Matt

9.5

Drinking beautifully with a Northern appellation feel to it, more Brune and schistous to me. Would love to know all the lieu dits that contribute and their proportion in the final blend. Its darken fruit profile, meaty/smokey and forest notes make the argument that it’s of northern origin. Its opening up for now there’s a rich stream of dark black fruits reminiscent of Black raspberry liquor, soaked plums, almost prune, and overripe black berry/cherry. There’s still freshness to the fruit however, nothing ox’d or decaying. Singed cedar, leather, ash, roasted meat and animal come next, followed by the garrigue and bacon fat. Threads of eastern spices and of course pepper. It elusive now, the aromas coming and going. Palate has some lovely richness and bones to accompany it well, never pushy, always with restraint and nerve. Reminds me of Barolo. Great “basic” cuvée for Rostaing this vintage. Day 2 this really got going, much more harmony and focus on the nose. Loads of bitter root and pastille notes developing among its dark content. Very delicious — 5 years ago

Jeff Hasmann

9.4

Classic and magnificent! Aromas of dark berry, cocoa powder, cedar, and anise explode from the glass. The palette adds hints of vanilla and coconut all knitted together in perfect harmony with a finish that goes on forever. This is a wine that evolves with each sip attaining beautiful complexity as the evening goes on. Drinking great now with a 2 hour decant. The tannins are already smooth but will soften even more with cellaring. The 2009 is a truly awesome old world Rioja. Treat yourself! 2009 vintage on Nov 23, 2018. — 7 years ago

Bacchus Trip

8.9

Purple, aromas of fermented fruit, a briery blackberry front end with forest floor on the finish. Well structured and in harmony. 🍷🍷🍷✖️✖️ — 8 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.8

A softened ruby color. Beautiful balance, everything in harmony. Wet earth, raspberry, cinnamon, a whiff of truffle, intoxicating nose. So much ripe, fresh red fruit on the palate. Such soft tannins, damson plum, a mineral streak running through. Drinking a 15 year old wine for 15th anniversary of diabetes. This is splendid in the moment — 8 years ago

Drew Summers

Sales Northampton Wines

9.4

Muddled Harmony... — 8 years ago

Jeff Mastin

8.9

Acidity med minus tennis med well blended — 9 years ago

Geoff Troup

Sales Eder Brothers, Cellar Fine Wines

9.5

Beautiful structure. Moving it around my tongue, there is not a single flavor bit in harmony. Terrific elegance. Grape jelly, spice, chalk, gravel, striking minerality and length. — 9 years ago

Alan Weinberg

9.6

Looking like a young rosé when this white wine was poured into a glass, the incredible nose was full of red fruits and licorice, an intense distillation as if a gallon had been boiled down to a couple ounces, echoing on the palate where every taste bud was coaxed and recruited to sing in perfect harmony as the crackling acids vibrated through the wine with enough electricity to power a small city.

Writing this the next morning I can still taste the cherry, raspberry, peach, apricot fruit salad of this perfect wine. — 9 years ago

Katelyn DeVan

9.0

Really good, smooth full bodied and drinkable. Tastes expensive, also very very similar to "Earthquake", by Michael David Winery which I like. — 10 years ago

Martin Davies

9.6

Salami, cheese, wine and talking rubbish evening. Wine of the night. In harmony now but can bat on for sure. — 11 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

Berries boxed in cedar - I could sniff this all day.
Alas, I want more - medium bodied, an incredible harmony of bold red berry fruit, Himalayan salt, cedar tannins and interesting orange zest at the very, last whisper of the wines embrace. Glad I let this set for a couple of years. Great producer, wonderful area, the Ribero del Duero..
— 5 years ago

Aaron Hamrock

9.8

This is an amazing wine. It is now in a prime drinking window. The tannins and fruit are in perfect harmony. I would think that this wine would last another 5-10 years. — 6 years ago

Tom Dare

9.1

Dark fruit in good harmony, drink today or cellar, very balanced today and will get better. — 8 years ago

Matt Lichtenberg

9.6

Fucking insane. Fruit and tannins in perfect harmony. California Cabernet cum shot. — 8 years ago

with Walker and Bryan

Tibor Werzl

9.8

Wine of the tasting ! Great Balance, pure harmony, rosted red bellpepper, red currants, pencil, smoke.... loooong finish ! — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

It's simply Cabernet gold. You'll be hard pressed to find a Napa Cabernet better than this one...bar none! Including cult cab's! Look up mouth harmony in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of this bottle. Chuck is so selective in his fruit for his Cabernets, he's only made four times in fifteen years. — 9 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.6

Really dark opaque purple, with dense color tone not eased up on the rim. The bubbles are purple too. It shows a bit brownish tone on the rim. Beautiful dense legs on the rim flowing slowing downward. Nose of ripe dark sweet fruit, wood fragrance like cedar, leather, herbs, jam, raisin, and a slight hint of spice. All the fragrance is saturate, but in harmony. Taste of bright acidity, dried apricot, peppery, black tea, zest, dark chocolate, medium tannins, oaky, and peaty. Aftertaste is long with dark chocolate and coffee-mocha note, and a bit tea flavor. Wow. I hope I have another bottle for aging. — 9 years ago

Gillian Robb

9.3

Black fruit, sweet baking spice, oak for days. All the harmony. — 10 years ago

David Musser

Sommelier The Little Nell

9.4

This wine is awesome.
Game
Earth
Fruit all in good harmony. Young and fresh. — 11 years ago

Tim Terry

9.6

Perfect harmony — 12 years ago

Brandon Boesch

10

Wow! Singing. Menthol, berries, hint of cream, herbs, cassis. I am influenced by drinking with the guy who made this wine while listening to him play songs from the album! Still excellent for an almost 20 year old wine. — 5 years ago

with Randy

Evan Bienstock

9.4

A trip through old world wines — France, Italy and Germany. This 2011 Clape was great. Decanted for 3 hrs and still it’s youth was evident. But the structure and fruit and earth are in great balance and harmony. Clape can do no wrong. — 6 years ago

Matt

9.6

The hallmark, and almost its give away, is its balance of all the complexities that come together to create a stunning wine of richness, precision, harmony and length. There’s so many facets to this wine and they all seem to be working together to weave a whole, uniformed wine. Reminiscent of Batard Montrachet, but with a little more CA sunshine to boot. So powerful but so playful and energetic on the palate. — 7 years ago

Matt Lichtenberg

9.4

Best bottle yet of this wine. Tannin and fruit balanced in perfect harmony. If I can only source some more.... — 8 years ago

Todd Alexander

9.4

I thought this was still fresh, perfectly balanced, everything in harmony right now. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Nose of dark cassis, dry florals and coffee grounds. Ripe fruits that finish dry. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries paint the background, black tea, coffee grounds, fresh leather, dry stems, moist black earth, dry stone, some black licorice, black cherry cola, bright acidity, nice polish on the finish. This Montrose is well made. The structure, balance, length, tension, depth are in real harmony. Just needs 15 more years to be magical. — 9 years ago

Charlie Tapp

9.6

Drinking really well right now. Plenty of fruit left. Blackberry, smoked meat and spice, all in perfect harmony. Paired beautifully with ribs. — 9 years ago

George Chen

9.2

Perfect harmony...seamless poetry of soft gentle dried flowers and warm earth. Need to find more as it was a deal years back! — 9 years ago

Alan Cohn

9.4

Anselme made a great champagne. More please. Drinking with @Harmony Knutson and @David Cohn — 10 years ago

Ari Newman

9.7

2005 vintage, magnum. I'm really not sure what to say. @Cathy Corison is simply the best! While I'm sure she'd tell me I should have waited another decade, the bottle was just delightful. Well balanced. Earthy minerality and deep fruit are in harmony as usual. Just wish I had more to revisit. — 10 years ago

with Dana