Mark Flesher

9.3

This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink. — 8 years ago

with Benjamin

Tom Kobylarz

10

To me the most complex wine of the night offering a deep cerebral experience, with what I thought of as a berry bouquet garni was the 2000 Haut-Brion. The most contemplative, while also a deeply pleasurable wine, offered layers of classic Bordeaux notes of toast, coffee, currants, cassis, subtle & smokey campfire embers, cigar box...the list goes on and most of that was in the nose. The palate was texturally seamless, packed and stacked with structure that never got in the way, though you would notice it on the finish letting you know it was there.

2005 was locked up and unrelenting at first, the second go an hour later was more repenting but it was still not nudging much. A thoroughly excellent wine, but just not revealing much beyond the hints of its greatness.

#hautbrion #pessacleognan #bordeaux #wine — 9 years ago

Phil Orlandini

9.1

This... doesn't make me feel drunk. This is gonna be my workin' wine. — 10 years ago

with Juliane

Helen M Gaydos

9.4

Aromas of briars black currant, lead pencil, meaty and cedar box. Med bodied, and structure overtakes fruit but let's see with a NY Strip! — 11 years ago

with Mark

Liz Weidner

9.9

Delicious but $16. — 12 years ago

Rachel Hughes

9.0

Shiraz (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Merlot (7%)
2009
Padthaway, Australia — 13 years ago

Charles Rivas

9.2

Herbacious with cigar box notes and evolved fruit. A showing beautifully right now. — 8 years ago

John Hubbell

9.4

Love the he nose. Great balance with leather, spice and cigar box. This sill has some life — 9 years ago

with Jim, Allison and 1 other

Weijie Shi (Jay)

9.0

Black fruits, cedar box, liquorice, cigar box, menthol. Huge structure, chewy tannin, slightly green on the palate, 30s finish. Need more time. 2012 vintage — 9 years ago

Juan Munoz-Oca

8.9

Cigar box, a bit reduced at first but opens up to lovely dry fruits — 11 years ago

PJ

9.5

Great way to warm up on a 20 degree night! 🍷 — 11 years ago

Lisa Burch

9.0

Tasty and inexpensive. — 11 years ago

Red Wine Lovers

9.6

Cigar box cedar. Slate. Plum. Big tannins, lush plump fruit. Deep and complex. Finish goes forever. — 12 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.4

Classic Rioja. Dark cherry and blackberry nose with cigar box in the background. More dark cherry, plum, leather and mocha on the palate. Chewy tannins and lingering acid through the finish. Powerful but balanced from start to finish. — 9 years ago

Laura Diefenderfer

9.0

Great taste. Not dry. Smooth with a hint of blackberry. Ideally paired with a medium rare steak. — 9 years ago

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.2

Lovely secondary elements of sweaty saddle leather, cedar and later some cigar box. Soft, integrated tannins. Long finish and very nice nose. — 9 years ago

M

9.3

2003-From wine.com at 160. Perfect balance. Cigar box finish. No sweet aftertaste or dustiness. Slight bitterness. Llllong finish. The one issue is that the complexity is low and does not evolve either in the glass or the palate. — 10 years ago

Sean Fischa

9.1

My new house wine — 11 years ago

Lisa Kinser

10

Great with Thanksgiving dinner! — 12 years ago

Becky Larson

8.9

Black box merlot !! Yummy — 13 years ago