Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (19%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petite Verdot (3%). Dark garnet/ruby/purple/black color. Aromas of ripe black fruit, rose petals, cigar box and smoked meat. Flavors of blackberry, black currant and black plum fruit with additional hints of tobacco, black olives and cloves. Long lasting velvety finish. Full bodied with noticeable (but well integrated) tannins. Beautiful freshness. Rich and powerful but so well balanced. Consistently outstanding vintage after vintage. Could continue to age for decades! — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Caymus Vineyards – Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Caymus Special Selection is the flagship Cabernet, crafted only in exceptional years. The 2018 vintage stands tall among recent releases, showing why Chuck Wagner’s vision continues to shape Napa’s most recognized “luxury Cab.” 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from prime valley-floor vineyards, it strikes the perfect balance between Caymus’ signature ripe, fruit-forward style and an added layer of structure from a long, balanced growing season.

Aromas & Flavors
A powerful bouquet of ripe blackberries, cassis, and dark cherries, layered with cocoa nibs, espresso, and baking spices. Subtle hints of licorice, cedar, and vanilla lift the complexity, while a core of lush fruit drives the palate. The oak integration is seamless, giving a supple sweetness without overwhelming the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Rich, opulent, and velvety—yet with surprising finesse. The tannins are silky and well-structured, giving length without heaviness. The finish lingers on black fruit and mocha, balanced by just enough acidity to keep it vibrant.

Winemaking Notes
Meticulous fruit selection, long maceration for concentration, and extended aging in new French oak (18+ months). The Wagner hallmark: generous fruit expression wrapped in polished oak for immediate pleasure but with aging potential.

Food Pairing
An indulgent pairing with ribeye, prime rib, or braised short ribs. For a decadent twist, try it with dark chocolate truffles or roasted lamb with rosemary.

Verdict
One of the most impressive Caymus Special Selection vintages in recent memory—showing both lush Napa Valley opulence and refined elegance. A wine that thrills now but promises to shine for years.

Personal Pick Highlight
This 2018 stands as my favorite Caymus of the modern decade—a true benchmark that captures everything people love about Napa Cabernet at its richest and most expressive. Cheers!
— 3 months ago

Ericsson

9.7

1st Growth Bordeaux comparison. A young poet full of art and glory. Deep ruby colour, with scents of raspberry and red currant with graphite and even leather. Imposing on the palate yet balanced and elegant. Full bodied, high alcohol, fine grain tannings, medium acidity, with a long finish and notes of ripe red fruit. Wine with great aging potential. — 5 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.3

Clear, deep ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced primary and secondary aromas of black currants, black plums, and cedar. On the palate, it's dry, medium acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and a pronounced intensity of primary and secondary flavors. It tastes like blackberries, eucalyptus, graphite, and black cherries with a long finish. This wine is a little off balanced (the eucalyptus flavor is a little too intense), complex, and intense. Overall, I would rate it as very good. Nellie liked it with steak. — 5 months ago

with Nellie

Martijn

9.4

Long life ahead. Fruit and toasted wood battling. — 7 months ago

Chris Ng

9.2

Notes of leather and dark fruits on the nose, very smooth on the palette. A lovely cab I can drink all day long. — 8 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.4

A very pleasant nose and medium palate of rose petals earthiness with long finish. The purchase was a bit of a lottery but satisfied completely with it's standing! — 9 months ago

Michael Seely

9.4

2013 1.5 liter delivered! — 6 years ago

with Jeff and Joe

Michael Seely

9.5

Outstanding — 8 years ago

with Joe

Meghan 'Thorp' Hendrickson

9.0

Really jammy nose, not too sweet. — 9 years ago

Andrew Lampasone

Owner Wine Watch Selections

9.4

2008 very light color cigar box spice fresh earth coffee very pretty and classic bouquet. Fresh and lively on the tongue with a spicy finish tangy red currant berry fruit fonish40 very good + 2009 herb fresh loam peppery spice and a good hand of red currant berry fruit toffee coffee very fresh nice core of red currant berry fruit zesty spice coffee and herbs long finish very elegant wine finish 50 most excellent 2010 ripe currant berry fruit toasty oak spice very youthful a bit musty pnthepalate with good grip with firm tannins and along finish classic pitching contessw finish 50+ most excellent — 13 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Bright medium ruby , quite thin violet rim . Quite discreet and fine, reserved on the nose . Red cherry , cassis , mineral tinged blackberry, after a while pomegranate. On the palate this is very detailed and precise , great freshness and with more red fruit, cherry , red plum , blackberry , wet slate , saline oyster shell with very fine tannins . Long mineral finish . Very young obviously but incredibly elegant and fresh . Will need time , this closed up quite a lot after time in the decanter . Better in 10 -15 years , will last well a further 10-15 . Incredibly promising . — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Léoville Poyferré 2014
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinguished Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth) from Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Poyferré has been elevated under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family and Michel Rolland’s consultancy. The 2014 vintage is a classic Bordeaux blend comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. This cooler year yielded wines with notable polish, freshness, and age-worthy structure.  

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, the bouquet opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and plum, framed by cedar, graphite, violets, and aromatic spice. The palate is layered with ripe red and dark fruits, along with hints of tobacco, pepper, and soft oak—a harmonious reflection of balanced ripeness and terroir depth.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied, with smooth yet structured tannins and vivid acidity. The finish is long and mineral-tinged, echoing Saint-Julien’s limestone terroir while expressing both strength and grace.

Winemaking Notes
Vinified traditionally and aged in French oak barrels (predominantly new), the 2014 benefits from meticulous attention to extraction and maturation, resulting in elegant concentration and finesse.  

Food Pairing
Wonderful with roast lamb, herb-crusted beef, or rich mushroom dishes. Decanting for an hour enhances its layered complexity.

Verdict
A classic expression of Left Bank finesse and depth, Château Léoville Poyferré 2014 strikes an artful balance between fruit, structure, and refinement. Enjoy now with decanter or cellar it to explore its evolution over the next decade.Cheers! — 3 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A splendid medium dark garnet color. On the nose: perfumed notes of red fruit, herbaceous, eucalyptus, mushroom, smoked meat, ripe olives, sweet tobacco. Taste: rich, velvety full wine with brambly dark cherry/plum, coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, and a peppery- dried herbs- gamey long finish. YUM! A nicely aged and elegant wine with soft tannins and good acidity!! — 5 months ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2004 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart mixed fruit: Blackberries, black cherry, dill, olives, leather, toasted coconut, some vanilla, dried green herbs and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is in a very lovely place. Drink now through 2044.  — 6 months ago

Vanessa

9.5

Château Latour is an iconic estate in the Pauillac commune on the left bank of Bordeaux, achieving coveted ‘First Growth’ status in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

The estate has roots dating back to the 14th century and derives its name ‘La Tour’ from a fortress tower built during the Hundred Years’ War, which no longer exists but is prominently featured on the label in recognition of its history.

We weren’t sure what to expect, as many have predicted these 1983s are likely past their prime, but this wine was a masterpiece. 🤩

It was medium garnet in color with expressive notes of cedar box, cigar, clove, peat, leather, forest floor, fig, prune, dried black cherry, plum, cassis, blackberry compote, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, dried violet, potpourri, kalamata olive, pencil shavings, graphite, & bacon fat.

It had the most velvety, fine-grained tannins that washed across the palate with ease, with a gentle but notable acidity that maintained lift and balance. It was concentrated, complex, and had a long, elegant finish. — 7 months ago

with Deked1

Matt Sterr

9.0

Round and flavorful. — 4 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.9

The 2013 Opus One is an absolute stunning release, and is certainly one of most impressive young wines I have ever tasted from this estate. This shows a darker, more forward profile from this warm vintage, and is clearly one to contemplate, as there are so many complexities and working parts to this compelling wine. This instantly impresses as it opens to intense aromatics of crème de cassis, black cherry, blackberry compote and black plum woven together with mocha, sandalwood. The mouthfeel is voluptuous and beautifully concenrated with deep and penetrating flavors of black cherry, créme de cassis, blackberry cobbler, anise, sage and anise, which all resonate beautifully across the palate. This is already extreamly appealing, but try to resist this hedonistic wine for at least another few years, as there is undoubtedly a long future ahead. Drink 2019-2035-99 — 7 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.3

2010. Not a lot of notes from me in the long tasting. It was up against 07 Pegau which I could put down. Very enjoyable though. — 10 years ago

with Jeffrey, David and 2 others

Christian Fischer

9.4

Ah yes, what I needed after a long week. Crisp and clean like this Chardonnay champagne should be. Hits the mark — 3 months ago

Brett Vanderbrook

9.0

I think the excitement for this every year is a bit overblown but it’s tasty stuff. Melon, strawberries, peach, and grapefruit. Quite dry and high acid. Keeps you coming back for another sip. Better than the flagship rose. — 4 months ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour. Nose: enticing perfumed dark fruit, mint, pine, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: creamy, balanced, savory wine with blackberry, milk chocolate, earth, leather, graphite, and a lingering long finish with some slightly grippy tannins. YUM!! No hurry, time to go. — 4 months ago

with Brenda

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

My two-day Pork Chop marinade. I have found the Long Shadows Poet Leap to be the perfect pairing.

Here is the recipe. Try it sometime.

4-6 thick cut bone-in pork chops

- 1 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of Tamari soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of Lee Kim Kee brand chili sauce
-1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger finely chopped (I triple this)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic finely chopped (again.
I double this)
- 3/4 cup of cilantro finely chopped (no stems)
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
— 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nose of red and black fruits with light wood, tobacco and chocolate notes.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, light oak, licorice, chocolates, spices and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Grenache blend is starting to drink very nicely now, with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Elegant and rich. Interesting and engaging. A very traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape in style.

Well balanced and good by itself as a sipping wine. Will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of all 13 allowed grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but mostly Grenache. Hand picked and whole cluster. Aged for 2 years in large French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$110. — 5 months ago

romo

9.1

Several flavors in balance with lots of place. Not too weird. — 8 months ago

Eric Halim

9.3

Wine is ruby red. On nose its Figs, blackberries, oak, vanilla, pine woods. On palate, Blackcurrants, black cherries, licorice, its medium+ acidity, medium intensity with fruitiness, tannic ending and long finish. Its a good wine and drinkable now. — 9 months ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.5

Silky silky smooth...so well made. Still young but very enjoyable. Has a long future ahead — 9 months ago

Sarah McKee

9.1

A little sweet at first, but finishes quite nicely. Nice price point for the quality. — 7 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.2

Blackberry mocha with a long, yummy finish — 9 years ago

with Rick

Neil Shah

9.3

One of my faves. I ordered two half bottles - imagine my delight when I received two full bottles at the half bottle price. — 12 years ago