Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured from my cellar. The cork was absolutely perfect. The 2005 pours a rather turbid, deep garnet at nearly 17 years old. There's quite a bit of fine sediment that clings to the edge of the glass with each swirl. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this was initially a bit grumpy but within minutes, it relaxed and started to show some real charm. A fully developed wine, this is becoming a bit of a Leather Daddy, full of leather (obviously), bruised and desiccated red, black and blue fruits, Christmas spice fruit cake, coffee, damp earth, and candied nuts. On the palate, the fruit remains quite stunning and confirms the mix of bruised and desiccated fruit with a sort of sherried character. Loads of salmiakki (salted licorice), spiced nuts, pepper, coffee and, you guessed it, leather. The wine was dry, technically, but almost gives the sensation of some RS with all of the over-ripe fruits and the texture was almost sappy, in some ways. However, while this was absolutely rich and well-endowed, it was not cloying. Tannins have fully integrated (though still present) and the acid was like a girdle keeping everything held together. This remains a rather large personality even if it's showing its age. Definitely in a lovely spot...but how much longer will that last? If this wasn't my last bottle, I would probably be drinking these over the next five years unless you want the full Leather Daddy experience...which is okay if that's your thing. — 4 years ago

Bill Bender

9.4

WNH Zoom tasting #3 on 4/5/20. The theme was “10 years old or more” and I opened this after what I’d call a false start with a ‘96 Dominus Napanook. The cork was a bit soggy and difficult to extract and a sour nose greeted me as I decanted to remove a fair amount of sediment. But once the air hit it this wine spread its wings. It comes off as a hypothetical Volnay/Rioja blend as if there were such a thing. Mature warm red fruit, strong notes of rhubarb, cranberry preserves and sour raspberry mash. Very slight green notes but not in a negative sense. There’s still youthful exuberance here. This isn’t one of those “it’s drinking great for its age” wines it’s straight up exceptional. Great house. Great wine. Hell yes. Happy Bicentennial 🇺🇸🍷 — 6 years ago

Chris B.

9.0

Like a bagful of dried cherries (that’s a good thing). Medium ruby in color but still light, with a wonderful balance of tartness and gravelly creaminess. A touch of allspice at the end reminded me of some Pinots from Sta. Rita Hills. — 7 years ago

Jason Lee

8.9

Lmao at this alt right pet nat thotty it’s dirty and fun though 💁 — 8 years ago

Robert Lim

9.1

Aged Beaujolais that drink like crus - always a good thing. Pure, wonderful fruit with a youthful energy married with finesse. — 9 years ago

Amanda Rehn

9.1

Vintage 2000.... age is such a beautiful thing. — 9 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.5

Wow great wine. Lilac and licorice nose. Fantastic juicy Syrah fruit. Lovely internal aromatics. Has that edge of palate coating thing going on. Sweet good licorice. This could be epic in a few years. Or just really really good. Bought from Fass selections. — 9 years ago

with Lyle

Carter Pelham

9.7

Shared with close friends - everyone’s first Monte Bello, and a great one at that.

Took this bottle out to share at a local fine dining establishment, to pour it blind for our friends. Wrapped neatly in foil. We get seated and explain to our waiter. “The bottle MAY be a little bit older so take care with the cork,” I said, not wanting to give away the age to our friends. He proceeds to break the cork about halfway down, right through. No big deal. He’s a younger guy and I think a little flustered, he goes off to get assistance.

Comes back with another server. As the guy walks back up, I say “Thanks for helping us with our mystery bottle”, clueing him in on the idea that there’s a reason that we have it wrapped in foil. “Would have been nice to know it was an older vintage wine,” he replied brusquely. Ok… Server 2 digs around for a bit with an ah-so before punching the cork into the drink. Oh well. None of us are really phased by this, it happens.

They grab a strainer from the bar. Server 2 starts pouring at a decanter and immediately the first glass or so just goes everywhere on the table. I start to die inside. He remains silent. Gets on target with the rest of the bottle, finishing pouring, and says “Your 2004 Ridge Cabernet”, purposefully ruining the blind tasting, I guess. Walks away without another word, leaving his mortified coworker to clean up his mess and apologize.

This actually happened. On to the wine:

Beautiful medium opacity ruby with no browning.

Smells like a Pauillac on the nose. Blackcurrants, blackberry, black licorice, slight graphite, and damp tobacco. As the night goes on it reveals dill, vanilla, buttered toast, and slight dry woodsy notes.

The wine is surprisingly light in body, very much a claret. The tannins are silky, finely woven, and extremely integrated. The main thing we notice on the palate is that the wine is so perfectly integrated it is a little difficult to pull individual notes out of it. Expansive over the palate without being weighty. The finish is forever.

A memorable evening. — 5 years ago

with Linh and Sarah

Jason Gelman

8.9

super funky and yeasty and cloudy. lots of body on this one, it’s thick and chewy. contemplative wine, fun to try — 7 years ago

Beth Hamilton

8.9

It’s 100 degrees in Michigan today. Looking for refreshment and here it is. Gorgeous ruby color. Crisp tart red berries. Strawberries, tart cherries. Very fruity and dry with a little zing at the end. My first rosé of Carignan. 👍 — 7 years ago

with Parviz

Rob Moose

9.1

Boy it pays to hold these. This is in a fabulous place but I know from experience it can go much longer. At a nice intersection of fruit, plush texture and growing herbal influence. Just the thing! — 8 years ago

Narun P

9.0

53.5 CS, 40 M, the rest PV and CF
Pnp from a half bottle.

Youthful look with deep garnet, dense core, and minimal bricking effect.

Great bouquet. Probably the best thing about this wine. Savory dark fruits, barnyard, mushroom, soil tone, smoke, graphite.

Still very tannic for its age, med acidity, and med plus bodied. Overt sweet fruit of dark plum, dark cherry, and blackberry, so typical of 2003. The level of acidity just about enough to prevent this from falling flat on its face. New oak profile very strongly present still though not distracting. Finish long on cedary new oak.

Not the biggest fan of 2003 but this sails high above my expectation. Doesn't even need a lot of decanting to open up. Very nice at a great QPR. 90. — 9 years ago

Mike Saviage

10

Tasted blind. Ruby color. Almost opaque. Young fruit forward nose. Notes of plums, mocha, dark chocolate, coffee, cinnamon and some exotic thing like eucalyptus. So rich and vibrant in the mouth. A forever finish. This wine took us in all directions. Immortal. Stan's 60th will always be remembered for the 45 Latour vs 45 Mouton mano y mano battle. A wine life moment for sure. — 9 years ago

Tom Small

9.2

Excellent cab - especially for the price. First thing I noticed was the color, a very deep purple that suggests its depth. Don't be fooled by the less than $10 cost - this one is worth keeping in stock. — 9 years ago

Daniel M

9.3

There is an irony thing in the nose along with violet and rose petals and cherry and a bit of black pepper. This is the nose I fell in love with 10 years ago. The palate is very well designed with a strong acid backbone, a very nice round and radiating fruit, a bit of a sweet touch, some nice oily, scratchy tannins which kick things up for a rather long finish with that fruit, pepper and a long lasting floral aftertaste. So great. This is 7 Euro when you buy it from the winery directly and it's 15 kilometers from where I am right now 😍 — 6 years ago

Kimberly Jamrozek

9.3

I am in love with this Zin and will definitely join Uncommon Palette's wine club cause they offer the BEST!!! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When in doubt, a sure bet is a well aged, good vintage Heitz. @Eric Shanks

I intended to grab an 06 but, mistakenly grabbed an 07. I’ve not had one of my 06’s yet...next weekend.

The one thing I do every time I open one of my ten year or older Heitz Napa Cabernet’s is smile & think, this was sub $35 at Costco. It’s the wine feeling/definition of stealing candy from babies.

The nose is a beautiful harmony of fruit, earth and florals. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, dark spices with violets palate heat, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay, understated herbs & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, some sage & bay leaf, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is splendid. The long, ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well crafted balance of fruit & earth is delicious and persists endlessly with a dark spice on the long set.

The body is; delightful, ripe, rich, lush & full. The structure, tension, length and balance are woven in a perfect tapestry. This 07 has another 10-15 years easily. The tannins are rounded, smooth but, still have a dark, chewy, tarriness with baby teeth. The beauty of the vintage is on full display. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied ; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is perfect. The finish is; rich, ripe, ruby, candied, well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and long sets into velvety, round tannins and mid dark spices.

Photos of; the winery, tasting patio, old basket press and wide shot of the winery & Estate vines. — 6 years ago

Stanley Lipkin

9.6

Last year I wrote:"Just lovely. Some pepper on the nose. Gamey while it was cold. Then it turned to silk with notes of leather, cassis, and soft tannins. Elegant."

The only thing I would add is that the dark berries sing in harmony with the balanced tannins. — 8 years ago

Carl Fischer

9.5

Renegade Wine dinner series at Rebelle NYC presented by sommelier Patrick Cappiello. Focus was on Cab Franc: 15 wines paired with 5 courses. Posting a few favorites.

This was WOTN for me. First thing I noticed - and could hardly believe - was how bright red the wine still was being 38 years old. There was some funk on the nose but a ton of fruit as well. The fruit stood out on the palate - and the wine had a brightness to it I couldn't believe. Flavors of raspberries and gravel and still had a great acidity. The somm did note that there is a lot of bottle variation. He opened the same vintage recently and it was all mushrooms and little fruit - so he felt his bottle was a little atypical. But that worked for me. Paired well with Comte. — 9 years ago

Max Reichwage

9.2

Drinking well, still has that juicy raspberry thing at 7 yrs old — 9 years ago