Greg Gregory

9.1

Didn’t expect much. Not a great Napa vintage. Passive storage, but in only one place since release. Basically this is what the Burgundians say “If you want to drink Burgundy, you can wait 50 years for Bdx to become Burgundy or you can just buy Burgundy”. 🤣

Definitely fading but still a touch of acid left to keep the maraschino cherry juice type fruit integrated. This was very elegant and....Burgundy like. — 7 years ago

E & K G

9.4

Always surprised by how long good wines can last. I would never have called it a 20yr old wine blind. Good balance and really came alive with the fruit after 1+ hours in the decanter. Good drinking window but can still hold off for a good 3-5yrs depending on how you like your Bordeaux. #happynewyear — 9 years ago

Michael McGuire

9.5

Amazing wine. Great nose, velvety mouthfeel, big structure with a beautiful finish. Best you can get for the price. Enjoy! — 9 years ago

David Langstaff

9.8

I feel I have found a treasure for which I have been searching for years. My second Chateau Rayas - first a 2000, now a 2006. It is a perfect wine with a delicacy that reminds me of a beautiful burgundy. Perfect balance of fruit and earth, but restrained so that flowers emerge on both the nose and in the mouth. Just magnificent. Should I tell all of you when my birthday is...? — 10 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.4

This is ridiculous. Most interesting rose I've ever had. Nose is yeasty, earthy, minerally, so ripe and sappy. I could sniff this for hours. Way more depth of flavor than even good roses too: it's like sending a perfectly extracted Pinot red to a custom car shop to make into an awesome wine you can serve chilled. Terrific length and freshness. Dang! @Lyle Fass better get some more of this! (Oh, and another thing. I had to decant it because it threw a pant load of sediment . . . which is a GOOD thing!) — 10 years ago

with Lyle

Greg Gregory

10

Spectacular! Mind blowing. One of my top 10 of all time. On every serious wine lover’s bucket list, and here we had a nigh perfect bottle. While aromatically a little recalcitrant, you still got some of the Margaux violets and potpourri on the nose, hints of clove, all trying to shake off their doldrums. But on the palate, it was timelessly ravishing. The finesse, richness, balance and smoothness, with an underlying, almost flabbergasting mixture of complexity and delicacy, was just astonishing. The finish is marvelously sweet and intense, with chocolate and cassis and utterly seamless tannins. This is a miracle of wine making and an exaltation of vintage and terroir besides. Wow! And bravo! We can only pray for an encore of such a wine. — 10 years ago

Jon Simpson

9.0

A delicious blend for the price. — 11 years ago

Jeffrey Long

9.0

Cork disintegrated upon opening, but the wine is remarkably lively and elegant. Past its peak, but is doing extremely well after 23 years. I well remember buying this bottle with McCusker upon his recommendation when I first moved to Berkeley. Thanks Jim for almost 20 years of invaluable wine advice. And happy 50th, you ancient motherfucker. — 11 years ago

Anna Sangiacomo

9.0

Magnum for Christmas Eve. Thank you, Susan — 12 years ago

with Susan

Severn G

9.4

Yes, we also collect Australian wine (Two Hands & Penfolds)...but they need many, many, many years so my posts are justifiably far between. Been aggressive on Two Hands from 2002 forward, great stuff, requires patience. WS indicated a 2020 peak, I disagree, likely 2022+ is more reasonable for the top end. We miss the days of paying $48 for these bottles.

Nose has intensely focused black cherry & pomegranate compote, mashed red raspberry and a cedar bat which Big Papi has full swing crushed you in your mouth enough times to know that 'it's there'.

 Palate has a tawny note of raspberry port, plum & blueberry juice, cedar notes are fading but balanced, tannins are resolved and this wine is drinking near perfection. Amazinly long finish.

Still some heat of alchol on the nose letting you know it's still going to kick you in the hind quarters at some point (15% ABV). — 7 years ago

leon egozi

9.5

Thank you M. Rivard for the intro. — 9 years ago

Matthieu Bordes

9.3

Strong colour for this 2007 and very powerful for this vintage at St Julien, smoked notes on the nose spicy and red fruit. Powerfully Wine better if you wait 2 or 3 years more. — 9 years ago

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. — 10 years ago

Kevin Wardell

10

Is it perfect? Not quite. But who am I to judge this Andy Warhol beauty? This is a spectacular delayed 40th bday gift for Sarah. Thank you T&G! — 10 years ago

Merritt Santino Raül Gilé

9.3

I think this is my 4th Cheval Blanc. 73, 80-something, 98, and this one. This was my favorite. Needed to open up a bit. Was still very youthful. I'm sure you could age this for another 20+ years, but why would you. If not, why not? If not now, when? — 10 years ago

with Alison

Gregg Congleton

9.4

Sweet cheese and rice! Every once and a while, when playing golf, you have that one shot that makes you come back which makes up for all the other bad shots. This wine is like that - found 2 bottles in the back of some suburban wine store hidden with an orange half price sticker - opens big but then smooths out - barnyard and hay on the nose, smooth pallet, tannins but not too much, dark cherry and a hint of Anise. — 10 years ago

Bernardo Llaguno G.

9.4

Amazing how you could smell and taste the fruit in the wine. Even though it has 24 years. Incredible wine. You could definitely store this for many years. — 11 years ago

RG

9.2

Exceptionally smooth... Thank you "E" for the recommendation! — 11 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.8

We went 2/2 tonight. This bottle was a testament to perfect storage. Cork was perfect, and the wine was dark ruby with ever so slight bricking at the rim. Awesome. More approachable than the 90 and makes you wanna curl up with it for a long time. Better than the bottle I had at the Montrose vertical a month ago. Blind I would guess 10 yrs newer. For this price point and quality it's a must add. Edged out the Margaux. — 11 years ago

Christopher McGauran

9.0

The weathered label alone told me this was going to be a treat. It seemed to say "I've been waiting for you for 54 years" and it's time. Wow I need to try more ports. Very complex, like your grandfathers stories of war. Drink them in, for they are true history. Tell me more Gamps, tell me more. — 12 years ago

Mike R

9.5

Wow - truly a big bold smooth totally integrated beautiful badass wine and 19 out of 20 times would be WOTN last night if not for the Sodhani - I love to smile and this will absolutely make you do do - the 07 is so good — 8 years ago

with S

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! — 9 years ago

with Mark

David Langstaff

9.4

This wine needed about 3 hours to release. Initially tight with uncomfortable medicinal nose which then totally dissipated. Drinking now next day and you get the age of fully integrated but not fading tannins. Nose has a delightful dark fruit and smokiness. Great fit of nose and taste, meaning - when tastes after smelling the experience is consistent and not jolting. I think the color purple in a subdued way. Very nice. Memo to self: decant and watch for sediment, and enjoy three hours later. — 10 years ago

with Cynthia and Chris

Michael D

9.4

Well here we are over a year since we uncorked this beauty from Spain..As usual the rush of aroma as soon as you uncork this fine wine was very evident. Poured into a decanter and sitting idle for more than 90 mins was excruciating hard to say the least but we'll worth it...Dark rich Garnet ... Slight acidity up front. ..well balanced Tannins and subtle acidity make this a perfect starter to an overall successful dinner party...the 1st of 6 that evening with Insalata Caprese (sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes,fresh basil salt olive oil with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar), more assorted cheeses...A great way to start the evening!!!😊 — 10 years ago

Kimberly Michelle

9.0

Thank You to my Ex-husband for this like...19yrs of Dom @ all special occasions from our first date to last year together 😊 — 10 years ago

Angela Kuehl

9.1

Great Chardonnay for a cozy Sunday night where you are spending patio time and serving up some pasta with a roasted garlic tomato + pumpkin sauce. Buttery, yes, but not as if you are having buttered popcorn at the theaters. Toss that beautiful pasta with some fresh basil ribbons, Parmeggiano Reggiano, ciliegine and fresh ground pepper. Happy Sunday. — 10 years ago

Denise Collins

9.5

My love for Krug knows no bounds. Bready, yeasty notes jump out of the glass towards you but quickly soften into those of honey butter. Ginger and spice notes. Lees driven but well integrated with medium high acid. This champagne is so complex that it's almost impossible to truly detect where one note of flavor ends and the other begins. — 11 years ago

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.6

Really good Pinot. Lots of flavor. Could drink now or lay it down for a few. I would recommend letting it breathe for a bit before you drink. — 11 years ago

Mike Mighetto Hoefling

9.5

A vintage to hold. It might fool you for a first growth Bordeaux — 11 years ago

Andrew Benn

9.6

2001
Sophisticated drink
Really nice elements of fruit, leather, oak
Wished, though, I had let it sleep for 4-5 more years to really let the elements meld
How do you ever really know? — 12 years ago