Shay A

9.5

WNH Montelena Estate virtual tasting. Others represented were the ‘94 (evidently corked), ‘01, ‘03, ‘07, ‘15.

I may be an outlier here, but Montelena is one of the few wineries where I not only don’t care for them young, I just honestly don’t enjoy them at all (and that’s coming from someone who enjoys the likes of Myriad, Bevan, Rivers Marie, etc on the young side). For my preference, they are just so vastly better with 15+yrs of age to them. YMMV.

After standing this upright for about two weeks, I gave this about a 45min decant. Starting off fairly thin and having some funk to blow off, it really bulked up after an hour and a half. Dark ruby/tawny in the glass. Reminiscent of left bank Bordeaux (leather, herbs de Provence, only a hint of tobacco), but a sweet cherry liqueur and dried cranberry on the nose bring this back to possibly New World. On the palate it sports underripe and dried black cherries, red clay, cedar, bay leaf, and earthy tertiary notes. Gripping, tannic finish with balanced acidity. In harmony here. I’d say this likely has another 3-5yrs in this beautiful drinking window before evolving more. — 5 years ago

Lynn Gowdy

9.0

La Rioja Alta 2007 Grand Reserva 904- cherry, forest spice, forest red and black berries, cinnamon, slight leather, mushrooms, bay leaf, dried herbs, sousbois, smooth drying resolved tannins that are fondue like, a small element of astringency. The color has fallen out yet very traditional style Rioja. — 6 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.1

Distinct flavors. Dark black cherry. Chocolate and tobacco. Smell and taste the terroir. — 7 years ago

Zach Kouwe

8.9

Not that familiar with Zin but had a good mouthfeel, not much tannin, strawberry up front and was good with steak. — 7 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.0

Easy going and ever so enjoyable to drink. Red fruit is in the foreground with floral and some spicy notes backing it up. Balanced with a good structure and length. Some earthy complexity is developing in the glass which stimulates the more serious wine drinker. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

This is the most picturesque Chateau in Bordeaux. Oh...and they make a pretty amazing Bordeaux. It's a good first look at the 03 vintage from my five bottle set. There are steak wines and then there are steak wines. This was a 10 pair with the T-bone...Heaven. The tannins have softened but have many years ahead to get to that perfect place. The mouthfeel is full, round, creamy and elegant. The fruits have a not too sweet liqueur style. They are; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, sweet tobacco leaf, anise, used leather, black tea, used coffee grounds, rich wet black turned earth, stones, dry red florals, spice; clove, nutmeg, baking spices; very light vanilla, touch of caramel, dark chocolate and acidity that pours over the palate. There is the start of harmony in the structure, length, balance and tension. The finish lasts a full two-minutes and it crushed with the T-bone. Next bottle in 5-7 years. For the legions of you on Delectable crushing only young Napa Cabernet, you have no idea what you're missing in aged Bordeaux...forget about it...even vs. well aged Napa Cabernet. Respect!!! 3-4 hour decant and it needed every second of it. — 8 years ago

Christopher Legere

9.1

Good cab with fruit flavors — 9 years ago

Kari Johnson

9.6

Smooth flavor, fruity, sweet but not too sweet — 10 years ago

Joe Carroll

Owner/Wine Director Spuyten Duyvil, Fette Sau, St. Anselm & Gotham Artisanal Provisions

9.2

Odd for a restaurant (with a Michelin star) to sell wine like this but not have decanters or stemware. — 11 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Deep, dark color. Sharp nose. Notes of tobacco leaf, cut Cuban cigar, black fruit and some cedar wood. Very angular in the mouth. This was good but had an odd mean streak in it that was herbal and very strong. After 7 hours of air it mellowed a bit. — 5 years ago

Mars P.

9.7

best rum and coke ever. or mix with calamansi and soda — 5 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.4

That’s how you finish a long work day. Sake, sandwiched between Negronis. — 6 years ago

with Tyson

Michael Schamis

9.2

I feel that this is probably the best Pinot Noir producer out of the finger lakes although the competition is finally a good one. The nose has a wonderful aroma of currant a plum with undertones of spice including nutmeg and mulling spices. The palate is gorgeously light and elegant but still somewhat juicy at the same time. Flavors of plum, sour cherry and baking spice along with wonderfully balance acidity. The finish is soft and elegant with juicy fruit notes of lingering acidity. Wow... a great pairing for roasted pork. — 7 years ago

with Kati

Luz Magpoc

9.2

23 May 2018 at Barnone, Cleveland OH — 7 years ago

Rob Mayes

9.7

Outstanding. Winner of the weekend. — 8 years ago

Nancy Bernstein

9.0

Love this — 9 years ago

Rose’s Cafe

9.1

Nice! Juicy with notes of oak and vanilla. 😀🍷 — 9 years ago

Kelsey Redd

9.0

Chardonnay: tropical fruit, butterscotch, pineapple, peach, nectarine. Oak character. Rich texture and a creamy mouth-feel. — 9 years ago

Lili Brock

10

Excellent. Sweet but not overbearing. — 9 years ago

PS Michaels

9.9

Unreal. Barrel fermented. White wine from pinot noir grapes. Beeautiful. — 11 years ago

Pierre-Hugues Carmichael

9.9

Meilleur de la soirée! — 12 years ago

with Guillaume, Julien and 2 others

Mike Saviage

9.7

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Last night, a buddy of mine who’s a Disabled Veteran and Registered Architect, announced that he was assuming control of a SDVOSB Architecture firm. He had spent the better part of a year of trying to reach a purchase agreement. So it was an evening of celebration. He’s been a Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars fan for some time and he planned to pull the cork on a few bottles. We had a couple of rando bottles too but all were California Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the opening salvo and a very good one at that. Perfumed, lush, velvety fruit with lovely structure. Hugely quaffable and already drinking very well with a short decant but I think this is pretty characteristic of the 2014 vintage. — 6 years ago

WC Fields

9.4

Delicious. Blackberries, forest floor, tobacco leaf, anise, pepper, cloves, mint with bitter chocolate. Decanted 90min and the tannins were an excellent foil to a prime tomahawk ribeye. “Save the neck for me Clark!” — 7 years ago

William Hughes

9.3

Aging beautifully! Still loads of currant and lavender. Add a touch of iodine and some more black fruit, mix with lean tannins and fine acidity. Here is to Maryland wines! — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Our monthly 4th Friday event at the storage facility. No requirements, just wine you want to share with others! Always an enjoyable time.

Special place in my heart for this winery. A few months ago, I had an '88 go celebrate my birth year. It was STELLAR. This is pushing forward easily...after an hour of air, the fruit and secondary earth and funk notes came out. So good! Thanks Walter! — 8 years ago

with Mark

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

First, a person has to pause and realize how lucky they are to drink this wine from 3L. Thanks Clyde for opening. This is in a perfect stage. Such evolution, length, balance, structure. Love the lower 80's alcohol levels. It's rich, lush and near perfect. Dark cassis; ripe and resolved blackberries, dark cherries, black plum w/skin, mixed berry liqueur, tobacco leaf, leather so soft you would wish it as a pillow cover, dry pebbles, dark rich earth, perfect acidity and a rich, elegant, ripe dark fruit finish. In 3L, this wine still has 10-15 years. — 9 years ago

Eric

9.0

Rating may be influenced by prior bottles. Good not great. — 9 years ago

Mark Calkin

9.2

#wsetschool Deeply ruby coloured top level Rioja with large quantity of Graciano given it that deep intensity. Pronounced nose of black cherries, red currants and cranberries, with wet leaf notes. There are smoke and toast, cinnamon and cedar from its time in oak, and of course there are tertiary aromas from bottle ageing, like: tobacco, game, leather and dried fruits. This has medium (+) tannins and acidity and an excellent long finish. — 10 years ago

DAL 9000

9.1

Very smooth initial flavor. Light bodied plummy that fills the nose with red berries after swallowing. More intense after it breathes. — 12 years ago