R Bl

9.1

Tasted 4 years ago and was impressed by taste profile pairing 80% Sangiovese tang with mellower elements of Malvasia Mera, Merlot and Cab Franc. Bought a few bottles... excellent again a couple months later, first tried again now. Deep rich mouth with only minor Sangiovese character; the blend speaks as one and is very good. But it would have been better to my palate a few years ago - this is a bit too soft, as I like the varietal notes. I’ll wait another few years for the last bottle - might it evolve more fragrance and enjoyment? I doubt it but we’ll see. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A continuation of our anniversary celebration @ Cole’s Steakhouse.

On the nose; cedar, saddle-wood, ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, anise, graphite, touch of smoke, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers.

The body is round, ruby and full. Classic Haut-Brion profile flavors. I don’t believe I would miss call this producer blind as its flavor profile & style is so distinct. The tannins are nicely round and soft, 60% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance are well knitted together. It does lack some wow factor from their truly great vintages. However, there is plenty of life in this bottling and it has not achieved its peak. Probably, another 3-5 years from hitting its peak with another 8 years of good drinking beyond that. Ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, dry black cherry & cranberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, mint, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, saddle-wood, cedar, anise, graphite, forest floor, touch of smoke, volcanic ash, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers. The acidity is just about perfect. The ruby finish is elegant, well polished & balanced and last minutes. It continues to evolve & improve in the glass even after a hour long decant. Just missing a 9.4. Man oh man, I love well made older Bordeaux wines. My true love.

Photos of, Chateau Haut-Brion, field-hands harvesting that magical fruit, barrel room and their library cellar that I would love to raid 😜. — 8 years ago

Ron R

9.2

A very contemporary, young Bdx 2nd wine - superb showing. Big extraction, sweet and textured. Will evolve to a better better place with time. Thanks @Mo Salem for bringing this to the devil’s den. — 8 years ago

with Mo

Shay A

9.3

I know, I know...it’s really not fair to rate this because it’s so stinking young. That being said, you can still get a good idea of where this will go...amazing potential. Could easily creep up to a 9.5. The nose on this is insane...mimics a high end RRV Pinot. Cedar, sweet tobacco, rhubarb. Acid is very balanced. The finish is very dominant of black pepper and peppercorn. Some beef jerky. Finish is mainly one dimensional that way, but you can tell it will evolve beautifully. — 9 years ago

with Mark

Martin G Rivard

9.5

@David L Thank you David for sharing this incredible beauty with me! Such a soft, opulent rich wine. The bottle age definitely helped and was evident throughout. Drinking superbly right now and I imagine would evolve for another 15+ years! It was that good!!!!
I am biased, I am a huge fan of Spottswoode. I felt like a kid that robbed a candy store when I uncorked this one. I hadn't tasted their 2003! It was in my top three for wine of the night. Swing, batter batter swing, homerun! — 10 years ago

with Ryan and Christine

Skip Smyser

8.9

A baby but luxurious with multiple layers of fruit. We decanted and it continues to evolve. — 10 years ago

Mo Salem

9.4

This wine is truly magnificent. Vanilla, barn yard, and cherry notes. Nicely balanced, full-bodied, great finish. This wine will evolve very nicely in 5 to 10 years. — 10 years ago

Lisa Baldwin

9.6

Very complex wine decanted three hours drink over a course of two hours continued to still evolve. Flavors of cigar smokiness very smooth, dark berries, oak, spice, and a hint of vanilla. well balanced wine. Bordeaux characteristics. — 11 years ago

Jeff Bramwell

9.6

From magnum. Plenty of youth left in this one, but totally enjoyable today. Just barely beginning to evolve, with classic dark fruit, licorice and refreshing acidity. Tannins are beginning to soften up. Wish I had more. — 12 years ago

Alan Viader

9.3

Super bright red cherry, sour cherry fruit profile. Intense on the acidity. A bit too far perhaps? Nice richness and weight but the fruit wasn’t balanced. Honestly a bit underwhelmed since this is a 100 pointer! A nice wine but not my idea of “perfection”, at least not right now...maybe in a few years it will mature and evolve more? — 7 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Super approachable even if young. Strawberries & cream, a touch of roast aromas, a bit of cherry and a whiff of herbs. Juicy, a bit tart with nice structure (the tannins still a bit edgy) and nice depth. Good fruit, too. Needs a lot of air now, so should evolve nicely. Not bad for a normal Pinot. Not bad at all. — 8 years ago

Eric

9.5

Oh my ... my last again. I’m impressed by this bottle of exquisite Merlot. Drinking at its peak, in my opinion. Soft, velvet in the mouth, with a firm mid palette and a perfumed, lavender-like finish that intoxicates. Continued to improve and evolve over the evening and reminded me that you can’t rush a river...you must let nature take it’s time and then magic happens. — 8 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.3

Really powerful as it opened up. 85% Cab 2% Franc and 13% Merlot. Will still evolve with age. Need a big steak. — 8 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.0

I'm not sure I love how these super modern chateauneufa evolve in bottle. Very port like on the nose. On the palate very nice. Soft and velvety. I prefer more old school cdp with age whereas a prefer the more modern style while they are young. I'd be interested to try this again in 5-10 years — 9 years ago

Bruce Leboff

9.4

An excellent example of French Syrah Well integrated. A slight chocolate nose. Slightly dry on the palette but well balanced and enjoyable. Finish is medium to long. Well executed. Lots of life left. Fun to drink over the next 10 years and see it evolve. — 9 years ago

with Michael and David

Jim McCusker

9.4

Harlan's second label (don't have the coin to afford the first label!), this is a classic Napa cab. Intense nose of cassis with hints of vanilla, black fruits, and perhaps a trace of leather. Still a bit closed on the palate, this is a great example of a CA cab that will evolve into a great wine, but probably a few more years down the line. Not convinced on the quality/price ratio, but this is a terrific wine. — 10 years ago

with Vanessa

Christian Bronstein

9.4

Not quite in the sweet spot of maturity. Finish still holding onto some bitterness that'll evolve. Nose compliments of fruit and oak through mid-palate flavor is seductive and not drawn out richness but balanced — 10 years ago

Joe Kaiser

9.6

Opened, took a small taste, after a swirl in the stem. Surprise! it seemed a little thin & woody. Decanted for a hour MUCH Better and just continued to evolve in the stem, each sip better than the last! This wine is still young and vibrant. The tannins are integrating nicely. I truly believe this wine can compete with 1st growths. Well done Phelps!!! What a way to end a week & begin a weekend, now I need something to compete tonight, Colgin? — 10 years ago

Andre Lopez

9.8

Unbelieveable wine. I've been waiting so long to try these wines and am glad that it was worth the wait. Insanely clean, pure flavors of citrus, almond, lemon meringue and wet stone. Great dimension, weight and intensity. Glad I bought three bottles to see how this will evolve. — 11 years ago

with Susan

EJ Cory

9.4

Spending the holiday watching this beauty evolve while doing housework. — 11 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

Taken from what was generally a tough vintage in the Northern Rhone, the 1997 ‘La Chapelle’ Hermitage is a striking rendition at more than twenty years of age. Bulls blood, iodine, red cherry puree and crushed mint flavors provide some serious refinement. Silky throughout, this will continue to evolve over the next five to ten years — but is marvelous right now. Drink 2019-2025- 93 — 7 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.7

Fantastic - the Lauren Vineyard offerings are always my favorite. Absolutely brilliant wine that’s going to continue to evolve beautifully over the next decade. Should have bought a case! — 8 years ago

with Vanessa

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It’s a B-day double dip of Pichon Lalande. Following up the 89 with the 96. I Coravined this 96 about a year ago and put it back because it wasn’t ready. I still feel that way, but my trust in Coravin has been a little shaky lately. So, I figured I’d I finish it just in case the Coravin advanced it too far or to spoil as I’ve experienced in the last year. On the nose; scorched earth, spearmint, cigar, dark currants, well baked blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, cherries, strawberries, steeped black tea, slight tarry notes, herbaceous character, soft, subtle spice, dark chocolate, black licorice, expresso grounds, cedar, used leather, dry, decayed & fresh red florals with fresh violets. The body full and putting on weight as it continues to open up. The tannins have softened & are rounder but still have big teeth. The structure, length, tension are still quite big. The balance is in a very good spot and will continue to evolve to a better place. The palate fruits are like the nose with lots of dark currants. Well baked blackberries, sweet & sour dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, cherries, strawberries, steeped black tea, slight tarry notes, scorched earth, spearmint, cigar box, herbaceous character, soft, subtle spice, dark chocolate, black licorice, expresso grounds, cedar, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry river stones, dry, decayed & fresh red florals with fresh violets. The acidity is round & well done. The finish is big, thick, rich, long with split evenly with dark currants/earth and lasts minutes. Still needs at least 5 years plus in the bottle to really get to a sweeter spot with another 15-20 years ahead. Personally, I’ll wait 10 years to open another. Photos of; Pichon Lalande, Virginie de Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, their library cellar I’d love to spend a weekend opening bottles and their barrel room. I remember being at dinner about 8 years ago where their Director told us they had recently opened three bottles of 1897 and one was still good! Wish I’d been in line with a glass. 😋 Anybody notice the difference in the 96 & 89 label? — 8 years ago

Christian Bronstein

9.1

Needs more time to evolve, but enjoyed none-the-less — 9 years ago

Juan Menendez

9.4

I have to say this is great right now. What a great bang for the buck. Seems like this could further evolve for another 6+ years... but why wait? — 9 years ago

Max Kelly

9.0

Blackberry liqueur, a little tobacco leaf, and some earthiness with a barnyard accent comes out with air. Dense flavors in a medium bodied package, decent length, and a little grip that suggests this will evolve positively. All together, a lovely wine for the money. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Drinking beautifully, it will still evolve over the next few years but not sure how much better it will get. — 10 years ago

LM Segal

9.3

2013. Superb. Was expecting infanticide and discovered a prodigy. Lighter side of Syrah, perfectly delineated after 1 hr decant. Feminine, lithe lens on allspice, lavender, bacon fat. Swathe of fine tannins. This will evolve for decades, so nicely structured, but worth trying now. As good as the pricier VV I tried last year. — 10 years ago

Gene Harlow

9.3

Wonderful Napa cab with great fruit and a long finish. This is a big Cab that will evolve well with more age. — 11 years ago

Franco Michienzi

Sommelier, Hawksworth Restaurant

9.0

Lush red fruit and silky tannins. Just starting to evolve with a lively freshness and welcoming earthiness. — 12 years ago