Jeremiah Diaz

9.1

Clear, deep ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced primary and secondary aromas of blackberries, cassis, and graphite; on the palate; it's dry with high acidity, high tannins, high alcohol, full body, and pronounced primary and secondary flavors of black plum, black cherries, and black cardamom with a long finish. This wine is intense and balanced. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. — 4 months ago

John Willison

9.0

Grape juice. In a good way. — 4 months ago

Pooneet K

9.4

So seamless and delicious. We had 3 forty year olds at dinner so this was a birth year wine for the majority of our dinner. Last had a couple years ago, and this remains very good. Not primary, but also wouldn’t guess 40 years old. Really nice pairing with a roast leg of lamb on Christmas. — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon , hints of gold , quite a healthy colour with fine pretty persistent bubbles still . This quite intense with candied lemon peel , brioche , oyster shells , touch of porcini . On the palate this is intense ,with good volume and vibrant acidity. Buttered brioche , oyster shell , candied orange and lemon peel . Really quite lovely and intense , long and toasted brioche , chalky finish . This is at peak now , but no rush from here over the next 5 perhaps 10 years . — 7 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this . — 7 months ago

Daniel Ciolek

8.9

Good for a restaurant wine choice when there are no Italian reds. Not overly juicy or in your face typical of the region. Probably due to the nice peppery overlay. Acidity and tannins well balanced to permit mouthwatering enjoyment up front followed by a long relatively soft finish. Priced a bit much. — 10 months 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

Keith Fisher

9.3

163rd out of 375. A standard for good reason. — 8 years ago

Peter Keohan

9.2

Good color lovely nose rich and long clean — 9 years ago

Randy

9.8

Great wine, good quality for the price — 11 years ago

Michael Stancil

10

So good! My favorite Malbec currently. — 12 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 4 months 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

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Something for my Wagyu Burger.

I do enjoy this producers style/craft. Also, enjoy the elegance of St. Julien. 2012 is a vintage Sofia & 1 worked harvest at Clerc Milon. So, the 2012 vintage will always be a special vintage for me, even if it was only one that was good to very good for the right terroirs and producers. Just wasn’t special like; 00, 05, 09, 10, 16 or 19 etc..

Having said all that, this Ducru is not the 2012 star of the region. It’s elegant but falls short on depth, character & umpf, which are things I have grown to expect and have experienced from this producer in many vintages.

The palate shows, soft, round & velvety M-M+ tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, some of both plums, slightly baked strawberries & circling raspberries. Slightly dry tobacco w/ ash, soft leather, sandalwood, mid, dark, rounded spice, nutmeg, clove, some cinnamon & vanillin, dark most earth with clay & dry leaves, herbaceous notes, very soft & elegant graphite, a touch of of mid berry cola/licorice, dark withering flowers, red roses, nice acidity with nicely balance, good tension/structured, elegant finish that last nearly two minutes and long sets on rounded dark spice.

@EmiratesLoungeDubai — 7 months ago

Eldon Sproule

10

So for those who don’t know, this wine is a collaboration between one of the most famous California winemakers and one of the most famous Bordeaux wine makers (the grapes are from Napa).

The young expression when I first had it 10 years ago was big bold ripe fruit, probably the quintessential Napa cab.

The aged expression had more secondary and tertiary characteristics, terroir, and represented Baron Rothschild in respects of crafting a wine that could grow and develop and express the care that goes into winemaking as opposed to simply growing good fruit.

The young version of it perfectly expresses Mondavi and Napa. The aged version captures the elegance of Bordeaux winemaking and Rothschild’s fingerprints. You cannot fully experience this wine unless you’ve had it young and old. Unbelievable experience tonight. — 9 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

a touch of tang. Sour black cherry and good acidity — 3 years ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Andrew Lubeck

9.1

Dark fruit and Coffee notes - in a good spot — 8 years ago

Jon Ruyle

9.1

Just a really good nebiollo. 2010 vintage. — 11 years ago

Noemi

9.4

Very easy to drink. Surprisingly smooth Good buy for the price. — 11 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Pretty deep ruby garnet , medium wide garnet rim . Aromatic and really classic with a mix or red and dark fruits , tobacco , grafite and cedar . On the palate this is quite linear , again with the red and dark fruits from the nose, cedar and grafite and quite rounded resolved tannins . Fresh acidity , good cedar with grafite length , very classic in style . Enough density and fruit to cover the rest of the structure. In a perfect place now at least in this format , and probably will be over the next 10 years . This was from an Imperial , at BBR in London . — 4 months ago

Paul K

9.4

Bottle #2 from case and it has gained some structure and opened a bit in the last 1.5 years. Nose is great, reminds me a lot of last nights Pontet Canet on nose. Hint of tobacco, pencil leaf, red fruits currant, kirsch, and red berries. Great mouthfeel, great balance, and good structure. Looking forward to another in 2 years if I can wait! — 5 months ago

Helen Arvanitopoulos

9.3

Well this was a beauty.
2015 didn’t disappoint. Beautiful cherry flavours on the nose. Palate of red fruits and full body. Celebrated all the good things in life — 5 months ago

Donald Williams

9.3

BT tasting wine. Really good for the price. — 6 months ago

with Bonnie

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

Joe DAscoli

9.4

Delicious. Good amount of caymus fruit and oak but integrated well enough to deliver an outstanding wine — 9 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Mostly Zinfandel with less than 20% of other red varieties blended in. Dark ruby color. Intense aromatics of black currant/berry, black raspberry and plums. Same ripe fruits on the palate with additional flavors of black olive, basil, black pepper and baking spices. Long and lingering finish. Lively tannins and zesty acidity. Bold and powerful but not over the top. Good choice, Keith S! — 2 years ago

Taylor Ost

9.4

Good cab for the price. — 7 years ago

Paul Mason

9.2

Really good given its age. Amazing with roasted Chicken. Drink in the next year. — 7 years ago

Deni

9.4

Absolutely amazing. Lots of good brett. Balanced and delicious. Great dark fruit aromas and flavors. So smooth. Medium high tannins and acidity. Perfect silky texture. A little funk on the nose and palate (positive). Aroma and flavors are out of this world. Leather bag full of cherries and raspberries. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carmenere. Complex. Delicious 13.5% abv — 10 years ago

Michelle Raspanti

9.1

This wine is inexpensive, kind of sweet, and good for unwinding. I was happily surprised! — 12 years ago