Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium lemon colour . Very little perlage . This is quite mature on the nose with some orange rind , touch of honied brioche , dried chanterelles and some oyster shell . Some roasted almond , really quite intense on the palate , high refreshing mineral tinged acidity , orange peel , nutty , slightly honied long and quite electric finish. This holds up pretty well in the glass becoming more chalky and mineral. Drink now and over the next few years, at least on this showing . — a year ago

Neil Cornish

10

Just perfect. Massive corn tortillas. Intense minerality. Creamy citrus. — 5 years ago

with Jon and Michael

Conrad Green

9.5

Dark cherry, plum, some sour notes, a slight smokiness, violets, iron, graphite. The palate is absorbing- deep and rich but with enough salinity and savory notes to not make it overblown. Seamless, textured like velvet and long and intense. Great stuff. — 5 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A slightly saline iodine note. Tangy blue fruit with sour cherry, leather, tobacco. The fruit and structure are intense . A little bit simple but delicious and authentic. — 6 years ago

with Bex and Naoko

Conrad Green

9.4

A vigorous zesty nose of lime, slate, flowers. Intense and racy, the palate has great acidity, packed with flavor and citrus. A real killer puligny — 8 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Very pretty, intense. Loaded with fruit. Lots of dark stuff. Linear. Intense. Savory — 9 years ago

with Matt and Paul

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! — 10 years ago

Steve Matthiasson

Owner/Winemaker Matthiasson Wines

9.7

Intense cherries, floral, complex, smoky, seamless — 11 years ago

Martin Beally

9.2

2007. Rich, intense, cocoa and pyrazines. Acid leads and lovely mid. — 12 years ago

Bradley Brown

Owner/Winemaker Big Basin Vineyards

9.6

Sure to improve with more years, savory, perfumed high notes and intense fruit on palate without excess fat — 12 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium deep garnet core with slightly wider terracotta rim . Quite exuberant nose , more dark fruits than the Barton , spicy , cedar notes , touch of funk , swimming pool note also . On the palate quite spicy more intense black fruits , cassis , sous bois , coffee , saline , mineral tinged sea spray notes . Balanced acidity and quite rounded but noticeable tannin . Long and denser on the finish than the Barton . Showing well now but can go another 10 years no problem — 2 years ago

John Malcolm

9.5

Blueberries, herbs, and cedar. Complex, elegant, and intense. Such a lovely wine. Decanted for about four hours and served with lamb — a magnificent combination. — 4 years ago

Christian Fischer

9.4

After a coffee chat at work yesterday that ended discussing Hillside Select I was motivated to open one for the holiday weekend. Initially I was very disappointed as the wine was flat and uninspiring considering the pedigree and price tag. Read some reviews that this 2013 needs A LOT of air and sure enough after hours the wine began to evolve and markedly improve. It is an intense wine that lingers in the mouth for a long time. Smooth tannins, red fruit and tobacco flavors. Not my most favorite wine and not at the $229 I paid, but nonetheless a very good wine once it had the chance to get some air for a few hours — 5 years ago

Raphael Malago

9.6

1985 DRC Grandes Echezeaux carries the magical scent of that makes you dream with more of this bottles. Intense and vibrant red fruits, spices, earthy & roses. The palate still dense, complex, a work of art! — 7 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Concentrated and intense, creamy nectarine, peach pitt, honeysuckle, orange peel. Terrific wine and would never believe how high alcohol. 14.5%. — 8 years ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Very intense. Powerful gunpowder, flint, lime. A dazzling and broad midpalate. Really juicy and focused with none of the over-ripeness you sometimes see in 05. Killer. No signs of premox and will probably kick ass in 20 years on this showing. — 9 years ago

with Naoko and Larry

Narun P

8.9

Medium tawny but still intense in the center. In relatively good shape and still very lively with a tannic backbone to keep the wine structured. Edit — 10 years ago

Bradley Brown

Owner/Winemaker Big Basin Vineyards

9.5

slight secondary, high tones tight, intense red fruit, awesome extract that finishes uber long with delicate spice notes. Serious tannin verging on rustic followed by the finish. — 10 years ago

Steve Matthiasson

Owner/Winemaker Matthiasson Wines

9.5

2001. Tons of different red fruits, very intense flavors and texture, zippy yet supple — 11 years ago

Floyden Mugford

9.8

Huge intense tropical citrus aroma that is super fruity delicious — 12 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.2

This wine reminds me distinctly of a Muscat my grandfather produced in 2010; and the color is the first indication. Obvious extended skin contact, but low enough extraction to reach a lite-honey color. The nose is pungent and intense with tangerine skin wrapped in wild, homemade perfumes. The mouthfeel is giving yet tense, with slightly underripe mandarin orange and a twist of lime. Interesting wine. Authentic wine. — 12 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.5

The 2008 Cheval Blanc is one of the go-to wines of the vintage. Now at 15 years old, it has retained the energy and focus it displayed from the outset: black fruit, crushed stone, wilted violet petals and touches of forest floor cohere wonderfully in the glass. The Cabernet here is more expressive. The palate has a slight chewiness on the entry, but it "relaxes" in the glass. It shows off its delicate lattice of tannins and perhaps a bit more backbone than I have observed on previous bottles. It's very intense on the finish where, as before, the Cabernet Franc takes charge. Superb. Keep it another three to four years if you can. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 3 years ago

Vanessa

9.2

Sayonara, 2021!! You brought periods of joy and excitement, apprehension and challenge, intense sorrow and grief; a panoply of emotions spanning the spectrum of the human experience…

So, we’re putting one foot in front of the other, crossing the threshold into 2022 with hearts full of gratitude and hope, while sipping delicious wine and savoring this quiet moment together.

We want to pause to say THANK YOU all for being a part of our wine journey and a constant source of inspiration, positivity, and learning for us. Cheers and Happy New Year! — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Conrad Green

9.3

Saline and packed with energy. Lemons, rock pools and loads of intense fruit. Gorgeous balance — 6 years ago

with Bex and Matt

Mike Evans

9.5

Purchased on release around 2003 and from the cork code of M251, it appears to have been disgorged September/October 2002. A little nutty and lemony, but with piercing and intense minerality, still fairly young. I've had the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Krugs in the last month or so and this was comparable in quality to the 1996 and drinking better than the 2000 and 2004. A spectacular Champagne and proof of the ageworthiness of the Grande Cuvée, I've had it at least 15 years and have no doubt it will continue to excel for at least another 15.
An added bonus is that it has the beautiful old gold label, which I much prefer to the current iteration, so it looks as good as it tastes. — 8 years ago

with Kevin and Stan

Conrad Green

9.5

Very intense dark fruit with leather, tobacco, roses. Incredibly dense and pure fruit. Lovely and cold blooded, but pure intensity. Delicious. — 9 years ago

with Brad, Howard and 3 others

Michael Meagher MS

Chairman/Founder Boston Sommelier Society, Beverage Director Cafe Escadrille

9.1

Pretty darn good. Not sure how it's "intense" but I'll happily have another glass. Or bottle. — 9 years ago

Erik Bader

9.2

One of the weirdest, most intense wines I've ever had. Decanted literally for days. Day three was the best! — 10 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.3

Sceptical from previous supertuscan encounters, I decided to try the original from Antinori (which I was sure was overpriced). Intense clear dark ruby color; the fruit hit me before the glass was even swirled and then reveals dark and red fruits in perfect balance with oak aromas; high acid, high alcohol, youthful delicious round mouthfeel of dark dried fruits and supple tannins at front of mouth, and with a medium-long finish. Well balanced, elegant, and powerful; and priced correctly. Had with pata negra, manchego and the organ of the Mormon Tabernacle sounding off Saint-Saëns' symphony. — 11 years ago

Francesco Pilo

9.0

Red/garnet, intense, complex, full bodied, red fruit and spices, good tannins, long finish #ProduttoriDelBarbaresco — 12 years ago