Roberto Carli

9.4

Great classic! Violet, flower buds, crunchy pomegranate, a touch of forest floor and pleasant faint VA. Most important, the tannins are framing the palate that’s both happy and austere instead of punching me in the face. Great value — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

It was Father’s Day and I had decided on grilled rack of lamb for dinner so I selected this bottle of 2011 Chateau Musar rouge from our cellar. According to Musar’s records, the 2011 vintage was one of the most challenging since the early 1990’s. It was ultimately a late-maturing vintage with harvest taking place on October 13th, the latest since the 1983 vintage!

I decanted this bottle about eight hours prior to dinner. It should be noted that immediately upon opening, the bouquet was strikingly gorgeous with powerful aromatics that were obvious from several feet away and this trait carried through until dinner time.

In the glass, the wine presents a deep garnet color. Slightly turbid with a near opaque core. On the nose, black plums, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, organic earth, exotic spices, leather, spiced meat, and pomegranate. I detect a touch of VA as well. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the nose with an added bit of red rope licorice. Lovely, long, savory…amazing. This was a brilliant compliment to the lamb (which was served with beets and goat cheese and fattoush) and everything I wanted in a Musar tonight. Drinking well now with a hefty decant and I expect well cellared examples to drink well past 2035. — 2 years ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Krug is always most welcome, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. This is edition 169. A bit more yeasty and slightly less acidic than previous versions, to my taste. But if you like the Krug style - which we do very much - it hits the spot per usual.

My wife used to work with Fritz Hatton, proprietor of Arietta wines and auctioneer for Zachys. Fritz always says to have a half bottle of champagne waiting in the fridge in case you need a “midnight snack”, and I have to agree with him! — 5 years ago

Peter Hladun

9.5

One of the most interesting wines I’ve tried, fantastic complexity — 6 years ago

Joe D'Angelo

9.8

The 2016 ‘Insignia’ is an absolutely incredible showing, and is amongst the most compelling vintages I have yet to taste from the Estate. Composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec which spent 24 months in 100% new french oak. As this unwinds in the glass it begins to release its seductive aromatics of ripe dark currants, crème de cassis and blueberries along with fresh violets, pencil shavings, wild sage brush and exotic spices. On the palate this is full-bodied, with a gorgeous rich, opulent texture that is beautifully balance by a lovely touch if underlying acidity keeping it fresh and inviting all the way through the long enveloping finish. Displaying a remarkable combination of both power and precision, the 2016 is a total stunner and will go on to have a marvelous future for many years to come. — 6 years ago

Eric Egan

9.4

What a beautifully graceful wine! A bit muted on the nose (slow ox for three hours - perhaps I should have decanted) but one of the most amazingly expressive palates I have experienced for a very long time. All the elements in perfect equilibrium; one of the rare times that I would actually apply the term 'smooth' to a wine. Tannins still lightly peppery, poised acidity, and an insanely long velvety finish that kept revealing hidden layers of complexity. Like a Burgundian peacock's tail that keeps expanding, adding new layers of graceful shades and patterns to the rolling tapestry of flavour. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose on this wine is stunning baring the alcohol heat. Perfumed red florals and candied dark and lighter red fruits. While the wine is truly elegant, the alcohol is seriously burning the back of my throat. The bottle reads 14.1 but I think over 15 degrees. Maybe, they wanted to save on the higher alcohol tax. The wine starts so beautifully only to burn the back of my throat. The fruits are ripe, elegant and beautifully soft. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, faint back palate of strawberries, sweet/soft leather, black licorice, violets & roses, rich delicate & sweet wet black earth, soft light baking spices, caramel, milk chocolate, figs & dates, amazingly sweet dark minerals, touch of black tar, touch of spice and a rich long elegant dark fruit liqueur finish. I would score this wine higher if it didn't punish my palate and throat with the burning alcohol finish. — 9 years 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

Christian Fischer

9.4

After a coffee chat at work yesterday that ended discussing Hillside Select I was motivated to open one for the holiday weekend. Initially I was very disappointed as the wine was flat and uninspiring considering the pedigree and price tag. Read some reviews that this 2013 needs A LOT of air and sure enough after hours the wine began to evolve and markedly improve. It is an intense wine that lingers in the mouth for a long time. Smooth tannins, red fruit and tobacco flavors. Not my most favorite wine and not at the $229 I paid, but nonetheless a very good wine once it had the chance to get some air for a few hours — 4 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

9.4

The upper class of Morgon. My guilty pleasure! Dense and deep fruity. Rich and nuanced aromatic range. A pleasure wine accessible now that will age in a Burgundy style within 5-8 years .. the distance between the two being the point of balance that fascinates my taste buds the most.

La classe supérieure du Morgon !
Fruité dense et profond. Gamme aromatique riche et nuancée. Vin de plaisir accessible dès maintenant qui vieillira dans un style bourguignons d’ici 5-8 ans.. la distance entre les deux étant le point d’équilibre qui passionnent les plus les papilles. Mon pêché mignon ❤️ — 5 years ago

Fanny Louton

9.3

Perfect 10 event. Balanced and elegant cabernet that is a bit fruitier than most. 2010 vintage. Would be delicious with food. Drinkable now but can age longer. Has a bit of new European quality. — 8 years ago

Kristi Lynn

10

Funny story, we ordered the bottle of wine on the line after this bottle on the menu. The waiter brought this bottle as a mistake which we found out was listed as a $485 bottle of wine! We took one sip and knew that it was too good to be true. Come to find out that this is one of the first super tuscan wines ever made. Even though management took the bottle from our table as soon as it was realized, that was the luckiest and most delicious mistake that's ever happened to us. — 9 years ago

Matt Duncan

9.3

Really on point. Brett and vegetal quality actually find great balance in this challenging vintage. Perhaps a function of better fruit making it to the pavilion. Either way I imagine this is what most young Bordeaux tasted like pre-1980s. — 9 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Better on Day 2. The 2023 Zinfandel pours a ruby/purple color with a magenta rim; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful with notes of ripe and tart black, red and some blue fruits: black berries, black cherries, raspberries, fig, green herbs, a touch of rubber pool toy, black pepper, dry earth and some gentle warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. From my experience, this is the most youthful expression of Rafanelli Zinfandel I can recall. Good, but to my palate this will probably be better after 2028. — 8 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

Poor vintage great bottle. Should last easily another 10 years. See also Eric Asimov‘s review of most notable bottles of 2021 in the NYT. — 4 years ago

Rick Billups

9.2

Wonderful Pinot noir. Bold flavor unlike most pinots. — 4 years ago

with MR

Seth Bechis

9.0

Wanted to like this more. A little acidic aftertaste. — 5 years ago

Ashley Jorgenson

9.0

Drink on festive it's with Karen and Susan best of its most of its with Karen and Susan best of its most of its of to and Susan does leave. — 6 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.5

I was floored by the aromas coming from the glass, plums , tea, smoke , something green.. I wanted to stop there because I feared the palate could not come close to the nose. Boy was I wrong. Tannins obviously resolved but the acid was an eye-opener. Mushrooms , dark fruits, orange zest and figs . A lovely finish that was silk like. — 7 years ago

with Richard and Jason

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9.5

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is one of the most exotic, flamboyant young wines I have ever tasted from Randy and Mike Dunn. Graphite, cherry liqueur, smoke, licorice, plums and crème de cassis, open up in an alluring Cabernet Sauvignon that melds together ripeness and structure... (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Oct 2015) — 9 years ago