Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Gary Phillips

9.1

Classic Left Bank Bordeaux. Black fruit and leather with long finish — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.3

After a spirited tussle between myself and the Durand vs a dry and crumbly cork I was able to double decant this and segregate away the remnants of floating debris. I was immediately struck by the bouquet which was unmistakably borne from Cabernet Franc (and I believe this blend is less than 10%). It was a positive sign. The wine is completely intact and boasts ample fruit albeit waning acidity. Simple Concord grape, bruised black plum and sweet oak flavors are holding on 2 hours in. This has some time left, but not much. This is a testament to Opus One quality in the early days (I believe this was the 3rd or 4th vintage) and while I think the ‘87-‘97 era was their best, this is an profound example of an exemplary wine at age 37! — 8 years ago

Olivia Walters

10

Like Guinness, with a mocha aftertaste. — 9 years ago

MH

Marketing/Public Relations, Joseph Phelps Vineyards

9.4

Lots of life left in this wine. What a treat. From 3 liter. #josephphelps biased review — 10 years ago

with Joseph

Aaron Pott

9.0

Beautiful Left Bank Cabernet Cassis and bell pepper. Lovely texture. 81 Medoc is singing now. — 10 years ago

Jeff Meyers

9.4

Impressive wine. Dense rich iodine quality. In my book the tannins are resolved but it may have a few years left in it. This is the best of California akin to Diamond Creek. — 11 years ago

Nick Stutzman

9.6

Thanksgiving 2013. Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Aunt Betty Sue — 12 years ago

Eddy Mendez

10

Pretty darn good showing with tons of dark cab goodness and and nice structure early on but as it warmed from cellar temperature and opened the richness of the fruit started to outweigh the acidity and tannin structure. I guess it's a matter of what you want from a Cabernet. The 'Old World' Brother In Law and the rest of his loyal crew who value smoothness over all else thought it was "like buttah". I had to side with the spacewrangler. While this wine was not over the top or over extracted it left me wanting more structure. — 13 years ago

Rob Brobst III

9.8

This could garner a perfect score in about a decade.... gorgeous blackberry, raspberry, cedar and orange sorbet scents that are extremely pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very precise acidity and layers of crisp black fruit laced with vanilla from the new oak at the moment. That will be subsumed in time. What you have here is a very precise, multi-layered, almost sensual Montrose that is going to delight many for years to come. This is highly recommended--one of the finest Left Bank wines this vintage. — 5 years ago

David White

9.2

What a fabulous wine
Decanted and lots sediment left in bottle
Lovely floral tones with soft subtle tannins
Wine grew in stature over time and revealed complex nuances as it opened up
— 6 years ago

Sara Stuckey

9.1

I’d never heard of “White” Pinot Noir before, but I’m sitting in a restaurant and it was on the “by the glass” list, so here we are.

This does not suck. It’s quite refreshing, actually. I’m a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc and I’d say this splits the difference between the crisp fruitiness of the Sav Blanc and the über-lightness of a Pinot Grigio.

Also, is it weird that I seem to detect a hint of blue cheese in this wine. (A good thing, I think). I don’t know the vintage of this bottle, but I could recommend it! — 7 years ago

Dave Wood

9.0

Stalwart and stable example of 1967 with some fruit and complexity left. 1st 1967 of the night. — 8 years ago

with David

Omid

9.3

Still has 3-5 years left. Opened up very nicely — 9 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.6

Stellar and just starting to soften at the edges. Brilliant effort. Note to self, left HSS age for 15 years before drinking. Great experience. — 10 years ago

with Howard, Mitchell and 2 others

Mark Trousdale

9.2

Enjoyed during Hedge Funds Care Wine Committee meeting Feb. 24. Thanks, John Williamson!! So much life left in this still. Beautiful. — 11 years ago

Cameron Parry

9.4

Bright, fresh, tons of life left in it. Great fruit, crisp acid, silky tannins. Yum! — 11 years ago

Byron C Mayes

9.7

Still really tight. Dark red purple. Classic cassis notes. Still plenty of time left. 2021 maybe? — 12 years ago

Kathleen Shealy

9.4

One of my favorite reds! — 13 years ago

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

PM

9.2

I think it’s delicious. Smooth, full bodied, with some character. — 6 years ago

Steven Comfort

9.1

This was the last bottle from a case I bought in about 1997. Over the 29 years since the wine was made, the noteworthy tar and tobacco notes that Pontet Canet is known for softened to an ashy-ness that is a softer version of a Mouton Rothschild. Still plenty of life left in this outstanding vintage, but the wine won't improve much (if at all) from this point. I enjoyed this bottle with Lucas Comfort, a day after his 29th birthday (1990). — 6 years ago

Melinda Lafferty

10

Perfect for breakfast/brunch.....light crisp taste — 8 years ago

David From The 504

9.2

Go to bottle of Hermitage, good price point Syrah what else to say! Plenty of time left in this. — 9 years ago

Mike Beltran

9.0

Very solid Bordeaux blend with lots of fruit flavors and balanced oak influence. Still very young and well reward cellar time over the next 5/8 years. Top rate Napa Cab at a fair price.. Nice job Bruce.... — 9 years ago

with Janelle and Joe

Ryan Guinn

9.0

After 45 minutes in a decanter the wine opened up. A great pairing with beef tenderloin. Dark cherry with a spiced finish. — 10 years ago

with Hunter

Matthew Beckman

9.3

Lovely nose of cherry and tobacco...plenty of time left for this but approachable now. My wine of the night — 10 years ago

Lili Brock

9.3

Best moscato I have had with a higher ABV. Currently my moscato of choice! — 11 years ago

Charles Schneider

9.1

Showing well for the age. Texture was pure silk. Good bit of fruit still left in the old bones. Can't wait to show Jean-Louis Carbonnier. — 11 years ago

Nick Stutzman

9.6

Thanksgiving 2013. Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Aunt Betty Sue — 12 years ago