Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

About 95% of grapes sourced from Carneros, aged about 8 months on 1/3 new oak with 20% of wine going through malolactic fermentation. Aromas of ripe stone fruits with slight honey oak scents. On palate complex flavors of ripe apple, peach & lemon zest, balanced with good acidity & great mouthfeel. Long finish ending with fruit, wet stone and toasty character. Very nice, will age well. — 4 years ago

Chris

9.2

Really nice fruit forward Oregon Pinot, with earthy character. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

A special wine not produced every vintage, BDX presents a different expression of Oakville in a Bordeaux blend of 79% Cab Sauv and 21% Cab Franc (To Kalon fruit), aged in French oak (87% new) for 27 months. Aromas of rich ripe berry fruit with oak spice and cedar notes. On the palate blackberry and cherry flavor with cacao and cedar spice, great balance and structure. Soft tannins with balanced acidity on a lingering finish ending with a tobacco earthy character. Nice! — 6 years ago

AC Fiedler

9.2

Delicious. — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago

Ricky Young

8.9

Excellent — 8 years ago

Phil Robleto

10

Would give an 11 — 10 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.3

90% viura 10% Malvasia
Nutty, high acid, roasted lemon, herbs and strong mineral character. A little oxidized note but not too much, the concentration is really profound in this vintage in all facets this is a powerhouse of a white that should age quite well.
Clean and long finish, bright, crisp and fresh with a lingering crystalline taste of citrus and sea salt.
30-45k production #lopezdeheredia #rioja #blanco — 10 years ago

with Miguel

Ira M. Harmon, MS

9.3

1984 Opus slightly browning but very good ruby. Opening up nose of cedar cassis Tabacco slight vanilla. Taste is definitely showing some age but expressing power of Napa. Med acid med + body. Tannins mature long finish! Very balanced!! A touch of Brett but only enough to give level of character! — 11 years ago

with Jowai

Thomas Pastuszak

Sommelier/Wine Director The NoMad

9.2

Smokey, Briney, intense with olive, saline, mineral character: swoon — 11 years ago

Howard Greenfield

9.4

Sleeping Lady gets better each year — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Decanted for around an hour, the recently released 2013 Grand Vin from Chateau Musar is an enormous wine at present in its youth. Gradually, it opened into a gorgeous, exotic and utterly unique product of this unlikely corner of the wine world. There’s plenty of Bordeaux-like character in the form of dark fruit and cigar box, but there are notes too of cranberry, liquorice, clove, mandarin and five spice. The mouthfeel, as a whole, has a quasi Brunello quality to it, with its bright cherry fruit and mouthwatering acidity. But woe is anyone to compare this wine to any other, for it is incomparable. One of Serge Hochar’s last vintages before his passing in 2014, and one that will doubtless have a long life. — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

Showing little sign of age, this 2004 CNdP is a beautiful, robust wine with fine tannins, fresh acidity and a sweet glimmer of liquorice and chocolate alongside a notable gamey character. Mellow, rich, harmonious and brilliant all round. The finish is ultimately very savoury and long. This could age decades. Wonderful now, but in 20, 30, even 40 years time this would no doubt sing. The Perrin family use all permitted varietals in their Beaucastel CNdP, but the predominant blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah is masterful here. — 6 years ago

Andrew S

9.4

This is really singing. Deep tropical fruits balanced by its acidity and lengthy finish. Tells its story without being overdone in any way. There are hints of minerals in there as well. — 7 years ago

Rob Sternthal

9.6

Pre and Post Yom Kippur wine. I forgave @Benoit Touquette for all his sins!!! Haha. Extraordinary effort. This wine gets better with each vintage. — 8 years ago

Rob Sternthal

9.4

Showing really well. Crisp and beautiful. — 9 years ago

with Michael and Richard

Martin Redmond

9.2

Slightly bricking with a savory dried red fruit, earthy, cedar, and cigar box character. Delightful! — 10 years ago

Mitja Sirk

Production La Subida, Aceto Sirk

9.2

Dominate by iron and blood character.. — 10 years ago

Ameilia Douglas

9.7

Could drink this for days! Quite smooth! — 11 years ago

Tom Gendall

9.4

Beautiful wine. Thick and unctuous and a delicious spicy phenolic character. — 11 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

1991 inaugural vintage by famous Vega Sicilia estate. Tried the ‘13 again and it doesn’t disappoint. Deep Ruby with an array of aromas, dark fruits, spice, floral and some oak. The palate shows strawberry, blackberry & plum flavors with hints of espresso and licorice encased in gentle oak. Firm tannins great balance with acidity, full body, long finish ends with fruit, oak, spice, and mineral character. Just starting to open now, will benefit from more time! — 5 years ago

Molly Farrar

9.7

Wow this is one of those wines that makes you say “wine can taste like that?!” — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale yellow with pleasing aromas of citrus and sweet peaches. One of the few barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc's which adds a wonderful toasty oak flavor setting this wine apart from the rest. Complex palate of flavors, fresh fruit, lemons, grapefruit, peaches, Asian pears and baked apple with tea and spicy acidity. Slight herb notes with a smooth and creamy well balanced finish ending with a gentle sweet character. A Fav! — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Family-owned and operated artisan producer of wine, started in 1999 by Dr John and Karen Bergstrom. Had a bottle year ago, dark red with fresh berry fruit flavors with a bit of earthy spice notes. On the palate, cherry and raspberry flavors with complex herb spice notes. Fine tannins on lingering finish ending with enticing earthy character. Aged well, very nice Pinot. — 7 years ago

Kyle McGrotty

9.5

Napa meets Europe. Old world character and ridiculously good. — 7 years ago

Joe Weinberger

9.5

One of my favorite wines ever. Period. — 8 years ago

Eric L.

9.4

Lovely, bright, citrusy Chardonnay to sip while cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends on Delectable! 🦃 — 9 years ago

Raul Puga

10

2013 vintage and Damn if Benoit didn't kill it again. The best domestic Chardonnay? I don't know but it's in the top 2 or 3 for sure!!!! Just Delicious!!!! — 10 years ago

Spike Stockdale

9.3

Hipsters and low alcohol natural wine buffs are always gonna hate on Caymus. But they do what they do really well. Big, juicy, lots of oak character. Caymus will always do Caymus. — 11 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.1

2003 vintage. Citrus - lemon peel and ripe. Medium plus acidity and medium bodied. Little flat to me. It's not good character. Little manufactured. Lacks some concentration. More about freshness and elegance, presumably as an attempt to swerve this difficult vintage. — 11 years ago