GaryWEdwards

9.3

Patience rewarded. A vibrant combination of licorice, tobacco, and brilliant blackberry thing going on. Really never thought this wine turn into this window. — 4 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.3

2020 fall. Still rather dark and dense, but after opening with the oak, it opens up over several hours to reveal layered fruit. Still very young, of course, but very enjoyable with a little patience — 5 years ago

PS Michaels

9.2

Mind blowing QPR! — 6 years ago

Greg Wright

9.2

Reticent and austere at the beginning but then started to open up. Dark red fruits, savory notes, violets emerge. It has good acidity and tannin balance but the austerity is going to require more patience. — 7 years ago

Garret Walter

9.3

Super young but showing so well. Beautifully perfumed. I’m sure will reward a little patience if you can manage. — 8 years ago

Guy Fiore

9.1

Huge reward for aging this. Patience pays — 9 years ago

Sarah Helen

9.5

Turkish delight/rose water, orange blossom, white melon, pencil lead, perfectly balanced acidity. Juicy to plush mouthfeel. Lingering watermelon — 9 years ago

John Clinton

9.0

Bright, chewy, juicy & lush. Chilled w/grilled Polish charcuterie. $18 — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.6

2003 Domiane de la Romanee Conti Richebourg - from Jay. Decanted one hour prior to pouring. Dark rich velvet ruby in colour. Cracked green olives and first press olive oil on the nose initially which soon blew off to expose blackberries, black currant, plum and Asian spice. Opulent attack which carries through into a profoundly concentrated mid palette of dark fruits and velvety tannins with thick sap. This wine is overwhelmingly concentrated on the mid palette with a very lush texture with incredible concentration of fruit. The finish is both long and seamless and certainly not lacking in structure despite the nature of the vintage with the tannins displaying a degree of structure that I had not anticipated. A formidable wine which is developing much better than I would have expected for a 2003. This is the first bottle that I have had since 2008 and during this time the wine has far surpassed my expectations. For those who enjoy big fruit-forward Burgundy wines at a young age this Richebourg is approachable but I think patience is warranted in order to get the most out of this wine. Drink 2020 to 2045. — 10 years ago

Scott Gruber

9.9

Wow. Forget anything you know about Chardonney. Aroma expands. Long finish. First drinking as apertif, but will pair soon with cod and mango salsa. — 11 years ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.0

Patience is paying off as this bottle of the ‘12 was much more integrated then one pulled a few years ago. Cherry, cassis, leather and maybe some pencil lead and pepper, all layered nicely over some still firm tannins. One more in the cellar and thinking it could be even better! — 5 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.1

Leoville Barton Saint Julien Grand Cru Classe is a lovely Bordeaux that shines again again over vintages. It seems to me that it never surrendered to the Parker impact and stayed true to its old school nature of restrained power and complexity at a good value.
This wine needs time to mature, it’s not made for early drinking and it requires patience and this patience pays of!
The 1998 is simply singing these days and I am so happy I secured a case! The wine is earthy with notes of dry leaves, dump forest floor, coffee, licorice, black currents and cigar box, the body is full and complex with lovely dry tannins that add a nice touch of sophistication and complexity, the finish is long and elegant. Old school and delicious!
My score 91, drink to 2024 — 5 years ago

Immanuel Black

9.5

2012. Definitely slow to open up and and be Bordeaux about it. Entering its drinking timeline just now. After being open since 6 last eve....24-34 hours later..
The rad dried violet/flowers that showed on initial has finely integrated the oh-so-pretty nose with the multi-soft-grip palette. Super cool if you’re patient. Thanks Elias and Brad for letting me watch this one till it came around.....
A sleeper lies in your cellar if you’re sitting on this one. Cheers to the exploration of patience. — 6 years ago

Keith Fisher

9.2

Bought this on release and cellared since. This is showing well with no urgency to open now. I’ve always been a fan of the Backus, but this is certainly a good value if you have patience and cellar space. — 7 years ago

Matt Sterr

8.9

Perhaps the best box 📦 Wine I’ve ever had. — 8 years ago

Tom Wood

9.4

If you had the patience, this is ten, even twenty years — 9 years ago

GFM

10

This truly is one of the finest red wines ever made. Such heritage, such patience and resilience of a winery in a dire hostile environment . 1995 a classic vintage, tasted 6-28-16. Just thrilling, balanced and sexy. — 10 years ago

Christopher Marshall

9.8

Possibly the finest example from one of the great unsung vintages in the history of Oregon Pinot. In rewarding the patience that these cooler years demand, it now expresses deep connectedness and complexity from start to finish: the sensuous perfume of the nose, continuing all the way through to the long and soft effervescence of the finish. This is a decidedly classic vinous composition. — 10 years ago

Lenard Henson

9.2

Lenard had this 11 years ago

with John

Richard Steinberg

9.6

I apologize to the wine making team for our lack of patience. Oh well, it was worth it! Buckle up and enjoy the ride. — 11 years ago

Paul K

9.2

Great wine! Fruit still hiding a little and nice tannins will make the a rockstar with some patience. — 5 years ago

Mandi Speidel

City Territory Chicago, Maverick Wine Company

8.9

Pretty in Pink in 50 Degree Chicago Weather!
Slightly Chilled & Tasting like an “Adult” Shirley Temple! Mmmmmmm! Juicy & Fun! — 5 years ago

Dawn E.

9.1

Somehow whenever I know that I am drinking a wine to young I see @David T scolding me! I do highly respect his insights and the plan was to wait three more years!
But the realization that I was going to need to sacrifice a bottle; that I can Hopefully replace came late this afternoon.
Most likely we are going to be saying goodbye to our hyperthyroidism kitty " Patience" tomorrow. It has been a long battle and she would have turned 15 July 31st. So some self medicating is warranted! 😓.
Although this wine is delicious even young! Ripe Bing Cherries...licorice...bubble gum..tea leaves and moist forest floor! Delicious wine! I will try to obtain another bottle and let it age longer! — 5 years ago

Bill Bender

9.3

Heavy tannins at 9 years but also significant fruit purity and depth. An astonishingly well made wine. Enjoy now or reward yourself with patience. 5 years will ratchet this up approachability wise two fold. — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; consumed over three hours. Tremendous Cerretta. Looks like ox blood in the glass...incredible visual with zero signs of age. Intoxicating aromas of kirsch, pie crust, tar, fresh roses, and tiramisu. On the palate it was all kirsch and sous bois supported by a mountain of tannins still, 12 years in. Beautiful acidity and the finish sits with you for well over half a minute. It was still going strong by the time we reached the bottom of the bottle. This wine will last for decades to come and I have expectations for it to start showing its best closer to 2025. Drink with patience or hold. — 9 years ago

Lance E. Farman

9.3

Your patience will pay off with this one. Tannins have lots of grip. As another reviewer says, 'definitively, yes'! — 9 years ago

Manny Abascal

9.2

An incredible and consistent value. Wish I had the patience to wait 20 years or access to older vintages. Young, woody, acidic, with strong blood orange on palate. This will be great in 10-20 years, but sadly I will have drunk all of my bottles before then. — 10 years ago

Lenard Henson

9.5

Lenard had this 10 years ago

with Somer

Wine101Hamden

10

To say this wine was fantastic is an understatement. Elegant, velvety body with hints of cedar, cinnamon spice. Glad I didn't wait too much longer to open this as the cork was drying out and snapped halfway in the neck. Extracting that cork was like defusing a bomb on Mission Impossible but with much patience we got it out without damaging anything. Phewww!! 😅 — 11 years ago

Eric Hiatt

9.0

Nice vin de pays. Keep returning to bottle for more perfumed strawberry preserve and black olive. — 12 years ago