John Micklethwaite

9.2

Great wine. Could have left it to age for another decade really — a month ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.7

1985. 40 years young. Gave it an hour to open up before dinner (paired orange ginger glazed duck with pistachio apricot farro). Thankfully my partner is a master of the Durand. There’s very little for me to compare this too - most aged whites are preserved by acid; Chave relies on glycerol here. It gives the wine gravitas but also life and freshness. Pleasant wood veneer/wood shop notes, dried apricots at first (become fresher with time), yellow plum, truffled earth. Salty poached apricots and timelessness. In a perfect world, we’d be sharing this with my dad. Strange & sensational. — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Broad and supple. Very fresh fruit still. Great character. Smooth and pure. Excellent — 2 months ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

"Odedi"

9.2

Inky in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, plums, licorice, light cedar, earth, cola, herbs, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, black tea and light garigge notes.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, oak, light licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, cola, herbs, peppercorn and light vegetables.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and complex, spicy and tangy.

Delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

The alcohol is nicely integrated already, although not as high as typically from this region.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and this is not my favorite, by far.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$450. — a month ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

Birth year! One of the best vintages for this wine, and 91 is showing amazing—rich, savory, satiny and ultra complex. A tour de force. If I was blinded I’d guess 20 years younger! — 3 months ago

Brad Jensen

9.4

Musk, Holly berries and bramble, pine needles, iron, velvet, driftwood, hints of coffee and bold red meat. There’s berries in there, red, lush, ripe and dark, but it’s so well integrated into the perfume (and it is perfume) that it’s impossible to separate them. Like a thin spread of preserves and dank basement. Palate has that lean nature of Syrah, between medium and light bodied, tannins present, but molded well into the palate, not ostentatious. Lush, silky dark red and black fruits roll forth, along with some charcoal, graphite, blood, and iron. — 3 months ago

with Tiva

Brian Hearty

9.6

2014. Enjoyed a small splash at the end of a great birthday meal at The Oven!
Such pure stone fruit and honeyed aromas and flavors with balanced sweetness and acidity. — 19 days ago

Ming L

9.3

Aromas of ripe apricot, honeyed peach, and white flowers are layered with subtle hints of hazelnut, spice, and subtle tropical fruits. The palate is lush and rich yet never feels weighty, and offering stone fruit, candied citrus, and a touch of minerality. The long, harmonious finish leaves notes of almond and soft honeysuckles lingering delicately. A mature, refined Condrieu at its expressive peak. — 2 months ago

Joe Flo

9.7

Great balance fantastic fruit hints of lemon peel. Just drinking fantastic. — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.8

Tasted blind. Medium deep garnet ruby and medium garnet ruby rim . Quite cool and restrained , again lots of grafite and mineral , dark fruits . This is quite deep and dark spicy cassis , blackberry and sea spray , saline . Quite dense and robust on the palate again , lots of fine but ripe tannins. Very long , dense , cassis , cedar grafite saline finish . This is a complete and great example of 2005 , great balance and enormous length , the longest of all on show here. Drinkable now , but surely it’s best days are in the future , wait another 5 -10 years , will last well a further 20 - 25 if not more . The apex of 2005 ? For me this had to be the Latour , and an archetypal example of Latour no less . 1st place and the gold medal . — 2 months ago

John Malcolm

9.0

A lovely wine. Luscious cherries, plums, vanilla, mocha, and some cedar. A great wine for the price. Stag’s Leap always makes consistently fine wines. — 2 months ago

Jean-Phillippe Landry

9.1

Fantastic! — 6 months ago

Rob Brobst III

9.5

Needs two days! Better than most! A great buy at $50.99 a bottle. — 3 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.7

I love this wine. Nose is gorgeous. Some wood, intense florals and a pastille element. Blackberry, raspberry and so much unreal fruit. On the darker side. Palate is silky and sweet with top top finesse and terrific freshness. Really young but not inaccessible. So pure, so damn refined. A brilliant bottle. A day later this is transcendent. Siky yet rich palate, and gorgeous minerality. Luscious and so juicy. Creamy and long. 9.7. — 4 months ago

Harvey Raben

9.6

Still strong with bramble fruit herbal characteristics that flow into a long finish. For a 43 year old this is spectacular example of Syrah in the northern Rhône. Complexity without off flavors from aging. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The wine pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and desiccated black and red fruits: mixed brambles, Flintstone vitamins, spiced meat, olives, purple flowers, black pepper, dried herbs, rocky earth, a 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. Similar to the 1997 we tasted alongside, with all of the same notes except this brought back the familiar Flintstone vitamins that I have encountered in La Mouline from the past. The structure was also more substantial. I preferred this to the 1997 tonight…but I’m splitting hairs! — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.9

What a special treat to have an entire flight dedicated to the one and only Noël Verset. All three wines were opened prior to dinner and serially enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Stylistically, all three wines were similar and most importantly, sound! The 1998 pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with ripe and slightly desiccated, wild red bramble berries, dried purple flowers, cracked black pepper, black olive, garrigue, spiced meat, coffee, old leather bound books, exotic eastern spices and inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Bro…this bottle left me speechless. It has all of the things I could possibly want in Cornas plus, it has the staying power of Barry White. For me, this was the wine of the flight (and WOTN), overshadowing the more heralded 1999 and giving more than the relatively demure 1992. Drink now through (???). This has the characteristics of an immortal. — 2 months ago

J Choi

9.3

Should decant. Finesse. — 2 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.5

This had amazing aromatics showing black cherry, meat, graphite, licorice, savory spice, violets & tobacco — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

M. Chapoutier “Monier de la Sizeranne” Hermitage Rouge 2020, Rhône Valley, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Hermitage Syrah sourced from several parcels including Les Bessards, Le Méal, and Les Greffieux. The vineyards combine granite and clay soils that give the wine both structure and richness.

Aromas & Flavors
Raspberry, blackberry, and cassis are complemented by black pepper, licorice, and subtle smoky notes.

Mouthfeel
Elegant yet structured with concentrated tannins and a long, spicy finish.

Food Pairings
Venison, roasted beef, duck, or aged cheeses.

Verdict
A refined Hermitage Syrah that captures the balance of power and elegance characteristic of the appellation.

🍷 Personal Pick
A beautifully structured Hermitage Syrah that showcases the depth and elegance of the appellation with impressive balance and complexity. — 3 months ago