Delectable Wine

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9.5

I tasted the 1982 Lynch-Bages twice within a month, both at a private dinner in London and at the château, from bottle and double-magnum on separate occasions. Both vindicate an exceptionally fine 1982, perhaps a bit overlooked in a vintage full of stars. Curiously, the bottle in Bordeaux does not fully deliver the mesmerizing freshness and energy compared to the bottle in London: pencil-lead-tinged black fruit intermixed with clove and freshly-rolled tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, perhaps just a little austere compared to its peers. Yet, indeed, the bottle in London exudes class and composure with a detailed, mineral-driven vintage belying that year's unseasonably warm period. Superb. Tasted both in London at a private dinner and at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2023) — 10 months ago

Chris Allison

9.0

Smooth and a little sweet. Light bodied. Would get it again. — 3 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.0

Picked this up for a song a little while back - some library liquidation going on no doubt - and for what I paid, I probably should have bought an entire case. Gorgeous black olive and bacon fat umami going on here along with cassis and blackberry and chopped herbs. Faint, taut tannins hang at the edge of perceptibility. Hints of plum ski. In the finish. Slurp!!!! — 4 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. — 5 years ago

Eric L.

9.5

Structured, yet very well balanced. Lots of black fruit framed by cool menthol tones. — 5 years ago

Kelli

8.9

Tall grass. Smooth, little sweet. Crowd pleaser. Easy to drink on its own. Would buy again — 6 years ago

Vinod Peris

9.2

Wonderful Napa Cab. Just a little bit of fruit and a wonderful smooth but grippy finish — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.8

Dark scarlet color with a deep center. Notes of black cherry, cola, roses, cassis, some spice and a little wood char. Amazing perfume in the nose. Smooth and silky in the mouth. Lots of drama with this one, and many agreed the 59 was better than the 45, the 61 and 82 Latours beside it. Bravo! — a year ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Deep tawny color with clear amber rims. Has "the funk" in the nose - an old aged Bordeaux funk. Notes of red and black fruit, some spice, some old desk wood and a little smoked meat. Very refined in the mouth. Feminine. Has a nice core of fruit, with softened tannins. Silky. As a group we distilled this down to Margaux. Guessed 55 Margaux. — 2 years ago

Przemek Gonet

9.0

Nice dark red colour. Blackcurrant on nose.
Ripe berries little bit too much acidity then pepper taste in the middle and silky creamy finish — 4 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

A great balance between fruit and funk. In my opinion, this one is right at the peak of drinking, because it is only going to get Bordeaux funky from here. On the nose and entry, lots of black cherry in fig, baking spices give way to haymore weedy and herbaceous sign that turns to a hint of Brett and funk towards the finish. Although this wine is very good, someone who likes this style a little bit more may have rated this a couple of points higher than I did. Very enjoyable wines, and definitely belonged on the table next to a high-profile Napa cab, high profile Australian Shiraz, and twenty-year-old CDP. — 4 years ago

with Dan, Bradley and 2 others

Mark Flesher

9.2

This is definitely a little bit of a departure from other Cabernets that were enjoyed tonight. Still extremely elegant. Enjoyed En Magnum. This is 15 years of Columbia Valley excellence. The news on this wine was clove, truffle, black cherry. The entry had a little bit of a bleu cheese, green grapestem, black cherry, fig. The middle is where this one started to settle more to a red and black fruit profile.... but mostly favored the black fruit side of things. Finishes with a little bit of black pepper, with softened tannins that carried it through to the finish. If in 750, I would say it is definitely time to start popping and enjoying these. If it is in Magnum, this is actually a rather enjoyable wine and I feel it will likely develop a bit more. — 5 years ago

with Dan and Shay

Karen Lewis Zeilnhofer

8.9

Nice red blend, but a little “jammy.” Had in Gvl, with Dad over steak — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Taken to Hawksmoor in NYC for our uncle’s 75th. Decanted in hotel for 7 hrs before dinner. Dark reddish amber edges with dark tawny color center. Opaque. Great aged Bordeaux nose. Notes of black fruit, tobacco and cigar, cassis, old desk wood, saddle leather, some anise, some barnyard and a little mint. Rich and silky in the mouth. Long finish. The bottle (mid shoulder) wasn’t in as good of condition as the one we had a few weeks ago, but the outcome was similar. Family and the Somm all loved it, as did I. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

The 2018 Montrose delivers on the promise that it showed from barrel. I gave this a three-hour decant before broaching, since Montrose is always backward, albeit far less ferociously than even just a decade ago. It offers copious blackberry and blueberry scents on the nose, plus pressed violets and a light estuarine scent that becomes accentuated with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky-smooth texture. Finely chiseled tannins frame multilayered black fruit infused with crushed stone, and it has retained that subtle graphite element that lends it a Pauillac-like personality, though less so than out of barrel. This is a beautifully defined Montrose with entrancing symmetry, and it should drink earlier than other recent vintages thanks to a little more pliancy. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2021)
— 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Dark reddish tawny. Mostly opaque. Great reddish regal color when the light hits the glass. Notes of black cherries, blueberries, cranberries, slate stone, moist earth and a little menthol. Velvet glove in the mouth. Amazingly rich with tannins totally integrated. Silky. Flying high from the moment it was opened. 6 hours in this is getting bigger and more complex. Definitely the best performance I’ve had with this wine. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

This Petite Sirah from Lodi is always enjoyable. Big and bold, spicy and tangy.

Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins.

Showing black fruits, chocolates, coffee, wood, vanilla, licorice, mocha, caramel and peppercorn.

Full bodied with a nice finish. Might be a little sweet for some.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Tasted blind. Dark reddish purple color, opaque. Looks and smells rich. Notes of black berry fruit, tobacco, some cassis and a little anise. Chewy in the mouth. Powerful fruit and structure - this is still young. Easy to guess as a young Cal Cab, althought it wasn't that young. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Tawny color, translucent with amber rims. Notes of black cherry, cedar, some spice and a little barnyard floor. Sweet fruit in the mouth, with tannins fully resolved. Guessed 1955 Calon Segur. Perfect looking bottle, the cork revealed this bottle was reconditioned by the Chateau in 2000. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Reddish tawny, transparent. Fragrant nose. Notes of cranberries, menthol, slate stone, roses, and black soil. Medicinal. Angular in the mouth. Has a little more structure than fruit. Chewy. Gives that exotic La La nose and has a nice richness that comes with a few hours of air. No need to wait more on this. — 6 years ago