Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Slightly deeper and brighter colour than the 2004 , younger looking . More ruby with a garnet rim . Really aromatic and floral , violet , mint , spiced red cherry , ripe raspberry , eucalyptus . Still really fresh and fruit driven . Some dried herbs and earthy notes in the background. On the palate this has lovely elegance and poise , with herbal red cherry , strawberry and slightly nutty notes. Quite ripe and juicy , but with fresh acidity and fine tannins . Long and fruit driven on the finish . Still young from now and over the next 10 years . — 5 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

beautiful fruit. Strawberry and plummy fruit. A hint of tangy minerality around the edges. Still quite fresh and bright. A great bottle — 6 months ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Conrad Green

9.2

Supple and fresh candied nose of red fruit. Grippy and fresh. Good balance. — 7 months ago

with Gregg and Peter

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.7

Beautiful subtle aroma from Merlot makes it pretty. Its free spirit nose makes you feel what the wine is going to be about. Drinkable and fresh. Apparently missing weight but it doesn’t miss a bit all the way thru the tasting. The aftertaste is long and very, very pleasant after one minute. — 2 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.2

Nice, fresh and vibrant Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. Gooseberry (reminded me of growing up on the farm at home) and hints of subdued grapefruit. Beautiful light gold color, crystal clear. Not from Marlborough on the northern end of the South Island but Martinborough on the North Island. Very interesting region that grows all their grapes on a strip of 3-4 miles long and 1-2 miles wide raised tectonic plate of alluvial gravel. Pinot noir is king in this region, but this Sauvignon blanc was also very nice. — 4 years ago

with Tammy

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 5 years ago

with Christina and James

Andrew Lohse

9.0

Citrus, tropical, melon / ripe, fresh fruit / peachy softness, almost vanilla / north of neutral, super charming — 7 years ago

Cathy Levy

9.5

1998 vintage... decanted first. Then tasted a burst of fresh cherries. Delicious! — 8 years ago

Nick Davis

9.1

Classic. Bright, fresh aromatics don't overpower this lean machine. — 10 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

My last 6pk out of multiple cases purchased in 2014. Fresh with notes of lemon, citrus, green apple, ginger & brioche — 5 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

The final wine at the First Growth Bordeaux Lunch at the Downs Club last Saturday…. and what a great way to finish a wonderful lineup. I recall Apricot and Pear on a palate of profound intensity which delivers on the powerful nose. An obviously sweet palate with enough racy acid to keep things interesting and fresh. Will last until the late 2030s at least. Terrific! — 6 months ago

Victor Charcan

9.3

Tipicity! You know it’s Bordeaux, and great, the moment you smell it. Yet this dark fruit, pencil lead one took me to the wrong bank. It felt fresh, and less dark. Blackberries and plums, for sure. A great wine. So young… — 7 months ago

Conrad Green

8.9

Meaty with fresh plummy fruit. Rich with good tension. Decent — 7 months ago

with Peter and Gregg

Conrad Green

9.3

Great salinity. Lime and rockpools. Lovely sweet corn notes. Great balance. Still very fresh — 2 years ago

Gor

9.6

Deep gold to amber color. Beautiful clearly defined nose of green apple, hint of almond powder marzipan and buttered toast. Medium body with high acidity. Leads to an ultra long finish with mouthwatering fresh acidity. Really awesome stuff. Out of Magnum. — 5 years ago

Jon Bergqvist

9.7

Top shoulder. Got the cork out in one piece. Absolutely perfect bottle with a lot left to give. Thick balsamic fruit, soft tannins, integrated oak, fresh acidity, everything in absolute balance. In a way almost perfect on the verge of lacking a bit of personality, but only almost. This has 10 years of life ahead of it but No reason to wait. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Had this over a year ago, this is a new batch, a Fav! Rodolphe Péters took over the reins of this venerable estate in the southern Côte des Blancs in 2008, becoming the fourth generation to lead since the estate was founded in 1919, under the name Camille Péters. 100% Chardonnay, Crisp, fine mousse with steady flow of bubbles. Citrus, and biscuit aromas. Fresh fruit flavors of peach, apples and lemons, smooth and dry. Long mineral finish ending with elegance. Nice! — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

8.9

Fresh, zippy black currants and game. Pretty tannic still. — 8 years ago

Yianni Stone

9.1

Fresh, crisp acidity. Tannins; Green yet polymerized; austere yet resolved. Lean tobacco spice. — 9 years ago

with Matt and Haley

David Hackett

9.2

Great concentration, huge tannins, still developing, nose slightly closed off, could use decanting, graphite, fresh dates, has a little heat to it. — 11 years ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Beautiful crystalline fruit. Light and precise with lemon and steeliness with zesty acidity. Gorgeous. So light and complex and fresh and long. — 5 months ago

with Bryan, BOT and 2 others

Conrad Green

9.6

From mag. meaty with dark plum and beautiful fresh balanced fruit. So bright and intense, with iodine, deep plum, salinity. Gorgeous stuff and an immaculate bottle. — 6 months ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two hours. It’s been almost a year since my last visit with the 2018 vintage and it’s in a very pretty spot right now. All notes previously apply though I should point out that the florals are especially showy right now. The nose is simply beautiful to experience. The fruit remains fresh and mostly red fruited. The structure is still firm. Very, very easy to enjoy on its own or with a meal. Drink now through 2038+. — 7 months ago

Steve Rura

9.4

Happy bday to my wonderful wife! This was excellent. Lime and green apple, so fresh and bright, brioche with a tiny bit of pepper. Great bubbles and texture. Love the paper case. — 10 months ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Delicious. Floral notes, honey, chalk minerality. Still fresh and delicious. Long — 4 years ago

with Bex

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Starting the long Labor Day weekend in Big Sur the right way with a little N/V Krug Grande Cuvée. @Nepenthe

Happy Labor Day weekend all! 🍾🥂

Noses reveals; heavy bruised red apple, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, lime zest, white spice, sea fossils, deep crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, white & spring flowers & mixed greens.

The palate is, ripe, lush, fresh and lively. The mouthfeel all Krug beautiful. Bruised red & golden apple with hints of cider, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, white stone fruits, lime zest/candy, white spice, sea fossils, crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, cream soda, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, spring flowers & mixed greens. The acidity is near perfect. The long, elegant, well knitted & balanced finish is gentle until the long set when you get a full presence of white spice and minerality that persists for minutes.

This bottle was composed around 2011 and is made from over 120 different wines that span over 10 years. It is 47% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay & 17% Pinot Meunier. — 5 years ago

Jared Keddy

9.0

Whips me away to a land of yore. Pears. Zest. Fresh yet gentle winds. — 7 years ago

Anna

8.9

Citrus and fresh fruits. Pairs well with cheese tortellini — 8 years ago

Steven Gullo

9.1

Given the difficult vintage, this was still pretty tasty. Very elegant, somewhat subdued, but still held some freshness. Dried strawberries and fresh lavender. — 9 years ago

GaYoung Kim

Graileys Fine Wines. Sommelier. Broker

9.8

Fresh citrus like Meyer lemon, melons, white tea, and orange blossoms. Dry, bright acidity, one of my favorite wine makers. — 12 years ago