Andrew Cullimore

9.3

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. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

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. — 4 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2005 vintage. Light-medium/medium bod. Rocking don't bother knocking. So good. At the top of its respective bell curve and looks to hang out for quite some time. Maybe an extended residency? Not going anywhere anytime soon. 12.11.24. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Double decanted two nights before service. The 2013 Insignia pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing but still quite youthful with notes of tart and ripe dark fruit: dense brambles, purple flowers, tobacco, vanilla 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+. At 11 years of age, this remains tightly coiled and needs more time to open up and tell more of its story. All that being said, this is very good now…but to my palate, better after 2027 and through 2043. — 6 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.6

Amazing! Rich with good intensity hitting all notes. One of my favorite Champagnes this year. — 9 months ago

Harry

9.2

Very good With strong black fruit, chocolate. Medium to low tannins. Good with burgers and red meats. — 3 years ago

Peter Collins

9.1

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

Reggie Love

9.0

Reggie Love had the 2014 vintage, a steal at $9, very good and very purple, easy to drink, definitely buying again — 9 years ago

Mvon Higgins

9.2

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. — 9 years ago

Michelle Raspanti

9.1

This wine is inexpensive, kind of sweet, and good for unwinding. I was happily surprised! — 10 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

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 . — 3 months ago

Abbas Zand

8.9

Cherry and plum nose. Very fruity.
Red fruit flavors w/ vanilla and spice notes.
Good overall.
$29 — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

With Christmas Prime Rib seasoned in Maldon salt, fresh garlic, Thyme, Rosemary. Pepper, Basted in butter, meat juice, drenched on Campari Tomatoes & Shallots.

This bottle was good but it’s not up to others I’ve had in the last year. — 4 months ago

Jenks

9.2

2020 Silver Oak at the sky club. Hype Napa cab, would normally avoid this like the plague but not gonna lie it’s pretty fucking good. Would I buy it? No. Will I throw excess miles at it, absolutely. — 5 months ago

"Odedi"

9.0

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. — 7 months ago

Will Stanley

9.4

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

Sean Grullon

9.5

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

Martin.Wang

9.0

Vintage 1986. not good as LLC from same application — 9 years ago

Noemi

9.4

Very easy to drink. Surprisingly smooth Good buy for the price. — 10 years ago

Alexandre Czesnat

8.9

BlackBerry, Oak, Tobbaco aromas, chocolate, a bold Cabernet Sauvignon with really good quality — 3 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

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 — 4 months ago

Liam James

8.9

Fairly serious Cab for the money; characteristic dark fruits - black currant in particular, good structure with balanced acidity, some menthol notes — 4 months ago

zach Hatfield

9.0

Very good — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

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. — 6 months ago

Edward Nelson

9.0

Not sure this is keto being my 2nd bottle@today! Smooth! Bit past? Maybe. Good though. — a year 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 — 4 years ago

Larry Frierson

9.8

2001 vintage? Please. Only Krug could produce a wine this good from such a bad vintage. It has massive strength, minerality, a finish that dances on your palate. Tastes 20 years younger. You almost forget how wimpy the mousse is. — 6 years ago

with Craig

John O'Sullivan

9.0

Very smooth wine. Great price but not as good as the Kirkland Columbia Valley cab/Merlot blend. — 9 years ago

Michael McCloskey

10

Good stuff, putting some flames out... — 10 years ago

Michael Stancil

10

So good! My favorite Malbec currently. — 11 years ago