David Walser

9.0

At home. Bought two bottles at $70 each. An OK wine but a bit disappointing at this price point. I suspect I wasn’t in the best tasting position when I had this s bottle. Hoping for a better experience with the next bottle. — 6 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

I like Michael, his philosophy, and in most cases, his wines, but the 2016 Block 5's far too ripe for me. It's dark fruit dominant, very sweet, and although, not much new oak (35%), quite oaky. Chocolatey, spicy, and quite tannic for a Pino. As usual, the structure and density are impressive. For me, this wine's just unbalanced at the moment and it needs time. That said, I don't think even Michael escaped the blistering heat of 2016. — 6 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.0

Instantly drinkable and very feminine. Plenty of rose pedals. Almost like a Pinot. Tart but not really scary Nebbiolo. This just does not strike me as something I need. It opens up nicely after 2 hour. So 94 points ...I am not so sure. — 7 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

10

Mind boggling. Wine life changing stuff.... pomegranate and grapefruit skin on the nose with tar pepper and blackberries. The palate was super and the finish lasts forever. I can still taste it. Holy s**t — 7 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.7

A ridiculous amount of fruit remains intact here. A ton of secondary truffle & savory character shows. The vibrant nature is shocking in every good way. I modestly would say that I've been lucky enough to taste quite a few 82's and this is among the best ones. — 8 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.4

6 December 2016. The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, NY. — 9 years ago

Henrik Poulsen

9.3

As a long-time Mailing List member I faithfully add these Pinots to my cellar but have to say that their Chardonnay(s) is what really rocks my boat.

This 2011 is fresh off the delivery truck and does show potential but I'll wait for a while before popping the next one. — 9 years ago

with Kurt-Inge

Mark Flesher

9.3

Having 3 of these I figured it would be a nice time to see how this one is doing. Well, I think that this one has probably reached the very front of the optimal drinking window. Took about 15 minutes of air. The nose was red fruit, mint, red licorice, raspberry and oak. Lossa lossa oak. Entry is a little acidic, minty, flinty, red fruit dominant. Middle of this wine tones down a bit and really finds a nice little groove. Finishes with a lot of astringency (say what?) for a 2011. Structure is what. Quality is what. And I think this one has the power to go another 15 years and be juuuust fine, which I'm not sure I could say about many 2011's from the Napa floor. Drink with 30 minute decant or hold for another 5-10 years. — 6 years ago

Mike Mayer

9.1

Another wonderful Merlot. Mountain wines are known for beautiful dark color, intense aromatics and full bodied flavors. This Howell Mountain wine does not disappoint. Beautiful ruby red color and great aromas of blue fruit, cedar and a little earthiness. The tannins on this young wine are very apparent but seem to integrate nicely with the intense flavors of blueberries and baking spices while in your mouth. I am sure this wine will improve with age but it drinks very well today. — 7 years ago

with Lisa

Chris England

9.5

😍 @ £31 this Musar is top & I’ve reviewed a few times 👍 personally i find it the best of many vintages I’ve had & not as funky as others 😉

🏵 495 points

🍇 Cab S, Cinsault & Carignan

🍷 Garnet cherry w/ brick edge

👃 Smokey oaky spiced leather infused cherry choc gateaux, red potpourri, prune compote, red berry jam, barnyard, mushroom risotto & herbs - gorgeous in a Zalto Burg 😎

👄 Med balanced body of earthy smooth red cherry in mocha, date & prune sauce w/ strawberry & redcurrant tones

🎯 Med+ earthy red berry/cherry gateaux💥 — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.8

🐶 Epic bottle swap from Roger this month - what a lucky boy I am 😍 Check out his review also 👍 a 💯 RP wine! & so much life left in it 😎

💨 4+ hr

🍇 66% Cab S, 19% Mer, 11% Cab F & 4% Pet V

🍷 Dark opaque garnet ruby

👃 Mocha, burnt oak smoke, wet earth/leaves/minerals, lead, leather & herbs through dark ripe spiced mashed berries & plum

👄 Med+ body of super silky well integrated dark full fruits w/ a mocha, liquorice & earthy backbone

🎯 Long earthy dark berry, mocha & sweet liquorice smooth 💋 — 8 years ago

Eric

9.0

Nice floral thing on the nose and palate. Medium smooth body. A little overpriced and light on the finish which I find with a lot of the -09's I have. I put it in my "mix it up sometimes" column but by no means a mainstay. — 8 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.0

First time trying the '15s and it's as great as always. This is definitely a decent amount more brawny and ripe than the '14s but still identifiable as a Lapierre wine. That said, I'm still not the biggest fan of most of these '15's so far, they are too hot and ripe and don't really fit the profile of what I want from most Beaujolais. This is still pretty good on its own merits though. Day 1 it was closed and not giving up very much but on this morning, Day 2, it's come around and opened up quite a bit. Ripe, juicy strawberry and raspberry red fruit, tart rhubarb, wild violet, smoky gravel minerality, with a nice briny, almost gamey salinity underscoring things a bit. Nice medium (+) acid, medium (-) body with a great, soft texture. Just a touch of fine, supple tannic grip. There a bit of brett and VA but they're in balance rather than being a faulty distraction; the VA helps give a little extra lift, if anything. Will try another bottle after some more time has passed because even though it's good now it honestly still needs to come together a bit more; it seemed almost still slightly bottle shocked when I first opened it yesterday. If you're opening one soon I'd recommend giving it a little air to let it unfurl. — 9 years ago

Shawn R

9.2

Most of the 13’s from Napa that I have had have been closed down and not very approachable. This Martinez Vineyard drinks well. — 6 years ago

Sheldon Nadler

9.0

2014 vintage, imbibed Aug/2019. Needed decanting ... very closed at first, practically no nose at all. Began to open up after a half hour to 45 minutes. Eventually - good fruit, big body, but tannins well controlled. I had my doubts at first, but ended up really enjoying with a hearty beef dinner. — 6 years ago

Sven Baker

9.0

I was at Bernard Devenish and he said that it had been opened but recorked and it was certainly awesome today. Dark, young but smooth. S — 7 years ago

Tom Philbrick

8.9

Thought we would check in on one of these. Shy nose, even after 4+ hours. Almost no discernible fruit at this point with a strong savory quality. I love Corison wines and this has great potential but this needs to be forgotten about in the darkest corner of your cellar for 5-10 years more. Drink the regular Napa cab while this one slowly evolves. 89 at this point but possible mid 90’s in 5-10 years. This is a structured beast at this point. — 7 years ago

Pat Taylor

8.9

Decent vintage but this one was possibly over the hill. Or, it is in the awkward pubescent stage. Acidity was a little flat and the fruit was subdued. The nose, on the other hand, was all of that and more. I look forward to see how the 06’s compare in my cellar. — 8 years ago

with Chris and Jeff

Chris England

9.3

🐥 Let's kick of Easter with a £157 Sassy Sassicaia 😇 I preferred the 09 over this but still a fab drop 👍

🍇 85% Cab S & 15% Cab F

🍷 Deep ruby red

👃 Stewed & spiced blackcurrant, cherry & plum through smoked earthy herbs & burnt oak w/ a touch of leather, prune, liquorice & vanilla mocha

👄 Med smooth body of herby earthy blackcurrant w/ mocha, prune & tart red cherry/currant tones in fine dry tannins

🎯 Med+ earthy dark & red fruit touch dry mocha herby earthy smile

— 8 years ago

jams jerfy

9.0

so, this was rated on a curve. stored in a fridge in another city. fridge died in summer and it was weeks before i found it. it was baked. and then it was weirdly ok. just used it to explain to @captain henrik how get wine out of a bottle with a coravin (merry xmas, cap'n!) expecting it to be destroyed. lo and behold. second wine from that lot which wasn't ruined. the OTHER, miraculously, was the bernaudeau "sans souffre" which I'll never understand why it was ok. maybe there are wine elves sticking ice in the dead fridge until I found it.... god jul!! — 9 years ago

with captain and Christina