Seth Masterson

8.9

A good representative California style (fruit forward verging on jammy, with inky color staining) with early leather and earth notes showing that there can still be subtleties in 'big' American pinots. I think there's good potential after it gets out of it's somewhat loud baby bottling stage. I'll come back every year and revisit. — 3 years ago

Joe Fischer

9.4

Dark berry everything, licorice, and earthy aromas. Nice body and smooth as can be. You won’t be disappointed with this very nice Bordeaux from St. Julien. Glad I have a few more bottles to let age. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.0

The 2018 Lapierre Morgon is a spark plug bursting with energy. Even six hours in the decanter wasn’t enough to get this to uncoil but it started to give a glimpse of things to come. In the glass, it pours a hazy, garnet color. On the nose, it’s all raspberries and apricots. On the palate, it’s raspberries, apricots, rhubarb, dry earth and minerals. Medium tannin. Medium acid. Best to let these sit for a few years in my opinion and could potentially be at their best around 2025. I really like where this is headed. — 5 years ago

Greg Koslosky

9.1

Still some tannins and a good amount of fruit. I don’t think it will be any better with age . — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

Enjoyed while cleaning out the boss' cellar. Say what you want about this wine, but the one thing you can say is that this wine is incredibly consistent. This wine reminds me of the family uncle who always gives you some silver dollars at Christmas...even though you are now a grown adult. And if you actually listen to his crazy advice on investing when you were a kid, you just might be able to be that Uncle when you grow up. This wine is a thoroughbred. Meant to be consumed at least after 10 years. And this wine is in a really good spot. The nose does show a tiny bit of age as does the palate. This is front-loaded with slightly aged blackberry and a bit brambly. This wine smoothed out quite a bit over 3 hours. Finish with very nice integration, a hint of stiff oak tannin but a lot of it has resolved. Very enjoyable. This wine still has another 10 or 15 years left. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

At 17 years of age full of vim and vigour. A perfect mature blend of currant and mocha (oak). Almost resolved tannins but will be good in another 5 years at least. This is the last of a dozen bought on release. Very Good. Better than the 2000 and not quite as good as the excellent 2002. — 7 years ago

Charles D Cummings

9.1

Was lucky enough to be invited over to a friends house one night for wine. Was really surprised when she brought out this bottle of wine. Her mother-in-law had passed away and had a pretty good selection of wines left over. Should have decanted but I was just happy to get a glass. Full of dark berries on the nose. Had a beautiful velvety texture. — 8 years ago

Daniel M

9.3

Cocoa, strawberry, currant, vanilla, tar, cedar, wet forest soil, a lot of things happen. It's showing a bit of age but certainly not as much as the label shows. The palate is showing a strong acid backbone and this is quite striking here. It must be because of the vintage though. Nice strawberry, currant fruit all along, good width with a thin matter which lays a layer of silk all over the mouth. In mid palate come some rather well integrated tannins, bringing in some energy by disrupting slightly that very silky mouthfeel with a dusty touch. The finish is very long with fruit, vanilla, cocoa and maybe even mocha. Perhaps not the best Pichon Lalande but a very good take on a tough vintage which is still relevant and delivering to this day.
29 years old and kicking! We served it along with a slow cooked lamb leg and beans (traditional Easter meal in my region) and this was a perfect match. Celebrating wifey's birthday in style! — 4 years ago

J Chechik

9.1

Awfully good, but I was also expecting a bunch! Have always found Papillon to be super chewy & dense. This didn’t fail, but it was a bit closed for longer than I remembered past btls. Used an aerator...
Darn fine NYE, tho! — 4 years ago

Bryan Kesting

9.2

Great wine...I was concerned this 2016 may be tight but not at all. Smooth tanins and was good after a short decant. — 6 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of dark purple, ruby, and a bit brown note on the rim. Nose of dark fruits, tobacco leaves, spice, and indeed some strawberry. Taste is sweet! Zest, cherry, , spice, marginal tannins come next. Quite milky. Aftertaste is also a bit spicy, tobacco leaves, and just a bit too watery. Too sweet for me but may be a good one in the party. — 6 years ago

Candice vansickle

9.1

Very good. Let it breathe a while. — 7 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.6

Wow.. Shocking how good these wines can be when they are on. Wonderful nose of dark fruit, old glove leather and graphite. This was still kicking after 3hrs and shows how strong the vintage was to keep going so strong after 50+ years. — 7 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.5

It is Tuesday night, the night after my first Covid-19 shot. I thought it would be nice to open a 2009 Muga Selección Especial Rioja Reserva. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo.

On the nose there a notes of black cherry, blackberry, black plum, black currant, licorice, savory notes, leather and earth.

On the palate I find notes of black cherry, black plum, tomato, black currant, spice, licorice, black pepper, a nice mineral note and earth.

This wine is full bodied with a fleshy velvety mouthfeel, medium+ acidity and medium + fine mouth coating tannins which moves into a long dark fruit savory earthy finish. Definitely a lovely Rioja and in a very good drinking spot right now but still has many years to go. I hope everyone is doing well please still stay safe and healthy. Have a great week going forward. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 4 years ago

Edwin Edwards III

9.1

Had this on Christmas Eve with family, and it is a very good, light Pinot. Will be getting again when I get the chance! — 5 years ago

Larry Ito

9.2

This was a very interesting tasting experience. 3rd btl since release and changing for the better. Highly extracted Purple in color with nose of berries, cherry, herbs, licorice and taste of cherry mocha blackberry and vanilla. Certainly New World but better balanced w time. The wine became more focused and less jammy over the evening and wine left in the glass showed some tannin along with the good fruit. I am wondering if this is going to age like many 82 Bordeaux that originally seemed too fruity and unstructured to last but have truly showed the test of time. The background tannins have me considering this to be the future ? I think it is going to be going strong with good balance well into its second decade of life — 5 years ago

Anthony Pro

9.0

It’s going to be good... It’s a Caymus. But man, for the price, there’s so much better out there. An abundance of fruit. Perhaps too much. The birthday boy isn’t even drinking wine...

Update: just realized this was my 100th California wine. — 6 years ago

Chad Thompson

8.9

Might be the bottle but just a bit past its prime. Still good - sweet core, good acid, dark fruits. — 7 years ago

Adam Reinhard

9.9

Damn. Still rockin strong. Like Dave in the good years. I fooled my wife into thinking it might be old world/ that all the praise you need to know. — 7 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.1

Mmm this is gunna be good. It's tight and shut down at the moment, but this has a dark purple hue to it - way more color than previous vintages of d'Armailhac that I've had. Some cedar and graphite mixed with herbs and black fruit on the nose. Palate isn't as tannic as expected, but definitely needs more time to hit its stride. Very well-made however - I bet with a 3-hr decant it'd be fab. Good value as most of the '14's have been. — 8 years ago