherry liqueur on the nose with undertones of red licorice and garrigue. Concentrated dark, brambly fruit and light, dusty tannins on the palate with a long finish. — 9 years ago

with Kelly

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2015 is the current release of the zesty and potent Montefalco Rosso San Valentino. It’s composed of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Montepulciano, all from 50-year-old vines within the San Valentino vineyard. Also worth mentioning is that this doesn’t spend any time in wood; instead, maturation takes place over three years in stainless steel tank. That said, the intense mix of wild berry, cherry, clove, sweet mineral, violet and dusty rose that forms the bouquet is all terroir, varietal and vintage. It makes its presence known with tart red fruits, sour citrus and spice, as nervous acids force the mouth to water, adding further sweetness and thrust. The expression suddenly turns feminine and perfumed, with a mix of gorgeous inner florals resonating above a tug of subtle tannin. The 2015 is a seductive, eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-your-head expression of San Valentino. (Eric Guido, Vinous, August 2021)
— 5 years ago

Steven Gullo

9.4

Still youthful with cassis and ripe blackberries upfront. Dusty dry tannins with mineral, gravelly finish. Showing some sediment. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose shows, ripe, stewed fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum & mix of blue & purple fruits. Anise, used tobacco, medium intensity dark spice, crushed rock powder, tarriness, dry brush, herbaceousness, steeped fruit tea, mixed berry cola, dark liqueur notes, whiff of green pepper, loamy soils, saddle-wood, moist clay, mocha powder, very understated baking spices, red, dark, fresh & withering, candied florals with shades of violets.

The body is medium and tannins still show dusty, tarry teethiness. The structure, tension, length and balance are just shy of peaking. It’s elegant with juicy, ripe, slightly fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, raspberries, strawberries, black plum & mix of blue & purple fruits. Anise, used tobacco, medium intensity dark spice with some heat as it lingers on the palate, crushed rock powder, tarriness, dry brush, dry herbaceousness, eucalyptus, steeped fruit tea, mixed berry cola, dark liqueur notes, green pepper pops up here & there, brewed black coffee, loamy soils, dry river stone, saddle-wood, moist clay, dark chocolate, mocha powder, salted caramel, very understated baking spices, red, dark, fresh & withering, bright, beautiful, candied florals with shades of violets. The acidity is like a waterfall. The long finish glides over the palate and is; ripe, very floral, well balanced and persists nicely.

Photos of, Mayacamas, very old school cellar, old tasting room that burned in 2017 and their Mount Veeder Vineyard. — 7 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.2

You’ll have to look far for a Napa Cab of this standard at the modest price of ye good ‘ol Frog’s Leap, which does not leave you wish for anything more. The ‘15 is showing a wonderfully ripe, dense and energetic fruit profile aligned with the well placed oak profile and trademark dusty graphite complexity. Round and ripe textured tannins with a nice grip is bringing the palate throughout a long, though not exceptional — 7 years ago

Victor Hwang

9.3

Par for course. Delicious fruit forward California Cabernet. No sediment. Sweet cherry fruit with dusty mocha tannins. Can’t wait to have this with the grilled rib eye! — 8 years ago

Daniel M

9.1

2nd wine of the 1983 horizontal series of the weekend. Mushroom and toast and currant on the nose. The wine is deep red with a slight orange rim. The palate is wonderful : currant, strawberry, coffee alongside the acid backbone, fully integrated tannins with some very slight dusty things, a long finish that lingers quite a bit with strawberry and raspberry. I freaking love it — 8 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2001 - lovely cherries in taste, cacao impression, lively taste, a bit dusty smell, very clearly liquorice, minerals. Still some tannins, powerful but excellent with some cheese. — 9 years ago