Quite light lemon yellow , very persistent , fine bubbles . Quite taut and strict on the nose , chalk dust , white flowers , honey suckle and elderflower , lemon peel , touch oyster shell and a touch of fresh baked bread . On the palate really good volume and density , lively acidity . Lots of citrus with good mineral , oyster shell notes . Long and mineral , saline, tinged finish , hint of toasty brioche on the end . This is really quite young and shows tighter and more mineral than the first bottle we had . Would leave this a few years and will have a long life , better in 10 -15 years and last well a further 10 or so . Great potential — 5 months ago
Very pleasant with cheese and pate. Nice sipping wine as well with good body. — 6 months ago
Fairly serious Cab for the money; characteristic dark fruits - black currant in particular, good structure with balanced acidity, some menthol notes — 6 months ago
Served alongside beef short rib, xo sauce, pickled mustard seed, cumin stir-fried asparagus. This bottle of 2006 was throwing a ton of sediment. Showing mostly red fruits with red currants, new leather, tobacco, earth, forest floor, baking spices…a touch green. Hello Cabernet Franc!! Good structure. The finish is long. Every time I have the opportunity to enjoy Sassicaia, I am reminded why it’s one of the great wines of Italy. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive. Drink now through 2036. — 8 months ago
The 2016 Chateau Musar, the winery’s latest vintage on release, is much less forthcoming on the nose than the 2013 and ‘15 that I’ve tried recently, despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that the Hochars consider 2016 to be a successful and very ageworthy vintage.
The nose is quite dense and tightly wound, much like a left bank Bordeaux presents in its youth, not yet revealing its cards besides aromas of cedar, steeped plum, smoked beef and cinnamon. The palate, however, is open for business - powerful and saturated, striking that wonderful Musar balance between dark fruit and tangy acidity, expanding towards a puckering finish with good length.
The lasting impression here is of a very modern rendition of Musar, with great clarity and purity to the fruit, fine tannins, refreshing acidity on the palate and great drinkability now (though equal potential to age). My preference of late remains the 2013, but that’s now quite hard to buy - so I’d happily have a case of this instead.
94+ — 3 years ago
Very smooth wine. Great price but not as good as the Kirkland Columbia Valley cab/Merlot blend. — 9 years ago
This wine is inexpensive, kind of sweet, and good for unwinding. I was happily surprised! — 11 years ago
No formal notes . medium deep ruby , medium bright ruby rim. Quite spicy a little oak noticeable at first . Mixed dark fruits . A bit more round and juicy on the palate , good acidity , slightly grippy but polished tannins . This becomes a bit more restrained and reserved after a while. Served blind , I actually put this as Haut Brion , due to its generous personality, and polished tannins. Overall showed well in the flight was my top wine (though the Cheval Blanc may well be better in absolute terms) . Can be enjoyed now , though has the substance to last a further decade or so, a good showing for the Mouton. — 5 months ago
BlackBerry, Oak, Tobbaco aromas, chocolate, a bold Cabernet Sauvignon with really good quality — 5 months ago
Cherry and plum nose. Very fruity.
Red fruit flavors w/ vanilla and spice notes.
Good overall.
$29 — 5 months ago
Enjoyed on 12/26/24. Vintage 2020. $29. Very good for the price. Full flavor. Nice balance. Will buy again. — 6 months ago
Purple in color with a purplish rim.
Fruity nose with blueberries, black plums, stewed cherries, raisins, figs, light oak, licorice, spices, chocolates and peppercorn.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cherries, spices, light wood, peppercorn, dark chocolates and herbs.
Medium plus on the finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.
This 3-year-old Zinfandel from Sonoma County is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next few years.
Showing nice complexity with a soft mouth feel. Fruit forward and easy drinking. Rich, but not 'too much'.
The alcohol is not very noticeable at this point, although it is very high, so watch out.
I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent. I usually like it better with a little more age.
Wine Spectator 92 points.
A good everyday wine. Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with burger and fries.
A blend of 83% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 3% Alicante and 4% Mixed Reds.
15% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$25. — 9 months ago
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 — 5 years ago
Reggie Love had the 2014 vintage, a steal at $9, very good and very purple, easy to drink, definitely buying again — 9 years ago
Good stuff, putting some flames out... — 10 years ago
No formal notes . Medium ruby . Bit more coffee and roasted character at first , touch of oak perhaps. Quite rich and rounded on the palate at first, good acidity , good length . More red fruit , more delicate after a while , mineral , oyster shell , mineral and leaner on the long finish . Very classic , grafite tinged . This improved with air and really gained in complexity with time . I would be tempted to leave this a little longer or give it a longer decant . No rush here , will continue well for a further 10 years . Tied as my favourite wine of the flight with the Latour. — 5 months ago
Medium lemon colour . This is showing a little more complex and detailed than the last time . Lemon rind , crushed rocks , ginger and white flowers , touch of brioche also . On the palate a bit more dense , but with good balanced acidity and lemon rind , brioche , ginger and toasty , mineral finish. Drinkable now , though best days will be in 5-10 years time , though I don’t think this will be as long lived as the 2012 . — 5 months ago
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. No formal notes due to the setting. The 2018 is a fairly classic expression of Beaucastel with a mixed bramble fruit set, underbrush, herbs and spices in lovely balance. Good structure. While still on the youthful side, the 2018 is already showing well and was an awesome accompaniment with a wagyu burger. Drink now through 2038. — 6 months ago
Very good — 7 months ago
Not sure this is keto being my 2nd bottle@today! Smooth! Bit past? Maybe. Good though. — a year ago
Very good With strong black fruit, chocolate. Medium to low tannins. Good with burgers and red meats. — 3 years ago
The nose was weirdly muted and indiscernible. Also a bit tight but the finish was full and nice. It’s good but for the price and time in the bottle, it just left me unimpressed — 5 years ago
Okay - fine. It’s a good, probably great wine. Overpriced? Yes. Opus is filled with pretentious douchbags? Double yes. But this is a well-made wine bridging a gap between Napa and Boudreaux. Dusty nose with menthol, earl grey tea, tobacco, flowers, cassis, and creamy dark fruits. It has a really nice velvety finish. — 7 years ago
Garnet with thin translucent rim. Light complex nose of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, marshmallow, vanilla, baking spice and oak. Light body of mild pomegranate and red berry cola bring clean acid to the palate with a baking spice, smoke, leather, and earth background. Small velvety tannins leads to a long, slightly dry finish of pepper and cocoa. Very good balance and good structure make this a bargain at $19.99 USD as a sipper or light dish partner. — 10 years ago
So good! My favorite Malbec currently. — 11 years ago
Andrew Cullimore
No formal notes . Pretty deep Amber , copper colour . Intense marmalade , saffron , creme caramel . Rich on the palate with rich marmalade , saffron notes . Good acidity , but rich. Good length . This is drinkable now and shows quite an advanced colour , though due to its richness will probably carry on delivering for another 20 years , perhaps longer .
This was a rather fascinating evening put together by our incredibly generous host. All 2007 reds were served blind in two flights: 1st Mouton, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc , La Mission Haut Brion then Latour , Lafite , Petrus and Margaux . Overall the wines showed well , and were mostly enjoyable to drink now , though there is no rush . This somewhat maligned vintage can give a lot of enjoyment in the right environment, I certainly wouldn’t hold back from opening or purchasing any of these wines . They mostly show good density of fruit , personality and elegance , with good freshness. These are not powerful wines , and at times perhaps the fruit can be a little cooler or greener but I was pleasantly surprised by the way they performed , just goes to show you should never write off a vintage without trying the wines ! — 5 months ago