Jim Wagonfeld

9.5

Just a perfect mature CA Cabernet. If you have it in your cellar open a bottle to try. Has a long, long life ahead. — 6 years ago

with Judy

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

One of my favorite small production wine, 300 cases. Cal Nicholson spent his youth in So. CA & after a long marketing career he hung up his spurs to follow his 2 real interests in life – surfing & wine making. Jones is the maiden name of Cal’s wife Pam. A wonderful wine. Aromas of lemon citrus with herb, stone & tropical fruits. Palate, peach, Granny Smith apple & ripe melon flavors with lively citrus zest wrapped in lbalanced acidity. Lingering finish ending with mineral citrus finish. Consistent! Nice! — 6 years ago

Rob Russell

9.0

Just had this in Bordeaux a few weeks ago. Like most wines of this vintage it took a bit of imagination to fully appreciate. It is clearly time to drink this wine, it may be on the downhill side of life. Overall a good experience for what was not noted as a premium vintage, but is a very solid wine. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.3

Happy Thanksgiving Eve 2018.
Top 3/4 of the cork was just great, bottle 1/4 was extracted in dozens of pieces, screened aerating funnels are awesome for managing this mess. Nose appears fine, hints of green pepper initially.

Post decant, nose has ripe plum, black currant, dark chocolate shavings, black tea, distant floral and faint oak notes.

Palate is lightly cooked plum, blackberry, eucalyptus, mashed black cherry, oak sawdust, faint caramel sauce and a blueberry cinnamon aspect. Tannins are fully resolved, none left at all, beautiful bottle.

We purchased these in 2004, just getting to pulling the first cork tonight...life gets busy sometimes. A couple bottles remain in the cellar, likely need to be enjoyed before ~2023 before decline may be quite evident. I'd really like to see how this fruit fades in the next couple years, expected to still be interesting at that juncture. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Everyone knows I’m a fan of LRA but I’ve not had the 98 for a long time!

As I just found some @ £68 I had to try & it’s lovely for the money with lots of life left 👍

🍸 Perfect in Zalto Burgundy 😎

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Smoked dark balsamic oak in spiced black cherry w/ vanilla cocoa cream, herbs, smoke, leather, coconut & caramel

👄 Med creamy smooth body of dark cherry bathed in balsamic & vanilla cocoa w/ red berry tones

🎯 Long chocky cherry w/ touch tart balsamic thick linger — 8 years ago

Benjamin Keator

9.6

Great merlot. Good acidic structure. Long life ahead of this one. Beautiful balance. Would love to try this again in 10-15 years — 9 years ago

with Bill

Fredrik Johansson

Winemaker Staglin Family Vineyard

9.5

Singing and just hitting on all cylinders. Great dark fruits and balance. Supple. Still fresh and vibrant. LOTSA life left in this one. — 9 years ago

Jose Francisco Garcia

9.0

Smooth. Nice and elegant. In your face telling you I'm here look at me I'm a napa pinot noir! — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.4

2005 vintage. On the nose, quite developed. Nutty, brioche, dried apricot and quince. Some earthy notes. On the palate, again developed and very approachable. Broad - slightly lacking in acidity for me. Good body and concentration. Some nice complexity of flavours. Decent length. Surprisingly good for an '05. I think I prefer this to the '04, although I suspect that this wine won't have as long a life span. Bravo monsieur chef de cave! — 10 years ago

Jordan Moore

8.9

2000 vintage. Still has some tannin gripping on for dear life. Cranberry and pomegranate and fig and potting soil. Some chocolate as well. A little rocky on the palate but one that isn't showing 16 years in any bad form. — 10 years ago

Carla Hine

9.5

Cocoa powder. Silky and supple. Lots of life in the fruit. — 11 years ago

Edward Chung

9.4

Surprisingly young, with a lot of life left in this beautiful wine. Great berries, cassis. Had it after a meal and drinks fine as a stand-alone. Coats the tongue and has a 45+ sec finish. Easily in the drinking window for another 10-15 years (had it in February 2020). — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

“Let me tell you somethin’! Let me tell you...✋🏼. Don’t drink these now. Seriously. Just don’t. Five years from now? That’s probably okay. But not now. Unless...unless you are willing to decant for an extended period of time or slow-ox for three days. Patience will be rewarded however if you allow time to do its work. Only then do you get the classic Rafanelli of red and dark fruit with chocolate, coffee, tobacco and baking spices; executed in a most seductive fashion. Sound structure. The finish is long. This is a great vintage from Rafanelli with a long life ahead. Better after 2025. — 6 years ago

October Cleveland

9.0

At Lost In A Forest. — 7 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.4

Wonderful example of how there can be surprises in these under rated vintages. This was full of life. — 7 years ago

David L

9.5

WOW... Beringer Private Reserve. This has another 15 years of life in it. Can’t believe this drinking so nicely. Totally surprised!! — 7 years ago

Selim Batibay

9.2

Had this as a night cap on the steps outside our hotel, over looking St Emilion. Amazing bottle full of life 37 years in. Once again proves "don't buy the vintage, buy the producer". Without a doubt one of the few royalties of Margaux. — 8 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

9.7

Can't say enough about a wine this serious at this price point. Absolutely stunning, elegant, and even (in a chinon way) powerful. Floral aromatic dominate - lavender and a bit of rose. Graphite, dusty chalk, red pepper, some raspberry. Fresh yet not primary. Hints of savory notes as well. Incredible spine of minerality runs through the palate. Great acidity and structure. Coiler and energetic. Finishes long and bright with refreshing pyrazines for days. In an incredible place now, so no fault in drinking but has a long, long life ahead. One of the best values in the wine world. Just exceptional — 9 years ago

Cian Riordan

10

Sort of a 'mic drop' kinda wine. Incredible life left in this. Tons of fruit, not stewed like you'd think, but very bright. Peppery nose. Really a treat. — 10 years ago

Lorenzo Muslia

10

This is the only wine that every one should try at least once in their life — 10 years ago

Marty Winters

9.5

The first vintage release from Harlan estate. Now I can say I have been lucky to try every vintage of this wine. Long finish, with a lot less of a ripe attack than anticipated. Long life ahead of this wine made in a different era in napa. #timetraveling — 10 years ago

Diane Dixon

Co-Founder Keep Collection, #Sommchat

8.9

Nice fruit and life remaining in this #hermitage #wine 30 yrs young! #sommchat #chapelle #jaboulet #northernrhone — 11 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

My friend graciously shared the 2008 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape which was a rare treat that is truly one of the wines of the vintage. The intoxicating bouquet of rose petals, Provencale herbs, sweet pipe tobacco and pretty red fruits bring you back to the glass for more aromatic delight. The texture of the wine borders ethereal as the Grenache effortlessly dances across the mid-palate. Bright guava and Yakima cherry flavors combine with damp earthy tones, minerals and a marvelous salinity that runs through the core of the wine. The exceedingly long finish lingers. While marvelous now, the 2008 Rayas will have a long life ahead of it in the cellar. Drink 2020-2038- 96 — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Takes its name from the free-spirited gentleman named Bruscone who lived in the woods of the Barbi Estate. Enticing Ruby with sweet red berry aromas and earthy notes. On the palate cherry, licorice and sweet plum showing nicely. Fine tannins, well balanced on lingering finish ending with earthy herb tones. Needs decanting or cellar aging. Very nice! — 6 years ago

Skip Smyser

9.4

A rare treat to enjoy a mature 35+ year old wine in Celebration of my daughters graduation from The College of Idaho. Still alive with red fruit, flint tobacco and subtle tannins. Very pleased that it still had life😎🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 7 years ago

Adam Nesto

9.4

Amazing wine. Still got life in it. — 7 years ago

Edward Chung

9.5

A delicious fineness wine...truly a California Bordeaux. Nice balance, great structure, and many more years of life left in this one... — 7 years ago

Rick Pitcher

9.6

Best vintage of Martha’s in my humble opinion. Still such power and grace with years of life in front of it. An iconic California wine. Amazing. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Is there any meal better than steak (Ribeye) and well aged Claret? This is another 1991 Bordeaux experiment of mine. 1991 was a vintage with horrible frosts and a less than favorable growing season, right? A vintage critically panned. This is my 3rd recent 91 from a good producer. And again, it didn’t disappoint. Like 97 and 07, it’s better with the right bottle age than young. Magic evolution happened in the bottle way down the road. This 91 is in great form with a fair amount of life ahead of it. On the nose; a little ripe fruit funk, wonderful dark & lighter red cassis, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries, vanilla, light cinnamon, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs and fresh & dry red flowers. The body/palate is medium, round, ripe & still fresh. The tannins nearly completely resolved. Ripe, floral fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries & half cooked rhubarb. Vanilla, light cinnamon, touch of clove & nutmeg, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs, a little band-aid and fresh & dry red flowers. The acidity drips over the palate and the long, well balanced, still structured, nice tension, good length finish lasts over a minute. Again, love & appreciate the 12.5% alcohol. What a beauty with and without the steak. Next time you’re in your fine wine retail shop and see a quality producers 91 that’s been well stored, buy it and have it with a Ribeye. Photos of; their exotic Estate, Chateau interior, newer barrel room and their vines as viewed from the front of the Chateau that are across the road. Producer notes and history...Cos d’Estournel has a long distinguished history in the St. Estephe. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, gave his name to the estate after founding in 1811. It did not take long before Cos d’Estournel became famous with wine lovers and royalty all over the world. In those early days, Cos d’Estournel did not sell through Negociants. The owner preferred selling his wine directly to his customers. In fact, Cos d’Estournel was exported to numerous countries across the globe, with a large portion of the production being sold to India. It was that connection to India that inspired much of the unique, east Indian design we see at Cos d’Estournel today. Cos d’Estournel was one of the first Bordeaux Chateaux’s to bottle, label and sell their own wine. This practice continued until the death of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in 1852. If you’re at the property, the statue on the bench in the front courtyard is of the founder, Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. The Estate was then purchased by an owner that sold their wines on the Place de Bordeaux using the negociant system. If the Chateau was not selling their wines through the negociant system, it would never have been included in the 1855 Classification. Imagine that! So, it turned out to be a fortuitous decision. Cos d’Estournel was sold to the Charmolue family owners of the neighboring Estate of Chateau Montrose. They continued to own the estate until 1917, when it was bought by Fernand Ginestet. This purchase was the beginning of the next major step in the development of Cos d’Estournel. Decades later, the grandchildren of Fernand Ginestet, Jean-Marie Prats, Yves Prats and Bruno Prats took over ownership and management of Cos d’Estournel. In 1995, Bruno Prats sold the property to the Merlaut family, owners of the Taillan Group. The next era in the development of Cos d’Estournel took place in 2000, when Cos d’Estournel was bought by the industrious and wealthy Michel Reybier, who earned his fortune in the food industry. Michel Reybier hired the son of Bruno Prats, Jean-Guillaume Prats to manage Cos d’Estournel. Things further improved with the efforts of Jean-Guillaume Prats who helped design the most modern wine making at that time. A complete renovation of Cos d’Estournel took place in not only the wine making facilities and cellars, but in parts of the Chateau as well. While the wine making facilities are completely modern with their 100% gravity design, the outward appearance retained the original design and feeling that has always been a part of Cos d’Estournel. On October 15, 2012, Jean Guillaume Prats announced he was leaving Cos d’Estournel to join LVMH (Pichon Baron). Jean Guillaume Prats was replaced by Aymeric de Gironde. Following the departure of Aymeric de Gironde in 2017, the owner, Michel Reybier took over managing the Estate. What makes the remodel special is that the cellars of Cos d’Estournel are entirely operated by gravity. There are no pumps of any kind to force the wine. The purpose is to allow a gentleness to the wine and improve its purity and allow for the expression of their terroir. It set a new benchmark for cellars not only in the Left Bank, but in all of Bordeaux. Perhaps, the most inventive part of the cellars is the four 100 hectoliter lift tanks or wine elevators that replace the pumps used in the traditional pumping over and the racking off processes, which introduce air and often destabilize the marc. From the moment the grapes arrive, everything travels by the flow of gravity. Jean Guillaume Prats called this process a “pumpless pump over.” The 91 hectare vineyard of Cos d’Estournel is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is located extremely close to the border between Pauillac and Saint Estephe at the southern tip of the Saint Estephe. The Estate has very old Merlot vines as well, which date back more than 100 years. Part of the terroir is situated on the hill of Cos, which is at a high elevation for the Medoc at 20 meters. They also make a second wine called Pagodes de Cos. This is a great wine to buy in very good vintages. Especially, if your budget prohibits you from purchasing their first wine. — 8 years ago

Conrad Green

9.3

In magnum. After a few hours double decant was drinking very well. A long life left though — 11 years ago