Bob McDonald

9.1

See previous note from 96 weeks ago where I said that I would drink the last one when my son Hugh was home from NY (born 1987) which came to pass last night. Overall not as impressive as the previous tasting but retains its silky tannin structure. Very dark in colour - opaque. Notes of cassis and pipe tobacco - overall dusty without the depth of fruit of the previous tasting. Just medium bodied. Tasting Book recommend a drinking window till 2035 which I would not agree with. Leads me to think I will be drinking my bottles of 86 Mouton sooner rather than later. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It has been a great day hanging out with my love & best friend for Valentines Day. If I could give anyone young enough advise on selecting partner, marry your best friend you love. Greater degree of happiness & success. ❤️😍😘🥰

Love you Sofia and raise a glass of one of our favorite N/V Rosé Bubbles in celebration. Cheers! 🍾🥂

Happy Valentines Days everyone. Hope you are with the wine & one you love the most.

@Oswald — 7 years ago

.

9.2

Tasted with a group of 2007 Tuscan peers, about a week ago. Like all the wines, it got three hours of decanting before serving. This one was perhaps the most immediately approachable of the group, and showed sweeter fruit than the other bottles in the tasting. Of all the wines in the tasting, it saw the lowest percentage of new French oak, at 35%, which probably helped the fruit shine through. However, it also gave the impression that it might not be one to hold for too many more years. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

The nose is a little shy. It reveals; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, plum, touch of rhubarb & blueberries and strawberries. Vanilla, light cinnamon, clove and soft, dark spice, just slight whiff of green pepper, dark turned earth, limestone and red and dark flowers.

The 2012 vintage generally drank well right away. Now that this 12 has four years in the bottle, it’s very approachable. This said from someone who loves old(er) red wines. The tannins are round grainy. The body lighter than other Insignia’s. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, cherries, dry cranberries, plum, touch of rhubarb & blueberries and strawberries. Vanilla, light cinnamon, clove and soft, dark spice, suede leather, fresh tobacco leaf, steeped tea, dark turned earth limestone, crushed dry rocks with red and dark flowers. The acidity is fresh and lively. The finish is good yet leaner than previous vintages at this stage. It’s fresh and lively. Balanced but, the fruit is bright and really shines. It still a ways to go to get to where I would open one of my bottles. But, somewhat tempting now to open a bottle.

Photos of, JPV Estate vines, visitor center Insignia artwork, shot from a previous member party, and wine in barrel that ferments inside their visitor center. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

@ £50 - one of my fav pink NV with LP Rose, Bolly Pink NV & Billecart Salmon pink but this NV is a little lighter than normal

🍇 100% PN

🍾 Disg'd Mar 2015

🍷Pale peachy salmon copper pink

👃 Creamy citrus, red currant, apple & cherry, light smoked peachy oak, minerals & red flower

👄 Smooth & refreshing med body of red fruits with tart strawberry, apple, grapefruit & some cherry coming through in a lively bubbled mousse with low+ acidity & big minerality

🎯 Long red dry fruit filled mineral infused — 9 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.0

@Ron R @Mike Rowe @Bill Bender @Joe Lucca @David A Lentine @Carl Fischer Pretty good but not amazing. I used to be on Joseph Phelps club list just to get access to this one. I discontinued the club years ago and stopped buying this given its high price point and mediocre taste profile. My Palate has expanded since those early days. Thank goodness!
I would not buy this unless you find it for 50% off online. Every wine we've had today has been better than this overpriced bottle.
I'm just saying, — 10 years ago

with Christine

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

Warm up wine for Howell Mountain vs Stags Leap District. Clear pale yellow. Nose started out with some creamed pears, honey, sweet citrus and some light hay. As it had some time to open up it added more aromas of white and tropical fruit. Sharp moderate acidity (7/10) with a moderate body. Definitely needs to integrate further. Thinner than expected and not buttery at all. Crisp finish with a little metallic feel in the finish. Loved that it was not a butter explosion but the metallic notes in the finish and sharpness of the acidity knocked this wine down a few points. Drink till 2019. — 10 years ago

Keith Murphy

9.4

Was saving this one for a special occasion. And what better occasion than to share this with family today when we all gathered for Eleanor's first Thanksgiving... — 11 years ago

Josh Weinstein

9.3

Opening up well and better than I remember from a tasting last year. — 11 years ago

with Kristen

Sasha Agapov

10

This is still one of the best everyday wines you can ever get. It's truly wonderful and a bottle never lasts for more than 15 minutes. Every sip is a miracle. — 13 years ago

Perry Riddle

9.1

This is one I'll leave to those greater than me to argue about. — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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10

The 1945 La Mission Haut-Brion from the château cellar is transcendental. It is blessed with the most beautiful bouquet you can imagine, effortless and natural, featuring woodland, red-berried fruits, a minerally quality and a faint touch of leafiness; given time to settle, it develops a lovely gamy note. The palate is medium- rather than full-bodied and sublimely balanced, upholding that effortless grace with an elegant, bittersweet, dried orange peel finish. One of the most harmonious wines I have ever consumed. Perfect. Tasted at the La Mission Haut-Brion vertical in London in September 2009. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2020)
— 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

From a great old looking bottle with a top shoulder fill and solid cork. Old light brick color, translucent. Notes of tart cherry, cola, some wood and some dry earth. Rustic. Still has reasonable fruit and structure. This bottle was better than the last one. — 7 years ago

Paul K

9.1

@Sharon B said it’s national drink wine day so today’s obligatory bottle is a brand new one recommended by my buddy @ LWS.
It’s good. A bit lighter than I would have thought. Nose is cherries, floral, and herbal.
A little bit less than medium body. Strawberries, red currant, and green. I’m thinking I showed up to the party 5 years too early. Will come back later! — 8 years ago

Eli Barton

9.2

This was in better shape than the last one, decanted and opened up a bit. Nice classic flavors, good balance and acidity. — 8 years ago

with Jennifer

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2018) — 8 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.1

My first of the '14s. Much more open than the '13 already, this is one to drink while those continue to rest. A bit more restrained than the '12, the fruit profile leans a bit darker, the oak is already nicely in balance, and the tannins are mild. These will be enjoyable over the next several years. — 9 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.4

With a little air, this gets fragrant fast. A focused beam of dark, sappy cherry and a very clean note of stony minerality. In the mouth it's soft, balanced, and really clingy. Perfectly integrated acids. The color is about one shade darker than a rose. This is going fast. Might not have night 2 notes!

UPDATE: Two night later, nose is explosively sappy floral mossy. Deep flavors contrasting with a delicate texture and great acids. Upping to 9.4. Terrific, unique wine. — 10 years ago

with Lyle

Paul Barnes

9.0

Have always liked this one. Rustic with just enough fruit. More alcohol than I remembered. — 10 years ago

Joe Pea

9.1

This the third time I've had this in the last year and it shows beautifully right out of the gate. The wood and fruit are so interestingly and well melded at this point. Oak moves to cedar on the palate. Definite alcohol lift in the nose still and you can feel it the nostrils but not obtrusive...indeed it's actually a promising hint of what's to come on the palate. Dried cherry and stone fruit tastes on right away. Slightly mentholated. Definitely picking up distinct vanilla undertones on the nose and palate but not over the top. Satisfying medium tannins. Soft mouth feel but with really good/balanced structure. Perfect finish in line with what preceded it. Just a great fucking wine. And for the price? Getcha some! Can't believe this is still just around and available (not telling where!). Not for those who don't want wood in their wine but even here what you think will finish moderately chalky moves to soft-ish tannins at the perfect time. So many riojas are over top in the wood category or just so out of balance one way or the other. Everyone has heard of Rioja but have you really had a good one? Here's your chance without breaking the bank. I'd put this one up against the best or at least those considered the best. Maybe lacking a LITTLE finesse to be world class but damn close (can you use the word finesse with Rioja??). Drank in gulps with parmesan dusted NY style mushroom meatball mozzarella pizza from Peppino's in Athens, GA while watching Parenthood with my 17 YO daughter (who also pronounced the wine delicious). What a Tuesday night...thank you sir may I have another. Anyone really disappointed with this wine has WAY more money than me and is a spoiled brat. Geek out. — 11 years ago

Jackson Rohrbaugh

10

White pepper and stuff. One of the best I've had. Very different than young Rayas. — 12 years ago

Riccardo L.

9.6

Doesn't get much better than this one. Solid wine on all fronts. #jesusblood — 12 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.4

Ruinart Brut Rosé Champagne: One year in the making and finally the long awaited “playdate”! Does it get any better than this absolutely lovely pink bubbly? Thanks to the hostess with the mostest and welcome to the neighborhood! Cheers 🍾🥂 — 5 years ago

Pooneet K

9.0

A bit of a thinner montelena than some of the other years we have had. Still very nice. Possible bottle condition issue - this is another one that went through sandy. Good red fruit and a nice finish with good acid. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

I had one of these only 3 weeks ago - see previous notes but will add a few here. Have another 10 of these so will only record every 3rd one over the next 5 years or so. Looks way younger than 17 years apart from the tawny edges. Mocha, Chocolate and fading Black Currant. Some herbal notes finishing with powdery Tannins. 389 is a good example of choosing between youthful power and black fruits or more savoury balanced aged characters. No answer is correct - up to the individual. I can see the charms of both approaches. After a couple of hours in decanter - intoxicating aromatics. Excellent Wine. — 7 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

One of my all time favorites, the 1982 Cristal is magnificent. Fresh, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 1982 remains one of the all-time great Cristals. Apricot, almond and chamomile nuances suggest the 1982 is just starting to turn the corner into its plateau of maturity. This bottle lacks a bit of excitement, but, then again, the 1982 Cristal is not exactly the sort of wine I get to taste on a regular basis, so it is possible this is not the best showing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to taste it again soon. Even so, well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade-plus. “In my opinion, 1982 is the first vintage of climate change in Champagne,” Lécaillon explains. “Sugars were higher than we were used to seeing. As a comparison, the 1981 Cristal is also concentrated, but it is concentrated by low yields. In 1982, we had high yields and elevated ripeness, meaning it was the sun that ripened the fruit.” (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 8 years ago

Mono Head

9.0

2007-ridge - soil, manure smell, a bit bolder than the 2006. I liked this one but needs to open up a lot. Can stand many more years of cellaring. 9.0+ $260 — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Pichon Lalande is my favorite 2nd growth with a steak. Yup...it's #SteakandClaret night to quote my buddy Gary Westby. Further, it's certainly one of my favorite producers period. I've waited for this wine to be in the bottle for 10 years before finding out definitely how good it was or wasn't. You see, the 05 Bordeaux vintage was exceptional. It's drinking right now better than 00. 00 may turn out to be better, but not for some time. The real issue was the division of scores between RP & NM. Parker had this as low as an 86 and now has it at 89. Neil Martin has been consistently at 95-96. I found it simply inexplicable that Pichon Lalande could have bombed in such a great vintage. Tonight, I know they didn't. This wine is beautiful. Although, I don't believe it will cellar as long as their some of their very best vintages and many others I've enjoyed. On the nose, bramble, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries, graphite, baking spices, cedar, lightly perfumed violets and dark, fresh & dry red flowers. The body is medium-medium plus, tannins nicely resolved with 10 years to be completely resolved. Fruits of; ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries and pomegranate with a whiff of spice. There's notes of dry bramble, soft leather, fresh violets, graphite, cedar, dry stones, dark rich earth, limestone, tobacco, spice-box, vanilla, very light cinnamon & nutmeg. The finish is very long, elegant, ripe, round, smooth, good acidity and beautifully elegant...50-50 earth & fruit. I bought more bottles of this at $85 after it's was first released in futures and I do not regret it. $85 is proving to be a steal for this wine when it normally sells for between $100-$150 a bottle and higher. Might heavy up further after tonight if I find more around the same price. Oh yes...I'm with NM on the scoring. Photos of the Chateau, estate vines, newer tasting room & the Virginie de Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande. Forgive my long post, but my passion and love for this producer is profound. Producer history and notes...as I wrote in an earlier post for Pichon Baron, Pichon Baron and Lalande started as one entity. The first mention of what is now called Chateau Pichon Lalande was the creation of Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan. Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan is responsible for forming many of the top Bordeaux estates today. Pichon Lalande was given its name when Therse, the daughter of the founder received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville. Pichon Lalande was essentially managed by three women, Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort. On the eve of his death in 1850, Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville divided the property between his five children. His three daughters received Pichon Lalande and his sons Pichon Baron. What happened next was Virginie, the wife of the Count of Lalande took over the management of the estate under the name of Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850 she commissioned the popular, architect Duphot to build a residence inspired by the Hotel de Lalande, located in Bordeaux. Without heirs, Pichon Lalande passed down from aunts to nieces. Following World War I, the Miailhe brothers, bought Pichon Lalande in 1925. They were the ones who planted even more Merlot. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, the daughter of Edouard Miailhe became the new owner and general manager of Chateau Pichon Lalande in 1978. She expand the size of Chateau Pichon Lalande from 40 hectares to it's current 89 hectares. Chateau Pichon Lalande remained in the same family for more than 250 years! In fact, over three centuries, only two families have owned Pichon Lalande. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing sold Pichon Lalande to the owners of Roederer Champagnein in January 2007. This family-run company is managed by Frederic Rouzaud who owned several other wine estates in Bordeaux; Chateau Bernadotte, Chateau de Pez, Haut Beausejour and Chateau Reaut la Graviere. He sold Chateau Bernadotte in December 2012. In February, 2011, Sylvie Cazes was named the director of Chateau Pichon Lalande. She replaced Gildas d’Ollone. Sylvie Cazes was replaced in 2012 by current Director Nicolas Glumineau, who was previously at Chateau Montrose. In 2012, Pichon Lalande renovated the estate with a budget estimated at over 15 Million Euros. The new facilities included; building of a new underground barrel aging cellar and several new buildings...one that houses their new tasting room as shown. This renovation provided numerous improvements in their wine making. Most importantly, in the vinification. They created a new, triple tiered, cellar where everything moves by gravity. They also added numerous new, stainless steel, temperature controlled, double skinned vats. These new vats allow Pichon Lalande to vinify on a parcel by parcel basis as well as get much softer & gentle extractions. The 89 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Lalande is located adjacent to Chateau Latour and and across the road from Pichon Baron. The terroir of Chateau Pichon Lalande is deep gravel with clay and limestone soil and is planted to; 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. — 9 years ago

Kristi

9.3

One of my favorite NV AVAs. This is drinking very well. Much better than my last sampling in August. In fact, I would give it several more years this time around. — 11 years ago

Cody Short

9.8

Everything great Bordeaux should be. Cork crumbled in the Durand but first sniff and I knew it was on. Waves of saddle leather, tobacco, cedar, forrest floor and cherries. The wine was intense but more feminine than I expected, a great balance. Truly one of the best and most memorable bottles I've had the last few years. This is what drinking wine is all about, experiences that shake you to your core. — 11 years ago