Andrew Cullimore

9.2

No formal notes . medium deep ruby , medium bright ruby rim. Quite spicy a little oak noticeable at first . Mixed dark fruits . A bit more round and juicy on the palate , good acidity , slightly grippy but polished tannins . This becomes a bit more restrained and reserved after a while. Served blind , I actually put this as Haut Brion , due to its generous personality, and polished tannins. Overall showed well in the flight was my top wine (though the Cheval Blanc may well be better in absolute terms) . Can be enjoyed now , though has the substance to last a further decade or so, a good showing for the Mouton. — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Quite light lemon yellow , very persistent , fine bubbles . Quite taut and strict on the nose , chalk dust , white flowers , honey suckle and elderflower , lemon peel , touch oyster shell and a touch of fresh baked bread . On the palate really good volume and density , lively acidity . Lots of citrus with good mineral , oyster shell notes . Long and mineral , saline, tinged finish , hint of toasty brioche on the end . This is really quite young and shows tighter and more mineral than the first bottle we had . Would leave this a few years and will have a long life , better in 10 -15 years and last well a further 10 or so . Great potential — 5 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2016 vintage. Cantemerle is always a good idea if you want value for money. Like many left bank Bordeaux in this great vintage, it tends to close down a bit, so give it some time in the glass or decant. The nose slowly develops after an hour, with a mix of black and red fruit, classy cedar notes, and flowers. As usual, it's all about elegance, but it doesn't lack power either. Still needs a few more years to reveal all its complexity, but very good already. Ab. 13%. — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Quite deep ruby garnet core and medium ruby garnet rim. This is showing more development, with cedar , cigar box , cassis and blackberry richness , aromatic and enticing from the very beginning . On the palate with is well balanced with a good mineral backbone , grafite and blackcurrant hints , really good symmetry and balanced , refreshing acidity , polished fine tannin . Long finish . Showing well now , in a really good spot where this has development on the nose but no lack of fruit of backbone on the palate . Will certainly continue at this level for another 10- 15 years . — 6 months ago

Jim Wagonfeld

9.3

Garnet red in color. Offering nose and palate of dark cherry, herbs, leather, cedar, tobacco, prune, fig, vanilla and dill. Structured and long. A very good effort and a favorable pvr. — 2 years ago

with Judy

Peter Collins

9.1

The nose was weirdly muted and indiscernible. Also a bit tight but the finish was full and nice. It’s good but for the price and time in the bottle, it just left me unimpressed — 5 years ago

Alan Weinberg

9.3

painfully intense in a very good way, bright fresh dense fruit all lifted by a well-integrated acid backbone. Superb creaminess, fine mousse, long future. Damn, makes me want 08 even more. Blows away 04 and 06. — 5 years ago

Chris England

9.4

My favourite St J Chateau & been eager to pop this 💯 Parker pointer @ £180 just entering its early drinking window 😁 Already good but a sure 98-100 in 10-30yrs 👍 93-95 today

🍇 60% Cab S, 29% Mer, 6% Pet V & 5% Cab F

🍷 Deep opaque inky ruby

👃 Smokey oak, dark plum, blackcurrant, minerals, pencil lead, soggy earth, gravel, charcoal & sweet cedar

👄 Med+ body of creamy mineral infused ripe black berries & plum in mocha & liquorice

🎯 Long dark fruits filled w/ minerals & lashings of mocha & liquorice — 8 years ago

Mike Cleland

9.6

Surprisingly fruit forward for 25 years. Dark fruit and plum flavors with smoothed tannins. Good bottle bouquet. Cork fell apart but there was no taint to the bottle. Bottle well kept for at least the last 15 years - and supposedly the first 10 before I got it from a private buyer. I would not believe this review if I had not done the tasting myself. I had an 88 and a 90 in recent years that had not held up - flat flavors and thin color — 8 years ago

Conrad Green

9.1

1st vintage if this wine, so a real treat to try. A little shrill and sharp at the front. Lovely fruit. Still some fresh notes but in a good place age-wise. Doesn't hang together as well as the wines beside it. — 8 years ago

with Matt and Paul

Judy Martin

10

Smooth & rich & really good. Deep red in color. Served chilled. Had with Jenna at J. Gilbert's 09/27/15 — 10 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

No formal notes . Medium deep ruby , thinner rim. Quite deep and spicy nose , dark fruits , quite classic . On the palate quite dense , but rounded and suave tannin . Quite dense and meaty after a while , long and really well balanced , good length and a mineral , slate tinged finish. In this flight this was quite obvious as Latour , just the structure and density marked it out . This is a good Latour to enjoy at the moment , the tannin is polished, good freshness and density. No rush however I expect this to continue well for a least another decade , maybe more — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium lemon colour . This is showing a little more complex and detailed than the last time . Lemon rind , crushed rocks , ginger and white flowers , touch of brioche also . On the palate a bit more dense , but with good balanced acidity and lemon rind , brioche , ginger and toasty , mineral finish. Drinkable now , though best days will be in 5-10 years time , though I don’t think this will be as long lived as the 2012 . — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Of all the American red wines that participated in the Judgement of Paris, it could be argued that Monte Bello has shown the greatest propensity to age. In fact, I would go as far as it requires lengthy cellaring to extract its best. I’ve had the good fortune to drink a number of tremendous vintages of Monte Bello over the last several years and this one has got to be at or near the top of the lot.

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1991 Monte Bello pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core moving out towards a light ruby rim; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with gorgeous notes of ripe and tart black currants, mixed bramble fruit, tobacco, some purple flowers, dill, mint, leather, earth, vanilla and associated baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. The structure remains tremendous which again, seems to indicate youth. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is super long and immensely satisfying. This is one of those wines that will outlive most humans. Drinking well now with a short decant but this has the gas to see 2061 with ease. — 5 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of black fruits, cedar, spices, chocolates, coffee, licorice, light vanilla and black pepper.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, cooked cherries, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, cedar, earth, dark chocolates, licorice, cola, spices, vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 17 year old Napa Cabernet Sauvignon feels more like a Left Bank Bordeaux. Fruit forward with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing great complexity and delicious, but I expected more from this great 2007 vintage. I had the 2001 not too long ago, and it was so much better.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. A good food wine too.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$350. — 6 months ago

Will Stanley

9.4

The 2016 Chateau Musar, the winery’s latest vintage on release, is much less forthcoming on the nose than the 2013 and ‘15 that I’ve tried recently, despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that the Hochars consider 2016 to be a successful and very ageworthy vintage.

The nose is quite dense and tightly wound, much like a left bank Bordeaux presents in its youth, not yet revealing its cards besides aromas of cedar, steeped plum, smoked beef and cinnamon. The palate, however, is open for business - powerful and saturated, striking that wonderful Musar balance between dark fruit and tangy acidity, expanding towards a puckering finish with good length.

The lasting impression here is of a very modern rendition of Musar, with great clarity and purity to the fruit, fine tannins, refreshing acidity on the palate and great drinkability now (though equal potential to age). My preference of late remains the 2013, but that’s now quite hard to buy - so I’d happily have a case of this instead.

94+ — 3 years ago

Jared O'Connell

9.1

This was a bottle the previous renters left at my parents house in the wine fridge. Unknown storage but it’s in pretty good shape. Nose has rose pedal, brambly fruit. Palette tart cran. Serious smooth tannin and acidity but pleasant. Undercurrents of bittersweet chocolate and leather. — 5 years ago

Monica Ramirez

9.4

Smooth finish, love this addition from Mondavi. Can taste the hint of bourbon — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

For me and considering the price difference, this is close to Krug Rosé. It's doesn't bring the full joy and palate dance Krug gives. However, for a $160- $200 less, it's in the ballpark. The fruits shine; black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, tangerine, citrus blossoms & English biscuits. The chalkiness & minerality has precision and cuts sharply across the tongue. The acidity is perfectly crisp and the rich finish simply doesn't stop. This is certainly a benchmark of very good Rosé champagne. — 8 years ago

Barb

9.7

Wow... So many flavors in this wine. It's quite a treat to your mouth. Smooth with a great mid taste and a long finish — 9 years ago

Nicole Behrman

9.5

Having this one today. This one is more in my budget vs the Caymus Bros we had yesterday... Damn me and my good taste! Lol — 10 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

No formal notes . Medium ruby . Bit more coffee and roasted character at first , touch of oak perhaps. Quite rich and rounded on the palate at first, good acidity , good length . More red fruit , more delicate after a while , mineral , oyster shell , mineral and leaner on the long finish . Very classic , grafite tinged . This improved with air and really gained in complexity with time . I would be tempted to leave this a little longer or give it a longer decant . No rush here , will continue well for a further 10 years . Tied as my favourite wine of the flight with the Latour. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1990 vintage. This was the start to the weekly tasting day with the reps. A fave guest brought this in. Was summoned to open it immediately despite having just strolled in. Grabbed the Durand and pounced. Didn't get the opportunity to see the fill but the foil, label and cork were all pristine (too little cork saturation for a 3+decade-old bottle). Screamed château reconditioned. Opened but not decanted. Good color. Great nose immediately. Tasted after 15 mins and 45 mins open. Tasted around noon but bottle needed to have been opened at prior midnight. Showed pretty well, however, with the delicate intricacies this wine is renowned for. Would have presented better with more air time but you can only control so much. 01.29.25. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. No formal notes due to the setting. The 2018 is a fairly classic expression of Beaucastel with a mixed bramble fruit set, underbrush, herbs and spices in lovely balance. Good structure. While still on the youthful side, the 2018 is already showing well and was an awesome accompaniment with a wagyu burger. Drink now through 2038. — 6 months ago

Ron R

9.5

Good god. Peaking right now.
Huge aromatics on the nose. Superb weight, balance and texture. No rush to consume. Cedar and macerated black cherries transition to coffee and hints of maple. Blew me away. In raptures over this. Direct from the winery when I lived in Europe. — 6 months ago

with Mo

Tom Garland

9.2

Opus One tasting

2019 Opus
2017 Opus
2012 Opus

The 12 drinks really well with time to go but hard to imagine it gets a lot better, the 17 was uninspiring with muted nose and subdued taste, the 19 has good potential in 6-9 years. Note: Pours were a little light for the price, so buyer beware! — 2 years ago

with Karin and Brenda

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Telltale (but under control) barnyard funk livens the tangy red fruit and crushed granite on the nose. Cleaner in the mouth, with great intensity but very lively acid balance. Lip-smackingly good. — 5 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. — 5 years ago

Mark Lipton

9.4

If you have to drink a 2011 Napa Cabernet, this is the one. Overcomes the flimsiness and off-centered taste of many of its peers. Blueberry, suggestive of Alexander Valley cabs, is present in spades, and wonderful, smooth, and satisfying midpalate and finish. — 9 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.0

Blueish red intense color; rich complex nose with dark fruits and some new oak; very interesting taste with ripe dark fruits, some port notes, oak notes, and some unique personalities in the shape of perfumed flowery notes (could be well integrated vanillin notes). Although Zin dominates this unusual blend by percentage, it is not simply a Zin. Would like to try in 2020. — 10 years ago