Peter Sultan

9.1

What happens w purple wine w age. Not my wheelhouse, & better for it as I appreciate its burnished intensity. I shudder to think what kind of monster this was several years ago. Its still a very big wine. — 9 years ago

with Paul and Owen

Eric

9.3

Not as much of a monster as other vintages but still an awesome wine. Great mix of dark fruit, spearmint, smoke, leather, and chocolate. Touch of tannin left. Gave it about an hour in the decanter. — 10 years ago

ESF

9.4

BOOM! A monster and more suave and complex than I recall - although not showing much sign of age: ripe dark fruit, exotic spice, licorice, bay leaf, coffee - layered and drop dead sexy w/lamb shank — 10 years ago

Miguel A. Nistal

9.0

So peaty you love and hate it. But you really love it. — 10 years ago

with Dom

Paco Suro

9.2

Agreed. Hop monster. Rounds nicely with hints of caramel. — 10 years ago

Chris Chiapparelli

9.4

Expected to find an overblown overpriced overrated monster. I was pleasantly surprised. Slightly richer and less balanced than I usually like my Pinot but great aromatics and dense texture. — 11 years ago

Jon Bonné

Wine Editor San Francisco Chronicle

9.1

Grenache in mountain man guise, from the Mullineuxes. Swartland meets Amador. — 11 years ago

Paige Mostowy

10

93 points and 14.99$ — 12 years ago

David Kuchar

9.4

really really nice — 12 years ago

Luke Kenning

Sommelier/Wine Director Farallon Restaurant

9.3

This guy is a monster (meaning John) and in the holy shit like way — 12 years ago

Cody Short

9.7

Tied for wine of the trip. A monster now but this is going to be insane with time. Classic Veeder mountain fruit lots of black and blue fruits. Built for the long haul. — 9 years ago

with Erik

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

Smoke monster! — 10 years ago

with Eddy

Keith Levenberg

9.5

This might be the richest Hochrain I've ever had. It's a wine that usually comes across more sharp and spinal than the Singerriedel, and if that's still the case the Singerriedel must be a monster this year. This is deep and golden though with some fresh spring green flavors almost like a gruner, though it's still cut like an icicle. It keeps its chilling refreshment value even at room temperature even though that leaves the fruit totally uncoiled and showing off the wine's huge scale, just a big round ball of riesling sizzle. — 10 years ago

James Parker Huston, CWE

Sommelier Charlie Palmer

9.5

A lot of new oak on this monster Sangiovese. Tastes like a Napa Cult Cab to me. — 10 years ago

John Scherrer

10

Dinner at Chi Spacca with this monster! — 11 years ago

with Kat

Philip Cook

9.0

Smoke monster. — 11 years ago

Nina Zie

9.5

Okanagan summer in a glass. — 12 years ago

Jim Lindsay

9.0

Ribena, starburst fruit, vanilla oak. Drying tannins — 12 years ago

with Will

Corey Zamora, CSW

9.6

Just a monster of a wine — 12 years ago

Greg Navage

9.9

Still a young monster! Decanted for 3 hours, and still could have handled more. Nice fruit wrapped in spice and leather. Big tannins, but perfect with a steak. Great acidity. — 13 years ago

Marc On

Writer Originalverkorkt, Lobenbergs Gute Weine

9.2

What a monster. So much tannins, fruit and acid. Needs another 20 years to really come around. — 10 years ago

Eric

9.8

Amazing nose. Roasted black cherries and monster minerals. Surprising amount of tannin for a 16 year old wine. — 10 years ago

Mark Dowling

9.0

Tannic, rustic monster. delicious! — 10 years ago

Amanda Reamer

9.4

Bright red fruit flavors with lush tannin. This wine can enjoyed on its own, with friends, on a sunny day. Or with rich duck confit and bbq'd red meats. Can't beat the price. -wine batman — 10 years ago

Perry Riddle

9.3

Still a monster. Decadent. — 10 years ago

Erik Von Rueden

10

Great full body red. Goes great with Pork Tingas!! — 10 years ago

with Laura

Phil Resor

8.9

Good Shiraz for price — 11 years ago

Aaron Means

9.5

4 hour decant and this big boy was still closed down. What little it revealed hinted at the monster wine this will become. Still very primary extracted black fruit, pencil shavings, camphor, mammoth tannins with fresh acid. Desperately needs time to open up. — 11 years ago

Bryant Bickel

9.2

Drop da top on the Whip son! This a ripe monster. Great juice. — 12 years ago

Christian Baeppler

9.6

From a 4.78 ha plot, from ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines, surprisingly elegant, expected it to be a monster, somewhat similar to right bank Bordeaux from that very year. Complex aromas of cassis, tobacco, menthol, stout and pepper. Deep and concentrated, gravelly tannins with a long sweet finish. 14.5% — 12 years ago