Vino Joe

9.5

I wanted to sit on this since I opened a bottle just a few weeks ago. However, sensing that my wife needed a quality glass of wine tonight I decided to go with an obvious winner. It did not disappoint. Ton of earth with cherry and tar and thickness - this is as complex and lovely as ever. Lingering finish that is not quite puckery but lays heavy on the tongue for awhile. The bouquet is balanced. Right mix of power and perfume. The 2005 is still quite red in color and has plenty of vibrancy. It’s matured to fully drink but it’s still packing some oomph. Looks great in the glass. This was universally enjoyed over three hours and a thumbs up from the Mrs. — 4 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

Early valentine's dinner (oysters are done)... now reverse seared rib cap steaks.

1 hour decant (decent chunky sediment). A grand dark burnt crimson color with decent bricking. On the nose: Bingo!!! That delicate aged sweet perfumed cab nose burst from the glass with dark berries, creme brulee, mint, sweet tobacco, stewed meat. Taste: velvety smooth, full body wine with earth, dark berries, sandlewood, cocoa and a spiced cassis medium plus finish. Holding up great, but don't wait to try!! Its what you want in an aged Napa cab. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 2012 Louis Roederer ‘Cristal’ Chanpagne is a thrilling, dense new offering from this historic house. On the nose this takes on rich brioche and baked Pazzaz apple flavors that combine with lighter kumquat and marzipan tones that all meld in the glass. Fresh and vibrant, with a remarkably silky mousse, the weight and richness of this wine is impressive, while the bright character provides a wonderful foil. Rich layers of lemon zest dusted brioche with toasted hazelnut and Gravenstein apple with lighter vanilla cream and starfruit tones seamlessly combine on the palate. As several hours develop, the wine pieces itself together more magically with the intense citrus components melding with its weighty stature. Marvelous at this stage in its development, the 2012 Louis Roederer ‘Cristal’ Chanpagne will have an exceedingly long life ahead of it. Try to give this at least another year of bottle development before savoring. Drink 2021-2040- 97 — 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 — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.4

@Benjamin Keator had his hosting at the CC tonight and it was absolutely incredible. What a night of gorgeous wines! All wines are guessed blind.

The third white in an insane flight of Chardonnays. I guessed all were Cali (they were), and guessed they are all 2012 (they were). I actually guessed this was either Kongsgaard or Jarvis Finch Hollow, so half right? Richly gold in the glass (Kongsgaard giveaway). Acidity was fairly high which was surprising. Honeyed fruit and honeycomb. Always unique and always fantastic. — 8 years ago

with Benjamin, Weston and 1 other

Ara Aslanian

9.0

Lost most of its fruit. Great nose, drank a little funky at first but came around after a little time in the glass. — 9 years ago

with Emil and Edward

Kyle Groombridge

9.3

"I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon"... I can see why Nicolas Alexandre Marquis de Segur said these iconic words after having this wine in my glass. The nose is so inviting with warm spice, cigar smoke, embers, and toast. Raspberry syrup, plums, vanilla, and toffee on the palate. Nice thread of smoke throughout with nice balancing fresh fruit. What an enjoyable wine! 20 months in new oak - obviously the more accessible style the new owners are going for... the Pinot the other night gave an experience, this one tells a story. — 10 years ago

Jae Cho

9.1

Still tightly coiled, giving its perfumed nose after 1.5hours in glass. Medium to full with a focus long cab fruit — 11 years ago

Julieluvswine

9.2

Heavy yeasty autolytic notes on nose & palate. Developed stone fruit, approachable acidity. As it sat in glass & warmed a touch of cork came through on the nose. Must drink faster :) — 12 years ago

Deborah M

9.5

Just wow! Blown away by this one. New private wine bar in Dallas had this on the list! Surprised to see this wine. The wine took some time to open up in the glass. I would have decanted this wine for hours if served at home, but not an option last night. Plenty of smiles as this evolved in the glass. Expressive nose, no tannins, nice acidity. Beautiful expressions of dark fruit peeking through, but not enough time to really shine. Still a fabulous bottle that I’m grateful I was able to enjoy with friends. — 4 years ago

Ed Chin

9.3

Too tight last night. Based on the small glass today I think it is perfect for me. Fruit, secondary and t tertiary notes. Pretty much all in balance.  I can only assume since I had the cork pulled yesterday that this still has a lot of years left. — 6 years ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Beautiful, beautiful wine. The last 96 we had was maybe a smidge more together but it’s marginal. Quite dark in the glass. Deep restrained red fruit on the nose. Tannins are slightly dusty but overall very seamless. Excellent refreshing acid. Perfect with a dry aged strip steak. — 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+ — 7 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 — 7 years ago

with Bruce

Conrad Green

9.8

A treat. Dark in color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose with dark, very mouton fruit. Incredibly aromatic, blackcurrant, mint,graphite, dried herbs, eucalyptus. The palate is extraordinary. So dense and powerful for a wine of almost 70 years. Dark fruit with a savory undertow- leather, thyme, sour cherry, dark chocolate. Really precise flavors and long. After an hour or two in glass there’s notes of coconut and soft wood. Extraordinary. Clearly there’s a lot of age on this but the sheer quality makes for a really dynamic wine. An exceptional bottle, and a teal treat. — 8 years ago

with Howard, Tony and 1 other

B

10

1993 Georges de Voguet. Fathers Day dinner w mnd, IK, and K at Carl. Remarkably young tasting. Opened up a lot after 30 min in the glass. Rustic, really full-bodied. Didn’t have that prettiness or softness that the Leroys often have. — 8 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.2

The beauty of great producers in great regions is how the wines wear the vintages & tell the story of that place & time. 2014's story & soul lie transparently in the texture. High toned, fresh red fruit with an acidic core which seems to brighten the wine as it breathes. The aromatics are never far from the palate here, as that is where the power lies. Undeniable floral & strawberry perfume overtake the senses as the glass is raised. Call me crazy, but this was a star alongside chicken Marsala. White in the sauce, red in the glass. — 10 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.1

Still interesting. Light bricking ruby color. Thin in glass. Silky finish follows a muted nose. Past its prime as fruit has faded. But enjoyable nonetheless. — 11 years ago

Kathleen Inman

9.0

Initially pine resin and cassis in the nose. As it opens more red meat and oil cured olives. Dark dried cherry, star anise, harsh tannins, still a baby. Changed a lot in the glass. Would decant. — 11 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.9

The wine was medium to dark garnet in colour. On day one it offered red fruit, cherry, balsamic vinegar, cola, leather, mushroom, earthy and vegetal notes and a wet sewer component on the nose. On the palate the the wine showed red fruit, cherry, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes, the acidity was quite pronounced, the wine became slightly drying and even more acidic after some time in the glass, and the fruit faded a bit. Two days later, on day three, the medium-bodied wine was more balanced and showed red and dark fruit, some chocolate, some tobacco, spices and earthy notes on the nose, and red fruit, cherry, leather, tobacco, earthy and balsamic notes on the palate, with just a faint touch of greenness, paired with medium-plus well-integrated tannin, medium-plus acidity and very good length. I had almost written-off the wine on day one and then, surprisingly, it showed much better the third day. Holding-up well. 90 — 12 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

Night 1 of WineBoyz Wineapalooza. I hosted a pre-game before dinner at La Belena in Carmel, and opened two champagnes to kick off the blowout weekend our wine group has set up. This has a straw gold color. Vibrant with great energy in the glass. Chablis-like nose. Notes of citrus, wet river stone, vanilla, some iodine. Chalky with nice salinity in the mouth. Great, long-lasting finish. Got better with an hour of air. Killer juice. 96+ — 4 years ago

Willie Carter

9.3

Oh my, what an absolute joy. This right here sings the song I want to hear. A pale old gold color in the glass. Perfectly precise perlage with a plethora of tiny, fine bubbles and showcasing innate creaminess. The nose is slightly intense opening with aromas of hazelnut, chalk, and lemon zest. Warm buttered brioche takes over for a moment full of bliss then a bit of smoke. Juicy peaches and pears commingle with fresh herbs and spices.

100% Chardonnay from the five Grand Cru villages of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, and Mesnil-sur-Oger. The tête de cuvée of Champagne Taittinger and it shows. It’s a very noble, prestigious champagne that matches complexity with downright deliciousness. The juxtaposition between luxury and comfort is evident here. Like coming out of a bath and slipping on your finest robe. The racy acidity and exquisitely dry nature of the wine belies the dosage of 9 g/l.

Very creamy in the mouth and though it starts off a bit demanding, it soon becomes so inviting after some time. Every sip demands the proper time and contemplation. Chalky and rich, positively bursting with citrus fruits. Apples and toast everywhere along with gun flint and more smoke. Medium long finish with traces of spice. A powerful, graceful champagne that’s full of finesse. This can go for decades longer but if you open it now sit with it for a while. Give it the proper time. You might fall in love just a little. — 5 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. — 7 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. — 7 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. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Fab 27yr Old Rioja @ £62 drinking like a Burgundy & perfect in a Zalto Burg glass

🏵 92 points

🍷 Garnet cherry w/ brown hue

👃 Leather & balsamic infused mulched spiced cherry w/ soft smoked oak, sherry, wet earth, cocoa, red berry, herbs & gooey date jam

👄 Med smooth, touch tart, red cherry & berry bathed in balsamic w/ a mocha touch

🎯 Med+ touch dry oaky driven red cherry & berry fruits w/ an earthy balsamic caramel figgy linger — 8 years ago

Chelsea Hoff

10

It sings in the glass! Will improve with a significant amount of time in a decanter — 9 years ago

Bill Bender

9.3

Musky, funky nose. Orange hues by candlelight in the glass. Warm, pleasing tannins. Fig, tar, flint. A nice intro to this maker. — 10 years ago

with Vickie

Lewis Chester

9.2

2003 vintage. From Jay. Very nice. Much better than expected. Goes down all together way too easily when you're surrounded by snow! Deep ruby core washing out towards the edges. No bricking...yet. Nose is a preponderance of dark fruits together with blueberries and ripe cassis with slight under tones of cloves and a hint of graphite. This is a very fruity affair- takes me back to Christmas. The wine expresses on the palate as it does on the nose. Layers of rich fruit with traces of brown spice. There's a lovely sweetness here that makes the wine a pleasure to drink despite the relatively modest acidity. The tannins are soft and lush. The finish is good with a continued preponderance of fruit right to the very end although it is moderate in length. This is a very quaff able wine...could be at this all night with pleasure just sit me down in front of an open fire and hand me a Montecristo! 92+/100. Drink now to 2028. NB - no need to decant. This wine can happily be poured from bottle post opening and allowed to open in the glass. — 11 years ago

Carl Steefel

9.8

Informal gathering to drink some Bordeaux varietal bottles with steak.

1986 Cheval Blanc: This one showed suspect ullage, to the point where it had been hard to flip it. And in the end, it did turn out to be a controversial wine--was the orgasm 40 days, or was it 36 days? Hard to say... An extraordinary wine, classic in its own way, with fragrant dark flower and black cassis aromas wafting from the glass, and maybe more importantly for us, exploding in the mouth. Some of the more ordinary adjectives, like "smooth" and "balanced", are accurate enough, but obviously don't do this one justice. One could do a fluid dynamical description of the time evolution of this wine in the mouth, a broad attack that gave way in about 3 seconds to a sensation of acceleration and flaring across the entire breadth of the palate as the wine detonated, an oenological version of a jet... And then a persistent finish where the inner mouth perfume resonates as it fades slowly (or simply moved off to some parallel universe). — 11 years ago