Jay Kline

9.3

Presented to me, double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears, and some signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of ripe and desiccated, mostly dark fruits: cassis, black cherry, plum, mixed brambles, old leather, pipe tobacco, pencil shavings, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (that is mostly integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend, Tempranillo (or based blend) or Grenache-based blend from France, Spain or the United States. I feel like this leans more towards its fruit than its structure, even though it is a fairly well balanced wine in both regards. As a result, I am calling this a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend from the United States, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain from a producer like Dunn, 2006. Shiiiiiit. To be honest, I’m not terribly surprised since this is Cos and from a warm vintage no less. Drinking well now and should through 2050+. — 9 months ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.5

Deep Rich and Polished Nose. The substance is pure, fine and Elegant then comes a punch of Power towards the end.
Really nice buddy here.
94-96 — a year ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Sometimes no other wine will do for me than old-style (13% ABV) Bordeaux, and this lovely medium-aged Pauillac absolutely fills the bill, redfruits, structured but not really tannic, great acid balance really lifts the fruit, not a blockbuster, but very fine nonetheless, I could drink a lot of this!! — 3 years ago

with Jim

Kendall Johnson

9.1

Super rich dark fruit flavor #wsjwine #coronavino — 6 years ago

Sang Ho Park

9.9

Green apple, pear, hay, sweet, sparkling, grape. — 6 years ago

Blair Ridder

9.3

Juicy and still with plenty of life. This is drinking perfectly.
— 7 years ago

Daniel McGeough

9.4

Worth every penny! — 9 years ago

Michael Knisley

9.2

Sezanne beauty — 10 years ago

Jason Kissane

9.5

A great champagne! Lovely toast, complexity and very fine bubbles - 1996 vintage — 11 years ago

Marcus Maroney

9.5

Great with moules frites! — 13 years ago

Sharon Su

9.1

Well balanced medium body Bourdeaux, 2019 — 10 months ago

Vino Joe

9.3

It was fine. Maybe a bit immature but it was unfocused and limited vs expectations. Strong tea notes. Limited fruit and more alcohol than typical. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Presented double-blind. The wine appears straw in color with medium viscosity and, apparently, there lots of tiny bubbles so there are signs of gas, LOL. On the nose, the wine is developing with heady notes of ripe orchard fruit, red forest berries, marzipan, lemon curd, fresh brioche. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acidity. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish lasts for an eternity. The texture is ever so creamy. Wow…well, I was drinking something special. Had to be Champagne. Maybe vintage? Maybe a tête de cuvée? The style was similar to Krug. Called Champagne from a producer like Krug. OMG…the 1996 Vintage Brut?! Sheesh…someone was feeling generous! Admitted, I don’t often get to drink vintage Krug (for many hundreds of reasons!) so my experience is obviously limited. However, there’s clearly no question in this being true to house style and, now that I know the vintage, this is showing why 1996 is so special. As others have noted, this is fresher than the 1995 I had some months ago (though, that was very special too) and had greater acid. I would like to think this provides a crystal ball for the 2008 vintage that is sure to follow a similar trajectory. Drinking very fine indeed, right now and should continue to do so through 2046…depending on how you like to drink your Champagne. — 2 years ago

Roland Fleck

9.1

Great balance. Superb — 5 years ago

Paul Krzych

9.4

My second favorite after Ruinart. Lovely fine bubbles exuding citrus, orange marmalade, and just baked brioche. Delicious for brunch and Sunday football. — 6 years ago

Ryan Guy

9.0

Golden raisins, boytaris funk, dried pineapple. On the lighter side for Sauternes, but super enjoyable. Tropical and candied lemon. — 8 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.4

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc
A little closed up, but that's to be expected from such a young wine built for aging. Air helps to unfold the layers buried within. While 2014 was a cooler year, the weather played well to the style of Sassicaia as its target is 12.5-13% abv every vintage, so the conditions here were less of an issue. The acidity and density are here to last for some time, probably more than you think and should go the distance just fine. Elegant, yet powerful, with pure red currants and cassis, a touch of bright blueberry fruit, with a savory and spicy edge from the Cabernet Franc, then graphite and lavender florals appear, this is a beautiful young and fresh Sassicaia. Rocks and stone on the nose hint at minerality. Elegant and persistent on the medium+ palate, gorgeously pure and distinct with firm medium+ grain tannin. A long, dense, tightly wound finish that is fresh and persistent, entirely to young but with loads of potential. — 9 years ago

Peter Shone

8.9

Bright clean nose with hints of pineapples. Really great wine — 11 years ago

Alyssa Rapp

CEO/Founder Bottlenotes

9.5

Perfect Memorial Day toast! — 11 years ago

LaShondra Berman

9.7

Very lush and superb! — 13 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite light lemon yellow , quite difficult to judge the perlage in this glass but apparently fine and persistent, though on the palate the bubbles are quite discreet in nature . On the nose this is quite aromatic and rich with toasted lemon sherbet , sea shell , camomile and some buttered brioche . On the palate this also shows good richness and density , with more of the lemon peel , chalky , oyster shell character , with some buttered brioche notes on the finish . This is quite intense and long on the palate , though the perlage does subside quite a lot it is integrated. Fresh chalky acidity. Very much shows like a grand cru white Burgundy with bubbles. Still quite youthful and fresh but showing well , energetic but focused . From now and over the next 10 or so years . — a year ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A splendid medium dark garnet color. On the nose: perfumed notes of red fruit, herbaceous, eucalyptus, mushroom, smoked meat, ripe olives, sweet tobacco. Taste: rich, velvety full wine with brambly dark cherry/plum, coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, and a peppery- dried herbs- gamey long finish. YUM! A nicely aged and elegant wine with soft tannins and good acidity!! — a year ago

with Brenda

Doug Powers

9.3

Cigar box, pencil lead, also some lovely spicy redfruit aromas, still pretty structured, but showing a deep core of lovely dried redfruits, some sweet fruit notes in the long, lingering finish, very fine LLC!! — 3 years ago

with Jim

Pooneet K

9.1

Very nice champagne. It’s not quite Krug and the bubbles aren’t quite fine enough but I like the Bollinger style. Seems to find the right balance between depth and fullness and precision. Perfect start to a series of great Christmas eating. — 6 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. — 7 years ago

Namho Kim

9.3

A fine rioja. Off a coravin’ed magnum bottle. Loved it — 8 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.7

Drinks a like mature classically styled Napa-wine. Like Dominus. — 10 years ago

Meghan Schmeltzer

9.0

Smooth red wine. Not sweet but delicious! — 10 years ago

Rick Baumgarten

9.1

A bit of oxidation, but otherwise, just fine. Fruit still there. 1970, 45 year old wine for our 45th Anniversary. — 11 years ago

Paul Courtright

9.8

Decanted. Fantastic. — 13 years ago