Brett Vanderbrook

8.9

On the nose I get black currant, cedar, leather, anise. Elegant and lighter than you might expect from California Cab. A long, lingering finish with toothy tannins and noticeable oak. I’m drinking it on its own but it would be fantastic with meat or cheese. — 5 months ago

Cathy Levy

9.3

Lovely, deep, rich Syrah. Plums, Raisins and blackberries. — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a dull purple/garnet color with a translucent core and significant rim variation, moving towards a rust color. The wine has medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, dried red and purple flowers, old leather bound books, tobacco, a touch of menthol, some earth, old wood and a sprinkle of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Super high quality but a touch thin.

Initial conclusions: Due to the observable characteristics of color, rim variation, sediment, smell and flavor, I think this wine has significant age; 30+ years. However, this is still very alive and showing more than enough markers to give an indication of place. Subsequently, this could be a Cabernet-based blend or a Tempranillo-based blend from the United States, France, or Spain. For me, I’m getting new French oak vibes instead of American so I’m eliminating Spain. I also think this leans more towards its fruit than its structure and since this comes across a little on the thin side, I’m going to say this comes from a tougher vintage. My final conclusion is this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from the USA, Napa, 1981. Wow! This showed really well.

It never ceases to amaze me how analogous the 1981 vintage was in both Napa and Bordeaux. I find it equally amazing how well that vintage has held up; particularly when considering its poor reputation, mostly based on the prevailing thought at the time. From my perspective, well stored examples are not going to fall off of a cliff but I would drink now through 2031. — 7 months ago

John Willison

9.3

From Magnum. Peach, dried berries, brioche. — 7 months ago

Doug Powers

9.7

From a really fine, structured Napa vintage, this shows dark fruits and mineral notes aromatically, still has loads of Dunn Howell Mountain structure and tannin, long, lingering finish, but the finish suggests that it needs 10-20 more years of aging, simply an incredible, old school (13% ABV) Napa mountain Cabernet with amazing length and freshness, a true WOW wine (if you’re moderately unoffended by the enormous structure still remaining)!!! — a year ago

with Jim

Paul K

9.1

Glad I picked up a bunch of these from Costco a few years ago. Great value! Looking forward to enjoying for the next few years. Don’t think this is a long term lay down but over next five years a great mid week bottle. — 3 years ago

Chris M

9.2

I grab my wines by random out of the fridge. I grabbed it from the cheap zone and we really pleased with the quality as it is excellent.

Turns out it is not cheap, it's like $35-40. It's still good just not a great value — 6 years ago

Heidi Berscht

9.6

From Costco... recommended. Very good — 10 years ago

Nick Davis

9.2

M+ acid, ripe tropical fruit, Mod alcohol, off-dry. Nice WA example. — 10 years ago

Rejeana Scarpello

9.5

Night in with Biag — 11 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

This bottle of the 1984 Insignia was opened about 30min before service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The wine pours a deep garnet with a slightly browning rim and an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and plenty of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of desiccated black fruits: blackberries, black cherry, Chunky beef stew, mushroom, eucalyptus, leather, organic earth and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A mature wine what’s still lovely; full of secondary and tertiary notes. Drink now. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet with an opaque core and some rim variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, blackberry, black plum, tobacco, menthol, leather, and mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is really delicious.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend or other Bordeaux-styled blend or a Tempranillo based blend from the United States, France or Spain. This saw French oak so I eliminated Spain. I thought the fruit was outshining the structure…so I liked the USA over France. And, based off the appearance, I thought this probably had 30+ years of age. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from the United States, from California, Napa, Rutherford; 1994. Ugh…the 1990 vintage in Bordeaux has bit me twice now recently. Really awesome stuff! Drink now through 2040+. — 7 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red color. On the nose: jumping from the glass are port drenched cherries, pencil shavings, tobacco, toffee, balsamic, and cinnamon. Taste: silky, balanced, still fresh wine with currants, little dried cherry, tobacco, earth, dried herbs, and a spicy saline graphite satisfying finish. YUM! In the home stretch, drink. — 7 months ago

with Brenda

Tree Kilpatrick

9.6

This was a gift from a close friend who worked for Silver Oak as a garden manager until they eliminated that part of their business. Beautiful color in the glass. Ruby with a hint of rust on the edge. Aroma is complex with berries and flint. Also just a hint of pine needles. Christmas trees. Flavors are full and fine. This is BIG BOY wine. Delicious. — 7 months ago

Robert Torretti

9.3

1990 Chateau Lynch Bages in Nebuchadnezzar. At a Lynch Bages dinner for the Commanderie de Bordeaux NY Chapter. Paired over the course of three courses vs the 1995, 1996 and 2000. The 1998 was also served earlier in the evening. So youthful, given the large format. Still got to experience different stages of evolution of the wine as it was poured throughout the night. Well balanced and beat out the other wines that night, with rhe 1996 showing more pepper and spice but also green bell pepper from the Cab Franc. The 2000 also showed strongly, but could not outshine the 1990. — 8 months ago

jesus g

Hospitality Schramsberg Vineyards

9.4

Way better from large format — 2 years ago

with Shay

Manchester Sheldon

9.2

Boysenberry and blueberry, some tannins, very rich. — 4 years ago

Bill Bender

9.2

Moving fuel. 42 year old Tempranillo and a uniquely American delicacy to celebrate Independence Day 🧀 🇺🇸 I’m unpacking boxes and listening to the Padres vs Dodgers so other than the wine I’m full throttle Americana today. The Vina Todonia cork dropped in to the bottle immediately upon contact from the Durand so I was not hopeful....but it’s totally intact and it presents with significant bricking in the decanter with expected brown and red tones and is chock full of secondary notes of burnt fig, savory smoke, cigar and soil. Soft tannins and waning acidity but it seems to be putting on “weight” as the afternoon progresses. Another solid showing from this producer at an advanced age. Great stuff. Happy 4th of July to all!! 🍎 ⚾️ 🍷 ☀️ — 7 years ago

Samantha (Jacob) Berman

9.5

@Ron R this one wasn't my own, but was a step up, from my older brother's table. (Thanks Bri) — 10 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.2

53 years in waiting for this group... What can I say. Started off much younger than the label would say.. Like the old grand dame of St Estephe.. Nice fruit, wonderful nose, and a pleasant finish to round out a great bottle of wine from a era gone by. Shared with friends like it should be. Looking forward to 2015 to do it all again. — 12 years ago

David Hale Smith

9.9

Lucky to sit with a friend who bright two bottles of this beauty to share at Bordeaux Fest Near perfection from a magnificent special bottle. The year the wall came down with label art that looks to the future. Believe the hype. — 6 months ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.4

Was maybe expecting a bit more from this. Think the bottle might have been just slightly off but still excellent. — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I remember when the 2005 Pichon Lalande was reviewed by RP, 89. I saw that & said, you would have to get in the way of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be that sad. I still bought 6 at a bargain basement price. A very good idea post 20 yrs+. Both Pichon’s don’t have a modern day history of getting in the way of a good vintage.

I also bought this one. 18 yrs in bottle and still acending. This will hold 5 more yrs and will last another 10 yrs properly stored.

I have visited Bordeaux 11 times. This chateau visually is still my favorite. It was showing a picture of this chateau to Sofia that launched our first visit. Sofia loved it and we have stared at it multiple times on every visit.

It was in our visit in 2007, I stood in the estate vineyard, looked & tasted their soils. After doing so, I said, “I get it.” I understood everything about what I was tasting in Left Bank Bordeaux’s early in my wine journey.

Sofia and I had dinner w/ Christian Moueix not long after the 2005 vintage was hyped/released. She asked him, when did you know you had something special?” He said, “as soon as I tasted the fruit at harvest.”

Tonight, it shows that it is a close relative, a sibling to Pichon Longueville. Cork, perfect.

The nose shows; classic left bank traits. Ripe, dark, brooding fruits, bright, mid berries, red cola, leather, tobacco, sandalwood, leather, led pencil, dark rich earth, limestone, dry river stone, hint of mushrooms, dark, red, fresh & withering florals.

The fruits on the palate show everything outstanding from the 2005 growing season. Ripe, juicy, brilliant; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, baked/poached strawberries & some hovering raspberries. Dark chocolate bar to pudding, red cola, anise, dark spices w/ palate heat, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, pronounced graphite, dry tobacco, leather, limestone, dry twig, dry river stone, moist clays, moist herbs, cedar to sandalwood, withering & dry, dark flowers, red roses, some lavender & violets, beautiful rainfall acidity, excellent; balance, tension, structure, length w/ an elegant finish that lasts minutes and lands on spice & earth.

13.4 ABV. Nice.

#TheTwoHourRibcap

This held up vacuumed sealed the same night, refrigerated & enjoyed exactly a week later. — 7 months ago

Doug Adams

9.3

2018. Decanted for about an hour and improved with more time. — 7 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

Beautiful tempranillo led wine with 10% graciano from one of the benchmark vintages in the past 25 years. This Gran Reserva has legs for the long run but perfectly approachable now! — 10 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite deep ruby and , garnet terracotta rim. Quite spicy nose , slightly green touches , mix of red and dark fruit . On the palate fills out quite well , good acidity , slightly gritty tannins still with mineral , tobacco notes on the finish . Ok reasonable length . This comes across a bit greener than I remember it , so not sure how representative this bottle is , fine to drink now and over the next 10 years . 91

Second bottle medium deep ruby with garnet rim . Took a bit of time to open up , but very good definition , red and dark fruits, truffle , undergrowth, cigar box and grafite. On the palate quite charming sweet red fruits, red plum, cassis , dried spices, undergrowth , elegant for las cases , grafite and tobacco stained finish . Well balanced acidity and quite gritty but ripe tannin . This is lovely now with time in the decanter and over the next 10 -15 years . Completely different from first bottle . — 3 years ago

Michael Sotiriou

9.2

Full bodied velvety tannins. Black fruits on the nose and almost chocolatey balanced finish. Paired with Beef Wellington. — 6 years ago

with Angelique

Paul J

9.3

Would have benefited from a decant and more age. Definitely young and fairly tight. Has all the right characteristics to be great, but let this guy age. — 8 years ago

Raj

9.3

I drank this after using an aerator. Immediately scent of braised beef and fresh rubber on the nose. Meaty flavor on the way down. Truly is best wine under $5 at TJ's — 10 years ago

Martin.Wang

9.0

Vintage 1986. not good as LLC from same application — 10 years ago