Rod

9.4

Opened up very well; earthy from age but still some complexity and fruit. — 5 months ago

Jennifer Podis

9.6

Heavenly, fruit aroma, and smooth palate- very fruit forward, lower acidity and tannins, but balanced. Delicious! — 6 months ago

Tom Garland

9.2

2 hour decant(little fine sediment). A splendid dark magenta with some bricking. On the nose: subdued but enticing notes of blackberry, cassis, cigar wrapper, clove, pine, maybe a touch of brett. Taste: silky, still youthful at 20 wine with blackberry, red fruit, graphite, spice, and a medium smokey licorice tar finish. YUM..good but expecting more for the year..will wait a few years for next attempt. — 7 months ago

with Brenda

Joe DAscoli

9.5

2 hour decant. Shredded cork. Filtered the wine.

Wow. This was just gorgeous and smooth. Tannins very well integrated and the fruit was excellent.

One of my favorite vintages with some age — 8 months ago

Kland Aida

9.0

A good wine. Oak, a bit of chocolate, dark fruit and cherry. Pretty dry but smooth enough that easy to drink. — 8 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Léoville Poyferré 2014
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinguished Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth) from Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Poyferré has been elevated under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family and Michel Rolland’s consultancy. The 2014 vintage is a classic Bordeaux blend comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. This cooler year yielded wines with notable polish, freshness, and age-worthy structure.  

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, the bouquet opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and plum, framed by cedar, graphite, violets, and aromatic spice. The palate is layered with ripe red and dark fruits, along with hints of tobacco, pepper, and soft oak—a harmonious reflection of balanced ripeness and terroir depth.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied, with smooth yet structured tannins and vivid acidity. The finish is long and mineral-tinged, echoing Saint-Julien’s limestone terroir while expressing both strength and grace.

Winemaking Notes
Vinified traditionally and aged in French oak barrels (predominantly new), the 2014 benefits from meticulous attention to extraction and maturation, resulting in elegant concentration and finesse.  

Food Pairing
Wonderful with roast lamb, herb-crusted beef, or rich mushroom dishes. Decanting for an hour enhances its layered complexity.

Verdict
A classic expression of Left Bank finesse and depth, Château Léoville Poyferré 2014 strikes an artful balance between fruit, structure, and refinement. Enjoy now with decanter or cellar it to explore its evolution over the next decade.Cheers! — 8 months ago

Marc Melser

9.0

We had the 2012 Vintage on 7/12-13/25. With 13 Years of aging, all the tannins have been smoothed out. Tastes of blueberry, plum, leather and spice. Medium to full bodied. Still fruit forward. Very good — 10 months ago

Shay A

9.4

Anytime an older Heitz Martha’s is open, it’s a treat. I’ve tried to acquire a few random bottles over the years and they have consistently impressed (‘78 and ‘01, specifically). My first early ‘90s vintage.

Quick double decant to simply get the wine off sediment as it wouldn’t be consumed from a decanter at the location I would be at.

In my experience, the distinct and typical eucalyptus notes jump right at pop, but this bottle was a little subdued early on. After an hour with the cork out, the eucalyptus, herbs, cedar and red fruit made their entrance. Compared to the ‘91 Hartwell I opened a few months ago, this was more elegant and less dense on the mid-palate. If not for the eucalyptus, I could see this being called left bank Bordeaux with 30yrs on it. Gained some darker red/underripe black fruit notes the longer it was open. Beautiful length at the finish. Bright acidity and tannin. Not getting better, but a wonderful drinking window to enjoy now. — 10 months ago

Nick Benz

9.3

Tons of dark fruit, roasted plum and black currant, leather and black olives — 9 years ago

Damian

9.3

Dark fruit, blackcurrant, mint, red fruit jam — 5 months ago

Ray Roman

9.0

Really enjoyed this wine. Smooth and as others have said, fruit forward. — 6 months ago

Kyle Davidson

9.5

So silky, pepper and herbs balance the glou glou of the fruit and refined gentle but present tannins — 7 months ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Tangy dark fruit. Bloodiness with a dark plum and iron. Rounded and resolved but intense. Very good — 7 months ago

with Matt and David

Pooneet K

9.2

Thought we’d had our last bottle 4 years ago but then found this one. Probably better then, but still very nice. Definitely quite secondary, but the core of fruit and acid carries through. Wonderful pairing with dry aged strip steaks and wild mushroom risotto for our 10 year anniversary. — 8 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Caymus Vineyards – Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Caymus Special Selection is the flagship Cabernet, crafted only in exceptional years. The 2018 vintage stands tall among recent releases, showing why Chuck Wagner’s vision continues to shape Napa’s most recognized “luxury Cab.” 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from prime valley-floor vineyards, it strikes the perfect balance between Caymus’ signature ripe, fruit-forward style and an added layer of structure from a long, balanced growing season.

Aromas & Flavors
A powerful bouquet of ripe blackberries, cassis, and dark cherries, layered with cocoa nibs, espresso, and baking spices. Subtle hints of licorice, cedar, and vanilla lift the complexity, while a core of lush fruit drives the palate. The oak integration is seamless, giving a supple sweetness without overwhelming the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Rich, opulent, and velvety—yet with surprising finesse. The tannins are silky and well-structured, giving length without heaviness. The finish lingers on black fruit and mocha, balanced by just enough acidity to keep it vibrant.

Winemaking Notes
Meticulous fruit selection, long maceration for concentration, and extended aging in new French oak (18+ months). The Wagner hallmark: generous fruit expression wrapped in polished oak for immediate pleasure but with aging potential.

Food Pairing
An indulgent pairing with ribeye, prime rib, or braised short ribs. For a decadent twist, try it with dark chocolate truffles or roasted lamb with rosemary.

Verdict
One of the most impressive Caymus Special Selection vintages in recent memory—showing both lush Napa Valley opulence and refined elegance. A wine that thrills now but promises to shine for years.

Personal Pick Highlight
This 2018 stands as my favorite Caymus of the modern decade—a true benchmark that captures everything people love about Napa Cabernet at its richest and most expressive. Cheers!
— 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(lots of sediment). A splendid medium ruby red color. On the nose: a little stewed red fruit, herbaceous, worn leather, mint, sweet smokey oak, loamy soil. Taste: smooth, elegant, savory wine with a touch of dried red fruit, dried herbs, cocoa, damp earth, minerals, and a spiced iron/meaty medium finish. YUM! Mature and on the long downside, but still drinks nicely at 28 years. — 9 months ago

with Brenda

Lynn Poole

9.9

WOW!28 years and still rocking it. Delicious fruit. Smooth and balanced. Worth the wait. — a year ago

Eric Crane

Sommelier & Educator Empire Wine Distributors

9.3

Still fresh. The fruit is really ripe. — a year ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Don’t drink a ton of Napa cab but it’s nice to have a nice one made in a somewhat more restrained style. 13.5%. Definitely young, the air helps - would wait several years or give a big decant. But even without a ton of that still very good with deep berry fruit, oaky dusty tannins that are relatively balanced. Great acid on the long finish. Excellent pairing with steaks and lamb chops at Sammy’s Ye Olde Cider Mill. — 6 months ago

Paul Masson

9.3

Smoking! Vibrant fruit, but drink up, starts to fade after a couple hours open — 6 months ago

Jason Phillips

9.4

Deep ruby color. Red fruit, black currant, and cedar on the nose. Dry and bold. Flavors of blackberrt, chocolate, oak, and coffee. Medium+ tannins and acid with a great finish. Number 2 in top 100 in Wine Spectator. — 7 months ago

Conrad Green

9.2

a slight tang. Lifted fruit but slightly fading. Still in really good shape given its age — 7 months ago

with Matt and Paul

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep ruby , quite thin garnet ruby rim . Cassis , blueberry , blackberry , iris , pain grillé. On the palate this is quite dense and rounded , with more dark fruits , cassis , blackberry and a savoury , saline seaweed tinge on the finish . Fine but noticable , sweet tannins , and fresh acidity , quite rounded and richly fruited but very balanced . Good length with grafite , mineral and creme de cassis . Polished and quite decadent but all elements very balanced . Just drinkable now with time in decanter , really fruit driven still, but will improve well over the next 10 or more years and last well a further 10-15 . This shows some of the ripeness and exuberance of 2009 paired with the flamboyance of Mouton , makes for quite a pairing a very promising future ahead. — 8 months ago

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.4

What a great refined wine. The 2018 Insignia opens with aromas of dark fruit, florals, and spice. On the palate, blackberry, mocha, and plum come through with a nice texture and tannins. The finish is long, savory, and elegant. Wow! — 8 months ago

with Daniel and Michael

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. — 9 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.7

Ruby with complex fruit aromas, spice and oak. Blend of 90% Tempranillo & 10% Graciano, aged 48 months on American oak, 20% new. On the palate flavors of dark berry fruits with spice, oak and smoky earthy notes, slight vanilla nuances on ripe full soft silky tannins. Long finish, nice mouthfeel, ending with fruit, oak, cigar box spice and clean mineral earthy tones, a joy to Sip this Fine Wine!! Tasting great, has more aging potential! — 10 months ago

Joe DAscoli

9.5

Boom! From the first sip - this wine was explosive and delicious.

Dark and black fruits come out and then lend to some red fruit and while it has good depth, this wine is very smooth.

Seems like it’s in the drinking window — a year ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Plush and delicious and lucid. Haney fruit and grip. A great bottle — a year ago

with David

Astrid Lewis

10

1947. Can't actually believe I have rated this in my lifetime. Although it had a significant amount of leakage and oxidisation, it was still bright, still had bags of fruit, tannins, acidity. What am incredibly generous wine to open to celebrate our new little company. Thx guys xxx — 12 years ago

with Pierpaolo and Chris