Andrew Cullimore

9.4

No formal notes ….Medium straw colour . Quite intense slightly smoky lemon peel , flinty , oyster shell nose . On the palate quite surprising intensity and excellent length , refreshing acidity . Nice yellow fruits and roundness allied to great freshness . Drinking surprisingly well , though better in 5-10 years and should hold for a further 5-10. — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.3

My bottle of choice for a northern Rhône themed tasting with the WNH.

Knowing this is young for La Chapelle, I double decanted this for a little over two hours before my first sip. Talk about a brick wall. Both aromatically and on the palate, this was not giving at all. At the three hour mark, clove, licorice and all spice showed up on the nose alongside tart rhubarb and a sanguine character on the palate. Both sadly (and thankfully), at hour five in the decanter, this was like a boxer who had been lulling me to sleep with body shots and then suddenly started taking hook shots to the face. Hello! This really flexed its muscles when paired with bolognese. The wine gained a floral/violet/potpourri nose with a touch of black pepper and herbs de Provence. The weight and density bulked up and it channeled a touch of meat and pepper, tar, black cherries and underripe blackberries. Acidity was energetic throughout the evening and the tannins increased by the last glass.

If opening now, I’d decant at least 4+hrs, or hold off another 5-7yrs. — 5 years ago

Daniel Steilen

9.0

Great. light to medium bodied red fruits, aromatic, a bit carbonic. hold a few years — 5 years ago

Paul K

9.4

@Ryan Mullins and @Jeff Loo are spot on. This needs 10 years. I double aerated back into bottle for 12 hour corked decant and after two hours open in glass this is still closed. You can still taste the potential though. There is a density and purity of fruit behind it that I’m excited to open up one day. Was still a great experience. 94 for now. Will hold remaining bottles for at least 5 years. Please yell at me if u see another post of this wine before then. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

I simply love this expression of Clos des Papes. It’s so fresh and pure with abundant red fruit and a healthy hillside of garrigue. So much tension. Just lovely. Why hold when you can drink these beauties right now. — 6 years ago

Byron Hewett

9.5

Fantastic. Powerful. Delicious. Ready to go, but will hold for years. — 7 years ago

Raun Kupiec

9.3

I love this wine, for me it hits all the notes, balanced, acidity, fruit, depth, interesting tannins that can hold up to salty food. Would like to try this vintage in a few years. — 2 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.3

Surprisingly rich and luscious tonight. Enough structure and weight to hold up to really great red-tablecloth Italian. Round, resolved, no noticeable tannins... great dark fruited balance (cherry/blackberry). I think wines from Rhys need serious time... this often dissed 2011 vintage is drinking very well at 9 yrs of age. Creates a problem as I was poised to order fewer. Argh... — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Last week was a combo of 4th Friday and Open That Bottle Night on back to back nights. Needless to say, the lineup between both days was full of heavy hitters, so I’m only posting standout bottles.

This was slow oxed for a few hours before the event. I was fortunate to try this a couple times throughout the evening. Monster stuff that is only getting better. Aromatics of dark cocoa, mocha, bayleaf, cedar, currant, underripe blackberries and raspberries. Built like a tank on the palate...big structure sporting notes of leather, herbs de Provence, grilled black cherries, plum, mulberries, graphite, and a tannic finish. If you can decant for half a day, go for it. Otherwise, hold on and enjoy the fireworks in 5-7yrs. Thanks for bringing @Jid R . — 5 years ago

with Jid

Joe Gillies

9.4

Very good right now (Nov 2019) but will definitely improve over the next few years. Still a bit tannic but explosive black and blue fruit aromas and flavors along with mint, and earthy flavors. I'd hold for another year or two but no rush in drinking. — 5 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.4

Always à point. Sour cherry, oak, softening tannins. Lovely now, hold for 10 and see what it brings. — 6 years ago

with Alsu

Hayden B. Oothout

9.1

Solid cab from a reputable Napa family winery. Give this one a little bit of time to open up and yum! Pairs perfectly with prosciutto & ricotta pizza. Drink now or hold for a couple of years. — 6 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.1

Decent drinking PB in a difficult vintage. Black currant & red berry fruit with a slight austere style showing, earth, cedar, leather & graphite. Med bodied that is fully mature & should hold for a number of years. — 7 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.5

Full bodied, dark and inky. Nice spicy and floral aromas. Very luxurious mouthfeel. Dark fruit, graphite, cardamom, roasted coffee beans. In compartment to other 2016 Napa Cabs I’ve tried of this dignity I would hold on to this a few more years if I could. — 3 years ago

Vino Joe

9.2

Very disappointed. I had a more mature bottle fail to hold up last week so I had an itch still to scratch and went younger but still ready. Or so I thought - perhaps should have waited another 10 years?Poured out half with a Coravin and it just never got going. Very understated and reserved. Even with a few hours it never opened up. Perhaps it’s bottle variation but I will try again later this week with the second half. — 4 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.8

Remarkable... elegant, consistent, laser-focused fun. Think grand cru burgundy with bubbles. Still a puppy, but already strutting some development, this wine is vibrant and alive and still worth seeking out. Citrus, green apple and pear galore with lovely acid to hold the weightlessness through the long finish. My number two wine of the day. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.2

A few days late in posting the Wednesday Wine Committee wines. Standard format with 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert wine. All served blind.

Enjoyable and drank younger than its age. I always get a cherry swisher sweets note with St Estephe wines. Very tart black cherries, currant, tart plum and herbs all over this wine. Tannins still holding up nicely. Not getting better, but will probably hold for a bit. I guessed mid-‘90s left bank Bordeaux. — 6 years ago

with Dan, Will and 1 other

Alexandre Pagliano

9.4

What a tremendous bottle ! Very dark rubi color, with no signs of aging. Nose of black currant, some secondary aromas and a hint of flowers. Very polished tannins, in a medium length mouth and the traditional rich and round Pauillac mouthfeel. Its incredibly good to drink right now, but will for sure hold at the very least another 10 years or so. Very highly recommended. — 6 years ago

with Adriana

Byron Hewett

9.2

2004 is a power vintage for Brunello. Terrific underlying material. I will hold mine for another ~5 years. — 6 years ago

Raj Harb

9.3

First of 3 of these. Structured and mineral. Hold for a while. — 7 years ago