Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Surprisingly youthful for 35y, served from a magnum.
Still deep in colour, with not much evolution towards the rim.
Uplifting aromatics with cigar box, tobacco leaf, cedar wood, some kirsch, but also some black currant jam.
Medium bodied on the palate with nice balance, the tannins still surprisingly grippy, though a touch dry.
Nicely poised, with good flow and high drinkability.
What a surprise! — 2 years ago

Gregory Fulchiero

9.5

One of the most stunning aged burgundies I’ve ever had the privilege to taste. Soft velvety tannins and waves of lavender, mulling spices, and damp earth. Will be hard to replicate a wine of this pedigree in such a great place of its evolution. — 4 years ago

Johan Bogaert

9.2

Like always a true gentleman, somewhat lean but very sophisticated. Silky wine with fruit preserved. Very little signs of evolution. Very aristocratic but lacks some flesh. Still very enjoyable. — 5 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.0

I usually love this wine. 2002 vintage and me, generally speaking ain’t friends, as I think way too many wines’ evolution curve is... not what I hoped for. They evolve fast, and also here, served blind, I thought it was showing to much candied autumn apples and lacked the tell tale sincerity. When revealed I was disappointed. — 6 years ago

Kristen Wilson

10

With regina and Ken at wild olive — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

A glass of wine to finish up the night...good age, nice evolution and an extremely good value at $25. Recent direct Chateau purchase. While the 1998 Bordeaux vintage was panned by the critics as a whole on the Left Bank, Pessac-Leognan shined better than most on the Left Bank. It was Right Bank Saint Emilion that had the great year. This 98 Haut-Bergey is not quite the wine the 98 Haut-Bailly is. However, it is delicious for $25. Nose of; blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, strawberries leather, cedar, tobacco leaf, dry stones, vanilla, dark moist soils and fresh red florals. The body is medium to lean. Tannins are completely resolved. Ripe, lean, shining; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries & cherries. Black moist earth, touch of funk, soft chewy leather, stones, crushed dry rock powder, cedar, tobacco leaf, steeped fruit tea, cola, dry underbrush, fresh & dry red florals, liquid violets with raining acidity. The finish has lean, bright mid red fruits, earth and dark spices. Nice wine for the $. While this will hold another 3-5 years, it's not going to continue to improve. So, drink em. Photos of; the Chateau, barrel room, view inside the Chateau and their shiny stainless steel fermentation tanks. — 7 years ago

Steven Gullo

9.5

Incredible depth and many layers of evolution. Sweet plums, desiccated violets, coffee bean. Soft, lush texture. The oldest vintage of Montelena I have come across. — 3 years ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.4

Spectacular! The evolution of this wine in the last 3 years is incredible. Again a proof that bottle aging is so important. This wine is currently in its prime, silky tannins, still lots of fruit but all integrated. And a finish that last for minutes! Wish I had a couple more... — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The 96 is a nice surprise add from Clyde’s cellar. Thank you Clyde.

This 96 is beautifully floral. The evolution is right around its peak. The body is medium full and the tannins soft. It’s an elegant beauty.

The fruits are ripe and delicious. Leaner blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries and shades of raspberries. Soft earth; dry top soil, dry rock, limestone minerals, old tobacco, soft leather, cedar with dry and withering red & dark florals. The acidity is like a waterfall. The long finish is well balanced fruit & earth and in a sweet spot.

Photos of; our dinner group, tasting room at Pontet Canet, the horse plows they still use in the fields and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 5 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Beautiful dark cassis, mocha, caramel, dark florals, velvety texture and a beautiful finish. This will be even better when it’s had 10 more years of bottle evolution. — 6 years ago

Amy

9.5

So drinkable. Great for summer. — 7 years ago

Phil Castellano

9.0

Pretty amazing. Great PQR. Italian varietals + Syrah, all grown in Oregon. Definitely an evolution in blending. — 7 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.3

Great structure. Probably should've decanted. Layered evolution through flinty minerality, green apples, white peach, gooseberry, lemon curd. Long mid palate through finish with weighty reminders of the Burgundian wine this is. Stunner. — 7 years ago

Matthew Hughes

9.2

Interesting evolution. In 30 minute increments wooden pencil, fresh cut wood, then sour cherry. — 3 years ago

Michael Lavely

9.0

I have been drinking this for years and each year it has different notes. Great wine, great buy. — 3 years ago

Ryan Guy

9.5

Toasty, custard, smoked pear, sugared grapefruit, green apple skin, accented by a string of minerality. This jumps out of the glass. Mouthcoating with rich, layered green apple, pear, and lime zest flavors. Asian spices pop with time. Balance is impeccable. Acid is still impressive, with length and evolution to finish. Wow! Paired with smoked salmon over a cream based pasta. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

My notes on this from May of 2017 still apply. Popped and poured. Drank well over two days. Immediately this wine impresses visually. Sure, the color is an expected deep garnet but what's most striking is the fact that it's never completely opaque at the core. You can just barely get the faintest amount of light to see through it. It's quite beautiful, really. The nose is initially a bit reticent but a few minutes of air in the glass does the trick and then it really begins to show off the most lovely perfume of mixed red and dark fruit; so fresh and pure with just a flash of garrigue. No perceptible heat on the nose. On the palate it's a veritable wonder of berries, Rainier cherries, black berry liqueur, and just a touch of fine white pepper. The body is perfectly proportioned and the finish lasts for over 30 seconds. In summary, this is an incredibly balanced 2010 CdP that is already hitting its prime. Personally, I felt it was really at its very best about two hours in which leaves me to believe it should be a great pop and pour for the next couple of years and potentially has the balance to be great for longer. That being said, there is no need to decant, just pull the cork, pour and enjoy the evolution in the glass. The hard part is allowing it to last for two hours and longer. It should be noted that this is dangerously quaffable wine and it wouldn't be hard to take the whole thing to the head. Might as well drink these sooner than later as I'm always a bit wary of CdP much beyond the 10 year mark, where I tend so find many of them fall apart on the palate. Perhaps others with more experience in the long-term ageing of CdP can chime in though. Absurd value at $30.

As a side note, this paired very nicely with pan fried pork savory bacon wrapped filet mignon. — 6 years ago

Victor Nomi

8.9

Balanced. Nice blend of acidity, vanilla. — 7 years ago

Cameron Myhrvold

9.4

2002 Quilceda Creek Cab
What an interesting wine. Early on when released this was my favorite Quilceda Cab. It had amazing spice that was unlike anything short of a great Beausejour. Now it tastes like a syrah. After 15 years you think it would be on a steady evolution but i have no idea where this hulking monster is going to end up. — 7 years ago

Daniel M

8.9

The wine shows a nice evolution with an orange rim in the glas. The cork was fully soaked. The nose is discreet. Strawberry jam and some wet earth scents. The palate is not ample. The tannins are now fully integrated. A nice acidic touch makes it interesting with a slight saltiness and strawberry jam again. Not great, a bit discreet but a nice lovable wine considering the vintage. — 8 years ago