Duane Mason

9.2

Very smooth and mature. Hints in tobacco, balanced with some fruit touch of blackberries on the finish. Improves with air. Very nice BORDEAUX — 8 years ago

Jean-Francois Pelletier

9.3

Garnet-brown color. Fully mature, with nose of pencil lead and sous-bois. Medium+ body, good acidity and long finish. Nice to try 40 years after the judgment of Paris. The second bottle we opened had more funk than the first one.Drink now. — 9 years ago

with Frankie and Matt

Matt Moran

9.4

Mature Rioja with cherry and raspberry notes. 2005 was a good vintage and this wine is ready to drink. Great value at ~$30. — 10 years ago

with Lydia

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.2

Expressive and showy, inviting you to ripe blackberries and cassis fruit, delicate hiding behind loads of toasty oak. Personally, I think the élevage is covering the fruit but it's a matter of preferences. Doubtlessly this perfectly mature version is of superior quality, but I was happy just tasting it. — 10 years ago

Eva Dehlinger

9.3

Another success from Fred Scherrer. Bright Flavors and voluptuous texture. — 10 years ago

Tim O'Rourke

9.3

Not reconditioned and fully mature, this is has a delicate beauty right now. A little fragile, but mostly pure Cab Franc on the nose w/ a very nice silken texture. There's plenty of tannin, but the fruit is running out so drink up! — 10 years ago

Nick Pagoria

9.6

Seven fish. Mature Barolo. Yes. — 12 years ago

Narun P

9.0

Tasted at Chateau
CS 47% M 47% CF 4% PV 2%

Deep almost inky with slight sign of development on the rim, some bricking but still youthful.

Classic Bordeaux bouquet of savory infused black fruit. Complex nose of enticing barnyard funk, seabreeze, new leather, cooking spice.

On the palate, still very structured. Mouth stainingly full tannin, med body, dry. Cassis, blackberry, dark cherry commingling with mature signs of development. Sage, thyme, cattle range, forest floor, mushroom, smoky, and nutty new oak.

Impressively classic. Will need at least 10 years more to not be accused of committing infanticide. 90++ — 8 years ago

Leo Chyi

9.3

Burgundian style, started with cranberry but quickly became darker and earthier, nice forest floor elements — 9 years ago

Hermes Ortiz

9.5

1997 Joseph Phelps
Proprietary Red
"Insignia"
Napa Valley, California
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Ideal drinking window
Perfectly Mature
Impeccably Balanced
Developed Secondary Flavors
Black and Blue Fruit
Tannins fully evolved
Glad to drink now!
Paired with New York Strip Steak
— 10 years ago

Daniel Mahdavian

Consulting Somm-Daniel Mahdavian Ventures

9.0

Core of velvety crushed vanilla cherry candy, a bit closed, not showing as mature. Good little mint, herbs, black olives. — 10 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

1st vintage for Opus taken from an owc that was released with the 80 vintage. Dark color for a 36 yr old. Very Balanced and elegant, fully mature drinking like a great Claret. — 10 years ago

Eugene Kim

9.6

Excellent Cristal, fantastic, mature notes — 10 years ago

Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe

9.6

Mature and delicious. — 11 years ago

Adam Crane

9.6

Mature but still holding on to a lot of fruit. Reconfirmed Pessac/Graves as my favorite Bordeaux subregion. Wow! — 9 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.1

Of the 2 Bordeaux drinking the best tonight, but long term the Brane-Cantenac 2005 will outlive this wine by 10 years easy. While very complex, a fine touch a green is traceable.

A classic currant and forest floor nose, fall leaves abound with a spike of spice and a barely there green that while subtle is apparent.

The pleasure here is higher for its more mature tasted and feel, while the brawny 2005 is a better wine it was not as enjoyable to me and feel it will be another notch enter in 3 years, and likely 2 notches better in 5.

The elegance and feel on this wine is ready to go and will easily go another 5+ years. — 9 years ago

Eric Guido

9.1

The '96 Sociando Mallet is hard to resist, sporting a rich, dark bouquet of crushed black cherry, blackberry, mocha, baking spice, a hint of olive and sweet herbs. It's silky and pliant on the palate, showing dried cherry, spice, inner floral tones and hints of undergrowth. The fruit turned juicier through the finish, with fresh cherry and blackberry. This is perfectly mature and firing on all cylinders. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.2

1970 vintage. Ch. La Mission Haut Brion from half bottle. Mushroom, earthy, slight Brett, black pepper, pencil shavings, metallic - very mature. Interesting nose! On the palate, high acidity, high tannins - ripe and integrated, medium minus body, medium plus flavour concentration and medium plus finish. Still alive....just! — 10 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Very elegant and balanced, now mature with spice ripe strawberry and red fruits, good acidity and long finish. Very enjoyable — 10 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.8

So much life here, energy and freshness to spare. Lovely mature fruits, woodsy complexity over a velour texture. — 11 years ago