Mike Saviage

9.6

My last bottle, with a mid-shoulder fill. Reddish tawny color, thin and translucent in the glass. Earthy nose. Notes of black fruit, pencil lead, balsa wood, tobacco/cigar and leather saddle. Rich and palate-staining in the mouth. Still has some pucker. In the end, it's all about the great nose and perfume it gives off. — 3 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

This is probably the youngest vintage I’d drink Salon as they age at a snails pace. Much more to offer at this point than 06 and 07. Swirls in a Burgundy glass reveal its amazing purity, intense minerality, chiseled palate and an incredible sense of place. It’s elegant and concentrated with a stunning texture and mouthfeel, offering plenty to be enjoyable now, but many many years ahead. — 4 years ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Super fresh and precise on the nose. Packed with minerals- lime, slate, salinity. Quite a glycerin mouthfeel. Super fresh and compact. All the transparency of 2011 and Raveneau. Needs time in the glass to open up. Still a puppy, but spectacular and all in place. Benefitting from air. — 4 years ago

with Walker, Tony and 1 other

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.7

A ravishing Saint-Julien, the Léoville-Poyferré is also very clearly one of the wines of the vintage on the Left Bank. Raspberry jam, blood orange, mint, spice and mocha all race out of the glass as this sumptuous, flamboyant wine shows off its exotic personality. With its vertical lift and explosive energy, the 2017 has so much to offer. It has been nothing less than stunning on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. In 2017, the Grand Vin is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Because of the late season rains, only 3 out of the 5 parcels that typically inform the Grand Vin were used. This a tremendous effort from the Cuvelier family. Don't miss it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Last night in MT at the lake. Gave this several hours of air. Nice dark tawny color. Vibrant in the glass. The nose is great right away and stayed on point through the evening. Notes of black cherries, warm raspberries, old cedar, some plums and a little leather saddle. Rich and silky in the mouth. Velvet glove. Long finish. Great wine. — 6 years ago

Keith Lite

9.5

A big bold plumy purple bomb As dense and luscious as a wine can get in a glass. Decanted for 2 hrs and its still a baby with blackberry, dark chocolate licorice and pepper on the nose and on the palate. A long long finish and loads of tannins to sum it all up — 6 years ago

with Bruce

Chris Harwick

9.4

Is that a magnum or have my hands shrunk? Depth and amazing complex structure. Still young as it changed constantly in the glass over the hours. Who am I kidding it was less than an hour. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

10

Tasted blind. Light gold color, youthful and heavy in the glass. Notes of citrus, white clay, sea shells, wet river stone, kiwi and some honey. High pitched. Massive fruit and structure. This powered along all night and never slowed down. Easy to guess as the 90 Raveneau Clos as we've had this many times. A debate ensued about what is a perfect white burgundy and where this sits... it would be really hard to get better than this, IMO. Spectacular. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Presented blind alongside three other red wines; another Bordeaux and two Bordeaux blends from CA. All wines were descanted and returned to the bottle 8 hours prior.

This wine pours a deep garnet with an opaque core. Medium+ viscosity. Medium+ intensity. The nose was a mix of red and dark fruits with currants and cherries, tobacco, pencil shavings, earth, espresso and baking spice. There’s just a whiff of a barnyard in the distance too. On the palate, again the mixed fruit set with beautifully ripened blackberries and black cherries, currants, earth, coffee and baking chocolate. Medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Finishes looooooong, dry and immensely satisfying.

The wine is balanced and leans towards its structure. I called 2004 Latour. The soaring aromatics were simply incredible. I just wanted to spend the entire evening with my nose buried in the glass. This is squarely in the drinking window yet has many years left in it. Drink now with an extended decant or enjoy over the next 10-15 years. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Medium gold, nice heavy weight in the glass. Steely, fruity nose. Notes of Meyer lemon, wet river stones, tan spice, rocky soil, some tangerine and some ripe apricot. Rich and powerful in the mouth. Great overall structure and balance. This is playing up a weight class or two. Feeling Cochey! — 6 years ago

Greg Wright

9.5

Dark plum and cherry fruit with some earthy notes. More time in the glass and the wine starts to show a demi glacé like texture. Stunning and should age well for another 10-15 years. — 6 years ago

Joe D'Angelo

9.8

The 2016 ‘Insignia’ is an absolutely incredible showing, and is amongst the most compelling vintages I have yet to taste from the Estate. Composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec which spent 24 months in 100% new french oak. As this unwinds in the glass it begins to release its seductive aromatics of ripe dark currants, crème de cassis and blueberries along with fresh violets, pencil shavings, wild sage brush and exotic spices. On the palate this is full-bodied, with a gorgeous rich, opulent texture that is beautifully balance by a lovely touch if underlying acidity keeping it fresh and inviting all the way through the long enveloping finish. Displaying a remarkable combination of both power and precision, the 2016 is a total stunner and will go on to have a marvelous future for many years to come. — 6 years ago

Jeremiah Allen

9.7

Pure magic! ‘67 is a legendary vintage, lucky to experience a flawless bottle. This was fully resolved and hauntingly aromatic. It’s was energetic and lasted in the glass. Probably another decade of life left for these Normale bottlings — 7 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.9

The sample of 2019 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande sent to me last year was an absolute show-stopper. The bouquet needs a few minutes to open up, delivering intense black fruit, crushed stone and incense with time in the glass. Yes, the nose does remind me of Latour! The medium-bodied palate is endowed with unerring symmetry and poise. This is a powerful, multi-dimensional Pichon-Lalande, extremely precise, very deep and long. The 60% new oak is seamlessly integrated and feels just right. It reminds me of the 1996 in some ways, but with more finesse on the finish. Stunning. 14.12% alcohol (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2022)
— 4 years ago

Pooneet K

9.3

I believe this is the last bottle of a 3 pack we acquired several years ago. This is the best showing yet. Decanted for an hour which I recommend. So deep and amber in the glass. Quite full and intense, with nice white fruit and flowers and some secondary notes. Salinity starts early and carries throughout the long finish. Very nice with some cod poached in coconut milk. — 4 years ago

Lawrence Bernstein

9.0

1/21 This 1993 Cab was superb. It changed a lot in the glass gaining power and then losing it. It lost it’s power but it still had strength. This was a complex wine with a lot of minerality and very well balanced and a nice finish. 90 — 5 years ago

Colin

9.2

Most interesting Sauternes I’ve tried. Started smooth with honey and then got more complex with a long finish that changed as it lingered, especially as the bottle got some air. Felt like it was maybe a little too powerful towards the end of my last glass, but I was maybe getting some sediment at that point. All in all an exciting tasting and it left me excited to try some of their other wines. — 6 years ago

Amber Petrik

10

CAYMUS Caberet Sauvignon Napa Valley. We drank this with Billie and Rob at Capital Grill in Shops of Legacy. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I would rank it a 10+ — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The 2009 'Cristal' is a completely stunning Champagne which impresses with its polish, complexity, weight and silky mousse. The brightness is wonderful with intense lemon zest and kumquat aromatics that all mingle in the glass. The soft mousse and bright effervescence really impresses. The freshness of the wine also shows beautifully on the mid-palate, displaying not only good weight but intense orchard fruits that mingle with the wet stone, and high-toned citrus zest accents. I love the silky mouthfeel that adds to the wonderful experience. This is settling in after some time after release. Drink 2019-2035- 95 — 6 years ago

Jack Petras

9.8

Fortunate enough to have tasted this along with 6 other stunning wines last night during a cellar tasting. This 36 year old 2nd growth was nearly perfect, unusual but very pleasant mint, camphor, crushed sage and rosemary aromas with the same cooling delicate herbal initial palate. Dried but expressive red fruits mid- palate with a great structural graphite element throughout. Whiff of new leather. Changed in the glass showing different mellow facets. Pretty much intercepted at the exact right time. A real privilege to taste such a renowned vintage with folks who appreciates what was in front of them. — 7 years ago