Andy Hall

8.9

This bottle was a big tease. Intoxicating nose and delightful on the front palette. Gets your mind thinking of great things for the finish like depth, complexity layers etc. It never comes. The finish is completely lacking. Such a tease. — 4 years ago

L.A. Warren

9.0

Lots to love about this gem from Lebanon.

Very smooth on the front end with lots of ripe red berries.

Paired with steak with mushroom sauce, roasted carrots, mashed potatoes and onions. — 5 years ago

Andrew Robinson

9.5

Cherry and slight carbonation up front with a blackberry finish. Dank!!! — 6 years ago

Michael Ma

9.0

Balanced but fruit is front and center through to the finish with a soft velvety tongue. The bourbon barrels come through with a deliciously harmonious, and unique surprise. — 7 years ago

Sanjay k

9.1

That was really good.

89 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): The 2013 Three Valleys is a plump, juicy and expressive Zinfandel-based red. Dark cherry, kirsch, sweet spices, dried flowers and tobacco are front and center in a soft, supple red to drink now and over the next handful of years. Once again, the Three Valleys delivers superb quality for the money. Drink: 2015-2020. (Jul 2015) — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.0

Most of the Farrell wines really do strike a very nice balance between buttery and acidic. This one is no different. Definite notes of butter, but also has a more acidic and tart side. The wine poured a medium straw color into the glass. The nose was butter and honey. Quite nice, actually. The entry was immediately more of a softer, full bodied, rounded edged wine that was all butter up front. Melon and mango abounded through the middle of the wine and finished with a lot of sharp acidity. This wine is insanely young. I felt that this one really could have used a 1-hour decant, and probably was murdered tonight, but it was the best option in a cellar of red wine when the chef calls for a white! Drink with a lot of bottle decant, or hold for 1-2 yrs before opening. — 8 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

10

Orin Swift 2014 Mercury Head cabernet sauvignon is fantastic ! At just over 100 dollars a bottle it better be. It has a bouquet of Sangria. The initial palate is blackberry and spice. Just what I love. There is also hints of cedar and tobacco. There is definitely chocolate and butter on the tongue. The finish comes late with a slight tangy pinch on the front of the tongue. It leaves me thirsting for more. To break it down:
Spice- 5 on initial palate
Buttery- 9 mid palate
Fruit- 6 mid palate
Oak- 7 on finish
Dry- 9 on finish
— 8 years ago

Rick Stiles

9.0

Up front tannins and loooong medium fruit with pronounced cedar and plumb. Very smooth and mellow all the way to the end. I venture to say it would be better with a few more years in the bottle, but we couldn’t take it anymore. — 5 years ago

Krupal bhatt

9.5

Wonderful perfume on the nose, great cherry notes on the front and mid palate, a touch of spice near the end. Smooth, resolved and elegant. — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Opened tonight. And, I feel like a broken record saying that here is ANOTHER great 2011 considering the "damned vintage" that this one received press for being. I have 43 more 2011 Napa wines and I have a feeling that I'm going to be writing the same thing another 43 times. Not powerful, but these wines truly show the complexity that Napa cab CAN be. Nose of iodine, black licorice. Very front of this wine is sweeter black cherry giving way to an herbal infused middle (getting more dried basil with a hint of oregano and cumin). The red clay terroir is unmistakably present here through the middle and finish, which is usually more present for Ponente only at the very finish. The wine finishes with black cherry and black licorice dominated notes. I have a feeling that this wine is still on the way up. Has a few more years until it is at the top of the hill, but drinking OH SO WELL right now. — 7 years ago

Charles Mires

9.0

Extra spice and acidity up front but a fine effort — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.1

Although this one did tend to have a citrus rich body, it is definitely a malo mouthfeel and more of a buttery chard. This wine was still quite delicious, and it's not really even my style. I was getting some lemongrass on the front, with a peach and mango note in the middle. The finish is more on the buttery side for my taste, but still went lovely with cheese and meat. Probably would have gone very well with Italian spiced nuts or with an herbal chicken dish. I believe this wine probably would have been more comprehensive if served with food. I think this one definitely has the longevity to age, but I'd put more stock in the Judge chard to do that most effectively. — 8 years ago

with Benjamin

Mark Flesher

9.5

Wine of the night. This wine had EXCELLENT fruit, and showed NO VISIBLE SIGNS of decline. Great powerful blackberry. I was guessing 01 Stag's Leap or Rutherford. Turns out it was Caymus SS 01, but I was second guessing myself on the year because it was a very purple color into the decanter and showing well. The wine had great vanilla on the front, blackberry on the front, and a more youthful middle and finish with some herb. This wine has 10 years left in it no doubt. Whoever cut this one off at 2017 has no idea. This one literally showed no signs of decline whatsoever. Drink by date 2007 - 2030. — 9 years ago

Christopher Brida

9.5

Deep red color. Dry up front with a light sweetness. Had plum notes. — 9 years ago

Doug Powers

9.0

Tad of a green note (asparagus?) up front, mature, resolved tannins, medium-bodied, medium-long finish, solid, if clearly unspectacular. — 5 years ago

with Jim

Tom Wildenhaus

8.9

Young and vegetal but strong red and black fruit. All of the wine is in the front and in you face. Should have decanted long or waited 5 years. — 6 years ago

Conrad Green

9.3

A cool nose of oyster shells, lime, cool wet stone. On the palate fresh and vivid with a lovely bright front and fine acidity. Still young but very pure and delicious. — 6 years ago

with Bex

Mark Flesher

9.2

Enjoyed while cleaning out the boss' cellar. Say what you want about this wine, but the one thing you can say is that this wine is incredibly consistent. This wine reminds me of the family uncle who always gives you some silver dollars at Christmas...even though you are now a grown adult. And if you actually listen to his crazy advice on investing when you were a kid, you just might be able to be that Uncle when you grow up. This wine is a thoroughbred. Meant to be consumed at least after 10 years. And this wine is in a really good spot. The nose does show a tiny bit of age as does the palate. This is front-loaded with slightly aged blackberry and a bit brambly. This wine smoothed out quite a bit over 3 hours. Finish with very nice integration, a hint of stiff oak tannin but a lot of it has resolved. Very enjoyable. This wine still has another 10 or 15 years left. — 7 years ago

Joseph LaPanna

9.6

Big powerful and intense. Dark only purple from core to rim; explosive nose of ripe black and blue fruit with hints of smoke, coffee and cloves. Full bodied and concentrated with black currant and blubbery compote up front and roasted fig, toffee and caramel on the mid pallet. Finish is long, dense and with silky soft tannins. The acididy is off the charts but the ballance is amazing. Would love to revisit in 20 years!!! — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 8 years ago