Rob Brobst III

9.8

This could garner a perfect score in about a decade.... gorgeous blackberry, raspberry, cedar and orange sorbet scents that are extremely pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very precise acidity and layers of crisp black fruit laced with vanilla from the new oak at the moment. That will be subsumed in time. What you have here is a very precise, multi-layered, almost sensual Montrose that is going to delight many for years to come. This is highly recommended--one of the finest Left Bank wines this vintage. — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago

Meg Herring

9.6

Want a bojo that can age? Here it is. — 7 years ago

Mike Silvestri

9.6

Well now I'm playing with the big boys, can not go back from here. — 9 years ago

Patrick Sullivan

Western Mountain Regional manager estates division of Jackson Family Wines

9.6

Really not much to say here except holy crap this is good. Leather, bit of game, dark almost stewed fruits, cranberry. The tannins are pure silk — 9 years ago

Richard Lewis

9.7

Black currant, leather, and pencil shavings. I know 1998 was meant to be a tough year for Napa, but not apparent here - truly gorgeous. — 9 years ago

with Lynne

Tom Kobylarz

9.3

Here we go classic Napa! This baby is in fine shape and has plenty more time left to go! — 10 years ago

Charles (Chad) Bucklin

Owner and founder of C. T. Bucklin Wine Advising

8.9

Super cloudy. Some fun stuff going on here though. #bordeaux #moutonrothschild — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.4

2001 vintage. Lovely youthful notes here. Still way too young. Plummy and mixed berries, some smokey oak, mulberries. On the palate, medium body, tannins are well integrated, hints of black pepper and nutmeg. White chocolate. Yummy despite its youthfulness. Open in 2025. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.1

2013 vintage. Black fruits. Big wine. Lots of chalky chewy tannins here. Bit of a brute. — 11 years ago

E & K G

9.1

Violets, roses... so much to love here! — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 1999 Salon ‘S Blanc de Blancs’ Champagne is a magical wine that is sinfully good at twenty years of age. Disgorged in 2011 this wine leads the way with an extraordinarily good nose of salted praline with shades of wet stone, damp earth and bright citrus fruits that all mingle marvelously in the glass. The silky mousse captivates the senses. Bright green apple and kumquat flavors connect with diatomaceous earth, and shades of white truffle on the palate. The freshness here is quite extraordinary. While delightful now, this one of a kind Champagne will provide drinking satisfaction for at least another fifteen years. Drink 2019-2039- 97 — 6 years ago

jesus g

Hospitality Schramsberg Vineyards

9.6

I’m really beginning to see this transition where the 2013s-16s of Rhône and Burgundy are already so drinkable and showing ripe fruit. Like they are making them to drink now, this winemaking style is showing a little more fruit extraction and from what I’ve seen here in Napa, you’re sacrificing the ability to age there for the early drinkability. Hopefully I’m wrong and these are all just warmer vintages. I just wanna see these wines reach their potential 10/20 years out — 7 years ago

admiral von schnauzer

9.1

Wicked. Not entirely sure what they call this, brut vintage or some such thing but really yummy. Good balance, super nutty brioche toasty. No complaints here — 8 years ago

Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen KC

9.4

Ripe fruit up front with the savory stuff a bit in reserve. Decanting + time give the full spectrum of olive, spice, bacon, blood. There's so much wine here and such good conversation to be had around it. — 9 years ago

Anthony(aug 2013) Dimarco

9.0

First drink of the 2014. Find it a little of disappointment. Little flat and dare I say, very sweet. I love Caymus so I will give it another chance and let you know — 9 years ago

Jon Ruyle

9.7

So intense, so complex, so long, so elegant, so beautiful. Unlike other CDPs I've tried- more black fruit mixed with the blue, the finish more fruit than herbs. It was sort of cab-like. So much going on here. I loved this. A great birthday wine! — 9 years ago

BurgundyFan

9.4

In comparison to L'Eclapart I would say the difference here is the foam, perlage, the brioche touch, more as an aperitive — 10 years ago

Michael Kane

9.8

Here you go Carmine! — 10 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.4

2012. Vintage after vintage- just delivering great wine every year. So many things to love here. Enjoyed at a maximum with the Aussie band the Twerps. — 10 years ago

Matt

9.5

The perceived ripeness of fruit and level of suave tannin here was surprising to me. An 88’ a couple of years ago was so elegant and finessed where this showed a surprising level of concentration. That said, beautifully mature wine, its tannins have softened immensely and wrap the mouth, silky and soft. To tertiary, earth driven, behind a bit of dried berry, currant, and plum fruit laid pipe tobacco, peat, pipe smoke, dusty earth, dried flowers, worn leather. — 6 years ago

E & K G

9.2

Balanced but almost to a fault. Probably some bottle variance here but it doesn’t leave a big impression. Wet stones... not that I know what they taste like... graphite and elegant flavors of dried roses, forest floor, plum and cassis. #happynewyear — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Night 1 of the Fall WNH event in San Antonio. What a killer start to the extended weekend, all courtesy to Shawn and Jennifer for hosting! Tonight was Italian wines.

Another in the running for WOTN. Maple and rich! Cherry and vanilla tobacco on the nose with herbal spice and a strawberry tart finish. Young and acidic! There is a very underripe red fruit dominant profile here. Crazy how young it tastes for 23yrs old. Bravo @Shawn R ! — 7 years ago

with Mike, David and 5 others

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

Jackson Rohrbaugh

9.0

We've veered into old Bordeaux territory here. Big, spicy, and brash, still holding weight, although the fruit has begun to dry slightly. Shared by a generous guest. #insignia #napacab #napavalley #napa — 9 years ago

Mike Mayer

9.3

Here is what Wine Spectator says about this wine. One of the more endowed 2009s, this is packed with dark smoldering cocoa, mesquite, tobacco and roasted fig notes, all inlaid with pure cassis and plum preserves fruit flavors. Long and authoritative on the finish, with singed vanilla bean and tar notes adding length and dimension. Not sure I could have come up with all of these descriptors but a beautiful wine in my opinion. — 9 years ago

Charlie Abbott

Sommelier Casa Mono

8.9

The QPR here is insane. Enjoyable now, plenty of cranberry, black peppercorn, green tobacco and pencil lead, but clearly age worthy also. Curious as to why this hasn't been snapped up by everyone yet — 10 years ago

Tim O'Rourke

9.6

What? So good. All the olive and pepper and leather that you would expect and plenty of game and mushroom as well. I don't suppose I'll have another chance to taste this, so I'll have to rely on memory of something so delicious. — 10 years ago

romo

9.2

The weekend starts here. — 10 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.4

2011. Blanc. No one drinks enough of this. That's because there are so few things to which its a good partner, but it would be an incredible cheese-and-charcuterie wine. Broad and oily, there's just enough acid to keep you coming back for more. Sun-baked yellow orchard fruits dominate, but there's more exotic fruits too (mango and dried pineapple) yellow flowers, tons of almond husk bitterness, green olives, bay leaf, oregano, tarragon, white cheddar. Oak is assertively present but not overwhelming. Place dominates over grapes here, as it's a mix of Clairette and Grenache Blanc and a hodge-podge of other things. — 11 years ago