Mike Saviage

9.7

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 5 years ago

Rick Baraff

9.1

That’s some nice drinkin’ stuff (circa 2017). Thanks to the local somm, Steve, at our Whole Foods for the recom... it was their last bottle and he sacrificed. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Dark ruby, bright, doesn’t look it’s age. Awesome funky old Cal Cab nose. Notes of cherry, cranberry sauce, dirt and some balsa wood. Some steminess. Great perfume. Nice in the mouth but missing just a little bit in the mid palate. Really enjoyed this. — 6 years ago

Conrad Green

9.8

A treat. Dark in color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose with dark, very mouton fruit. Incredibly aromatic, blackcurrant, mint,graphite, dried herbs, eucalyptus. The palate is extraordinary. So dense and powerful for a wine of almost 70 years. Dark fruit with a savory undertow- leather, thyme, sour cherry, dark chocolate. Really precise flavors and long. After an hour or two in glass there’s notes of coconut and soft wood. Extraordinary. Clearly there’s a lot of age on this but the sheer quality makes for a really dynamic wine. An exceptional bottle, and a teal treat. — 7 years ago

with Howard, Tony and 1 other

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. — 7 years ago

Peter Radics

9.5

Oaky, fresh, and delicious! — 8 years ago

Rebecca Smartis

9.3

Smooth with a hint of coconut and nice full bodied berry finish. Went great with my lasagna! — 9 years ago

Eric Belling

9.2

Surprisingly good — 9 years ago

Bruce Baldinger

9.5

Pepper, ash, wood. Lovely — 10 years ago

with Maryalice, William and 1 other

Colin McCartney

9.5

Deep, inky purple in the glass with generous blackberry flavors and a spicy, tannic finish. Never met a Hartford Zin I didnt like... — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Wow! Velvet, dark currants, mocha, caramel, dark chocolate, saddle-wood, underbrush, gravel, stones & elegance that only happens with this much time forward. Round acidity and beautiful balance and finish.

Stupidly good with our Tri-tip!!!

Photos of; my visits to Bodega La Rioja, their well backlit tasting bar, outside patio and large oak barrels that were assembled inside the Bodega more than 100 years ago...they’re that big and have required many repairs over the years. — 5 years ago

with James and Christina

Conrad Green

9.3

A beautiful nose of soft red fruits, some spice, soulful plummy stuff. Very burgundinian but the plushness of US Pinot. On the palate this has great poise. Light but intense this has lovely fresh fruit and some gnarly wild herbs with underlying acidity and good length. Apparently the ‘j’ refers to Jayer cuttings being the source of the Pinot. If so, that would go some way toward explaining why this is so aromatic and balanced. Excellent — 6 years ago

with Naoko and Larry

Andrew Lohse

9.4

Still showing plenty of youth // blackberry, dried red and black cherry, some light tobacco and wood, some green notes // rich, densely concentrated, direct, and big - while still retaining a mouth-filling juiciness — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

From magnum and paired well with three different Tri-tip steaks sources and marinades.

On the nose, sweet & sour, ripe dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, some ripe, slightly rustic rhubarb with just a hint of blue fruits. Glycerin, touch of fruit liqueur, vanilla, dry stones, crushed rocks, hints of dry herbs, used leather, saddle-wood, dark rich soils, soft dark spice, underlying white pepper and dark red fresh and slightly withering florals with a touch of violets.

The palate is med and beautiful. The length, structure, tension and balance are at its peak harmony from magnum. Sweet & sour, ripe dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranate, some ripe, slightly rustic rhubarb, burnt orange, with just a hint of blue fruits. Glycerin, touch of fruit liqueur, vanilla, dry river stones, crushed rocks, hints of dry herbs, used leather, saddle-wood, dark rich soils, limestone minerals, dry stems, more presence, soft dark spice, underlying white pepper and dark red fresh and slightly withering florals with a touch of violets and blue flowers. The acidity is waterfall perfect. The rich, ripe, fresh fruit, well balanced finish is simply beauty on steroids.

Photos of, Lopez de Heredia, Vat fermenters that are still in use and somewhere between 100-200 years of age (they repair them as needed to keep them tight), their cooperage and Maria José López de Heredia who now runs the family business. — 7 years ago

Ken Z

9.2

Tasted 1/20/2017 At UGCB 2014 Vintage tasting in Miami. At the Biltmore.

Mixed black and red fruits on the nose, with a firm palate of cassis, earth, and and some wood. Nose a little more subdued, and lacking some of the richness of the Beychevelle at this stage, but this seems built to age and will likeley develop with time.

3/22-23/9/4/4 + 50= 92-93 pts — 8 years ago

Glenn Nick

9.3

On the high chair. — 8 years ago

Mindy Arbaugh

9.5

Lovely, smooth and rich. — 9 years ago

with Stuart

B

10

1985 Sassicaia. Second red wine at Redd Wood lunch w A, S, and K. This wine was perfect. Epic. We could not believe how perfect this wine was drinking. Thoroughly enjoyed it- it was enjoyable the way truffles are- hard to describe, but pleasing to all relevant senses. — 10 years ago

Jake Hartmann

9.1

A blend that has the strength of character of a single grape. Earthy, complex, wonderful — 10 years ago

Serena Peters

9.2

@pacific standard time in chicago. Best orange I’ve had in a while, oxidized on the nose, immediately salty in the palette almost like a pecorino cheese and then a smooth sweet finish like apple cider. Infinitely complex and interesting. Love — 6 years ago

Bart van Wijngaarden

8.9

Classic with very well integrated wood. A solid effort exhibiting nice secondary aromas but with a good life span still ahead of it. Nice one. — 6 years ago

Todd Stone

8.9

A very good Pinot but seems more French style than Oregon. On the dry side with some earthiness, black plum too. — 6 years ago

with Peggy

Katie Wilson

9.3

Orange and amazing — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Brownish tawny. Regal, clear and almost opaque. Sweet old Bordeaux nose. Notes of cola, cranberry, plums, dried fig, earth, spice and some wood. A bit thin in the mouth at the start but with air it firms up. Decent finish. Grows nicely in volume and impact. The fragrant nose is what you remember. — 7 years ago

Guillermo Pallete

9.5

Excellent blend low acidity balanced in wood a red fruits — 8 years ago

Stuart Scheff

9.0

Complex perfumed Oregon — 8 years ago

Vic Petroff

9.4

Disgustingly yummy! Beautiful deep red fruit, tons of life & structure. 12.5% alcohol. Touchdown! Thank you, Russ. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Blackberry, black cherries, black plum, black tea, gravel, lead pencil shavings, Provence herbs, wood shavings. Disappointing opening at this stage. — 10 years ago

Linda Hawk

9.8

Wow. The first words out of my mouth were, "This tastes expensive." The nose is full and rich as well. Plenty of layers and complexity here. This is going on the very short list of "excellent." - 2012 vintage — 10 years ago

Michelle Kendrick

9.2

Total Wine - $13.50 — 11 years ago