Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Still remarkably youthful, it’s rich, dense and dark fruited, layered with classicism of cigar box, cedar and spices. The palate is concentrated and powerful with a silky texture and incredible length. 95 is nowhere near its peak. Many more years to go. And while I’ll never be a real Bordeaux lover, it’s clear what makes these first growths special. — 7 months ago

Colleen Tomasello

9.0

Good full bodied cab. Smooth — a year ago

Ed Chang

9.5

First hour decanted - started to open up… three more hours became almost jammy????? Great bottle to celebrate 25 yrs with my beautiful bride — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Dark reddish tawny. Mostly translucent. Amazing nose. Powerful. A spectrum of notes including red fruit, cola, pencil lead, black truffles, coffee, blood sausage and some dry dark soil. Animalistic. Massive fruit and structure with a long finish. Someone says "honey ham" as a note in the nose and we all agree (first ever note involving the word "ham"). This was a wine where everyone's score or appreciation greatly improved over the evening. A best ever Unico for me. (M's 60th bday 4th of 14) — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.2

Dark ruby. Opaque. Notes of dark plums, cassis, rhubarb, tobacco. Has a green element to it. At first it’s very linear and one dimensional in the mouth but rounds out with air. Nice for the vintage. — 6 years ago

Michael McCarthy

9.5

Not as full bodied as a CA cab. Could drink a lot of it! — 7 years ago

Michael Smith

9.4

Really delicious 2011. Just singing right now. Fruit in full swing but depth and acid balance. Bottle was gone before I knew it. — 7 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2005 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and through 3 hours. Great fill/appropriate aging cork. Medium sed. Noticeably dark color. Any trace of the usual Cos baby fat for the first decade+ after release long gone geek. Interesting. This was a lean, mean, street-fighting machine with "minerality" to spare. Intense. Compact. Unsure if it will continue to menace in the next decade of life or retreat into a reclusive, "turtling" period. Best guess? Street-fighter par excellence. Regardless of taking the high or low road, it's not devolving into a drink 'em if you got 'em any time soon scenario. Thanksgiving 11.23.23. — 7 months ago

Nicole K

9.0

Once opened up, Smelled like truffle butter. At first tasted like grass — 2 years ago

Pamela Taylor

9.5

Deliciously decadent, yet balanced Pinot that held up nicely with a Porterhouse steak! Ample plum, black cherry and sweet earthy notes with velvety-smooth tannins — 3 years ago

Roberto Carli

9.2

Celebrating the end of 2020! — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

First course. Vegetable soup that has a chicken broth/red wine/port base.

Also, working with 2nd course, pumpkin spaetzle with squash, brown butter, parmesan, sage & crispy brussels sprouts.

Beautiful poached strawberries & cherries with fresh & slightly candied, bright dark & red florals.

Great soup & spaetzle from our friend Chef Hedy! Find her @plateandbottle

Christmas with live Christmas music 🎶 🎵 🎼 Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🤶🦌❄️⛄️ — 4 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.4

At first i picked up a lot of acetyl in this relative to the other wines. After an hour that had blown off and this blossomed. Everything you hope for in Monte Bello. — 7 years ago

Erik Rupinski

9.5

First ride with a Pichon Baron. Tasted fresh, loads of dark fruit, very aromatic and nice acidity. Awesome stuff and plenty of life. — 7 years ago

Phoebe Li

9.4

Quite savoury when first opened, earthy and leathery, decant in bottle for 2.5 hours and it started to blossom with a lot of red fruits and vanilla taste (from oaks). Silky smooth tannin. Absolutely stunning — 8 months ago

Nathan Renfro

9.4

Lovely nose. Dark fruit, ripe yet somewhat muted. Still a bit tight. Definite minerality, but also a clay earthiness. Powdered tannins. Nice mouthfeel. Well structured. Nice finish. First bottle of my 06s. Many many years left. — 9 months ago

Caleb Krell

9.3

A little thin at first, but then got going after an hour or so being opened — 2 years ago

Roberto Carli

9.1

Now I see how this wine can be so divisive. LOTS of brett at first, more band-aid than barnyard. Takes a while to get past it and then lots of exotic spices show up. But after 40 minutes in the glass still nothing primary. It’s got the funk I can appreciate in some good left bank Bordeaux but also feels somewhat single-threaded. — 3 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

This is now the second time in the past ten months I’ve had the chance to visit the 2017 Chateau de Beaucastel. Just as good as the first time I tried it, the 2017 Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge is a nothing short of a scintillating wine from this historic estate. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre with Counoise, this comes off as a touch more heady than most vintages with layers of ripe boysenberry and black cherry with dried thyme alongside lovely savory tones and salty, stony terroir. The length here is quite impressive, as is the soft texture and bright acidity that brings you back to the glass for more. Wonderfully seductive in its youth, this has two decades of life in front of it. Drink 2022-2038- 95 — 4 years ago

Tom Wildenhaus

9.5

First time tasting and what a treat. We balanced, subtle with flavors that keep evolving. — 7 years ago