Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Finessed, terrific complexity, bruised white peach, petrol, wet stone and a bit nutty along with tea leaves on the finish. Such a brilliant expression of Wachau. — 7 years ago

Spencer Stuart

8.9

Burst of fruit but leaves you flat on the finish. — 8 years ago

DL

9.2

Smells alcoholic, kind of stings my nasal canals. Has a musty, rounded smell over it, di says is American oak. Tastes complex, not super sweet, kind of savory. Feeling spreads out and mellows out in mouth. Has tannins, leaves an aftertaste, but not unpleasant — 8 years ago

with C

Chris McClellan

9.3

Wow...loved this wine. Tart red fruit, med plus acid, smooth med tannins, leather, earth driven, soy, leaves, and that heavenly kiss of new american oak with vanilla and dill . Just an outstanding classic example of Rioja..IMO! — 8 years ago

Murat Rakhimzhan

9.0

Very fresh wine with aromas of green pepper, passion fruit, lychee, and grass.
In taste fresh, limes, passion fruit, grass green pepper — 8 years ago

Jim Wagonfeld

9.3

At opening, a room filling aroma of fresh cut grass. Clear pale yellow. full palate of citrus, 💐, honeysuckle and herbs. Good minerality. long finish. A bit of RS? Overall a lovely effort. SB for those who dismiss this varietal.
— 9 years ago

with Judy

Chad Henderson

9.1

Smells like limes and fresh cut grass. Taste of limes, asparagus and minerals. Dry and acetic aftertaste. — 10 years ago

with Kristen

LM Segal

9.0

Fresh, sturdy. Bright cherry nose and a mouthful of tart darker berry and tea leaves. Solid. — 10 years ago

Charles Okoye

9.4

Try to describe love and you will come up short like me describing this wine. A welcoming aroma teases the tip of the tongue. But the true joy comes at the back end of the sip as blackberry plum smoke disappears and leaves your palate yearning for its next encounter. — 11 years ago

Jonathan Tharp

8.9

Sweet grass, peach, and grapefruit, then a little bit of what I can only call Christmas tree. Crisp and med-high acid, low phenolics — 11 years ago

Ryan Stewart

9.0

Pronounced intensity, with aromas of green bell pepper, asparagus, apricot, and freshly cut grass. On the palate, lychee, grapefruit, lemon, and bell pepper with a long finish. — 12 years ago

Ariel

9.0

Full bouquet, taste of fruit blackberry and aged oak with a noticeable amount of tannin and a loooong finish as it opened up. Going from tangy to spicy and leaves your mouth feeling like it went to sleep for a good 30 seconds. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.2

Weekly Wednesday Wine Committee and this was a special treat as not only was Weston from Montagu Wines in attendance, but Jason Moore, owner and winemaker for Modus Operandi Wines out of Napa. Blind format as always. 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert.

Every part of me, and most everyone else in the room, called this New Zealand SB. Never had a SB with so much grass and jalapeño pepper on the nose. More grapefruit rind came in to play later and it had a typical SB finish with acidic/stone driven notes, but what a nose! — 8 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Since this is the last Friday of the year, my Cabernet fix is going to be a little different this time.

Dark ruby in color with a short brick /orange rim.

Earthy nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, earth, wood, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, forest floor, leather, pencil lead, light barnyard, licorice, light vanilla, bell pepper and vegetables.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry and earthy on the palate with blueberries, cherries, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, wet leaves, vegetables, herbs, beef jerky, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, green pepper, black tea and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

What a wonderful Cabernet based red from Saint Estephe. Nicely balanced and very complex with a great mouthfeel. Earthy and still young, but drinking very nicely now.

Not a great vintage, but so enjoyable by itself or with food. The nose is so complex, that it's so nice just to sniff on.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

13% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Quick review as drinking w/ friends 😉 Not the best VCC I've had but still a decent aged drop 😎 @ £113

🍷 Garnet red w/ brown

👃 Rose petal perfumed mushrooms in a damp cellar filled w/ earthy soggy leaves through stewed plum, dark cocoa & smoked soft oak

👄 Med creamy smooth body of sweet blackcurrant & earthy plum in mocha

🎯 Med+ plummy mocha — 9 years ago

DrinkBordeaux

9.3

1995 Château l'Evangile from a half bottle. Still has that nice ripe red fruit, menthol, tobacco, truffle, wet leaves, and dustiness on the nose. Medium bodied, rustic, and at time austere. A medium length finish. Could benefit from a bit more acidity, but otherwise the balance is there. Still has tannins to resolve. Based on experience from half and standard bottles, this is a great time to drink this wine as it's definitely in its drinking window. My only concern is that as its fruit fades, it may become austere to the point that some may not enjoy it. But right now, there is a lot of old style charm that is easy to like. There's also no rush to drink this, as I'll bet the fruit stays ripe and in the forefront for a least a few more years. — 9 years ago

Kendall Johnson

9.8

Sweet to start and tart at the finish. Mainly tastes of grapefruit, passion fruit, and grass. Soft, rounded texture. There's more complexity and bigger flavor if you let it sit out a bit, but not too long because then it loses the crisp finish. #vinebox — 10 years ago

April Wang

9.5

Dark ruby to garnet. Sweet, candied cherries, hints of gravel, toasted tea leaves. — 10 years ago

TheWineStalker

9.0

Peach is the first aroma to greet your nose. There's a specific floral aroma of the bouquets that come out in the autumn, and like you're taking wet autumn leaves, and of course white pepper. Flavors of lemon, canned pear juice and yellow apple. Finish is spicy with white pepper and citrusy with lemon-lime. Fun with sophistication. — 11 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.6

Grass, brioche and plenty of mid palate weight... A great prestige cuvée for current drinking. — 12 years ago

Chris England

9.2

A surprising lighter style Pauillac for an 05 but @ £90+ it’s in a nice place, but a touch disappointing compared to others such as the amazing 2000 😁

🏵 92-93 points

🍇 64% Cab S, 29% Mer, 6% Cab F, and 1% Pet V

🍷 Blackened ruby

👃 Warm oak, soggy earthy leaves, gravel, minerals, pencil lead through dark berries & plum w/ mocha

👄 Med body of smooth rich blackcurrant, damson & red/black currants w/ a mineral mocha & mineral undertone

🎯 Med red & dark berry kick w/ touch dry minerals, light mocha & liquorice

— 7 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.1

Big aromatic nose of grass and grapefruit. Mellows on the palate, but still lean with Bosc pears. Great cali example of an old world style. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

I 💗 the smell of Figeac in the morning! A hot random year in Bordeaux with many hints & misses - this £110 fav of mine is a sure hit 👍 Stunning nose, good body but average finale

🍇 35% Cab S, 35% Cab F & 30% Merlot

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Smokey spiced dark plum through minerals, oak & cedar, soggy earthy leaves & liquorice w/ mocha, black cherry & herby tones 😍

👄 Med body of creamy smooth silky stewed dark plum w/ minerals, mocha & liquorice

🎯 Long plummy creamy molasses liquorice earthy touch dry linger — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

Third of the four year vertical we are trying out for #WAWineMonth. We had the 05, 07, 08 and 09.

Medium garnet red. Light baking spices on the nose with some tobacco but a bit muted overall. A bit younger characteristics to start on the nose but never really opened up. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) with a medium plus body. Layered palate with cherries, bitter dark cocoa powder, tobacco leaves, a touch of tomatoes, and damp earth. Solid minerality in the medium plus finish. Drink till 2018.

Made up of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Scorewine

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

9.0

A fantastic 2002, this lovely wine shows once more that today there aren't really bad years in Bordeaux, this Pontet Canet was well structured rich and tempting. Deep red, tempting rich multi layered nose ripe cherries, black current, coffee, cigar box, and tea leaves, full rich body, dry tannins, full of black fruit, high acidity and a long chewy finish. Was worth the wait, my score 90. Drink to 2022 — 9 years ago

Matt Duncan

9.5

Out of mag. Cheese rind, apricot fuzz, lemon grass. A richness that intuits the cellar it was made in. — 9 years ago

with Haley, Nicholas and 1 other

Steve Haro

9.4

Proving once again that this is perhaps the best sauv blanc out there. Massive mouthfeel. Peach nectar and lemon grass and honeysuckle are the dominant flavors. The finish is long with mineral overtones and a hint of tropical fruit. — 10 years ago

Joel Pennington #❤️🐢🍷

Owner/Winemaker Slow Turtle Vineyard

9.5

Unbelievable, a bright styled Sav Blanc with peach and lemon grass. I think this is my favorite Sav Blac out of the US, going to get a case next. — 10 years ago

Sean Wallner - WSET II

9.5

Definition of refreshing!
Nose: Stone fruit, minerals, lemon grass
Notes: same with a hint a pineapple and orange peel.
All around impressive Sav Blanc, can't believe I waited this long to try it. — 11 years ago

Lynn Penner-Ash

Owner/Winemaker Penner-Ash

8.9

Red fruit, touch of tea leaves. Lovely texture — 11 years ago